Professor Gordon Lafer says issues like the minimum wage, a living wage and paid sick days are winning issues politically and progressive candidates should call out big business – and win. Service Employees International Union leader David Rolf takes us through the increasingly successful fight for a 15-dollar an hour minimum wage. Gordon Lafer As we commemorate another Labor Day, professor Gordon Lafer reminds us that unions gave us the minimum wage, the 8-hour day, and child labor laws – all of which were opposed by the Chamber of Commerce, which continues to oppose what most working Americans demand.   David Rolf The “Fight for 15,” organized labor’s move to raise the minimum wage, is having success, state by state, reports Service Employees union leader David Rolf.   Jim Hightower Clueless CEOs Confused By Workers Quitting   For more than a year, America’s corporate chieftains have been moaning about “The Great Resignation” – the recent phenomena of workers just up and quitting their jobs. And now comes “Quiet Quitting,” workers who don’t leave their jobs, but only do what they were hired to do, quietly rejecting the endless extra (unpaid) tasks and weekend assignments that bosses try to pile on. What’s at work in the heads of all these workers?   Bill Press Rep. Jackie Speier is Retiring, But She Leaves a Legacy for Women   Congresswoman Jackie Speier represents California's 14th congressional district just south of San Francisco. Jackie has been a strong leader on the important issue of sexual assault in the military. She's been relentless going after the Generals in the Pentagon pressuring them to take cases of sexual assault out of the military chain of command. Where they were too often just swept under the rug. Rep. Speier is retiring this year and reflects on the current fragile state of American Democracy.    If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.

Sam Berger of the Center for American Progress draws the parallels between Richard Nixon and Donald Trump, and asks us to take a lesson from how the nation recovered from Watergate. Karen Hobert Flynn, the President of Common Cause, explains why a national popular vote is a better way to pick the next president.  Sam Berger In the wake of Watergate, a wave of reforms were ushered in to repair a dysfunctional government and regain the public’s  trust in its leaders. Sam Berger is a policy analyst who says that moment in history has much to offer in the modern day.   Karen Hobert Flynn Karen Hobert Flynn leads one of the nation’s leading organizations dedicated to strengthening democracy. That’s why she says it’s time for the nation to change the way we elect our President.    Jim Hightower Where’s the “Dignity of Work” When Work Kills Workers?   Corporate acolytes and right-wing moralists constantly preach to laboring stiffs about the uplifting dignity of work.   Of course, that’s “dignity” as defined and controlled by corporate elites, not by workers, and the reward for it frequently includes on-the-job injuries… and death. Not that CEOs and well-heeled investors intend to sicken, maim, and kill thousands of laborers every year – but they certainly do put them in positions that assure such unhappy results.   Bill Press WH Documents: How it’s Supposed to Work.   With all the talk over the last two weeks about the documents in the basement of Mar-a-Lago, Bill decided to talk to a man who oversaw presidential documents in the Obama White House. Greg Craig was Obama's White House Counsel. He knows the rules and he saw them followed completely. It's a tale of two presidencies. And it's not a pretty picture. For the country, or Donald Trump.   If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.

The destructive influence of “dark money” in campaign finance.   The truth on how American elections are bought and sold. Plus, Fred Wertheimer and the movement to restore ethics and integrity to government. Kimberly Reed Kimberly Reed’s film, “Dark Money”, is a powerful expose of the influence of anonymous donors in political campaigns.  She says growing up in Montana gave her a front-row seat to the corrupting influence of money in politics and the perfect setting to tell that story. Fred Wertheimer Fred Wertheimer has played a key role in every major campaign finance reform and ethics battle in Congress since the post-Watergate reforms in the 1970s. He continues that career as President of Democracy 21, where he calls on Congress to restore integrity to governing. Jim Hightower A Tear-Jerker About the Housing Saga of Some Rich Jerks   The “old homeplace” is a classic theme of Americana, expressed in everything from Norman Rockwell paintings to Woody Guthrie’s powerful folk lament, “I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Anymore.”   But for a heart-rending, modern-day version of the emotional pull of home, you can’t beat the poignant wail of a new song entitled: “The Low-down Down-home Atherton Rich Man Blues.” Warning: You might need a box of tissues to get through this sad saga. Bill Press The 25 Year Crack-up of the GOP   The Destructionists: The Twenty-Five Year Crack-Up of the Republican Party is the new book by Washington Post Opinion Columnist, Dana Milbank. In this interview with Bill, he takes us from Newt Gingrich in 1990’s all the way to the GOP response to the Mar-a-Lago Search Warrant. And now we have one party that is not committed to our democracy.    If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  

It’s a new day in the climate battle that can only be fought by believing we can still make a difference. Michael Mann Climate scientist Michael Mann has achieved fame for his work in proving climate change is happening. He says that even as we move past climate denialism, the battle over how to take action against global warming is as urgent as ever. Dan Glickman There’s a growing acknowledgment that even as agriculture feels some of the worst impacts of climate change, it also contributes to the crisis. Former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman says farmers can be part of the solution and public policy can help them do that. Jim Hightower Good News: Small Groups Can Defeat Corporate Giants   From corporate polluters to political bosses, power elites try to create a myth of inevitability, trying to make workaday people feel helpless, too small to change the injustices of the system. Don’t bother is their message.   But the feisty residents of Boxtown, Tennessee, definitely did bother when they learned that a couple of profiteering fossil fuel giants were targeting them. Bill Press The Danger of "Christian Nationalism."   The First Amendment of the Constitution is pretty clear: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”   But the GOP and MAGA World are increasingly promoting something called “Christian Nationalism.” What is it? Is it dangerous? Bill talked to his old friend the Reverend Barry Lynn who has spent his entire life fighting to keep the wall up between Church and State as well as many progressive causes. For 25 years he was Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.    If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  

Lessons we learned from the Kennedys, and what they can teach us about today’s political climate. Richard Kahlenberg Robert Kennedy ran an economically populist campaign that reached across America’s deep racial divide. Richard Kahlenberg says his legacy matters now more than ever. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend In one of our first interviews recorded for this show, we interviewed Kathleen Kennedy Townsend about an article she wrote for the Washington Post about how her uncle, John F Kennedy, reconciled his public service and his Catholic faith without compromising either. Jim Hightower Should Making a Living Mean Selling Your Life?   “Work your fingers to the bone – whadda ya get? Boney Fingers.”   This 1960s song mocking the vaunted virtue of working hard is being sung today with new meaning by all kinds of employees – from factory workers to teachers… and even a few upper-floor executives. Bill Press "Rage" Against the "Pro-life" Machine   When Bill talked to Jacqueline Ayers, the Senior Vice president at Planned Parenthood for Policy, Campaigns and Advocacy, the word “rage” came up six times. Rage against this latest Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe V Wade. Rage against the state legislatures and governors who are instituting draconian abortion bans. Rage against the burdens put on health care providers who have to consult with lawyers, or look over their shoulder at prosecutors, when trying merely to save a woman's life.   If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.

The past, present and future of progressives in the Senate. Senator Sherrod Brown on his book Desk 88: Eight Progressive Senators Who Changed America. Sherrod Brown Senator Sherrod Brown’s most recent book offers a timely history of 20th-century American progressivism. Along the way he makes a compelling case to believe in the future of the Progressive idea in American politics. Todd Gitlin Columbia University professor Todd Gitlin, a long-time chronicler of progressive politics, urges the left to nail down a simple program that appeals to the general public. Jim Hightower   A Rube Goldberg Inflationary Spiral   Last July, several GOP senators combined their 5-watt intellects to charge that inflation was rising because of the “insane tax and spending spree of President Biden and the Democrats.”   Never mind that the “insane” spending is for such sensible, productive, and enormously popular national needs as childcare and jobless benefits, Mitch McConnell’s rabidly partisan flock saw the chance to politicize the public’s legitimate worries about rising prices. Bill Press The Darker Side of Right-wing Media   As Bill used to say on his radio show, you don't need to watch Fox News or listen to Rush Limbaugh, because Media Matters for America was doing it for you. They're still doing it and they've added other right-wing outlets like One America News Network or OAN. In today's podcast, Media Matters writer Bobby Lewis takes us down the dark rabbit hole that is OAN. It's not only dark, it's dangerous.    If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  

Raise the minimum wage.   Revisiting some of the conversations we have had about raising the minimum wage. David Cooper Progressive Democrats have made raising the minimum wage a priority for the new administration. And for a good reason.  David Cooper says a $15 minimum wage would lift pay for tens of millions of workers and help reverse decades of growing pay inequality. Janelle Jones Economic analyst Janelle Jones says a higher minimum wage is a crucial tool in bridging our nation’s widening income inequality gap  And in the face of federal inaction, cities and states are setting up to the plate. Jim Hightower   Whip Inflation Now!   Republican politicos are all over Joe Biden for failing to stop inflation. Perhaps you wonder, though, what these squawkers would do if they were in charge?   No need to wonder – just look back to 1974, when Americans were being pummeled by price spikes that topped 12%, nearly double what we’re enduring today. But by Gollies, President Gerald Ford and his Republican contingent in Congress met the challenge head-on with a new magical program of economic uplift they called WIN – Whip Inflation Now! Bill Press Trump's Washington and The Price Of Submission   Mark Leibovich is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller This Town. His new book, Thank You for Your Servitude, DONALD TRUMP'S WASHINGTON AND THE PRICE OF SUBMISSION is the eyewitness account of how the GOP collaborated with Donald Trump to transform Washington’s “swamp” into a gold-plated hot tub—and a onetime party of rugged individualists into a sycophantic personality cult. A long time New York Times writer, he is now at the Atlantic, in part, he says, because he can use profanity there.    If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  

The religious right’s rise to political power   We take a look back at how the religious right and the white nationalist movement took over the Republican party. Katherine Stewart Katherine Stewart’s explores the rise of the religious right in America and its vast reach into American politics. She warns that the end result is fundamentally anti-democratic, and it is dangerously anti-science. Damon Berry Religion professor Damon Berry says real Christians want nothing to do with the white nationalist movement, which he says is growing. Jim Hightower   The Sunshine State’s Dark Bully   How about Ron DeSantis? The Florida governor is the new darling of the right-wing media, funders, and other establishment powers who’re pushing him to be your next president.   “Ron DeSantis is the new Republican Party,” gushed one arch-conservative media maven. That’s odd, since what characterizes Ron’s tenure (and is causing a collective swoon for him within the rightist hierarchy) is his Big Government authoritarianism.   Bill Press Pope Pius XII and WW II-The Secret, Sordid History   The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler is a new explosive and controversial book by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author David Kertzer, a Professor of Social Science at Brown University. The book tells the story of Pope Pius XII and his actions during World War II, including how he responded to the Holocaust. Spoiler alert: He did not cover himself in glory.    If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  

The one thing Trump manufactured successfully… “Former Republicans”   Revisiting our interview with Author Rick WIlson on his book “Everything Trump Touches Dies: A Republican Strategist Gets Real About the Worst President Ever.”   Rick Wilson The presidency of Donald Trump has brought discord to a party known for its political discipline as critics within the GOP take aim at a President they feel is destroying their party. Among them is Rick Wilson.  Never one to mince words, his book is a scathing critique of Donald Trump. Jim Hightower   Beware: The GOP Has Chosen to Embrace The Crazy   Perhaps you remember Sen. Barry Goldwater, the GOP’s fringy, far-right-wing 1964 presidential nominee who famously said, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.” Today, however, the core of the Republicans Party has gone so far beyond the fringe that they would boo Goldwater’s right-wingism as insufficiently rabid. Instead, their new rallying cry is: “Nuttiness in the defense of extremism is no vice.” Bill Press SCOTUS: "Outrageous. Aggressive."   Bill and his guest Elizabeth Wydra runs down the major and disastrous decisions from this Supreme Court. Wydra is the Constitutional Accountability Center’s President. From 2008-2016, she served as its Chief Counsel. Throughout her tenure she has filed more than 200 briefs on behalf of the Constitutional Accountability Center and clients, which include preeminent constitutional scholars and historians, state and local government organizations, groups such as the League of Women Voters and the AARP, and members of Congress.   If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  

The legacy of Woody Guthrie   Ten years later, we revisit a show celebrating the Centennial of the birth of Woody Guthrie with interviews from Pete Seeger and former Senator Fred Harris. Pete Seeger Our first guest today was a truly great American, perhaps the leading progressive icon of our times. In honor of the centennial of the birth of Woody Guthrie, Pete had some fun telling stories on Woody, and revealing the history of the anthem “This Land is Your Land.”  http://www.peteseegermusic.com/  http://www.woodyguthrie.org/   Fred Harris Fred Harris was a populist when he was the U.S. senator from Oklahoma. He talked with us about the legacy of Woody Guthrie and the lessons we learned from the Dust Bowl Era of American history. Jim Hightower   An Angry Public Will Overcome Arrogant Officials   Donald Trump’s criminal attempt to steal the 2020 election failed, but it’s not the only recent coup attack on our democracy. In the last few years, a cabal of right-wing zealots have plotted to seize control of the US Supreme Court. By hook and crook, they’ve installed a six-judge majority, and now they’re using them as a political cudgel to try stealing not just a constitutional right, but an inherent human right from American women – the right to make their own reproductive decisions. By judicial fiat, the right-wing judges have decreed that the state will make birth decisions, regardless of what mothers want. This is the Republican Party’s current concept of “small government.” Bill Press The Man Who Could Primary Sen. Sinema   Congressman Ruben Gallego of Arizona. This is his fourth term in Congress where he focuses on national security issues and the health and welfare of veterans. He's a veteran himself having served in Iraq as an infantryman in the Marines. He is the son of Hispanic immigrants and the first in his family to attend college, in this case Harvard University. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.