Bob Herbert of The New York Times on the changing political landscape
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Bob Herbert. Photo: The New York Times
Bob Herbert is an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, writing twice-weekly about politics, urban affairs and social trends. In this interview with
Dr. Caldicott, Herbert discusses the changing political landscape in the United States, and postulates about the direction the new administration will take under President Obama. Herbert is an author, university lecturer and award-winning journalist who has been reporting on American politics and society since the 1970’s. His book Promises Betrayed: Waking Up from the American Dream was published by Times Books in 2005.
Topics covered include the rise of Obama from relative obscurity,
Dr. Caldicott and Herbert’s shared concern about Obama’s stated intention to double the military presence in Afghanistan; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; U.S. relations with Iran; Hillary Clinton and her role in the State Department; the greed of health insurance and drug companies, who have impeded national health care in the U.S., where 50 million people have no health coverage; Herbert’s contention that the Obama administration will not cut Pentagon funding; and Herbert’s concern that the social safety net in the U.S. might be further shredded in the future by conservatives who use the economy as an excuse for cutbacks.