American Politics

Bobby Seale was one of the co-founders of the Black Panther Party, who was part of the "Chicago Eight," where he was eventually severed from the group's trial. Seale currently works in Washington D.C. where he has started an advocacy group, Advocates Scene, and also offers a self-help program. Seale discusses his past work and how he sees the future of African Americans.

Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller is a philosopher, architect, and inventor. His newest work "Critical Path" will be published in April. The book traces what Fuller calls "the greatest crisis in the history of the human race," not scarcity of resources, but human selfishness. He joins the show to discuss his work and philosophy.

Philip Foner is the foremost historian on the labor movement in the U. S. He is the author of over eighty works, including a four volume history of the American labor movement, "Organized Labor and the Black Worker," and "Women and the American Labor Movement," the second volume of which was recently published. He is currently a visiting professor at Rutgers University.

Republican Arlen Specter was recently elected as an U. S. senator for the state of Pennsylvania. His political career began when he moved to Philadelphia in the 1950s. He has been the District Attorney of Philadelphia and the Assistant Counsel to the Warren Commission. He joins the show to discuss his plans for the state in the next six years and to answer user calls.

Writer and humorist Roy Blount's new book is "Crackers," a book of "impressions" about Southerners, Northerners, Jimmy Carter, and a fictional Carter family. Blount joins the show to talk about his book, Carter, the 1980 election, and the current political climate.

Dr. John Morrison is a professor of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania. He has recently completed a study about the effects of racism on whites. He joins the show to discuss his work.

G. Gordon Liddy orchestrated the Watergate break-in. After serving four-and-a-half years of his prison sentence, he joins the show to discuss his book "Will" and his role in the crime. (PARTIAL INTERVIEW)

Harris Wofford was Special Assistant to President John F. Kennedy for Civil Rights, the Assistant Director of the Peace Corps, a lawyer for Martin Luther King, Jr., and president of Bryn Mawr University. He currently practices law in Philadelphia. His new book is "Of Kennedys and Kings: Making Sense of the Sixties." He joins the show to discuss the leadership styles of three SIxties' figures: John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Walter Lear, President of the Institute of Social Medicine and Community Health, and Professor Jose Arias, a professor of economics and former Salvadorian Minister of Agriculture, join the show to discuss the political situation in El Salvador. (INTERVIEW BY RALPH FLOOD)

Journalist Sidney Blumenthal argues that political strategists have replaced party bosses during election seasons. The former's job of creating a coherent and appealing media narrative for a candidate continues even after an election comes to an end.