Liam Donovan, principal at Bracewell and longtime insider of the Hill GOP, discusses the toppling of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the next Speaker race, CR antagonizing GOP rebels and House Democrats, the Jordan vs. Scalise battle, possibility of McCarthy Restoration, and Trump's strength in the GOP presidential primary.

Send us a textOver the course of a career focused on political media, Ed Blakely helped innovate within Republican politics that led to the modernization of the media arms of campaign committees of both parties. After a stint in US Amry intelligence, Ed spent nearly 20 years at the NRCC before joining the GOP media firm of Smith & Harroff. In this conversation, Ed talks his efforts to modernize political media at the NRCC, his favorite story of filming President Reagan in the Oval Office, memories from John McCain’s first US Senate race in 1986, and much more across an incredibly interesting and influential career in politics. IN THIS EPISODEEd grows up in Hawaii after his father dies in WWII…The somewhat famous (if confidential) film that Ed produced after being drafted into the US Army…Ed’s brush with fame as the youngest disc jockey in Hawaii…How Ed’s path led to political media at the NRCC…Some of Ed’s favorite stories of filming ads with President Reagan in the Oval Office…Ed talks the media innovations he brought to the NRCC that ultimately helped modernize the operations of both parties…Why Ed came back to the NRCC after being at a private agency for over a decade…Ed’s memories of Newt Gingrich’s ascent in the House GOP…Why Ed left the NRCC after more than a decade in the mid 80s & where he landed…Ed helps elect John McCain in 1986 in his first race for US Senate…Ed gives an impromptu history lesson of jingles in political TV ads…Ed talks his approach to fostering new Republican media talent that paid dividends…Ed’s stints in the public sector…  AND Creighton Abrams, Roger Ailes, Army Intelligence, Bailey-Deardorff, Baltimore, Katja Bullock, Jay Bryant, Edward Butler, Tom Delay, Bob Ehrlich, the fickle finger of fate, Gerald Ford, Barry Goldwater, Bobby Goodman, Peter Hannaford, Denny Hastert, Humphrey Browning MacDougall, Jim Innocenzi, LBJ, JFK, kinescope, The Lincoln Memorial, Bob Livingston, Robin Luke, Robert McNamara, Morning in America, Chris Mottola, Oahu, the Pentagon, Chip Pickering, radio actualities, Hal Riney, Santa Monica, slow boats, Smith & Harroff,  Olympia Snowe, The Sound of Music, speech modules, Steven Spielberg, John Sununu, The Tuesday Team, USC, Guy Vander Jagt, The Washington Post, Watergate, Henry Waxman, whistlestops, Don Young … & more!

Send us a textDave Contarino was Bill Richardson's 2002 gubernatorial campaign manager, his first term Chief of Staff, and manager of his 2008 presidential campaign. Very few are better equipped to remember the life and legacy of Governor Richardson than Dave. In this conversation we talk Dave's own path to politics and mine his expertise specifically about New Mexico, then go in depth about the inspiration, impact, and influence of Bill Richardson...from his unconventional lifestory, to his time as a rising star in the House, stint in the Clinton cabinet, two terms as Governor, groundbreaking presidential campaign, and his focus over the past decade helping to free Americans held hostage in foreign countries (including the recent release of Britt ney Griner). This is a wide-ranging conversation about a truly original and transformational figure, the late Governor Bill Richardson. IN THIS EPISODE…Dave’s roots near Boston and path to politics via a couple of interesting internships…One of Dave’s early jobs as a DCCC staffer under then-operative Rahm Emanuel…How Dave’s career took him to New Mexico and his 101 for understanding New Mexico Politics…Dave talks the early life and political origin story of Bill Richardson…The role Richardson’s Hispanic heritage played in his political career…Congressman Richardson’s ascent in the House and how he started to become known as an international hostage negotiator in the 1990s…Why the ambitious Richardson waited 20 years after he was first elected before he ran statewide…Dave remembers some of the high points of Bill Richardson’s tenure as Governor…Dave talks Richardson’s decision to run for President in 2008 and memories of what went right & what went wrong…Some of the story behind Richardson’s surprise decision to endorse Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008…Dave goes in depth on the work Governor Richardson has done over the past 30 years to help free American hostages from foreign countries…Dave closes by speaking to Governor Richardson’s political legacy… AND ANWR, Madeline Albright, Andover, Bruce Babbitt, the big seat, Jeff Bingaman, The Boston Globe, Richard Branson, George Brown, the Cape Cod League, Bob Carr, James Carville, the Catholic Church, Henry Cisneros, Cornell University, Warren Christopher, Pete Domenici, Friends of Bill, Geronimo’s attorney, grazing fees, Brittney Griner, the Harriman Center, the head of Denver Transit, Saddam Hussein, James Inhofe, Lyndon Johnson, Judas, Sergey Lavrov, David Letterman, Manuel Lujan, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Susanna Martinez, Paul Maslin, Terry McAuliffe, Roberto Mondragon, Steve Murphy, NAFTA, Ollie North, Pasadena, Federico Pena, Mark Penn, Mark Putnam, radio actualities, the Rio Grande Corridor, Ed Romero, Pat Schroeder, the Science and Technology Committee, Hillary Tompkins, Tufts, Tom Udall, The War on the West & more!

Send us a text[Originally released October 2021]Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has a truly American story: born in Cuba, emigrates to Miami with her family at age 8, works as a teacher before being elected to the Florida legislature - and then makes history as the first Hispanic woman in American history to be elected to Congress. This is a great conversation about her one-of-a-kind life, history-making career, great political stories, and advice & insight to candidates, elected officials, lobbyists, and staffers after serving nearly 30 years in the U.S. House.IN THIS EPISODECongresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s early memories growing up in Cuba and her sudden emigration to Miami…She breaks down why Cuban Americans started to align with the Republican Party…The conversation that got her involved in politics for the first time…She talks about her House predecessor, the legendary Congressman Claude Pepper…How she overcame racist tactics to become the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress…The surprising way she learned she made history on Election Night…What surprised her as she got her feet wet in Congress…She remembers how Newt Gingrich changed the Republican Party and transformed Congress…Why she didn’t sign the 1994 Republican “Contract with America”…The House Democrat she remembers for brass-knuckle tactics…She remembers times she was “in the dog house” for breaking with GOP party leadership…Her signature accomplishments after 30 years in the house…She remembers the intensity around the Elian Gonzalez custody case, occurring right in her district…She weighs in on if the Elian Gonzalez case cost Al Gore Florida in 2000 and ultimately the presidency…Her memories of the impeachment of Bill Clinton…Why she never ran statewide and didn’t run for re-election in 2018…Her take on what makes a good lobbyist…Her tips on running on a congressional office…She remembers Marco Rubio as a young intern in her office…What does she miss about being in Congress…Her take on why there are so many Florida politicians on the national scene…She weighs in on whether Florida remains a “swing state”…Her advice on what people should do when visiting Miami…AND…537 Votes, The Bay of Pigs, Beltway Fever, Brigade 2506, Jeb Bush, Kathy Castor, Fidel Castro, Liz Cheney, Shirley Chisholm, Bill Clinton, Billy Corben, Katie Couric, Cuba Libres, the Defense of Marriage Act, Tom DeLay, Val Demings, Ron DeSantis, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Bob Dole, Dante Fascell, first airplane rides, Tom Foley, get-along and go-along Republicans, Newt Gingrich, Elian Gonzalez, Homestead Air Force Base, Steny Hoyer, Sam Johnson, JFK, Bill Lehman, David Leahy, Dexter Lehtinen, John Lewis, La Loba Feroz, John McCain, Bob Michel, a minority mentality, Stephanie Murphy, Obamacare, olive-green military attire, Red Pepper, Robert Redford, Janet Reno, Steve Schale, snowbirds, South Beach, SWAT teams, the University of Havana, Versailles, Don Young, & more!

Send us a textRich Schlackman is best known as a pioneer of all things direct mail - and he continues to hit the mail box and also spearheads important efforts as a GC and has expanded his reach to digital messaging. In this conversation, Rich talks his early activist roots at the '68 Democratic Convention and with names like Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden...why he gravitated to political direct mail in the mid 70s...how he took the "California Style" of mail national in the 80s and 90s...diving deep into his best practices and favorite races...plus some of the efforts for which he's been a General Consultant, like ousting Chesa Boudin as San Francisco DA last year. And of course a conversation with Rich is not complete without hearing how he became the leading wine expert among political consultants and getting his tips to make anyone a little smarter on the topic. This is a fun conversation with one of the most colorful and ground-breaking consultants in the industry.IN THIS EPISODERich grows up in a heavily union neighborhood in NYC and becomes active in the anti-Vietnam War movement...Rich's experiences as a protestor at the '68 Democratic Convention...Rich talks his time around activists Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden...How Rich pivots to direct mail in the 1970s...Rich innovates the "California style" of direct mail in the 70s and 80s...Rich talks the rise of the national direct mail firms in the 80s and 90s...Rich on a few of his favorite clients, including Congressman Vic Fazio, Governor Janet Napolitano, and nearly beating Newt Gingrich in 1990...Rich talks his time working for Senator Joe Lieberman...Rich's favorite Bay Area races, including figuring out how to handle ranked-choice voting...Rich recounts GCing the recent successful effort to recall San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin...Rich's insights from working with Gavin Newsom on the now-Governor's very first local race in San Francisco...Rich talks some of the most frustrating "input" received from others on his mail...Rich on the evolution of mail and targeting over the course of his career...Ten minutes picking Rich's brain on his famed expertise on wine...AND Saul Alinsky, Bill Andresen, Applecart, Ross Bates, Evan Bayh, the Berman Machine, Ruth Bernstein, billy clubs, Willie Brown, CHAID analysis, the Campaign for Economic Democracy, Fidel Castro, Jim Chapman, Chris Cooper, Barry Dill, Bob Dole, drop letters, Bob Edgar, Rahm Emanuel, Carter Eskew, gloss paper, Ruth Yannatta Goldway, Matt Gonzalez, Lisa Grove, Mandy Grunwalkd, Edd Hargett, Dan Hazelwood, Abie Hoffman, Wayne Johnson, Kansas politics, Celinda Lake, Ned Lamont, Mel Levine, Hal Malchow, Milton Marks, John McCain, David Metts, Bob Mulholland, Jerry Nadler, Joe Napolitan, No Labels, Mark Penn, phony tabloids, the Port Huron Statement, The Rare Wine Company, Norm Rice, H.L. Richardson, Ben Rosenthal, Michael Rowan, Dr. Bill Roy, Jerry Rubin, Tony Schwartz, Saul Shorr, George Soros, Andy Spahn, Bob Squier, Marty Stone, The Valley Messenger, Pete Visclosky, Voter Contact Services, Lowell Weicker, Scott Weiner, David Worley, the Yippie Revolution....& more!

Send us a textBarry Goldwater Jr. grew up in politics as the son of the influential Senator and '64 GOP Presidential Nominee. He has a one-of-a-kind story of witnessing his father's political rise and then his own political career with his House tenure spanning parts of 3 decades. In this conversation, he talks his early memories in a political household, key moments in his father's career, his own political trajectory in Southern California, and the difficulties and opportunities he's found in life after leaving office. IN THIS EPISODEBorn into a political family in Phoenix, AZ…The story of Goldwater’s Department Store and the rise of his father’s political career…The surprise that took him to a different state and different profession than expected…The coin flip that set Barry Goldwater Sr. on a path in Republican politics…Memories of the ’64 Goldwater presidential campaign…The Goldwater / JFK relationship and what a JFK vs Goldwater ’64 campaign might have looked like…The story behind Senator Goldwater urging Nixon to resign at the height of Watergate…His read on Senator Goldwater’s late-in-life pro-choice and pro-LGBT sentiments…Barry Goldwater Jr’s first race for office in a 1969 House special election…Memories of the House of the 70s and 80s…The leadership skill he witnessed of Speaker Tip O’Neill….Barry Goldwater Jr and Ed Koch team up to pass a bipartisan Privacy Act…An important lesson learned from his mother…The story behind his race for US Senate in California in 1982…His read on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger….How he approached being out of office for the first time in 14 years in his mid 40s…The story of being on the ballot in Louisiana as Ron Paul’s VP candidate in 2008…His early thoughts on the 2024 GOP primary field…The story of Senator Goldwater’s surprisingly close connection to President Clinton…Time spent around both President Reagan and Nancy Reagan…The guerilla tactic that helped Barry Goldwater Jr win his first election…The importance of a Higher Power in his life… AND apron pockets, Arizona State University, Best Always, brickbats, William F. Buckley, Burbank, John Burton, Phil Burton, cold calls, The Conscience of a Conservative, John Dean, Dwight Eisenhower, Newt Gingrich, S.I. Hayakawa, Carl Hayden, hiding in the bushes, Jewish peddlers, Lyndon Johnson, Chiang Kai-Shek, Jack Kemp, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Lockheed-Martin, the Mayflower, Mitch McConnell, Mike McCormack, the NAACP, Northrup-Grunman, nylon, the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange, Nancy Pelosi, raylon, John Rhodes, Hugh Scott, shenanigans, Janet Travell, Donald Trump, the Urban League, John Van De Kamp, the wild west, Mao Zedong…. & more!

Listen to Bill Knapp, a top Democratic media consultant, as he shares his NYC roots, the 1980 Senate campaign that launched his career, lessons from his mentor Bob Squier, key races in his development as a strategist, the '96 Clinton re-elect, 20 years in Mike Bloomberg's political orbit, advice for budding media consultants, and more.

Diana Hwang, Founder & Executive Director of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative, talks about growing up in Houston in a Taiwanese-immigrant family, her political awakening in Boston, the challenges she faced running for State Senate, the mission and tools of the AAWPI, partisan differences within the AAPI community, and the impact of the 2021 Georgia mass shooting on her work.

Media Consultant & AAPC Board Member Kelly Gibson discusses the impact of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) in politics, including the opportunities and threats it presents. Topics include A.I. as a revolutionary tool, A.I.'s role in content creation and advertising production, and the potential disruption of political jobs by A.I.

Send us a text[EPISODE ORIGINALLY RECORDED FEBRUARY 2021]Lisa Grove has been a leading Democratic strategist and pollster for 25+ years, helping elect a President, Senators, Governors, and more. She also developed a reputation for winning tough ballot measures and helped refine messaging to advance the cause of marriage equality. In this conversation (recorded February '21), she talks her roots in Oregon politics and activism, being drawn to polling, her early days in the business, starting her own firm in the mid 90s, and stories & insight from a successful career that has spanned several decades.IN THIS EPISODELisa grows up in Portland, OR inspired by the activism around her...Lisa's early jobs in politics in route to becoming a pollster...Lisa talks learning from famed pollster Nancy Belden...Lisa on her approach to focus groups and her favorite focus group stories...How and why Lisa started her own polling firm in the mid 90s...How Lisa made it work as a pollster living in Hawaii...How Lisa's chalked up a successful record on ballot measures...Lisa's work helping advance the cause of marriage equality...Some of the celebrities Lisa has worked with over the years and her current work with Billie Eilish...AND John Anderson, John Anzalone, Brian Baird, Maggie Baird, Warren Beatty, Nancy Belden, Sergio Bendixen, Anna Bennett, Ami Bera, Brian Bilbray, Graeme Blair, Shirley Chisolm, Tom Daschle, Susan Davis, Peter DeFazio, Barry Diller, Tom Donilon, Mike Dukakis, Matt Erickson, Pablo Escobar, Lily Eskelsen, feather boas, Diane Feldman, Sarah Flowers, Cesar Gaviria, Dick Gephardt, the Golden Rule, Martin Hamburger, Hanford Nuclear Site, Darlene Hooley, Jack Mormons, Ron Kind, Celinda Lake, Ed Lazarus, Norman Lear, Carl Levin, Sandy Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Jeff Liszt, Jon Macks, mai tais, Tom McCall, Mark Mellman, Howard Metzenbaum, Mr. Steak, Ralph Nader, Narcos, Finneas O'Connell, Bob Packwood, Jessica Paulson, paradise guilt, the princess ad, Christy Quirk, Rob Reiner, Barbara Roberts, Michael Robinson, Will Robinson, Rich Schlackman, Barbra Streisand, sustainable furniture, swagger, tattoos, Third Way, tissue paper flowers, Joe Trippi, Univision, Melissa Williams, Ron Wyden, Yucca Mountain & more!