James and Al are joined by Pete Buttigieg’s Senior Communications Advisor Lis Smith for a conversation about her career journey as a political veteran, how to succeed on the campaign trail, and what to look for when you pick a candidate. They

War & Peace with General John Allen

2 days ago 1h 15m

James and Al game out Trump’s prosecution, reluctantly give credit to Speaker Johnson, and castigate the SCOTUS, before welcoming retired General John Allen to discuss our place in world affairs. They look at the effects of the foreign aid pac

Convicting Trump & Finding The Center with Fred Wertheimer & Billy Ray

9 days ago 1h 20m

James and Al dive into Congress’ handling of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and analyze the politically transformative effects of Dobbs on the Republican party. Then they welcome legal expert Fred Wertheimer to discuss the progr

Supreme Allied Commander for The War On Women - Senator Tina Smith

16 days ago 1h 7m

James and Al decry Islamophobia and welcome MN Senator Tina Smith to discuss foreign relations and the Dobbs decision’s role in our politics. Following anti-abortion revanchism under the Comstock Act and extreme restrictions in red states, the

The Court & The Constitution with Justice Stephen Breyer

23 days ago 1h 21m

James and Al critique coastal elitism, explore how the Israel-Gaza war ends, and welcome Justice Breyer to discuss the role of the Supreme Court and its judges. They compare textualism and pragmatism using Justice Scalia as a foil, weigh the f

March Madness with John Feinstein

1 month ago 1h 26m

James and Al take Rep. Jim Jordan to task for continuing to spew lies about the 2020 election and review the status of Trump’s many trials, their possible outcomes, and their effect on the race. They also debate what NBC’s firing of Ronna McDa

Pestilence and War with Admiral James Stavridis and Dr. Cornelia Griggs

Mar 21st, 2024 1h 22m

James and Al tear into the Orban government and analyze Trump’s influence on the Ohio Senate race before welcoming Admiral James Stavridis to discuss the global military landscape. They explore strategies for success in the Ukraine-Russia and

Pestilence and War with Admiral James Stavridis and Dr. Cornelia Griggs

Mar 21st, 2024 1h 12m

Rural Rage with Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman

Mar 14th, 2024 1h 7m

James and Al destroy the RNC and Senator Katie Britt’s SOTU response, before welcoming authors of “White Rural Rage” Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman for a demographic deep dive. They expose the disproportionate influence of rural White voters, a

Biden’s Last Campaign with Evan Osnos

Mar 7th, 2024 1h 8m

James and Al give their take on Super Tuesday and the impact of a Trump conviction, before welcoming journalist Evan Osnos. They analyze Biden’s electoral prospects and the validity of the polls, looking at how his personality has changed, whe

Greedflation with Senator Bob Casey

Feb 29th, 2024 1h 5m

James and Al expose the hypocrisy of Jim Jordan and Matt Schlapp and welcome PA Senator Bob Casey. They discuss the role of President Biden in down ballot elections, what it will take to win in PA, and the issues most important to voters. The

Putin, Trump & Lincoln with Sidney Blumenthal

Feb 22nd, 2024 1h 28m

James and Al skewer the radical Republicans complicit in the events of J6 and welcome former presidential advisor and Lincoln biographer Sidney Blumenthal. They shut down the corruption allegations targeting President Biden, discuss the captur

Catching A Supreme Court Case with Professor Pam Karlan

Feb 15th, 2024 1h 11m

James and Al celebrate the Democrats win of George Santos’ seat, blast Republicans for stopping the border bill, take on Robert Hur, and welcome law professor Pam Karlan. They discuss what will go into the SCOTUS rulings on Trump’s immunity an

The New York Times with Adam Nagourney

Feb 8th, 2024 1h 1m

James and Al fire off on the continuing MAGA takeover of the Republican Party that led to the scuttling of the Democrats’ national security and immigration bill, and welcome NYT journalist Adam Nagourney. They discuss the role of The New York

From The Civil War To The Middle East w/ Professor Sean Wilentz and Indira Lakshmanan

Feb 1st, 2024 1h 30m

James and Al break down the border battle and skewer Republican attacks on Taylor Swift, before welcoming historian Sean Wilentz. They discuss the best media practices for covering Trump, recent parallels to the Civil War, the role the SCOTUS

Democratic Rebels with Joshua Green

Jan 25th, 2024 1h 12m

James and Al analyze the New Hampshire primary results and lay out the evidence of the Republican Party’s capitulation to Trump. Then, they welcome journalist Joshua Green to explore how the combination of the 2008 financial crisis and pandemi

After Iowa

Jan 18th, 2024 57m 55s

James and Al dive into the state of the race after the Iowa caucus by examining the performances of the candidates and the role of third parties before welcoming Rep. Rosa DeLauro. They game out the upcoming budget battle facing the divided Co

Iowa Caucus Kickoff with Jill Abramson

Jan 11th, 2024 1h 12m

James and Al dive into the upcoming primaries, the budget battle being waged by Speaker Johnson, and the intensifying debate around border policy. Then, they welcome former executive editor of The New York Times, Jill Abramson, to consider the

Polling Prognostication with Fred Yang & Jim Gerstein

Jan 4th, 2024 1h 39m

James and Al skewer so-called family values Republicans after recent scandals and welcome polling experts Fred Yang and Jim Gerstein. They dive into the weak numbers being put up by the Biden campaign, analyzing what’s bringing them down, the

And A Happy New Year

Dec 28th, 2023 1h 9m

James and Al welcome Stanford Law’s Pam Karlan, academy member George Stevens, and economic maven Roger Altman to get their takes on the year ahead in their field of expertise. In the financial arena, they cover the importance of the economy to

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Dec 21st, 2023 1h

In this special holiday episode, James and Al take Netanyahu to task for his failures and welcome their spouses Judy Woodruff and Mary Matalin. They explore the causes driving the partisan divisions that have come to define our politics, inclu

The State of the Nation

Dec 14th, 2023 49m 26s

James and Al analyze the ominous poll numbers confronting President Biden, dissect the issues driving them, and try to find the way forward. They also compare his support with Trump’s, and look ahead to the effects of the ongoing criminal case

Religion & Speech with Professor Marci Hamilton

Dec 7th, 2023 1h 11m

James and Al tear apart the premise and political opportunism of the renewed attempt to impeach President Biden, and welcome Professor Marci Hamilton for a wide ranging conversation about religion and speech. They break down how the lowering o

Evangelicals and Extremism with Tim Alberta

Nov 30th, 2023 1h 37m

James and Al share how Hunter Biden has outmaneuvered the partisan investigations of his family, give an update on the Republican primary, and welcome journalist Tim Alberta to discuss the modern evangelical movement and its alliance with Trump

The Day The President Was Shot

Nov 23rd, 2023 1h 13m

James and Al discuss the Israel-Hamas cease fire, give tribute to Rosalynn Carter, and welcome Judge John Tunheim on the anniversary of JFK’s assassination. They dive into his work reviewing the confidential documents that were released, and w