During the first part of the program today, I will speak with Edward Lee Pitts - Washington Bureau Chief and Columnist for World Magazine re: His most recent article entitled, More Than No.

On the second half of the program, I will speak with David Paul Kuhn, the Chief Political Correspondent for RealClearPolitics. David has an interesting column on the differences in perception of Republican and Democratic politicians. In short, it's projection of power vs. warmth, paternal vs. maternal. Of course it's simplistic, but it's an interesting broad categorization.

An excerpt:

This contrast between "warmth" and "power" characterizes our politics. The health care debate appears mired in innumerable details. But it has always concerned a far deeper debate over two competing ideas of government - to nurture or to safeguard. The dynamic is so intimately familiar to us because it is conventionally familial. The health care clash, like American politics, remains rooted in our mommy and daddy parties.

In January, the Pew Research Center asked Americans to prioritize 21 issues. Americans were most concerned about the economy. But the greatest partisan gap, like the year before, was over "providing health insurance to the uninsured." It was a "top priority" to one quarter of Republicans. It was a "top priority" to three quarters of Democrats.

Democrats five most partisan issues: health care, the environment, aiding the poor, education and securing Medicare. In short, maternal.

Republicans five most partisan issues: strengthening the military, illegal immigration, influence of lobbyists, terrorism and the moral breakdown. In short, paternal.

Kuhn does a whirlwind tour of presidential history to show how this has played out over time.

You can read the whole thing here.

HT: JT

My guest on the program today will be David Paul Kuhn, the Chief Political Correspondent for RealClearPolitics.