Rational Radio Daily with Steele and Ungar

Latest Episodes:

A first look at "Full Stop with Mark Preston" Aug 11, 2017

Show notes

Mark Preston, a CNN senior political analyst and executive editor of CNN Politics, has a new radio show on SiriusXM POTUS! It's called "Full Stop", and its goal is to give you a break from the 24-hour news marathon and try to flesh out a full story for you. It has more background, more substance and more context to help make you more informed. Mark joins Michael Steele and Rick Ungar to preview the show and his interview with Secretary George Shultz, former Secretary of Labor, Treasury and State. Jordan Fabian, White House correspondent for The Hill, also joined the show to discuss the ongoing feud between President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"You need to be scared." Aug 10, 2017

Show notes

TV news networks stoked fears in the aftermath of a Washington Post report that North Korea had achieved a significant new level of nuclear capability. Statements from President Trump, Defense Secretary Mattis and the North Korean regime have all fanned the flames. Career counterintelligence officer Malcolm Nance debunks some of the media hysterics and tells Rick Ungar what should really concern us about a nuclear North Korea. Mark Green, founder of the Shadow Cabinet, discusses the group's choose-your-own-adventure twitter campaign, "The Impeachment Papers".

"They [the North Koreans] have done what they said they would do." Aug 09, 2017

Show notes

Earlier today, a report from the Washington Post revealed that North Korea successfully miniaturized and attached a nuclear warhead to the tip of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Shorty after the report was published, President Trump said that if the threats continue, North Korea will feel "...fire and fury like the world has never seen". The North responded by threatening to launch a preemptive strike against Guam. In the middle of all that, Dr. Bruce Bechtol, president of the International Council on Korean Studies, shares his thoughts on how the U.S. should respond to this latest nuclear escalation. David Hawkins, director of the National Resource Defense Council's Climate and Clear Air program, talks to Michael Steele and Rick Ungar about a new federal report that details the increasing dangers of climate change.

"$21 TRILLION dollars [of debt]...We HAVE to change that!" Aug 08, 2017

Show notes

"Let's treat taxpayers with respect," Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio 04) said to Rick Ungar and guest host Rick Tyler. "Let's better help our overall federal deficit and debt issue, and let's help those people in our welfare system to get to a better position." Congressman Jordan, the co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, uses these principles to explain what kind of spending cuts and structural changes his caucus wants to see in exchange for agreeing to raise the debt ceiling. Adam Mount, senior fellow for nuclear and defense policy at the Center for American Progress, discusses the U.N.'s harsh new sanctions against North Korea and China's recent efforts to delay a potential trade war with the U.S.

"I still stand for repeal of ACA as a Republican. But we can't turn our backs on millions of Americans that could be hurt." Aug 05, 2017

Show notes

After the latest GOP attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed in the Senate last month, President Trump told a group of reporters that letting Obamacare fail would force Congress to come together to find a fix. Reps. Tom Reed (R-N.Y. 23) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J. 5) say that doesn't have to be the case. The co-chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan congressional bloc, wrote a New York Times op-ed detailing the work the caucus is doing to incrementally fix the major problems in our health care system. Congressman Reed joins Rick Ungar and guest host Rick Tyler to discuss some of the bill's main points and the initial reception it received in the Senate. Dr. Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies talks about the Trump administration's struggles to formulate a new military strategy on Afghanistan.

"We need more Republicans to stand up for Republican principles." Aug 04, 2017

Show notes

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Special Counselor Robert Mueller impaneled a grand jury in Washington, D.C. for his work on the Russia investigation. A number of high-profile attorneys have also joined Mueller's team in recent months, fueling speculation on what the Special Counsel has already uncovered. As the investigation heats up, Rick Ungar and guest host Rick Tyler bring a cool, rational perspective on this latest development in the Russia probe. Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, weighs in on the RAISE Act introduced by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.)

"You gotta hit bottom at some point." Aug 02, 2017

Show notes

Over the span of 11 days, President Trump lost three of his top officials. The departures of Sean Spicer, Reince Priebus and Anthony Scaramucci marked a huge shakeup within the administration. With this embarrassingly high turnover, has the Trump White House hit rock bottom? Joe Concha, media reporter and columnist for The Hill, joins Rick Ungar and Rick Tyler to discuss the media's reaction to the chaos consuming the West Wing. Amidst all of this, Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has been rallying for a return to true, conservative values in the Republican Party in the wake of Trump's takeover. Is President Trump corrupting the GOP?

"Partisan polarization is on an unsustainable track right now." Jul 29, 2017

Show notes

"Right now, people feel like their vote doesn't matter," says political activist Steven Olikara. "We need to fix the political system before we get back involved." Steven's organization, Millennial Action Project, seeks to get more millennials involved in politics to overcome partisan gridlock. Steven joins us to discuss issues important to millennial voters and how his organization is trying to get them involved in the political process. Robert Davi, the award-winning actor and singer, shares his thoughts on the latest news out of the Trump administration.

"If you elect a reality show host president, what you get is a reality show." Jul 28, 2017

Show notes

There are rumors floating up and down Pennsylvania Avenue that President Trump intends to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions and replace him with a recess appointment. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) summed up the feeling of many on Capitol Hill when he told a group of reporters,"If Jeff Sessions is fired, there will be holy hell to pay." Kevin Williamson, roving correspondent for National Review, weighs in on the constant reality show drama, like the above, coming out of the West Wing. Touré, a writer, TV host and podcaster, joins the guys to preview some of the provocative panels and debates at Politicon this weekend and discuss the news of the day.

"One argument says trans individuals serving in military hurts readiness and morale. Kicking out folks also hurts readiness and morale." Jul 27, 2017

Show notes

"There is no reason to force service members who are able to fight, train, and deploy to leave the military—regardless of gender identity," Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) said today in a statement. Sen. McCain was responding to President Trump's decision to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military. Leo Shane III, the Capitol Hill bureau chief for the Military Times, joins Michael Steele and Rick Ungar to address how Capitol Hill and the Pentagon are reacting to the announcement. Dan Munro of Forbes also shares his vision for a single-pricing health care system.