Month: February 2024

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Mike and May open with a discussion of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the latest US sanctions as the war reaches the two-year mark. May is unclear as to the US’s goals and argues that this is reflected in declining public support for Ukraine. Mike believes the lack of support breaks down more along partisan lines, with Democrats more supportive than Republicans, and that the US goal is clear – to prevent Russia from overrunning Ukraine and to send a strong message to our allies and adversaries around the world.

Next is a look at the Biden administration’s latest student loan debt forgiveness. Neither Mike nor May feel this is the best policy, but Mike sees it as one of the few economic relief levers the administration can pull without getting buy-in from congressional Republicans. They also consider student loan debt forgiveness in light of more fundamental problems with higher education costs.

Following that they get into the ruling by Alabama’s supreme court that a wrongful death suit can go forward against a person accused of destroying frozen embryos at an IVF facility. They agree that the court made the right call based on Alabama’s constitution and the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor statute, and debate the larger implications of this ruling as well as what legislative action they expect to see in response.

They close by considering why the US Supreme Court declined to take up an appeal to an equal protection challenge to a Virginia high school’s admissions program, as well as how schools across the country can factor diversity into their admission decisions without having their programs invalidated by courts.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Trey & Ken continue through the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights by diving into the 2nd Amendment. They cover the history of the right, how it was a compromise between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, and the current jurisprudence of the 2nd Amendment.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

In this packed episode, Trey and Ken start by discussing the breaking news of Donald Trump’s civil judgment of $354.9 million in a New York court. Ken believes it will be difficult for the case to be overturned on appeal due to the need for a bond and because of the nature of the defense.

Following that they move to the next breaking story: the death of Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison. Trey and Ken both agree there is no good response because in large part the normal responses are already engaged. Ken hopes this might push Republicans toward supporting a Ukraine aid package.

Next, the pair turn to Trump’s NATO remarks over the weekend. Trey argues that the comments are terrible, in part because they burn down reasonable arguments over NATO. Ken argues that even if the U.S. had to foot the bill entirely it would be in its best interests to do so.

After that, they turn to a constellation of issues regarding Israel, including the relationship between Biden and Netanyahu. Trey sees the increasingly hostile relationship as a combination of factors, including Israel’s move to eliminate Hamas in its entirety and domestic pressure on Biden’s left. Ken somewhat optimistically believes that Biden can help broker a more lasting peace while looking forward to a two-state solution.

They close with a look at the flipped Santos seat for the Democrats and what that means for Speaker Johnson and the Senate funding bills for Ukraine and Israel.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Mike and Jay open with a discussion of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on President Biden’s handling of classified documents. Mike argues that Hur should have been more neutral in his wording, while Jay doesn’t see any significant problems with how Hur presented his findings. They also consider the broader issues of memory, verbal gaffes, and cognitive fitness.

Following that, they consider the oral arguments before the Supreme Court concerning Donald Trump’s eligibility to run for president. They expect either a unanimous or 8-1 decision allowing Trump to run and discuss the multiple reasons why this is the right call.

They close with a look at the D.C. Circuit’s ruling that Donald Trump isn’t immune from prosecution for any actions he took as President. Mike characterizes the argument by Trump as a long-shot aimed at delaying a potential guilty verdict until after the 2024 election. Jay doesn’t disagree and predicts the Supreme Court will hear an inevitable appeal from Trump. Mike hopes the high court doesn’t hear the case at all, letting the D.C. Circuit’s decision stand, and allowing Trump’s trial to move forward as expeditiously as possible.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast

Mike and Ken open the episode with a discussion of the move by House Republicans to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. They examine the articles of impeachment and agree that they’re not very convincing, and consider how the Senate might proceed if the House votes to impeach Mayorkas.

Next, they turn to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearings on online harm to children. While there’s a bipartisan consensus that more should be done to keep kids safe online, Ken points out the problems with simply eliminating legal protections for social media companies. Mike contends that much of the harm done to kids online is unlikely to be addressable through legislation.

After that is a discussion of capital punishment in the wake of Alabama’s first-in-the-nation use of the nitrogen hypoxia execution method, followed by a discussion of whether it’s time for the Senate to speed up judicial confirmations by ending the “Blue Slip” home-state Senator veto for district court judge nominations.

The Politics Guys on Facebook | X

Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo we’re @PoliticsGuys.