Sometimes I like to say that The Al Franken Podcast is just like The Daily, only without the resources of The New York Times. This episode I have the jump on The Times – because of my friendship with Jason Kander, former MO Sec. of State. Kander is an Afghanistan…
Old enough to remember record players? Then you’ll probably remember Bob Kerrey’s extraordinary service to our nation, which continues to this day. Medal of Honor recipient for valor in Vietnam. Don’t remember Vietnam? It’s a war we won in SE Asia. How’d he get his Medal of Honor? Oh,…
This week The Al Franken Podcast reveals that there is corruption within the Trump Administration. You heard me – corruption! And lots of it! Veteran DC watchdog Melanie Sloan takes us through the shocking details. It seems that Trump, his family, and the lowlife grifters populating his administration are not…
Austan Goolsbee, former Obama chief economist, explains that “in a crisis, the president’s credibility is all he has.” So, someday soon, The New York Times headline may read, “World in Crisis, Turns Its Eyes to Donald Trump.” And other scary stuff.
Why did the Senate work in the 60’s and 70’s, but can’t get anything done now (except ruin the federal judiciary for thirty-five years?) Because after the civil rights laws were passed, the asshole (read Southern) Democrats became Republicans and the good (Northeastern) Republicans became Democrats. Vice President Walter Mondale…
A wise man once said, “Trust, but verify.” That wise man was quoting Ronald Reagan. This week The Al Franken Podcast takes a dark but hilarious look at last week’s missile explosion in Russia. Nuke expert Joe Cirincione explains why it means we’re in a new nuclear arms race. See,…
The Founding Members of the Senate’s now defunct “Oh Ya! Caucus,” former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp and I discuss Heidi’s new organization, One Country. How do Democrats get more votes in rural America? Show up. Listen. Keep coming back. Listen to the podcast. Heidi lost her re-elect in…
Andy Slavitt returns to discuss the health care proposals of the Democratic candidates for POTUS. Al and Andy agree that it’s important for every contender to lay out their plans to get to universal coverage, but exhort them not to squander the enormous advantage we have over Trump and Republicans…
How awful do you think Mitch McConnell is? Well, he’s worse than that. This week on The Al Franken Podcast, Howard Fineman, winner of eleven journalism awards, (two of which were cufflinks*), tells us all about The Cynic. Fineman, who began his 46-year career at the Louisville Courier Journal, has been covering McConnell for decades and…
Former Sec. of Energy Ernest Moniz and I discuss putting pragmatic meat on the bones of the Green New Deal. We coin a new Kennedy-esque slogan, “We choose to go to zero-carbon not because it is easy, but because otherwise WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!” Moniz, who was the chairman…
