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The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, August 01, 2007
  • Prime Minister Tony Blair waves before leaving his Downing Street residence for the last time
    Prime Minister Tony Blair waves before leaving his Downing Street residence for the last time (Getty Images)

    Tony Blair's Legacy

    Alastair Campbell served as press secretary, official spokesman, and confidant to former Prime Minister Tony Blair. He joins us to reveal the inner workings of 10 Downing Street during Blair's rule. Then, a sportswriter recounts his year on the road with an iconic Negro Leagues baseball player and manager, sportswriter and author Frank Deford discusses his most recent novel, and The Ethics Guy explains how to apologize and fields calls from listeners.

The Blair Years

Alastair Campbell is often described as the second most powerful figure in Britain, right behind his old boss, Tony Blair. Campbell served as press secretary, official spokesman, and director of communications to former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Now, just weeks after Blair’s departure, Campbell has published The Blair Years, his revelatory and brutally frank diaries from 1994 to 2003 that document his work at 10 Downing Street.

The Blair Years is available for purchase at amazon.com

The Negro Baseball Leagues

After spending a few years trying to write a baseball book, sports columnist for the Kansas City Star, Joe Posnanski lucked into a story that had to be told. Buck O’Neil is the iconic Negro Leagues player and manager. During the last year of his life, O’Neil joined Posnanski on a road trip from Kansas City to New York to Minneapolis. The Soul of Baseball recounts O’Neil’s memories of a time when baseball was more like a game and less like a business.

The Soul of Baseball is available for purchase at amazon.com

Joe Posnanski will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, August 1 at 8pm
Happy Ending Bar & Lounge
302 Broome Street

The Entitled

Frank Deford is a renowned sportswriter, screenwriter, National Public Radio commentator, television personality, and novelist. He joins us to discuss his most recent novel, The Entitled. It’s a story about today’s entitled baseball superstars told from the viewpoint of a candid, journeyman manager.

The Entitled is available for purchase at amazon.com

The Ethics of Apologies

With many public figures recently messing up in one way or another – from Eliot Spitzer to John Mackey – we’ll look at the ethics of apologies. Dr. Bruce Weinstein, also known as “The Ethics Guy,” writes a syndicated column for BusinessWeek.com. He’ll discuss the ethics of apologies, evaluate public apologies from past and present, and take calls from listeners.

The Ethics Guy's BusinessWeek column

Bill Richardson on Diplomacy

The Leonard Lopate Show

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson will be joining Obama’s cabinet as Commerce Secretary. You can hear him talk about his experience in foreign policy and diplomacy on the Lopate Show in April 2007.

Plaxico Burress on the Lopate Show

The Leonard Lopate Show

NY Giants star Plaxico Burress is in the headlines this week for his self-inflicted gunshot wound. You can hear him on the Leonard Lopate Show in July 2008 talk about his life on and off the football field, and what it was like to win the 2007 Super Bowl.

Tom Daschle on Fixing America’s Health Care System

The Leonard Lopate Show

Former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle has accepted President-Elect Barack Obama’s offer to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. You can hear Tom Daschle talk about his prescriptions for fixing American’s health care crisis on the Leonard Lopate Show in March 2008.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

Listen to President-Elect Barack Obama on the Leonard Lopate Show in November 2004. He had recently won a seat in the U.S. Senate, and only a few months before, his rousing speech during the 2004 Democratic National Convention catapulted him into the national spotlight.

Guest Picks

The Leonard Lopate Show

Find out surprising facts about some recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show. Check out our Guest Picks section! Did you know that football star Herschel Walker loves Judge Judy, Laurie Anderson is a big fan of agility training for dogs, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi likes Johnny Depp?