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The Mighty Have Fallen

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It's been a bad week for Hollywood's grasp on moral authority. First, Harvey Weinstein is fired for transgressions going back decades, and then some guy from Amazon gets fired for basically the same thing. To help guide us through the moral minefield, we call up New York Times columns extraordinaire Ross Douthat. We also talk Hefner and that pesky 25th Amendment. Then, Christopher Scalia, son of Antonin Scalia on this new book Scalia Speaks: Reflections on Law, Faith, and Life Well Lived. The book is a collection of Justice Scalia's speeches and we talk about his influence, his passions, and his unlikely friendship with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Also, the President appears to have an issue with freedom of the press. Is this one of those times we shouldn't take him literally?

Music from this week's show: All I Really Want by Alanis Morrissette

Hosts:
James LileksPeter Robinson
Guests:
CSChristopher ScaliaRoss Douthat

Discussion (15)

  • JuliaBlaschke@JuliaBlaschke
    What irks me is that so many want it both ways when it comes to Trump. That on the one hand, he is some brilliant 3D chess strategist and we NeverTrumpers just can't see his genius and on the other, that he isn't serious and makes jokes and throws things out there. Well I think his only genius is in manipulating foolish people to vote for him in the primary and then knowing that people would elect him because Hillary is so very awful.
  • Leslie Watkins@LeslieWatkins
    Very enjoyable interview with Ross Douthat. My only quibble was with his apparent agreement with Senator Corker's comment about WWIII. To me, Corker was the one showing especially poor form in that instance. Everyone points at Trump, who's been no different since the primaries (very unfortunately), but, I say, what explains everyone's else childish behavior? Is Corker's comment itself not an instance of gratuitous provocation? And he knows better, right? Not trying to deflect criticism from Trump, but I found Corker's statement dangerously alarming. Also, I do not think he would have said it were he not retiring and were Trump not president. So, yes, it's all different now. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g is different now.
  • Peter Robinson@PeterRobinson
    ReplyingtoLeslie Watkins

    Leslie Watkins (View Comment):

    Very enjoyable interview with Ross Douthat. My only quibble was with his apparent agreement with Senator Corker’s comment about WWIII. To me, Corker was the one showing especially poor form in that instance. Everyone points at Trump, who’s been no different since the primaries (very unfortunately), but, I say, what explains everyone’s else childish behavior? Is Corker’s comment itself not an instance of gratuitous provocation? And he knows better, right?

    You make a very good point, Leslie, and I wish I'd mentioned it on the air. Sen. Corker does know better.

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