Roger Lau has one of the most unique origin stories in all of politics. Growing up in Queens as the child of Chinese immigrants, he dropped out of high school...before eventually getting back on track, getting his GED, and taking a fateful Political Science course at UMass Amherst. Roger talks mistakes and lessons from his early days, how he re-focused his life, and the incredible job interview that led him to an internship that shaped the rest of his life. Roger also shares how he entered the world of Elizabeth Warren in 2012, his perspective as manager of the Warren 2020 presidential campaign, and what motivated him to join the DNC after the 2020 elections.IN THIS EPISODERoger grows up in Queens as the son of Chinese immigrants…Mistakes Roger made early and how he got back on the right track…Early political memories from Roger’s childhood…The amazing confluence of events that led to Roger interning for Senator John Kerry…Roger speaks to the John Kerry he’s seen up-close and personal…The role that served as Roger’s “big break” rising through the ranks of politics…The roles Ayanna Pressley has played in Roger’s career…The Roger Lau 101 for effective campaign managers…Roger’s entry point into the world of Elizabeth Warren…Roger takes the helm of the Warren 2020 campaign…Roger talks the elements that made the Warren campaign unique…Two things other 2020 primary campaigns did that impressed Roger…What makes Elizabeth Warren unique as a political figure…What sparked Roger’s interest in going to work at the DNC…What Roger thinks political operatives should understand about the AAPI community…AND 123 miles, the 7 line, Joe Biden, Scott Brown, Pete Buttigieg, campaign unions, cardboard corrugating factories, Julian Castro, clown t-shirts, Dorchester, Dunkin Donuts, GEDs, generational talents, hot leads, Jesse Jackson, Joe Kennedy, late night dinners, Monopoly, PS 11, Quincy, Juan Rodriguez, Rockaway Beach, John Rocker, rocket science, Roosevelt Avenue, Maya Rupert, selfie lines, Faiz Shakir, Shea Stadium, the Springfield Republican, teaching America, ugly suits, UMass Amherst, unpaid internships, Washington Square Park, wingwomen, Woodside, Worcester, & more!

You no doubt know that Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin, both of the New York Times, recently released their new book THIS WILL NOT PASS…chronicling the last few years of our politics…including Trump’s time in office, the 2020 election and aftermath, the January 6 insurrection, and the first phase of the Biden Administration. In this conversation, they go deep on many of the stories in their book – including some background and asides not fleshed out in the book and stories you won’t have heard from them amidst their recent media blitz. IN THIS EPISODE…Does Donald Trump really think he won the 2020 election or is this all subterfuge to refuse to acknowledge he lost?Which US Senator was prescient in anticipating exactly how Trump would cast doubt on the results post election?Why hasn’t President George W. Bush been more vocal against Trump?One Republican Senator who typifies the GOP establishment’s difficulty managing Trump?How many Republicans would’ve impeached and removed Trump were it a secret ballot?Inside Mitch McConnell’s decision to back Trump on impeachment…Whose hold on his caucus is more tenuous…Mitch McConnell or Kevin McCarthy…The conventional wisdom of what a post-Pelosi Democratic caucus looks like…Inside the Biden VP process…Inside GOP attempts to woo Senator Manchin to switch parties…Weighing in on rumors Trump flirted with dumping Mike Pence from the 2020 ticket…The backbench Republican Congressman who captured the House GOP sentiment to give Trump a pass for January 6…The Democratic Governor who was one of their favorite interviews…The failed GOP Senate recruit who shows the changing of the guard in the Republican Party…The interview with the House Republican that demonstrates “the beauty of reporting…”…The two colleagues they specifically mention in the acknowledgements…The Southern influence on the New York Times…Off-the-beaten-path political book recommendations from both Alex and Jonathan…AND Air Force One, Lamar Alexander, Don Bacon, Howard Baker, Dean Baquet, Beau Biden, John Boehner, Josh Bolton, Rick Bragg, Mo Brooks, Jeb Bush, Robert Caro, Turner Catledge, Liz Cheney, Chris Christie, Katherine Clark, Hillary Clinton, colonoscopies, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, convenient self-justification, Bob Corker, defied admonitions, difficult truths, Dixiecrats, Duck Run, Tammy Duckworth, Dwight Eisenhower, Facebook, Fox News, Jeffrey Frank, Maggie Haberman, Kamala Harris, Bill Haslam, the House Steering Committee, Sasha Issenberg, Pramila Jayapal, Hakeem Jeffries, Bill Johnson, Jim Jordan, John F Kennedy, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Patrick McHenry, Mt Rushmore, musical chairs, Richard Nixon, Kristi Noem, normie Republicans, Robert Novak, the Progressive Caucus, Howell Raines, real damn Democrats, red carpets, Reservoir Dogs, Campbell Robertson, Karl Rove, Steve Scalise, Brian Schatz, Adam Schiff, Ted Strickland, Gay Talese, Harry Truman, useful fig leaves, JD Vance, Gretchen Whitmer, Roger Wicker, Steve Womack, worry-mongering, Jeff Zients…& more!

Hazel Wong is the Director of Global Conservation Campaigns at The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s largest and most successful environmental organizations. In this conversation, Hazel talks growing up on the island nation of The Seychelles, how political upheaval forced her family to migrate to the U.S., the future member of Congress who became a political mentor, and experiences and lessons from nearly 20 years helping win environmental ballot measures.IN THIS EPISODE…Hazel talks memories of the first few years of her life growing up on the island nation of Seychelles…Hazel’s father becomes a political prisoner…Why it became necessary for Hazel’s family to leave her home and move to the U.S…Hazel experiences culture shock once her family moves to Las Vegas…The American politician Hazel’s father regularly complained about…The future member of Congress who became a mentor to Hazel and steered her toward a career in politics…How Hazel first connected with The Nature Conservancy…The Hazel Wong best practices on ballot measures which have led to a 88% success rate…Hazel talks lessons from winning a campaign in Minnesota and losing a measure in Utah…Hazel’s thoughts on how a lack of shared resources is compromising the effectiveness of the environmental movement…Hazel talks how climate change has become an “identity issue” and how that makes progress more difficult…Why “gloom and doom” climate and change messaging makes it harder to communicate with Americans…What Hazel has learned about effectively managing teams over the past 20 years…Hazel provides an update on the progress making the environmental movement more diverse…Hazel’s tips on building a professional network…Hazel updates her thoughts on the concept of a personal “likability number”…Hazel’s travel hacks…& much more!

Jesse Ferguson is a top Democratic strategist and comms expert - who cut his teeth in Virginia, ran the $60M+ DCCC Independent Expenditure in 2014, served as a top press aide to the Clinton ’16 campaign, and is now a strategist advising numerous organizations and independent expenditures. In this conversation, Jesse talks key moments and lessons from his career, as well as providing his Messaging 101 on how he thinks of effective political communications.IN THIS EPISODE…Jesse’s family connection to Joe McCarthy and the 1950s Red Scare…Jesse’s early Republican leanings and the high-profile Republican he almost interned for…Jesse’s theory of Virginia as a trendsetter in American politics…Jesse talks the importance of Mark Warner in the rise of Virginia Democrats…In college, Jesse starts Virginia21 to encourage more investment in Virginia higher education…Jesse talks the value of getting experience outside of DC…Jesse navigates multiple cycles rising through the ranks at the DCCC…Lessons from his “favorite job” running the DCCC IE in 2014…Jesse talks his senior comms role in the Hillary Clinton 2016 race…The 3 challenges the Hillary 2016 campaign had with the press…Jesse shares insights from health struggles he’s faced…Jesse provides his Messaging 101 on speaking on the record, outlandish stunts, getting earned media, and more…Jesse’s go-to “ABCV” message trick…The three TV shows that form the backbone of Jesse’s approach to life…AND…agents of intolerance, George Allen, Mark Bergman, Demand Justice, Dukakis bumper stickers, early warning signs, earworms, Brian Fallon, Jerry Falwell, flowing hair, fruit flies, Steve Israel, Steve Jarding, Tim Kaine, kazoos, Abraham Lincoln, Travis Lowe, Stewart Mills, Robby Mook, Rick Nolan, Ralph Northam, The Palm, Jen Palmieri, Ed Peavy, pneumonic devices, press releases on camera, Protect Our Care, Red Dawn, Mame Reiley, the Richmond Jewish community, Pat Robertson, robots, Rockefeller Republicans, Michael Scherer, screen agnosticism, sharp elbows, Star Wars, Tikkun olam, Joe Trippi, the Urban Crescent, Kelly Ward, William & Mary, & more!

Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research, has been a leading Democratic researcher and strategist for 30+ years. In this conversation she talks her Montana roots, her path to polling, working for groundbreaking women like Geraldine Ferraro, Carol Mosley Braun, and Nancy Pelosi, working on Biden 2020, and lessons & insights from four decades working to elect Democrats and advance progressive goals. IN THIS EPISODE…Celinda talks growing up on a ranch in Montana…The progressive tradition in Montana…The Vietnam War influences Celinda’s politics…Celinda’s theory on why Montana produces so much political talent…Celinda moves from the academic world to the campaign world…Celinda tells the story of one of her heroes, the first woman pollster in politics…The first races on which Celinda cut her teeth as a political pollster…Celinda remembers lessons learned from heading up focus groups for Clinton-Gore ’92…The origins and rise of Lake Research…The story of turning down a US Senator who wanted to work with Lake Research…How Celinda thinks of issue messaging…Celinda talks the challenges women candidates face…Celinda’s memories of working with trailblazers Geraldine Ferraro, Barbara Mikulski, Carol Mosley Braun, and Nancy Pelosi…Celinda polls for AOC during her 2018 upset…What Celinda knows about Joe Biden that might not be common knowledge…Celinda’s take on what makes a good pollster…Celinda’s strangest work habit…AND….22 rifles, Spence Abraham, John Anzalone, Jerry Austin, David Axelrod, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, Matt Barreto, Max Baucus, Jill Biden, Valerie Biden, Heather Booth, blueberry muffins, Ron Brown, James Carville, the cat’s meow, Hillary Clinton, Copper Kings, country schools, Joe Crowley, Mike Donilon, EEOC lawyers, Emerge, EMILYs List, fitbits, Kathleen Frankovic, Anderson Gardner, gatekeeping, Geoff Garin, Geneva, the gender gap, Ed Goeas, Mandy Grunwald, Stan Greenberg, Bill Hamilton, Kamala Harris, Gary Hart, Peter Hart, Harrison Hickman, Higher Heights, Italian city-states, Justice Democrats, George Lakoff, Joe Lamson, Ed Lazarus, Silas Lee, Ann Lewis, looking for patterns, Mike Lux, Dotty Lynch, mainframes, Nelson Mandela, Mike Mansfield, Mark Mellman, Jim Messina, Lee Metcalf, Warren Miller, Barbara Mikulski, Walter Mondale, Motown, new voices, Northern Plains Resource Council, Kathleen O’Reilly, Ross Perot, John Podesta, Lana Pollack, Bob Putnam, the race-class narrative, ranked-choice voting, Jeanette Rankin, Ready to Run, Ronald Reagan, red state sensibilities, Nelson Rockefeller, Steve Rosenthal, Anat Shenker-Osorio, Smith College, Alysia Snell, social proof, Social Security cards, Doug Sosnik, Debbie Stabenow, Gail Stoltz, student deferments, Phil Tawney, Jon Tester, two for one, University of Michigan, Kathy van Hook, Women’s Campaign Fund, The Women’s Lobby, Pat Williams, & more!

Chris Shays cuts an iconic, if disappearing, profile across the American political scene. One of the last by-God moderate House Republicans from the Northeast, he represented Connecticut in the US House for more than 20 years...a congressional career spanning the Reagan Revolution through the 2008 Democrative wave ushering in President Obama. In this discussion, he talks the Republican Connecticut of his youth, his time in Fiji serving in the Peace Corps, his decade serving in the state legislature, the time he was sentenced to several days in prison to protest political corruption, and lessons & memories from 20 years in the House. IN THIS EPISODE…Congressman Shays recalls the Republican DNA of the Connecticut of his youth…What political moment made his father upgrade their TV...His time serving in Fiji in the Peace Corps…Memorable door-to-door experiences from his first legislative campaign in 1974…He rubs party leaders the wrong way on his very first day in the CT State House…The amazing story of how a fight to root out judicial corruption in Connecticut lands him in jail for several days…Coming from behind to win a special election to Congress in 1987…The big difference he noticed between lobbyists in state government vs Congress…The one other member of Congress he wanted most to meet upon his election…The changes within the House GOP Conference pre and post Newt Gingrich ascension…Congressman Shays' contribution to the ’94 GOP takeover wave - both intentional and otherwise...Behind the scenes of the failed GOP coup against New Gingrich in 1997…The time moderate Chris Says was most in the doghouse with his party’s leadership…What it felt like to feel his district shift left in the 2000s…Congressman Shays talks the breakdown of bipartisanship in Congress…How deeply did he consider switching parties?What went into his decision to endorse both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden over Donald Trump?A memorable meeting when Donald Trump met with Congressman Shays about building a Connecticut casino…Regrets about his 2012 Senate primary against self-funding Linda McMahon…The unconventional book idea he may pursue…AND….Dick Armey, the assault weapons ban, the best office in the Capitol, Black Rock, Roy Blunt, Bridgeport, George W. Bush, Mr. Clean, Bill Clinton, the Commission on Wartime Contracting, Common Cause, Tom Davis, Darien, Tom Delay, Mrs. Donahue, Dwight Eisenhower, Russ Feingold, Gerald Ford, Newt Gingrich, grievance committees, Jim Himes, Pete Hoekstra, Henry Hyde, Hertz, inverted bell curves, it hits the fan, Jehovah’s Witnesses, John Kasich, Joe Kennedy, Ned Lamont, Steve Largent, John Lewis, Joe Lieberman, the Longworth building, Carolyn Maloney, Marla Maples, John McCain, Marty Meehan, Bob Michel, NBC, the NRCC, the New York Times, Christine Niedermeier, Richard Nixon, Jim Nussle, Bill Paxon, the Peace Corps, Nancy Pelosi, penny loafers, Colin Powell, Stamford, Leon Uris, the WWF…& more!

Liuba Grechen Shirley is the founder/CEO of VoteMama – a non-profit dedicated to supporting moms running for office. In this conversation, she talks running for office in 2018 as a first-time candidate, making history as the first woman to receive FEC approval to use campaign money for child care, and making an impact with VoteMama. IN THIS EPISODE…Liuba speaks to the politics that shaped here while growing up on Long Island…Her analysis of why Trump connected with voters on Long Island…Liuba talks her work on development in Ghana before entering politics…The phenomenon of “mommy-tracking” in the business world…How the switch flipped for her to become active in congressional politics in the 2018 election…Liuba’s take on her 2018 opponent Congressman Peter King…Her experience running for office as a first-time candidate…How she made history as the first woman to receive approval to use campaign money to cover child care…The relationship Liuba forged with Elizabeth Warren during the congressional campaign…The high profile pol who gave Liuba pep talks before debates…A window into how Liuba put together her consultant team…Why she passed on the 2020 open-seat after a narrow 2018 loss…How she started VoteMama to support mothers running for office…VoteMama’s nonpartisan work being done to ensure more candidates can use campaign funds for child care…How Liuba is thinking about the 2022 election cycle…Advice for others starting a political non-profit…AND 6-foot cardboard cutouts, Accra, adult coloring books, affable guys, Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Jocelyn Benson, Berlin Rosen, Anna Brichacek, Madison Cawthorn, Hillary Clinton, Stephen Colbert, FoxNews, Kirsten Gillibrand, Chelsea Clark, Isaac Goldberg, green marble notebooks, Grey’s Anatomy, MJ Hegar, Monica Klein, Kathy Hochul, Indivisible, Morgan Lamandre, Lindenhurst, Grace Meng, mom pep talks, Gwen Moore, the Muslim Ban, NYU, Maggie Oliver, paid family leave, orange juice, osteogenesis imperfecta, Papua New Guinea, party bosses, Planned Parenthood, Katie Porter, Emily Robinson, the Russian Revolution, Kim Schrier, small structural change…& more!

Dave Wasserman, a Senior Editor at the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, is universally regarded as one of the foremost election analysts on the planet - especially when it comes to US House races. In this conversation, Dave talks his early obession with all things politics, how he turned that into a job at the Cook Report, his approach to political analysis, the story behind his twitter catchphrase "I've seen enough", and his take on both the 2022 redistricting developments & overall House playing field. IN THIS EPISODE…Dave’s early love of maps…How a cable system glitch leads Dave to find politics…Dave’s unusual gift request for his 13th Birthday…The one race that drew Dave into congressional politics…The story behind a teenage Dave’s appearance as a pundit on a local public affairs show…Dave talks his important intersection with UVA Professor Larry Sabato…The $10 bet Dave won from Larry Sabato…The college analysis Dave wrote that led to his role with the Cook Report…Dave talks the approach he brings to elections analysis…What goes into creating Dave’s election night models…Dave on the races he’s proud he got right, plus some that surprised him…Dave talks trends he’s observed in House races during his time as a race-rater…Dave takes us behind the scenes of the NBC Election Night Decision Desk…The origin of Dave’s catchphrase to call elections…Dave breaks down the average work week for a race-rating analyst…Dave talks his longtime fascination with the redistricting process…Dave gives his thoughts on the 2022 redistricting process…Dave provides an update on recent legal ground that’s been broken around redistricting…Dave’s overall read on the '22 House playing field…Dave talks signs the Trump hold on the House GOP caucus may be weakening…Dave’s advice to the next generation of race-raters…AND 2,568 districts, George Allen, Mrs. Barkley, Ben Bernanke, Mary Bono Mack, Lauren Boebert, Bridgegate, Scott Brown, bruised egos, C-Span, Eric Cantor, Joe Cao, Don Cazayoux, Julia Carson, James Carville, Travis Childers, Emanuel Cleaver, Martha Coakley, Miles Coleman, compulsive list making, Jim Cooper, cranberry bread, creative ethics, Joe Crowley, Ted Cruz, Henry Cuellar, Rodney Davis, Pete Dawkins, Peter DeFazio, dummymanders, Election Twitter, Marc Elias, false suspense, food science, Louie Gohmert, Governing Magazine, Josh Harder, Andy Harris, Rush Holt, Bill Jefferson, John Katko, Dan Kildee, Steve Kornacki, Frank Lautenberg, Elaine Luria, Morgan Lutrell, Sean Patrick Maloney, map recipients, Terry McAuliffe, Kevin McCarthy, Bob McDonnell, David McKinley, Peter Meijer, Mary Miller, minimum split districting, Alex Mooney, Nathaniel Moran, Joe Morelle, oddly engrossing debates, Mike Pappas, Nancy Pelosi, PoliticsNJ.com, Premier League Soccer, QVC, Raul Ruiz, Stu Rothenberg, Rutgers, Bernard Shaw, Chris Shays, Siskel & Ebert, Elissa Slotkin, Abigail Spanberger, the Squad, Starbucks, Kenneth Starr, useful stereotypes, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, Fred Upton, violin lessons, Wal Mart, Amy Walter, Jim Webb, West River South Dakota, David Wildstein, Judy Woodruff, John Yarmuth, Glen Youngkin, …& more!

Very few Americans have had the impact on public policy as has Joseph Califano. Though his parents only graduated high school, he went to Harvard Law  and by age 30 was working at high levels of the John F. Kennedy Administration - and shortly after was the top domestic White House aide to Lyndon Johnson. In this conversation, he talks his meteoric rise through the Kennedy / Johnson years, seeing first-hand as the LBJ “Johnson Treatment” built the Great Society, the toll that Vietnam took on President Johnson, & his work as HEW Cabinet Secretary under President Carter to start a national anti-smoking campaign that’s had immeasurable benefits to public health in the US. This is a great conversation with a true American Dream success story and political dynamo.IN THIS EPISODE…Growing up as an Italian-American kid in the era of Franklin Roosevelt…How a working class Brooklyn kid makes it to Harvard Law…Why he left a lucrative private law firm to enter the Kennedy Administration…He talks working in the early days of the Kennedy Administration with Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara…Memories from meetings with President Kennedy…Early impressions working up and close and personal with President Johnson…Why LBJ sequenced the 1964 Civil Rights Act ahead of other Great Society programs…Secretary Califano goes in depth describing “The Johnson Treatment”…Memories from the White House on the night Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated…The “race against expectations” that informed much of LBJ’s time in office…Secretary Califano talks the difficulty in passing Fair Housing legislation…The role that Lady Bird Johnson played in helping making President Johnson more effective…The connection between Secretary Califano’s son and safety caps on medicine bottles…Reflecting on a political misfire as President Johnson missed an opportunity to appoint a new Supreme Court Chief Justice…The toll that the Vietnam War took on President Johnson…President Johnson’s courageous early foray for gun safety laws…The last conversation he had with President Johnson after he left office…His time in the Carter Cabinet as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare…Why Democrats couldn’t secure universal healthcare during the Democratic trifecta of the late 1970s…How he came to spearhead a national anti-smoking campaign…AND the AMA, Carolyn Agger, Brooklyn Prep, McGeorge Bundy, George Christian, Sterling Cottrell, Thomas Dewey, Everett Dirksen, Dwight Eisenhower, Abe Fortas, Gerald Ford, William Fulbright, the Harvard Law Review, the Hirshhorn Museum, Holy Cross, IBM, the JAG Corps, Lady Bird Johnson, Robert Kennedy, leak central, Russell Long, Mike Mansfield, Harry Middleton, Bill Moyers, John McGillicuddy, Harry McPherson, Richard Nixon, Dick Ottinger, PS 182, Claiborne Pell, Jake Pickle, a revolving son of a bitch, the Subversive Activity Control Board, Al Smith, sugar in gas tanks, Jack Valenti, Cyrus Vance, Earl Warren, Watts riots…& more!

Mary Landrieu served 3 terms in the US Senate from Louisiana, after a term as State Treasurer and time in the State Legislature. In this conversation, she talks growing up in New Orleans as the daughter of Mayor Moon Landrieu, the equation that drew her to political service, several rough-and-tumble statewide campaigns, memories from 18 years in the Senate, and what she’s focused on since leaving the Senate in 2015.IN THIS EPISODEGrowing up the eldest of 9 siblings to New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu…The process of elimination that led to pursuing a political career…A 23-year old Mary Landrieu serves in the virtually all-male Louisiana legislature…Senator Landrieu remembers Louisiana political giants Russell Long, Lindy Boggs, and Edwin Edwards…Memories of her first US Senate win in 1996 as an underdog…What happened when the New Orleans Archbishop declared it would be “a sin” to vote for pro-choice Mary Landrieu…What surprised her upon entering the US Senate…Her memories of serving 12 years in the Senate with Joe Biden…What it’s like being a swing vote in the US Senate…Her strategy to winning 3 tough statewide in Louisiana…The current work that excites her the most…Senator Landrieu  provides the agenda for the next time you’re in New Orleans…AND 5,778 votes, baloney, Valerie Biden, Kathleen Blanco, Hale Boggs, Donna Brazile, Broadmoor, Robert Byrd, chutzpah, the Dinosaur Age, Chris Dodd, David Duke, EMILYs List, Dianne Feinstein, Head and Master Laws, Dan Inouye, Jim Crow, Bennett Johnston, John Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Blanche Lincoln, Gillis Long, Barbara Mikulski, Chep Morrison, Lisa Murkowski, playing fort, Jamie Raskin, Ann Richards, Norman Jane Sabiston, smart cookies, Olympia Snowe, societal sheddings, Ted Stevens, the Superdome, Donald Trump, Ursuline nune & more!