Blues music and Barack Obama

Schwartz thinks that Clinton will add strength to Obama’s campaign

This week Barack Obama effectively won the race to become the Democratic nominee for president of the US. 

 

Following victory in Montana on the last day of the primary season, the Illinois senator now has majority support from the party’s delegates.

 

This ends one of the most protracted and enthralling primary campaigns in modern history. 

 

Having beaten Hillary Clinton, Obama now looks set to become the first black candidate to contest a US presidential poll.

 

Sir David is joined by Laura Schwartz, a Democratic political commentator and former aide to President Bill Clinton. 

 

Schwartz says Hillary Clinton is open to taking the vice-presidential nomination if asked and if it will help the party. She says Clinton can help attract voters that Obama cannot reach in November’s election.

Watch the interview with Laura Schwartz

Jonathan Gregson

Gregson says Maoists are under pressure to perform well

After 239 years with a monarchy, the Himalayan nation of Nepal has become the world’s newest republic. 

 

The Maoists, who won elections last month making them the largest political party, had pledged to abolish royal rule.

 

The landmark decision comes after a bloody 10-year civil war, which pitted Maoists against the constitutional monarchy. 

 

The conflict left more than 12,000 people dead and 100,000 displaced.  

 

Jonathan Gregson, an author and expert on the region, talks to Sir David. He says the Maoist victory was partly down to their control of rural areas. 

 

Having exploited the uncertainty created by the monarchy, Gregson says the Maoists must now perform well in government.

 

 

 

Feith says Bush took a correct decision in removing Saddam Hussein [EPA]

The former White House spokesman Scott McClellan has caused a stir in the halls of Washington with the release of his new book, What Happened. 

 

In it he chronicles behind-the-scenes events in the White House and accuses George Bush, the US president, of rushing into an unnecessary war in Iraq.

 

Douglas Feith, the former US under-secretary of defence for policy, gives a different insight into the path to war in his new book, War and Decision.

 

Feith joins Sir David in the studio. He says that George Bush made a prudent and correct decision to remove Saddam Hussein. 

 

However, he says the single biggest mistake the US made was not to put Iraqis in charge of their own government promptly after the removal of Saddam.   

 

Rory Stewart went on to become the deputy governor of two provinces in Iraq

In 2002 writer and historian, Rory Stewart, walked across Afghanistan. 

 

The following year, at the tender age of 30, he went on to become the deputy governor of two provinces in Southern Iraq.

 

Stewart was born in Hong Kong, raised in Malaysia, Vietnam and Scotland, and later studied history and philosophy at Oxford University. 

 

After a short stint in the army, Stewart joined the British Foreign Office.

 

Stewart talks about his 6000 mile walk from Turkey to Bangladesh, the kindness of people he met along the way and his love of Iraq and Afghanistan. 

 

He is optimistic that conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan will improve but says foreign troops should scale back their presence in the countries.

Watch the interview with Rory Stewart

 

Mick Hucknall says he has a greater sense of responsibility now [GALLO/GETTY]

Mick Hucknall was once one of the wild men of pop when his band, Simply Red, was topping the charts around the world in the 1980s and 90s. 

 

With hits like Holding Back the Years and Money’s Too Tight To Mention, Simply Red won a string of awards.

 

Now Mick Hucknall is embarking on a solo career with an album celebrating the Blues legend Bobby Bland. 

 

Hucknall joins Sir David to discuss the new album, Blues music and Manchester United.

 

He says he has always listened to Blues music and wants to use its influence more in his own work. 

 

He says he has had enough of the rock & roll lifestyle and now has a stronger sense of responsibility.

 

 

Michele Verroken

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