The Times Poll; Oil-For-Food Scandal; Is America Still A “Melting Pot?”
The Times Poll
The Los Angeles Times published its latest poll on Sunday that indicates most people would favor a tax increase on alcohol, tobacco and the rich to close the gap in California’s budget. Other findings of the poll include a very high approval rating for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and strong support for the re-election of Senator Barbara Boxer. Larry Mantle discusses the Times Poll and takes calls from listeners.
Oil-For-Food Scandal
An Iraqi newspaper and Iraqi officials have accused over two hundred individuals and groups of taking kickbacks in the oil-for-food program that ran until the invasion of Iraq last year. Among those named is an official in the United Nations, fueling speculation that the program was corrupt at the core. In an effort to maintain its integrity, the United Nations has begun an internal investigation of the allegations. Mark Blitz, chair of the Claremont McKenna College Government Department, joins Host Larry Mantle to discuss the issue.
Is America Still A “Melting Pot?”
Larry Mantle talks with immigration scholar Tamar Jacoby about her new book Reinventing the Melting Pot: The New Immigrants and What it Means to Be American. It’s a series of thought-provoking essays looking at how immigration affects the identity of America today. With the growth of immigration rates, globalization, and ethnic media, is America still a Melting Pot, or is it something else?