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Let's Find Common Ground

A Roadmap to Effective National Security Policy with Former Congresswoman Jane Harman

Let's Find Common Ground

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

News, Trump, Opinion, Usc, California, Polls, Debates, Strategists, University, Education, Government, Universitysoutherncalifornia, America, Presidential, Dornsife, Bipartisanship, School, Democrat, Primaries, Elections, Shrum, Primary, News Commentary, Republican, Analysis, General, Polarization, International, Journalists, Federal, Commentary, Election, National, Conversation, Race, Centerpoliticalfuture, Conversations, Murphy, Moderator, Political, Coverage, Biden, Podcast, Politics

52.7K Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2021

⏱️ 60 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

CPF Director Bob Shrum is joined by Jane Harman, former Congresswoman and author of “Insanity Defense,” to discuss how four presidential administrations have failed to confront some of the toughest national security policy issues. Congresswoman Harman also shares her views on the Democratic Party’s platform and how to make progress in a closely divided Congress.

Featuring:

Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Jane Harman - Distinguished Fellow and President Emerita, Wilson Center, Stanford University; Former Congresswoman (D-CA); Author, “Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe"

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to the bully pulpit from the University of Southern California Center for the Political Future.

0:11.7

Our podcast brings together America's top politicians, journalists, academics, and strategists from across the political spectrum for discussions on hot-button issues where we respect

0:22.0

each other and respect the truth. We hope you enjoy these conversations.

0:29.2

Good day. I'm Bob Shrum, the Warshall Professor of Politics at the University of Southern

0:34.8

California and the director of the Center for the Political Future.

0:38.3

We have an extraordinary guest today to discuss a roadmap to effective national security policy.

0:44.0

It was an honor for me personally to work for her in some of her congressional campaigns,

0:50.0

and it's a privilege now to introduce Jane Harmon.

0:53.4

She's a former distinguished fellow in President Emerita at the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan forum for global issues,

1:01.8

independent research, open dialogue, one of the best think tanks we have in this country.

1:07.1

She's a former representative in Congress for California's 36th District.

1:11.9

She served nine terms.

1:13.3

She was on all the major national security committees, and she's an expert at the nexus

1:18.6

of security and public policy issues and has received numerous awards for distinguished service.

1:24.4

Her new book, Insanity Defense, Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security

1:30.5

Problems makes us less safe, is just being released. She's also an honorary trustee here at the

1:36.6

University of Southern California. And Jane, I'm hoping that we can do this in kind of two parts. First,

1:41.7

I'd like to talk about the book, and then I'd like to spend a little

1:45.0

while on what you think of the direction of today's Democratic Party. So let me start with the book,

1:51.7

and we're going to go about 40 minutes, and then we're going to take questions from the audience.

1:55.9

Can you describe what you mean by the insanity defense, and why do you think U.S. foreign policy has gone off the rails and

2:03.0

recent years?

...

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