Background Briefing: July 8, 2024
Biden’s Defiance As We Learn a Parkinson’s Expert Visited the White House 8 Times in 8 Months
We begin with Biden’s defiance in the face of increasing calls for him to step down as we learn that a Parkinson’s expert visited the White House eight times in eight months, the last on March 28. Joining us to discuss how Biden can reboot his campaign or a new leader can quickly be found is Simon Rosenberg, a veteran political analyst, strategist and commentator. The former President and Founder of the New Democrat Network, a leading progressive think tank and advocacy organization, he previously worked on the Dukakis and Clinton Presidential campaigns where he was a member of the 1992 Clinton War Room. He has a new blog on Substack at Hopium Chronicles and we discuss his latest article, “Legit Questions About Biden’s Health, No Letting Up.”
The Far Right Comes in Third in France as Le Pen Joins Forces With Orban to Form the Third Largest Bloc in the European Parliament
Then with many breathing a sigh of relief as the far-right came in third in the French election we speak with David Andelman, twice winner of the Deadline Club Award, and a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor. He is the author of A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today and A Red Line in the Sand: Diplomacy, Strategy, and the History of Wars That Might Still Happen. Formerly a correspondent for The New York Times and CBS News in Europe and Asia, he runs the Substack blog Andelman Unleashed and we discuss his article at MSNBC, “As France votes and Biden stumbles, it’s time to Trump-proof Europe” and how the loser Le Pen has just joined forces with Orban to form Patriots for Europe, the third largest bloc in the European parliament.
An Update From Kenya on the Bloody Demonstrations Against a Government Sending Police to Haiti When They Are Needed at Home
Then finally we speak with Francis Karugu, an international development specialist based in Nairobi, Kenya. A Yale Global Justice Fellow, he writes a column on politics and economics for the Standard Newspaper in Kenya. We discuss the recent bloody demonstrations against the government over unfair tax increases and its unpopular decision to help out the US by sending police to Haiti when they are needed at home.