Episode 012 – The Russian Episode

We start off the show with an 8 bit version of the Russian folk song, Korobeiniki, or for those of us less cultured swine, the theme from Tetris.

Lewayne fires off a burst of assorted topics in his Broadside, including:

Upcoming special elections…

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/whats-going-on-in-the-first-house-elections-of-the-trump-era/

Trump’s address to Congress…

NPR annotations: http://www.npr.org/2017/02/28/516717981/watch-live-trump-addresses-joint-session-of-congress

WaPo analysis:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/02/28/fact-checking-president-trumps-address-to-congress/?utm_term=.e0e6dfe5d28e

The previous five Presidents’ addresses:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/02/28/presidents-first-address-joint-session-of-congress/98472988/

Approval ratings:

Obama on the week of his first address (2/24/09) was 64/23. http://www.gallup.com/poll/116479/barack-obama-presidential-job-approval.aspx

W, in the weeks around his first address was around 62(63)/21(22) range. http://www.gallup.com/poll/116500/presidential-approval-ratings-george-bush.aspx

Bill Clinton in the week following his address was 59/29. http://www.gallup.com/poll/116584/presidential-approval-ratings-bill-clinton.aspx

George HW Bush and Reagan: http://www.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx

Last, and definitely least, Trump: http://www.gallup.com/poll/201617/gallup-daily-trump-job-approval.aspx

Branstad’s pet “Who needs licensure?” bill:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/06/branstad-urges-reform-professional-licensing-requirements-despite-legislative-pushback/98802600/

Iowa abortion bills:

Trump’s Muslim Ban: Mark II, and the new Republican “plan” for replacing the ACA…

Then guys try to wade through the Russia spiderweb, listen to Jeff Sessions lie and Al Franken call him on it, hear Jeff Sessions explain in detail a meeting that he didn’t recall having, and remind the audience that George Orwell wrote more than one book…

Sessions/Leahy Interview: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Sessions%20Responses%20to%20Leahy%20QFRs.pdf

Animal Farm: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=animal+farm&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aanimal+farm

They also talk about the “Yeah, but…” syndrome the right suffers when they get called on their bullshit, and remind us all to watch out for jingly keys…

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