Rational Radio Daily with Steele and Ungar

Latest Episodes:

"There is a power struggle for control of the Republican Party going on." Oct 06, 2017

Show notes

Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, told a group of Republican donors earlier this week that they should consider jettisoning any Republican members of Congress who don't back President Trump's agenda. While donors "didn't bat an eye" according to David Drucker of the Washington Examiner, congressional Republicans were livid over the comments. "I really think there's a power struggle for control of the Republican Party going on," says Drucker, the senior political correspondent for the Washington Examiner. Michael Steele and Rick Ungar discuss the GOP and NRA's support of a ban on bump stocks and whether this could lead to more responsible gun control legislation.

"There's a pressure on people in the media to fill the air." Oct 04, 2017

Show notes

In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting, Andrew McCarthy, a contributing editor for National Review and a former federal prosecutor, joined Rick Ungar to talk about the news cycle of gun control debates and why we can't seem to find common ground on guns. Steve Bannon is beginning to form a political coalition with the Mercer family to support their populist and anti-establishment agenda. They plan to rival the powerful network established by the Koch brothers. Ken Vogel, a New York Times reporter who covers the confluence of money, politics and influence, discusses the impact that the Bannon-Mercer alliance could have on the 2018 midterms and the future of the GOP.

"This is a humanitarian crisis the likes of which our country has never seen." Oct 03, 2017

Show notes

President Trump unleashed a tweetstorm over the weekend directed at both the American citizens of Puerto Rico and the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz. On Saturday morning, the president tweeted, "Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort." The backlash against the president was strong, swift and loud, with many condemning his harsh criticisms of Cruz and questioning whether the administration is delivering for the people of Puerto Rico. New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a native Puerto Rican, is immensely concerned about what might unfold there amid the island's unprecedented humanitarian crisis. "My concern in the short-term right now is 'Lord of the Flies','" Rivera said. He discusses the devastation that has continued to wreak havoc on the island, how the federal government is helping thus far and his disgust with the president's comments about Mayor Cruz. Michael Steele and Rick Ungar debate the significance of Governor John Kasich suggesting he may leave the Republican Party if it doesn't fix some its issues and what that says about the state of the GOP.

"This will blow a massive hole through our federal deficit." Sep 30, 2017

Show notes

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned today amid mounting criticism for costing taxpayers over one million dollars for his use of charter planes and military aircraft. In the wake of this lavish spending, Congressman Ted Lieu of California joined with other House members to introduce the "SWAMP FLYERS" Act, a bill that seeks to ban private jet travel by members of the president's cabinet. Congressman Lieu (D-Calif. 33) joined Michael Steele and Rick Ungar to explain why he introduced the bill and critique President Trump's tax plan. The superintendent of the Air Force Academy delivered a powerful and moving speech to his cadets on race and inclusion. The guys discuss the speech and how it delivered the moral leadership and clarity the country has needed in the wake of Charlottesville.

"Tax cuts never pay for themselves." Sep 29, 2017

Show notes

President Trump announced a new blueprint for tax reform yesterday in a speech in Indianapolis. The president said he sought to create a "middle class miracle" with this reform plan, which many pundits and politicians are saying is actually a massive tax cut program. However, earlier today on Good Morning America, Trump's economic adviser Gary Cohn admitted that he can't guarantee there won't be tax increases for middle-class Americans. Where is the miracle? Where are all the deficit hawks? Where are the details on this tax plan? Congressman Brian Higgins (D-N.Y. 26), Vice-Ranking member of the House Ways & Means Committee, shares his thoughts on the president's tax plan and tries to fill in some of the detail gaps. Rick Ungar and guest host Rick Tyler discuss what impact Roy Moore's victory over Luther Strange will have on congressional races across the country as we move closer and closer to the 2018 midterms.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney on infrastructure: "We don't have a presidency to waste." Sep 28, 2017

Show notes

One of the more inventive ways President Trump sought to fund his one trillion dollar infrastructure plan was by cultivating private-public partnerships on the local, state and national level. These partnerships seek to marry private-sector money and resources to public-sector projects. President Trump these initiatives would be a key source of funding, but after months of researching viable ways to create these partnerships and establish funding sources, he told the House Ways & Means Committee that he is abandoning this aspect of the plan. The president now wants local and state governments to shoulder the lion's share of the trillion dollar plan. Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y. 18) talks about how local legislatures and the federal government can move forward on necessary infrastructure repair in the U.S. Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore soundly defeated Senator Luther Strange in last night's Alabama GOP senate primary. Jonathan Easley, campaigns reporter for The Hill, discusses what this means for Mitch McConnell's Senate majority and whether Moore is the "tip of the spear" for anti-establishment GOP candidates in the 2018 midterms.

Senator Rand Paul's vision for healthcare Sep 27, 2017

Show notes

Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced today there would be no vote on the Graham-Cassidy bill, citing a lack of support amongst the Republican bloc. While there are whispers around Capitol Hill that the bill will be back with revisions and amendments, is repeal and replace officially dead? Where does this leave the future of healthcare reform? Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of three Republican senators to come out publicly against the bill, wants to create a system of co-op organizations that could cross state lines, and could be built out of existing healthcare infrastructure. Senator Paul joined Steele & Ungar to discuss his vision for healthcare reform, how to address our predicament with North Korea and the future of tax cuts. Jacqueline Klimas, national security reporter for Politico, talks about reporting from Puerto Rico and whether the U.S. government is really doing everything it can to provide aid during this humanitarian crisis.

"We should make policies based on actual evidence." Sep 26, 2017

Show notes

President Trump signed a new executive order over the weekend that updates and indefinitely extends the first travel ban he introduced in January. This new order adds two countries, Chad and Venezuela, to the list and creates a near-total ban on any travel from the named countries due to national security concerns. Many pundits and legal experts seem to think the Trump administration added nations like Venezuela and North Korea to ensure that this executive action cannot be interpreted as a "Muslim ban." David Bier, immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute, discusses the new ban and how lawmakers and the Supreme Court will view and react to it. Rosalind Helderman, political enterprise and investigations reporter for the Washington Post, talks about the shocking revelation that Jared Kushner admitted to using a private email account to conduct official government business. How will the White House attempt to spin this?

"Our healthcare [system] is great...for those who can afford it." Sep 23, 2017

Show notes

Today, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) issued a statement saying he intends to vote "No" on the Graham-Cassidy bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. Many around Capitol Hill are saying the bill is now effectively dead. CNN is capitalizing on the ongoing healthcare debate. The network announced they'll be hosting a town hall-style debate next week between Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on the future of healthcare. Graham and Cassidy will advocate for "repeal and replace" while Sanders and Klobuchar will argue for "Medicare for all". David Corn, Washington Bureau Chief for Mother Jones, previews the debate and what it might mean for the future of healthcare reform. Michael Steele and Rick Ungar discuss Senator McCain's "No" vote and whether members of Congress will listen to his passionate plea for a "return to regular order".

"What happened in Ukraine is what's going to happen to the rest of Eastern Europe." Sep 22, 2017

Show notes

In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and began a expansionist campaign of aggression against its neighbor and former Soviet socialist republic. Senators and congressmen and women alike, along with Pentagon officials, called for the Obama administration to offer military aid to Ukraine as it fought to preserve its freedom and sovereignty. To many on Capitol Hill today, including Texas Congressman Will Hurd, the U.S. has an obligation to fulfill our commitment to NATO. "If NATO was created to curb the expansionist tendencies of Russia, the people who are actually involved in that fight we should be supporting," Hurd said. The congressman joined Steele & Ungar to explain why the U.S. should deliver lethal aid to Ukraine. Ambassador Gerald Feierstein discussed how President Trump could renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal with our allies.