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The Leonard Lopate Show

Thursday, August 09, 2007
  • Joe Biden
    (Getty Images)

    Biden His Time

    Senator Joe Biden has a reputation for saying whatever's on his mind. He joins Leonard to explain why he thinks he should be the next President. But first, on this week's Underreported we'll find out about the Uighur people of China, and why they have a long history of conflict with the Chinese government. Then, a violinist-turned-novelist on how music shapes his writing. Plus, a look at the mysteries of the card game bridge.

Underreported: China’s Uighurs

China's Uighur people are Turkic Muslims from Central Asia, and the Chinese government has a long history of discriminating against them. Uighur separatists have been calling for an independent state since the 1940s. Since 9/11, a rise of Islamic fundamentalism among China's Uighurs has resulted in further religious repression. On today's Underreported, Blaine Kaltman, a sociologist and author of Under the Heel of the Dragon: Islam, Racism, Crime, and the Uighur in China; and Sharon Hom, Executive Director of Human Rights in China, join us to talk about the conflicts and mutual suspicion between the Uighurs and China's government.

Under the Heel of the Dragon is available for purchase at amazon.com

Underreported: Uighurs in the USA

Alim Seytoff, General Secretary of the Uyghur American Association talks about the Uighur Diaspora here in the United States, and what Uighur-Americans are doing to influence Chinese politics.

Violinist Turned Novelist

Eugene Drucker is best known as a violinist for the Emerson String Quartet. But now he’s also a novelist. His first novel, The Savior, is about a young German violinist who plays for an audience of concentration camp detainees at the end of World War II.

The Savior is available for purchase at amazon.com

The Backwash Squeeze

What do the Alcatraz coup, the cannibal squeeze, and the journalist leads all have in common? Answer: they are all techniques in the card game bridge. In the 1930s, bridge was even bigger than baseball. In The Backwash Squeeze and Other Improbable Feats, Edward McPherson recounts the game’s history and his attempts to master it in time for the North American Bridge Championships.

The Backwash Squeeze and Other Improbable Feats is available for purchase at amazon.com

Edward McPherson will be speaking and signing books
Monday, August 13 at 7pm
McNally Robinson
52 Prince Street (between Lafayette and Mulberry)

Senator Joe Biden on Life and Politics

Joe Biden has worked with Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and two Bushes during his tenure as US Senator from Delaware since 1973. He joins us today to explain why he thinks he should be the next President. In Promises to Keep, Senator Biden recalls his personal tragedies and political victories. We’ll also talk about the differences between him and the other Democratic candidates and his partition plan for Iraq.

Promises to Keep is available for purchase at amazon.com

If you can't see the video click here

Gov. Sarah Palin and Alaska Politics

The Leonard Lopate Show

August 08, 2008
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is Sen. John McCain’s VP running mate. To find out more about Gov. Palin and Alaska politics, check out our States of the Union: Alaska segment from Aug. 8, 2008.

Sen. Joe Biden on the Lopate Show

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sen. Obama has chosen Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware to be his running mate. To find out more about his personal and political life, listen to Leonard’s Aug. 2007 interview with Sen. Biden. At the time, the Senator from Delaware was still a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

As the Democratic Convention is underway in Denver, listen to 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.

John McCain in 2000

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sen. John McCain spoke with Leonard in September 2000 about his memoir, Faith of My Fathers. He discussed his family's naval background, his time in POW camps, as well as his own presidential ambitions for the 2000 election.

States of the Union

The Leonard Lopate Show

Why is New York a blue state, Wyoming a red, and Ohio a shade of purple? Looking ahead to Election Day 2008, Leonard talks to journalists, scholars, and activists from each of the 50 states to find out what motivates voters from Maine to California.

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?