Archives for January 2020

The State of the Media

January 31, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “The State of the Media” on Spreaker.

Good luck finding a cable news outlet, newspaper, or online news site that doesn’t have a fairly obvious bias on issues ranging from impeachment to the strike that killed Gen. Soleimani to the state of our economy.

Bias has been an issue for decades but now objectivity seems to be an endangered species. How did we get this way?

In this interview with Greg Corombos, Accuracy in Media Pres. Adam Guillette describes the drastic change in media over the past several years and how media fragmentation plays a major role in that.

Guillette also discusses what media accuracy ought to look like and whether it is fair for President Trump to call some journalists purveyors of “fake news.” Finally, Guillette discusses how to fight back against false stories and which journalists he thinks get it right most of the time.

Brexit Day, Dems Cry Foul on Witnesses, Delaney’s Odd Departure

January 31, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “Brexit Day, Dems Cry Foul on Witnesses, Delaney’s Odd Departure” on Spreaker.

The weekend is almost here! Kick it off right with the Friday Three Martini Lunch. Join Jim and Greg as they celebrate the United Kingdom finally exiting the European Union Friday. They also discuss the latest impeachment news and how Democratic senators have already decided that Trump won’t really be acquitted unless they get to call new witnesses at the trial. They’re left scratching their heads as Democrat John Delaney ends a two-and-a-half year presidential campaign just three days before people finally start voting. And in a Super Bowl pitting the 49’ers and the Chiefs, Jim still finds a way to root against the Patriots.

Mitch Has the Votes, Warren’s Speech Police, PETA vs. Punxsutawney

January 30, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “Mitch Has the Votes, Warren’s Speech Police, PETA vs. Punxsutawney” on Spreaker.

We’re talking impeachment, criminalizing speech, and fake groundhogs on Thursday’s Three Martini Lunch. Join Jim and Greg as they roll their eyes at most questions being asked by senators in the impeachment trial and then discuss how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suddenly seems to have the votes needed to end the push for more witnesses and end the trial soon. Even though it’ll never happen, they also cringe as Elizabeth Warren panders for more votes by promising to impose civil and criminal penalties for online platforms that publish what she considers to be disinformation. And they have a lot of fun with PETA’s absurd demands that famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil be freed from the cruelty of his annual duties and be replaced with an animatronic groundhog equipped with artificial intelligence. But despite the lunacy, Jim sees some room for common ground!

McCarthy Dissects Senate Impeachment Questions, Bolton Revelations

January 29, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “McCarthy Dissects Senate Impeachment Questions, Bolton Revelations” on Spreaker.

On Wednesday, the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump shifted to a new phase, with senators asking questions of the lawyers on both sides of the case. But did we get some insightful and pertinent questions or was it mostly political grandstanding? And did we learn anything new?

In this podcast, former federal prosecutor Andrew C. McCarthy tackles those questions and also dives into the controversy over former National Security Adviser John Bolton allegedly confirming Trump demanded Ukraine launch investigations in exchange for military aid from the U.S. And McCarthy offers a way to give both sides what they want with respect to Bolton without extending the trial any longer than necessary.

Former Commerce Secretary Barbara Franklin Talks Trade Deals

January 29, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “Former Commerce Secretary Barbara Franklin Talks Trade Deals” on Spreaker.

It’s been a busy stretch for highly touted trade deals. The Trump administration already completed new trade agreements with Japan and South Korea.

Last week, the Senate followed the House of Representatives in approving the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement, also known as USMCA, which President Trump signed on Wednesday. In addition, President Trump also signed phase one of a new trade framework with China.

But how good is USMCA? What are the biggest changes compared to the North American Free Trade Agreement? Why is this a big win for the auto industry? And what impact will the new environmental rules have?

Former Commerce Secretary Barbara Franklin played a key role in negotiating and advancing the North American Free Trade agreement in the 1990’s. She explains why it was right to renegotiate and why she thinks the USMCA is an improvement in most cases.

Franklin also sizes up phase one of the China trade deal and what U.S. priorities ought to be in the remainder of the talks.

Undecided Dems, Bankrolling China’s Aggression, Scott Prepping for 2024?

January 29, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “Undecided Dems, Bankrolling China’s Aggression, Scott Prepping for 2024?” on Spreaker.

Big votes are coming soon on impeachment and in Iowa. Join Jim and Greg as they dive into reports suggesting three Senate Democrats are torn between convicting and acquitting President Trump. But will any of them actually buck their party? They also shudder at reports that the head of the Harvard chemistry department took taxpayer-funded research grants, only to pass his discoveries along to the Chinese for a very handsome sum of money – and he’s not alone. And while Jim generally gives high marks to Florida Sen. Rick Scott, he is exasperated to see Scott launching ads in Iowa which most analysts see as a thinly veiled preview of a 2024 White House bid.

Dems Suddenly Fear Bernie, Bogus Bolton Takes, CNN Mocks Trump Voters

January 28, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “Dems Suddenly Fear Bernie, Bogus Bolton Takes, CNN Mocks Trump Voters” on Spreaker.

Jim is back and shares the highly entertaining albeit frustrating tale of the high-maintenance passenger on his return trip from California. After detailing that saga, Jim and Greg are immensely entertained by national Democrats realizing only now what a train wreck of a nominee Bernie Sanders would be and scrambling to make sure he’s not the nominee. They also weigh in on the latest political and media reaction to John Bolton allegedly confirming a quid pro quo with Ukraine, and while they admit there are grounds for debating Bolton’s tactics in recent months, the accusations he was never a conservative are ludicrous. And they unload on CNN, Don Lemon, and former Republican strategist Rick Wilson for their sneering mockery of Trump voters.

Toensing: Bolton’s Revelation Irrelevant

January 27, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “Toensing: Bolton’s Revelation Irrelevant” on Spreaker.

Washington is abuzz with the news that former National Security Adviser John Bolton plans to state in his upcoming book that President Trump ordered him not to release military aid to Ukraine until it agreed to conduct the investigations he requested into the 2016 campaign.

But while some in the nation’s capital say this amounts to a smoking gun of a quid pro quo, former Justice Department official and former federal prosecutor Victoria Toensing says the revelations doesn’t matter at all.

“It matters NOT AT ALL what @realDonaldTrump told John Bolton. We do not prosecute people for thoughts or words. Only for conduct. Ukraine got aid but did not announce investigation. Nothing wrong there. #maga2020,” tweeted Toensing.

In this podcast, Toensing explains why she believes threatening to withhold foreign aid is standard practice in dealing with foreign nations and she does not believe President Trump did anything out of the ordinary.

Toensing also shares why she believes this saga had nothing to do with 2020 and everything to do with 2016.

Bolton’s Big Moment, Do Endorsements Matter? D.C Yawns at Impeachment

January 27, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “Bolton’s Big Moment, Do Endorsements Matter? D.C Yawns at Impeachment” on Spreaker.

Chad Benson, host of “The Chad Benson Show,” fills in for Jim, who will be back on Tuesday. Today, Chad explains what the loss of Kobe Bryant means to the people of southern California before he and Greg dive into three crazy martinis. First, they react to the news that former National Security Adviser John Bolton apparently wrote in his forthcoming book that President Trump ordered him to hold off on releasing military aid to Ukraine until Ukraine launched the investigations he wanted. Is this a major wrinkle in the impeachment saga, a book-selling gimmick, or something in between? They also discuss the Des Moines Register endorsing Elizabeth Warren and the Union Leader in New Hampshire backing Amy Klobuchar and ask whether endorsements really matter anymore. While on the topic they also explore whether Warren still has a chance or whether her campaign is out of gas but media insist on propping her up. Finally, they get a kick out of a Fox 5 poll in Washington, showing the nation’s capital is either bored by the impeachment trial or just not interested in it.

The Greatest Threat Arising from the Impeachment Trial

January 25, 2020 by GregC

Listen to “The Greatest Threat Arising from the Impeachment Trial” on Spreaker.

Friday wraps up the opening statements from the House Democrats serving as impeachment managers, and while they argue President Trump must be removed from office on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, one expert contends the rationale given for not leaving the matter up to the voters is far more frightening than anything Trump allegedly did.

On Wednesday, lead impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., laid out why the Senate must act to remove Trump ahead of the November elections.

“The president’s misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box, for we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won,” said Schiff.

That has Dr. Matthew Spalding, dean of Hillsdale College’s Van Andel School of Government, very concerned.

“This is not about the technical impeachment in the Senate. They’re playing to public opinion. They’re playing for that election either way,” said Spalding, who then offered how he believes Schiff and his allies are setting up the rest of this political year.

“‘(They’re thinking) If We remove him, that’d be great.’ That’s not going to happen, but that’s what the issue is. ‘And if we’re not, how do we set it up so we weaken him in the election, but also if he goes on to win we can still maintain the argument that was illegitimate.’ That’s why this is all very dangerous for constitutional governance,” said Spalding.

In this conversation with Greg Corombos, Spalding also walks through what the founders meant by “high crimes and misdemeanors,” where the Constitution comes down on the Senate rules fight, and whether the parties would hold the exact opposite opinions if the party of the president were different.