Author: Michael Baranowski

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Mike & Jay are joined by Trey on this episode of the podcast, which starts off with an extended discussion of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The guys get into likely outcomes, Putin’s strategic savvy, the ineffectiveness of sanctions, democratic vs authoritarian regimes, prospects for energy policy in Europe, the GOP split in reactions to Putin and Russia, how Russia’s actions might affect China’s view of a Taiwan, and a lot more.

Then it’s a look at Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Biden’s nominee to fill the Supreme Court seat of retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Nobody is surprised by Biden’s choice, and the guys expect Jackson to be confirmed on a narrow, mostly party line vote. Jay suggests that a more consensus-building nominee might have been shortlisted candidate J. Michelle Childs, though Mike argues that we’re in an age where almost no conceivable Supreme Court nominee would be confirmed with any significant bipartisan support.

After that is a discussion of the Supreme Court’s announcement that it will be hearing 303 Creative v. Elenis, in which a Christian website designer argues that Colorado’s LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination law violates her 1st amendment free expression and free exercise of religion rights. The Court declined to consider the religious freedom implications, but Jay, Mike, and Trey all agree that a majority of the Justices are likely to see that law as unconstitutionally compelling speech.

Next, they talk about why a Democratic House member would want to deliver a response to Democrat Joe Biden’s upcoming State of the Union Address, as Michigan Representative and “Squad” member Rashida Tlaib plans to do for the progressive group Working Families Party. Following that, they discuss the launch of Donald Trump’s Truth Social app, as well as a federal court ruling that pits deference to administrative regulations against the Court’s role in determining the meaning of major legal questions.

Mike’s Recommendations
The Hitman’s Bodyguard & The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

Trey’s Recommendations
The Constitution, An Introduction.  Michael Stokes Paulsen and Luke Paulsen

The Least of Us, Part II (video game)

Jay’s Recommendations
The NRPLUS Facebook Group

A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal. Ben Macintyre

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Mike & Jay kick off the show with a look at what seems to be the “it’s only a matter of time” Russian invasion of Ukraine. Jay thinks that the Biden administration’s approach has been very good to this point, while Mike attempts to present the non-interventionist, “America First” case for staying out of Russia’s (and possibly China’s) spheres of influence.

Then it’s on to two lawsuits – the first being the Department of Justice’s suit against Missouri’s “Second Amendment Protection Act” and the second Texas’s suit against the CDC for the federal travel hub mask mandate. Mike & Jay agree that Missouri doesn’t get to nullify federal law, and that their law is almost certain to fall. They think Texas may have a stronger case on the mask mandate, but that it’s important to separate what may be good public policy from what’s within the power of a government agency to do absent specific congressional authorization.

Following that, they look at a pretrial motion filed by Special Counsel John Durham in his investigation of the federal government’s investigation of Russian influence in the 2016 elections. They agree that the allegations are serious, but that it’s easy to reach bad conclusions so early in the process.

The show winds up with discussion of “prestige television”, class, and politics followed by an appreciation of the late P. J. O’Rourke, and then some thoughts on ballot harvesting.

Jay’s Recommendation
The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin. Gordon Wood

Mike’s Recommendations
A Mencken Chrestomathy and Notes on Democracy. H. L. Mencken
The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt

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In this episode Emily Smith of Oklahoma Christian University joins Ken & Trey. The trio begin by looking at the Supreme Court’s recent decision to allow Alabama redistricting maps to remain, despite a potential conflict with the Voting Rights Act.

Following this the trio talk Trump and his 15 boxes of documents retrieved by the National Archives and Records Administration. Trey focuses on the growing power of the modern presidency and the seeming inability of other branches of government to check it. Ken thinks that there are checks, they just have not been effectively used.

Next the trio look at the recent bipartisan push to end individual stock trading for members of Congress or their immediate family. Ken argues it ought to be expanded to the court where there is more evidence of harm. Trey looks at the evidence of success in the stock market for those in Congress.

Then the trio turn to the Open Apps Market Act. Ken is fully in support of the motion, but is surprised by the Republican support. Emily wonders what it may do to increase disability software for mobile platforms. Trey is supportive of opening devices to more app stores, but not of forcing how those app stores to adhere to particular rules.

Following that topic they turn their attention to the northern border and the Canadian trucker protests. All three discuss what these larger protests mean and if there isn’t an end to COVID restrictions in sight for no other reason than an ability to convince more people to get vaccinated.

Last comes a conversation on the growing number of individuals in the U.S. who identify as Republican. Trey points out that the conventional wisdom from the left was wrong, demographics do not necessarily favor Democrats. Ken focuses on border communities and what might explain their shift. Emily suggests that the religious conviction of certain demographic groups may incline them towards Republicans.

Ken’s Recommendations

Checkmate in Berlin: The Cold War Showdown That Shaped the Modern World by Giles Milton

Emily’s Recommendations

A Kind of Spark & Show Us Who You Are & Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll

Trey’s Recommendations

The Cult of the Presidency by Gene Healy & Swan Song (2021)

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Mike & Jay start off this week’s episode with a look at the latest developments in the no longer “immanent” Russian invasion of Ukraine (at least not according to the White House). That’s followed by discussion of Donald Trump’s comments on the Electoral Count Act, pardons for those involved in the January 6th Capitol rioting, and the Republican National Committee’s censure of Republican House members Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney.

Following that is a discussion of judicial recusal and whether Justice Clarence Thomas should be hearing cases involving the House January 6th Commission, former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and its larger societal implications, and whether Joe Rogan should be reined in or even censored for giving a platform to people advancing questionable information concerning COVID-19.

Jay’s Recommendations
Nightmare Alley (1947) & Nightmare Alley (2021)

Mike’s Recommendation
Napoleon’s Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand. David Lawday

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This week it’s a special three-person episode: Mike, Jay, and Ken. They kick things off by discussing the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, including his role on the Court, potential replacements, and the upcoming confirmation battle.

They stick with the Supreme Court in their discussion of two big affirmative action cases the Court has agreed to hear, both concerning alleged discrimination against Asian Americans in college admissions. 

Next, it’s a look at a federal judge’s ruling that halted the largest oil lease sale in US history. Why did the Biden administration hold the sale in the first place? What was the Trump-era Interior Department’s argument about drilling having less of an environmental impact than not drilling? Mike, Jay, and Ken discuss that and more.

Following that, they turn to recent economic news, including strong growth in 2021 — with even stronger inflation. Mike stands by his optimistic economic predictions (while admitting that he might have been somewhat too optimistic) and Ken largely agrees. Jay, on the other hand, thinks the economy won’t be improving nearly as quickly as Mike and Ken seem to believe.

The show closes with a look at the American Museum of Natural History’s decision to remove an allegedly racist statue of former US President Theodore Roosevelt. Mike and Ken agree that the statue should have been removed, while Jay feels it should have stayed in place.

Recommendations

Ken: Lost Cincinnati Concert Venues of the ’50s and ’60s: From the Surf Club to Ludlow Garage. Steven Rosen

Jay:  Supreme Court of the United States Website

Mike: Station Eleven (HBO Max)

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This week Trey and Ken host the show. The first story is discussing the filibuster and the Democrats inability to change it for voting rights. Trey gives a brief history of the filibuster. Ken argues it has been weaponized since the 1990s. Trey suggests weaponization depends on the policy outcome desired.

Next, they turn to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the January 6 Committee’s request for documents. Trey talks about the implications of the Supreme Court ruling the earlier court as dicta and Ken talks about how he sees this as evidence against a stacked court.

After that they discuss the New York Attorney General’s newest revelations. They discuss the implications of pleading the 5th in a civil case as opposed to a criminal case and the possibility of not engaging in civil lawsuits.

They move on to talk about what gerrymandering in 2022 might mean for the midterms. Ken sees Ohio as an ideal model and Trey wonders if what Democrats really want is to ditch single member districts.

Up last is a discussion about Biden’s polling, what the polling predicts about the midterm elections, and why and when his numbers hit bottom.

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This week Mike, Jay and Trey all host the show. Mike pays tribute to his late mother and this episode is dedicated to her memory.

The first story is vaccine mandates. The trio parse out the questions of legality from policy. All three hosts are in large agreement on legality, but there are some differences in the best policy moving forward.

Next, they turn to Biden’s speech in Georgia and his accompanying failure to pass, or even start, a voting rights bill through the Senate. The hosts debate the underlying strategy and why the White House believed it was possible to pass such a sweeping bill.

After that they discuss the failure of Cruz’s Russian pipeline sanctions. This leads Jay and Mike to agree on a new era of Cold War policy, while Trey has doubts about the success of true real politic style relations.

They move on to talk about the dustup between Dr. Fauci and Senator Paul. Trey finds the rhetoric disturbing while Jay thinks it is warranted.

Up last is a discussion about those who were part of January 6 now running for office. This leads to a protracted conversation between Trey and Jay on Babbitt and the use of force.

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Mike & Jay start the first Politics Guys show of 2022 by looking back at the events of January 6th, 2021. They discuss how they viewed the Capitol riot then, how they see it now, the value of the House January 6th Commission, and how much of a hold Donald Trump and “The Big Lie” has on the Republican Party.

January 6th happened in large part because of Congress’ role in certifying presidential election results. Mike & Jay move on to discuss how that process works and whether it’s time to clarify or even repeal the Electoral Count Act.

Next, they turn to the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s December meeting, which were released this past week. Mike & Jay agree that it’s good that the Fed is moving to moderate inflation, but they disagree on how quickly inflation is likely to fall.

After that they discuss Chief Justice Roberts’ year end report on the state of the federal judiciary. Roberts acknowledges problems with transparency and discrimination in the judicial branch, but argues that these problems can be dealt with internally. Mike is skeptical about the ability of the branch to police itself, and even Jay thinks there may be a role for Congress to play here, though he’s more cautious about regulation than Mike is (which is generally the case).

They move on to talk about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Twitter ban and the larger issues of Big Tech censorship, free speech, and the marketplace of ideas. 

The show closes with Mike & Jay responding to listener questions on workforce development policy and the future of the Republican Party.

We’d really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes for The Politics Guys 2022 Listener Survey. 

Mike’s Recommendations

Chief Justice Roberts’ 2021 Report on the Federal Judiciary

The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6. Miles Davis & John Coltrane

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