The Bob Zadek Show

Vaulted behind a thick glass display case at the National Archives, and revered above the marble edifices and monuments of Washington D.C., sits a faded piece of parchment. In the eyes of many, the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution symbolizes the bedrock ideas on which our country was built. Yet history tends to look past the true origins of this foundational work – a set of amendments, which most in the First U.S. Congress deemed either unnecessary or ineffective at protecting individual liberty. Few know the actual story of the drafting of the Bill of Rights better than Carol Berkin, an award-winning history professor and author of The Bill of Rights: The Fight to Secure Ameri­ca’s Liberties. Berkin joins Bob to trace the history leading up to its formation, with vivid detail on the context and thinking of the key figures in the debate. We learn, for example, that the Bill of Rights is indeed a symbol: Perhaps more than anything, it symbolizes the compromise and perseverance that were required to unite a deeply divided new nation, against all odds. Hear the whole story, this Sunday at 9am PACIFIC/12pm EASTERN, on Talk 910.

BOOK: The Bill of Rights: The Fight to Secure Ameri­ca’s Liberties

Interview on C-SPAN (May 20, 2015)

Vaulted behind a thick glass display case at the National Archives, and revered above the marble edifices and monuments of Washington D.C., sits a faded piece of parchment. In the eyes of many, the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution symbolizes the bedrock ideas on which our country was built. Yet history tends to look past the true origins of this foundational work – a set of amendments, which most in the First U.S. Congress deemed either unnecessary or ineffective at protecting individual liberty. Few know the actual story of the drafting of the Bill of Rights better than Carol Berkin, an award-winning history professor and author of The Bill of Rights: The Fight to Secure Ameri­ca’s Liberties. Berkin joins Bob to trace the history leading up to its formation, with vivid detail on the context and thinking of the key figures in the debate. We learn, for example, that the Bill of Rights is indeed a symbol: Perhaps more than anything, it symbolizes the compromise and perseverance that were required to unite a deeply divided new nation, against all odds. Hear the whole story, this Sunday at 9am PACIFIC/12pm EASTERN, on Talk 910.

BOOK: The Bill of Rights: The Fight to Secure Ameri­ca’s Liberties

Interview on C-SPAN (May 20, 2015)

Mobile technology has brought uncountable conveniences into modern life, making it easier to locate new restaurants, get a lift across town, and listen to your favorite radio personalities on the go. On the flip side, some innovations have enabled both criminals and law enforcement to abuse technology, and use shadowy means to evade accountability. Adam Bates, a policy analyst with Cato’s Project on Criminal Justice, has been tracking the government’s surreptitious use of portable ‘Stingray’ devices, which can locate and obtain data from cell phones by masquerading as a cell phone tower (often without a warrant).  Many criminals and malicious hackers have long known about police surveillance of cell phones, and sought more covert methods of communication. Thanks to groups like the Cato Institute, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the ACLU, the rest of the public is now learning of the potential violations of their privacy taking place in the name of public safety in virtually every jurisdiction in the country. Adam explains how the use of Stingrays is undercutting our Fourth Amendment rights, and could be undermining efforts to put real criminals behind bars. 

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Mobile technology has brought uncountable conveniences into modern life, making it easier to locate new restaurants, get a lift across town, and listen to your favorite radio personalities on the go. On the flip side, some innovations have enabled both criminals and law enforcement to abuse technology, and use shadowy means to evade accountability. Adam Bates, a policy analyst with Cato’s Project on Criminal Justice, has been tracking the government’s surreptitious use of portable ‘Stingray’ devices, which can locate and obtain data from cell phones by masquerading as a cell phone tower (often without a warrant).  Many criminals and malicious hackers have long known about police surveillance of cell phones, and sought more covert methods of communication. Thanks to groups like the Cato Institute, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the ACLU, the rest of the public is now learning of the potential violations of their privacy taking place in the name of public safety in virtually every jurisdiction in the country. Adam explains how the use of Stingrays is undercutting our Fourth Amendment rights, and could be undermining efforts to put real criminals behind bars. 

Click to Listen Live - Sun. 9-10am PT, 12-1pm ET

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Get Weekly Updates & Free Show Notes

1-800-345-5639 (1-800-FILL-NEW)

The recent passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia heralds an unprecedented moment in American politics. The sad news came as a surprise to his defenders and detractors alike, but the eulogies have been quickly eclipsed by the debate his vacant seat spawns. It's hard to overstate the importance of the next appointee to the Supreme Court bench (not to mention the others likely to come soon). Furthermore, the looming senate confirmation process injects yet another contentious issue into an already heated election year. To see where this battle is headed, Bob will be joined by University of San Diego Law Professor Gail Heriot. Heriot positions Scalia's legacy in terms of his deference to the logic of constitutional governance over any individual or narrow majority's final authority.

Who will be confirmed, and how will it all unfold? 

LINKS:

"Antonin Scalia was a friend of democracy" Boston Globe, 2/14/16

By seeking to thwart the Constitution, Republicans are playing with fire - The Washington Post [AUDIO] - President Obama on the Constitution being clear on what happens next.

[AUDIO] - President Obama's contradictory statement on Samuel Alito

The recent passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia heralds an unprecedented moment in American politics. The sad news came as a surprise to his defenders and detractors alike, but the eulogies have been quickly eclipsed by the debate his vacant seat spawns. It's hard to overstate the importance of the next appointee to the Supreme Court bench (not to mention the others likely to come soon). Furthermore, the looming senate confirmation process injects yet another contentious issue into an already heated election year. To see where this battle is headed, Bob will be joined by University of San Diego Law Professor Gail Heriot. Heriot positions Scalia's legacy in terms of his deference to the logic of constitutional governance over any individual or narrow majority's final authority.

Who will be confirmed, and how will it all unfold? 

LINKS:

"Antonin Scalia was a friend of democracy" Boston Globe, 2/14/16

By seeking to thwart the Constitution, Republicans are playing with fire - The Washington Post [AUDIO] - President Obama on the Constitution being clear on what happens next.

[AUDIO] - President Obama's contradictory statement on Samuel Alito

Almost two years ago, approaching the 2014 mid-term elections, Bob interviewed Edward Hudgins of the Atlas Society on his book *The Republican Party’s Civil War.* The book's premise was that warring factions within the GOP could present an opportunity for the libertarian wing of the party to emerge at center stage. Hudgins made his optimistic case at a Cato Institute panel, with the opposing perspective presented by Henry Olsen, a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, who predicted that no such "libertarian moment" was in progress. Now, Olsen joins the show to expand on this argument, having examined hard data from past primary elections to compile his new book *The Four Faces of the Republican Party.* Olsen's thesis illustrates the messy nature of our democracy, and how the balance of power among factions determines election outcomes, rather than pure principles like limited government. While the upcoming presidential election may not bode well for liberty in the short term, it can instruct us on what a winning coalition might look like in the future.