Reeves in Dispatch Politics – Kennedy

According to Senior Fellow Richard Reeves in Dispatch Politics, the inaugural speech by President John F. Kennedy did not change America though "it was a hell of a speech and inspirational to those who heard." Reeves was interviewed for the article that explored the impact of the message that Kennedy's rhetoric had during the tumultuous era of the early 1960s…….

Reeves in NYT – Kennedys mini-series

Senior Fellow Richard Reeves, famous for his biographies on the Kennedys, was interviewed by the New York Times about the History Channel's decision to shelve the multi-million dollar mini-series on the family. In the article, Reeves disputes the claims and accuracies of the program, saying that it would blur the lines between historical reenactment and dramatic license, by playing out events on-screen that did not occur in the White House…….

Reeves on KPCC – Tuscon

Richard Reeves, CCLP Senior Fellow, was interviewed on 89.3 KPCC after the tragic shooting death in Tuscon, AZ. Reeves' storied past a political journalist allowed for him to bring weight to the conversation questioning the rancorous atmosphere of political discourse that has blamed following the events earlier this month. Full audio of the interview can be heard here…….

Reeves: Republicans still hold true to Reagan ideals

In conjunction with the upcoming Ronald Reagan Centennial Academic Symposium, CCLP is set to release a new white paper by Senior Fellow Richard Reeves on the construction of Ronald Reagan's legacy. Reeves argues that the Great Communicator's mark on American politics is still being felt today, as Reagan remains the "nucleus" of the modern conservative movement. "American conservatism was constructed like an atom," says Reeves in an article in USA Today. "You had all of these energetic electrons, as it were, spinning wildly around — the religious, financial, nationalistic conservatives, and the old-fashioned New York banker conservatives — often despising……

The Game-Changer List

The Associated Press, as usual, released last week its editors' poll of the 10 top stories of the year. No. 1, with 54 first-place votes, was the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The congressional passage of health care reform was second with 30 votes. The list by the men and women who actually edit our news continued: (3) midterm elections; (4) U.S. economy; (5) Haiti earthquake; (6) tea party movement; (7) Chile mine rescue; (8) Iraq; (9) WikiLeaks; (10) Afghanistan. All of those were obviously big stories. But hold the presses! It is not a list I would……

Dr. Strangelove Redux

And now a quote that could come from Dr. Strangelove: "A lot of people fear artificial intelligence. I will stand my artificial intelligence against your human any day of the week and tell you that my A.I. will pay more attention to the rules of engagement and create fewer ethical lapses than a human force." That is from John Arquilla, executive director of the Information Operations Center at the Naval Postgraduate School. "Dr. Arquilla," reports The New York Times, "argues that weapons systems controlled by software will not act out of anger and malice and, in certain cases, can already……

The Cowardice of America at War

Photo credit storqmplusI had to pull over to the side of La Cienega Boulevard last Tuesday evening as I drove home from work. I was crying. It was nothing, or it was the same old thing. I was listening to the news on National Public Radio when there was another story about another death in Afghanistan. Pfc. Andrew Meari, age 21. A village called Senjaray. An Afghan on a moped pulled up next to an American truck and blew himself up, killing Meari and another guy. The Americans, my countrymen, were there, near Kandahar, working to win the trust and……

A Third Party

WASHINGTON — It may not get much done, but the first session of the 112th Congress, convening in January, will be fun to watch. The most interesting commentary on the 2010 midterm elections was from Republican partisans and their Tea Party cousins as they rhetorically, warily circled each other on the morning after. The man who managed Senator-elect Rand Paul's primary campaign in Kentucky, David Adams, had this to say: "I'm hoping for a lot of fireworks in Washington over who takes control of who. If Republican leaders think for a minute they're going to suck us in and continue……

Waiting for Another Watergate

What is the most powerful political operation in the country in this 21st century? It's the United States Supreme Court. The men and women in black are on their way to deciding their second national election in just the first decade of the century. In the year 2000, the justices stopped the counting of votes in the presidential election. This year they tilted (or mutilated) congressional elections by ruling – in the case called Citizens United – that corporations are people, only more so. What they ruled was that corporations (and unions) or groups they sponsor have the right to……