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On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the merits and quality of President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, the impact of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s entry into the GOP primary, and the fury over the Planned Parenthood hidden-camera sting video.
Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week’s show:
- President Obama has finally delivered the nuclear deal with Iran he promised as a candidate (read the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). Does he make a compelling case (and does the deal address the right concerns), or is it an untenable leap of faith?
- Despite support from Hillary Clinton, many on Capitol Hill (and in the Arab world) remain skeptical of the deal. Are critics (especially Saudi leaders and the Israeli government) right to be concerned?
- Can Republican lawmakers derail the deal or is it likely to survive? And what happens next?
- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced his candidacy for president. Is he the dream conservative candidate and can he win (and survive Donald Trump’s “trumping”)?
- Are Walker’s conservative bona fides enough to win the GOP primary, or will they prove too polarizing for the general electorate?
- Read more of Slate’s coverage of the 2016 campaign.
- A damning undercover video has surfaced, suggesting that Planned Parenthood may be breaking the law. Planned Parenthood has denied those allegations—and has also apologized.
- What does the video actually reveal? And even if it is misleading are Planned Parenthood’s actions still troubling?
Emily chatters about efforts by Bill Clinton and President Obama on criminal justice reform, as well as recent law review articles by 9th Circuit Judges Stephen Reinhardt and Alex Kozinski on the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. Look for Emily’s forthcoming piece on criminal justice reform.
John chatters about how a robot passed the self-awareness test.
David chatters about his recent visit to Saba’ Restaurant and raises an ethical question: Is it OK to patronize a restaurant run by Muslims during the fasting periods of Ramadan?
Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest (#heygabfest). (Tweets may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Mike Vuolo. Links compiled by Tarik Barrett.
