Focus 580; How To Overthrow a Government

Running and welcome to focus 580 This is our telephone talk program. My name's David Inge glad to have you with us this morning. In the first part of focus we will be talking with political columnist and commentator Arianna Huffington. She is nationally syndicated. She's the author of eight books among them biographies of Maria Callas and Pablo Picasso. This morning I'm sure we'll be talking about some of the ideas that she lays out in her most recent which is titled How to Overthrow the Government. She's someone who until fairly recently would have clearly been labeled a conservative and was known for her ties to some of the top conservatives in the country among them Newt Gingrich More recently however she has become an outspoken critic of both political parties saying that they are both corrupt and self-serving and also a very outspoken critic of American politics. Some of these ideas indeed are expressed in this book that's now out in paperback. During the campaign of 96 you might recall she teamed up with another political commentator

from the left Al Franken and did political coverage for Comedy Central during the conventions that year also on election night. She has appeared on all of the major TV talk shows including Larry King Nightline Charlie Rose firing line the Today show. She serves on several boards that promote community solutions to social problems including the Points of Light Foundation just to name one where she chairs the Communications Committee and works on the foundations families volunteering project and she's joining us this morning by telephone as we talk. Your questions are welcome. Anyone's welcome to join the conversation and all we ask as all this is just for people to try to be brief so that we can keep things moving along and get as many people in as possible but anyone is welcome to call here in Champaign-Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5. We also have toll free line good anywhere that you can hear us that has 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5 so if it would be long distance call us that number 800 to two to

WRAL and then here in Champaign Urbana 3 3 3. Miss Huffington Hello how are you. Fine thanks and thank you for talking with us. Thank you so much. I guess myself I've felt for sometime now that to try to describe anyone or almost anyone in just a few words is not very useful and probably doesn't do them much of a service. Now having said that however could you in a relatively few words describe how it is that at this point you describe yourself politically. Well in my political thinking has definitely evolved and partly because the issues that really concern me the last especially those left out of our prosperity the fact that we have become increasingly two nations in America divided by Access to have education and the good times. And I found that these issues were not really

seriously being addressed by either political party that both parties were basically making their priorities the priorities that those of the become pain contributors and issue. Sort of my disenchantment with the way our system works that has led to that shift in my political views if I was going to give myself a label and I would call myself a progressive populist because I really look to the people to bring about fundamental change that I have lost hope that real reform is going to come from Washington. I do I'm interested in what you think about campaign finance reform and whether now the conversation that's been going on for a couple of weeks in the Senate is going to lead anywhere. I think that John McCain is one of the few leaders left in our political system he's passionate about the subject. He has galvanized people around it. As you may remember during the primary he got the young people to care again about politics because they believe that he

could clean up to save them. And so I have nothing but admiration for what he is doing. At the same time I'm very pessimistic about this. And Bill actually becoming law in order to pass the Senate today probably. And and and that may makes many people think that their far success if you have what they say a long bumpy road ahead has to pass the House and Tom DeLay has said over his dead body that it has to go to conference and be and have the Senate and the House versions reconcile. Then then it has to be signed by the president so that many roadblocks ahead and I think that the encampments of both parties who don't want to see. I basically waiting and biding their time and looking for the next support you need to stop it. I wanted to drag you back to the past too much but I do wonder how your feelings about the issue of campaign finance might have been shaped by the your experiences with your former

husband as he ran for the Senate in California and at the time I think set a record for the amount of money that was spent in the race. He did he spend about 30 million dollars. And of course now that seems small compared to what John Pozza time spent was in about 65 million in New Jersey which is tiny compared to California. But there are finitely I saw firsthand during my cousins some day they flows of money in politics the way that money buys from Saddam and falls to us and the professionalization of a political campaign. So that but little by little and all issues and all priorities have to take second place to live to Consols and Faustus thing. Either they choose to appeal to swing voters. And we've seen that very stock in the last election when both bulls and effectively campaigned on minority issues like the increases in prescription drug prices which is important but it's not

the major crisis facing this country compared to education and have care and the further we now have 2 million people in jail and the failure of our drug laws and all of these major issues were not addressed because consultants and fosters were claiming that they do they would not appeal and to say vote do you favor or would you favor public financing of campaigns. Yes absolutely I think that right now we have basically and ending up please not the best that this country can offer in terms of a political leadership. We end up with them with people who don't mind spending two thirds of their time begging for money and I think that it would change our campaign system. And if we have. Some public funding of campaigns. We're going to see a very different kind of person running for office. Our guest in this first hour focus 580 is syndicated columnist and author Arianna

Huffington. She is well known as a political commentator. She's the author of a number of books her most recent is titled How to Overthrow the Government which is now available in paperback published by Regan Books which is a division of Harper Collins. If you're have questions comments you want to join in the conversation here you're certainly welcome to do that. All you need to do is pick up the telephone and dial the number here in Champaign Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 and toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5. I asked you just at the beginning of the program to talk a little bit about where you feel that you are now politically and I know I read some of the things I've read you have said that you thought that it was not so much a matter of transformation as you have evolved in your thinking and some of the positions that you would take now may not be all that different or all that surprising given what you have thought in the past and again having sort of said all that well was there anything anything specific anything particular anything that you could point to that has happened to you or that you have seen over the last

couple of years that that has that has pushed you now into the direction that that you've taken. Yes I would say that. 1994 1995 I and I worked hard to to see if the private sector would step up to the plate in terms of providing the kind of resources that needed to address the problems of poverty and the discrepancies that that I'm talking about in the book and I have discovered the hard way that there is a lot of talk about that. But in fact and most of the money given to charity does not go to the greatest need. It goes to the fashionable museums and it goes to procedures education institutions like Cobb what I stand for and that in fact. The needs that remain and address to really need They're all part of government appropriations to be seriously addressed. Now that doesn't mean that we need big Washington based federal programs. We've learned a lot since the Great

Society and we've seen how small programs and small projects I am on around the country are every day turning lives around and having a huge impact. So now the modern that I'm advocating is identifying those projects and then using and government appropriations to bring them to scale to provide. The financial resources that are needed but the projects themselves that a mock up of people around the country they want providing the leadership for what we need to do this. This brings to mind the kind of program that Mr. Bush has talked about President Bush has talked about that is taking government money and providing it to nonprofit organizations. Among them religious organizations that are doing social service work. Some people have raised questions about that getting to the issue of separation of church and state. What do you think about that idea of trying to take more of that money that previously we might have spent on government run programs and then provide that to you

to nonprofits to charities who are doing that kind of work. Well I'm in favor of most of them. Faith based initiatives. I believe that if you look at WHY DO THESE that lives around and it invariably involve some and a month of say I have seen most of the trouble in life and I've traveled because of some behavioral issue especially a big question of violence and we see that the success rate that a program like Alcoholics Anonymous has also smaller programs that that that bring in say I am not a particular religion but the belief in some higher power I mean to say that it's very hard to turn lives around without it. And as long as there are secular alternatives. For those who don't understand and have found a nanny farm then I don't see them. I don't see what the problem may have. I mean what is interesting is the strange bedfellows that have lined up against and the

faith based initiative proposed and they range from Pat Robertson. To Barry Levine who who are honest that Americans for Separation of Church and State and sees that the factor that separation around every color national We have one color here I expect it will have some of the folks who would like to talk with you the number here in Champaign Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 will also have the toll free line. That's 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5 in the corner here is on our toll free line in Lafayette Indiana. Line number four. Hello. Hi thanks for listening. I have a question to backtrack a little bit regarding the campaign finance reform. Probably one of the biggest things that have come up in the debate is the constitutionality issue and the freedom of speech. And while a lot of people seem to be looking at the intellectual basis of things that say how can that be freedom of speech. Various Court precedents for that sort of thing. And I'm wondering how can any financing campaign reform

be passed with this in the background and all of the hang up and well. For the Co. Yeah I mean you're right that these are the main arguments that. That the opponents of campaign finance reform are using against it. But let me just say that the Supreme Court in the case am in Missouri and I'm in that decision actually written by David Sirota made it very clear that the threat to the confidence in our political system at the moment and be so great that it should be taken into consideration and and and relieve it used against the argument that any kind of restrictions on money in politics is unconstitutional. All right let's go are bad. Here for someone else. Hello. Hi I just wanted to make a comment about faith based organizations being accepting care the government subsidies

and it's always brought up and often I hear Alcoholics Anonymous made reference to and I just wanted to clarify the acts of Alcoholics Anonymous would never accept a government donation they won't even accept donations from private organizations that want to do funding it's all grassroots bottom up funded so that members make donations they put a dollar in the basket and that's how the whole thing is funded. And to bring up Alcoholics Anonymous as a way to support the idea of faith based organizations needing government funded is it backwards. And it doesn't address the fact that there is a conflict of interest between. Religion and State. So I wish you would had their address. I brought about 200 anonymous not because of the funding issue but because of the high five and a month you not gone except on a movie which is really what faith based initiatives and I also am trying to bring

into the cavity and to the whole process turning lives around. Right but they do it with the specifically without I mean that they do it. So much so that with a higher power but knowing that that you can only do that because it's got a separation from any other they don't take that money from churches they don't accept money from from the government you know and that's the only way that you can not have the influence of saying a specific god. A defining that God. And that's where the conflict comes and there is and there isn't. If there was an attempt to force people to pray to a particular God and accepted what they can of God then I would agree with you. But this is absolutely strictly not the case I mean and the faith based initiatives would fund Muslim groups and Christian groups and Jewish groups and consecration and and I think that is that even if they fund those than them than the

money that is used for those organizations could be used to try to influence people to pray to their specific god whichever specific god it is that money would definitely be used for that. And even if it you say the program isn't other money is going to be diverted from that church so that they don't have to you know pay whatever to pay their mortgages. Well there's no question that I'm going to be abusive. But right now I have so many casualties in our country and so many people suffering needing have been so many good programs and that are using a faith based approach that need more funding that I think instead of saying less so the baby out with the bathwater let's say let's be very vigilant let's be a very clear that any abuses that will be. Down to a very. And categorically and let's not pretend that.

We don't know what's in turning lives around because we do. Well I think it's so contrary that the Bush would say that he wants faith based organizations but then he cut off the funding for it for any organization that has abortions performed. I mean I agree with you that there's a lot of mistrust because of Bush's other policies. But if you go back to propose that during the campaign he had an identical proposal on faith based initiatives. So this is not just particular to George Bush. You just said because it's coming from George Bush and because of George Bush's ties to the religious right Evey's more skepticism and I understand that I mean I don't and I don't blame you for being skeptical. All I'm saying is that I'm warning to fitting in looking at how this can be implemented successfully. I have a lot of respect for John DiIulio who's been appointed to run faith

based initiatives and I think Stephanie something that we need to try. Aren't we already trying it. I mean what is the difference between what George Bush is proposing and what what's happening now other than faith based initiative. The efforts I mean there currently are there right now and there has to be a separate entity to receive government funding like Catholic charities for example to set up a separate entity that can receive government funding with an out of the small groups out on the country that cannot high fantasy all you have to turn them into 2 a.m. 5 0 on the city as a kind of benefit for all it doesn't take a fancy lawyer to become a 5 0 1 3 3 I mean a lot of money and time it takes it takes some but but but it helps with the separation. So how how is how could it be monitored if you're not a not for profit I mean I don't know on its own because these are

going to be the regulations and these would be the condition of the which the group would be accepting the money. I need to get a judgement here I hope the caller forgive me my getting close to the midpoint here and I want to try to get some other folks into the program and also introduce Again our guest for this part of focus We're talking with political columnist and author Arianna Huffington she is nationally syndicated. She's the author of eight books as I mentioned among them biographies. Maria Callas and Pablo Picasso Her latest is titled How to Overthrow the Government which is her criticism of American politics as it is. And you no doubt know her fron her many appearances on some of the most high profile television talk programs and she's talking with us this morning by telephone. Your questions comments are certainly welcome 3 3 3 W wild toll free 800 1:58 W while I'm at the time of that. The Republicans took over control of the house of the Congress

and Mr Gingrich became speaker I think a number of the people who came to Washington came with a distinctly hostile attitude toward the federal government. And in fact people talked about their interest in being in Congress going to Washington dismantling the government as much as they possibly could and then going home after a few years. And I wonder now you know again given the fact that at one point I would have thought that you would have been in harmony with that kind of attitude if you could talk a little bit more about what you see as the role the appropriate role particularly when it comes to dealing with social matters. The appropriate role for. The federal government. Well as I say in the book because I trace actually quite happened in 94 and they so-called Gingrich revolution and it was very deceptive for many of us because when he gave his first speech at Spica For example he spoke about overcoming poverty being a higher priority than balancing the

budget. So his rhetoric was very different than his actions and them either as in fact gradually as I and many others observed his actions and that they do especially have at. His priority was really to balance the budget and restrict government as you said. Now for me. The question of the role of government is purely a question of effectiveness. What is the most effective way to solve problems. And that's why I mentioned these projects all around the country that are doing an incredible job I'm involved with quite a few of them in turning lives around. And so the most effective use of government here would be to provide the financial resources to bring them to scale because these groups already have. The know how and they magination and the creativity to solve problems they just don't have adequate was also.

Let's talk about someone else here in Urban's line number one. Hello. I was going to throw at the saddle conventional thought that when there was a lot of fun you come to Los Angeles offended then. Oh no no no I mean you just me watch it on C-SPAN and I stayed as much as I could catch of it but I wanted to ask you about one of the speakers there I don't know if you're familiar with everybody that spoke there but I believe the guy's name was Tom Campbell. Yes and he used to from California and he had this really emotional and rousing. But Beatrix a drug thrower. Yes absolutely. Tom Campbell was a member of Congress from California who ran against Dianne Feinstein and lost and was a really nice and funny and drug reform and it's one

of the confusing aspects of our political system that two of the greatest Fania is on drug policy reform Tom Campbell and Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico. I would probably come because one of the areas that I have a whole chapter about in the book where there's really no new thinking coming out of the political establishment in Washington and the dumb comment that really stood out in advocating and of mandatory minimums and then to differentiate between crack and powder cocaine and basically and then to be aphids and incarceration rather than treatment and indeed there was a proposition. Rob so to say except past in California that is putting the emphasis on treatment over incarceration. Well I thought I'd ask you what is the real problem party doing with the growers. Well he's gone back to teaching in California but I did definitely hope that he will be as I'm back in politics and them. He's a good friend I certainly

Pash him that even artists here. Yeah. Questions comments are welcome. 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 we also have toll free line good anywhere that you can hear us that is 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5. I think some people have. I have been talking about President Bush now in his first weeks in office and have have confessed some amazement that he's done well or at least they have talked about it in that terms I suppose other people would say well he actually hasn't done much of anything but he hasn't made any major mistakes. What can you say do you think about the first weeks and months of the Bush administration and what that means for now really the the the term of his presidency. I would say you haven't made any major mistakes I can say that what he did to the environment

that event some of his pledge to regulate carbon dioxide for example a major mistake and mistake and in times of trust in Him and His promises a mistake in terms of policy and mistake in terms of humiliating his as he is new had of the Environmental Protection Agency Christine Todd Whitman who had been with spend the last month promoting the policy here and abroad. So I think his environmental record so far is a disaster any galvanizing people against him. Also the father of his being monomaniacal about the tax side. The solution to all in this and has not taken a position on a major issue like campaign finance reform and now he's determined to set his on agenda but things have been in the country and he does respond to them with more than their weight in Seattle.

Is your campaign finance reform being one of them. I think that some people have looked at his sort of official backing away from the Kyoto Accord. The continued determination of Republicans and I don't know how you feel about this but continued determination of him and other Republicans to build an anti missile defense sort of a seeming lack of engagement and involvement in international affairs all of that taken together as an indication of that number one that the United States doesn't really care much about what happens outside of its borders. And number two that he is not going to be inclined to be involved overseas as other administrations have have have and that that again this reflects a kind of isolationist policy that says we're the United States. We don't care what goes on elsewhere and if you don't like our policy tough. Is that the way that you see it. Well definitely when it comes to the I am the missile defense I

think is just an all fashion policy that hasn't been updated when it comes to the Kyoto agreement again putting the business interests above the environment in that air and water and when it comes to our involvement in them in conflict as well. I think that there are the claims on the so-called Clinton doctrine there's a disaster I think what we did in cost of am clearly did not come into we have major major conflicts going on at the moment it's not on our front pages and in law but it is not the way we've been. We basically destroy the infrastructure of Yugoslavia we were responsible for the displacement of a lot of people from possible. We clearly would have predicted what would have happened with extremists and Batman. That's just one case where I think the United States government's interventionist policy did not work and

that many of the chickens that are coming home to roost like China when we put trade above all other constellations. And now we're seeing that. We really did not address the major problems that the ending without a doubt and regime present. What do you think that it is that that underpins or informs the foreign policy of the Bush White House. I think that. President I have tremendous respect for calling him power so the question is how much influence is he going to have come back to Rumsfeld and some of the hard liners like Cheney in the administration cool. Am I looking at the you know the all star was called. I'm am I mean I think we'll know more when we see what they do with Yugoslavia I think it would be terrible Saddam provide the aid that goes promised to go to Yugoslavia because they're refusing to hand over my loss of age to the

International Court and mine to Yugoslavia desperately needs aid. It has a democratic government. We always sponsored for its destruction and the huge environmental calamity that bombing brought about. So the least we can do is. It shows that we're willing to have now so that'll be a major test for the administration. Going back to the last presidential election it was clear that a lot of Americans continue to be disengaged from politics. It was clear that a lot of people said they felt they were disappointed by the choices they had. Not only I think among the major party candidates but alternative candidates I think some people in D.C. were energized by Ralph Nader. You know there are a lot of people in this community that more but that when you looked at the the people who voted there seemed to be an almost disinclination to go

strongly in either direction. The feeling that one candidate was is as good as another and so the outcome was fairly closely among those people who bothered to vote the outcome was fairly closely divided now as I start looking ahead to the next time around and probably it will get going too soon for everybody. Do you think that in fact this will see essentially the same kind of process over again the same kind of election the same kind of disengagement the same kind of a divided country that we did in 2000. Well unfortunately I believe that Leslie actually. I have some different kind of leaders running different policies that will and engender more confidence in the system. Yes unfortunately. I'm very pessimistic about participation. I think it is a major problem that's not being addressed by a candidate that wasn't being addressed by the

kind of in the presidential race and even seriously addressed by either party. But here we are we have half the eligible voters not voting in the last election. And and that is a problem that needs to be addressed. Did you at some point in the last election either in the run up to it or at the point where we had a number of candidates that were there on the ballot. Did you endorse a particular candidate or not so you were not you were not speaking in favor of anybody in particular. I find that as a columnist I need to maintain my neutrality. I mean I think strong with strong stands in favor or against but they can oppositions by candidates. But the minute you endorse one of them what if that turn around into something that you object to. Your hands are tied. I'm not in the end awesome.

Did you. Vote for someone I voted for none of the above. I vowed that I did vote and but I really was not willing to devolve for either God or Bush I thought it was and dreadful indictment on our system that of two and fifty million people who ended up with George Bush and Al Gough as the best it could do. Well let's look at some of the folks here we have someone in Crystal Lake. Next in line number four. Hello. Isn't just at the same when it comes to elections for instance in Florida the police at a voting booth from the black area which is more of the poorer area and richer areas had optical scanners to be sure they didn't vote for to be sure their vote was correct. That is not under more than one vote or something like that. I completely agree with the caller I think this is a major problem that Julie

and I encountered during the election and the census taking in California purposely It was done. So that the two Hispanic areas could not get representation excluded by districts to the extent of feminist Stanek says they get five more seats in Congress for the Republicans. I do think also and if you say that Americans United for Separation of church and state see something wrong in every corner well just because they call it Christian Coalition so-called which is really a political group puts up these issues for instance a illegally distributed voting rights. Church isn't the American 3 separation of church and state. And outlandish to say that it was illegal to distribute political biased literature in churches and also in it have to keep even if their face said based on a food distribution of food pantries a Christian Coalition and really a

political group. They're not really Christian for instance in a Baptist church on the money for children I went to a sectarian purposes and the Christian Coalition is not really involved and actually help people they don't protest. Let your health care for children are older people for that matter either they did involve themselves in the country who are next week to a Reagan to or to undermine the duly elected government. They're also in an arc and united for church find the public festivals that merge with Catholic s to abide by the Catholic girl so I do believe in separation of church and state facing the nation. But it's in the face of money it should be really a distant and attach money for instance get rich sent yet money for his Bob Jones University which Bush espoused and he got money while he had a he was later had to find the demon over the money not for religious purposes.

The three say to the caller you raise a number of good points let's get some response here from his HUFFINGTON Well first of all. Clearly there's a whole issue of faith based initiatives he is very controversial and I woke up and I said if Tim and Eve. Brings about an enormous amount of concern. I wrote a body that length and that anybody wants to go out to my website that other guy dot com can read and I believe that without in any way interfering with the production of church and state we can really support the non a.m. task of churches and mosques and them as a spiritual institution which is to take care of the least among us as the Bible puts it then I agree with the caller that the Creative Coalition has become really a political tool and

so not the Creative Coalition the Christian Coalition. And there is no question that I would much rather see Pat Robertson's group deliver soup and and food than delivering voter guides in churches. Other questions are welcome we have about 10 minutes left in this part of focus 580 and we are talking with Arianna Huffington she has been named one of Washington's most influential commentators by both Newsweek and people. She has a syndicated column that appears twice weekly in newspapers around the country. She's the author of several books. She's also a contributing writer to Talk magazine. Her most recent book if you're interested in reading some of her ideas about American politics is titled How to Overthrow the Government which is now available in a paperback edition with some new material dealing with the election of 2000 published by Harper Collins out there in the bookstores now if you want to but take a look at it. Also if you're have Internet access as she mentioned there's the website overthrow the government. Also she

has one that's Ariana online so if you just put her name into your web browser you can find that and that also has a number of her columns there if you're interested in reading her thoughts on various political subjects. And the questions are welcome. The number here in Champaign Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5. We also have a toll free line that's good anywhere that you can hear as and that is 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5. Way back the beginning of the program I mentioned a collaboration with Al Franken at the political conventions and I'm interested in how your friendship with him developed I guess one wouldn't be surprised that you that someone like you would become friends with someone who also was a political commentator. But it might seem a little unlikely given the fact that his his commentary is is satire and it comes from the left side of the political spectrum what is it about

him and guys like him that you find attractive. Well actually I thought let me just say that. Right now when I don't I do a lot of speaking to gaffa and he's the more establishment guy and out of the more radical hon because he for example doing BMX in support of gore and went out and campaigned for him and I believe that both candidates were so flawed that we needed to overthrow the system I say in the book. But beyond that I am a great proponent of the power of satire to change politics and to. Change us of reality. So whatever we can get saga and whatever we can. They use a private tour too. To really expose the hypocrisy of the current system I think it's great and that's what I I like so much about what I have and what I try to do in my column in a different way.

To use satire and I try to do it in the book to expose what's happening. Has it has knowing him and becoming friends and spending time with him and talking with him and making appearances with him had some impact on your. I'm not thinking so much of your political thinking but in the way you write in the way you argue points in the kind of person that you are in in a public way definitely passionate may have had it had a name from my point I think I'm thinking too of because I remember when I first became friends with him he was writing a book on Rush Limbaugh you know asking the fat whatever it Big Fat Idiot I believe not. I'm just quoting the title of The Book Of course not expressing person I would have definitely made Rush Limbaugh lose weight right. So in the course of that book you know he would show me things he had found out about things that the Rebbe had that which were just I can express of being me which was which were

so destructive that you know it made me look again at. That hall and faces. On a sort of calico joining the opposition even Chaz explained that I was not immune from it. Well when you're you're in. A very public role as a political commentator. The way that you are or that that Al Franken is a Rush Limbaugh there are a lot of different people who do this and who do this for a living. How does one manage to detach one's ego from the desire to actually have some positive. Impact and not just put yourself on display but actually put some ideas at least on display. Well I think. That I haven't really seen that as a problem because my my column

and my books are very much driven by. My sort of I would wager on what's happening in our system and. The fact that it's me saying it is sort of largely irrelevant. I think it's really how can we. Bring the maximum amount of attention on. The prices that remain and attended in our country and even going to be a dad to do that if we're going to use exaggeration but keeping all the facts accurately but using exaggeration the sense of where are we gong of the contracts continual. I said that in the book I have an affectionate look I had. As to what could happen if that contradicts of this engagement continue. And I exaggerated by saying read the thousand years from now there will be one voter left in America that I called Bob Gonzalez from Jacksonville Florida and.

And both parties are going to be running modified trillion dollar campaign for his vote and George Bush the two entities would run on the log and vote for Drudge posted to a.a. He'll do what's good for Bob Now that's clearly at dramatize ation of what's already happening. But sometimes. Doing something like that catches people's attention them and the focus is on on what's not being addressed. Well you know one might well say that you would think that what's important is not so much who you are but what you're saying. But at the same time if you weren't who you were you wouldn't have the platform that you do. I mean you are after all Arianna Huffington. You are but you and your media personality in addition to being a view not just just another political commentator I sort of think of my sever the crusading journalist. I believe that journalists have to be objective but also can be passionate they shoes and of course we saw that most

powerfully during the civil rights struggle when journalists were objective but they were not neutralised which side they were on and that and I think whenever I see a journalist who takes on a subject and stays weighted and chips after I mean I have a lot of admiration for that. Let's we have a couple of people who will try to take at least one more in Chicago a line for fellow. Satire do you universally recognized a form of entertainment. Unfortunately while is allowed in many parts of the world including even in dictatorships it's treated very lightly as entertainment and it doesn't really get to the heart of the seriousness of the some of the issues they Mellish make a jest of the ego or character or misguided escapades of the person they're satirising. I certainly appreciate all the things you've been saying and look forward to reading your book and think the matter of substance has to be dealt with more

sincerely and with greater strength. Although I appreciate your good humor and satire Well I agree with you and in my book you see that I make a distinction between say late night and comedy and reality biting political satire and the great champions being like Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain and also let me just say that if any of your listeners want to receive my column twice a week and if you just send me an email to Arianna I've got a dot com and I lead you to the list in case there isn't a paper near you that that is running the column. OK let's see if we can get one more at least here in Champaign line 1. Hello yes I have two comments about people not showing up at the polls. First. It's perfectly possible that they're actually voting in a sense they're abstaining from voting and that's just where they stand

and they don't want to pick a candidate and so the fact that they don't show up at the polls is an offense about the second thing is. Perhaps we want the people who are most informed to vote and so people who really care who are most informed engagement issues show up at the polls and others that don't. And you know so why stop that. Well it's definitely a statement. They don't vote and I have they have said and many have faith that they don't vote 65 percent in the native Michigan University survey say they don't vote. And they don't but they see bait because they don't trust the system. They believe that the system isn't for the benefit of special interests and not for the benefit of the average citizen. And that's really at the heart of what I'm trying to say in the book. I think I think that we're about at the point we're going to have to start to stop we've almost exhausted our time. Thank you so much I mean Lee and Jai doing a show and and

thank you for what you are doing. Well we appreciate you giving us some of your time too. And again for people who are interested in the book we mentioned her most current book How to Overthrow the Government is out now it's a paper published by Harper Collins. And there are a couple of websites that you can use to get at some of her writing including the one that we've mentioned which is over throw the gov dot com. You can go there and again MISS SOMETHING TO thanks very much. Thank you very much.