Off The Record With Paul Hodes

The ongoing Kevin McCarthy Speaker saga seemed to make a little progress on Friday, as McCarthy lost a 13th round by a little less.  But actually, he's walked right into a trap where the far-right band of nihilists in Congress is only gaining power, and McCarthy's future in the Republican Party is getting hazier by the hour.  Matt Robison and former Biden admaker Cliff Schecter of the Blue Amp channel run through why things have gotten so dicey not just for McCarthy, but for all of us. 

Democrat and former Congressional staffer Matt Robison and conservative political consultant Alicia Preston unpack one of the wildest days in Congressional history and what it means. We hit questions like: what’s the scene usually like Congress on swearing in day? What is driving House Republicans' bizarre tantrums? Why the difference between McCarthy and McConnell? Do actually have a Congress right now? What does all this say about the Republican Party?And what’s going to happen next?

The Democrat who used to Represent George Santos's district tells the inside story of how a lying con man could fool Democrats, the oblivious media, and even Republicans to win a seat in Congress. Steve Israel wrote an inside account in The Atlantic and he joins the Beyond Politics podcast, also available on video on YouTube.

What was the best news story of the year? The biggest innovation? Who was the biggest idiot?  And who won the year?

Who was the MVP for Republicans...for Democrats?  What new bill or law was the biggest deal? What did we learn about ourselves this year? Part One of an action-packed two part year end episode. 

You're going to hear a lot of Russian disinformation from House Republicans in the next few months.  As they gear up to rehash the Hunter Biden laptop story, Republicans are preparing to spread what they know full well to be a noxious mix of salacious personal detail, mixed with invented Russian intelligence material. Veteran reporter Lindsay Beyerstein provides  definitive rundown of the distortions, tall tales, and outright lies that are coming, and why legitimate media was right to be so skeptical of this story. For the video version, check out the Blue Amp channel part one here.

Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money hits the things going DOWN right now: inflation, the reputation of cryptocurrencies, and Twitter's business model. Also: CEO of the year award, and the government steps in to block Microsoft.

No, really, we talked about all of those things.  Also, crypto is evil, beating deplorables, and marriage equality.

Matt joins legendary West Virginia radio host Howard Monroe to examine why Sinema bolted, why Trump despite being such a disaster is still politically viable, and why Herschel Walker came so darn close in Georgia.

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema's decision to leave the Democratic Party made Kari Lake jump for joy. But is it really huge news for Republicans? Former Biden  admaker Cliff Schecter and former Dem congressional staffer Matt Robison run down the biggest questions and threats, and discuss what Dems need to do next on an emergency Beyond Politics mini podcast.

Is American tech and innovation something that's not just good for California tech bros? Yes, and former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp can tell you why. She was the first female Senator elected from North Dakota, served on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and serves on the Board of the American Edge Project, an advocacy group focused on the role of American technology and innovation.  She also shares some favorite insider memories from the Senate, and weighs in on what the Democratic party gets wrong about picking it's nominees. 

All three have been suggested to be over.  Which is actually done?  And which should be?  Also, right wing nutjob bingo, and Georgia runoff!

John Broderick was Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. When John’s son was just 13, he began suffering from anxiety and depression, conditions that went unrecognized and undiagnosed for years. His family went on a very public and painful journey, luckily, one they all survived and healed from. If you recognize this story, it’s because we told it with John on this show a little over a year ago. And in fact, when we won  a New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters Award, that was the show we submitted to the jury. John is back with us now to talk about his campaign to change the culture, stigma, and shame around mental illness that for generations has kept too many people feeling alone and afraid to step out of the shadows. He’s written a new book Backroads and Highways: My Journey of Discovery on Mental Health.

As we enter a period of lame ducks, high stakes negotiations, and divided government, we wanted to know: how does it all work, and will the next year of American government work at all?  So we asked Ryan McConaghy, Senate Majority Leader Schumer's former right hand man on policy, to walk us through what, if anything, we might get out of the next month and the next year. Photo by Norbert Kundrak on Unsplash

Matt Robison and Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money tackle: Black Friday/Cyber Monday – A record $9  billion in sales on Black Friday! It’s encouraging, with one caveat:  the percentage of purchases bought with a “buy  now, pay later” plan is very much on the rise. China protests – Everyone has something in their home made in China. From manufacturing to U.S.  businesses with expanding operations in China (e.g., McDonald’s, Starbucks, Yum Brands) these protests affect American businesses (and not in a good way). CEO 2: The Return of Bob Iger! – Just….wow. Four months  after the board gave CEO Bob Chapek an extended contract they iced him. 

Is President Biden's move to enforce a rail deal a smart move to save the American economy, or a double cross of his base?  Also, is Congress about to drop the ball on its most basic responsibility? Does the Senate actually need to protect interracial marriage? And what do the China protests mean?

Democrats have been congratulating themselves for a strong showing in the 2022 midterms. But when it comes to the House, did they actually fumble the ball at the goal line? Our guests are Lauren Harper and Liam Kerr, the co-founders of WelcomePAC, an organization focused on a pragmatic approach to growing a big tent Democratic party and winning more elections. They were featured last week in the New York Times arguing that Democrats made some critical missteps in the runup to the election and that now is the time to learn lessons, so we don’t repeat them in the future. Photo by Luis Santoyo on Unsplash

Republicans coming out of the woodwork to take on Trump, the shrinking political battleground in America, is Alito a leaker, the impeachment train loads up at the station, a real American hero, and a World Cup shocker.

How does a narrow majority in the US House of Representatives work, what will Republicans have to do to manage it, and what can Democrats do to overcome it?  Our inside expert walks us through it. Jerry Hartz worked in Congress for 28 years, most recently as Senior Adviser and Director of Legislative Floor Operations for Nancy Pelosi. There is no one on Earth who knows more about how to run the House of Representatives, and how things may play out in the coming years.

Part two of the conversation with Dr.  William Ewell, a  political science professor and expert on Congress and American elections, discussions the odds that: Democrats will reverse their decline among Hispanic voters in 2024, Biden will be impeached, Republicans will learn their lesson and run more moderate candidates in swing districts, Democrats look back in two years and realize there were some major downsides to how well they did in the 2022 midterms, and that we have a constitutional meltdown in 2024