Halloween: 11 Scary Moments in Politics – with Ledge King

It's Halloween! When everything is scary. Can you name a scary moment in politics? How about this one: LITTLE GIRL plucking daisy petals: One, two, three, four, five, seven, six, six, eight, nine "MISSION CONTROL": Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero SOUND EFFECTS: Huge atomic bomb blast. Pretty scary, right? That was from the 1964 presidential campaign … Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy" ad he used against Barry Goldwater. It showed a little girl plucking a daisy … Then: images of nuclear destruction. ... Then, LBJ says: "We must either love each other. Or we must die." The ad ran just one time … But that was enough to make it famous … And it was enough to make the list of 11 scary moments in politics… As you'll hear in the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" …Timed for Halloween and with a very special guest: Managing Editor of National Journal Daily - Ledge King. Which ten other political moments make the scary list? And what does Ledge King say about each of them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 8th, 1987 ... Day Eighteen of the Iran-Contra hearings … Congressman Lee Hamilton is presiding … and Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North's secretary is testifying. Lee Hamilton: "Ms. Hall, I understand that you have an opening statement. Am I correct?" Fawn Hall: "Yes, sir." Lee Hamilton: "You may proceed." Fawn Hall: "My name is Fawn Hall, and I reside with my parents in Northern Virginia, where I was born and raised. I attended Annandale High School and graduated in 1977. I started working at the age of 15, and at 16, while still in high school began my career in government, working for the Department of the Navy. During this period, I also held various part-time jobs, including modeling." Now, nearly four decades later, Oliver North is 82 years old … Fawn Hall is 66 years old – and — he's no longer her boss ... and - she's no longer his secretary ... Oliver North and Fawn Hall just got married! – to each other! For those of you with no idea who we're talking about .. and for those who know exactly who we're talking about – their marriage gives C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" a reason to remember the blockbuster Iran-Contra hearings that dominated politics in the summer of 1987. What did Oliver North say about Fawn Hall? And what did Fawn Hall say about Oliver North? Find out in the latest episode of C-SPAN's "The Weekly." Find C-SPAN's "The Weekly" wherever you get podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was a time, decades ago, when politicians where astounded every time they went online and discovered – to their glee – they had mail. Like Harry Reid – here's the Democratic Senator from Nevada on October 27th, 1999: "Today, it's hard for me to comprehend what has taken place in the advancement of science. At home at my computer, I go home at night and see if I have received any e-mail on my computer. It is easy to do. I open my computer, and it says, ‘'You’ve got mail.' I open that up and find out who has contacted me by email, and it is like magic. I press a button, and I can reply to that person as quickly as I can type that message out. That message is sent quicker, of course, than the speed of light. It is gone."   Senator Reid said getting mail online was like magic -- suggesting powerful forces summoned by the supernatural. But it really was just dial up internet service provided by America Online.  Now AOL is shutting down that relic of the 1990s … and with it goes that once ubiquitous phrase -- "You've got mail." … It may be officially gone, but for C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" – "You've got mail" lives on – No mourning here, just celebration…Which we'll do in this week's episode – as we remember a brave new tech world decades ago, when politicians were dazzled every time they dialed up and discovered – They had mail. Who were these politicians – and what did they say? Find out in C-SPAN's "The Weekly." Find C-SPAN's "The Weekly" wherever you get podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten years ago this month, in October 2015, John Boehner's tenure as U.S. House Speaker came to an end … and the influence the House Freedom Caucus held over Republicans was at its height …. REPORTER QUESTION: The Freedom Caucus has caused you a lot of problems. Obviously, here in your final act, you're rolling them. Can you describe your thought process there? SPEAKER BOEHNER: I wouldn't quite describe it that way. We have a bipartisan agreement that makes sure that the debt ceiling is increased and we make good on our -- on our debt and our debt service, and it paves the way to fund the government this year and next. And the fact is is that this will make it easier for the entire Congress for the balance of this year and it'll make next year a whole lot smoother for the Congress as well. That was John Boehner's final press conference as House Speaker …October 27th, 2015… • Does the Freedom Caucus today still cause a different Republican House speaker "a lot of problems"? • What happened to the House Freedom Caucus over the last ten years? • And how are Republican House politics different now from when John Boehner resigned as Speaker a decade ago? Find out in this week's episode of C-SPAN's "The Weekly" as we remember the House Freedom Caucus ten years ago – and where it is now -- with two very special podcast guests: • Paul Kane - - senior congressional correspondent and columnist at the Washington Post • and Leigh Ann Caldwell -- Chief Washington Correspondent at Puck. Find C-SPAN's The Weekly wherever you get podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Richard Nixon — and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.As war continues now in the Middle East, and as an American president is drawn into that conflict, and as Jews mark the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur —  this week's episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" revisits what happened in 1973. "In his second term, he would order the strategic air lift that saved Israel in the Yom Kippur war. Israel never had a better friend, said Golda Meir."   That was Pat Buchanan, an aide to President Nixon. Pat Buchanan spoke at a January 2013 celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Nixon's birth, hosted by the Nixon Foundation.   What did Richard Nixon say about his actions during the 1973 Yom Kippur War? How about the people who were with him at the time? And how do historians remember President Nixon's role in rescuing Israel during that war?   Find out in C-SPAN's "The Weekly."Find C-SPAN's "The Weekly" wherever you get podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's that wonderful time of year ... time for the Major League Baseball post-season. And not just time for the playoffs and the World Series – but also time for politicians to talk about the playoffs and the World Series. In particular, Presidents and presidential candidates. Like President Donald Trump ... November 4th, 2019 ... welcoming the World Series champions Washington Nationals to the South Lawn of the White House… "Today, the First Lady and I are thrilled to welcome to the White House the 2019 World Series Champions, the Washington Nationals. For the first time in nearly 100 years, our nation’s capital is celebrating a World Series victory. That’s big stuff. The last time Washington, D.C. was home to the World Series champs, the President was a gentleman named Calvin Coolidge. That’s a long time ago." In this week's episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly," hear eight memorable moments when the baseball post-season intersected with presidents and presidential candidates. And then learn the political history AND the baseball history surrounding each memorable moment -with a very special guest. Carl Cannon .. .He's Washington Bureau Chief of RealClearPolitics and Executive Editor of RealClear Media Group…. Carl Cannon has the two requisite requirements for this episode: He's a presidential historian … and he's a baseball fanatic. Which are the 8 memorable moments? And what does Carl Cannon say about each of them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time now … for the losers. Time to hear from presidential candidates who ran for the White House – and lost … and the reasons they gave for losing. Like Democrat John Kerry after the 2004 election Fear and the war were shoved at America in an exploited way that made it very difficult for people to get out from under that 9-11. And when Osama bin Laden appeared on the Friday before the election in that tape, it shifted the last days of that election. And Republican George Bush after the 1992 election: I think by beating back against tremendous odds, some lousy legislation, we ended up with getting good legislation. I'm afraid in the campaign, in the process, we were accused of being against people because of having to take a stand for fiscal responsibility Losing a presidential election is back in the news. In September 2025, Kamala Harris will publish a memoir on her losing run for the White House in 2024.   Which makes this the perfect time to hear other presidential candidates explain why they lost.   What do they say about losing? What went wrong? Why failure? Who's to blame? – And -- is it ever the losers' fault?   Find out in the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" — when we hear exclusively from just one group of people — the losers.   Find C-SPAN's "The Weekly" wherever you get podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you imagine a time when Democrats and Republicans in Congress not only voted the same way — but said the same thing? It actually did happen — right after the terror attacks of 9/11 "Today, we join together not as Democrats nor Republicans, but Mr. Speaker, as proud Americans prepared to defend freedom as our forebears did before us." That was House Democratic Minority Whip David Bonior — September 14th, 2001 ... and from that same day, here's Congressman Jerry Lewis — a Republican: There is no party. My colleague, Jack Murtha and I working on this Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, know the importance of national strength. But when our people come together, there is no Democrat, there is no Republican. We are the American people. What was the specific legislation Congress was considering that inspired such bipartisan rhetoric? Who else — in both the House and the Senate — used that identicial rhetorical construct - "We are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans." And what did Democrats in Congress say about Republican President George W. Bush that day in Congress — three days after the terror attacks. Find out in the special 9/11 anniversary episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On August 30th, 2025, Mark Knoller, the legendary, long-time member of the White House press corps, died. In tribute, the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" is all about Mark Knoller — his decades of appearances — and mentions — on C-SPAN. Like this: TONY SNOW: "Knoller — have you had family over to the White House?" MARK KNOLLER: "A couple of years ago I brought my mom to the Christmas reception. It blew her mind. She was really awestruck by it." TONY SNOW: "What did you do?" MARK KNOLLER: "She got to meet the president. The president noted I brought my mom. And we've heard the president speak about his mom, And his relationship with him mom. As we walked away from getting our picture taken, he pointed at my mom and gave me a thumbs up." That was February 20th, 2007... Mark Knoller's birthday. He was on a panel discussing the White House press corps. But in a twist, the panel moderator, the one asking the questions, was then-press secretary to President George W. Bush — Tony Snow. What stories did Mark Knoller tell on C-SPAN about his decades covering the White House? What did fellow reporters say about him? What did Presidents say to him? And what was his single greatest contribution to modern day White House history and the presidency? Find out in the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" — as we remember Mark Knoller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you have a lovely summer vacation? Was it long enough? Sad it's over? You know who once had a nice, long, summer vacation? That's right — President Dwight D. Eisenhower! The president's Colorado vacation draws to a close. But the chief executive doesn't seem to mind as long as they keep fighting this a-way. He hooks a beauty — which gives him a nice fight before being hauled in by the hand of an experienced angler. It's a far cry from this peaceful setting to the cares of state which await him. But when you can catch your legal limit in one morning It makes even a presidential vacation perfect October 1955. ... A newsreel reports on President Eisenhower fishing in Colorado. The newsreel shows the President knee deep in water ... a fishing rod ... And a fish! For President Eisenhower, it was the enjoyable end to a summer vacation that lasted — get this — six weeks! • Whatever happened to Presidents taking six-week-long vacations? • Where do Presidents go now — and for how long? • Which presidents golf… And which don't? • And what do Presidents tell the public about their vacations? In the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" — we find out! ... While you're returning from your vacations, we hear Presidents talking about their own vacations — and then we talk about the clips with a special guest ... America's foremost political junkie and top presidential observer ... You know him as editor of National Journal's Hotline — and you've seen and heard him on C-SPAN many times — and now he's on "The Weekly" ... Talking about the history of presidential vacations — it's Kirk Bado! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices