Way back in the late 70s as the program took shape we sometimes focused on modes of music that preoccupied the proprietor. On one particular night, caught here in a rather brief excerpt, two practitioners of bluegrass try to define the nature and production of its distinctive sound….and then we segue into a perfect  performance by the Stanley Brothers of “The Maple on the Hill.”

We drew together two members of our “A-Team” and a major Democratic strategist. They are: old friend and regular Chris Robling; the Chicago Tribune’s great editorial cartoonist, Scott Stantis: and joining us for the first time, Kevin Lampe who really is and has long been an election manager and consultant for Democratic party candidates.

Our friendly combatants zero in on a number of expected and unexpected issues and questions.

Among them are:

• T-Tip. Whazzat?
• Obama’s personality as a factor in the great humiliation of his party;
• 32 million green cards for illegals and Republican responsibility for encouraging border-jumping;
• As campaigners, all new Republican Senators  called for full repeal of Obamacare;
• How the life of one of the discussants may have been saved by Obamacare;
• The banning of the  pipeline and the planned death of coal;
• Hillary as failed campaigner;
• The continuing war within the Republican Party;
• Obama’s penchant for “executive actions” and what the new majority (and the Supreme Court?) might do about it;
• Racism, sexism, homophobia and the minimum wage as worn-out Democratic ploys;
• And, oh yes, our problems elsewhere, including Iraq, ISIS, Putin and Ukraine, the Chinese challenge

The French really do admit getting joy out of life. Two who seem to make that claim with authenticity are Mirais Guiliano, author of “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” and Dominick Toigne, Parisian chef. Here in 2006 they ruminate joyfully on cuisine and then wander into the sociology or philosophy of actual real life in modern yet still-traditional France.

The recent death at 93 of Ben Bradlee, the former editor of the Washington Post, led us back to this 1995 conversation when he revealed some surprising things about Watergate, Woodward, Bernstein, and their key source known as “Deep Throat.” He played his role as well or better than did Jason Robards in the movie about those events.

Way back in 1974 there occurred a memorable encounter with Abba Eban who served Israel at the UN and ultamitely as Foreign Minister and a great public intellectual. An amusing side impression during this early encounter is Eban’s totally British rhetorical style as he denies any persisting British identity.