Politics Central

The Glenn and Helen Show: Fred Thompson on John McCain and Judges

Mon, 05 May 2008 11:54:59 -0800

With Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama still slugging it out in the Democratic primaries, John McCain has already cleared the way to the Republican nomination. He's spending his time laying out his positions for the general election, and one of the most important issues has to do with judicial nominations. We were lucky enough to catch up with McCain's friend Fred Thompson, who talked with us about McCain's positions, the current and possible future states of the federal judiciary, and whether there's a place for an Attorney General Fred Thompson in a McCain administration. ("No Ma'am" he responded, when Helen asked.)

The Glenn and Helen Show: Cass Sunstein on Libertarian Paternalism

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:31:06 -0800

Cass Sunstein is the Karl Llewellyn Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Chicago, and the coauthor, with Chicago colleague Richard Thaler, of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness.

Sunstein and Thaler espouse a theory of "Libertarian Paternalism," in which people have more choice than they do now, but in which ignorance and sloth are exploited to encourage them to make good choices even when they're lazy. We talk about libertarian paternalism, the virtues and vices of technocracy, and which Presidential candidates favor Sunstein and Thaler's approach.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Michael Yon on the Moment of Truth in Iraq

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:54:48 -0800

Michael Yon is a blogger, and independent journalist, and he's actually the longest serving embedded journalist in Iraq. He's also got a new book out, Moment of Truth in Iraq: How a New 'Greatest Generation' of American Soldiers is Turning Defeat and Disaster into Victory and Hope. It's a terrific book, and a must-read for anyone interested in the war on terror.

We talk to Michael about independent blogging, the situation in Iraq and how it's changed since he started reporting in 2004, and his new book. Plus, advice for the Presidential candidates on what to say, and do, about Iraq over the coming year.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Retiring Rich Despite Economic Turmoil

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:17:48 -0800

Tax Day is approaching, the markets are turbulent, and people are wondering how to move financially. So we talked with Jim Schlagheck, producer of public TV's Retirement Revolution and author of The Cash-Rich Retirement: Use the Investing Techniques of the Mega-Wealthy to Secure Your Retirement Future. The book is interesting, action-oriented, and -- in my opinion -- more conservative and realistic than a lot that I've read. Our discussion includes what to do financially, how the housing bubble and the "coming demographic storm" of Baby-Boomer retirements are likely to affect investments, and what economic problems will confront the next President.

Music is by Mobius Dick. Show archives are at GlennandHelenShow.com.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Austin Bay and Jim Dunnigan on Iraq, Venezuela, and America

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:32:49 -0800

We talk to Jim Dunnigan, publisher of StrategyPage.com and author of numerous books on war, intelligence and security, and Austin Bay, who blogs at AustinBay.net, and who is the author of both novels and nonfiction works on war and military matters. They fill us in on the latest developments in Iran, Iraq, and Venezuela, and talk about why the Obama Campaign is good for America.

Music is by Mobius Dick. Show archives are at GlennandHelenShow.com.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Troy Dunn on Raising Kids to be Rich

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:24:06 -0800

Want to raise a rich kid? Or at least a kid who knows how to make money without waiting for someone else to offer a job? That's what Troy Dunn offers in his new book, Young Bucks: How to Raise a Future Millionaire. We talk to Troy about why parents should want their kids to be entrepreneurial, how to encourage them to strike out on their own, and what the Presidential candidates are missing when they talk about economics.

Music is by Mobius Dick. Show archives are at GlennandHelenShow.com.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Mitt Romney Talks Super Tuesday

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:49:27 -0800

With the Super Tuesday primaries just a couple of days away, we caught up to Mitt Romney and asked him about gun control -- he says he'll veto any gun control bills that cross his desk as President -- about the economy, and about John McCain. Plus, whether Romney is mean enough for politics. Can he pull off a Turnaround?

The Glenn and Helen Show: Rudy Giuliani and Gene Sperling on Politics and Policy

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:19:46 -0800

It's an bipartisan election double-header, featuring interviews with Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton economic adviser Gene Sperling. We talk to both about the Second Amendment, energy policy, terrorism, and Hillary's stimulus plan. Plus, Helen cracks Glenn up with an observation on podcast tax credits.

Music is "Black UFOs" by Mobius Dick.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Bob Zubrin on How to Break OPEC

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:40:08 -0800

How can we break the OPEC oil cartel for $100 a car? Engineer Bob Zubrin has the answer -- by requiring all new cars sold in the United States to be flex-fuel vehicles that can run not just on gasoline, but on ethanol and methanol.

We talk to Zubrin about his new book, Energy Victory: Winning the War on Terror by Breaking Free of Oil,about how oil money funds terrorism, and about how proven off-the-shelf technology could undercut OPEC's power.

Music is by Mobius Dick.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Jonah Goldberg on Hillary, Huckabee, and Liberal Fascism

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 06:40:47 -0800

It's sure to make a splash, and it's already got some left bloggers in a tizzy even though it doesn't come out until next week. It's Jonah Goldberg's new book, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning. The title comes from H.G. Wells, and the history won't be news to people who've paid attention -- which means it will be news to a lot of people, but Goldberg has a lot to say about the "progressive" roots of both socialism and fascism and the way they're reflected in contemporary politics. Plus, thoughts on the Hillary and Huckabee candidacies.

This podcast was brought to you by Volvo Automobiles. Music is "Nobody's Full" by Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere.

The Glenn and Helen Show: John McCain in the Home Stretch

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:17:04 -0800

The Iowa Caucuses are just around the corner, and we thought it was a good time to catch up with Senator John McCain, who's seeking the Republican nomination for President. (Our earlier interview with Sen. McCain is here.) We talked about the election, Supreme Court appointments, the Second Amendment, Iraq, and much, much more. McCain was rested, relaxed, confident, and full of I-told-you-sos, but then he was staying in a Holiday Inn Express when we talked to him.

This podcast was brought to you by Volvo Automobiles. Music is by Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Bob Levy on the Supreme Court and the DC Gun Ban

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:03:33 -0800

The Supreme Court has decided to hear an appeal on the D.C. gun-ban case, meaning that the question of whether the Second Amendment protects a right to arms will be squarely before it. The suit was brought by Bob Levy, a senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute, and we talked to him about the case, the law, and what may come next.

This podcast was brought to you by Volvo Automobiles. Music is by Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Advice for Daring Girls

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:35:05 -0800

First, it was the Dangerous Book for Boys, and now it's the Daring Book for Girls. We talked to Daring Book authors Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz about girls, the outdoors, and the shockingly large number of fun activities that don't involve cellphones, televisions, or videogames.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Amory Lovins et al., on Science, Engineering, and Society

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:08:32 -0800

We traveled to the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Conference in New York, and talked to energy efficiency guru Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute, MacArthur Genius Award winner and science educator Shawn Carlson, and appropriate-technology entrepreneur Shawn Frayne. It's a fascinating discussion of everything from how America can save energy and protect the environment without sacrificing our lifestyle, to ways of helping the third world, to techniques for energizing American students interest in science and technology.

The Glenn and Helen Show: Amory Lovins et al., on Science, Engineering, and Society

The Glenn and Helen Show: Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 07:33:23 -0800

Mike Huckabee is running for President. He was governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007, he's the author of numerous books including From Hope to Higher Ground, and the book about how he lost over 100 pounds, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork : A 12-Stop Program to End Bad Habits and Begin a Healthy Lifestyle. He's the Jared of Presidential candidates! Helen's also a fan of his book on juvenile violence, Kids Who Kill.

We talk to Governor Huckabee about gun rights and gun control, health care (and diet), his support for the "Fair Tax" plan, gay marriage, and more.

This podcast was brought to you by Volvo USA. Music is "Nobody's Full," by Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere.