The Nicole Sandler Show

A change of plans today. If you were looking forward to John Hall's appearance on the show, we'll be rescheduling due to unforeseen circumstances. (How's that for cryptic? I'll explain during the show.) So, it's Friday, the end of another tough week for the Biden administration. Yesterday, I quoted Helaine Olen from a listserv we're on together, though I didn't name her. But the line I quoted was concerning Bidens falling poll numbers. Some of the list pointed the finger of blame at the mainstream corporate media. While I agree that their treatment of this president has been shameful, I don't think that's the cause of the downward spiral. Helaine wrote "It's that Biden comes off as ineffectual, probably because getting jerked around my members of your own party doesn't exactly scream effective. He campaigned as the guy who could get the Republicans to work with him. Whether he really believed it, or he said it because he knows voters like to hear it is now irrelevant. He's getting judged because ... surprise! ... he can't actually do that." Bingo! So that's our starting point. Helaine Olen writes a regular opinion column for the Washington Post. She's our guest today...

A bit of what's news for now

What a day! As I'm setting up for today's show, the number of breaking news stories keeps climbing, and it's a combination of good, bad and really ugly. The good? The head of the Oath Keepers and 10 others were arrested today and charged with seditious conspiracy. Finally. The bad? A lot falls under this category. Kevin McCarthy lied through his teeth at a presser this morning in which he reiterated that he will not cooperate with the House select committee investigating the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol. And the RNC announced that without the Commission on Presidential Debates changing how they schedule debates and choose moderators among other issues, the Republican party will not require its candidates or nominee to participate in official presidential debates. The ugly? Kyrsten Sinema delivered a senate floor speech, pulling the rug out from the president, the Democratic Party, and the nation, saying she will not do what's necessary to protect our most important right -- the vote. Period. And there's more (like a fucked up SCOTUS ruling), but Sinema deserves this moment under the interrogation lights as she fucks over the nation. It's Thursday, so Howie Klein of Down With Tyranny and the Blue America PAC is here today. We have lots to talk about...

A bit of what's news, for now

I finally had the chance to listen to Joe Biden's speech from yesterday in Atlanta on voting rights. I may have been too harsh yesterday, basing my critical comments on the last two to three minutes of the speech. So I'll give him an A on substance, a C- on delivery, but a failing grade on timing. I'll explain at the top of the show. Our guest today is Donald Cohen, executive director of In The Public Interest, and author of the book, "The Privatization of Everything: How the Plunder of Public Goods Transformed America and How We Can Fight Back." ** A note from Nicole. That's what was planned for today. But as I was telling you about today's guest and the subject, I started a rant on the slow moving complete privatization of Medicare, and never did get to voting rights. So we'll do that tomorrow....

A bit of what's news for now

It's our first gathering with GottaLaff of the New Year and, as usual, there's no shortage of things to talk about. As is usually the case when Laffy's here, we'll likely laugh a lot, get angry, get a little sad, and laugh some more. All while talking about things in the news. Life is that way. Better to laugh at it than let it make you cry...

A bit of what's news for now

Each session of Congress lasts two years. Today, the House returns to convene the second half of the 117th Congress. Unfortunately, the country is a mess, and the prospects for a complete turnaround aren't great. But we'll take today to bring us up to date on where they are and what they're doing... It's an anything goes Monday.

A bit of what's news for now