Year in Review with Joe Klein

Each year, the Time Magazine columnist hands out his annual “Teddy” awards for political courage. The honor is named after the former president, Theodore Roosevelt. President Obama gets one of Klein’s awards this year. We review Obama’s first year in office with Joe Klein.

A Revolutionary’s Detention in Iran

A veteran revolutionary and former Foreign Minister is detained again in Iran. We speak to Dr. Mehdi Noorbaksh about his father-in-law, Ebrahim Yazdi. Dr Noorbaksh is associate professor of international affairs at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Pennsylvania.

The Irish Economy

The Celtic Tiger is no longer roaring. The economic meltdown has taken a toll on Ireland, where the government recently released one of the tightest budgets in recent memory, cutting benefits and slashing salaries for public workers. The BBC’s Mike Thompson reports from Dublin.

A Young Man Joins the Army and Grows Up

IAN FISHER: AMERICAN SOLDIER - In the army now. Ian Fisher cradles his injured elbow during his processing into the Army in June 2007. Though he later had a change of heart after speaking with a commander, he saw a possibility to escape his enlistment only two days in. From his first day in fatigues through his days driving a Humvee in Iraq, military life often didn't mesh with his expectations. Sometimes the structure of the Army and the demands of training for war clashed with the freedom he shared with his outside friends, but over two years, he overcame injuries and obstacles from both the Army and himself. Adapting to the military pushes young recruit to his limits. His decision to join the Army grew out of many things. The opportunity to fight for his country. The desire to add to a family legacy. The need to point his young life in a productive direction. In the spring of 2007 and at the depths of the Iraq warÕs unpopularity, Ian Fisher graduated from LakewoodÕs Bear Creek High School and, two weeks later, shipped out to basic training. There, he began the challenging process of becoming an American soldierÑand outgrowing the trappings of youth. Like many recruits, he would struggle, learn, make mistakes and rebound. His training prepared him for violent conflict in a foreign land. Nothing prepared him for the war within. (Craig Walker for the Denver Post)

Ian Fisher processing into the Army in June, 2007. (Craig Walker/Denver Post)

Ian Fisher announced he would join the army on his 17th birthday and began a process that included a one year deployment to Iraq, and a lot of growing up.

At one point Fisher almost got kicked out of the military after a problem with substance abuse.

We speak with Ian Fisher about his struggles to make it in the military and with Denver Post photojournalist Craig Walker who documented Fisher’s early time in the military.

See video and more photos of Ian Fisher

The Economy in Cartoons

(Sam Gross, The New Yorker)

We page through New Yorker cartoons featuring bankers on ledges, Humpty Dumpty sitting on a Wall Street sign and a father laying off his wife and kids with New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff, who says that “tragedy plus time equals comedy.” Mankoff has compiled the new book “On the Money: The Economy in Cartoons 1925-2009.”

From bailing out earth to investing lunch money in real estate- See more New Yorker Cartoons

Music from the show

Kar-Kar Madison, “Boubacar Traore”
Christian McBride, “Theme for Kareem”
The Lickets, “They Turned Our Deserts into Fire”
Art Blakey, “Free for All”
Ashley MacIsaac, “Sleepy Maggie”
Fred Hirsch, “Desafinado”
Moby, “Inside”
Joe Jackson, “Steppin’ Out”
The Walkmen, “The Blue Route”

Kevin Campbell

Lordy, Joe Klein is totally sure of himself isn’t he? The way he spouts his opinions you’d think they were written in stone somewhere. I have to take issue with his portrayal of Obama’s leftist critics. The public option isn’t a big deal Joe? Perhaps not, but a number of polls have shown 50% or more support universal health care….odd isn’t Joe, how that hardly ever got reported in the media? Though I will give Robin credit, I did hear her mention it on a show. So people on the left pushing for a public option (which is admittedly a weaker form of universal coverage) are “dilletantes” to sage Joe? Klein is a typical mainstream reporter who praises Democratic politicians when they compromise and become more “centrist”. He thinks that’s pragmatic. The way it’s done in American politics now I find it more akin to the ending of Animal Farm.

Joe also has odd ideas about how a President should drum up support for a war:
http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/12/04/joe-klein-obama-no-reagan/#comments