

The Conversation with Dasha Burns
POLITICO
The Conversation with POLITICO’s Dasha Burns is a fresh take on the traditional Sunday show format, going beyond conventional wisdom and short sound bites to broaden the political conversation. Each week, Dasha will sit down with one of the most compelling – and sometimes unexpected – power players in Washington and beyond for a real discussion about how they are shaping the current moment.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 9, 2019 • 28min
Is Joe Biden’s brother the next Billy Carter?
This week on the Nerdcast with guest-host Blake Hounshell: Over his decades in office, ‘Middle-Class Joe’s’ family fortunes have closely tracked his political career. We have POLITICO's Ben Schreckinger on to discuss his investigation on former Vice President Joe Biden's family finances.
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Aug 2, 2019 • 19min
The post-debate state of the race
This week on the Nerdcast with host Scott Bland: POLITICO national political reporter Elena Schneider and senior politics editor Charlie Mahtesian break down who came out on top in this week's democratic debates. Also: A divided Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates for the first time in more than a decade. What’s that mean and why does it matter? POLITICO financial services reporter Victoria Guida explains.
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Aug 1, 2019 • 9min
Dissecting a moment: Booker piles on Biden
Cory Booker, in search of his first bona fide “moment” as he tries to work his way up in the presidential race, came ready to lunge into his critique of Joe Biden’s new criminal justice proposal as too little, too late to fix the problem of mass incarceration, after Biden’s authorship of punitive crime legislation in the ‘90s. POLITICO national political reporter Chris Cadelago joins host Scott Bland to analyze an important moment from round two of the second Democratic debate on Tuesday night.
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Jul 31, 2019 • 9min
'You're wrong' vs. 'I'm right': Sanders and Warren spar with moderates
"You're wrong" for criticizing “Medicare for All,” Sen. Bernie Sanders told former Rep. John Delaney in the first answer of the night — setting up an evening of conflict between the left and the center. POLITICO health care reporter Dan Diamond joins host Scott Bland to analyze an important moment from round one of the second Democratic debate on Tuesday night.
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Jul 29, 2019 • 13min
2020 Dems prepare to come out swinging in this week's debates
On this special episode of the Nerdcast with host Scott Bland, POLITICO White House reporter Chris Cadelago on the things he'll be watching for during this week's debates.
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Jul 26, 2019 • 23min
Democrats plot a post-Mueller strategy
This week's Congressional appearance by Robert S. Mueller III landed with a thud, so what's next for Democrats itching to impeach the president? Sarah Ferris from POLITICO's Congressional team joins the show to explain why Nancy Pelosi's team is maintaining a united front in public, even if they're arguing behind closed doors.Plus, POLITICO's Chief Economic Correspondent Ben White breaks down how the president's advisers are trying to safeguard the long-running economic boom, even if it means walking away from their opposition to deficit spending. We take a look inside the "do no harm" caucus.
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Jul 19, 2019 • 25min
Is the Democratic field about to shrink?
This week on the Nerdcast with host Scott Bland, POLITICO White House reporter Gabby Orr and Congressional reporter Heather Caygle explain the fallout of President Trump's racist tweets. Also: POLITICO national political reporter David Siders on why a big shrink to the democratic primary field might be coming soon.
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Jul 15, 2019 • 11min
AMERICAN CARNAGE: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump
Today on a special edition of Nerdcast with Scott Bland: Tim Alberta, chief political correspondent for POLITICO Magazine, talks about his forthcoming book AMERICAN CARNAGE: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump.
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Jul 12, 2019 • 26min
Does conventional wisdom have it wrong on Sanders and Warren?
This week on the Nerdcast with host Scott Bland: We examine some of the front-runners who have begun to emerge for Democrats, particularly on the left of the party. POLITICO's National political reporters Holly Otterbein and Alex Thompson check on the 2020 race. Also: What would you ask Robert Mueller, if you got the chance? POLITICO's national security correspondent Natasha Bertrand and POLITICO's legal affairs analyst Josh Gerstein discuss what might happen on Capitol HIll for Robert Mueller.
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Jul 3, 2019 • 31min
Two Supreme Court decisions, explained
This week on the Nerdcast with host Scott Bland: The Supreme Court had a busy week, ruling on two cases that have big political implications. First, immigration reporter Ted Hesson joins to explain how a road block has been put in the path of implementing a citizenship question on the 2020 census. Then, Scott and Charlie talk about the ruling on partisan gerrymandering. In the second segment, national political reporter Natasha Korecki explains where the democratic presidential candidates stand in the first week post-debate.
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