Rational Radio Daily with Steele and Ungar

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"Deficits don't matter. The spending is what matters...The problem is the spending." Mar 24, 2018

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John Tamny, the political economy editor at Forbes, joined Rick and Michael to explain how the national debt of the United States has now exceeded $20 trillion. How did we get to this point and what do we have to do in order to get our national debt under control? The guys also look at President Trump's threat to veto the omnibus spending bill, an act that would have shut down the government. Why does the president revel in this "contrived chaos"?

"If there's anything that can get a bipartisan agreement [in D.C.], it's spending the taxpayers' money." Mar 23, 2018

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The House passed a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill today that will fund the government through September 30th. Many Republicans, especially members of the House Freedom Caucus, vocally criticized the bill for continuing the “business-as-usual” big spending of Congresses past. Members were also furious because the text of the 2,232-page bill was not made available to them until 16 hours before the vote. Congressman Scott Perry (R-Penn. 04), who voted against the omnibus bill, talks to Michael and Rick about his dissatisfaction with the legislative process. Phillip Bump, national correspondent for the Washington Post, joins the guys to help us answer the question: “Can Facebook be regulated?”

"We certainly wouldn't want to reward...a big and enthusiastic supporter of torture." Mar 22, 2018

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When President Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Twitter, he used the same tweet to name current CIA Director Mike Pompeo as his choice to fill the top job at the State Department and current Deputy CIA Director Gina Haspel to step up into Pompeo’s role. Haspel’s nomination raised questions on both sides of the aisle because of her involvement in running a CIA black site in Thailand. Many members of the intelligence community defended Haspel and many senators have not raised serious objections to her nomination. However, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is actively and vocally opposing Haspel’s nomination. The senator said the reports of her conduct at the CIA black site makes her unacceptable as a candidate to run the CIA. Senator Paul joins Michael and Rick to explain why he thinks Haspel isn't suitable for the job. Eric Bolling, a former Fox News host and popular conservative political commentator, lost his son to an accidental overdose. He has since become one of the leading voices in the fight against the opioid epidemic. Mr. Bolling talks to the guys about the president’s recently-unveiled plan to combat the opioid epidemic and makes a personal plea for how we can all can get involved and help.

“How far have our politics fallen, when we refer to the opposition as ‘losers’?” Mar 21, 2018

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Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) says he knew the Republican Party was headed in the wrong direction in the mid-2000's when it "stopped talked about fiscal conservatism and started talking about flag-burning.” Senator Flake, then a member of the House of Representatives, says the GOP abandoned its conservative principles, spending vast sums of taxpayer money and focusing on fighting at the front lines of the culture wars. On March 15th, the senator stirred up some controversy in a speech at the National Press Club, declaring, “My party might not deserve to lead.” Senator Flake joins Michael and Rick to discuss his concerns with the direction of the Republican Party under President Trump. Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas 16) talks about his campaign to unseat Senator Ted Cruz and his push to turn Texas purple.

"If there's documentation in your file that says 'You're a liar, you haven't been candid'...that is very often a death sentence." Mar 20, 2018

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe Friday night, two days before McCabe intended to retire and collect his full benefits as a federal employee. The FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility recommended McCabe’s termination earlier this month, citing an incident in 2016 where he allowed FBI agents to give information about the Clinton investigation to media outlets. Some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that McCabe’s firing seems justified in the wake of the OPR report. Others, mostly Democrats, argue this was a vindictive move carried out largely at the behest of President Trump—who has been publicly attacking McCabe for months. Ron Hosko, a former assistant FBI director, shares his perspective on the possible mishandling of McCabe’s dismissal and Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Fla. 01) explains why he thinks special counsel Robert Mueller should step down from the Russia investigation.

"There are a lot of Republican lawmakers who are sick of this." Mar 17, 2018

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In the wake of the Parkland shooting, a number of Republican lawmakers want to call for stronger gun reform. However, these rank-and-file congressmen are concerned that they'll be skewered by the NRA and primary challengers if they try to voice their opinions or push legislation without support from Republican leadership. Elaina Plott, a staff writer for the Atlantic, talked to a number of Republican lawmakers for her piece, “I Think We Have a Leadership Problem.” Ms. Plott talks to Michael and Rick about the GOP's leadership void on gun control and how it affects other lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The guys also discuss Jeff Flake’s recent comment that “My party [the GOP] might not deserve to lead” and whether President Trump could face a credible primary challenge in 2020.

"My fear is that the president now is going to surround himself with folks who will just say yes." Mar 16, 2018

Show notes

The House Intelligence Committee is suffering from infighting over the handling and conclusion of its Russia investigation. Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats alike are searching for answers and insight in the wake of Conor Lamb’s apparent victory in the special election for Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional district. Members of Congress and world leaders are wondering where alliances and agreements stand amidst the shake-ups at the State Department and in the Trump administration. To make sense of the recent chaos, Michael and Rick speak with two of our favorite congressmen. Representatives Joaquin Castro (D-Texas 20) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif. 33) provide insight into this particularly wacky week in Washington.

"I think the Democratic Party may be split a little bit on do we go resist or do we go Conor Lamb?' Mar 15, 2018

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The special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th district remains somewhat unsettled. The New York Times officially called the election for Democratic candidate Conor Lamb, who leads Republican candidate Rick Saccone by mere hundreds of votes. Many in the GOP, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, said Lamb won because he ran more like a Republican than a Democrat and that Dems won't be able to replicate Lamb’s strategy nationally in November. Ed Henry, chief national correspondent for Fox News, discusses why Conor Lamb's expected win in PA-18 represents a challenging rift for House Democrats and the party at large. Career counterintelligence officer Malcolm Nance explains the severity of the Russian-orchestrated nerve agent attack in the United Kingdom and his frustration with President Trump continuing to downplay such aggressive and egregious Russian behavior.

"The goal here was not to have a State Department. He [Trump] didn't want really a Secretary of State." Mar 14, 2018

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President Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via tweet in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. The president’s decision came after months of reports that the president was upset with his top diplomat over policy differences and an incident in which Tillerson referred to Mr. Trump as a “F***ing moron.” Secretary Tillerson leaves the State Department under-staffed, with low morale, and low standing in the international community. As Max Bergmann, a former State Department official, said to Michael and Rick, “I think he’ll go down in history as the as the worst Secretary of State we’ve ever had.” However, Bergmann noted that Tillerson could lose that title depending on how Mike Pompeo—current CIA Director and Trump’s pick for Tillerson’s successor—and his more establishment, neo-con sensibilities clash with the president’s. Rick and Michael share their thoughts on Tillerson’s ouster and his legacy while Max lays out how the State Department might function under Director Pompeo’s leadership.

"People want decency and no drama." Mar 13, 2018

Show notes

Senator Jeff Flake called for a Republican to launch a primary challenge to President Donald Trump in the GOP primary in 2020. Is there anyone in the GOP that could give the president a run for his money? Evan Siegfried, a political strategist and author of “GOP GPS: How to Find the Millennial and Urban Voters the Republican Party Needs to Survive”, doesn't think so. He says no one in the GOP could beat Donald Trump in a primary right now. However, Siegfried does think there are candidates in the GOP that could do some damage to the president’s campaign and others who are planning for a future presidential run. Michael and Rick also discuss recent reports suggesting that President Trump wants to use his instincts more and rely on his staff less.

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