Let's Get After it with Chris Cuomo - SiriusXM

Latest Episodes:

Standards, and the lack thereof... Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

For today's episode, Chris applies the lens of 'standards': what standards we hold in our own lives (think: how we look, how we feel, how we live, our behavior) and why we apply them on a personal level, but not in our public life.

Use the lens of the standards you hold in most areas of your life, and you quickly see there is a disconnect between what we hold ourselves to vs our political leaders.

And Another Thing: Applying these standards to Senator Mike Lee, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, among others who back the Big Lie, and it becomes clear accountability is lacking when lying is the standard.

A Conversation with General Stan McChrystal about Risk Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

In this special Bonus episode, Chris has an extended dialogue with General Stan McChrystal, US Army (Retired) about his new book: Risk: A User's Guide, co-authored with Anna Butrico. They talk through assessing risk in our own lives: amid the pandemic and persistent uncertainty at work and at home, with real world examples of how to systematically detect and respond to it. This is a conversation not to miss.

General Stanley McChrystal retired in July 2010 as a four-star general in the U.S. Army. His last assignment was as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force and as the commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He had previously served as the director of the Joint Staff and as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command. The author of My Share of the Task, Team of Teams, and Leaders, he is currently a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and the cofounder of the McChrystal Group.

It's Not Over... Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Chris digs into the importance of paying attention to the ongoing investigations into former President Trump's efforts to thwart the results of the 2020 election. Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin just released a Committee report detailing some of the events in the White House leading up to January 6th, along with some revelations about how intentional Trump was (and continues to be) about spreading the 'Big Lie'.

Trump and his team never really tried to find hard proof, they just worked to echo accusations and question election results as a form of fueling suspicion. There were so many around him that knew it was a false premise and were complicit in their silence.

And what Chris finds almost more instructive is reading the GOP's rebuttal to the Judiciary report from Senator Chuck Grassley.

And another thing: Chris had a good day fishing.

Rep. Ro Khanna joins Chris to offer the latest outlook on infrastructure Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

With little movement in negotiations on infrastructure, and the GOP doing whatever it can to obstruct Democrats from doing their job in raising the debt ceiling, Rep. Ro Khanna offers optimism when he joins Chris on today's podcast. Khanna doesn't hold a crystal ball, but he does see a path forward at some point with Senators Manchin and Sinema reaching a compromise with the rest of their party. He admits that overcoming the issue of the debt ceiling is a challenging one, but offers reasoning as to why he does not see the United States defaulting.

Rep. Ro Khanna on the Democratic party: We have a higher bar. We need to be the party of aspiration.

Plus: Chris asks if the Facebook outage happened to them or for them. The timing has to raise a few eyebrows. It happened on the heels of the company's former employee Frances Hougen revealing herself as the company's whistleblower on 60 Minutes. Whether it did happen to them or for them, Chris makes it clear that Facebook needs to be better at what it does. We all need to be better.

A chat with Paul Begala about what Democrats really want Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Chris chats with Paul Begala, veteran Democratic strategist, author and former advisor to President Bill Clinton (@PaulBegala) about the state of affairs in within the party. What do progressives want? What about moderates? Can they find a way forward? And can they get something done?

Plus: Why is X Mas gonna suck? Chris and Vick look at the breakdown in our national and global supply chain and why you should care. Think: the T.P. 'crisis' of April 2020 x1000. And Cuomo's take on the Reason for the Season and why he is not a fan of the consumer aspect of the holidays.

Dems hold their fate in their own hands.... Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

On todays episode, a beat on the GOP opposition to raising the debt ceiling and the Dems C.R. solution on the budget, after which Chris and Vick go through the Socratic exercise of what the infrastructure negotiations are about. Do these machinations matter to you? Is Biden going to get bruised here? What is the problem? And who is the problem?

Progressives or moderates? Manchin and/or Sinema? Schumer or McConnell? Pelosi or McCarthy?

Also, A Closer Look: at the genius of The White Stripes and on an unfair headline decrying that Joe Manchin is rejecting Nancy Pelosi's call for a deal.

We Have To Do Better Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

Today's episode brought to you by the K.I.S.S. principle: Keep it simple, Stupid. We can all do better, and it is all in our control. Chris knows we are in control of how we live in our world, and we can apply this to every facet of what's before us:

- Joint Chiefs Chair General Milley testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee about the Afghanistan withdrawal.

- The effects of COVID becoming more and more a reflection of where you live and what party your state tends to vote for

- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell refusing to raise the debt ceiling

- Dems not able to come together on the bipartisan bill and reconciliation piece of infrastructure

How do we get past this?

Plus an anecdote from Chris about helping a stranded driver with a flat tire.

And a Deeper Dive: on the nasty politics of all those slamming General Milley for 'going rogue' who won't amend their criticism when they hear that Sec Pompeo, Miller and Sec Esper were all in the know about his calls to his Chinese counterpart, and his chat with Speaker Pelosi.

Our Ride or Die Politics Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

SPECIAL BONUS EDITION: When you remove all the filters, all the lenses, all the allegiances, you can just see what's obvious: whether applied to the pandemic, the debt ceiling showdown, the infrastructure in-fighting among Dems and even Title 42 as applied to immigration. The common denominator is the poison of our politics.

When the messaging changes but it doesn't fit with our Ride or Die politics, criticism is wrong and it's the critic who sucks, instead of new information leading to an evolving understanding.

Politics is poison right now and "don't trust" is pervasive.

PLUS:

A Deeper Look: at a WP opinion piece from columnist Michele Norris who coined "Covertigo": the sense of never ending uncertainty in this pandemic, and the toll the stress of consistent inconsistency takes on our lives. We are all going to need a little help from our friends to get past not only this moment, but as we re-enter society.

Making Something Of This Moment Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

In today's episode, Chris gives a positive nod to the bubbling recognition that is happening around coverage of Gabby Petito: it's giving the media cause to shine a prolonged light on many other people that are missing, especially in minority communities after many calls to do so.

Their loved ones hope for the same sort of national recognition and police and FBI involvement to aide them in finding answers.

And not for nothing- much of the media that are complaining about a lack of coverage of missing people in black and brown populations, are the same that are not in the habit of covering it themselves. We can all do better.

Chris hopes this is a usable moment to shift the dynamic and keep a light on all of these missing people.

And Another Thing: A deeper look at the Daniel Robinson case out of Arizona, as national media begin to draw attention to the case.

Can The Leopard Change It's Spots? Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

In today's episode, Chris tells the story of an overheard conversation about why not to take the vaccine, and what it says about how we convey what we hold true and convince ourselves to believe the unbelievable. Repetition can make things more persuasive, but it can't make things more true.

He then turns to Congress and his view that the Democrats are flirting with suicide with the party infighting and distrust of fellow members. If this skepticism is pervasive and unchecked, the Dems may blow up President Biden's agenda and their chances at a majority in 2022.

A woman recently told Chris to "stop trying to make us something we're not", in terms of looking for better than the darkness of our politics these days. While Chris doesn't consider himself a romantic or a foolish optimist, in the political realm, can a leopard change it's stripes?

And Another Thing: The absence of Gabby Petito's fiancé Brian Laundrie has many ascribing blame to him for her death, but don't get out over your skis. There are more questions then answers right now, though talking definitely helps if he is innocent.

Cuom'ote of the Day: "The media is a reflection of us, to be honest. You like to talk about the media like it's something else but it really isn't. It's you. It reflects you."