The Back Room with Andy Ostroy

Latest Episodes:

Pete Best Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

Pete Best was the original drummer with the iconic band The Beatles, playing with them for two years between 1960 and ’62. He was unceremoniously fired from the band and replaced with Ringo Starr after its legendary Hamburg, Germany gigs and just before the band would skyrocket to worldwide success with its first album release and smash single "Love Me Do".

Please join us for this in-depth chat in which Pete shares in riveting detail his unique childhood; the early Beatles years; his heartbreaking dismissal; his subsequent relationship with John, Paul, George and Ringo; John's 1980 murder; his post-Beatles music career; and, at almost 83, his reflections on one of the most bittersweet musical legacies of all time.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Tara Setmayer and Michelle Kinney Jul 20, 2024

Show notes

Tara Setmayer and Michelle Kinney are co-founders of the recently launched bi-partisan superPAC The Seneca Project, which is dedicated to mobilizing women voters in key swing states to ensure Democratic victory in November in order to safeguard women’s rights, healthcare access, the preservation of democracy, and the defeat of the extremist MAGA agenda.

Tara's a former GOP Communications Director on Capitol Hill and most recently served as a Senior Advisor for The Lincoln Project and host of the live show The Breakdown. She’s a contributor on MSNBC and other news outlets, has been a frequent guest host on ABC’s The View, Sirius XM’s The Michael Smerconish Program, and has several appearances on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. After 27 years as a Republican she left the party in November 2020 after Donald Trump refused to concede the election to Joe Biden. Michelle previously served as the Creative Director at The Lincoln Project. She's also a photojournalist, previously served as VP of WestSide Democrats in NYC, and was publicly elected to the New York County Democratic Committee. Prior to entering the political arena, she was a performing artist and producer.

Join us for this truly important conversation about the grave threat to women's bodily autonomy and reproductive rights and The Seneca Project's work to defend and protect a woman's right to choose and its efforts to flood the polls in November.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Kara Swisher Jul 17, 2024

Show notes

Kara Swisher is the host of the podcast “On with Kara Swisher” and the co-host of the “Pivot” podcast with Scott Galloway, both distributed by New York magazine. She’s also a regular panelist on CNN’s “The Chris Wallace Show.” She was the co-founder and editor-at-large of Recode, host of the “Recode Decode” podcast, and co-executive producer of the Code conference. She was a former contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and host of its “Sway” podcast and has also worked for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. The recently released BURN BOOK is her third book.

Kara chatted with me for an hour about the calls for President Joe Biden to quit, the assassination-attempt on Donald Trump, "VP" J.D. Vance, and the potential impact of each on the campaign and election. We also discuss Judge Aileen Cannon's dismissal of the Florida classified documents case, the fate of an appeal, and how the US Supreme Court might ultimately decide. And of course, Elon Musk and the billionaire tech bros!

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Elle Reeve Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Elle Reeve is a journalist and CNN correspondent whose work has won numerous awards, including the Emmy, the Peabody, and more. Her writing has appeared in VICE, The New Republic, New York magazine, Elle, The Atlantic, and The Daily Beast. Her just released book is Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics.

Join us as Elle explains in riveting detail the rise of extremism, 'incels' and the alt right; who gets radicalized and why; the ongoing threats from QAnon, militias, and racist groups; and how the dark web and the real world often intersect to tragic consequences.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Bakari Sellers Jul 13, 2024

Show notes

Attorney, NY Times best-selling author, former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, and CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers. Join us for this compelling chat about the calls for President Joe Biden to quit and the impact it could have on the November election.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Rachel Bitecofer Jul 10, 2024

Show notes

Rachel Bitecofer is a political scientist and election forecaster turned political strategist. Bitecofer’s interviews and analysis have been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Salon, Politico, The New Republic, Real Time with Bill Maher, CNN, MSNBC, and many other prominent news sources. She worked with Democratic Party candidates and organizations to implement negative partisanship strategy in the 2022 midterms. She is author of the recently released book Hit 'Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at their Own Game.

Rachel is a super smart, funny AF election guru who pulls no punches. And she's back in The Back Room discussing the recent presidential debate, the continued calls for President Joe Biden to quit, and why at this late stage in the campaign she believes it's political suicide for Democrats to be publicly attacking him this way. It's a truly don't-miss, timely convo...

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Alexis Coe Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Alexis Coe is a presidential historian and a fellow at New America, where she is thinking about the presidency in anticipation of America's 250th. She is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George of Washington and Alice+Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis. She frequently appears on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, History, BBC, and PBS, and has been featured in and published by most major publications, including the New Yorker, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. She is a frequent guest on NPR and hosted the podcasts No Man's Land and Presidents Are People Too!

Join us for this compelling chat about the calls for Joe Biden to quit in the wake of the presidential debate; the ongoing existential threat to democracy of another Trump presidency; the media's role in normalizing Trump and his lies; the Supreme Court's immunity ruling; and the upcoming Trump sentencing in the NY election-interference/hush-money case (now September) and the need for accountability.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Prof. Allan J. Lichtman Jul 06, 2024

Show notes

Allan J. Lichtman is Distinguished Professor of History at American University and a leading geopolitical expert. He has provided expert testimony in some 110 civil rights cases. He has written 13 books, many hundreds of scholarly and popular articles, and provided worldwide media commentary. His recent books include The Case for Impeachment, The Embattled Vote In America, Repeal the Second Amendment, and 21 Cracks: Repairing American Democracy After Trump. His Keys to the White House prediction system has successfully forecasted the results of presidential elections since 1984, including Donald Trump’s win in 2016.

This is a truly fascinating chat about Professor Lichtman's model, how it was created, why it's worked flawlessly, and what it currently indicates for the November election. The professor also weighs in on the significance, or lack thereof, of the recent debate, polling, and fundraising on the campaign; the calls for President Biden to quit; and more.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Peter Baker Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

Peter Baker is the Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times and a political analyst for MSNBC. He has covered the last five presidents for The Times and The Washington Post. At The Post, he also served as Moscow Co-Bureau Chief and covered the opening months of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is author of seven books, including the best-selling The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021, and The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III, both with his wife, Susan Glasser of The New Yorker. He is a frequent panelist on Washington Week on PBS.

We're thrilled to have had Peter in THE BACK ROOM just as the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision was announced. So join us as he breaks it all down and also shares his thoughts on the the campaign, the debate and the calls for President Biden to quit the race; veepstakes; the impact of RFK Jr, Jill Stein and Cornell West; the November election; and the existential threat to democracy under a Trump 2.0.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

SPECIAL SCOTUS BONUS EPISODE with Constitutional Law Scholar Eric Segall Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

Eric J. Segall is a constitutional law scholar, professor, and author of the books Originalism as Faith, and Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court is not a Court and its Justices are not Judges. His articles on constitutional law have appeared in, among others, the Harvard Law Review Forum, the Stanford Law Review On Line, the UCLA Law Review, the George Washington Law Review, the Washington University Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, the Northwestern University Law Review Colloquy, and Constitutional Commentary among many others. His op-eds and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the LA Times, The Atlantic, SLATE, Vox, Salon, and the Daily Beast, among others and his television appearances include CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and France 24.

Join us for this special bonus episode as Professor Segall unpacks today's monumentally consequential Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

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