Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
It's our special Friday the 13th episode of the podcast and we're lucky to be joined by political consultant and Meet The Press regular Mike Murphy and our own John Yoo, Berkeley law professor and the former deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department of President George W. Bush, and of course one of the stars of Ricochet's Law Talk with Epstein and Yoo. We talk presidential politics with Murphy, everyone from Mitt to Mitch, and then the politics of Osama and Obama with Professor Yoo. We also get an inside look at what a Sunday afternoon at Chez Yoo is like. Ever been to Speaker's Corner in London? Kind of like that, but with better weather.
It's your lucky day, here are the links:
- Shameless Plug™#1: If you haven't listened to the latest Steyn/Goldberg/Long podcast, you are denying yourself untold amounts of pleasure and delight. Really.
- We apologize up front for the copious amounts of Skype beeps and alerts in this podcast. A software update surreptitiously changed our audio settings without asking. Thanks a lot, Wiretap Anywhere. Maybe Microsoft can do something about that one of these days.
- Pat Sajak wrote a post attributing a quote to George Washington. Turns out Washington probably never said it. He then wrote a post quoting John Cleese, which may or may not have been said by the famous Python. But they were both great quotes, no matter who said them.
- Ron Paul is in. Somebody warn the internet.
- Mike Murphy rocked the purple bow tie last week on Meet The Press. Sharp. Back in the 70's, he liked to write and sing plaintive songs about wild stallions.
- Mike's Twitter feed is wildly entertaining and informative. We follow him, you should too.
- For someone who appears on TV as much as Newt Gingrich does, his announcement video was surprisingly unsophisticated. No wonder Pawlenty hired Michael Bay.
- The WSJ's editorial on Mitt Romney was devastating. His video was actually worse than Newt's.
- Tim Pawlenty changed his view on Cap and Trade in 2009. Romney has changed his on abortion as well.
- We don't have one in our neighborhood, so we can't judge for ourselves, but Godfather's Pizza gets mediocre reviews on Yelp.
- Jon Huntsman has an impressive reading Wikipedia page. We did not know that he was once a keyboard player in a rock band. No wonder Murphy likes him so much.
- Cheri Daniels did in deed give a speech last night, but she left the Big Question unanswered. She's coy, that Cheri.
- Kam Kuwata passed away about a month ago. The bowtie on Meet The Press was a nice tribute.
- Irving R. Levine was a former NBC News correspondent who also famous for wearing a bow tie.
- Shameless Plug™ #2: John Yoo is one of the stars of our Law Talk podcast. You should be listening to that one too.
- Here is the original memo John wrote on interrogation methods the government could use on military combatants in 2003. Part 2 is here.
- Paul Krugman recently had another in a series of fits about John and what he has been saying about the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Elliot Spitzer had one too. We think John shows remarkable, Spock-like restraint in these situations.
- Ricochet member Ken Owsley wrote an excellent post a few days ago about the 787 and the NRLB. Highly recommended.
- The first emperor of imperial China was Shihuangdi [260-209 BC], is known the world round for his lavish necropolis containing an army made of 7,000 soldiers modeled of terracotta clay.
- "Kramden-sized President" was this close to being the title of the episode. We just couldn't come up with a good song for it.
- Our friend Kim Masters at The Hollywood Reporter broke the story about Ashton Kutcher replacing that other guy (who predictably thinks the show will now tank).
- Ashton's Tweet announcing the news. We sure hope the Smithsonian is archiving this stuff.
- Shameless Plug™ #3: Please read Popcrush, the blog that James writes so he can support his blogging and podcasting habit. It's actually very entertaining.
- Rob wrote a terrific post the Kutcher news here.
- Did we miss anything? Have a correction? Tell us in the comments!
Music from this week's episode:
- This Is Why We Fight by The Decemberists
- A Well Respected Man by The Kinks
The direct link to this week's episode (great for mobile devices!). But baby, be the greatest and subscribe. Don't use iTunes? Visit our Feedburner page for a number of other subscription options.
The Ricochet Podcast is proudly sponsored by Encounter Books and their Broadside series. This week's featured title is Government Unions and the Bankrupting of America by Daniel DiSalvo. Available in all formats at EncounterBooks.com.
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Comments :
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
I hope Rob's intervention sounds like the intervention episode of The Sopranos.
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
Oh, come on. Rob and I email all the time. He sends me videos of gay penguins and morons crashing mountain bikes. I send him ones of cats flushing toilets.
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
I just took that link out. I think it was too harsh. Email away.
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
I wasn't offended in the least, Yeti. I liked Peter's guffaw...
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
It should be noted that the "Intererocitor" that James said Newt could tell us how to build is a reference to the sci-fi classic This Island Earth. Which also was the basis for Mystery Science Theater 3000, the movie, and therefore a clear endorsement of Mike Nelson being on the podcast.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
"Interocitor" I mean. Aliens stutter.
Sep '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
Maybe Microsoft closed the deal in the middle of the podcast?
Oct '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
Was just going to make a similar post, another reference gem.
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
Excellent catch, Kennedy. Thank you for adding that.
Feb '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
Enough of your excuses Rob, the lateness of Steyn/Goldberg/Long almost put me at DefCon 5
Oct '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
What is the strong conservative argument for a federal mandate that Mike Murphy mentioned? I didn't hear this point elaborated or challenged. Is there a recent Bradley prize winner or Republican He-Man could explain the proposed position and subsequent fallacy? Does it revolve around the financial intent of having everyone buy into the system to spread risks and costs?
Jul '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
If Yoo is He-Man, then Murphy is Teela
Jun '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
Yes, this one slipped through the cracks very quickly. It blew my ears back when I heard it... and poof, it was gone.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
Given Newt's personal life issues Rob might want to stop suggesting the Gingrich campaign might have a "Happy Ending." Like that Canadian politician.
Mar '11
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
Thanks for doing these podcasts, guys!
Ricochet bricochet
Peter Mark Robinson
wishing to elevate
center right tone
founded a website which
oxymoronically
features a gunshot bounced
off of a stone.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
What is the strong conservative argument for a federal mandate that Mike Murphy mentioned?
How does a mandate, with a tax as a penalty, with jail or seizure as a penalty for not paying differ from a tax with a penalty, with jail or seizure as a penalty? Is it simply that you aren't "guaranteed" to get sick and need medical services? But isn't that true of a lot of things taxes go towards that you are forced to pay?
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
I'm surprised no one suggested that Professor Yoo offer the food gifts he receives to the protesters who assemble outside his house--seems like a good food chain to me.
Mitt Romney's speech in Ann Arbor was a policy speech to, I believe, physicians. It was not a "I'm running" speech; and it was not a speech to the general public.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
There is a reasonable personal responsibility case to be made for what is the effective equivalent of a mandate. However: 1) It must be state, not federal, due to the difference between police power and interstate commerce, and 2) it is not a pure mandate, it is the auto insurance equivalent- carry insurance or show responsibility by having assets sufficient to cover the medical insurance policy maximum so that there is no way whatever that your bills could be charged to the state if you became so ill you were indigent. Insurance is cheaper, but Warren Buffett doesn't need it.
Now, the important point. Everybody pile on, Vilify The Evil John Yoo! Today's reasons:
1) He is insensitive to Islam- in the podcast, he talked about managing Gitmo conjugal visits for prisoners with five wives. As Dougie Hooper can tell us, the Prophet only allowed "up to four wives". "Ghilan became a Muslim....ten wives. The prophet said.....: "Keep four and depart from the rest." Shame on John.
2) Leave bin Laden alive for intelligence purposes? What is there to learn with Eric Holder questioning Osama, using the techniques in the Army Field manual, no EIT?
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
Dave Molinari
Yes, this one slipped through the cracks very quickly. It blew my ears back when I heard it... and poof, it was gone. · May 13 at 10:15pm
Well, we only have so much time, and we wanted to keep it on politics. But you're right: that's the "conservative" argument for the mandate. Which is one of the reasons it's so unpopular.
May '10
Re: Ricochet Podcast #69: The Next Guy?
I don't see Casey's risk-sharing thought as being inherently liberal or conservative. Risk-sharing is risk-sharing, and it happens in Medicare more effectively than it does in Germany's sickness funds, so the pragmatic approach would be to go "single payer".
There simply isn't a pure conservative argument for a federal mandate. That's why I described the argument as I did.