Mike & Jay kick off the show with a look at what seems to be the “it’s only a matter of time” Russian invasion of Ukraine. Jay thinks that the Biden administration’s approach has been very good to this point, while Mike attempts to present the non-interventionist, “America First” case for staying out of Russia’s (and possibly China’s) spheres of influence.
Then it’s on to two lawsuits - the first being the Department of Justice’s suit against Missouri’s “Second Amendment Protection Act” and the second Texas’s suit against the CDC for the federal travel hub mask mandate. Mike & Jay agree that Missouri doesn’t get to nullify federal law, and that their law is almost certain to fall. They think Texas may have a stronger case on the mask mandate, but that it’s important to separate what may be good public policy from what’s within the power of a government agency to do absent specific congressional authorization.
Following that, they look at a pretrial motion filed by Special Counsel John Durham in his investigation of the federal government’s investigation of Russian influence in the 2016 elections. They agree that the allegations are serious, but that it’s easy to reach bad conclusions so early in the process.
The show winds up with discussion of “prestige television”, class, and politics followed by an appreciation of the late P. J. O’Rourke, and then some thoughts on ballot harvesting.
Jay’s Recommendation
The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin. Gordon Wood
Mike’s Recommendations
A Mencken Chrestomathy and Notes on Democracy. H. L. Mencken
The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt
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Is Biden Toast?, Tlaib Censure, Gun Rights, Saving Journalism?
Manchin Out, No Labels, OH KY VA Elections, GOP Debate
Disqualifying Trump, Social Media Blocking, Tuberville’s Fight, The ACA at 10
Israel and Hamas, Biden’s A.I. Order, Election Integrity
UAW and Ford, Ellis Plea, Trump Gag Orders, States Sue Meta, Lewiston
Speaker Mike Johnson, Israel and Hamas
Georgia Election Case, Menendez Charges, Presidential Race, Biden and the Media
Israel and Hamas, House Speaker Fight
Jay Talks with Rep. Jim Jordan (2017)
The Constitution: The Bill of Rights
The Gaza Strip, House Speaker
Steve Inskeep on Lincoln’s Leadership in Turbulent Times
Unconstitutional Agencies, Credit Card Competition, In Praise of Idleness
McCarthy Out, California’s New Senator, Supreme Court Back, Trump Civil Case
Lainey Newman on Rust Belt Union Blues
The Constitution: Article VII
Feinstein, GOP Debate, House Shutdown, NY Fraud Case, Alabama
Heather Cox Richardson on the State of American Democracy
Paxton Acquittal, NCAA Legislation, Senate Dress Code, Masterson Rape Conviction
Shutdown Politics, Garland Testimony, PA Voter Registration
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