Rational Radio Daily With Steele And Ungar

Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) shut down the federal government Thursday night—albeit briefly—by holding up a procedural vote over a short-term spending bill that funds the government through March 23. One of Senator Paul's concerns was the massive increase in spending caps. Many in the media and on Capitol Hill criticized Paul’s grandstanding after he voted for the GOP tax bill that added $1.5 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years. During the Obama years, Republicans routinely railed against raising the deficit. So what changed? Michael and Rick discuss Senator Paul's speech and whether this was the last gasps of the pre-Trump GOP. Dave Weigel, national political reporter for the Washington Post, talks about the Democrats picking up some victories and big pharma taking some losses in the latest spending bill.

Over a year into the Trump presidency, many are wondering why so many people, from evangelicals to congressmen and senators, are giving President Trump’s behavior a pass and why previous detractors are now aboard the Trump train. Ben Shapiro, editor-in-chief of DailyWire.com and host of the Ben Shapiro show, chalks it up to the extreme cognitive dissonance his supporters experience between the president’s policies and his character. He joins Michael and Rick to address the “cult of Trump”. The guys wonder why the Trump White House has hired and supported men who allegedly harassed and assaulted women.

Allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct in the wake of the activism and action of the #MeToo movement have had profound effects on Capitol Hill, ending the political careers of at least seven congressmen and one senator. The departures of Senator Al Franken and Representative John Conyers (D-MI) were much more drawn out compared to the plethora of quick dismissals in the entertainment industry. In November of last year, NBC reporter Katy Tur drew attention to the difference on 'Meet The Press Daily', saying, “We have a different set of standards for everybody else and for politicians…For men in politics, there is a ‘Oh wait, hold on. Which side of the aisle is this?’” Congress recently took action to try and rectify its record on sexual misconduct when the House passed a comprehensive package of rules and regulations to improve accountability. Amber Phillips of the Washington Post breaks down what’s in the bill and how people hope it will help stamp out sexual harassment and misconduct on the Hill. Mi

After Congressman Devin Nunes' (R-Calif. 22) memo on alleged FISA Court abuses was publicly released last week, the House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously Monday night to send the Democrats' version of the memo to the White House where it now awaits President Trump’s approval for declassification. As the partisan push-and-pull continues over these memos, cooler heads on Capitol Hill are pointing out the rank hypocrisy on both sides of the aisle. Jack Hunter, editor of Rare Politics, breaks down some of the most blatant hypocrisy coming out of the Capitol building. Michael and Rick discuss the potential for a government shutdown Thursday night and why President Trump seems so gung-ho to shut down DC.

Conservatives were triumphant over the release of Congressman Devin Nunes’ (R-Calif. 22) controversial memo detailing alleged FISA Court abuses. However, by Sunday morning, some of those Republicans, like House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C. 4), broke with the White House and Republican leadership’s narrative that this memo revealed some kind of rot in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Former South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis discusses his thoughts on the memo and why he believes there was much more to the FISA proceedings than Nunes detailed. Fox Business reporter Adam Shapiro talks about the stock market’s precipitous plunge and whether we’re headed for a market correction.

Congressman Devin Nunes’ (R-CA 22) controversial memo on alleged abuse by the FISA court was declassified and made available to the public today. The reactions are split between outrage and indignation from conservative pundits and politicians who believe the memo is proof of partisan bias in the FBI and intelligence community and outrage and indignation from liberals who believe the memo is a partisan “nothing burger” and a waste of time. Congressman Will Hurd (R-Texas 23), a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, voted for the memo to be declassified and released. Rep. Hurd defends the memo, Congress’ right to exercise oversight and the real, substantive issues in the ongoing Russia investigation. Michael and Rick discuss whether the memo's release will have consequences for Paul Ryan’s reputation and whether it has irreparably damaged the relationship between Congress and the intelligence community.

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif. 28), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, claims that Congressman Devin Nunes (R-Calif. 22), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, not only sent an altered version of his memo on alleged FISA court abuses to the White House, but also collaborated with White House staff on the alterations. Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Justice Department officials, and FBI Director Christopher Wray have warned the Trump administration about the damage that releasing the memo would cause. Daniel Lippman, co-author of the POLITICO Playbook newsletter, discusses how this document is causing Washington to tear itself apart at the seams. Michael Steele explains why so many Republican congressmen won't seek re-election in 2018 and reminds listeners that how hard the coming "Blue Wave" hits is still to be determined.

Earlier this month, The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler and Meg Kelly reported that President Donald Trump made over 2,000 “false or misleading claims” during his first year in the White House. With that number in mind, many pundits and politicians wondered whether his first State of the Union address would hold up under the scrutiny of fact-checkers. Angie Holan, editor of PolitiFact, talks about how her team fact-checks the president and how they sort through the facts, fictions and gray areas. Michael and Rick discuss Democratic Congressman Joe Kennedy III’s rebuttal to President Trump's State of the Union. Does he have the right message and is he the right messenger for the Dems ahead of the 2018 midterms?

What goes into writing a State of the Union address? How does the president convey policy goals to speechwriters? How are they translated into prose? How does a president become comfortable delivering such an important speech in someone else’s words? Paul Glastris, current editor-in-chief of Washington Monthly, wrote quite a few State of the Union speeches while he was serving as senior speechwriter to President Bill Clinton. He gives Rick and Michael a masterclass in presidential speechwriting and a peek at all the work that goes into constructing the “organizing document of an administration”. Nick Johnston, editor-in-chief of Axios, discusses the impact that Congressman Devin Nunes’ memo on potential FISA abuses is having on discourse inside the Beltway.

It seems almost impossible these days to think of an issue which inspires universal consensus from both Republicans and Democrats. However, the Trump administration’s blueprint for nationalizing the 5G mobile network—revealed in a leaked White House memo—is being panned by officials across the federal government. Julian Sanchez, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, said the opposition to the 5G nationalization is almost unanimous, stating, “It’s not just Ajit Pai. It’s the entire FCC Board of Commissioners, Republicans and Democrats. All put out statements saying we don’t think this is a good idea.” Sanchez discusses why the FCC and so many others around Capitol Hill are opposed to nationalizing the 5G network. Michael and Rick discuss a Washington Monthly study showing that voter participation increases when you allow more people to vote from home.

Renato Mariotti, former federal prosecutor and current candidate for Attorney General of Illinois, wrote in POLITICO Magazine this week that the "case against [President] Trump has grown stronger in recent months, and it now appears likely that Mueller will conclude that Trump obstructed justice". Mariotti makes the case that the president's antagonistic attitude and behavior towards figures like James Comey, Jeff Sessions and special counsel Robert Mueller signals a real possibility of success for Mueller’s obstruction case. Mariotti discusses Mueller’s possible next moves and how President Trump could brace for and protect himself against the coming legal storm. Missouri Senate hopeful Courtland Sykes and his fiancé, Chanel Rion, a noted political illustrator, expand upon his highly controversial statements about radical feminists and traditional family values. 

President Trump arrived in Davos, Switzerland this week to tout his “America First” message in front of the World Economic Forum. Many pundits wondered how the president’s nationalist theme would play at a gathering of top economic and business leaders from around the world. Michael and Rick shared their thoughts on President Trump’s Davos debut and some of the puzzling statements from members of the Trump administration during the summit. Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas 01) discussed his concerns about corruption and abuse of authority in the FBI and Department of Justice.

Much of the Democratic base has voiced its ire over how Senate Democrats handled the government shutdown. They claim that senators should have held out longer and kept the government shutdown going until they were able to extract a suitable solution for DACA out of congressional Republicans and President Trump. Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution and former state senator in Ohio, voices some of the Left's problems with the Democrats' handling of the government shutdown. Michael and Rick discuss a recent report alleging that President Trump asked then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe how he voted in the 2016 election. Was it an appropriate question for the president to ask, and why does Trump seem to sometimes ignore the more traditional respect for the separation of powers?

President Trump joined a chorus of conservative voices in both Congress and the media that are trying to discredit the Mueller investigation, tweeting, “In one of the biggest stories in a long time, the FBI now says it is missing five months worth of lovers Strzok-Page texts, perhaps 50,000.” According to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the FBI cannot find a record of some 50,000 texts between the two FBI employees. Many Republicans are comparing this incident to Hillary Clinton’s deleted emails. Is this story as big as the president makes it out to be? Ron Hosko, former assistant director of the FBI, gives us his perspective on the story. Michael and Rick discuss why so many evangelicals give President Trump a mulligan on his moral shortcomings on everything from having an affair with a porn star to his support of an alleged pedophile.

Michael and Rick go beyond the blame game in tonight's podcast and analyze the government shutdown. Michael Steel, a political consultant and former press secretary to Speaker of the House John Boehner, joins the guys to talk about at how we got here, how the shutdown is playing in the polls and how it could affect the 2018 midterms.

The House Freedom Caucus, a coalition of conservative congressmen from across the country, is known for being made up of extreme deficit hawks and being fiercely conservative to the point of holding up or blocking more mainstream Republican legislation. They infamously ousted John Boehner from his position as Speaker of the House. Washington politicos were shocked on Thursday when the HFC voted in favor of the budget deal offered by House Republican leadership. Alex Bolton, senior reporter for The Hill, shares his insight on whether the HFC capitulated or is playing the long game. Ken Klukowski, legal editor for Breitbart News, talks about the Department of Health and Human services’ new office of “Conscience and Religious Freedom”.

One of then-candidate Donald Trump’s major talking points on the campaign trail was to take better care of our veterans. Is President Trump’s administration living up to that campaign promise one year into his presidency? Sarah Verardo, executive director of the Independence Fund, a national nonprofit that serves wounded veterans, talks about how Congress could be doing more to help our veterans and active military members. Pastor Johnny Morrison of the Missio Dei Church in Utah discusses how politics have corrupted faith in the American evangelical community.

Republican House leaders pitched a budget deal Tuesday night in order to avoid a government shutdown when the clock strikes midnight on Friday. This continuing resolution includes six years of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to appease Democrats and delays on certain Obamacare taxes to appease members of the House Freedom Caucus. Michael and Rick debate whether Congress will agree to this or whether a government shutdown is all but inevitable. Kyle Cheney, reporter for POLITICO’s “Campaign Pro”, talks about Steve Bannon’s testimony on the Russia investigation that irked the House Intelligence Committee.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued guidance this past week allowing states to require Medicaid beneficiaries to work, volunteer or enter job training. Republicans argue that such work requirements for Medicaid will help get people back on their feet and in the job market and workforce. Democrats argue that work requirements are contrary to the principles of Medicaid. Katherine Hayes, health policy director for the Bipartisan Policy Center, gives a centrist perspective on the Medicaid work requirements and the growth of uninsured Americans under the Trump administration. Michael and Rick debate whether President Trump should have responded in a different way to the false alarm missile test in Hawaii over the weekend.

Chris Kutarna, co-author of the book “Age of Discovery: Navigating the Storms of Our Second Renaissance,” notes that divided times--like the one we're in now-- have often been a precursor to a time of great change. The last significant moment of such change was the Renaissance. Kutarna believes another renaissance is coming soon. He explains his theory to Rick and Michael and says why impeaching President Trump would be devastating to the world. David Safavian, deputy director of the American Conservative Union Foundation’s Center for Criminal Justice Reform, talks about the White House’s recent summit on criminal justice reform and how the ACU is pursuing meaningful change.