Today on AirTalk we break down the Presidents invocation of executive privilege over the "Fast & Furious" documents, a new pot proposal in front of L.A. City Council, a preview of the court ruling on SB 1070, a discussion with Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of th3 54th Grammy Award show and and interview with Carlin Romano on his new book, "America The Philosophical." Plus, the latest news.
Obama moves fast & furious to block Holder subpoena
For the first time in his presidency, Barack Obama has invoked executive privilege to prevent White House documents being released to congress.
The documents were subpoenaed by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is investigating Attorney General Eric Holder in Fast & Furious, a program in which over 2,000 firearms were distributed along the southwest border by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Those weapons later ended up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels and were used in a number of killings, including that of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
The committee maintains that Holder and the Department of Justice were complicit in the scheme, and was about to vote Holder in contempt of court for not turning over the documents when the executive order came down. In asserting executive privilege, the White House said that releasing the confidential documents would have serious, lasting consequences, as they contain information related to ongoing criminal investigations. Executive privilege has been asserted 24 times going back to the Reagan administration; Bill Clinton used it 14 times, and George W. Bush six.
Does invoking executive privilege imply White House involvement in Fast & Furious, as some Republicans are maintaining? Is Obama’s action justifiable under the circumstances? What’s the next move for the committee? When and why should presidents use this powerful tool to override congress?
Guest:
Allan Lichtman, Professor of history, presidential historian at American University; Author of “13 Keys to the White House”
Adam B. Schiff, (D-CA) Congressman representing California’s 29th district, which includes Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, Glendale, Griffith Park, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, Temple City
Tim Donnelly, California State Assemblyman, R-59th District (San Bernardino, San Dimas)
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican strategist and former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson
Darry Sragow, attorney and long time Democratic political strategist
New pot ban proposal goes before LA City Council
Medical marijuana clinics in the city of Los Angeles could go up in smoke.
L.A City council officials will meet on Friday, to debate a motion put forward by Councilman Jose Huizar to close up to 800 clinics that operate in the city.
"This has been a huge debate in the council over the last four, five, six years with medical marijuana users flooding the council at times saying we need access to our medicine. And with neighborhood groups coming in and saying that some of these pot shops are basically crime operations,” KPCC reporter Frank Stoltze said.
The four-member public safety committee are in favor of the ban which now goes to the full council.
Councilman Huizar, in a 2011 statement, said, “As someone who has advocated for safe access to medical marijuana for those who truly need it, while balancing that with the need to protect our local communities from an over-proliferation of dispensaries, this is not an easy decision for me.”
This proposal is the latest in a long line of attempts to control medical marijuana clinics in Los Angeles. In 2007 a moratorium was imposed on new dispensaries, followed by a city ordinance introducing a 'lottery' to limit which clinics can operate.
Since then, L.A. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich has said the ordinance could violate federal law, prompted by a court case brought against Long Beach for a similar lottery system last year. The case will be heard by the California Supreme Court.
Patient advocacy groups say it's time for a permanent solution to this problem so that legitimate medical marijuana users can be served properly.
KPCC listener Matt from West L.A. says medical marijuana is crucial to the care of his wife who is battling cancer.
"If they close these shops I don't know how I would be able to get her medical marijuana. I mean I don't have the expertise, I'm not a grower, I wouldn't be able to get it fast enough for her. It's just crazy to ban this when it's the only medicine that works for her."
An alternative proposal by Councilman Paul Koretz would allow up to 100 clinics to remain open but has not passed committee.
WEIGH IN
What benefits do you see to an outright ban on medical marijuana? If you use marijuana for medical purposes, what are your concerns about a ban? Councilman Koretz's proposal would allow for a limited number of dispensaries throughout the city of Los Angeles - would this be enough?
GUESTS
Frank Stoltze, KPCC reporter
Joe Elford, Chief Counsel, Americans for Safe Access
Arizona, California and beyond brace for Court ruling on immigration
When the Supreme Court rules on SB 1070 in the coming days, there could be consequences felt across the country. That all depends on how the Court writes the decision -- and what laws the ruling is based on. Moreover, the Justices could affirm some sections and declare others as unconstitutional.
"But advocates have begun plotting their responses," as reported by the L.A. Times. "If courts uphold the state's right to make immigration law.... immigrant rights activists will push more state legislation to expand protections for undocumented immigrants, according to Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles)."
How does that square with Arizona's argument that 1070 is simply an enforcement tool, not a new state law? Could there be unintended consequences? What would the fall-out be if 1070 holds? Would more lawsuits follow?
It's all so complicated that an unprecedented simulcast is taking to Arizona's airwaves tomorrow. Twenty-three Latino media outlets are broadcasting a special to inform their audiences of their rights. Producers of "Hoy Somos Arizona" (Today, We are Arizona) want the show to ease some fears and uncertainty among the Spanish-speaking immigrant population.
Guests:
Ben Monterroso, Executive Director, Mi Familia Vota, described as a national non-profit organization focused on Latino civic participation in the Latino community; Monterroso co-produced "Hoy Somos Arizona" (Today We Are Arizona) simulcast
Gil Cedillo, Democratic Assemblymen, California’s 45th District in Los Angeles
John Eastman, professor of law and former dean at Chapman University Law School. Eastman holds the Donald P. Kennedy Chair in Law at the Chapman University School of Law and is also the Director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a public interest law firm affiliated with the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy; Eastman co-authored an amicus brief for the Supreme Court on the SB 1070 case
Erwin Chemerinsky, Founding Dean of the UCI Law School
How the Grammy show went on
For Executive Producer Ken Ehrlich, putting together the 54th Annual Grammy Awards was anything but a stroll down Abbey Road. There are always the usual last-minute restagings, rewrites and rehearsals – in this case, hi-octane logistics included Paul McCartney’s all-star finale, featuring guests such as Bruce Springsteen, Joe Walsh and Dave Grohl.
But this year, the biggest challenge came 24 hours prior to the show with the devastating news that music legend Whitney Houston had been found dead in her hotel room. The producers scrambled to make changes to the program, assembling a tribute to Houston that included host LL Cool J’s opening prayer and Jennifer Hudson’s emotional rendition of Houston’s signature ballad “I Will Always Love You.”
Last week, the Grammy Museum screened a documentary that shares the revealing story of how Ehrlich and the production team were able to pull off the second most viewed show in Grammy history – while mourning the death of one of their own. Were you one of the 39 million viewers who watched the Grammys this year? How do you feel about the way the show paid tribute to Houston?
Guest:
Ken Ehrlich, Executive Producer of the Grammy Awards
The mini documentary “A Death in the Family: The Show Must Go On” can be seen at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, or viewed online here.
Are we a nation of philosophers?
In recent years, the United States has been taken to task by scholars who claim that we live in an age of unreason, misinformation and blind acceptance. Given the results of some opinion polls, you might be tempted to believe them.
However, Carlin Romano is not so quick to judge. In fact, his new book “America the Philosophical” takes a completely different tack. Romano posits that this marks a time of unprecedented truth and debate in American culture. He attributes this to the rise of formerly marginal citizens, such as women, African Americans and the LGBT community expanding the country’s “philosophical tent.”
This growth is coupled with the rise of the Internet and social media, which has led to “cyberphilosophy,” a completely new and original field of thought. In fact, he even goes so far as to label Barack Obama, the nation’s leader, as a philosopher-in-chief.
Just how does Romano justify seeing this philosophical side of America? In what ways have you seen the appreciation of knowledge and discussion build in this country over time? Do you agree with Romano’s philosophical opinion of the United States?
Guest
Carlin Romano, author of ‘America the Philosophical’ (Knopf), literary critic and president of the National Book Critics Circle and a Pulitzer Prize finalist