Progressive Commentary Hour - 07/14/14

Colonel Lawrence (Larry) Wilkerson is a retired US Army Colonel and the former chief of staff to General Colin Powell while he was Secretary of State.  He is currently a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of  Government and Public Policy at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Col. Wilkerson started as an assistant to Gen. Powell an 1989, and remained with him through his term in the Bush administration.  He has been an outspoken critic of the Iraq War, the Bush and Cheney White House, including his own preparation of what became of Powell’s infamous 2003 presentation to the UN. Recently he has warned that what we are witnessing with the Obama administration’s build up to war with Syria is a repeat of the build up to invade Iraq.  Col. Wilkerson is a frequent commentator on television programs including The Ed Show on MSNBC. He has also been featured in several important documentaries, including “Why We Fight”, “The Israel Lobby”, and “No End in Sight.”

Dr. Douglas Hall is the Executive Director of National Priorities Project, a nonprofit organization, which was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year, and is devoted to fighting for a federal budget that works for all Americans. Earlier Doug served on the Project’s Board of Directors since 2011. Prior to NPP, Doug served as Director of the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN) at the Economic Policy Institute where his research focused on income inequality, economic development, retirement security, labor market analysis, and minimum wage. During his tenure the network grew to be represented in 44 states.  Doug holds a Master’s degree from McMaster University, and a Ph.D. from Queen’s University.   His Project’s website is NationalPriorities.org.