Welcome to Talking Feds, a round table that brings together prominent former federal officials and special guests for a dynamic discussion of the most important political and legal topics of the day.

I'm Harry Littman.

It's big week.

Just three weeks after throwing her hat into the presidential ring,

Harris, along with her running mate Tim Wall's,

arrived in Chicago,

buoyed by an extraordinary political surge that has fundamentally shifted the race's momentum.

This is Harris's pivotal moment to define herself and her plans for the country.

She is keenly aware that as soon as she gives her acceptance speech, if not before,

Donald Trump will try to redefine her in diabolical terms with a series of lies and distortions.

This week is also an opportunity for the Democrats to showcase a new younger face of the party teaming with emerging

talent, a vivid contrast to the bitter and sour image of the Republicans displayed at

their convention.

Harris's remarkable success to date appears now to be more than a temporary sugar high.

New polls show the Democratic ticket in

in battleground states.

Trump meanwhile seems to be off his game and his running mate

J.D. Vance continues to display Vep candidate foot-and-mouth disease, dogged by controversies

over a series of his offensive comments, particularly about women. To analyze what the Harris Wall's ticket and the Democratic Party need to accomplish in the next four days

and what pitfalls they need to avoid,

we are joined by two of the country's most respected

and experienced political commentators and a member of Congress who is a surrogate for Harris

...