Playbook Deep Dive
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Welcome to Playbook Deep Dive, the stories behind the power. From Congress and the White House to bar stools and back rooms, POLITICO Playbook’s Ryan Lizza brings you interviews with the most compelling and important figures who explain what’s really going on in Washington.
Available episodes
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2 days ago
Why James Lankford expects a border breakthrough
The GOP’s lead negotiator on the embattled Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and
border security supplemental believes that a compromise will happen. But
do his Democratic colleagues in the Senate and his fellow Republicans in
the House agree?
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
James Lankford is the senior U.S. senator from Oklahoma.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Dec 1, 2023
Steve Scalise reveals what’s really happened since McCarthy’s fall
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise illuminates what happened behind
closed doors after Kevin McCarthy’s ousting as well as what to expect
next on impeachment; why he will vote against expelling George Santos;
and how Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to use immigration to tame
hardliners when it comes to the spending showdown with Joe Biden.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Steve Scalise is the House Majority Leader.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Nov 17, 2023
Why the era of the ‘Emerging Democratic Majority’ is collapsing
John Judis and Ruy Teixeira, co-authors of “The Emerging Democratic
Majority,” are back with a new book that argues that the Democrats are
imperiled by a “shadow party” that is forcing them into “radical”
positions on cultural issues and diverting them away from their core
economic issues.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
John Judis is editor at large at Talking Points Memo and co-author of
"Where Have All the Democrats Gone?"
Ruy Teixeira is a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and
co-author of "Where Have All the Democrats Gone?"
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Nov 10, 2023
Why US politics has become must-see TV abroad
Australian TV hosts Chas Licciardello and John Barron explain how
American politics has influenced culture and government in their
homeland; and which single feature of Australian politics could fix many
of America’s biggest problems.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Chas Licciardello is a comedian and co-host of Planet America.
John Barron is a journalist, broadcaster and co-host of Planet America.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Nov 3, 2023
Why Democrats keep stubbing their toes on the working class vote
On this week’s episode of Deep Dive, Pulitzer Prize winner David
Leonhardt joins host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza to talk about his
new book and what it says about how Democrats can save their
relationship with working class voters.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
David Leonhardt is a senior writer for the New York Times and the author
of "Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream."
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Oct 27, 2023
The GOP’s new strategy to win on abortion
Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in June 2022, the GOP has
repeatedly paid a price electorally for its stance on abortion.
The chaos has been dispiriting to the anti-abortion activists who helped
engineer the Dobbs decision in the first place. And now they think they
have a new political strategy to get Republicans out of their defensive
crouch and to start winning again on this issue.
The woman leading this effort is Marjorie Dannenfelser, the head of
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, one of the most important
institutions in the GOP firmament. She’s known as the woman who killed
Roe.
Dannenfelser and her colleagues are plotting, financing, and staffing
the Republican Party’s counter attack on abortion. Playbook co-author
and Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza sat down with her at SBA’s Virginia
headquarters this week, partly because she had some news she wanted to
share about how and where anti-abortion activists are making their first
big move.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Marjorie Dannenfelser is the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life
America.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Oct 20, 2023
How GOP moderates have Jim Jordan pinned
Host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza joins Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.)
to learn how he and other GOP moderates, institutionalists, and
Biden-district Republicans have organized against Jim Jordan’s campaign
to be speaker of the House… and what the endgame is for Republicans to
escape this mess.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Mike Lawler is the representative for New York's 17th district.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Oct 13, 2023
Biden deputy national security adviser lifts the fog of war in Israel
Jon Finer, President Joe Biden’s principal deputy national security
adviser, opens up to Playbook co-author and Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza
about how the administration is approaching some of the thorniest
problems related to the war in Israel, including: striking the right
balance between supporting Israel and expressing concerns about an
extreme response; Biden’s warnings to Iran; and whether America should
now consider itself at war with Hamas.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Jon Finer is the White House deputy national security adviser.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Oct 6, 2023
How to fight a president, please a billionaire, and save a newspaper
Marty Baron ran The Washington Post’s newsroom for nine years.
In that time, Marty clashed with then-president Donald Trump.
He pacified rebellions from his younger and increasingly more
ideological staff.
And he partnered with Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos to take on
arguably the biggest disrupter of all: technology.
He’s written about all of this — and a lot more — in his new book,
"Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post."
Today, Marty is joining Playbook co-author and Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza
to spill the tea on what actually happened between Bezos and Trump; what
the media should be doing to earn your trust; and whether billionaires
like Jeff Bezos are secretly pulling the strings behind closed doors.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Marty Baron is the retired executive editor of The Washington Post.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Sep 29, 2023
How the UAW strike swallowed Biden, Trump, and the 2024 campaign
The center of presidential politics this week was the swing state of
Michigan. Trump won the longtime Democratic stronghold in 2016, and
Biden won it back in 2020. It will be pivotal again in 2024. And that’s
why both candidates flew to metro Detroit on consecutive days this week
to insert themselves into the United Auto Workers’ strike against the
so-called “Detroit Three” — General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, the
company that owns Chrysler.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host and Playbook co-author Ryan
Lizza joins Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), the House’s key player when
it comes to the UAW strike, for a conversation about the strike’s
political consequences, why she thinks that Democrats may be in danger
of losing Michigan in 2024, and why the strike’s biggest sticking point
is something you might not even have heard about.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Debbie Dingell is the representative for Michigan's 6th district.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Sep 22, 2023
Katherine Clark names the Democrats’ price to save Kevin McCarthy
After losing a series of votes this week to avoid a government shutdown,
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has effectively lost his majority.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host and Playbook co-author Ryan
Lizza asks the number two Democratic leader in the House, Minority Whip
Katherine Clark, what price McCarthy will have to pay for Democrats to
lend their votes to passing a CR and fending-off a potential challenge
to his speakership.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Katherine Clark is the House Minority Whip and the representative for
Massachusetts's 5th district.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Sep 15, 2023
Who’s really in charge? McCarthy, moderates, or the Freedom Caucus?
It would be easy to look at the House of Representatives and assume that
the members of the Freedom Caucus — and not Speaker Kevin McCarthy — are
the ones who are actually in charge. But is that actually true?
On this week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host and Playbook
co-author Ryan Lizza talks with one of the top House moderates, Ohio
Congressman Dave Joyce. Joyce is the Chairman of the Republican
Governance Group, the pre-eminent faction for GOP centrists; and he’s
also a senior appropriator, which means he’s one of the people who has
to figure out how to avoid the possible government shutdown lurking at
the end of the month.
Ryan caught-up with Joyce in his Washington office to learn how the
Republicans you don’t see quoted on Breitbart are approaching the
tumultuous issues gripping the lower chamber.
They talked at length about the rationale behind McCarthy’s new
impeachment gambit; if and how the Speaker can claw together the votes
to avoid a government s…
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Sep 8, 2023
Revelations about Biden’s White House from the first inside account
What makes President Joe Biden?
We’re all pretty familiar with Vice President Biden and Senator Biden.
But in his latest iteration as commander-in-chief, it hasn’t been as
easy to see inside his mind.
Cracking into Biden’s brain and inside the White House has been a
challenge for the media.
He’s surrounded by a tight “clan” of family and advisors who have
achieved Biden lifer status — and they don’t often leak. It consists of
his sister Valerie, and the five advisers known as the Quint: Steve
Ricchetti, Mike Donilon, Anita Dunn, Bruce Reed, and now former chief of
staff Ron Klain.
It’s been a notoriously tough circle to penetrate.
But now one person has done it: Franklin Foer, who spent the last few
years inside the heads of Biden and his team and has written the
definitive account of President Biden’s first two years in office called
“The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle
for America's Future.”
The book was originally…
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Aug 25, 2023
Behind the scenes at the GOP debate with Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier
On Wednesday night, eight Republican presidential candidates gathered in
Milwaukee for the first GOP primary debate.
There was a lot on the line for each of them. But there was also an
enormous amount at stake for the news organization that hosted the
debate: Fox News.
Consider the cross currents that the two Fox moderators, Martha McCallum
and Bret Baier, had to deal with:
First there was Trump, who refused to participate and lashed out at Fox
and its talent, including Baier, on social media.
Then there was Tucker Carlson, McCallum and Baier’s former star
colleague who is in messy litigation with the network, and who nabbed
Trump for himself and counter-programmed the evening with an interview
that aired simultaneously with the Fox debate.
Then there was Rupert Murdoch hovering in the background. In the days
before the debate there were new reports that the man who runs Fox,
MacCallum and Baier’s boss, has his own strong feelings about who the
GOP nominee should be.
If…
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Aug 18, 2023
How Doug Burgum plans to disrupt the GOP debate & scale his campaign
This coming Wednesday, something big is happening in Milwaukee: the
first Republican presidential debate.
On this week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host & Playbook co-author
Ryan Lizza talks with North Dakota Governor & GOP presidential candidate
Doug Burgum about how he hatched one of the most innovative schemes in
memory to qualify for Wednesday's GOP debate; how he’s preparing to
compete on the stage with big leaguers like Ron DeSantis and Donald
Trump – if Trump shows up; how his background as a conservative in the
tech world informs his worldview; and why one photograph of him cleaning
a chimney in a tuxedo changed his life.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Doug Burgum is the governor of North Dakota and a GOP presidential
candidate.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Aug 11, 2023
How to beat Trump in Iowa – and survive the state fair
This week, almost every Republican running for president is headed to
the Iowa State Fair, famous for its fried Twinkies and statues of farm
animals made out of butter and — every four years — extremely
embarrassing photos of candidates eating unwieldy treats.
The Iowa State Fair also kicks off a new more intense period of the
Republican primary season as nationally televised debates begin this
month and the five month countdown to the Iowa Caucuses begins.
Iowa’s importance in presidential nomination contests ebbs and flows and
this year the state looms as more important than ever.
The conventional wisdom among Republicans is that if Donald Trump’s
opponents can’t slow him down in Iowa, then the race may be over.
Joining Playbook co-author and Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza for this
episode is the man responsible for administering this critical contest –
the chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, Jeff Kaufmann. Kaufmann is
also a history professor and in the cours…
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Aug 4, 2023
What American leaders don't get about the new Europe
In 2023, there are two Europes: the Europe of the museums and the
beaches – and the real Europe as lived by its people. And that Europe
has changed dramatically in recent decades.
The end of the Cold War collapsed many of the continent's political
barriers. European unification brought countries as diverse as Ireland
and Bulgaria under one umbrella. And more recently, a boom in migration,
especially from the Islamic world, has changed Europe’s demographics and
brought a host of opportunities, challenges, and political changes.
Today, the war in Ukraine has both created more solidarity among
European nations and highlighted their big differences; and it has
rattled the foundation of the region’s economy.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host and Playbook co-author Ryan
Lizza talks with Ben Judah, author of “This Is Europe: The Way We Live
Now,” about why this history means that you probably need to update your
assumptions about Europe; and why it is that many Amer…
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Jul 28, 2023
What Republicans, Democrats, and the Pentagon don’t want to hear about the NDAA
This week, the action in the Senate was all about the annual defense
authorization – the NDAA. Usually, the argument about what goes into
this enormous bill that governs everything the military can and can’t do
is a word soup cooked-up by defense nerds.
You may recall things like SDI, the GWOT, and closing GITMO. All
controversial in their own day, and all eventually resolved through the
historically bipartisan NDAA process.
But this time around, many in Washington are beginning to wonder if a
new set of acronyms is fatally imperiling our armed forces. Issues like
DEI, CRT, and abortion may be sinking a bill that has never failed to
pass in more than 60 years.
It’s setting up a dramatic clash between the House and Senate. On one
side, a partisan bill loaded with controversial amendments. On the
other, a bipartisan one without all the baggage.
Meanwhile in the background, a separate drama is still playing out: that
of Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) beef with Secretary…
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Jul 21, 2023
Behind the scenes at DHS with Alejandro Mayorkas
When Alejandro Mayorkas was tapped to run DHS – the now 20-year-old
behemoth with 260,000 employees created in the aftermath of 9/11 –
Mayorkas said that he was determined to be the Secretary of Homeland
Security, NOT the Secretary of Immigration.
How’s that going? Yesterday, Playbook co-author and Deep Dive host Ryan
Lizza sat down with him on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum to
find out.
Mayorkas’s department is charged with preventing foreign and domestic
terrorist attacks. It monitors threats from weapons of mass destruction,
protects infrastructure and ensures we’re safe from cyber attacks.
What many of DHS’s agencies do have in common is that you often don’t
hear much about them unless something really bad has happened.
So even if Mayorkas didn’t also oversee immigration, the most fraught of
political issues, being DHS secretary – responsible for defending the
nation against terrorism, computer hackers, nuclear weapons, and natural
disasters – c…
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Jul 14, 2023
Lost & broken in Congress
“Early one morning in April of 2016 I woke up and seriously contemplated
the possibility that I would never be able to generate the strength,
focus, and courage to get out of bed. The combination of crippling
anxiety, chronic pain, muscle atrophy, and the fascinating mix of
pharmaceuticals coursing through my body had, I feared, finally broken
me.”
Those are the words of Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking Democrat
on the House Armed Services Committee, on the first page of his new
book, Lost and Broken. In his book Smith recounts his deeply personal
story of suffering through — and eventually overcoming — debilitating
mental and physical illness.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Smith joins Playbook co-author
Ryan Lizza to discuss his difficult journey and some surprising lessons
it taught him about the emotional and sometimes dark overtones that are
animating American politics.
Additionally, Rep. Smith shares some secrets about what’s happening on
the Hill rig…
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Jul 7, 2023
The British ambassador spills the tea on Biden, Sunak, & Ukraine
This weekend, President Joe Biden is headed to Europe. His first stop:
the U.K.
Biden is scheduled to meet with both His Royal Highness King Charles, an
old acquaintance and fellow head of state; and the Right Honorable Rishi
Sunak, Britain’s prime minister and a fellow head of government – who
just visited Biden in Washington this past month.
On the agenda for these meetings: climate change, the war in Ukraine,
and the “Atlantic Declaration” – that’s the diplomatic term for Biden
and Sunak’s push to renew the U.K. and America’s partnership across a
host of economic and security issues facing the West.
Joining to talk about these issues as well as Britain and America’s
special relationship is Karen Pierce, the British Ambassador to the
United States. Pierce is one of the U.K.’s most experienced diplomats,
having held an array of senior positions including ambassadorships to
the U.N., the WTO, and Afghanistan; as well as directing British policy
throughout Sou…
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Jun 30, 2023
Rahm “the un-diplomat” Emanuel reports from Japan
In American politics, there is a small group of leaders who are – to
borrow a term from Hollywood – hit makers. Everything they touch seems
to turn to gold.
There is perhaps no better example of this in Democratic politics than
Rahm Emanuel. For those who need a refresher, Rahm is a former Bill
Clinton advisor, turned Illinois Congressman, turned DCCC chair, turned
Barack Obama chief of staff, turned mayor of Chicago… and currently, he
is Joe Biden’s ambassador to Japan.
In his new posting, Rahm has been at the forefront of new multi-lateral
agreements between the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines; he
is agitating for allies to stop what he calls “Chinese economic
coercion;” and he has been a key player in a controversial effort to
legalize same-sex marriage in Japan.
This week, Rahm joined Playbook co-author and Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza
to talk about his role organizing our allies around Putin and China; how
hardnose politics is actually great for diplo…
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Jun 23, 2023
How evangelicals are setting the stage for Trump's return
The big debate in Washington this week is about realism versus idealism.
It played out first in foreign policy, when Joe Biden hosted Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state dinner.
Biden has made big claims about how democratic ideals are at the heart
of American foreign policy; but he spent two days lavishing time and
attention on Modi, who is persecuting Muslims and cracking down on
public dissent from reporters and political opponents.
Biden needs India to be an ally against China and that priority
outweighed the instinct to shun Modi for his creeping authoritarianism.
We talk about this debate all the time when it comes to American foreign
policy.
But sometimes that same debate becomes central to American domestic
politics as well.
And across town, just as Modi was wrapping up his joint address to
Congress, evangelical conservatives from across the country were
gathering at the Washington Hilton to hear from their own flawed
partner: Donald Trump.
Well actually…
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Jun 16, 2023
Why federal prosecutors may have handed Trump a huge gift
Timothy Parlatore spent over a year working for Donald Trump on a number
of legal challenges, including the Department of Justice’s probe into
Trump’s role in Jan. 6 and the investigation of all those documents
stashed at Mar-a-Lago.
Parlatore was inside the secret grand jury room in Washington. He
oversaw the search for documents in Bedminster. He coordinated the
former president’s response to Jack Smith’s subpoena for the national
security files that eventually landed Trump in so much trouble.
And then, in May, after a long-running internal fight with one of
Trump’s top aides, Parlatore quit.
Since then, you may have seen him on cable TV talking about why he left
the Trump team and offering his insights about the case. But he hasn’t
sat down for an in-depth interview like the one you’re about to hear.
Parlatore came by Politico’s offices in Arlington and spent the
afternoon talking to Playbook co-author and Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza
about why he became a cri…
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Jun 9, 2023
How gamblers, party animals, and true believers are hitting it big in Washington
Ben Terris is a feature writer at The Washington Post, where he’s carved
out a unique role: reporting on what he calls, “the weirdo beat.” While
Ben’s colleagues focus on what’s happening on the main stage in
politics, he keeps an eye on the freak show that’s happening just out of
sight.
This week, Ben published his much-anticipated book “The Big Break: The
Gamblers, Party Animals, and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington
While America Loses Its Mind.”
“The Big Break” has a novel argument: that if you want to understand how
American politics works in the post-Donald Trump era – then you really,
really have to understand Ben’s field of expertise: weirdos.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Playbook co-author and Deep Dive
host Ryan Lizza joins Ben to discuss the rise and fall of the
influential oddballs chronicled in “The Big Break,” and what their
stories say about the future of politics.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Ben…
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Jun 1, 2023
Inside the debt ceiling vote with GOP Whip Tom Emmer
In this episode of Deep Dive, Playbook co-author Rachael Bade joins
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Chief Deputy Whip Guy
Reschenthaler (R-Pa.) just hours before final passage of the debt
ceiling bill they shepherded through the House.
This is the behind the scenes story from inside the Republican whip's
office of how Kevin McCarthy's leadership team convinced House
Republicans to raise the debt ceiling for two years and embrace his
agreement with Joe Biden, which many on the right decried as a betrayal
of the base. It's a story of how Emmer and Reschenthaler pulled together
a divided and fractious conference, dodging a ballooning effort to oust
McCarthy from the gavel, and ultimately putting the ball back in the
Democrats' court.
Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Tom Emmer is the House Majority Whip and the representative for
Minnesota's 6th district.
Guy Reschenthaler is the House Republican Chief Deputy Whip and the
representative for Pennsylvania's…
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May 26, 2023
How Ron DeSantis went from GOP prom queen to MAGA wallflower
This week, the rumors became reality as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott announced their long-awaited
presidential campaigns. The contrast between the two events foreshadowed
all of the big questions for next year’s Republican primaries.
Tim Scott, who is a favorite among his senate colleagues — but who is
mostly unknown outside of his home state and the Washington, D.C.,
fundraising circuit — preached optimism and unity while sharing the
stage with his mother.
Ron DeSantis, on the other hand, did something a little different. He
announced his campaign on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk. But for many,
the event’s glitchy start was more memorable than DeSantis’s stern
message to fellow Republicans.
It was the perfect setup for the choice Republicans will have to make in
Iowa, New Hampshire, and beyond: Do they want a president who follows in
Ronald Reagan’s footsteps – one who is optimistic and driven by ideas –
who shakes hands and k…
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May 19, 2023
AOC’s advice to Joe Biden on the debt limit showdown
In the last year, a lot has changed in Washington for progressives like
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
In 2021 and 2022, with Democrats controlling the House, she and her
allies could block any piece of legislation if they held together. Their
big fights were with moderate Democrats over how many trillions of
dollars to spend on President Joe Biden’s agenda.
And they had easy access to the White House with Ron Klain as Biden’s
chief of staff.
Now they are in the minority and far from the negotiating room where Joe
Biden is trying to make a budget deal with Kevin McCarthy to get him to
raise the debt ceiling. Their main fight is trying to stop the president
from caving to McCarthy on what they view as draconian budget cuts and
policies that would weaken the social safety net.
And over at the White House, it’s not really clear who they should call
anymore.
AOC is keenly aware of these changed circumstances. She’s been carefully
watching the debt limit debate pla…
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May 12, 2023
Moderate Dem says Title 42 was Biden’s border blunder
This week, after years of criticism from immigration rights activists
and many progressive Democrats, President Joe Biden has ended the use of
Title 42. That’s the public health law that Donald Trump first used
during the pandemic to expel millions of asylum seekers arriving at the
U.S.-Mexico border.
Biden’s decision has drawn predictable outrage from Republicans. But
perhaps more worrisome to the president is the growing list of critics
from within the Democratic Party who are concerned that Biden’s border
policies could trigger a humanitarian crisis and perhaps an electoral
backlash.
Rep. Henry Cuellar is one of those Democrats. And he’s this week’s guest
on Playbook Deep Dive.
Cuellar knows the issue of immigration better than most of his fellow
Democrats. He was born to immigrant farm workers in Laredo, Texas, went
to college and law school, and eventually jumped into Texas politics,
and then the U.S. Congress, where he’s served since 2005 representing
Texas’s 2…
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May 5, 2023
Why Asa Hutchinson isn’t scared of Trump, Biden, or impossible odds
If you talk to Democratic strategists about the 2024 presidential
election, there is a certain type of Republican nominee who they fear:
Someone who knows how to speak in the language of inclusion; who can
discuss abortion and guns without alienating suburban voters; who stands
up to the GOP on some of the most fraught issues of the culture wars;
who can argue that he or she has almost as much government experience as
Joe Biden himself, but is still younger; who handled the pandemic in
their state in a way that avoided some of the most unpopular decisions
of both Democrats and Republicans; and who spends a lot of their time
explaining to Republicans why they should leave Donald Trump in the
past.
Asa Hutchinson — who sounds an awful lot like that imaginary candidate
that Democrats fear — is here on Playbook Deep Dive this week to tell
us why you shouldn’t count him out.
Hutchinson got his start in politics as a U.S. attorney during the
Reagan Revolution, when his home state…
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May 2, 2023
Bonus: Live from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
This past week, luminaries from politics, media, and Hollywood came
together for the annual White House Correspondents' dinner in
Washington. Playbook co-author and Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza joined
forces with Major Garrett, CBS News’s Washington correspondent and host
of the popular podcast, The Takeout, at the POLITICO-CBS News reception
to bring you this very special live show.
The show features guests such as Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.); Asa
Hutchinson, the GOP presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor;
comedian Roy Wood, Jr., who provided the entertainment at the dinner;
and many other big names in the world of politics and media.
This originally aired live on SiriusXM, but it’s just so good that we
had to put it out here for all of you to enjoy.
Follow The Takeout with Major Garrett wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen ad-free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app. Visit
the The Takeout’s page here:
https://link.chtbl.com/CBSNewsTheTakeout
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Apr 28, 2023
Why this week’s media meltdown was years in the making – and what comes next
This week in Washington – more so than anytime in Joe Biden’s presidency
– the news has been all about… the news.
To start, it’s the weekend of the White House Correspondents Association
Dinner. But outside of the brunches and parties, a different type of
media intrigue has been dominating politics.
BuzzFeed News, the colossus of yesteryear’s viral reporting and the
entity that published the infamous Steele Dossier about Donald Trump,
announced that it was shutting down for good.
On Monday, Fox News fired Tucker Carlson, their top-rated host. Within
an hour, Don Lemon announced he was parting ways with CNN, where he had
worked for 17 years.
On Thursday, Vice News, another struggling pioneer of 21st century
digital news, became the latest media company to lay off some of its
best known reporters.
These are all isolated events with circumstances specific to each
newsroom. But in an excellent new book called Traffic: Genius, Rivalry,
and Delusion in the Billion-Doll…
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Apr 21, 2023
White House Plumbers
On May 1, the hotly-anticipated HBO series White House Plumbers will
premiere. The 5-episode series takes viewers along on a darkly funny
ride with the fumbling ex-spooks and misguided “patriots.” E. Howard
Hunt, played by Woody Harrelson and G. Gordon Liddy, played by Justin
Theroux. The duo — along with some helpers — use any means necessary to
secure the 1972 re-election of Richard Nixon, including breaking into
the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate Office
Building.
Of course instead of saving Nixon, Liddy and Hunt end up destroying his
presidency.
The show is a warped version of a buddy comedy that explores one of the
most relevant issues in politics: what happens when true believers lose
their integrity and moral compass in pursuit of their cause.
David Mandel, the director of White House Plumbers, is a man who knows
more about the intersection of Hollywood and Washington than just about
anyone. Mandel has had a storied career as a comedy…
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Apr 14, 2023
DeSantis & the Florida speaker are just getting started. Here’s what’s next.
This week, Florida’s statehouse cleared the way for Gov. Ron DeSantis to
sign a six-week abortion ban. The man who shepherded the bill, House
Speaker Paul Renner, joins Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza for this
episode of Playbook Deep Dive.
You might not know Renner’s name – but you definitely know his work:
- A bill to ban surgeries and prescription treatments for transgender
minors, which has passed the state Senate and Renner will soon push
through the House
- One of the most comprehensive new school voucher laws in the country
- Legislation removing books with sexual content from Florida public
schools
- A major tort reform bill, big tax cuts
- And if he gets around to it this session: a bill aimed at
over-turning the 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan decision, the most
important First Amendment ruling of the last century
All of this is aimed at Renner’s other project: helping Gov. Ron
DeSantis build a record of accomplishments in Florida on…
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Apr 7, 2023
How Vivek Ramaswamy thinks he’s got Trump & DeSantis beat
The 2024 Republican presidential primary is off to a bit of a slow
start.
Donald Trump and former governors Nikki Haley and Asa Hutchinson have
entered the race, but other likely candidates, such as Ron DeSantis and
Mike Pence, are still sitting on the sidelines.
Almost every Republican senator who flirted with the idea seems likely
to pass, with the notable exception of Tim Scott, who’s been making
stops in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Into this vacuum has come Vivek Ramaswamy, who stated his intentions in
a Wall Street Journal op-ed. He declared that he was running to forge
“an inspiring national identity that dilutes the woke agenda to
irrelevance.”
In a subsequent interview with POLITICO’s Daniel Lippman, Vivek added
that, “The GOP has a historic opportunity to answer the question of what
it means to be an American.”
You probably don’t know much about Vivek Ramaswamy – he’s a young
entrepreneur from Ohio who’s never run for anything. But there are a few
reason…
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Mar 30, 2023
Donald Trump’s indictment: Our reporters dig into the repercussions for 2024
Playbook Deep Dive host and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza gathers three
of the best journalists in the POLITICO’s newsroom to break down the
immediate questions of what Trump's indictment means. Joining him is
Jonathan Martin, POLITICO’s Politics Bureau Chief; Meridith McGraw, who
covers Trump for POLITICO; and Erica Orden, who is new to POLITICO and
is one of the best legal reporters out there. All three have been
breaking news on this story – and they’re on deadline. These are their
thoughts about what has led to this moment and what will occur because
of it.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Erica Orden is a legal reporter for POLITICO.
Meridith McGraw is a national political correspondent for POLITICO.
Jonathan Martin is politics bureau chief for POLITICO.
Afra Abdullah is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the executive producer for POLI…
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Mar 24, 2023
Porn stars, felons, and spin doctors: Who will jurors believe in Trump’s case?
Lanny Davis long ago established himself as the go-to operative in
Washington when you’re in the middle of a PR crisis.
He was famously the public face defending Bill Clinton during the Monica
Lewinsky scandal in 1998. But today, 25 years later, he’s on the other
side of a presidential sex scandal representing Michael Cohen, Trump’s
longtime lawyer and self-described “fixer,” who went to jail for a
number of offenses, including his role in paying Stormy Daniels $130,000
in exchange for her not telling the media her account of an alleged
affair with Donald Trump.
Cohen is now a central witness in the Manhattan DA’s case against Trump,
one that could send the former president to jail. It’s a case that has
died and been resurrected so many times that prosecutors have nicknamed
it the “zombie” case. And a major obstacle that prosecutors face is
whether or not jurors will believe that Cohen, who lied for Trump for
over a decade, is telling the truth.
On this episo…
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Mar 17, 2023
What Iran and China stand to gain from an Iraq AUMF repeal
On Thursday, the Senate began to re-evaluate one of the most
controversial episodes in American history: the Iraq war.
After a generation of use and abuse, Senate Majority Leader Chuck
Schumer is calling a vote to repeal the Iraq AUMF, or authorization for
the use of military force, which has been a key underpinning for
America’s so-called “forever wars” in the Middle East.
But Stephen Hadley, the man who was the architect of many of the
national security policies that the Iraq AUMF enabled, has something to
say before Congress votes. Hadley was President George W. Bush’s
national security advisor from 2005 to 2009 and was Dick Cheney’s guy at
the negotiating table with Russia during the George H.W. Bush
administration. Now, he has just published a book called Hand-Off: The
Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama that chronicles 20
years of war and politics in America.
On this week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Playbook co-author Ryan
Lizza speaks wit…
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Mar 10, 2023
AI is advancing faster than Congress. Here’s why that’s a bug
Last November, when the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT
launched, an old science fiction question suddenly became very real: How
long until the machines are smarter than the humans?
It marked the beginning of a new era in technology – one that has
enormous implications for the economy and the nation’s politics. On the
Hill, members of Congress suddenly needed answers about the coming
disruption. The expert they turned to for those was a video game
developer from Southern California, Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.).
Obernolte is, according to his peers, the guy you need to know on AI. He
has a masters in the field and owns a very successful video game
company. On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, he tells Playbook’s Ryan
Lizza the truth about this powerful new technology and what it means to
Washington, D.C.; from AI’s regulatory forecast to what – if anything –
Congress can do to soften a potential white collar job apocalypse that
its widespread adoption might…
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Mar 3, 2023
Finnish Ambassador: Here’s the right way to poke the Russian bear
The war in Ukraine is just over one year old. There is widespread talk
of a major spring offensive from both sides. War in Europe, once
unthinkable, is now the new normal. But for one nation on Russia’s
northern border, this feels like deja vu.
Like Ukraine, Finland knows what it’s like to share a long border with
Russia. The Finns have had Vladimir Putin as a neighbor, and they’ve
been performing the same delicate dance of decoupling under his very
watchful eye.
Before his posting to Washington, Mikko Hautala was Finland’s ambassador
to Russia, where he met Vladimir Putin more times than he can count.
Hautala occupied his post in Moscow during the critical years following
Putin’s first invasion of Ukraine.
Since the war began, he’s become well known as the person to talk to to
understand Putin, Russia and the conflict in Ukraine.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host Ryan Lizza talks with
Hautala about what Americans don’t understand about the Russian leade…
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Feb 24, 2023
How to investigate the president, his predecessor & keep your job
Until last month, Anthony Coley was Director of Public Affairs at the
Justice Department and a Senior Adviser to Attorney General Merrick
Garland.
Coley was in the middle of some of the most extraordinary episodes at
DOJ over the last two years:
The appointment of two special counsels investigating one current and
one former president.
Responding to the drama around the investigation of the president’s
son.
Taking incoming from right-wing pundits saying Garland was protecting
President Biden and left-wing pundits saying the attorney general was
protecting former president Trump.
And occasionally grappling with perhaps the most difficult dilemma that
any government official faces: what do you do when you disagree with the
boss?
In his first interview since leaving Merrick Garland’s side, Coley joins
Playbook Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza from his home on Capitol Hill to
discuss how the Justice Department separates law from politics, why two
special counsels might just take…
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Feb 17, 2023
What experts get wrong about Nikki Haley’s run
Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, and President Donald
Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, is running for president. But
not everyone on the right is impressed.
In a brutal Valentine’s Day editorial, The Wall Street Journal said that
there is “no clear rationale for her candidacy.” Over at The New York
Times, the paper assembled 10 pundits to assess Haley’s candidacy, and
the majority opinion was that she shouldn’t be taken very seriously.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Rob Godfrey, a senior aide and
spokesman for Haley when she was governor, and a longtime ally to her
successor, Henry McMaster, shares why the critics may be wrong. Godfrey
discusses Haley’s career of defying expectations, her record as
governor, South Carolina’s uniquely influential role in American
politics, and invites host Ryan Lizza to come visit.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Rob Godfrey is the former senior aide to Nikki Haley.
Afra Abdulla…
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Feb 10, 2023
Have China hawks flown the coop?
In Washington, there is now a bipartisan consensus around being tough on
China.
This was happening even before the Chinese sent a spy balloon drifting
across the United States. Last month, by a vote of 365-65, the House
created a new “Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the
United States and the Chinese Communist Party.”
And with China hawks now dominating the thinking of both parties when it
comes to Sino-U.S. relations, Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza decided to check
in with Max Baucus, who is one of the leading voices warning that the
hawks have things dangerously wrong.
Baucus was the U.S. ambassador to China from 2014 to 2017. Before that
he was, depending on the year, the chairman or ranking member of the
very powerful Senate Finance Committee. And in this fascinating
interview, he’s surprisingly critical of Republicans and Democrats alike
for muddling the U.S. relationship with China in order to score
political points at home.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-aut…
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Feb 3, 2023
Why Kevin McCarthy thinks he’s already won
A small group of longtime Kevin McCarthy aides who decamped downtown to
lobby are suddenly some of the most influential and sought-after people
in Washington. They remain intensely loyal to the new speaker and serve
as crucial sources of insight into his thinking and strategy.
Ben Howard, now at the Duberstein Group, was McCarthy’s floor director.
He was with him through all of the fraught moments of the John Boehner
era, including in 2015 when Boehner retired and McCarthy lost out on
securing his job. Howard saw up close how driven McCarthy was to get a
second shot at becoming speaker.
“I used to sit in the office with Kevin,” Howard told Ryan Lizza, host
of Playbook Deep Dive. “We would dream about this day. We would dream
about it.”
But Howard has a bone to pick. He doesn’t like the way that everyone is
talking about his old boss. The conventional wisdom about the new
speaker is that he gave up everything to secure the job and that he’s
one misstep away from losin…
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Jan 27, 2023
Behind the RNC's anti-Trump revolt
After losing both chambers of Congress during Trump’s presidency and
after waging a disappointing campaign to recapture them in 2022, the
Republican Party is having a lot of intra-party feuds.
This week, the post-election search for new leadership moved to the
Republican National Committee. Right now, there’s no agreed-upon leader
of the party, so like the recent battles in the Senate and the House,
the RNC election has turned into a fight to define the GOP’s future.
And once again, Donald Trump is at the center of the debate.
Playbook co-author Rachael Bade flew to Orange County, California, to
watch the fireworks at the RNC’s winter meeting, where the three-time
incumbent chair Ronna McDaniel faced a challenge from conservative
lawyer Harmeet Dhillon.
To understand what this fight is all about, Rachael had breakfast with
Bill Palatucci, a longtime party member who is also a close ally of
Chris Christie’s and a loud critic of Donald Trump.
In this week’s episode, Pala…
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Jan 20, 2023
The people of New Hampshire vs. Joe Biden
What do you do when you are one of the guardians of your state’s most
precious political and cultural institution — the very thing that
defines New Hampshire — and the president you love and the party you’ve
served your whole life, tells you to destroy it?
To find out, we spoke to Ray Buckley. Buckley has served as the chairman
of the New Hampshire Democratic Party since 2007 and he was involved in
every New Hampshire presidential primary campaign since he was an
organizer for Jimmy Carter.
A big part of his job is protecting the status of the New Hampshire
primary, which by state law is required to be the first in the nation.
Any Democrat who wants to be president makes a point of becoming Ray
Buckley’s friend. When Buckley got a call in December from Sen. Jeanne
Shaheen, the worst part was that it was Joe Biden who had screwed him.
Biden had decided to end New Hampshire’s decades-long reign by hosting
the first presidential primary — at least for the Democrats. In its…
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Jan 13, 2023
The strategist who didn't believe in the red wave
In off-the-record conversations and private emails, AFL-CIO political
director Michael Podhorzer argued that the pundits focusing exclusively
on the fundamentals of the race — Biden’s approval rating and the dismal
economic indicators — were missing the bigger picture. Yes, presidents
usually lose an average of some two dozen House seats in similar
circumstances, but that wasn’t the whole story.
While many analysts argued that inflation would be more important than
the diffuse issue of democracy, Podhorzer said that was myopic. He was
much more right than wrong.
Podhorzer has now left the AFL-CIO after 25 years and is able to speak
freely. On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host Ryan Lizza sits down
with him in his kitchen for his first wide-ranging interview. They talk
about what everyone got wrong about 2022, his critiques of the media’s
coverage of the right, his ongoing battles with the so-called
popularists in the Democratic Party, and why Podhorzer already thinks…
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Jan 6, 2023
The unauthorized history of the House Freedom Caucus
In late 2014, Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) was traveling back to Louisiana with his wife when he had an idea: a plan to empower arch-conservatives to push back against their Leadership, led by then-Speaker of the House John Boehner. Soon after, he and eight Republican colleagues founded the House Freedom Caucus – the same group that is determined to deny Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.) the speaker’s gavel.
If you want to understand the roots of this week’s far-right rebellion, then you have to understand the roots of the House Freedom Caucus. And while not every member of the HFC opposes McCarthy – and not every opponent is a member of the HFC – most of them are.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, former Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), a Freedom Caucus Founder, unspools something that we could all use right now to understand the current crisis and what it portends for the future of Republican politics: an unauthorized history of the House Freedom Caucus.
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Dec 23, 2022
The anti-McCarthy faction teases a shadow speaker
Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) and his allies are trying to end Kevin McCarthy’s
reign as leader of the House Republicans. Good is one of five
Republicans in the far-right Freedom Caucus vowing to block McCarthy’s
path to the 218 votes needed to become Speaker of the House. The two
have a history.
In 2020, Good was running for Congress to represent Virginia’s 5th
Congressional District. Incidentally, also home to the race between
James Madison and James Monroe to be the district’s first representative
in Congress. Madison won. While Good was running for Congress, Kevin
McCarthy tried to consolidate power in the Republican House conference
on his way to becoming Speaker. During his campaign, Good knocked out
one of McCarthy’s loyal member’s at the GOP nominating convention. At a
private meeting recently, Good and McCarthy had a heated exchange about
events at the time.
On this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Playbook co-author Rachael Bade
went to the Hill to meet Good at his office…
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Dec 16, 2022
Will the fusion breakthrough ignite a Congressional chain reaction?
Department of Energy announced a breakthrough in the decades-long quest
to recreate on Earth the process that powers the Sun: nuclear fusion. To
simplify slightly, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory in California recently fired a bunch of lasers at a piece of
hydrogen. The lasers used 2.05 megajoules of energy to hit the hydrogen.
The resulting reaction produced 3 megajoules of energy.
For the first time in the history of fusion research, scientists
achieved ignition — more energy was produced by the reaction than was
used to create it. Here in Washington, and the world of politics, no
elected official was as excited about these results as Rep. Don Beyer
(D-Va.).
Beyer is the former lieutenant governor of Virginia and was an
ambassador in the Obama administration. A few years ago, Beyer became
consumed with the promise of fusion. How it could become a cheap and
plentiful alternative to fossil fuels. How it could solve the climate
crisis.
In this episode of Pl…
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Dec 9, 2022
Gov. Chris Sununu surveys the field
Gov. Chris Sununu was recently re-elected to his fourth term in office.
The Republican governor has been positioning himself for the 2024
presidential primaries for a while now.
Before Election Day, there were a lot of reasons to be skeptical about
his chances. He’s a New England moderate in the party of MAGA. He
endorsed DONALD TRUMP twice, but he’s also been a stinging critic. And
he’s pro-choice, which might be seen as a non-starter in a GOP primary.
Trump’s recent decline has emboldened his potential competitors. The
underwhelming results for Republicans in the 2022 midterms have led to
an outbreak of interest on the right in electability.
Now Sununu is trying to define himself against not just Trump, but many
of the right’s obsessions that he sees as political losers. On this
week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host and Playbook co-author Ryan
Lizza went to the statehouse in Concord, NH, where Sununu was keen to
discuss 2024 presidential primary politics in a…
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Dec 2, 2022
True or false: Colorado is a swing state
Michael Bennet is the senior Democratic senator from Colorado, a
famously purple state. In the weeks leading up to the 2022 midterms,
Colorado seemed to be a place where Republicans might flip a few seats.
But as it turned out, not only was there no red wave in Colorado, there
was something of a blue wave instead. On this episode of Playbook Deep
Dive, host Ryan Lizza visits Sen. Michael Bennet on the Hill to dissect
the 2022 midterms and pick his brain on 2024 presidential campaigns and
what might be in store for the lame-duck session.
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Nov 18, 2022
Sen. Markey vs. Musk’s Twitter: The freed bird might get its wings clipped
There are some members of Congress who have famously struggled to
understand the online world. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) prides himself on
not only understanding the internet, but also for passing some of the
key legislation that he likes to say helped lay the foundation for the
digital revolution.
More recently, Markey has been leading fights to enhance online privacy
and regulate social media. So when Elon Musk took over Twitter recently,
Markey was paying close attention to see what kinds of changes the
richest man in the world might bring to the platform.
The two men have a little history: they previously tussled over safety
issues with self-driving technology in Musk’s Tesla electric vehicles.
The Muskification of Twitter was equally concerning to the senator. But
it was when Musk unveiled a plan to sell blue check marks — the Twitter
verification symbol that prevents users from masquerading as other
people and corporations — that Markey started to get really worried.
Wha…
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Nov 11, 2022
How to flip a GOP stronghold: be a normal politician
Why were Democrats seemingly able to by and large defy history and avoid
a catastrophic result in the midterms? Across the country, Democrats
successfully defended seats that Republicans had confidently expected to
pick up, while also adding wins in gubernatorial races in five swing
states that flipped from Trump to Biden in 2020.
There are many explanations: backlash to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs
decision, exhaustion with Donald Trump and some of the candidates that
he backed, and a big turnout for Democrats among Gen Z and millennials.
The coalition of voters that turned out to oppose Donald Trump in 2018
and 2020 remained largely intact in 2022.
There were also a lot of races that turned on local issues where none of
these common explanations seem to tell the full story. We’re all going
to be unpacking the results for a while. So, we wanted to hear why these
Democrats think they were able to defy history. On this week’s episode
of Playbook Deep Dive, Ohioan and POLITICO Playb…
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Nov 4, 2022
Democrats' 'optimistic apostle' offers hope for the midterms
Simon Rosenberg is the head of the progressive think tank NDN, and he
has a message for jittery Democrats on the eve of the midterms: cheer
up! This week on the Playbook Deep Dive podcast we sit down with the
Democratic Party’s apostle of optimism.
“I'm not sitting here and telling you we're going to win,” Simon told us
over lunch this week. “What I'm telling you is that the narrative about
this election, about there being a red wave— there isn't one. There
never has been.”
If you spend a lot of time on political Twitter, you have no doubt
encountered Simon’s tweets and threads over the last few weeks. He’s
built a large and loyal following of Democrats looking for silver
linings amid the clouds of negative media coverage about their party’s
prospects in the midterms.
— Hispanics abandoning his party? Simon says that NDN’s polling doesn’t
show it.
— Polling averages tilting to the GOP in the last few weeks? Simon says
they’ve been polluted by a barrage o…
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Oct 28, 2022
The quarter-billion dollar PAC driving a red wave
Dan Conston is the president of the Congressional Leadership Fund, the
super PAC aligned with Rep. Kevin McCarthy with the singular mission of
making the California Republican Speaker of the House. Most forecasts
suggest that Conston and CLF are on the verge of success.
In a candid hour-plus interview, Conston took Playbook behind the scenes
of CLF’s operation. We talked about the issues and demographics of this
election, emerging GOP opportunities in the final days of the campaign
and the inside strategies that one of the best-funded super PACs in
American politics uses to take down its Democratic opponents.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Dan Conston is the president of the Congressional Leadership Fund.
Afra Abdullah is associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Kara Tabor is producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is senior editor for POLITICO audio.
Adam Allington is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Oct 21, 2022
Weaponized (un)truths: Has the GOP ‘lost its mind’?
Robert Draper's "Weapons of Mass Delusion: When the Republican Party
Lost Its Mind" focuses exclusively on the GOP during the crucial
18-month period after January 6 and vastly adds to our understanding of
the Trump era. Far-right representatives Paul Gosar, Marjorie Taylor
Greene, and Matt Gaetz are part of a new breed of Republican party
fighting with their GOP elders. The subtitle of Draper's book —
emphasizing when, not how — Trump-inspired elected officials helped the
former president solidify his grip over the Republican party is as
important as understanding what has happened to the party.
In this week's Playbook Deep Dive, Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza unwinds
Draper's chronicle of what has happened to the Republican party, and
America, through his character-driven account of the people and events
shaping the extremes of American politics today.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Robert Draper is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine.
Afra…
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Oct 14, 2022
How we predict elections
Scott Bland is POLITICO’s national politics editor and leading all of
POLITICO’s 2022 midterm coverage. To do it, he has a team of about 15
reporters around the country following campaigns.
Despite the cooling temperatures, this is when people like Bland start
to sweat.
His job is to ensure readers and listeners aren’t surprised on election
night — that POLITICO has considered and reported on all possible
outcomes, including the outliers — those black swan scenarios with
seemingly low probabilities. Not just the most likely ones, according to
conventional wisdom.
The specter of 2016 still haunts newsrooms.
Bland and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza dissect how 2016 midterm misses
can be applied lessons for reporters covering the 2022 elections. Bland
also weighs in on pressing questions like; what are the chances of
Democrats winning the House while the Republicans take the Senate? Could
all of those allegedly flawed Trump-backed candidates sweep their races?
And cou…
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Oct 7, 2022
Dream job disappointment: Testifying against Trump
Sarah Matthews has a political resume similar to a lot of conservatives
her age. At Kent State, she joined the College Republicans and made her
first pilgrimage to the annual CPAC conference in Washington. Sarah
interned on Capitol Hill for John Boehner and Sen. Rob Portman, both of
Ohio. And then she got a job doing comms for Republicans on the Hill.
But a few years later, in June 2020, she was working for Donald Trump.
Like a lot of her colleagues, she was well aware of Trump’s flaws, but
she agreed with his policies. When her mentor, Trump press secretary
Kayleigh McEnany invited Sarah to be her deputy, Sarah didn’t think
twice. It was a chaotic seven months, marked by the Lafayette Square
protest incident, Covid, the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg and the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Then came
Jan.
6.…
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Sep 30, 2022
Giorgia Meloni's Hard Right Playbook
Last Sunday, Italians voted for the most right-wing government since
Benito Mussolini. The controversial politician leading the winning
coalition, Giorgia Meloni, will become Italy's first female prime
minister.
Meloni has become a darling of sorts for many Republicans in America,
who invited her to speak at this year's CPAC conference. The "Brothers
of Italy," co-founded by Meloni in 2012, was a fringe party with
neo-fascist roots. It rebranded itself in recent years as a socially
conservative, ultra-nationalist party that's also a European voice in
the growing trans-national culture wars.
From a rooftop bar near central Rome, Ryan Lizza and POLITICO Europe's
Rome correspondent, Hannah Roberts, dig into Meloni's history, rise, and
how she's likely to lead Italy's government with EU, NATO, and Russian
relationships center stage.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Hannah Roberts is POLITICO Europe's Rome correspondent.
Afra Abdullah is associate producer for POLITICO a…
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Sep 23, 2022
The untold story of Trump's botched impeachments
It’s hard to imagine a political event that was covered more intensively
in real time than Trump’s two impeachments. But only now, 18 months
after the Senate acquitted Trump a second time, we are learning crucial
new details about what happened behind the scenes of those proceedings.
And only now are we starting to reckon with what those two failed
impeachments have wrought for Congress, the presidency, and the
Constitution — and who was responsible.
That reckoning comes courtesy of Playbook’s own Rachael Bade and
Washington Post national security reporter Karoun Demirjian, who on Oct.
18 will publish “Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congress's Botched
Impeachments of Donald Trump.” It’s an unsparing look at the characters,
the calculations and, frequently, the cowardice that shaped Congress’s
dealings with Trump — and how the results have likely changed
impeachment forever.
On this week’s Playbook Deep Dive, Rachael and Karoun talk extensively
about their book…
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Sep 16, 2022
The Bitter End to democracy? Hindsight is 20/20.
UCLA political scientists Lynn Vavreck and Chris Tausanovitch and
Vanderbilt’s John Sides argue that political party identity has become
increasingly “calcified” in surprising new ways. Their latest book,“The
Bitter End,” describes both the long-term trends and short-term shocks
that shaped the 2020 presidential election and continue reverberating
today.
What’s driving the increasing distance between the parties and the
growing homogeneity within the parties?
Playbook Co-Author Ryan Lizza met Vavreck on UCLA’s campus to learn why
so-called “identity-inflected issues” are the great new dimension of
political conflict and present a dangerous direction in America.
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Sep 9, 2022
Kara Swisher knows when to fold ‘em
Kara Swisher has hosted the annual Code Conference for the last twenty
years. Recently she announced that this was her final year organizing
and running the event, which concluded on Thursday in Los Angeles.
At the final big panel on Wednesday evening, Swisher ended things where
she started: with a conversation about Steve Jobs.
She gathered the famous Apple designer Jony Ive and the widow of Steve
Jobs — Laurene Powell Jobs — and the CEO of Apple — Tim Cook — who flew
to Los Angeles for Swisher hours after unveiling the new iPhone 14 at
Apple's headquarters in Cupertino. The event ended much more poignant
than one would expect at a conference about technology and politics.
Afterward, Playbook Co-Author Ryan Lizza met Swisher in a suite on the
8th floor of the Beverly Hilton at what was Code's last secret poker
party. They talked about the end of her running the Code Conference, her
long and winding career … and why she loves saying no.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author…
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Aug 26, 2022
When Senator Leahy laughed with Raul Castro
On Tuesday, Leahy, who is retiring this year after representing Vermont
in the Senate since 1975, released “The Road Taken,” an engrossing
memoir that covers his long career, from his politically fraught vote
against the Vietnam War to his account of rallying his fellow senators
back into the chamber on Jan. 6 after they fled the mob that stormed the
Capitol. In between, you meet dozens of politicians, Supreme Court
Justices, presidents, world leaders, musicians, and Hollywood
celebrities.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is the president pro tempore of the United
States Senate.
Afra Abdullah is associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Kara Tabor is producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is senior editor for POLITICO audio.
Adam Allington is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Aug 19, 2022
Ron Klain says ‘season of substance’ could save Dems
The White House suddenly has a lot to brag about. And the president’s
aides, led by chief of staff Ron Klain, are reaching deep into the 20th
century to make the case that Joe Biden is a transformational president
with “historic achievements.” We ventured over to the White House and
sat down with Klain in the Roosevelt Room to review the last 18 months
of the Biden presidency and talk about what’s next. At the start of the
summer, this conversation would have been vastly different. Now, gas
prices have dropped, the last CPI report hints that inflation may
finally be trending down after hitting a peak. Election forecasters are
writing pieces at least entertaining the idea that Democrats might not
suffer the long-predicted midterm wipeout. And there’s that burst of
legislative victories that were squeezed out of Congress in July and
August that had Biden, a lover of alliteration, calling this period “a
season of substance.”
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.…
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Aug 12, 2022
Byrd nerds: Why the byzantine process of budget reconciliation exists and how it actually works
This week the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 using
the process known as budget reconciliation. The upside? No filibuster is
allowed. You only need a majority to approve a reconciliation bill. And
the downside? There are strict rules about what can be included.
On the last episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Eric Ueland and Greg
D’Angelo, two GOP budget nerds, previewed the final challenges that the
Inflation Reduction Act would face to pass the Senate. They even nailed
one of the parliamentarian’s rulings: she nixed a portion of the bill
that would have applied inflation caps to the private pharmaceutical
market.
For their most significant policies, neither party has sixty votes.
Reconciliation is how presidents get big things through Congress now.
And it’s likely to be that way for the foreseeable future. To understand
how major policy changes can happen these days, you need to know how
this byzantine process works.
In this week’s episode, Eric and Greg step…
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Aug 5, 2022
Biden’s big bill: Two GOP strategists on how to kill it
The biggest remaining obstacle for the Democrats is now Senate
Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who will continue to host
Democratic and Republican aides behind closed doors today (no press
allowed) to scrub the reconciliation bill for potential violations of
the Byrd Rule.
MacDonough broke the hearts of progressives on several occasions last
year, including when she nixed the minimum wage from the Covid relief
bill, which was passed using reconciliation, and rejected three
different versions of immigration reform from the Democratic
reconciliation bill that was eventually scrapped in December.
Republican budget nerds reviewing the latest reconciliation bill still
believe they can knock out certain provisions. On Thursday, for the
latest episode of the Playbook Deep Dive podcast, we sat down with two
of the party’s leading experts on the process: Eric Ueland, who spent 25
years in the Senate, including as staff director of the Budget
Committee, and Greg D’Angelo, who spent n…
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Jul 29, 2022
Legalizing the trip: One ‘shroom advocate’s playbook
Here’s something about Washington, D.C. that even a lot of people who
live here don’t know: Psychedelic mushrooms are basically legal. In 2020
voters approved a ballot initiative that made growing, purchasing, and
distributing mushrooms the lowest law enforcement priority for D.C.
police.
Cities and states are way ahead of the federal government. There are
movements in more than two dozen states to either study, decriminalize,
or outright legalize mushrooms and other psychedelics. It’s happening in
blue states like California, New York and Vermont, as well as in red
states like Utah, Kansas, and Florida. Cities such as Ann Arbor,
Oakland, Seattle, and Denver, have, like D.C., all decriminalized
mushrooms.
The epicenter of this movement, as was the case with cannabis
legalization, is Colorado. In November, voters will decide whether to
approve the Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022, which would create
state-regulated “healing centers” where anyone over 21 could receive
psil…
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Jul 22, 2022
He was right about inflation. Biden wasn’t. Larry Summers on what’s coming next
Ryan caught up with the former treasury secretary — and thorn in the
side of Biden White House economists — Larry Summers on the sidelines of
the Aspen Security Forum for a wide-ranging interview about last 18
months of economic debates, why so many policymakers got the inflation
debate wrong, what Summers thinks about Joe Manchin blowing up Build
Back Better over inflation concerns, what Biden — and Pelosi — are
getting wrong in their approach to China, and why we are almost
certainly headed into a painful recession.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Larry Summers is the former U.S. treasury secretary.
Afra Abdullah is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.
Adam Allington is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Jul 15, 2022
LA wants to recall its most progressive prosecutor. Inside the DA’s hostile office
THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: GEORGE GASCÓN — Gascón was elected district
attorney of Los Angeles County in November 2020 with 54% of the vote.
“I won handsomely,” he reminisced Wednesday during a 90-minute
conversation at the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A. “I got over 2
million votes.”
It was a big victory for criminal justice reformers: the leading
progressive prosecutor in the country taking over the movement’s top
target, the largest county in the country and one that has long been
hostile to change.
California makes it relatively easy to recall an elected official. It’s
been part of the state constitution since 1911.
There was talk of recalling Gascón as soon as he was sworn in. And those
calls were coming from inside the Hall of Justice, where many of his
deputy district attorneys revolted against the changes.
“The week that I got sworn in, they started talking about recalling me,”
Gascón said. “And they had to be told you have to wait at least 90…
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Jul 1, 2022
Why haven’t there been more Cassidy Hutchinsons?
The question of why so few Republicans have stepped forward to testify
about what they heard and saw in the Trump White House, is very much at
the heart of much of the House Jan. 6 committee’s work — and of Tim
Miller’s new book, “Why We Did It,” which, by chance, was released the
same day as Hutchinson’s explosive testimony.
Miller’s arc is, by now, somewhat familiar: At the dawn of the Trump
era, he was an in-demand Republican strategist and a top aide to Jeb
Bush. He watched in horror as Trumpism swallowed the Republican
establishment and his fellow GOP strategists jumped on the MAGA
bandwagon. He resisted, left the party, and devoted himself to Never
Trumpism.
In his new book, Miller sets out to understand the mindset of those
Republicans who remained — friends and former colleagues who weren’t all
that different from him, but who enthusiastically worked to elect Trump
and later joined his administration.
In one chapter, he traces the journey of Alyssa Farah…
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Jun 24, 2022
New Jan. 6 witness: Trump had mystery call with Putin
If documentary filmmaker Alex Holder’s memory is accurate, Donald Trump
was on the phone with Vladimir Putin just minutes after the news broke
that the Russian president had dismissed Trump’s Hunter Biden
allegations. Holder began filming former President Donald Trump in
September 2020 during his campaign for reelection. In the runup to the
election and continuing after they left office, Holder had extensive
access to film and interview Trump, his inner circle and former Vice
President Mike Pence.
The House select committee investigating Jan. 6 recently sent a subpoena
to Holder for raw footage related to interviews and discussions Holder
recorded, as well as raw footage from Jan. 6 when Holder and his
cameraman were there filming as the mob attacked the Capitol. On
Thursday, shortly after Holder finished talking to Jan. 6 investigators,
Ryan Lizza met Holder at his hotel. On this week’s Playbook Deep Dive,
Holder talks about what it’s like behind the scenes filming Trump…
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Jun 17, 2022
Director’s cut: What else did Judge Luttig have to say about Jan. 6 in his interview
J. Michael Luttig is the former federal appeals court judge who advised
Vice President Mike Pence that the VP had no authority to reject
electors on Jan. 6. Back in February, Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza
spent four hours interviewing Luttig for a Deep Dive episode that ended
up being mostly about his extraordinary role advising Mike Pence on Jan.
6. Given the interest in Luttig this week, we went back through what was
left on the cutting room floor to create a new show that goes deep on
who Luttig is and where he comes from, which will help you understand
why this lifelong right-winger is saying what he’s saying now about the
threat to democracy.
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Jun 10, 2022
He defied Trump and still survived a GOP primary
This week in the GOP primary for South Dakota’s at-large district, Rep.
Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) defeated a challenger from his right who claimed
he wasn’t aligned closely enough with former President Donald Trump,
even though Johnson agrees with Trump on many policies. Johnson’s vote
for a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attacks and his
support for Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) to remain in House Leadership was
cited as proof he is not an ally of the former president. Johnson also
faced more than $500,000 in spending against him from Drain the DC Swamp
PAC. He tells Ryan Lizza that South Dakotans like Trump – but they also
like Dusty Johnson. Find out how he overcame the challenges faced from
defying Trump and how he survived to win the Republican nomination on
this week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Rep. Dusty Johnson is the congressman at-large for South Dakota.
Afra Abdullah is an associate producer for POLITIC…
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Jun 3, 2022
Will the GOP control Congress for the next decade?
There’s at least a few people in the Democratic establishment who have
hope for the midterms. They’re the redistricting experts, people like
Kelly Burton. She’s a long-time political operative and the president of
the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, an organization that
she leads along with other top party names like former attorney general
Eric Holder. The NDRC is leading the Democrats’ charge against
Republican gerrymandering during the 2022 redistricting cycle.
So why are Burton and her counterparts so sanguine? Because for the
first time since 2018, they are confident that redistricting and
numerous legal battles are making the field more hospitable for midterm
victories. The NDRC is bringing lawsuits to state courts to fight what
it says are illegal attempts at gerrymandering districts. Florida,
Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Alabama — the list goes on. On the steps
of the Lincoln Memorial, Burton tells Playbook Deep Dive host Ryan Lizza
what it’s taken to…
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May 27, 2022
Will ‘extremism’ fracture the GOP? Cheney vs. Trump in Wyoming
Trump-backed candidates have lost recently in Georgia, Nebraska, North
Carolina and Idaho. The biggest caveat about how the lessons of other
states might apply in Wyoming is that in states where the Trump
candidate lost, the non-Trump candidate was not anti-Trump. Rep. Liz
Cheney’s political identity — at least, her identity on the national
stage — is now defined by her criticism of the former president. The
anti-Cheney effort in Wyoming has been led by Frank Eathorne, the
Wyoming GOP chair and Trump’s most important ally in the state. Last
weekend, Victoria Eavis of the Casper Star-Tribune and Rone Tempest of
WyoFile, published a bombshell 6,500-word profile of Eathorne. On this
week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive, co-author Ryan Lizza is in the
Casper Star-Tribune’s newsroom, where Eavis explains how the story came
together. Plus, former chairman of the Natrona County Republican party
Dr. Joseph McGinley explains what it’s like to be pushed out of his own
party.
Ryan…
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May 20, 2022
The GOP rancher trying to save Idaho from the far right
Jennifer Ellis is the face of the movement that handed Donald Trump his
biggest defeat of the year. She leads Take Back Idaho, a political
action committee founded last year to beat back the growing tide of
extremist candidates in Idaho.
Ellis’s main target on Tuesday was Janice McGeachin, the state’s
far-right lieutenant governor, whom Trump backed in her gubernatorial
primary challenge to incumbent Gov. Brad Little.
Trump’s candidate lost by almost 21 points.
For this week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive, we sat down with Jennifer
Ellis at her cattle ranch in eastern Idaho to understand how the state’s
GOP establishment delivered this stinging rebuke to Trumpism.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Jennifer Ellis is a cattle rancher and co-founder of Take Back Idaho.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Adam Allington is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO…
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May 13, 2022
'He absolutely betrayed me': Steve Schmidt tells all about John McCain
This week on “Playbook Deep Dive,” we sat down over Zoom with Steve
Schmidt, the architect of the late Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential
run, to hear what amounts to an untold chapter of that exhaustively
chronicled campaign. It’s a story about regret and disillusionment that
we are confident you will want to hear.
Schmidt has long maintained that the roots of Trumpism, which he has
spent the last seven years fighting, can be found in the movement that
first gathered around Palin in 2008. But Schmidt has always been more
circumspect about McCain, his one time hero and the man who actually
picked Palin.
Recently, though, he took to Substack to unfurl a surprising new chapter
about the legendary senator and his failed 2008 campaign.
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May 6, 2022
Lifting the curtain on SCOTUS with a POLITICO reporter who broke the Roe story
This week on Playbook Deep Dive, POLITICO’s Peter Canellos talks with
our own Josh Gerstein, who broke this week’s massive news that the
Supreme Court’s conservative majority has drafted an opinion to overturn
Roe v. Wade. Peter and Josh nerd out on everything from the history of
the court, to potential implications of the draft opinion — both for the
country and the judiciary itself.
Peter Canellos is POLITICO's managing editor for enterprise.
Josh Gerstein is POLITICO's senior legal affairs reporter.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Adam Allington is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Apr 29, 2022
Haddad dishes on more than brunch
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is back for the first time since
2019. Journalists, A-list celebrities and Washington’s power players
will pack the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton. That means
brunch is back too. On this week’s episode, Playbook co-author Ryan
Lizza gets a tour from Tammy Haddad at the site of her annual garden
brunch, one of the most sought after invites of the weekend. Plus,
insights from comedian and WHCD alum Elayne Boosler and Ed Solomon of
Anthony's Tuxedos in Georgetown.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Tammy Haddad is CEO & President of Haddad Media.
Elayne Boosler is a comedian and the performer at the 1993 WHCD.
Ed Solomon is the owner of Wedding Creations & Anthony's Tuxedos of
Georgetown.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Adam Allington is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Apr 22, 2022
‘You only win if you fight:' Will Gallego unseat Sinema?
This week Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza is in Arizona to dig into a few
big plotlines ahead of this year’s elections. Trump narrowly lost the
state in 2020, Senator Mark Kelly – the Democratic incumbent – is one of
the most vulnerable senators up for reelection this year and strategists
are already looking at the 2024 Senate election to see who will run
against Kyrsten Sinema. On this week’s Playbook Deep Dive Episode, Ryan
joins Rep. Ruben Gallego for a long dinner and a few drinks. They
discuss Gallego’s fraught history with Sinema, a potential campaign
against her in 2024, the political environment in Arizona ahead of
midterms and his deployment in the Iraq war.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Rep. Ruben Gallego is the congressman for Arizona's 7th district.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Apr 15, 2022
Biden’s pollster on how to ‘not get our a---- kicked’ in midterms
In the coming weeks and months, the Playbook team will be out covering
the key districts and states that will decide the outcome of the midterm
elections. This week, co-author Ryan Lizza was in Las Vegas to interview
John Anzalone, who is best known as President Joe Biden’s pollster, but
who is also a top adviser to Gov. Steve Sisolak, who is up for
reelection this year. In Nevada, two of the Democrats’ biggest political
challenges collide: Democrats’ Hispanic voter problem is their
working-class voter problem.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
John Anzalone is the founder of Impact Research.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Apr 8, 2022
Ro Khanna had some BBB advice for the president. Biden called it ‘homicide.’
Congressman Ro Khanna is one of the most influential progressives inside
the house democratic caucus. He represents California’s 17th district –
a large chunk of Silicon Valley. It’s wealthy, influential and home to
companies like Apple, Intel, and Cisco Systems.
Today, Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza asks Representative Khanna what
went wrong trying to pass Biden’s Build Back Better plan and what he
thinks progressives’ influence on Biden has been. Khanna also suggests
how Democrats can improve their prospects going into the midterms.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Rep. Ro Khanna is the congressman for California's 17th district.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Apr 1, 2022
Think you understand suburban voters? Doug Sosnik has a 14-page memo betting otherwise.
Doug Sosnik is a man whose deep dive political memos are considered
essential reading in Washington. He's best known as a former senior
adviser to then-President Bill Clinton. His latest memo dissects the new
center of political power in America and argues that the most important
battlegrounds are fought in the suburbs.
Today, Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza has dinner with Sosnik to find out
why he thinks a lot of conventional wisdom about the politics of
American suburbs is wrong.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Doug Sosnik is a political strategist and former Clinton administration
adviser.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Mar 25, 2022
'It's war and the enemy gets a vote’: The man advising Blinken
When you look at the major diplomatic events of the last thirty years,
Derek Chollet has experienced them all. He’s worked with legends like
James Baker, Strobe Talbott and Richard Holbrooke and served in some of
the highest echelons of the White House, the Pentagon and the U.S.
Department of State. From Bosnia to Syria — and now Russia — Chollet has
helped to shape America’s approaches to its policy abroad.
Today, Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza sits down with Chollet, who’s
currently the Counselor of the Department of State, to dig into Foggy
Bottom’s approach to helping Ukraine and handling Putin.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Derek Chollet is the Counselor of the U.S. Department of State.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Mar 18, 2022
Why a centrist Democrat is ditching Congress
Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) pioneered the playbook that helped
Democrats flip the House in 2018. Less than four years later, she
announced her retirement. Her experience has raised alarms about the
Democratic Party going forward.
Today, Playbook co-author Rachael Bade sits down with Rep. Murphy to
talk about how the Democratic House leadership’s insistence on absolute
party unity is fracturing the Dems and putting their congressional
majority at risk.
Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Rep. Stephanie Murphy is the congresswoman for Florida's 7th District.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Mar 11, 2022
The man fighting for Ukraine in DC
Even as President Joe Biden has emphasized that the U.S. and NATO do not
want to engage with Russia militarily, Congress has pushed the
administration to take a hard stance against Russia through
unprecedented financial and economic sanctions. In recent years, behind
the scenes, lobbyists representing Ukrainian interests pushed for
sanctions on the other combustible issue, gas.
Tonight, Playbook author Ryan Lizza has dinner in downtown DC with
lobbyist Daniel Vajdich, on his strategy, before the war, to help deter
Russian aggression and protect Ukraine, and his thoughts on the
potential fallout from being burned by lobbyists.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Daniel Vajdich is the president of Yorktown Solutions.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Brook Hayes is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is executive producer for POLITICO audio.
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Mar 4, 2022
An insider’s look into Putin’s long game
More than a week into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian President
Vladimir Putin has escalated his military offensive. Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rallied international support for a major
resistance. And major Western powers have isolated Russia by imposing
devastating economic sanctions that leave Putin without an obvious
off-ramp.
There is no end in sight to the war on the ground.
But there’s another war being fought in parallel through news
interviews, social media posts and open source data: the information
war. And it’s happening well beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Today, Playbook author Ryan Lizza talks with CNN senior international
correspondent Matthew Chance, who’s on the ground in Ukraine, and former
White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon about the relationship
between warzone dispatches and Washington policy.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Matthew Chance is a senior international correspondent for CNN.
Tom Donilon…
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Feb 25, 2022
Putin’s new war, inside and out
It’s an event that Russians, Ukrainians and the rest of the world have
been thinking about, but one that many people didn’t think would
actually happen: Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Tense warnings
and attempts at diplomacy have been discarded, with airstrikes and
resistance arriving instead. Today, Playbook author Ryan Lizza talks
with two journalists — Nataliya Gumenyuk and Uliana Pavlova — about the
events unfolding in Kyiv and along the Russian border right outside of
the Donbas region.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Natalia Gumenyuk is a reporter in Kiev.
Uliana Pavlova is a freelance journalist in Moscow.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Feb 18, 2022
The never-before-told backstory of Pence's Jan. 6 argument
For most of his life, J. Michael Luttig has operated behind the scenes
at the top of the conservative legal world. He started his career as a
young aide at the U.S. Supreme Court, worked as an attorney in the
Reagan White House, clerked for Judge Antonin Scalia before he was a
legal icon, helped guide the appointment of two other Supreme Court
justices, and was appointed to a federal judgeship by President George
H.W. Bush.
During Luttig’s time on the bench, one of his clerks was a young
attorney named John Eastman. In recent months, Eastman’s name has become
inextricably tied to the legal advice he offered to then-President
Donald Trump in December 2020 and January 2021: In a now-infamous legal
memo, Eastman argued that then-Vice President Mike Pence had the ability
to discard certified electoral votes from contested states — a notion
that has been roundly debunked, but which Trump’s closest allies clung
to (and which helped to inspire some of his supporters to storm the
Capi…
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Feb 11, 2022
The Gen X activists upending Democratic politics
For months, the parental backlash against school closings has dominated
headlines and driven speculation about a brewing electoral wave for
Republicans. But what if the parents are part of the deep-blue core of
one of the most heavily Democratic cities in the country? That's exactly
what's happening in San Francisco, as the political collision between a
liberal school board and a group of angry, just-as-liberal parents is
earning national attention for what it tells us about the shifting and
complicated politics of pandemic parenthood.
Today, Playbook author Ryan Lizza sits down with Siva Raj and Autumn
Looijen, co-founders of the Recall SF School Board campaign, about their
journey from concerned parents to political activists. Plus, Jeremy B.
White, the editor of Politico's California Playbook newsletter, joins to
explain the political significance of the recall election.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Siva Raj and Autumn Looijen are the co-founders of Recall SF S…
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Feb 4, 2022
Why Stephanie Cutter says Dems need a new SCOTUS strategy
Now that Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring, the Biden Administration is
racing to select the perfect nominee to be his replacement. According to
one Democratic strategist, the rules for confirming a Supreme Court
justice have changed and Democrats need a new strategy. The confirmation
of a justice is no joke — at best, it’s a wild and bumpy ride filled
with intense vetting, “murderboards” and senatorial grillings. Each
SCOTUS nominee is appointed a guide by the White House. Today, Playbook
author Ryan Lizza joins Stephanie Cutter, co-founder of Precision
Strategies and one-time ”sherpa” for Justice Sonia Sotomayor, to explain
what it’s like behind the scenes of a SCOTUS confirmation process.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Stephanie Cutter is the co-founder of Precision Strategies.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Jan 28, 2022
A former NATO ambassador gets inside Putin’s head
More than 100,000 Russian troops are mobilized along the Ukrainian
border. What is Vladimir Putin’s ultimate goal? Today, Playbook author
Ryan Lizza talks to former US Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker — who led
Trump’s Ukraine negotiations — about how President Biden is responding
to the Ukraine threat, and how he would counter Putin’s strategy. Plus,
journalist Uliana Pavlova joins us from Moscow to describe the sentiment
on the ground.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Kurt Volker is the former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and special envoy to
Ukraine.
Uliana Pavlova is a freelance journalist in Moscow.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Jan 21, 2022
Cedric Richmond on Biden's turnaround plan
President Joe Biden’s first year in office has been tumultuous, marked
by domestic and international challenges that have overshadowed the
administration’s wins. Playbook author Eugene Daniels talks with Cedric
Richmond, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, about
Biden’s plans for a rebound and checks in with White House correspondent
Laura Barrón-López to assess the new strategy.
Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Cedric Richmond is the Director of the White House Office of Public
Engagement.
Laura Barrón-López is a White House correspondent for POLITICO.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Jan 14, 2022
What Joe Manchin told Steve Clemons at dinner
Steve Clemons is a DC institution — an operator who connects some of the
biggest power players in the Capitol. He also happens to be the
confidant of the most powerful senator in Washington, Democrat Joe
Manchin. Playbook author Ryan Lizza joins Clemons for breakfast at the
Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown to dish on what's motivating Manchin
behind the scenes, and what he might do next.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Steve Clemons is Editor At Large of The Hill
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Jan 7, 2022
Jamie Raskin's plan to hold Trump accountable
One year later, the ripples of the Jan. 6th riot continue to reverberate
throughout American politics. For Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who led the
second impeachment of Donald Trump, bringing the people responsible for
the attack to account has become his driving priority. Today, Playbook
author Rachael Bade talks to Rep. Raskin and congressional reporter
Olivia Beavers about the continued fallout from the Capitol siege.
Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Olivia Beavers is a congressional reporter for POLITICO.
Rep. Jamie Raskin is Maryland's 8th District in Congress.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Dec 17, 2021
Joe Biden's inflation whisperer
Unemployment is dropping and the economy, by many measures, is humming.
But spiraling inflation is creating a serious drag on the economic
recovery and hurting President Joe Biden's approval ratings. This week
Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza chats with Jared Bernstein, a member of
Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers, and POLITICO’s Kate Davidson about
Build Back Better and the administration’s response to rising costs
throughout the economy.
Jared Bernstein is a member of the White House Council of Economic
Advisers.
Kate Davidson is the author of POLITICO's Morning Money.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Dec 10, 2021
Has Twitter warped politics?
Can Twitter carry a politician to victory in an election? Playbook
co-author Eugene Daniels and deputy editor Zack Stanton talk to
Republican digital strategist Eric Wilson, former Andrew Yang
presidential campaign manager Zach Graumann, and Aaron Smith, director
of the Pew Research Center’s Datalab, about the role of social media in
political campaigns and the limitations of the platforms.
Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Zack Stanton is Playbook's deputy editor.
Zach Graumann was the campaign manager for Andrew Yang presidential run.
Eric Wilson is a Republican digital strategist.
Aaron Smith is the director of the Pew Research Center's Data Lab.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
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Dec 3, 2021
Houses on the Hill aren't for living. They're for lobbying
From their lofty offices along K street, Washington lobbyists have spent
decades trying to pull the levers of power. But changing times sometimes
call for changing scenery, and these OG influencers are trading
luxurious office space near the White House for quaint, intimate
townhouses right across the street from Congress. Today, Playbook
co-host Tara Palmeri with lobbyists Brian Bell and Scott Eckart and
POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs on why lobbyists are flooding Capitol Hill
townhouses, and whether proximity equals power.
Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Brian Bell is a lobbyist for the Allied Pilots Association.
Scott Eckart is a co-founder of Emergent Strategies.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Nov 19, 2021
Kiss your swing districts goodbye
Gerrymandering: Depending on where you stand, it’s either the cause of,
or solution to, many of America’s political problems. Here’s what that
fight looks like — from the outside looking in, and from the inside
looking out. Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza dives into the subject with
GOP strategist (and former gerrymanderer) Jeff Timmer, Common Cause
North Carolina executive director Bob Phillips and Politico’s Ally
Mutnick.
Jeff Timmer is a senior advisor for the Lincoln Project.
Bob Phillips is the executive director of Common Cause North Carolina.
Ally Mutnick covers House campaigns and redistricting for POLITICO.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Nov 12, 2021
CNN's Manu Raju vs. Jeff Flake: Cat and mouse
It’s one of the most demanding jobs in Washington journalism: tracking
down a lawmaker who’s in the news but doesn’t necessarily want to talk.
For the Congress press corps, scoring that story-making quote might mean
standing on a marble staircase for hours — if the senator or
representative decides to talk at all. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade
takes us inside the Capitol Hill media “scrum” — as reporters like CNN’s
Manu Raju reveal their tricks of the trade… and former Senator Jeff
Flake discloses all the times he pretended to talk on his phone while
walking past reporters.
Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Jeff Flake is former Republican Senator from Arizona and
current Ambassador-designate to Turkey.
Manu Raju is CNN's chief congressional correspondent.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of…
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Nov 5, 2021
The strategists who made the “Youngkin Republican”
For the first time in 12 years, a Republican won the governorship in
Virginia. And it wasn’t just any victory — to claim the seat, Glenn
Youngkin had to beat Terry McAuliffe, former governor and Democratic
royalty. Ryan Lizza digs into the narrow win with Youngkin campaign
strategists Jeff Roe and Kristin Davison, and the mistakes they think
McAuliffe’s campaign made. Plus, senior politics editor Charlie
Mahtesian on the significant places Youngkin gained the most votes.
Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Charlie Mahtesian is senior politics editor for POLITICO.
Kristin Davison was a campaign strategist for Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin.
Jeff Roe was a campaign strategist for Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Oct 29, 2021
The activists outside Joe Manchin's houseboat
All summer long, activists have pressured Democratic leaders for a
reconciliation package that delivers on all of President Biden’s
promises. That means Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin faced
protesters in their offices, homes… and bathroom stalls. Today,
Playbook’s Tara Palmeri explores the new face of activism, and she asks
POLITICO’s co-congressional bureau chief Burgess Everett on whether the
activism is having its intended effect on Manchin and the latest on the
Democrats messy reconciliation fight.
Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Burgess Everett is POLITICO's co-congressional bureau chief.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Carlos Prieto is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Oct 15, 2021
Meet D.C.'s 'Lobbyist Hunter'
“Somebody’s gotta do it. It might as well be me.” So says Ivan Adler,
the “lobbyist hunter” who plucks D.C.’s most idealistic Hill staffers
and turns them into K Street top dogs. POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs and
Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza pry open the revolving door between the
Hill and K Street — one of the most controversial but everlasting
features of Washington’s underbelly.
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Hailey Fuchs is a reporter at POLITICO covering money & influence in
D.C.
Ivan Adler is 'The Lobbyist Hunter' and an executive recruiter.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Read Hailey's full story:
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/15/lobbyist-hunter-ivan-adler-516069
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Oct 8, 2021
Push it to the (debt) limit
What actually happens if the nation defaults on its debt? Planes fall
out of the sky, the streets run red with blood — OK, not literally. But
the reality could be economic catastrophe: "Market chaos, economic
chaos, all for absolutely no good reason," explains POLITICO’s Ben
White. After a week of debt-ceiling drama in D.C., Ben joins Playbook
co-author Eugene Daniels to unpack the partisan fights, doomsday
hypotheticals and one of the most absurd twists so far: a
trillion-dollar coin.
Eugene Daniels is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Ben White is chief economic correspondent for POLITICO.
Carlos Mucha is an attorney who popularized the idea of minting a
trillion-dollar coin.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Oct 1, 2021
The Biden family's secrets
After seven Senate terms and three runs for president, Joe Biden has
mastered his folksy image. But behind "the Delaware way" are secrets in
Joe's family tree and son Hunter's foreign deals. National political
correspondent Ben Schreckinger tells Playbook's Ryan Lizza about what he
uncovered while investigating his book, “The Bidens: Inside The First
Family’s Fifty-Year Rise to Power.”
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Ben Schreckinger is a national political correspondent for POLITICO and
the author of "The Bidens: Inside The First Family’s Fifty-Year Rise to
Power."
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Read an excerpt of Ben's book in Politico Magazine here:
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/09/14/how-joe-biden-became-irish-511637
We want to invite you to take our NEW listener survey…
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Sep 24, 2021
Regulating crypto: The $2 trillion Rubik's Cube
Crypto trading! Bitcoin! Dogecoin! Stablecoin! Even if lawmakers don't
understand blockchain, Capitol Hill is finally waking up to digital
currency — Congress has introduced more than a dozen bills on crypto and
blockchain this year alone — as both sides of the aisle go head to head
over the best way to regulate the $2 trillion market. Economics reporter
Victoria Guida joins Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri to talk about
lobbying around crypto and the time her dog ate her Bitcoin.
Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Victoria Guida is an economics reporter at POLITICO.
Kristin Smith is Executive Director at Blockchain Association.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
We want to invite you to take our NEW listener survey — it helps us
learn more about your interests and improve our content. Wha…
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Sep 17, 2021
Pelosi vs. everybody: Dems’ high-wire health care act
As Democrats' massive reconciliation bill makes its way through the
machine, one item is getting all the attention right now: health care.
It’s a fight that basically boils down to Nancy Pelosi versus … everyone
else — with the legacies of Pelosi, Sanders and Biden at stake. Playbook
co-author Rachael Bade and POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein take us to
Capitol Hill, where the knives are coming out: leaders fighting behind
closed doors about policies they've agreed on for years — or thought
they did — and plenty on the line: $3.5 trillion, the future of the
Affordable Care Act and dueling visions for the Democratic Party.
Rachael Bade is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Alice Miranda Ollstein is a health care reporter at POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of P…
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Sep 10, 2021
Biden’s abortion clash with the Catholic Church
What does it mean to be the nation’s second Catholic president? Playbook
co-author Ryan Lizza talks with senior staff writer Ruby Cramer about
how Joe Biden balances a very public role with the “private matter” of
his faith at a time of deep division over abortion, and among the
bishops in his own church.
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Ruby Cramer is a senior staff writer at POLITICO magazine.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Read Ruby’s piece in Politico Magazine here:
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/09/05/joe-biden-catholic-church-509396
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Sep 3, 2021
These Republicans are going...big government?
There's an intra-party fight on the right — and it's not (all) about
Trump! For decades, conservatives have called for the government to take
a hands-off approach to the economy. But now, a group of self-styled
“common good capitalists” — like Sen. Marco Rubio — want to change that.
And, they’re gaining power. It’s a divide not only over what policy
approach is best, but what the most effective political strategy is for
the GOP in the 21st century. Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri talks with
an influential voice in this new economic counterculture — Oren
Cass, head of American Compass and Mitt Romney's former campaign
advisor, as well as Eliana Johnson, POLITICO Magazine contributor and
editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon, about this policy divide
and where the 2024 GOP hopefuls land on this spectrum.
Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Eliana Johnson is a contributing editor for POLITICO Magazine and
editor-in-chief of the Washington Free…
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Aug 27, 2021
How Kamala Harris is embracing — and changing — the system
Kamala Harris entered law school as the daughter of activists and came
out as a prosecutor — an evolution that shaped the politician she is
today. Now, as the vice president grapples with some of the thorniest
issues in politics and builds relationships with a wide array of
Democratic allies — which she could leverage in both the administration
and a future presidential campaign — even some of her closest allies
admit she needs help fending off incoming fire. POLITICO Magazine’s
Jesús A. Rodríguez and Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels dig into the
Veep’s law school past, her performance eight months in and how wearing
the mantle of “first” comes layered with racism and misogyny.
Eugene Daniels is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Jesús A. Rodríguez is a contributing editor for POLITICO Magazine.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executiv…
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Aug 20, 2021
The first true foreign policy test of Biden's presidency
The Taliban's return to power marks the first real foreign policy crisis
of the Biden administration — and a rare moment of bipartisan criticism
of Joe Biden. But will the bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan scramble
American politics, or merely deepen long-building fissures across the
political spectrum? On the right, attempts to save America's Afghan
allies have resurfaced fierce divides over immigration and diversity. On
the left, the pullout is reigniting a debate over the US's "forever
wars." Playbook co-authors Rachael Bade and Ryan Lizza on Biden's
political pitfalls.
Rachael Bade is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Andy Glass is a contributing editor for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Aug 13, 2021
Vote-a-rama drama and the national debt
Nobody on Capitol Hill got much sleep this week. The Senate passed its
infrastructure bill, stayed up all night in a vote-a-rama and provided
foreshadowing for the set of fights yet to come. As Playbook co-author
Ryan Lizza put it this week: “Threat of a government shutdown?
Possibility of America defaulting on its loans? Dust off that
Blackberry, fire off a manual RT, and put on some LMFAO. It’s feeling
very 2011.” Ryan and POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes break down what’s
ahead for Congress.
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Jennifer Scholtes is budget and appropriations reporter at POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Read more from Jennifer:
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/09/democrats-unveil-budget-to-launch-35t-plan-without-republican-help-502822
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Aug 6, 2021
The Democratic ‘civil war’ in Ohio
The Democratic establishment dealt a crushing blow to the progressive
movement this week in Ohio, where tensions, bad blood and intraparty
allegiances were on full display. What can we learn from a special
congressional primary that quickly became a national spectacle? And what
does it say about the direction of one of the most powerful political
forces in Washington: the Congressional Black Caucus? POLITICO's Ally
Mutnick performs an autopsy with Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza.
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Ally Mutnick is campaigns reporter at POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Read more on the Ohio special election from Ally:
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/03/shontel-brown-beats-nina-turner-in-key-ohio-primary-502365
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Jul 30, 2021
Strange but true: Bernie's pragmatic turn
Bernie Sanders is behaving a lot like a pragmatist (just don’t say it to
his face). As the Senate Budget chair and a member of Sen. Chuck
Schumer’s leadership team, the 79-year-old progressive is one of the
most powerful people in Washington and finally has the opportunity he’s
been waiting for his whole career: to pass a reconciliation bill with
sweeping social reforms. If successful, the $3.5 trillion bill would be
the biggest ever passed by Congress. The trick: Can he get it past the
members of his own party?
Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Laura Barrón-López is a White House correspondent for POLITICO.
Faiz Shakir is an advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Read more: Strange but true: Bernie takes a 'very pragmatic' turn
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Jul 23, 2021
Inside Biden’s slow-walk on Cuba
Cuba’s sweeping protests — and sweeping crackdown — are historic. But
the situation is a political hot potato for Biden, whose sanction orders
came nearly two weeks after the unrest began. His go-it-slow approach
has emboldened Republicans, while Florida Democrats fear the president
could blow an opportunity to reorient U.S.-Cuba policy and improve the
party’s political chances in a former swing state. POLITICO’s Sabrina
Rodríguez and Marc Caputo unpack the political minefield with Playbook's
Tara Palmeri.
Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Sabrina Rodríguez is an immigration correspondent for POLITICO.
Marc Caputo is a national political reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Jul 16, 2021
Biden’s student debt promise comes due
$1.6 trillion — that's how much student loan debt there is in the United
States. Progressives want to cancel student loan debt. Republicans say
that's wildly unfair. And President Joe Biden is....waiting. Playbook
co-author Tara Palmeri and education reporter Michael Stratford discuss
the fight on Capitol Hill over student loans and whether Biden could
tackle the problem through executive action.
Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Michael Stratford is an education reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Jul 9, 2021
How the 'burbs turned blue
Michigan’s Oakland County, once a Republican stronghold, is turning
blue. Playbook's Eugene Daniels and Zack Stanton (also a Michigan native
— he's from the "knuckle"), talk about whether shedding these suburbs is
a warning light for Trumpism. Plus: Former Michigan GOP leader Jeff
Timmer on what he thinks losing this stronghold says about the strength
of a Republican electoral map.
Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Zack Stanton is Playbook deputy editor for POLITICO.
Jeff Timmer is a longtime GOP strategist who was executive director of
the Michigan state party from 2005-2009.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Jul 2, 2021
Weed is popular. So what's the holdup in Congress?
Eight — that’s how many states have passed some form of cannabis
legalization since November. And even though marijuana
is gainingpopularity in conservative states, that's not breaking through
with GOP senators on Capitol Hill. Cannabis reporter Natalie Fertig and
Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri discuss the growing cannabis dissonance
between Republican senators and voters in their home states, and why
Chuck Schumer shouldn’t be optimistic about passing federal legislation.
Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Natalie Fertig is cannabis policy reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Special thanks to producer Olivia Reingold.
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Jun 25, 2021
‘It’s a clusterf*ck’: The college kid who cracked the election industry
Matthew Caulfield was a college senior when he was given a seemingly
simple assignment that took him more than five years and 3,000 emails to
start to answer: How much did a voting machine cost? And how big,
precisely, was the U.S. elections industry? Playbook co-author Eugene
Daniels and reporter Ben Wofford dive into the mysterious world of
voting technology companies and the voting rights debate happening right
now in Congress.
Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Ben Wofford is a contributor at WIRED.
Matthew Caulfield is incoming Assistant Professor of Management at West
Chester University.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Jun 18, 2021
The drama-filled race for 'America's mayor'
It’s one of the top jobs in politics, period: mayor of the Big Apple. In
a heavily left-leaning town, Tuesday’s crowded Democratic primary will
essentially decide who will become the 110th mayor of New York City — an
election that will determine who has the ear of powerful figures on
Capitol Hill. POLITICO New York’s Sally Goldenberg and Playbook
co-author Tara Palmeri unpack the race while producer Olivia Reingold
pounds the pavement to find out what New Yorkers really think.
Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Sally Goldenberg is City Hall bureau chief at POLITICO New York.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Special thanks to producer Olivia Reingold.
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Jun 11, 2021
The Capitol rioter next door
Imagine learning that someone you've known for 18 years is alleged to
have been responsible for some of the worst violence on Jan. 6. How do
you square that? Playbook co-author Rachael Bade and journalist Melanie
Warner dive into the story of Jeffrey Sabol, one man whose alleged
activity on Jan. 6 left many in his life confused and grappling for
answers — about how a highly educated, middle-aged man with so much to
lose could participate in what FBI Director Christopher Wray called
“domestic terrorism." What does his story tell us about the Capitol
insurrectionists, and how everyday Americans became the new face of
extremism?
Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Melanie Warner is a freelance journalist based in Boulder, Co.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Special thanks to Margy Slattery.
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Jun 4, 2021
McConnell, Oklahoma and the education culture war
A century ago, a violent white mob razed the heart of Tulsa's thriving
Black community. Now, Oklahoma — and Republicans on Capitol Hill — are
swept up in a national culture war over how schools teach kids about
racism and sexism. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has inserted
himself into that battle. POLITICO's education editor Delece
Smith-Barrow and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza delve into the
tug-of-war, its implications for 2022, and how McConnell is turning what
was once the subject of an occasional Fox News segment into a core piece
of the Republican platform.
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Delece Smith-Barrow is education editor at POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Special thanks to Juan Perez Jr.
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May 28, 2021
Why UFOs are crashing into Congress
Talking about UFOs was once kryptonite for your political career. Now,
senators are openly talking about UFOs, and the Pentagon is set to
deliver a long-awaited report in June detailing what it knows — and what
it doesn’t. So why the sudden change? POLITICO’s Bryan Bender and
Playbook co-author Rachael Bade dissect why lawmakers including former
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
are concerned about national security and forcing UFOs into the
political spotlight.
Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Bryan Bender is a senior national correspondent for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Special thanks to Mary Newman.
playlist_add
May 21, 2021
Is Hill oversight dead? Inside the Jan. 6 commission fight
This week's vote on a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6
insurrection exposed some serious rifts on the Hill — rifts that could
get even wider as the bill heads to the Senate. POLITICO's Marianne
LeVine and Playbook co-author Rachael Bade dig into the dynamics playing
out among congressional leadership, from Mitch McConnell's 2022
calculations to Kevin McCarthy's quest to become speaker.
Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.
Marianne LeVine is a congressional reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
May 14, 2021
A GOP civil war? Don’t bet on it
If you’ve paid any attention to the news lately, you’ve probably heard
this line: There’s a “civil war” raging within the GOP. Republican
leadership is duking it out in the open after losing the White House,
the House and the Senate; just this week, House Minority Leader Kevin
McCarthy ousted his No. 3, Rep. Liz Cheney. On this Playbook Deep Dive,
political analyst Jeff Greenfield digs into a contrarian argument with
Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza: There is no civil war. This is a purge of
anyone who isn't sticking to the party line — and it might actually
strengthen the GOP.
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Jeff Greenfield is a five-time Emmy-winning network television analyst
and author.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
SHOW NOTES
- A GOP Civil War? Don’t Bet On It, by Jeff Greenfiel…
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May 7, 2021
The Black correspondents at the White House
White House reporters have access to the highest seat in the country —
and they’re a small group. An even smaller group? Reporters of color. On
today’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive, Eugene Daniels gets honest with
fellow Black White House correspondents April Ryan (TheGrio) and Ayesha
Rascoe (NPR) about everything from microaggressions to death threats.
“Covering the White House from Bill Clinton to now, race touches
everything,” says Ryan. “Everything.” Plus, a look at the first Black
female White House reporter Alice Dunnigan and her faceoffs with
Eisenhower — who refused to take her questions for two years.
Eugene Daniels is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Carol McCabe Booker is a former journalist and attorney who edited Alice
Dunnigan's autobiography "Alone atop the Hill."
April Ryan is White House Correspondent at TheGrio.
Ayesha Rascoe is White House Correspondent for NPR and part of the NPR
Politics Podcast.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
A…
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Apr 30, 2021
Money, MTG and the D.C. power machine
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has made a name — and recently, fundraised
over $3 million — on becoming a political celebrity by oiling gears in
the "outrage machine," promoting extremist beliefs and false conspiracy
theories and bypassing establishment media and establishment Washington.
In Congress, she may not have committee assignments, but she's got an
increasingly valuable email list and a growing war chest. What her rise
reveals about the power (or lack thereof) of the party’s traditional
gatekeepers and the increasing nationalization of local races, featuring
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill), Playbook's Ryan Lizza, and POLITICO's
Melanie Zanona, Michael Kruse, and Charlie Mahtesian.
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger is a Republican congressman from Illinois.
Melanie Zanona is congressional reporter at POLITICO.
Michael Kruse is a senior staff writer at POLITICO magazine.
Charlie Mahtesian is senior politics editor at POLITICO.
Adrienne Hur…
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Apr 23, 2021
The senators at the center of the 50-50 split
“If we miss this opportunity, God help us.” Joe Manchin and Lisa
Murkowski. Two moderate senators smack in the middle — and on either
side — of a split 50-50 Senate. On our first episode of Playbook Deep
Dive, the two friends open up in a rare interview with POLITICO’s
Burgess Everett. They get personal: about reconciliation, frustration
over the Senate’s hurdles — even why Murkowski hogs the best fishing
holes. And Manchin reveals a major endorsement, heard first on this
show.
Rachael Bade is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Burgess Everett is co-congressional bureau chief at POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
Special thanks to Elana Schor, Anthony Adragna and Ben Lefebvre
SHOW NOTES
- Democrat Manchin backs Republican Murkowski's reelection, by Burgess
Everett
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Apr 16, 2021
BONUS: Why California’s fracking ban went bust
California is the country’s leader when it comes to climate policies.
But not even Democrats could impose a ban on fracking despite holding
all levels of power in California. On POLITICO Energy, Colby Bermel
explains why.
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Apr 14, 2021
Bonus: How a fake reporter infiltrated the White House press corps
On this bonus episode of POLITICO Dispatch: Who is “Kacey Montagu”?
Christopher Cadelago tells the wild and weird story of how a fictitious
correspondent rose from the depths of internet role playing to the White
House briefing room.
Subscribe to POLITICO Dispatch here:
https://www.politico.com/podcasts/dispatch
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Apr 9, 2021
Coming soon: Playbook Deep Dive
Playbook Deep Dive is a new weekly podcast from Politico — for the
stories that seem stranger-than-fiction, but are all too real.
Underneath all the theater, backstabbing and strategy in DC are colorful
characters and real life consequences. You know those stories that stop
you in your tracks? That's what we're going to tell each week. Featuring
Playbook authors, reporters from all across the Politico newsroom, and
characters from all over DC. Launching April 23.
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Apr 2, 2021
The hellish future of post-Covid travel & a special tribute at the end of this show
Five cities, four countries and 15 days locked down in Australia: Global
Translations author Ryan Heath talks to Playbook's Tara Palmeri about
his 68-hour travel journey to get Down Under. He peers inside the
hellish future of global travel and explains why it might be more
expensive for travelers. Plus, a surprise ending to this special
Nerdcast episode.
Tara Palmeri is a POLITICO Playbook co-author.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
Ryan Heath is a senior editor at Politico and author of Global
Translations.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Mar 26, 2021
Fili-fix the Filibuster?
Black civil rights leaders, voting rights advocates and elected
officials are putting more and more pressure on Senate Democrats to nix
the filibuster. The argument? Keep the filibuster OR pass voting rights
legislation... 'cause you can’t do both! Playbook author Eugene Daniels
and reporter Zach Montellaro dig into the politics behind the filibuster
and voting rights legislation.
Eugene Daniels is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Zach Montellaro is a campaign reporter and author of the Morning Score
newsletter.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Mar 19, 2021
Sen. Brian Schatz and why Senate Democrats are walking on eggshells
POLITICO Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza interviews Senator Brian Schatz
(D-HI) to talk the next bill on the Democrats' agenda, whether or not
Democrats will have to go around Republicans to get anything done and
what his philosophy degree can tell us about this moment. Come for the
policy, stay for the Kant*.
*Actually it was the German poet Novalis (formally Georg Friedrich
Philipp von Hardenberg) who said "Philosophy can bake no bread; but she
can procure for us God, Freedom, Immortality." There's your trivia for
the week.
Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Sen. Brian Schatz is a Democrat and the senior Senator from Hawaii.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Mar 12, 2021
Biden's planes, trains and automobiles
Bipartisanship didn’t happen with Covid relief. But President Joe
Biden says he really, really wants to go bipartisan on infrastructure —
plus, he'll need the Republican votes. POLITICO Playbook co-author
Rachael Bade calls up transportation reporter Sam Mintz to talk Biden's
infrastructure hopes, the major players in Congress, and why at this
early stage, there’s every indication that GOP cooperation is less
likely on a massive public works bill than it was on the pandemic
legislation.
Rachael Bade is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Sam Mintz is a transportation reporter at POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Mar 5, 2021
How do you solve a problem like vaccine hesitancy
On today's episode, the PR campaign the government is waging on vaccine
hesitancy and equitable access for vaccine. Playbook co-author Eugene
Daniels talks to Dr. Ebony Hilton and POLITICO healthcare reporter Adam
Cancryn about whose job is it to combat hesitancy, and how the Biden
administration is stacking up.
Eugene Daniels is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook.
Dr. Ebony Hilton is associate professor of anesthesiology at UVA and a
critical care physician.
Adam Cancryn is a healthcare reporter at POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Feb 26, 2021
The most important person you don't know
On today's episode, everything you want to know about the mysterious but
powerful Senate Parliamentarian. Elizabeth MacDonough ruled Thursday
that Senate Democrats would be deemed out of order if they include a $15
minimum wage in their coronavirus relief package. Congress editor Elana
Schor and congressional budget reporter Caitlin Emma talk to host Scott
Bland about the Senate's referee and this blow to the progressive
agenda.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
Elana Schor is a congress editor at POLITICO.
Caitlin Emma is a congressional budget reporter at POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Feb 19, 2021
We'll always have the Des Moines Marriott
We're roughly one year out from Iowa's catastrophic caucuses, and people
are already thinking about the next primary calendar. Amid growing
concerns that Iowa voters don't reflect the country, and pushes
by Nevada and South Carolina to move up in line, are we watching Iowa —
and its influential, historic, weird caucuses — get sidelined? White
House correspondent Natasha Korecki, senior politics editor Charlie
Mahtesian and Scott Bland talk about the future of presidential
politics and whether Iowa will lose its crown.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
Charlie Mahtesian is a senior politics editor at POLITICO.
Natasha Korecki is a White House correspondent for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Feb 12, 2021
The post-Trump path of “one dude”
With Donald Trump's impeachment acquittal almost assured, at the moment,
the Republicans occupying the anti-Donald Trump lane in the post-Trump
GOP are in danger of being run over. But if the GOP’s fervor for the
former president fades to any degree, Senator Ben Sasse may be better
positioned than anyone to capitalize. National political correspondent
David Siders and Scott Bland talk about Sasse's recent video which
inflamed his party's GOP and the future of the Republican party.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
David Siders is a national political correspondent at POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Feb 5, 2021
Biden's gatekeepers
Gone are the late night tweets of yore. In their place? Meticulously
managed calendars. White House correspondent Anita Kumar takes Scott
Bland inside the West Wing to see who is managing President Biden's time
and what that tells us about the administration — and how it plans to
achieve its goals.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
Anita Kumar is a White House correspondent and associate editor at
POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jan 29, 2021
The page who took down the GOP
In 2006, a young man holding no political office brought down a 180+
years program and reshaped Congress forever. Scott Bland talks to
POLITICO magazine reporter Zack Stanton, a former House page who leaked
transcripts of sexual messages that former Congressman Mark Foley sent
to teen pages... which resulted in his resignation and torpedoed the
Republican hold on power for years.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
Zack Stanton is an editor at POLITICO magazine.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Jan 22, 2021
"I haven't been able to get this moment out of my head"
"It became clear that Scott Pruitt had sought to purchase a used
mattress from the Trump hotel. And I thought, 'This is not what I
expected this job would look like.'" At the close of Donald Trump's
presidency, POLITICO's reporters and editors share their strongest
memories of the last four years. Shocking moments they witnessed,
conversations they overheard and what will stay with them forever. Plus,
new Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri talks to Scott Bland about what she
really wants to see in Biden's first days in office.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
Tara Palmeri is a POLITICO Playbook co-author.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jan 15, 2021
Impeached twice and still empowered
He's spent a lifetime turning near-disasters into brand-building
triumphs. POLITICO magazine writer Michael Kruse talks to Scott Bland
about how President Trump could do it again—unless the Senate breaks the
pattern. Plus, a dispatch from POLITICO Congress reporter Sarah Ferris.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
Michael Kruse is a senior staff writer at POLITICO magazine.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jan 8, 2021
A riot and a reckoning
The government ground to a halt on Wednesday when rioters breached and
laid siege to the Capitol. Hours later, Congress reconvened to complete
the electoral count and confirm Joe Biden's victory. Meanwhile,
Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won their Georgia Senate races,
giving Democrats a narrow Senate majority. POLITICO founding editor John
Harris talks with Scott Bland about this chaotic week in politics.
Scott Bland is a politics editor at POLITICO.
John Harris is founding editor of POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Jan 1, 2021
Nerdcast presents: Global Translations, episode 7
"Nerdcast" presents Episode 7 of the new season of POLITICO's podcast
"Global Translations":
What will it take to secure access to the critical minerals we need for
the future — and can we solve one environmental challenge without
creating a new one? Hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath talk to political
leaders around the world about what they are doing to shore up access to
critical minerals.
Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations".
Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources
Ambassador Kirsten Hillman is Canada’s Ambassador to the United States
EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is Vice-President of the European
Commission for Interinstitutional Relation…
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Dec 25, 2020
Nerdcast presents: Global Translations, episode 6
"Nerdcast" presents Episode 6 of the new season of POLITICO's podcast
"Global Translations":
To understand how essential critical minerals are to our world, we turn
to a case study: cobalt. This mineral is proving key to the future of
green energy, defense and high tech manufacturing — not to mention
electric vehicles. But cobalt has its challenges. Hosts Luiza Savage and
Ryan Heath look at China’s dominant role in global cobalt mining and the
serious problems that can arise if other countries can't get enough
supplies.
Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations".
Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.
Nedal T. Nassar is Chief of Materials Flow Analysis Section at the U.S.
Geological Survey.
Bryce Crocker is the CEO of Jervois Mining
Aimee Boulanger is th…
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Dec 18, 2020
Goin' to the chapel to get out the v-o-t-e
Ahead of January's runoff election in Georgia, the Black church has
been, once again, thrust into the spotlight as an organizing force for
voters and as a point of contention for conservatives. POLITICO reporter
Maya King talks with Dr. Freddy Haynes, senior pastor at Dallas' massive
Friendship West church, about the historic role that the Black church
has played in American politics, from Harriet Tubman to Martin Luther
King, Jr. to Senate runoff candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock, and what he's
hoping to see from a Biden-Harris administration.
Maya King is a politics reporter at POLITICO.
Rev. Dr. Freddy Haynes is senior pastor at Friendship-West Baptist
Church
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Dec 11, 2020
Abuela is always right, and other lessons from Florida 2020
It's an unspoken rule not to talk politics at the dinner table — unless
you have a podcast recording, then it's fine! POLITICO's Sabrina
Rodriguez gets real with her Cuban family — abuela Diana, aunt Gloria
and mom Martha — about their 2020 votes, and how Cuban Americans in
Miami-Dade County helped Donald Trump win Florida. Then she talks to
Scott Bland about whether the ultimate purple state is drifting red.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Sabrina Rodriguez is a political reporter at POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Dec 4, 2020
The one place where the 2020 election isn't over
It's a political cliche to say that the stakes couldn't be higher — but
we're looking at Georgia and the stakes couldn't be higher! Republicans
and Democrats are feeling the pressure as they vie for the Senate
majority, which has major implications for Joe Biden's presidency.
Senate reporter James Arkin talks to Scott about his latest trip down to
Georgia.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
James Arkin is a Senate campaigns reporter at POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Nov 25, 2020
Introducing Global Translations: Critical Minerals: The next dirty fight over clean energy
"Nerdcast" presents Episode 5 of the new season of POLITICO's podcast
"Global Translations":
The technologies that protect us, move us and power our daily lives
require mining minerals and metalsin distant places. But access to these
essential materials is increasingly under threat. Hosts Luiza Savage and
Ryan Heath talk with experts who are sounding the alarm.
Luiza Savage is the host of "Global Translations".
Ryan Heath is a host of "Global Translations".
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO Audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.
Sharon Burke is a senior advisor for the International Security Program
and Resource Security Program at New America.
Nedal T. Nassar is Chief of Materials Flow Analysis Section at the U.S.
Geological Survey.
Tom Duesterberg is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He is an expert
on trade and foreign policy.…
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Nov 20, 2020
New apps, no fact checks
Dan Bongino is pushing a stolen election conspiracy theory, and he's
gaining followers. Some far-right commentators like Dan are flocking to
apps like Parler and Rumble, where they don't have to be fact checked by
Facebook and Twitter. POLITICO reporter Maggie Severns tells Scott Bland
about the conservative pundits and fringe outlets whose conspiracies
will dominate far-right messaging for the next four years.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Maggie Severns is a reporter at POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Nov 13, 2020
How to make a gov't in 4,000 easy steps
The 2020 presidential transition is one of the most consequential
transfers of power in American history: Covid-19 is raging, Joe Biden
still isn't receiving classified information as prez-elect, and Donald
Trump hasn't conceded the election. POLITICO Transition Playbook author
Alex Thompson demystifies the process with host Scott Bland and
talks about some of the frontrunners in Joe Biden's cabinet.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Alex Thompson is a political reporter at POLITICO and an author of
Transition Playbook.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Nov 6, 2020
The Longest Week
Election Day came and went, and on this, Day 5 of Election Week, we have
a result: Joe Biden is the president-elect. POLITICO's Sudeep Reddy and
Scott Bland lay out what we know, what we (still) don’t, the state of
political journalism and polling after the vote and what in the world
that presidential transition is going to be like.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Sudeep Reddy is managing editor at POLITICO
Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Nov 4, 2020
The results?
It's definitely not the Election Night we dreamed of. But it definitely
happened. Host Scott Bland teams up with Dispatch's Jeremy Siegel to
analyze the results — or lack of results.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor for POLITICO.
Jeremy Siegel is the host of "Dispatch" for POLITICO.
Jenny Ament is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Oct 30, 2020
How to watch election night like a pro
Nov. 3 is barreling toward us, but don't expect that to be the day we'll
know who won the presidency. POLITICO's Zach Montellaro and Nerdcast
host Scott Bland decode how to watch Election Day — and the days that
follow — like a pro.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor for POLITICO.
Zach Montellaro is a politics reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Oct 23, 2020
How Trump could repeat 2016
By almost every measure, the likely outcome is that Joe Biden will win
the White House. Yet less than two weeks before Election Day, the
unfolding reality of 2020 is that it’s harder than ever to be sure.
POLITICO's Charlie Mahtesian and Scott Bland lay out why they're not
ruling out another surprise Trump victory on Nov. 3.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor for POLITICO.
Charlie Mahtesian is a senior politics editor for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Oct 16, 2020
Inside the weirdest, wildest, tightest state in politics
While Florida Republicans used to dominate the absentee ballot game,
this year there's been a stunning development: For the first time ever
at this stage of a general election, Florida Democrats are outvoting
Republicans. But lest they get too excited, campaign veterans warn that
a wave of Republican votes is coming on Election Day. POLITICO's Marc
Caputo takes Nerdcast host Scott Bland inside the must-win swing state
in the final weeks of an unprecedented election year.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Marc Caputo is a senior reporter covering Joe Biden and Florida for
POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Oct 9, 2020
Trump stock market soars — and wealthy reap gains
President Donald Trump regularly promotes the soaring stock market as a
barometer of the economy's health. But the wealthiest 1 percent of
Americans own 50 percent of the value of stocks held by individual
households — and investors aren’t sharing the wealth. POLITICO's
Victoria Guida explains how this gap is fueling an increasingly lopsided
economic recovery.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Victoria Guida is a financial services reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
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Oct 2, 2020
6 Catholics, 1 Court: SCOTUS and the rise of the Federalist Society
Evangelicals make up a bigger share of the Republican electorate. But on
the courts? It's conservative Catholics who reign supreme. If confirmed,
Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to replace the
late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, would be the sixth Catholic justice
currently sitting on the high court — five of whom were nominated by
Republicans. University of Denver political science professor Joshua
Wilson and POLITICO's Scott Bland dig into the conservative Catholic
legal movement and one group at the center of it all: the Federalist
Society.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Joshua Wilson is a professor of political science at the University of
Denver and co-author of "Separate but Faithful: The Christian Right's
Radical Struggle to Transform Law and Legal Culture."
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer…
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Sep 25, 2020
Trump team braces for a presidential self-own
Donald Trump will face Joe Biden for the first of three presidential
debates on Tuesday. POLITICO's Gabby Orr and Scott Bland dive into how
the president is prepping — or not — for the big day ... and why some of
his supporters worry Trump has set a trap for himself by attacking
Biden’s mental acumen.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Gabby Orr is a White House reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Sep 18, 2020
Was the TikTok face-off 'security theater'?
After weeks of uncertainty following President Donald Trump's executive
order on TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app that has stolen the hearts
— if not the data — of millions of teens has found an American partner:
Oracle. But will it make Americans' data any safer? POLITICO Magazine
contributing editor Zachary Karabell and Scott Bland explore Trump's
TikTok fight — and whether it's really a form of "national security
theater."
playlist_add
Sep 11, 2020
The 9/11 babies are all grown up — and ready to vote
For the first time, young adults born on or around September 11, 2001,
will vote in a presidential election this November. America has been at
war virtually every day they've been alive — and now they're coming of
age politically during a world-changing pandemic. They speak up in this
episode, as POLITICO Magazine contributor Garrett M. Graff and Scott
Bland discuss how Gen Z voters could shake up American politics.
playlist_add
Sep 4, 2020
Inside the Wild West of PredictIt
When Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris as his running mate, it was a
historic moment — and one that made some people thousands of dollars.
Traders on the website PredictIt, a stock market for politics, wager
thousands of dollars on an array of political moments. Today on
Nerdcast, Zach Montellaro tells Scott Bland about his conversations with
political traders — one who trades semi-professionally and two who are
looking to avenge their losses from the 2016 election.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Zach Montellaro is campaign reporter & Morning Score author for
POLITICO.
Jason Pipkin runs the blog Predicting Politics
Starlee Kine is a co-host of Election Profit Makers
Jon Kimball is a co-host of Election Profit Makers
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Aug 31, 2020
Bonus episode: A tale of two conventions
Are we a country that's failed disastrously to respond to a global
pandemic, or a country that's overrun by protests and violence on the
streets? Democrats and Republicans painted wildly different pictures of
America at their party conventions this month. For the double
conventions, we're featuring a double host special: Nerdcast's Scott
Bland joins Dispatch's Jeremy Siegel to discuss the biggest takeaways
from the past two weeks.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Jeremy Siegel is the host of POLITICO's Dispatch podcast.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Aug 28, 2020
The GOP's identity crisis
A question from a high schooler left POLITICO chief political
correspondent Tim Alberta stumped: What does it mean to be a Republican?
Alberta talks with Scott Bland about whether the Republican National
Convention answered that question this week — and how Donald Trump has
shaped the party's future.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Tim Alberta is the chief political correspondent for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Aug 21, 2020
Signed. Sealed. Delivered?
The postal service is older than America itself. It delivers
bills, Amazon packages and even ballots straight to your house. So what
happens when, in the middle of a pandemic that has skyrocketed the
demand for vote-by-mail, the USPS suddenly seems like it’s falling
apart? POLITICO Magazine digital editor Zack Stanton joins Scott Bland
to talk about the mail-system meltdown and what USPS expert Phil Rubio,
himself a former letter carrier, says about how fundamental the postal
service is to the 2020 election — and to our very idea of democracy.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Zack Stanton is digital editor at POLITICO magazine.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Aug 14, 2020
Fundraising Remix: The Zoom where it happens
In-person events have long been the bedrock of political fundraising. So
what happens when a global pandemic takes away in-person fundraisers? …
They go to Zoom. Sure, there's awkwardness and technical difficulties,
but they are helping both campaigns raise record amounts of money. And
even in a post-coronavirus world, this looks like the new normal.
Democratic strategist Tim Lim and GOP donor Dan Eberhart on Zoom
fundraising in 2020.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Tim Lim is a Democratic strategist.
Dan Eberhart is CEO of Canary and a GOP donor.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Aug 7, 2020
Canvassing, interrupted
Donald Trump's campaign says it knocks on a million doors a week. Joe
Biden's campaign says it knocks on zero. Host Scott Bland talks to Miles
Baker — former door knocker, organizer and current political strategist
— about the silver linings of the pandemic. Halting in-person
canvassing has actually been a useful way to retool campaign strategies.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Miles Baker is campaigns director at The Action Factory.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jul 31, 2020
At-risk Republicans have a problem: Trump
The congressional map as it stands now — three months out from the
election — paints a cautiously optimistic picture for Democrats, who
could see their majority grow. POLITICO reporter Ally Mutnick talks
with Scott Bland about how Donald Trump's current numbers are affecting
the way that Republicans in suburban districts are campaigning.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Ally Mutnick is a campaign reporter for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jul 24, 2020
Everything that can go wrong in November
November's election is about to be a perfect storm — that we can all see
coming. Garrett M. Graff digs into his POLITICO magazine cover story
with Scott Bland about the voting issues that have tripped up primaries
in 2020 so far, and why November won't look like any election we've seen
before.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Garrett M. Graff is a contributor to POLITICO magazine.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jul 17, 2020
Trump vs. the NFL
President Donald Trump's vendetta against the NFL isn't just political.
It's personal. POLITICO Magazine's Michael Kruse talks with Scott Bland
about the decadeslong feud — and whether recent shifts in public
sentiment on racial justice issues could make Trump's reelection
campaign the final battlefield.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Michael Kruse is a senior staff writer for POLITICO Magazine.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jul 10, 2020
Why a football coach could beat Jeff Sessions
Trump's former attorney general wants his Senate seat back. But polling
shows Tommy Tuberville — a former football coach and political newbie
— ahead of Jeff Sessions in the Republican primary runoff. Birmingham,
Ala.-based journalist Eric Velasco talks with Scott Bland ahead of the
July 14 matchup. Plus, James Arkin brings us up to speed on the broader
Senate map.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Eric Velasco is a freelance journalist based in Birmingham, Ala.
James Arkin is a Senate campaigns reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jul 3, 2020
The SCOTUS case that could tip the 2020 scales
The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to strike down a Louisiana abortion law
could motivate conservative voters at the ballot box — and progressives,
too. Health care reporter Alice Miranda Ollstein explains.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Alice Miranda Ollstein is a health care reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jun 26, 2020
How to handle a scandal
House Democrats are wrestling with how hard to go after President Donald
Trump's laundry list of alleged abuses. With just weeks to go until
Election Day, could aggressive oversight undermine the party's political
prospects? Congress reporter Heather Caygle talks with Scott Bland about
lawmakers' game plan.
Scott Bland is the host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Heather Caygle is a Congress reporter for POLITICO.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jun 19, 2020
Split screen: Inside Trump's favorite network
Guest host Eugene Daniels and POLITICO Magazine deputy editor Elizabeth
Ralph lift the curtain on One America News Network — where liberal staff
are chafing at their own network’s coverage of national protests and the
coronavirus.
Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO.
Elizabeth Ralph is a deputy editor for POLITICO Magazine.
Adam Wren is a contributing editor for POLITICO Magazine.
Adrienne Hurst is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jun 12, 2020
White America reckons with racism: Polls and what it means for 2020
Public opinion polls that show support for the Black Lives Matter
movement has jumped almost as much in the last two weeks as it has in
the past two years. Guest host Eugene Daniels and national political
reporter Alex Thompson talk about what that means — plus, identity
politics from Trump and Biden.
Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO.
Alex Thompson is a national political reporter for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Jun 5, 2020
The protests — the political and the personal
Guest host Eugene Daniels talks with chief Washington correspondent Ryan
Lizza about the growing unrest and national protests — and what he's
observed spending his nights outside the White House.
Thank you to Ryan Lizza, Zack Stanton and Sarah Crump for audio used in
this episode.
Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO.
Ryan Lizza is chief Washington correspondent for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
May 29, 2020
The politics of a pandemic
Guest host Eugene Daniels talks with national political correspondent
David Siders about how, three months in, the coronavirus crisis is
simultaneously upending and reaffirming political allegiances.
Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO.
David Siders is a national political correspondent for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
May 22, 2020
The presidential race Florida is *really* talking about
White House reporter and guest host Nancy Cook chats with Florida
bureau chief Matt Dixon about the 2024 - yes, 2024- political
aspirations of some Florida politicians, and what all their history
tells us about the Republican party in one of the most important swing
states in the country.
Nancy Cook is a White House reporter for POLITICO.
Matt Dixon is Florida bureau chief for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
May 15, 2020
Hello? Hello? The Supreme Court calls in
Congress reporter Kyle Cheney talks with White House reporter Nancy Cook
about cases heard at the Supreme Court on Tuesday and Wednesday. On
Tuesday: justices heard a case that pits the House’s demand for
President Trump’s financial documents against his attorneys’ claim that
it intrudes on the constitutional powers of the presidency. And
Wednesday: whether faithless presidential electors should be forced to
abide by their promises.
Nancy Cook is a White House reporter for POLITICO.
Kyle Cheney is a Congress reporter for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
May 8, 2020
The Biden paradox
POLITICO reporters Eugene Daniels and Holly Otterbein tackle the
political ramifications of the Tara Reade sexual assault allegations
against Joe Biden: accusations of Democratic hypocrisy, how this affects
Biden's veepstakes and "lesser evil" voting in 2020.
Eugene Daniels is a political reporter for POLITICO.
Holly Otterbein is a political reporter for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
May 1, 2020
China vs U.S. fight turns into Thunderdome
Chief economic correspondent Ben White sits in the host chair this week
to talk to foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi about the
increasingly sour relationship between the US and China — and how their
political problems are affecting everything else.
Ben White is chief economic correspondent for POLITICO.
Nahal Toosi is a foreign affairs correspondent for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Apr 24, 2020
Nothing is enough: Governing during coronavirus
What's coming? We haven't seen an economic crisis like this since before
WWII or a health crisis like this in a century. And an unsettling
reality is setting in: We’re not doing enough to ease the pain on either
front so far.
Chief economic correspondent Ben White talks to Scott about the economy,
coronavirus testing and more, and tries not to give him too much
anxiety.
Scott Bland is host of Nerdcast and a politics editor at POLITICO.
Ben White is chief economic correspondent for POLITICO.
Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO Audio.
Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio.
Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.
playlist_add
Apr 17, 2020
Is this thing on? How Trump wants to restart the economy
President Donald Trump is talking about reopening the economy -- and
slinging around old movie references. But mid-pandemic, what does
"reopening" the economy even mean? White House reporter Nancy Cook talks
to host Scott Bland about Trump's desire for a booming economy even amid
warnings from his health advisers, and why this is so complicated.
playlist_add
Apr 10, 2020
The primary's over. The veepstakes have begun.
Bernie Sanders bows out — POLITICO reporter Holly Otterbein gives us the
inside scoop and whether Joe Biden can entice Bernie's supporters to his
camp. Then, chief political correspondent Tim Alberta fills Scott in on
Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan governor who is dealing with coronavirus,
an angry president and the real possibility she might be Biden’s choice
for running mate — all intertwined at the same time.
playlist_add
Apr 3, 2020
Mute ye, mute ye: What Congress might look like on videoconference
Zoom videoconferencing goes to Washington. Since 9/11, disaster planners
have been trying to warn Washington of the risks of a government based
on stuffing all of America’s most important legislators into one place.
Covid-19 is reviving the conversation in real time. Senior tech reporter
Nancy Scola joins host Scott Bland to talk through the pitfalls of a
Congress that could legislate remotely.
playlist_add
Mar 27, 2020
The two trillion dollar question
Ten days and $2 trillion -- that's right, with a "tr." How did the
Senate get to 96-0? Reporter Marianne LeVine joins host Scott Bland to
talk through the past few days of negotiations on Capitol Hill. Plus,
Michael Kruse on how the coronavirus task force briefings have become
episodes of President Donald Trump's reality TV show.
playlist_add
Mar 20, 2020
The political system vs. COVID-19
COVID-19 has upended daily life in the United States. On this week's
Nerdcast, we're talking about how the virus is altering politics: from
chaotic or canceled 2020 primaries to its reverberations in the White
House and on Capitol Hill. Host Scott Bland is joined by reporters Zach
Montellaro, Nancy Cook and editor Ben Weyl.
playlist_add
Mar 13, 2020
COVID-19 and the campaign trail
There's one news story that's eaten all the others: COVID-19. Although
the coronavirus has been a public health crisis and major news story for
weeks now, this week it became the only story. Scott talks to editorial
director Blake Hounshell about President Donald Trump's address to the
nation and how the coronavirus is affecting the 2020 presidential race.
Then, political reporter Eugene Daniels joins to discuss Democratic
frontrunner Joe Biden's strengths and weaknesses.
playlist_add
Mar 11, 2020
Mini Tuesday, Biden's not-so-mini wins
Scott Bland talks to reporter Christopher Cadelago about Joe Biden's key
wins in the "Mini Tuesday" primaries and how the door is closing on
Bernie Sanders.
playlist_add
Mar 6, 2020
What we learned in a whirlwind 2020 week
POLITICO health care reporter Dan Diamond talks us through the Trump
administration's coronavirus response and the many questions being
raised about preparedness. Later, campaign reporter Elena Schneider
joins Scott to break down Super Tuesday — and the whirlwind week in
politics that has the Democratic primary down to just two major
candidates: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
playlist_add
Mar 4, 2020
Super Tuesday: Biden & Bernie blast off
POLITICO reporters and editors race to get Super Tuesday results up as
Joe Biden makes a surprise surge in the delegate count. Plus, Scott
Bland and Laura Barrón-López on where things stand after the biggest
night of the primary.
playlist_add
Mar 1, 2020
South Carolina: Biden his time all along
POLITICO's Ryan Lizza joins Scott to talk through Joe Biden's decisive
victory in the South Carolina primary -- and whether or not it threatens
Bernie Sanders' momentum ahead of Super Tuesday. Plus, we pour one out
for Tom Steyer, who taught us that many millions can't fix everything.
playlist_add
Feb 28, 2020
Mega! Primary! Preview!
POLITICO reporter Eugene Daniels talks Scott Bland through his recent
reporting trip to South Carolina, where he caught up with his nana Ruby
Brown and dove into the state’s all-important black vote. Plus, he and
Scott talk all things Super Tuesday — just days away. Later, POLITICO
reporters James Arkin and Ally Mutnick join to highlight the most
interesting Senate and House primaries on Super Tuesday.
playlist_add
Feb 26, 2020
Debate extra: When in doubt, shout!
POLITICO's Elena Schneider and host Scott Bland break down a key moment
in Tuesday night's Democratic Presidential debate: when Bernie Sanders
admitted his mistake in voting for immunity for gun manufacturers.
playlist_add
Feb 22, 2020
Bernie hits the jackpot in Nevada
POLITICO reporter Holly Otterbein joins host Scott Bland to break down
Bernie Sanders' big win in Nevada -- and what it means with South
Carolina and Super Tuesday fast approaching.
playlist_add
Feb 21, 2020
The art of the troll
Zach Montellaro and Scott talk about the Nevada caucuses and whether to
expect Iowa 2.0 on Saturday. Plus, Gabby Orr clues us in about the Trump
administration's rally strategy: trolling.
playlist_add
Feb 20, 2020
Debate extra: They (really) don't like Mike
Scott and POLITICO reporter Chris Cadelago break down the spiciest
debate yet: Elizabeth Warren's big night of burns, Mike Bloomberg's
struggles and how Bernie Sanders did as the frontrunner.
playlist_add
Feb 14, 2020
Justice Dept. drama? Roger that.
Josh Gerstein brings Scott up to speed on the two court cases with nine
lives: Roger Stone and Michael Flynn. Plus, meet Alice, a 78-year-old
volunteer for Amy Klobuchar who had the night of her life on Tuesday.
Political reporter Stephanie Murray talks with Scott about Klobuchar and
Pete Buttigieg — and their prospects after top-three finishes in New
Hampshire.
playlist_add
Feb 12, 2020
New Hampshire feels the Bern
The New Hampshire primary had ups, downs...and, oh yeah, decisive
results! POLITICO reporters Holly Otterbein, Alex Thompson, Elena
Schneider, Marc Caputo, Stephanie Murray and Eugene Daniels join us from
the New Hampshire election night parties and editor Steven Shepard
analyzes the results with host Scott Bland.
playlist_add
Feb 8, 2020
Debate extra: How Pete took the pressure
In this debate night special, Scott Bland and political reporter Elena
Schneider break down a fundamental disagreement between Pete Buttigieg
and Joe Biden and how Buttigieg handled the body blows as he rises in
the New Hampshire polls.
Subscribe and rate the Nerdcast on Apple Podcasts.
playlist_add
Feb 7, 2020
Breakfast at Bernie's
Nerdcast is in New Hampshire this week ahead of Tuesday's primary. We
run into Bernie Sanders in a diner and talk to political reporter Holly
Otterbein about the fallout of the messy Iowa caucus numbers and the New
Hampshire polls showing Sanders up front and Buttigieg rising.
playlist_add
Feb 5, 2020
Trump on trial: Acquitted
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
Senate impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters and
editors. In the final episode: senior reporter Darren Samuelsohn on the
vote to acquit President Donald Trump — and Mitt Romney's vote to
convict him on one article of impeachment. Plus, White House reporter
Nancy Cook takes the 30-second challenge.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes.
playlist_add
Feb 4, 2020
Iowa: We're in this for the long haul
It's the 2020 Iowa caucuses and basically nothing went according to
plan. Scott Bland talks with POLITICO reporters Eugene Daniels, Charlie
Mahtesian, Laura Barrón-López and Elena Schneider about Iowa's role in
the political process and what on earth happened on caucus night.
playlist_add
Jan 31, 2020
Trump on trial: End times
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
Senate impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters and
editors. Today: editorial director Blake Hounshell on the trial creeping
toward the end. Plus, White House reporter Nancy Cook takes the
30-second challenge.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes.
playlist_add
Jan 31, 2020
5 things to watch before the Iowa caucuses
This week, Scott and national political reporter Natasha Korecki discuss
the five big things to watch ahead of the Iowa caucuses, including the
latest movement in the polls and where the candidates are spending the
last moments before voting.
playlist_add
Jan 30, 2020
Trump on trial: Is the end near?
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
Senate impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters and
editors. Today: senate reporter Marianne LeVine gives Scott the low-down
from today's Q&A session on the Hill. Plus, White House reporter Nancy
Cook takes the 30-second challenge.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes.
playlist_add
Jan 29, 2020
Trump on trial: It's question time
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
Senate impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters and
editors. Today: Senior reporter Darren Samuelsohn gives Scott the
low-down from on today's Q&A session on the hill. Plus, Congress editor
Ben Weyl takes the 30-second challenge.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes.
playlist_add
Jan 28, 2020
Trump on trial: the defense rests
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters and
editors. Today: founding editor John Harris gives Scott a high-altitude
view of the impeachment trial: surprises, quirks, and memories of his
reporting during President Clinton's Senate impeachment trial. Plus,
White House reporter Nancy Cook takes the 30-second challenge.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes.
playlist_add
Jan 27, 2020
Trump on trial: Bolton's room where it happened
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
Senate impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters and
editors. Today: editorial director Blake Hounshell on the reported
allegations in John Bolton's upcoming memoir and what they mean for the
Senate impeachment trial. Plus, Nancy Cook takes the 30-second
challenge.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes.
playlist_add
Jan 24, 2020
Trump on trial: TiVo and tweetin'
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
Senate impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters and
editors. Today: Nancy Cook on the White House's mood, strategy, and what
to expect from President Trump's legal defense team on Saturday.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes.
playlist_add
Jan 24, 2020
A 'slap fight' and a court fight
This week, Scott talks to healthcare reporter Susannah Luthi about the
Supreme Court punting consideration of a high-stakes legal challenge to
Obamacare. Plus, politics editor Charlie Mahtesian talks to Scott about
Bernie, Biden, and their long-simmering slap fight on Social Security.
playlist_add
Jan 23, 2020
Trump on trial: Un-Schiff-ting strategy
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
Senate impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters and
editors. Today: Ben Weyl talks Adam Schiff's background and strategy.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes.
playlist_add
Jan 22, 2020
Trump on trial: Senate factions
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
Senate impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters.
Today: Burgess Everett guides Scott through the Senate factions and
Nancy Cook takes the 30 second challenge.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes.
playlist_add
Jan 21, 2020
Trump on trial: Mitch McConnell
The Nerdcast goes daily with short episodes providing the most crucial
Senate impeachment trial updates with a stable of POLITICO reporters.
Today: Darren Samuelsohn guides Scott through day one.
Join us for a daily look at impeachment in under 10 minutes
playlist_add
Jan 17, 2020
How to run an impeachment trial
This week, Scott talks to polling expert Steven Shepard and House
campaign reporter Ally Mutnick about the latest 2020 election
developments. Plus, senior reporter Darren Samuelsohn joins us to walk
through exactly what to expect as the impeachment trial begins in the
Senate.
playlist_add
Jan 15, 2020
Sanders, Warren and the great debate over how to win
In this debate night special, Scott and senior politics editor Charlie
Mahtesian break down a disagreement between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth
Warren on trade -- and how that explains the two progressives' different
visions of how to win and how to govern.
playlist_add
Jan 10, 2020
Iran conflict shakes Washington
This week, Scott talks to foreign affairs correspondent Nahal Toosi and
deputy defense editor Dave Brown about the last week's worth of news of
the Iran conflict, where things stand now and the Pentagon's
inconsistent response.
Plus, political reporters Zach Montellaro and Holly Otterbein talk to
Scott about the small number of polls out in the field, who has
currently qualified for Tuesday's debate and what they're looking for on
the debate stage.
playlist_add
Jan 3, 2020
Four decades in politics - what's next?
In this New Years special, Scott and senior White House reporter Darren
Samuelsohn look back at the defining political moments of the 80s, 90s,
2000s and 2010s and then give their magic 8-ball a shake and talk about
what might happen in the 2020s.
playlist_add
Dec 27, 2019
Back next week!
We'll be back with a new episode next Friday, January 3rd.
playlist_add
Dec 20, 2019
Klobuchar strikes Buttigieg in fight for center
Scott and senior politics editor Charlie Mahtesian break down a key
moment in a battle of the moderates between Amy Klobuchar and Pete
Buttigieg. Plus, White House reporter Nancy Cook and deputy Congress
editor David Kihara talk the impeachment vote and what's coming next.
playlist_add
Dec 19, 2019
Debate week day 4: Moderating
Go inside the making of the December Democratic presidential debate with
POLITICO on this special edition of the Nerdcast. POLITICO debate
moderator Tim Alberta fills us in and chief Washington correspondent
Ryan Lizza and political reporter Laura Barrón-López talk about the lack
of diversity among the front-runners on the debate stage.
playlist_add
Dec 18, 2019
Debate week day 3: Playbook in LA
Go inside the making of the December Democratic presidential debate with
POLITICO on this special edition of the Nerdcast. POLITICO Playbook
co-author Anna Palmer talks to Scott from Los Angeles about impeachment,
which Democratic presidential candidates have the most friends in
Washington, and fundraising as a litmus test in the Democratic
presidential primary.
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Dec 17, 2019
Debate week day 2: The making of
Go inside the making of the December Democratic presidential debate with
Politico on this special edition of the Nerdcast.
POLITICO's editor Carrie Budoff Brown and PBS NewsHour's Executive
Producer Sara Just take us behind the scenes and explain all the
decisions that go into hosting a debate -- some large, some very small.
Plus, we chat with carpenter Bobby Rizzo as he builds the set for
Thursday.
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Dec 16, 2019
Debate week day 1: You didn't answer my question
Go inside the making of the December Democratic presidential debate with
Politico on this special edition of the Nerdcast. Scott talks to the
2020 campaign reporters covering the candidates on stage about what each
candidate's biggest challenge is heading into Thursday -- and the
question each one would most like to answer.
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Dec 13, 2019
A nightmare December and a 2020 tiff
The Nerdcast talks to POLITICO White House reporter Nancy Cook and
congress editor Ben Weyl about the chock-full December ahead: USMCA,
prescription drug pricing, a spending bill to avert a government
shutdown and, oh yeah, impeachment.
Plus, national political reporters Alex Thompson and Elena Schneider
talk to Scott about the tension between Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth
Warren and why things are heating up in the Democratic presidential
primary.
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Dec 6, 2019
Digging into Kamala's downfall and the demographics of 2020
The Nerdcast talks to POLITICO national political reporter Christopher
Cadelago about what went wrong in Kamala Harris' bid for president.
Plus, national political reporter Laura Barrón-López and reporting
fellow Maya King talk to Scott about the demographics on the campaign
trail -- why Cory Booker and Kamala Harris have struggled to make
inroads with black voters, Pete Buttigieg's failure to connect with
Latino and black voters and what the path to victory through South
Carolina and Nevada looks like.
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Nov 27, 2019
Prospective 'first gentlemen' on the campaign trail
The Nerdcast talks to POLITICO national political reporter Elena
Schneider about the 2020 husbands on the campaign trail. The Democratic
primary field is historic, with four women and a gay man running for
president - but they're running in a country where only three percent of
governors, the highest statewide executive office, have been women. That
can make things complicated for how to introduce a male spouse on the
campaign trail.
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Nov 22, 2019
What we learned in the impeachment hearings
The Nerdcast talks to POLITICO national security correspondent Natasha
Bertrand as she breaks down four major takeaways from this week's slew
of impeachment hearings.
Plus, politics reporter Daniel Strauss talks to Scott about Saturday's
governor race in Louisiana, where the Democratic incumbent narrowly kept
his seat.
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Nov 21, 2019
A can't-we-all-get-along debate
The Nerdcast breaks down an emblematic moment from Wednesday's
Democratic presidential debate -- a question about President Trump
highlighting a primary field determined, for the moment, to focus on
next year's general election instead of fighting among each other.
Guest hosted by Charlie Mahtesian with Massachusetts Playbook author
Stephanie Murray.
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Nov 15, 2019
The 2020 party crashers
The Nerdcast talks to POLITICO’s Nahal Toosi and Ben Weyl as the first
public impeachment hearing pulls the spotlight away from the campaign
trail and Democrats try to engage the public in the push to remove
President Donald Trump from office.
Plus, political reporter Stephanie Murray joins from Boston to discuss
the oddly expanding Democratic primary field, with Michael Bloomberg
dipping his toes in the water and Deval Patrick going for a full
cannonball into New Hampshire.
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Nov 8, 2019
Remember remember the fifth of November: breaking down Tuesday's election results
The Nerdcast talks to reporters Steven Shepard and Ally Mutnick about
the election day results out of Kentucky and Virginia, what those
results could mean for 2020 and how congressional maps are - or aren't -
changing.
Plus, campaign reporter Alex Thompson and healthcare reporter Alice
Ollstein delve into Elizabeth Warren's new whitepaper on her payment
plan for 'Medicare For All.'
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Nov 1, 2019
Ironman Sen. Kyrsten Sinema
The Nerdcast talks to ace congressional reporter Burgess Everett as he
introduces us to the independently minded Democratic senator irritating
the left and delighting the GOP: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
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Oct 25, 2019
Political nightmares and peering into the future
The Nerdcast gets into the Halloween spirit with White House reporters
Darren Samuelsohn and Gabby Orr, who entertain some future speculations
and sketch out political nightmare scenarios. What are the worst-case
fears for Democrats and Republicans heading into 2020?
Plus, senior legal affairs contributor Josh Gerstein joins Scott to talk
about Rudy Giuliani who continues to place himself at the center of the
Ukraine story.
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Oct 18, 2019
Money in the bank and the latest on impeachment
The Nerdcast nerds out with Maggie Severns and Zach Montellaro over the
campaigns releasing their Q3 fundraising numbers. Which candidates are
on top as they head into the most expensive part of the race so far and
whose coffers are in the danger zone?
Plus, Ben Weyl and Nahal Toosi join Scott to chat about what's new in
impeachment and who's who in the cast of characters testifying on the
Hill behind closed doors this week.
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Oct 16, 2019
Warren gets the front-runner treatment
We unpack a key moment of the latest Democratic presidential debate --
when the differences between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen.
Elizabeth Warren came into focus. POLITICO's Elena Schneider joins guest
host Charlie Mahtesian to break down what happened.
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Oct 10, 2019
Senator, is your refrigerator running? Sen. Graham's hoax calls with Russians
The Nerdcast has a stacked show this week as we get Natasha Bertrand to
take us inside two prank calls to Sen. Lindsey Graham that fly in the
face of his recent comments on Turkey, the Kurds and Syria.
Plus, Nancy Cook, Holly Otterbein and Daniel Strauss join guest host
Charlie Mahtesian to chat about what's new in impeachment and why next
week's Democratic debate might actually be kind of fun.
Please note this episode contains an explicit word.
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Oct 4, 2019
Impeachment and Iowa
The Nerdcast sits down with Politico's Nancy Cook and Ben Weyl to go
inside Trump's impeachment bunker and Pelosi's war room.
Plus, get up to speed on what's going on in 2020 land: Iowa. Elena
Schneider, Natasha Korecki and Charlie Mahtesian join Scott to chat
about the importance of Iowa, South Carolina, New Hampshire, and a local
steak fry.
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Sep 27, 2019
The moment that impeachment got real
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) helped kick off the latest phase of the
House Democrats' impeachment debate when she and six other moderate
members of Congress said that Donald Trump's contact with Ukraine could
constitute an impeachable offense.
She reflected on the weight of what that means in a raw and emotional
interview with POLITICO's Michael Kruse, and Michael joins the show to
share his observations. Plus: how'd we get here? POLITICO's Natasha
Bertrand takes us through the timeline.
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Sep 20, 2019
Trump's Turnberry resort and a zombie impeachment memo
The Nerdcast sits down with Politico's Natasha Bertrand and Ben
Shreckinger to find out what's going on at Turnberry, President Trump's
luxury golf resort in Scotland where the U.S. Air Force has lodged its
crews.
Plus, Darren Samuelsohn tells the story of a "zombie" congressional
impeachment memo: one that Hillary Clinton helped craft in 1974, was
used 20 years later as a blueprint in impeachment proceedings against
President Clinton and today has new life breathed into it during
impeachment discussions.
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Sep 13, 2019
Breaking down Castro vs Biden
The Nerdcast team breaks down a key moment from Thursday's democratic
presidential debate -- when former HUD Secretary Julian Castro took a
swipe at Joe Biden's memory.
Plus, a look at how Elizabeth Warren became Elizabeth Warren, and how
she made so many enemies in the Obama Administration in the process.
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Sep 6, 2019
Not the debate that climate activists wanted
On this episode of the Nerdcast with host Scott Bland: In a marathon
forum on climate change, Democratic contenders began to seek separation
from one another on the key issue. POLITICO energy reporter Kelsey
Tamborrino and national political reporter David Siders explain the
first signs of candidates weaponizing climate change in the primary
campaign. Plus, POLITICO national political reporter Chris Cadelago
explains how Kamala Harris won over the prominent voice of rapper 2 Live
Crew.