AirTalk dives into a full hour of political analysis on the latest news coming out of the White House, including the New York Times reporting Republican shadow campaigns for 2020. We also get updates on the Venezuela crisis; discuss the controversy surrounding HBO's "Confederate" show yet to be filmed; and more.
Week in politics: President Pence? Not so fast. Plus, more sanctions for North Korea and a DOJ crackdown on leaks
Sure, the 2020 presidential election is still more than three years away.
But when has it ever been too early for election watchers to start looking at possible candidates for the next presidential election? The New York Times ran a piece on Saturday looking at who might be positioning him or herself for a run, one of whom they say is Vice President Mike Pence. The vice president rebuked the story in a statement he
My statement regarding the absurd @NYtimes article. pic.twitter.com/htvYSbS2dy
— Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) August 6, 2017
on Sunday, pledging his loyalty to the president. Still, it raises questions about whether anyone will raise their hand to run against the president in 2020.
In response to North Korea’s most recent missile test, the U.N. Security Council approved a new package of sanctions on the reclusive nation, which responded by threatening retaliation and bolstering its nuclear program if sanctions weren’t lifted. This comes as some are questioning Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s diplomatic tactics and at a time when, back here in the U.S., the State Department is dealing with its own internal issues.
Back stateside, the Department of Justice says it plans to crack down on information leaks by ramping up its internal probes into ones that it feels may have compromised national security. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions held a press conference Friday condemning the leaks and promising those who were responsible would be held accountable. On Monday, the DOJ got word it was being hit with a lawsuit from the city of Chicago. It argues that DOJ’s threat to withhold federal funds from so-called sanctuary cities is unconstitutional.
We’ll also look into the task ahead for the president’s chief of staff, General John Kelly, as he tries to stabilize a chaotic White House, what special counsel Robert Mueller’s grand jury means and whether Nancy Pelosi could be a liability for Democrats in 2018, an idea that California Governor Jerry Brown rejected on Sunday.
Guests:
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies; he is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008 and tweets
, Republican political analyst and partner at Wilson Walsh Consulting in San Francisco; he is a former adviser to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and a former White House staffer for Presidents Reagan and H.W. Bush
Checking in on the Venezuela political crisis
Unrest in Venezuela continues more than a week after the establishment of a new constitutional assembly to rewrite the country’s constitution.
The controversial new assembly, which was created in a nationwide vote that critics slammed as illegitimate, has powers above all other branches of government. Over the weekend, the assembly removed the country’s chief prosecutor -- an outspoken critic of President Nicolas Maduro, fulfilling one of its promise to weed out opposition against President Nicolas Maduro.
A strike against a group of anti-government fighters at a military base in Venezuela also took place over the weekend. About 20 people broke into the based in the city of Valencia on Sunday morning, with an intent to start a military uprising, according to President Maduro.
Guests:
Daniel Pardo, BBC correspondent in Caracas, Venezuela who’s been following the story; he tweets
Jennifer McCoy, a professor of Political Science at Georgia State University, where one of her areas of focus is Latin American politics; she is also co-author of the book, “International Mediation in Venezuela” (United States Institute of Peace, 2011)
How does HBO’s ‘Confederate’ compare with past controversial TV and film?
HBO has a new show called “Confederate,” which gives the audience a look at what life would be like if the Confederacy had won the Civil War, and slavery was never abolished.
While the show is still in the early stages of production, protests have already started. The showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who are also showrunner “Game of Thrones,” have taken criticism from the public over their lack of diverse casting for GOT. Nichelle Tramble Spellman and Malcolm Spellman have been recruited to write “Confederate,” but how they handle the delicate subject matter remains to be seen. How do you feel about the idea behind “Confederate”? Is slavery a topic that should be off limits in this context? Where do you draw the line as an audience member when choosing controversial shows?
Guest:
Debra Birnbaum, executive editor for TV at Variety Magazine; she wrote the Variety article, “HBO on #NoConfederate Campaign: ‘We Hope People Will Reserve Judgment’”
Let’s be blunt: What attractions would you like featured at a cannabis tourist site?
The Arizona-based cannabis product maker, American Green Inc., just bought a small town in San Bernardino County for a cool $5 million.
Why, you ask? The company plans to use the 150 acre city of Nipton, California to create a marijuana-friendly tourist site. As reported by Bloomberg News, features for the site will include offering cannabis-infused water, pot product retail stores and edibles for patrons. American Green’s 18 month, $1.5 million development plan is a unique strategy in expanding its recreational pot customer base. And as businesses acclimate California’s new market for recreational pot, this could be the first of many innovative ways to market to potential customers, especially those who don’t usually partake.
In light of an upcoming “pot town,” AirTalk is opening up the phones to hear what you would want in a cannabis tourist site. Super-slow roller coasters? A Northern Lights display? Deep fried everything? We want your ideas. Call us at 866-583-5722.