Welcome to the commentary magazine daily podcast today is Wednesday, August 30th, 2023.

I'm John Pajor. It's the editor of commentary magazine with me. As always, executive editor Abe

Greenwald. Hi, Abe. Hi, John. Washington commentary columnist and director of policy studies,

domestic domestic domestic policy studies at the American enterprise in suit Matthew continuity.

Hi, Matt. Hi, John. Christine Rosen is out today joining us in her stead is the New York Times

bestselling author of Secret City, our friend James Kirchick Jamie. Welcome to the podcast.

Hi, John. Thank you for having me. Jamie, last night you were at a fundraiser. You told us for

the families of the 13 service members who died in the attack in the middle of the pull out from

Afghanistan two years ago. What can you tell us about what you saw in her last night?

Yes, this was for an organization that raises funds for gold star families and it was a very

somber evening. Jake Tapper spoke the CNN anchor who's written a book about Afghanistan.

Several other veterans at the Afghan war spoke. It was not very political. I mean, they really did

try to keep this a kind of non-partisan event, although there was one speaker, one veteran who's

now pretty popular podcaster in the veteran community who did make one or two remarks about the

media protecting their guy by which they meant President Biden and sort of forgetting this story

and not wanting to write about it. And there was blame for the political leadership in this country.

Again, not really naming parties, but just saying, you know, we've had bad political leadership that

sort of led to the situation where it was his chaotic pull out. So that could be interpreted as

an attack also on the Trump administration, which would certainly pave the way for the withdrawal.

But yeah, it was a very, very moving night.

You went there just at two different books, one that is currently out and then one that is about

to come out. A surprise huge bestseller has been published by Jerry Dunleavy and James Hassan

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