Rational Radio Daily with Steele and Ungar

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"How low can you go? Now we know." Jan 12, 2018

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The Washington Post reported today that President Trump referred to African countries and Haiti as “sh*tholes" in a meeting with lawmakers. For Michael and Rick, this marks the lowest moment of the administration. Michael said the country has to send the president a message. “This is not the America we live in. This is not the leadership we want.” The guys discuss the president’s rhetoric and the message it sends to allies in Africa and around the world. Cristiano Lima, a breaking news reporter for Politico, talks about President Trump declining to commit to an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller.

"You can't force people to vote a certain way." Jan 11, 2018

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A federal court ordered North Carolina's electoral map to be redrawn Tuesday, describing the current maps as “unconstitutional”. In the nearly 200-page opinion, the three-judge panel described the current electoral map, which was enacted in 2016, as violating “the Equal Protection Clause, the First Amendment, and Article I of the Constitution”. Michael and Rick discuss the potential implications of the court’s ruling in North Carolina and in other gerrymandered areas. Raymond Arroyo, news director and lead anchor of EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network), talks about Pope Francis’ “State of the World” speech and what political and spiritual issues the Pope isn’t addressing.

"We're seeing the world-class trolling of Donald Trump." Jan 10, 2018

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“What you're seeing is a brilliant game of regional power-playing by people who have taken masterclasses in manipulating.” That’s how career counterintelligence officer Malcolm Nance summed up the motivations behind the renewed diplomatic talks between North and South Korea. From Nance’s perspective, this spirit of brotherhood between the North and South will only last until the end of the Olympics, when North Korea does something inflammatory. Rick and guest co-host Boyd Matheson, president of the Sutherland Institute, also discuss President Trump’s statement today calling for a return to earmark spending projects in Congress.

"We can be a great country if we invest in ourselves." Jan 09, 2018

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President Trump met with Republican leadership at Camp David this past weekend and one of the top rumors from the summit concerned divisions between the president and Gary Cohn, his chief economic advisor, over funding for an infrastructure plan. Trump has said he's against using public-private partnerships, but Mr. Cohn continues to insist that they’re the best source of capital. Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y. 18) of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, jumped on to talk about potential ways to fund the infrastructure plans, especially in the wake of the tax cut that took effect this year. Dr. Monica de Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for international Economics, discussed President Trump’s speech to the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention and the impact of his trade and tax policies on farmers.

"On most issues, there's 80 percent that we agree on." Jan 05, 2018

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In January of 2017, Congressmen Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J. 05) and Tom Reed (R-N.Y. 23) brought together a group of like-minded House members who wanted to restore a bipartisan spirit to the legislative process: the Problem Solvers Caucus. A year after its founding, Congress is embroiled in the midst of negotiations over government funding, the debt ceiling, border security and a long-term solution for DACA. Representative Gottheimer joined Rick and Michael to talk about the Caucus' agenda for 2018 and possible fixes to the quagmires we're seeing in Congress. Derek Riedle, founder of the Cannabis lifestyle media outfit “Civilized”, discussed the economic and legal consequences of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the DOJ rescinding the Cole Memo.

"We can help grease the wheels with our technology and diplomatic engagement." Jan 04, 2018

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Protests spread across Iran last Thursday, December, 28, in reaction to unpopular economic policies that have caused the costs of goods and services to skyrocket. Over the last few days, the protests have swelled with rallying cries against the Islamic Republic’s theocratic government and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Similar protests erupted in 2009, but were ultimately thwarted. Will this movement bring about actual change? Brian Katulis, a foreign policy expert who was on the National Security Council under President Clinton, shares his outlook on the protests in Iran and what America can or should do to help. Dr. Bruce Bechtol, the president of the International Council on Korean Studies, talks about the implications of the renewed diplomatic ties between North and South Korea.

"Building a concrete structure from sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security." Jan 03, 2018

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One of the biggest legislative fights in 2018 will be protections for the Dreamers. Can the House and Senate come together to find a bipartisan fix to DACA? Representative Will Hurd (R-Texas 23) certainly hopes so. The congressman, who serves as the vice-chair of the Maritime and Border Security Subcommittee on the House Committee for Homeland Security, talks about the possibility of a bipartisan DACA deal and why we should care about the anti-government protests in Iran. Marvin Weinbaum, director for Pakistani Studies at the Middle East Institute, discusses President Trump’s threats to pull funding from Pakistan.

"What really mattered was getting Gorsuch and the tax cuts through and, at this point, it's all about survival." Dec 28, 2017

Show notes

As we wind down 2017, Michael Steele and Rick Ungar take a look back at some of the biggest moments and stories of the year. Robert Costa, national political reporter for The Washington Post, talks to the guys about the first year of the Trump administration and what we might see in 2018. Michael and Rick also discuss what Congress accomplished in 2017 and how that will guide its agenda next year.

"We should remember that elections have consequences." Dec 23, 2017

Show notes

One of the looming legislative battles of 2018 will be major entitlement reform. While Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will be looking to launch right into this when Congress gets back into town, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is much more hesitant. Several issues, including funding for natural disaster relief, will also spill over from the end of this year. Reed Galen, chief strategist of the Serve America Movement, gives his outlook on what should be a bruising battle on entitlement reform. Michael and Rick discuss the potential for a wave election in the 2018 midterms.

"Sanctions can advance a specific goal, but they can't do everything." Dec 22, 2017

Show notes

Congress passed a sanctions bill over that summer that now has many of Moscow’s elite freaking out. Section 241 of the sanctions bill requires the Trump administration to provide Congress with a list of all known oligarchs and top political figures with known ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. Ambassador Dan Fried, a 40-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service and the architect of the Russian sanctions, talks about “The List That’s Freaking Out Everyone in Moscow”. Michael and Rick discuss the U.N.’s vote to condemn President Trump’s Jerusalem decision. In response, the administration threatened to pull foreign aid and U.N. funding. What kind of message does that send to the rest of the world?

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