Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.
This week, From and Fuller discuss the horrific assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk yesterday and the need for national leadership from the White House as the country attempts to heal from such senseless acts of violence.
This video podcast is approximately thirteen minutes in length.
To listen to the audio podcast version, please use this link:
Background
While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.
The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.
Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”
Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors. He is the author of “New Democrats and the Return to Power.”
For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.
Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last eight years, where he now chairs the board of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and is a former board member of the Academy Art Museum and Benedictine. He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors and writes an e-newsletter available by clicking on DECADE SEVEN.
With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.
0 Responses
I don’t understand why people are still pining for President Trump to be “Presidential” and “bring the nation together”. Trump has no empathy nor any desire to do anything but sow differences. He will never change.
Fortunately I had no idea who Charlie Kirk was until recently. Shooting anyone is abhorrent. I have spent today
reading the things Mr. Kirk made millions saying and I am shocked at the lack of decency, the racism and
divisiveness.
This is who Trump wishes to honor with flags at half staff?!
Trump is president of the United States. An important part of that job is to pull the country together in times of crisis. The reality that he doesn’t do that doesn’t change the responsibility of the office.
Hi Al, I agree. Unfortunately we are dealing with a man who has no gumption to uphold any “responsibility of office”.
He does not have the character to do this. He never will because his values only one: himself, not the Office of the Presidency or the American people.
Sorry, I am still amazed people like Trump are even an issue. Silly me and my former optimistic view of
POTUS.
Al,
Below is Charlie Kirk’s quote you paraphrased.
It was in today WSJ
“I think it’s worth it to have a cost unfortunately some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights”
Take care
And President Trump called neo nazi and white supremacists very fine people? ‘It was in the WSJ’!? Try to catch up…
A few thoughts:
1. Politically motivated physical assaults are never justifiable;
2. Politicians and partisans on both (all) sides of the political divide have been guilty of sowing discord and villification of their opponents. In our current climate, it makes little difference who does it more, or less;
3. Social media and pod casts seem to thrive on discord;
4. Referring to the 2nd amendment and “our other God given rights” implies that gun ownership is a right given to us by God…it is not, it is a right given to Americans by our Constitution. If only those that cherish our right to bear arms would be as strident about protecting other rights enshrined in the Constitution;
5. and lastly, in these times, we need a president who will at least try to bring the country together. this has never been in trump’s playbook, he thrives on discord and sees it as an advantage.