July 26 – The Economic Hostage Crisis Face-Off; Tea Party Tempests; White House Debt-Ceiling Strategy?

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Part 1	We begin with the big story in the news and that is the economic hostage crisis, with an analysis of dueling speeches at the eleventh hour, the President’s and John Boehner’s. They were afforded equal time in the press, even though only one side is threatening to destroy the full faith and credit of the United States if they don’t get 100% of what they want. Jonathan Cohn, a senior editor at The New Republic joins us to discuss who is really responsible for the deficit and the debt.
Part 2	We talk to a presidential historian who studies both the American Right and the presidency. Allan Lichtman, the author of White Protestant Nation: The Rise Of The American Conservative Movement. He assesses the role of the Tea Party in preventing compromise as the American ship of state heads for the abyss.
Part 3	Then, in light of criticism from James Carville and others who faced a similar situation during the Clinton Administration when Newt Gingrich threatened to shut down the government, which he did, we talk strategy, which according to many is sorely lacking in the Obama White House. Karl Agne, a campaign strategist joins us to explain whether Obama’s latest speech is too little too late, and what moves might be left for him before the economy is destroyed and his election chances end up as collateral damage.