American Politics

Guest Host Barbara Bogaev talks with Edward Felsenthal and John Harwood. Felsenthal is the Supreme Court Correspondent from the Wall Street Journal, about the article on the Independent Counsel which appear in today's Wall Street Journal. Clinton, ironically, signed into law in 1994 the Independent Counsel Reauthorization Act. Soon after, Kenneth Starr began his Whitewater Investigation. Now, after two decades. the Independent Council is being criticized for its nearly unrestricted use of time, money and prosecutorial authority.

Journalist Gail Collins is on the New York Times' Editorial Board, and a former columnist for New York Newsday. Her book "Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Celebrity and the American Politics" (William Morrow) will be published this spring. She discusses the current scandal surrounding President Clinton in light of other political/sexual scandals.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Roe V. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. We talk to Medical Ethicist Art Caplan about how technological advances in the medical field, from fetal surgery to cloning, have effected the abortion debate.

Historian Joseph Ellis. He's written a new biography about Thomas Jefferson which aims to debunk many of the myths about the third president: "American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson" (Knopf). It won a National Book Award for nonfiction this November. Ellis has also contributed to filmmaker Ken Burns’ documentary “Jefferson” which will air in February. Ellis is a professor of American History at Mount Holyoke College, and has written five other books including “Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams.”

Brigadier General William A. Moorman is Staff Judge Advocate for the Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. He talks about why Lt. Flinn was forced to resign and states the Air Force’s policy concerning sexual conduct.

Lieutenant Kelly Flinn was the first woman to pilot a B-52 bomber. Flinn was forced to resign from the Air Force this spring on charges of "disobeying orders" when a military investigation discovered she lied about relationship she had with a married man. Flinn has written a book about the incident and her experiences dealing with sexism and hypocrisy in the Air Force, titled "Proud to Be: My Life, the Air Force, the Controversy ." (Random House).

Historian Stanley Kutler. He's just edited a collection of "The New Nixon Tapes." The book is titled "Abuse of Power" (The Free Press). Kutler sued the National Archives and the Nixon Estate for the release of 3000 hours of tapes in 1996, 200 hours of which are now available. Kutler is also the author of "The Wars of Watergate," and historical advisor for the television documentary, "Watergate."

Presidential historian Michael Beschloss. He transcribed tapes, edited and provided commentary for the new book "Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964" (Simon & Schuster). When Johnson took office, he began recording his daily private conversations. This book is the first volume of transcripts and covers the aftermath of the Kennedy Assassination, the creation of the Warren Commission, the civil rights bill, and the Tonkin Gulf attack, and his thoughts about the Vietnam war. Beschloss has written three other books.

Anita Hill has written a book entitled "Speaking Truth to Power," (Doubleday) a reflection on the events surrounding the Hill-Thomas hearings of the fall of 1991. Hill addresses her difficult overnight transformation into a public figure, as well as the way her case has affected women and the work world as a whole. Hill is currently working on another book about sexual harassment, and lectures on civil rights and sexual harassment in the workplace.

Patrick Murphy is the Public Guardian of Cook County, Illinois. He represents abused or neglected children in Chicago’s . In his new book Wasted: The Plight of America’s Unwanted Children (Ivan R. Dee, Inc) he argues that while keeping families together may sound like good public policy, there are many cases in which it only endangers the lives of children. His previous book is titled Our Kindly Parent the State. (Viking) (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)