Pardon me actually never mind, I can do that myself. Welcome to the extra special extraordinary presidential powers edition. Better remember to Larry and I'm doing the voice, or at least some of the time by Luke Thompson, the smartest political consultant we know and be effervescent try Hansel, both the notorious Mvd Michael Brendan Dougherty Right Honorable, Charles Cw Cooke, are away on a sign that you were listening to a national review, podcast or sponsor this week. Is the breakthrough? Toothbrush quip you'll hear more about them. in due course quit public service announcement. If you're listening to this podcast on national, you dot com, we are delighted to have you, but it would

easier for us and better for you. If you made us part of your feed at Google play stature tuna Itunes, and if you like what you hear here, please consider reviewing us on Itunes. If you dont like what you hear here, please forget, I said anything and one other tentative programming. Note I believe I'm gonna be starting a podcast with Andy Mccarthy. Entirely devoted to discussion of the Russia Matter and the Mahler probe tentatively called the Mccarthy Report and we could be launching a couple days. So look for that and will eight, you more next week, so Luke Thompson. We ve had a big, awful beginning with the release over the weekend are the report. In the near times about this letter from trumps lawyers asserted. that's the can't commit obstruction of justice and the lawful exercise of his presidential powers, and so

dangling the pardon power out their somewhat vaguely, but then Rudy Giuliani, dance around on some shows on Sunday but on others, was more explicit in an interview having two posts when all the way and said if the president shoot someone on fifth avenue that he, pardon himself and be be free of of any criminal indictment for that offence. What he make this controversy? Well, I think we should separate Thea matters of constitutional interpretation from whatever it is that really Giuliani, saying on television on a given day. Those are two decidedly separate things in part, because what the mayor says, seems to vary from day to day. Essentially, what's at issue is whether or not the president can grant himself clemency and a lot of this sort of a lot of the constitution

about the seems to stem from the the category error that people make about impeachment, because most of the people were really really angry about the the suggestion. The president's going. Pardon self think that somehow this would insulate him from impeachment because they seem to think that impeachment is a form of criminal trial for the President over quote: unquote high crimes and misdemeanors, which nothing could be further from the truth. But not only does the Pardon power in the constitution explicitly

delineated from impeachment impeachment are not criminal matters and unintentionally. So when the framers were riding the constitution, they were trying to avoid the old bill of attainder system which conflated political crime and criminal sanctions common to England. You know that the same thing that felt Thomas, Cromwell and and and Thomas more etc was a kind of conflation of criminal punishment with with political crime. Political crime quote, unquote, being anything that puts you in a position of illegitimacy such that people want to get You out of office before you're normal in the normal course of your tenure runs up and you dont want to go as as a matter of sort of constitutional law. I dont view it as as complicated at all. The president has a plenary power of clemency. I dont see that is a bad thing and the constitution is pretty explicitly built in in a unit direction. Away,

this, where Congress is explicitly prohibited from passing bills of attainder and ex post facto laws. I e means of punishing people for doing things that were legal at the time that they did them, but there is no restriction on Congress passing a personal bill exonerating an individual from criminal sanctions. Nor is there any restriction on the president's ability to protect people from criminal sanctions. It is simply the case that that doesn't apply to impeachment. So even if the president were to pardon himself for whatever crimes he may or may not have committed in regards to this Russia Matter, a he would still be subject to impeachment, we have no effect on it other than I think, as a political matter, to likely expedite his impeachment bye, bye, essentially indicating some level of guilt, or at least zero dollars and eighteen cents that he was exposed to too likely. Promo section is resolved his actions.

let me address on this a little bit. So there have been a number of there's been a number of people who can weighing on this question of whether or not self pardons are legitimate, and it really It does seem as though it's a hard case. There are a lot of people who have simply sad. You know we don't know and also its, not at all clear that you can imagine a judge ruling on the legitimacy of doing so one where another, but the arguments, jesting that he does not have that right. The argument that I'm here your things along these lines. For example, you're not. loud to be a judge in your own case? This is some kind of fundamental precept of law or the idea that The president is charged with faithfully

securing the laws and that this cuts against the idea of giving one self important. What do you think of those arguments, so I think the faithful execution clause argument doesn't hold a whole lot of of wait right, because it's not the case that a president would be necessarily- and even in this case, pardoning himself for actions undertaken in terms of his responsibility to execute the law, but the question of of being a judge in one's k own case, a kind of doctrine of perversity is another category that error. That is true of article three courts, right courts that oversea cases and controversies related to matters of law. You cannot be a both a party and a judge. In a case, that's true. The president is not an article three officer, the president is an executive officer and we allow the legislative and executive branch to intervene in the matters in matters of criminal law only in one way and that ways in matters of clemency. That's why the present has, apart in power. That's why Congress can pass personal bills to exonerate individuals in criminal cases. We don't allow them to intervene and criminal law matters to sanction people to punish people. What we do give them an extra sort of an extra judicial clemency power, and so, while it

true, that the president could not be judge and party to his own taste, if not a case or controversy arising before the law in a court. He is not a judge. He is an executive granting clemency to impressive. So a pardon is not a judicial process and it if, if it were true that you can't pardon people because you your devoted to faithfully executing two faithfully executing the laws. We can't part yourself, you can't pardon anyone, because I don't have to do with the thing executing the house has something to do with giving people clemency, certain people clemency from the laws. I think, Obviously, the shooting someone is highly extreme hype. Michael, what we're dealing with very likely and any crime that would be committed by the President something we're talking about now and in the Russia Matter where it's. It's a highly politically charged matter how you view it. legal interpretation, how you view the facts depends a lot on on where you stand politically

so the idea that you could indict a president and how a jury of twelve people, an effect decide whether can continue to be present United States or not. That is like the altar at political question and put it the accountable body should do it and that's what the constitution stipulates through. impeachment removal menu. Can indiaman rich to your point that this is a fundamental political. It seems Some of the objections to the idea of a self Barton, for example, from and no if help- and he is brought this up, is just the idea that to do so would make a mockery of the rule of law. To do so would actually work, and the implicit idea here is that it would be such a grave political offence that no one would actually do it, so it's almost me let it all idea of that may be true. It probably is true and would be, as Rudy said, on myth press. would be a good reason to impeach of- and this is disgusting

he looks talked a lot about category areas, as I think just that the fundamental category era, and so much that the scandal talk and last year and a half, especially with regard to obstruction. is he can abuse his lawful powers, there's no way he can do that have untoward motives and be self deal in abuses, powers which is properly dealt with- that, political crime properly dealt with by. of course, if it rises to a certain level, but it's not something you go in and diet and throw before a jury and try to thrown in jail for what I think. We may have one slight disagreement here in terms of distinctions, which is that there is a view that I think the presence lawyers or are advancing, that the unitary theory of the executive means that the president can't even be investigated or indicted by a subordinate officer in the executive branch and that's fall I think the president can be indicted by a subordinate officer of the executive branch, but president can also order that officer to quash the indictment and then the off

are either has to follow the instruction of this of the superior officer or resign and again that would accelerate the political tension that might expedite something like impeachment. But it's it's well within the presence rights to quash indictments against him at the same time, its political, extremely damaging to have those It will come up in the first place. So I think the presence lawyers are going a step too far if they say that you cannot indicted sitting president that's true. He is a citizen like anybody else in this regard, but he has, by dint of his office, certain mechanisms to prevent himself from being indicted if he wishes to, he just has to explicitly give the order, which then has political ramifications for him in terms of of his standing. These be Congress which, again too, to beat a dead horse is the superior branch our system. We do not have a system of three coeval branches. We have us, but we have a master branch and Congress, which is the actual seat of sovereignty as a practical. They did a matter in american government

Yet a subordinate present since important, still question for both of you guys I mean: what exactly are the president's lawyers? Thinking I mean is the idea here hey by raising this idea of self pardoning, and what have you we're just trying to demonstrate that we have very expensive powers as if to kind of deter certain legal actions against the president I don't. I don't think the lawyers met in that letter to really raise the issue of self pardon. I think that they meant to say he vitiate the entire investigation by pardoning everyone whose, whose involved don't think they relate net himself but pundits commentators went there and then Rudy went there and that's why we have a self part. Discussion, but I see their argument basically twofold. What, and when good lairs would argue he has power? Is you everything you say he did, but he didn't do it right. My dog didn't bite you and even if he great was because you kicked him right. So

Let's do a triple barrel. Ask a question on this topic of the you. First, first lupe pay close attention, I know that it is more complicated. I will he has got us. It's gotTa Ipad out, yes or no trouble, Pardon Paul, Manafort, yes or no trouble, pardon my Cohen, yes or no trouble pardon himself, therefore Cohen himself. No, no! No! no, no, no! No! Yes, now I have found it just feels to me he might at the end of the day that the way their oftentimes happens in special council investigations, the President pardons people call and in the end, I don't think he cares about Paul metaphor, I think, even though you know he's treated him like a lousy dog I think, at a certain level. He cares about Michael Cohen, to the extent even care about anyone at least cares about him a little bit more than Paul Manifold. So it's here! some more about our sponsor witches. Quip quip is a breakthrough toothbrush

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So let's move onto our next topic, ryan- and you are you and fell fan at all, just just NBA with I'm just an mba found, so we ve had this kneeling controversy and Since Trump began pounding on the NFL last season, the NFL been very awkward position. I think they were Miss queued, by candidate. The bubble this country, media and political lead. That thought this was just a tear thing Donald Trump was was due. And the Euro, you shouldn't take honest pop your leg and it turns out actually people don't like. kneeling during the national anthem, which I think should have perfectly obvious. So then fellows in this dilemma. What are they do about it because it seems odd, obviously to mandate the people show respect to the country's flag, so they ve come up with this kind of compromise. You can stay in the locker room, but if you go out and Neil you're gonna get find and trumpet

declared victory this one of the ramifications of this is the Eagles did want to come to the White House because of how transport pounding on the league and some of the players and then Trump, just invited him what he make dismissed, the team what he make this contrast. What would just briefly here are some questions for you guys. So so part of this is an intensity question. You know we talk about politics. We often talk about an issue like gun rights or abortion, where you have a symmetrical intensity on the issue and that oftentimes is what shapes the outcome of a political decision who is actually voting on this or that basis. So what I'm looking at the universe of football fans, I wonder- if there is a kind of reversal here where You have this large universe of people who don't care either way and the people who actually due care so it's not necessarily the people into football, Phantom Writ large is incredibly passion. about this issue: it's just that

I mean you have some people who are incredibly passionate about the fact that Poland Cavern Attack has been treated shabbily, but there actually now that numerous compared to the people were making that case in the media vote? is the rank and file, and there it seems that people who are exercised by it are more numerous, even if they are not necessarily a huge chunk of football fans. Is that your sense of what can I wish? We had a political, consulting snapshot of political consult, whom they have actually used the kneeling question on service so that, without giving way anything that I can't talk about, I will say that I have used for building migratory models of version of asking people their opinions on the kneeling question and it is kneeling, is very, very unpopular, but that doesn't mean that the president has played this particular well. Actually, piggy overplayed his hand here, because it really does set people off even in a very large blue state. It was a fifth,

Fifty proposition, whether or not players should be allowed to play if they need for the anthem and in general, football fans are, are fairly exercised and negatively disposed to people who, Neil for the anthem, that's not really, all that surprising comes to dis inviting the eagles. I think this is one where proper. We, the president, missed an opportunity to make the Eagles look bad and set off a backlash. And so, by sort of speaking, the football on the one yard line? He missed an opportunity politically to continue to keep this thing going and and earn more points now would have been the right way to handle it I'd, let him show up and if they can only dream, ten players to White House than that's gonna, be there pr problem, not yours voice, thought that this point. It shows a kind of fifty fifty question. That's a debacle further

Well, if it First Sports league, you don't wanna, be have any fifty fifty issue on any political controversy right. You're gonna be on ninety ten controversies involving other rules of player or whatever, whereas a fifty fifty issue for tromp is good right. If you're at forty, or what it wherever he is, especially in a blue state worries wildly and popular sir. I have had you just. How do you think about the propria nest? Just just and in general, maybe abstracting for this particular controversy of kneeling or using the flag or symbols associated rituals associate with flag to protest social causes. This is a tough one for me, because I see plausible arguments on various different sides of the issue. So I guess You guys know. I mean I M an instinctive nationalist, but part of that is this feeling that a self confident nation does necessarily half do engage in pay.

displays in every instance of common life and actually, when you look at the hiss, somebody's dissuasion. I haven't studied the NFL very closely, but often employees are. These are relatively. historically new developments innocent. My thinking if you're looking at Midcentury America. This is a country where the flag was not a contested symbol and what I don't like about the kneeling controversy, is that it feel Is there were politicizing the flag in a way that then takes people, other side of these controversies and says that hey the flag is a political simple. I mean, if literally seen this from people that I otherwise think well of, and that's all really worries me here you ve seen this in some other countries, for example, in constitutional monarchy, is energy? Is the model You gotta be a universally embraced and accepted symbol, or is it a fifty fifty simple right of like ethnic inclusion or Looking to the past, or something like that, that's is really dangerous to me. So that's why I just kind of feel like this is playing with fire a lot of the time, but, on the other hand, em

personally wounded. it seems as though people are trying to kind of politicizing like in the other direction. By saying that I will not stand for it in protest this or that injustice as saying that hey, I celebre the flag, partly because I care about these injustices, and I see a different vision of America when either that that's obviously the kind of protest that I would prefer So I guess that's what makes me nervous now as to the kind of legal question and what have you or as to the question of what kind of free speech should we have. I mean I accept that private. Petitions have very broad scope to do what makes sense for them at all. what makes sense in terms of serving their fan base and serving their base of customers, but get it gotta, say that when you have to Stand that same logic to pray. Universities that may well be to pursue policies that are incredibly D. given counterproductive to my mind, but also have to kind of grant that they have that kind of autonomy. What it's a question of kind of free speech culture, so I guess

all over the map on this one. I think that the enemy had the right to put in place this policy, but so you know it's a policy, whereas you're suggesting rich they're trying to deal with this seemingly irrevocable divide in public opinion and so in a way my sympathies are with them and try to kind of put humpty dumpty together I am, I understand he is when, when they looked at the option of just have an entire team stand

Och room during the national anthem? That was the very worst because the last thought was cowardly and in the right thought it was just disrespectful to the anthem in a different way. I mean, I don't think it's just the left versus the right. I think it's, the majority of people wouldn't look askance at it now. Part of this is the NFL, probably NFL. On making right I mean it is true that sports, before sports games there's been playing an anthem, indifferent leagues, all over the America, for quite a while different points in time, but the Unifil has jacked up the sort of over the top. I mean what you might even call like down market or even like ghosts displays of really crass patriotism as part of the like spectacle, culture that they create at these games, and I think, that's part of what made the flag a target in the

I fell in the first place in a way that it didn't become a target in, for instance, major League baseball, where you have the highest percentage of foreign born players of any american major sport, and yet everybody stands for national anthem and you know, and over the heart, etc. And yet the flag is not a target for controversy. Baseball in part, because major League baseball does not make patriotism like the opening act of every single game. Waited. The NFL does with fly overs and I have to say I love it. I went to a giant game season before long, and I just I just had been a while, since I've been to an end, a foul game- and I just forgotten near the fire who drew in you know that flags in their honouring veterans during the whole get out. I I love it You know baseball. Has it's not that it's not much spect but they have added that the seventh thinning God bless America, so they theyve they they ve amp up, Thea

the patriotic volume? And I love there? Is it a viral text about it, I think, is a rather high. School, gamer, college game or maybe a minor league gave us a double header. So They had something the national anthem. First, they didn't have any one for the second games are going to students and scientists. I love that that is very moving. I mean I guess, when you look at the NBA, it is really striking to see that they didn't wind up having an anthem, controversy and David French who said that one things that happened there is at first of all, NBA players not as anonymous. They have very strong identities and me of them are very oriented towards social activism and what have you? They are very public there very open about their views, and so the did not feel a pressing need to do whereas in some other sports sooner, you might feel as though you're a bit more anonymous, and you also might feel a bit a prey

to buy some of what I look was talking about before. So that seems like another angle on dislike is they're kind of some other way to make people feel like their able to kind of show that their complete people, a TIM Corny, really really good column in the washing, Examiner about the Philadelphia Eagles, which you just pointed out, look actually when it comes to protest, lot of the members of this team are doing it right. These are people who are very involved in their communities are also the Eagles weren't kneeling. They were actually protesting in various other ways. So to Luke's. before this was not necessarily the right fight to pick there's also To me, more cynical party meta thinks actually notes southern New Jersey, Pennsylvania. I know these are places that you want to be part of drugs. Blue collar base, I kind of one of their some cross pressures there ya, not thrilled about what this does for the congressional actions and bucks county, and why not? Are you joking or are you? Gonna have serious and have serious about an exit question to you. First, look

Percent of chances next year, Superbowl champions will go to the White House, zero percent there more likely to go to West, Mr Abbe, one hundred percent, it's a ritual too strong to kill next year more champions. I'm gonna go. Ninety nine percent, though show up, but this but zero percent, whoever wins the NBA finals will show up. I had superbowl champion once again over two hundred once again all agree with Luke. That's answer at me. I'm goin real ongoing twenty percent. I just think it that this controversy will roll on trouble, keep pounding on on the NFL feelings will be a continued to be It there's a chance things relax and the team shows up, but I expect more of this- do you think it's just like a pride thing. People is gonna, say: look I don't even want to be in the middle of this, but I think they're, just a offended these players at the way, Trump talks about the players and and other

colleagues and league- and I don't see that and also that going where this is just one thing that I find interesting about this world, I mean one of the things we are seeing is that the players have our influence and when they feel as though the owners are not looking out for their interests, I mean if there is any symmetry there, but it's not as big an asymmetries. It might have been in years past. I'm here. I think it compared years past, but the NFL, the owner, still have ludicrousness power of the players, but really what I hear rich sayings, he thinks sufficiently twenty percent chance at the Patriots witness half an hour. I look, let's hit something else, which is, I think, maybe you tell us, but maybe the most politically important political story. That is all gotten. No, caution. This week, it's beginning made a breakthrough a little bed. There are some damn car Congo's. I'm warning. Jonas has asked about a bench appear, wrote a very good com for us about it, but the generic ballot you, now reputable poles have the democratic, led three two one I think one pull headed at one and the commercialism I hear from Russia

begins on a hill. You know if it's, if its Democrats plus six, we think we can hold the house Oh? How real and how important is is the slide in the generic bout back towards Republicans so said, the generic ballot is a question of who would you prefer to be in Congress, a Republican or a Democrat just for listeners, it's real. It doesn't matter because it's not election day if we are where we are today on election day. It will likely Harold significant picks up pick ups in the Senate, for Republicans and Republicans will probably hold the house, but just like we were down just like Republicans, were facing a a much deeper deficit only sixty days ago, sixty he's from now. We could also be facing a steep deficit, the realities. What you're seeing is voter contentment with the state of the economy, which is doing extremely well and

think a general relaxation about trumps handling on foreign policy and bit the generic valid, largely moves based on these of either the party, the President, based on economic performance and and how we're doing foreign policy like. Are we in a way? and if we are going well- and you know, I think there was a little thing. Obviously, the tax cuts and a lot of quantitative easing money coming off the the sidelines once the U Republican regulatory regime came into effect, has done a lot to just send the economy and overdrive, maybe a little too hot at the moment. But if it continues to burn hot through November will be really good shape. and I think some kind of latent anxiety about trumps ability to handle foreign policy issues has been put to rest just because a familiar to just because of clarity and he hasn't gotten us into a war. That's going badly decent people just getting used to Trump,

yeah, I think, they're baking in a certain amount of just steam blowing, often in what is it two hundred eighty characters at the time. So I ran with which your view on what the current political environment is, is it? Is it much better than we would have thought of thought sixty days ago? Yes, I certainly think that's true what uncertain about, is the fact that in your when you're looking at special elections, for example, a special section, a misery district that had been one handily by Republicans in years past. Now as one by a democratic when you're looking at these state legislative races for better or for worse, I they for worse, pretty much. all of these elections are no nationalized before voting on the basis of their gonna cut of national party affiliation. You know, no one knows who this or that particular candidate is, with some exceptions, so? You know that's one data point, but on the other hand, when you're looking at some of these special elections will act

in Virginia. You would expect that you would have a lot of you know. Clinton voting Upper Middle Class college hated voters turning out in large numbers for a kind of mainstream Democrat. So if you're actually Virginia the test case that it doesn't look. That alarming. If you're, looking at Doug Joneses victory in Alabama, then it is alarming. It's a very different picture in terms of who is actually showing up devoting what have you so I kind of like we're getting beg you a signals and when we're looking just at the generic ballot, another issue is that if you are looking at the distribution of voters across the electoral map across congressional districts. It is a pretty decent distribution for republican purposes, It is a very inefficient allocation of these voters for Democrats meter that you know they're running the table in a lot of these kind of blue stayed coast, Metro districts. Doesn't necessarily translate into them winning the house. This is getting a little in a kind of ahead of things, but I ve got to say just

the back of my mind. I think the outcome that would be good for republic and would be losing the house by two seats because if you win the house by to see too few barely hang on by the skin of your teeth? Then? Suddenly it are. You just have all of the antagonisms all of the divisions coming before, among Republicans right, if you have it happened on the democratic side, suddenly We cannot have that majority and barely on the strength of people who have said that Nancy Policy is the devil, despite the fact that she is the greatest fundraiser, they never had right and then also have all these other controversies like who becomes the next speaker. Is it going to be male etiquette of all of this other stuff, would be real in short to watch, and certainly from the president's perspective that would be the cap bird seed. Whereas either can barely winning and partly also this feeling of do barely when, despite the fact that Democrats, one, the popular vote for the house by a diesel

sized margin. That's the kind of thing. You know, is a relevant under our constitutional scheme, but it's a kind of thing worries me about the attempts to kind of a road, the legitimacy of our constitutional system so anyway, that just a couple of so light, my general it always better to have more power, rather than last. Why do you make of rye hands argument? And what do you make the argument? You'll hear from some geopolitical US maybe in if they take democratic, the House and Trump gets impeached, not pitcher move but just impeach some kind of light impeachment. That's a good thing for him, a little mild and yeah. So it's interesting. On the one hand, I think

by the way losing the Senate would be a disaster like a fortune. I don't think that's. Gonna happen, the. I still think it's worth it told the house, the freedom Caucasus pretty much a spent force and the present can just beat them with a stick and they will day they kneel before sought as they should. They were, in my view, never particularly productive, forcing Congress when it came to actually getting conservative policy done. But you know the foxes Green room is an appealing place barely anyway visa. I think that that, with a speaker, Mccarthy and a Trump White House and a Mcconnell Senate, you could still put forward a pre serious agenda if the president were willing to maybe play a little more active role in legislating these play to date, I think it democratic House does put impeachment on the table for the Democrats, which their leaders desperately dont want, which would exercise the republican base considerably and we'd get a kind of nation wide. Twenty twenty could then

Look like a nation wide reply of the Walker Recall election in twenty twelve and set June twenty twelve in Wisconsin, but you know, I don't think that the water recall was particularly edifying constant political culture, and while it did a lot to consolidate republican gains in the state and turn was counts. Increasingly into a red state wasn't good for I don't know that was macro level good for Wisconsin. What do you see? Irrational candidates running because you know, when I look at it I mean it seems as though you have people critically the rust belt running on a kind of more economic nationalist platform, also, it seems like there's been a convergence in the party around immigration agenda, that says that ok, we might be willing to talk amnesty for the dreamers, but we want to move to America Systems Basically, the kind of Tom gotten agenda seems to become seems to become the kind of mainstream position. But what are you

Those are not necessarily things that can move even Ex Congress and are using particular policy issues that are coming to the fore in these raises. I mean right now. What's gonna happen, is republicans run on tax cuts and they're gonna run and say: look the economy's booming. You have a job and you have more money in your pocket, that's because of us, and they want to take it away and Nancy Plus. He said it was crumbs and it doesn't matter and she's gonna raise your taxes. So that's what it's down do think that's gonna work again if the economy, can use to point the way to do it. Ain't going right now, I think it will and policies to give the keeps on giving I mean she just keeps putting out sound bites, If I were democratic political consultant would make me just one jump off a bridge, they are really really unhelpful things like yes, I will. be the next speaker. Yes, I will raise your taxes. Those tax cuts were crumbs. I mean they're, not crumbs their meaningful gains in income and dumb they're going to continue to accrue now.

We can talk about whether not it was sound policy from a budget standpoint that's different matter, but in terms of the campaign politics of this it or you better off today than you were under Brok about Rick what do you want to see Republicans running on in twenty it in I cometh, I think taxes isn't isn't enough and I think it it is telling that you ve had a lot of ads about immigration and I just wonder remit theory about some mischief. Generic ballot movement is related to cultural stuff. That Democrats went too far on gun control or that list rhetorically in the wake of the park lunch doing and seeming to beat up in a president for things he says I am, as thirteen are, is empirically playing well, so I think tat for it hugely important and setting the general and environment one making sure you know the descent, message I await were actually gonna. Do something they hadn't pass that bill. We would be in a very different world

the two turbocharging to some extent, the margins, the the economy, which makes it the environment better but understand, for him. Motivating tax got to the end of the day. Are I think that you need? You need some issues with I would also threaten their don't forget that, like function, destroying islamic state, has been a huge underline burnt, duration and no one talks about a slight but like you that's in there and public opinion, the reality is, the modern Republican Party exists pretty much only to cut taxes and kill terrorists and Donald Trump stun both of Russia So at this juncture, your guess in terms of of what the new terms will hold for Applicants in November, one from rating from one to five decimal points are ok, one, a debacle for the GNP five. The boy republican MID term, while holding the White House in two thousand and two I'm gonna say two point five.

Save the kid he got up above or below five, ok, so opportunism, autism, four miles and right right are equally important optimism with investments. If I, danger terms right, rich, the only thing were comparing this too is two thousand six, so five would be better than that only republican, maternal holding the White House since two thousand to write well so five is great. For Republicans, like it's two thousand to where it in a buck. The terrain and a new data seats and and one is as wipe out by the way. What I'm saying two point: six, I'm saying lose the house, you lose the house, but are you lived fight another day? We hope to point six lose the house but hold this. I owe you well, look if we're talking about losing the Senate, and that's the that's like that's that's what I mean I that I that's just too hard to contemplate a guess. We define what to say Six me boy do, I think, there's still five months left in this business cycle.

I'll, be honest. It's either! There's really only two answers here. There's you either answer one or five. I think so. You think they're within five months. The business cycle might turn yet absolutely. Absolutely my, it might also turn the second place it on its. It's always vault. When you can't tell or based on anything we, with this document, it is down in a round a lot right. Now things are going really hot. I dont think the FED is gonna raise rates in a way that might set things off. I don't think we have a self induced recession, but boy I mean hopefully not it's just things are very, very, very bouncing around very old right now. Yes, sir, I had two point: six is losing the house by how many seats two point. Six is losing the house, it exactly. The scenario laid out before right around there. It's losing back is company exactly it's. Barely Losing the house, which in some ways again I think, could actually be advantageous right. I'm a two point: seven, so Luke with system

the things before we run here. You ve been reading J costs new, but I have yeah so friend of friend of natural view. I'm sometimes contributor, a J cost and my co host on our own podcast called constitutionally speaking a has new book out. I strongly recommended everybody pick up. It's called on the price of greatness. He walks through the merging sort of policy and personality conflict between medicine and Hamilton lead these to sort of great defenders and in some ways, architects. The constitution, too. You know fight a really bitter personally and politically embittering battle until Hamilton staff meeting of foreign than really Madison continues to carry the fight on through the rest of us his political career. A j as it is an able on accessible and writer and he's done a great job analyzing. What can at times seem like pretty arid content. You don't get a lot of like beach reads that are about the founding fathers, but this is one of them, so I would recommend it to any one rate: read that that's chase the price of greatness press, greatness, Ryan,

you been paying attention to a debate about family values and the rap world. That is it actually right. So I have long since decided that being a youngish old man is better. Being an old man who pretends to be in tune with youth culture. So I'm really not. I don't follow pop music as much as I did in decades passed, but you know I do you know like to kind of sir, if you don't get to stumble upon this thing here there, and there was a recent battle between push a t, Andrei Drake being one of the most celebrated in a pop figures of our time, pushy, an incredibly talented wrapper, who chiefly wraps about selling cocaine, perhaps others says. Well it's often I was pretty impenetrable to me, but he's a he's. An awfully tell if a guy somewhat I've liken admired for many years, despite the pretty grim content of his music and innocent. been trading insults back and forth for many years, but then recently your tea came out. Decisive

head in their contest by saying, hey Drake, you have mocked me for getting married as if marriage is a bad thing. First, I objected that second, hey Drake. Let's talk about character As it turns out, you have been hiding a child. You haven't been taken care of and now you are secretly planning to Associate this child of yours with some New Adidas Press run. That's pretty bad behaviour, my friend, and this was seen as a completely devastating attack- and I just thought myself near that's pretty bourgeois there and something that I felt a little bit burdening. So how does get over it on your radar screen Just I was excited for the new pushy album whether there is a lot of coverage about this particular countertop. I mean I mean push a t, deities research, I mean,

he went in and found old photos of Drake in what looks like black face from his earlier career. When he was trying to be an actor, I mean the man went into the archives. It was a a blistering and well prepared attack. And he is more to come out to totally shifting ground here. I've been reading the book of Genesis Exit, as I mentioned many times for working book a nationalism and kind of source for western nationalism? ultimately, is that the Bible and Genesis and an exodus and adjust its an amazing stories. so human. You have disputes about whose well as this and you have jealousy between wives and and stresses and Abraham. I think this is an amazing figure, Paul jobs. Points out- that perhaps the first recorded instance of human laughter is when God tells Abraham you're going to have a child with your wife, and I both like ninety nine years old and he last has got says- got houses the k

and I got a little bit later- tells Abraham again and Sarah overhears it and she laughs and then she actually has a child. She goes back and said now. Now, God is really made me laugh and one of the more Joyce If so, is it in the Bible and others also the most on fathom and harrowing. Isn't it in the Bible? Maybe in all western literature has to be right up. There were a ram agrees to to sacrifice Isaac and they go on this three day track and eyes. It is carrying the wood and eyes at one point says father we have this, would where's the lamb and perhaps a god will provide, and ultimately he does any that's my plug for the book of Genesis, but let's plugin also, very important literary source and our culture, which is national view looting, and what's your letters pick so I'm gonna go with ashore peace from the website. The Jonah wrote about the self pardon issue because I think he does a nice job of laying out a lot of the emotional discomfort that self pardoning raises in people and is very honest about it.

he ties it tat, sort of the scope and sprawl of government. I don't, I don't think it's her, it's not illegal. Mystic argument. It's not meant to be, but I think he captures. Why does make so many people uncomfortable in a really honest way- and I thought was a good short piece reign- was your pic tidied up for road, a terrific peace for our next print issue on Taiwan, and it's very distinctive and very combustible political mix, and also very much international. Your tradition, I'm running pieces on Taiwan for like sixty years basically- Russia was like for a publisher, was at a legend in Taiwan. Aided visit there like sixteen times or something, my pig is actually Kevin, whimsy peace and a new issue about Samantha, B where Kevin and his inimitable style doesn't just say the obvious things about Psmith P, whose of or Parson hater. That makes it really profound points about how that this kind of quantum quote humor has to do with them.

status and shaming other people and trying to demonstrate that they don't have the status that you do. That's it for us this week, You been listened to a NASH, review, podcasting every broadcast, retransmission or account of this game without the express written permission of national view is Ryan Salaam strictly pro habited. Thank you Luke. Thank you right hand. Thank you whip thanks to all of you for listening. We are editors and we'll see you next,