American Politics

Wayne Barrett, author of the book, “Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani” (Basic Books). Rudolph Giuliani, the mayor of New York City, recently dropped out of the highly visible New York Senate race, after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The Mayor is a controversial figure; some think of him as a savior who has cleaned up Manhattan’s streets, while others see him as a turn around artist and brut. Barrett's book traces Guiliani’s life and career—from college student to U.S. attorney, to mayor of New York City and possible senate candidate.

Authors Adam Cohen and Elizabeth Taylor are the authors of American Pharaoh: Mayor Richard J. Daley, His Battle for Chicago and the Nation” (Little, Brown & Co). In the book, the authors look at Daley’s legacy, how he transformed Chicago into a modern metropolis, but also turned it into the nation’s most segregated city.

The new documentary “Well-Founded Fear” goes inside the Immigration and Naturalization Service to document the process by which asylum agents grant or deny asylum to refugees. The INS gave the filmmakers, Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini, unprecedented access. Terry talks with the two, and with Asylum Officer Robert Gerald Brown. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).

Journalist Bill Turque is Washington correspondent for Newsweek and author of the new biography, “Inventing Al Gore” (Houghton Mifflin). Turque covered both of Gore’s vice presidential campaigns and the Clinton White House. He began work on the book in 1997

We talk about the state of welfare with journalist Jason DeParle (dee- PARL). De Parle has been covering welfare for the last 10 years. He has been monitoring welfare programs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where work requirements have been the toughest. He just finished a yearlong series for the New York Times, about the changes in the welfare system. He says that although there are far fewer people on welfare, the lives of the poor haven’t changed much.

Journalist Bill Minutaglio writes for The Dallas Morning News. He's also just written a biography of presidential hopeful and Texas Governor George W. Bush. It's called "First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty" (Times Books).

Terry Gross calls Jimmy Carter to discuss his 75th birthday.

Syndicated columnist Cal Thomas and pastor Ed Dobson. Both previously worked with the Moral Majority: Thomas was Jerry Falwell's spokesman, and Dobson was Falwell's personal assistant. The two are now critical of the emergence of conservative Christian groups into politics, and they've collaborated on the new book: "Blinded by Might: Can the Religious Right Save America?" (Zondervan Publishing).

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg comments on the diminished stature of epigraphy. This refers to the ancient art of putting writing on walls. This includes signs, posters, banners and graffiti.

Former Special Counsel to President Clinton, Lanny Davis. He served from December 1996 thru January 1998. During that time he saw the President thru various financial scandals and developed a style for dealing with bad news head on. Davis left the White House just as the Monica Lewinsky story was breaking. DAVIS has a new memoir, "Truth to Tell: Tell it Early, Tell it All, Tell it Yourself: Notes from My White House Education" (The Free Press).