Rational Radio Daily with Steele and Ungar

Latest Episodes:

"There is one decision that brought us to this point." May 18, 2018

Show notes

According to a study by The Stimson Center, a non-profit think tank, the United States government spent a combined $2.8 trillion of taxpayer money on the "War on Terror" between September 11, 2001 and the end of 2017. The Costs of War project at Brown University’s Watson Institute estimates that number will reach $5.6 trillion by the end of this fiscal year. The project's numbers also factor in the projected cost of veterans care based on injuries and grievances during this time frame. Was and is it worth it? Career counterintelligence and counterterrorism officer Malcolm Nance says it wasn't. Nance talks to Rick and guest co-host Boyd Matheson, opinion editor at the Deseret News, about the unbalanced cost of the "War on Terror" and how we need to fight smarter, not harder. Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) discusses economic messaging for the Democrats heading into the midterms and settles the question of whether or not he’ll challenge Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for Speaker if the Democrats retake the House.

"The last thing they [the North Koreans] want is a Libyan solution." May 17, 2018

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North Korea threatened to withdraw from the upcoming summit between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un over recent U.S. actions and rhetoric. The North took issue with joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea and said the United States may want to “corner” it and unilaterally demand “we give up our nuclear weapons,” citing statements made by National Security Adviser John Bolton on CBS’ “Face The Nation” in late April. Is North Korea trying to gain leverage before the historic summit or is this mere propaganda? Charles Armstrong, the director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University, discusses how this is impacting the delicate diplomatic and political situation on the Korean Peninsula. Ken Langone, co-founder of Home Depot and former director of the New York Stock Exchange, talks about his new book “I Love Capitalism: An American Story.”

"He [President Trump] needs to explain why he's doing this." May 16, 2018

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President Trump tweeted Sunday morning that he is working with Chinese President Xi Jinping to get controversial Chinese telecom giant ZTE “back into business.” Lawmakers and the intelligence community allege that ZTE’s products pose cybersecurity threats for surveillance and espionage. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Commerce banned U.S. companies from selling parts to ZTE after they found that ZTE violated a settlement that was established after it violated sanctions on Iran and North Korea. What could have possibly motivated this president, who emphasized his toughness on China throughout the campaign, to support this controversial Chinese company? Gordon Chang, Daily Beast columnist and author of “The Coming Collapse of China”, breaks down some of the possible financial, economic and political motivations behind the president’s move. Rick and guest co-host Boyd Matheson, opinion editor for the Deseret News, talk about how the president’s base could be suffering from unintended consequences of his policies.

"Jerusalem IS going to stay the capital of Israel." May 15, 2018

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The United States opened its embassy in Jerusalem earlier today as part of its formal recognition of the city as the capital of Israel. Today also happens to be the 70th anniversary of President Truman’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty. While U.S. and Israeli lawmakers celebrated, thousands of Palestinians protested at the border of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces used deadly force on Palestinian groups they claimed were trying to plant explosives. Over 50 people were killed and many more were wounded. Will we see more violence? What impact will it have on prospects for peace in the Middle East? Dr. Michael Makovsky, president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, talks about the potential geopolitical consequences for both the Israelis and Palestinians. Former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps discusses how Democrats can capitalize on the issue of net neutrality at the ballot box in November.

"It demeans the White House...I'm mad!" May 12, 2018

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Senator John McCain is an American hero. Full stop. He's staring down his own mortality after receiving a brain cancer diagnosis last year. He weighed in on Gina Haspel's nomination for CIA Director and said that her refusal to condemn the practice of torture was disqualifying. A White House aide named Kelly Sadler made a comment about his condition, saying, "He's going to die anyway." The attempted joke fell flat and the White House has been inundated with calls for her to be fired. A retired three-star general went on Fox Business and told host Charles Payne that torture worked and it worked on John McCain, saying, "That’s why they call him ‘Songbird John.'" Rick and guest co-host Ron Christie do their best to figure out why anyone would make such comments about a man who put his life on the line for this country and has given so much of his life to public service. Is this a rock-bottom for civility and our civil discourse? The guys also examine the House GOP's plan to alter parts of the social safety net.

"We almost need a 9/11 commission [on healthcare]" May 11, 2018

Show notes

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum joined us a couple of times over the past two weeks to explain his plan to fix America's ailing healthcare system. His plan is very similar to the Graham-Cassidy bill that Santorum helped to create. Dr. Steve Klasko, president and CEO of Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University, explains the flaws he sees in Santorum's plan and prescribes a solution to help fix our current system. Rick and guest co-host Ed Morrissey also speak to John Tamny, political economy editor at Forbes and editor of RealClearMarkets.com, about his new book “The End of Work: Why Your Passion Can Become Your Job”.

"There's no question that a lot of this is about pure politics." May 10, 2018

Show notes

Rick Ungar and guest co-host Rick Tyler spoke with Politico's Elana Schor about Gina Haspel's confirmation hearing Wednesday. Haspel is seeking to become the first woman to become CIA Director, but her nomination has become controversial because she was involved in the CIA's interrogation program. Some Senators, like John McCain (R-Ariz.), found this disqualifying. Other Senators are keeping an open mind. Elana breaks down the hearing and predicts that Haspel WILL be confirmed. Michael Steele, who is currently on his lecture series and speaking tour in the Middle East, talked with energy industry expert Dr. Ellen Wald about Saudi Arabia's Crown Price Mohammed bin Salman, the reforms he's instituting in the kingdom and the implications they could have on the region and the world.

"There isn't a strategy here." May 09, 2018

Show notes

President Trump announced today that he is formally withdrawing the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—also known as the “Iran nuclear deal”—and once more imposing “the highest level” of economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic. President Trump railed against the Iran deal on the campaign trail, often referring to it as the “worst deal ever.” Once he took office, he continued to take steps that suggested he wanted out of the deal. One example of this is when he imposed new sanctions on Iran last year. Many Republicans applauded the president’s move, saying the deal was not tough enough to keep the Iranian nuclear program in check and gave the Iranian government too much leeway to continue supporting terrorist groups in the Middle East. Aaron David Miller, a vice president and Middle East program director at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, thinks that President Trump’s rationale for pulling out of the deal is a “confluence of his personal ego, domestic politics, and a desire to separate himself from his predecessor.” But where does this leave Iran, our other partners in the JCPOA and the international community at large? Miller joins Rick and guest co-host Ed Morrissey, senior editor at Hotair.com, to discuss the potential geopolitical consequences of the U.S.’ withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum returns to continue talking about his plan to fix America’s ailing healthcare system.

"I think we are losing sight...of what reality and actual facts are." May 08, 2018

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The cover story for this month’s issue of “The Nation” magazine, “Election 2018 Is Off To The Racists”, chronicles the growing number of openly racist and white supremacist candidates in Republican elections since President Trump won the presidency in November 2016. How did the party of Lincoln get to this point? Evan Siegfried, a Republican political strategist and president of Somm Consulting, shares his thoughts on why the party is experiencing this uptick in non-traditional and extremist candidates. T.S. Ellis III, the federal judge in the Paul Manafort case, warned special counsel Robert Mueller last Friday that he may be overstepping his mandate as special counsel and accused Mueller of trying to bring down President Trump. Georgia State law professor Eric Segall talks to Rick Ungar and guest co-host Rick Tyler about the judge’s comments and the real concern in the legal community over the powers of a special counsel.

"We've got to fix the problems that Obamacare has created." May 05, 2018

Show notes

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has a plan to fix Obamacare. On a basic level, his plan would seek to use block grants to give states more control over their healthcare needs. Santorum joins Rick and guest co-host Ed Morrissey, senior editor of HotAir.com, to discuss what his plan is and how it would work. Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich also jumps on to talk about his Ohio gubernatorial campaign and why he thinks he can bring Ohioans, Democrats and Republicans alike, together.