October 2009 Volume V Issue 2 “Here.” by Sarah Gore Lee Exclusively Drawn for PPR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS Hon. Bob Rae Former Premier of Ontario, Liberal Party Foreign Affairs Critic Dr. Amy Gutmann President of UPenn Hon. Marjorie Margolies Former Pennsylvanian Congresswoman Arlen Specter Senior U.S. Senator Arne Duncan U.S. Secretary of Education Sarah Gore Lee Al Gore’s Youngest Daughter Executive Board Bob Ma (W’10).............................Editor-in-Chief Letter From the Editor Ned Shell (C’12)...............Senior Managing Editor Greg Rollman (W’11)....Ed Board Managing Editore Politics. This word means different things to different people. For Rachel Thomas (C’11)..................Managing Editor Bob Rae, the former Premier of Canada’s most populous province, poli- Maya Perl-Kot (C’10)...................Managing Editor tics was about connecting with the common people. This held personal Patrick Stedman (C’10).........................Treasurer Hugh Ma (C’11)......................................Publisher significance for him as he suffered from 18 months of depression after Anne-Garland Berry (C’10)...........Interview Editor graduating as a Rhodes Scholar. Our own university’s President, Dr. John Gee (C’12)..............The Soapbox Blog Editor Amy Gutmann, got hooked by politics while she was an undergradu- Lucas Blanchard (W’12).....................Chief of Staff ate because she found it more interesting than mathematics. For Sarah Gore Lee, Al Gore’s youngest daughter, politics meant trips with the Editorial Board Vice President to Russia, China, Japan and Korea. But it also meant a Senior Editors complete lack of privacy from constant Secret Service protection. For Bill Shotzbarger (C’10), Greg Rollman (W’11), Marjorie Margolies, a former Congresswoman from Pennsylvania, poli- Nantina Vgontzas (C’11) tics meant being able to say to her children that she did the right thing. Editors You have to discover your own meaning of the word, politics. How- Sarah Heinz (C’12), Ariela Rosenberg (C’12), ever, I am confident that this issue of PPR will stimulate your thinking, or Stephen Fritz (C’13), Neal Gupta (C’13), enrich the meaning that you already have. Nick Yu (C’13) Copy Editors Sincerely, Alisan Oliver-Li (C’10), Carolina O’Neill (C’10), Sarah Heinz (C’12), Jess Mayer (C’12), Nick Stergiopoulous (C’12) Writing Bob Ma Senior Writers Editor-in-Chief Patrick Stedman (C’10), Josh Rittenberg (C’11), Gideon Spitzer (C’11), Rachel Thomas (C’11) I welcome your feedback or letter: [email protected] Staff Writers Patrick Bradley (C’10), Bill Shotzbarger (C’10), John Gee (C’12), Wenceslao Guerrero (C’12), Ned Shell (C’12) Advertise with PPR. Associate Writers Follow The Soapbox Blog. Olivia Clement (C’10), Neel Lalchadani (C’10), Write, Edit, Draw. Carolina O’Neill (C’10), Hugh Ma (C’11), www.dolphin.upenn.edu/ppr Neal Gupta (C’13), Luke Hassall (C’13), Emily Kim (C’13), Amit Patel (C’13), Michael Soyfer (C’13) The Soapbox Blog Anne-Garland Berry (C’10), Sarah Boice (C’10), Josh Rittenberg(C’11), John Gee (C’12) Art, Photography & Design Bob Ma (W’10), Neil Verma (C’10), Siede Coleman (C’11), Janice Dow (C’11), Chiyel Hayles (C’11), Rachel Thomas (C’11), Laura Paragano (C’12), Allison Zuckerman (C’12), Sarah Gore Lee Business & Public Relations Sarah Boice (C’10), Patrick Stedman (C’10), Hugh Ma (C’11), Rachel Thomas (C’11) Penn Political Review is an independent student publication of the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania. We strive to provide a balanced and non-partisan publi- cation that critically examines relevant social, economic, and political issues. All articles are chosen by the Editorial Board based on argumentative merit Copyright 2009 Penn Political Review. It is forbidden to and relevance. All opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s) make any reproductions, in whole or in part, without the and do not in anyway reflect the opinions or the endorsement of the Editors. express consent of the PPR. 2 Penn Political Review, October 2009 NATIONAL 4 What is it like in Al Gore’s House? Interview: Sarah Gore Lee Ned Shell & Bob Ma 5 Drama in Washington Emily Kim 6 A Prescription for Health Care Reform Neal Gupta @Nytimes Sry Grey Lady, Ur Old News 7 Hugh Ma Politics, Penn, President 8 Interview: Dr. Amy Gutmann Anne-Garland Berry & Bob Ma 9 The Forgotten Reform Wenceslao Guerrero Health Care Quagmire: Reform or Reason 10 Michael Soyfer 11 Washington to Women’s Advocate Interview: Hon. Marjorie Margolies Rachel Thomas PPR Interviews Senior U.S. Senator Arlen Specter Left to Right: Anne-Garland Berry, Ned Shell, Greg Rollman, and John Gee GLOBAL The Most Dangerous 12 Place in the World Amit Patel Defrosting our 13 Northern Backyard Patrick Stedman The Ghosts of Weimar Luke Hassall 14 Al Qaeda and the Media 15 Carolina O’Neill Drones: The Future of American Strategy in Afghanistan? 16 Gideon Spitzer The Summer Coup d’État 17 John Gee Activism and Depression Interview: Hon. Bob Rae 18 Bob Ma Loudest from The Soapbox “Attack of the Drones” Interview: U.S. Senator Arlen Specter 19 By Allison Zuckerman Interview: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Penn Political Review, October 2009 3 National National What is it like in Al Gore’s House? EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW debates, etc. I was always on high alert. And By Ned Shell and Bob Ma the way that campaign came to an end was particularly hard. With the recount and pro- enn Political Review recently had the testers outside our residence hurling per- Pchance to interview Sarah Gore Lee, sonal attacks, the Supreme Court case and daughter of former Vice President and Bush ending up as president - it was sad, a Nobel Laureate Al Gore. She discusses what little scary, and ultimately numbing for me. it was like growing up in a political family While my family enjoyed a new-found sense and how her father’s career has influenced of ownership over our lives and our time, her personal life and development. Sarah is which was liberating, for years there was a an accomplished artist and posts her collec- lot of grieving mixed in. I remember when tion on www.sarahgorelee.com. Bush was reelected in 2004, it was devas- tating to contemplate another four years Did you take advantage of any like the four that had just passed. I felt that hurt my dad, right? I made friends who are extraordinary opportunities while way on a personal level but also as a regular politically conservative, and tried my hand growing up? citizen. at journalism. For me, the biggest upside of life with my dad in office was the privilege of being in- The filming and subsequent success of An My most comfortable relationships have the-know, so to speak, feeling like I was on Inconvenient Truth was a saving grace and been with people who aren’t rabidly parti- the inside of a lot of momentous events and an amazing experience. I think the movie san one way or the other, people who aren’t rubbing shoulders with a lot of smart, ide- marked a turning point for my family, interested in the gaming side of politics. But alistic people in the Clinton/Gore adminis- because it was something big and positive as I get older, I appreciate the warriors too. tration who were driven by a strong sense that helped supplant the bad memories Because sometimes, life is a battle, and I of purpose. International travel during that and trauma of 2000. The whole experience understand better now why people fight as period was also really great: I joined my dad made me very, very happy and proud of my hard as they do. on trips to Russia, China, Japan, Korea, and father. After that, his receiving the Nobel went with my mom to Haiti. That said, while Peace Prize was just surreal. What was your relationship to the I enjoyed those things, I was a bit of a sour- Clinton family? puss about the situation when I was young. Would your career path have been I really like Chelsea. She’s strong and smart I disliked aspects of living with Secret Ser- different if your father had not been and nice, and I admire her. Our relationship vice protection in the Vice President’s Resi- such an important political actor? consisted mostly of official campaign stage- dence and wished our family life could have I didn’t like the combative, partisan feel sharing moments where we’d smile to the been more normal, more private. of politics and wanted to connect with cameras and crowds and whisper to each people who thrived outside of that world. other about all the craziness going on. Any lessons you learned from grow- Art and music and the communities sur- ing up in a political household? rounding them were attractive to me. Sci- Did people treat you differently in On a practical level, I learned some speech- ence and medicine were also intriguing. I college? writing or rather, speech-editing skills. used to think a career in art wasn’t impor- I think so. I’m sure I was treated better by My siblings and I would act as editors and tant enough or perhaps serious enough to some people who gave me the benefit of the sounding boards for my dad, and I think pursue, but I don’t think that any more. I doubt because they admired my father. At that was a unique education for us. think it’s as impactful and valuable to create the time though, I thought the main effect art as it is to try and improve the world was students seeming extra eager to assess Did your experiences reflect Mr.