JOHN BOLTON APPOINTED; ORANGE COUNTY GREAT PARK UPDATE; SENATOR BILL FRIST'S ABOUT FACE; AMERICAN FREEMASONS
JOHN BOLTON APPOINTED
President Bush sidestepped the Senate and appointed embattled nominee John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations on Monday, ending a five-month impasse with Democrats. Bush put Bolton on the job in a recess appointment, an opportunity available to the president when the Congress is in recess. Under the Constitution, an appointment made during the lawmakers' August break would last until a newly elected Congress takes office in January 2007. Larry Mantle talks with NPR political editor Ken Rudin, Suzanne Dimaggio of UNA-USA, Edward Luck of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and Mike Needham of the Heritage Foundation.
ORANGE COUNTY GREAT PARK UPDATE
The Orange Country Great Park Corporation recently released its Community Visioning Report, concluding Phase One of the process of soliciting public input on the controversial park’s facilities. According to the report, county residents prefer that open space, public swimming pools, cultural and community amenities, sports facilities, major outdoor theatre and botanical gardens be considered in developing the park. Larry Mantle discusses the report’s conclusions and next steps for the park with Larry Agran, Chairman of the Orange County Great Park Corporation.
SENATOR BILL FRIST'S ABOUT FACE
On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced his intention to part ways with President Bush and religious conservatives by supporting legislation to expand federal funding for stem cell research. Frist, a medical doctor who opposes abortion, said that his position is “not just a matter of faith, it’s a matter of science.” The announcement drew praise from Democrats, and disappointment from many Republicans. For some, Frist’s declaration suggests nothing more than a savvy, politically-centrist move by a politician looking toward a presidential run in 2008. Larry Mantle talks with Dr. Alfred Balitzer, professor of Government and a senior research fellow at Claremont Graduate University, and Ryan Lizza, Senior Editor for The New Republic, who covers the White House, about Frist’s turnaround and its implications, both for stem cell research funding and Frist’s political career.
AMERICAN FREEMASONS
With over four million members worldwide, Freemasonry is the largest fraternal organization in the world. What exactly is Freemasonry, and why have three centuries of American men, from Paul Revere and George Washington to Harry Truman and Thurgood Marshall, been drawn to its rituals, symbols, and precepts? Larry Mantle talks about Freemasonry with Mark Tabbert, curator of Masonic and fraternal collections at the National Heritage Museum and author of "American Freemasons: Three Centuries of Building Communities."