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of AFL/CIO leaders from around the country, where Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan has been a big topic this week. They are trying to persuade rank-and-file members that Buchanan does not represent labor interests, despite his appeals to blue collar workers.

Robert and Linda read from another batch of listeners' comments.

David Culhane reports from Paris on a shakeup in the French defense industry. The government offered the biggest overhaul and the most comprehensive review of French military strategy since World War II. President Chirac announced in an address to the nation today that over the next 6 years military conscription will be replaced by a professional army.

Alan Cheuse reviews Criminals by Scottish writer Margot Livesey. (LIV-see). It's a dark comedy about moral ambiguity in the life of a English business man. (Publisher:Knopf)

Danny talks with Stephen Ansolabehere, author of "Going Negative, How Political Advertisements Shrink and Polarize the Electorate" (The Free Press, Simon and Schuster). Ansolabehere says that contrary to popular belief, negative ads don't cause voters to change their minds. In fact, according to one study Ansolabehere and his colleagues completed, negative ads reenforce voters pre-existing political views, with one glaring exception, independents. In this case, Ansolabehere says, negative ads tend to make independents stay home and not vote at all and since independents tend to be the moderating force in elections, the fact that they are discouraged from voting by negative ads may be leading to the polarization of American politics.

With just over a week until the Iowa caucuses, organizers for various candidates are trying to make sure their troops will show up in force for one of the most important early contests for the presidential nomination. NPR's Laura Ziegler reports that for many people in Iowa, the up-close-and-personal nature of the caucus process offers them a chance to meet the candidates and for many, it is the closest encounter they have with representative democracy.

of the first American to die in Bosnia, the implementation of the ceasefire and the de-mobilization of the various factions.

Satirist Harry Shearer gives us a look into the future, when the sale of NFL teams between cities become so numerous that one network, Fox, creates a new program where fans can call in their votes and pledges to get a team or keep a team.

action in California. At issue is an anti-affirmative action initiative. Supporters claim they have enough signatures to get it on the November ballot, but opponents still think the measure can be defeated.

Robert talks to two actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company, who are here in Washington performing "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Kennedy Center. They are Desmond Barrit, who plays Bottom, and Lindsay Duncan, who plays Titantia. Barrit was an accountant until he was 35 years old and then became on actor on a bet.