Today on AirTalk, we talk to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva about the Board of Supervisors motion to potentially remove him. Also on the show, we look at what's next for Republican party post-Trump; break down the Democratic party's future; and more.
LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva Responds To Board Of Supervisors Vote To Explore Ways To Reduce His Power
Tuesday on AirTalk, Los Angeles County Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Janice Hahn joined Larry Mantle to discuss the Board’s 3-2 vote on Tuesday to explore options to remove Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva from his office. Supervisor Ridley-Thomas, who introduced the motion, told us that they are not currently seeking to remove anyone from their position but said that the board was doing its due diligence “as to what the appropriate and/or legal methods would be...to explore returning governance to a more rational place rather than the internal conflict that has presented itself over and over again by the sheriff of Los Angeles County.” Supervisor Janice Hahn, who was one of the two votes against the motion, said that she believes voters should continue to elect their sheriffs. “If voters feel like they’ve been misled or let down, or if the sheriff is engaging in improper behavior, they have the tools to recall him,” she said.
Today on AirTalk, Sheriff Villanueva joins Larry to respond to the supervisors’ vote and more.
Guests:
Alex Villanueva, Los Angeles County sheriff; he tweets
KPCC correspondent; he tweets
What’s The Future Of The GOP Post-Trump?
In backing President Donald Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, Republicans risk leaving millions of Americans with the false impression that the results of the 2020 race are illegitimate.
And that may be the point.
None of Trump’s legal challenges and assertions of voting irregularities has revealed any substantive issues with the election that would overturn the results. And some GOP lawmakers and party officials privately acknowledge that Trump has no choice but to step aside by Jan. 20 and cede power to President-elect Joe Biden.
Which leaves us asking, what will be the future of the GOP after Trump? Or will there even be an “after Trump” or is he the new direction of the GOP? What’s the best strategy for the Republican party going forward?
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Mike Madrid, co-founder of the Lincoln Project and Republican political strategist for the Sacramento-based public affairs firm GrassrootsLab; he tweets
Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy and senior fellow at The Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University; he tweets
What’s At Stake With The Two Senate Runoff Races In Georgia?
Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff will face off in a Jan. 5 runoff in Georgia for Perdue’s Senate seat, one of two high-profile contests in the state that could determine which party controls the upper chamber.Libertarian candidate Shane Hazel was able to get enough votes so that neither Perdue nor Ossoff cleared the 50% threshold needed for an outright win.
Thousands of absentee ballots and in-person votes cast early needed to be counted after Election Night passed, forcing a long and tense wait before the race could be called. Democrat Raphael Warnock and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, the Republican appointed last year after Sen. Johnny Isakson retired, will also compete in a runoff on the same day. The twin races in Georgia are likely to settle which party controls the Senate. Nationally, the Senate stands at 46 Democrat seats and 50 Republican seats. But Republicans lead uncalled races in Alaska and North Carolina, so the ultimate balance is likely to come down to what happens in the Georgia runoffs. Today on AirTalk, we talk with a reporter to learn more about the candidates and what’s at stake. Do you have questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guest:
Emma Hurt, politics reporter for WABE News, the NPR member station in Atlanta; she tweets
How Past ‘Pawliticians’ Reflect The Evolution Of America’s Feelings Toward Furry Companions
Dog lovers rejoice: with a new presidential administration comes a return of dogs to the White House. President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden are expected to bring their two German shepherds, Champ and Major, to the White House with them.
Major will make history as the first shelter dog to do so. According to historians, that says a lot about the evolution of how America feels toward pets in general. According to the New York Times, the Bidens adopted Major through the Delaware Humane Association a couple years ago. Dog lovers across the internet rejoiced at the news of the soon to be First Dogs, but Biden is far from the first president to bring pets to Pennsylvania Avenue. Today on AirTalk, Larry talks with a presidential pet historian about past “pawliticians” and why they can reflect the evolving feelings Americans have toward their own pets.
Guest:
Andrew Hager, historian-in-residence at the Presidential Pet Museum, an online curation that started about 30 years ago
The Path Forward For The Democratic Party
With Biden entering the White House in 2021 and the slim potential for a blue Senate, there’s conversation to be had about the role of progressives and progressive ideas in the Democratic party.
Who were the Dems able to turnout this election and how did they vote? What lessons can strategists take away from the 2020 election? And what should be the path of the Democratic party going forward, in terms of both campaigning and policy?
Guests:
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies. He is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets
Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, co founder and vice president of way to win Way to Win, a national donor and organizer network that works for progressive causes