Join Tony Perkins in a dynamic discussion that not only examines a pivotal bill's journey through Congress, but also its potential implications on U.S.-Israeli relations. We navigate through a thorough analysis with White House Correspondent Phil Wagman and Israeli politics expert Ruthie Bloom. As attention shifts to next week's significant diplomatic meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, this episode touches on themes of international diplomacy, legislative strategy, and the profound impact of principled negotiation.
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From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation's leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview, Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
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On this vote, the yeas are 218, the nays are 214. The motion is adopted.
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That was House Speaker Mike Johnson announcing the package of the reconciliation bill, which became the centerpiece of President Trump's legislative agenda. Welcome to this July 3rd edition of Washington Watch. I'm your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in. Well, after setting a few records along the way, the House finally got the reconciliation bill across the finish line. However, it required intense negotiations between House conservatives and the president himself. We'll talk with Missouri Congressman Eric Burleson, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, about how it all came together. Also joining us will be Phil Wagman. He's a White House correspondent for Real Clear Politics. He'll have some insider analysis on the week that was and what's up next week. And by the way, one of next week's key events, a high-stakes meeting at the White House on Monday between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In advance of that meeting, Likud ministers from Netanyahu's party issued a petition calling on the Israeli government to declare sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, a significant move. What's driving the timing of that announcement? We'll talk with Ruthie Bloom from Israel, a former advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu. And finally, FRC's Travis Weber and former Georgia Congressman Jody Heiss, the Friday host of Washington Watch, will join me to break down the week's major developments. All of that and more coming up on this edition of Washington Watch. Well, just a few hours ago, following dramatic negotiations and a record-breaking speech by House Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to delay the final vote, the House did what many thought could not be done before the self-imposed July 4th deadline. It passed the Senate version of its one big, beautiful bill. All but two Republicans voted for the legislation while all Democrats voted against it. However, along the way, intense negotiations brought some side agreements that made the bill more palatable. Here to discuss this, Phil Wagman, who is the White House correspondent for Real Clear Politics. Phil, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me. So a lot has happened over the last 36 hours. Actually, if you go back to the Senate passing this, it's been an intense week in Washington. Give us a sense of how things have unfolded from the White House perspective.
SPEAKER 19 :
From the White House perspective, the most valuable player here is probably Speaker Mike Johnson. He's got to be the MAGA point guard because he got this thing across the finish line. I'm mixing my metaphors here, but you get the point. I mean, even President Trump and Vice President Vance, they were not certain that this would get passed out of the House ahead of this 4th of July deadline. There was a lot of consternation. There were a lot of members who said that this thing was unpalatable. They couldn't do it. And in the end, rather than the Obamacare repeal failure that I think defined the first year of Trump's first term in office. Instead, he gets to put his signature to something that really does make good on the promises that he made on the campaign trail.
SPEAKER 03 :
And there were some, as I mentioned, some intense negotiations between the White House directly, the president himself rolling up his sleeves, getting into these conversations. Of course, I think this is where the president, he kind of relishes the negotiations aspects of this. But in the end, people come away happy. I mean, it's almost like buying a new car. You know, you feel like you got a deal on both sides. The conservatives did not like the bill that came over from the Senate. No one wanted it to go back to the Senate because who knows what would have come back if it came back. This was a win-win for everybody.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, I mean, certainly the spending levels in here would probably give Dave Ramsey a heart attack. It's not exactly the most fiscally conservative package that Congress has ever put forward. But to your point, there were intense negotiations, and a lot of these House Freedom Caucus members who said that they were a no, in the end, they folded. the narrative right now is that they didn't get anything but i think that you're really putting your finger on the main issue which is that there were a number of side deals and my suspicion is that we're going to learn a lot more about those what i mean by that is different ways that the president can execute some of the things in this law. I'm still checking with my sources. I'm trying to run this down. But I think there are some things that are going to make conservatives happy. Otherwise, though, I mean, the White House is thrilled. The one big, beautiful bill, now they're calling it the bridge to the golden future. And Caroline Levitt told us just a little while ago, there's an encapsulation of Trump's entire agenda.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, Phil, I can assure you that in the days ahead, you will see that the Freedom Caucus guys didn't fold. In fact, we're going to be talking with Eric Burleson a little bit later. There were what I would describe as conservative offsets that the executive branch can do through policy that were kind of offsetting the amended aspects of the bill from the Senate that made the bill kind of unpalatable to conservatives. For instance, the Planned Parenthood defunding went from 10 years down to one. Transgender funding was completely out. So those were a part of those intense conversations. And I think, as you said, that information will be coming public a little bit more in the days ahead. But this does really cement the president. I mean, so This has been the focus since January. Now it's across the line six months. What does this set the stage for next?
SPEAKER 19 :
I think this sets the stage for his legacy. I don't mean that as a cop-out answer here, but compare where we are today from where we were in 2017, when there was a very tense standoff with North Korea, when Obamacare repeal was faltering in the Senate and would eventually fail there, and when Donald Trump was really bedeviled by the Mueller investigation. It's night and day now. This is completely different. and i think with this bill in particular what you see is sure there's some typical gop framework but more than anything this is the flavor of donald trump he got the no tax on tips the no tax on social security codification of his 2017 tax law uh... there's border security funding in here uh... ice uh... issues me borders are tom home and he tells me that the portions are gonna skyrocket as a result of this bill and then there's also you know increase funding for the military so i think what this shows is that you know donald trump he's kind of a disease enough of his power and i'm not certain what comes next there's there's gonna be uh... you know opportunity for another reconciliation bill perhaps next year uh... but we'll have to it will have to see you know donald trump uh... This is his party, and he, with his allies, delivered.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let me go back to, as you said, mixing your metaphors, the point guard there with the speaker running that. So let's talk about that for a moment because now the attention in Congress turns to the appropriations, something that actually hasn't happened. The normal appropriations process hasn't happened in almost two decades. And so they've already passed one appropriations bill off of the House. They've got, I think, three others have come out of committee. So they still have about nine or so to go. Are we going to see that happen in Congress where fiscal responsibility policy comes back into play through that normal process? Perhaps.
SPEAKER 19 :
I mean, Congress really does enjoy their end of the year omnibus and cromnibus bills. Generally, when there's a deadline, that's when the work gets done. But, you know, to your point about Speaker Johnson, he was able to get this bill finished when there was an arbitrary deadline. The 4th of July is just something that Donald Trump wanted. If the House failed If a number of these holdouts didn't switch their vote, I mean, it would have been a delay. It would have been a setback and a disappointment for the White House, certainly. But they would have had another bite at the apple. I think that with a funding package at the end of the year, typically when it bumps up against the Christmas holiday, that's much more of a do or die situation. And I'm not certain if some of these fiscal conservatives are going to be even more aggressive. Certainly, they're going to have an incentive when they see in the press that a lot of people are saying that they didn't actually get anything. But I think to your point a moment ago, that the implementation is crucial here. Maybe that lights a fire underneath them. We'll see. But the closer you get to the end of the year, the closer these guys are thinking about campaigning for reelection. This was the big lift, and they accomplished what they wanted to.
SPEAKER 03 :
It certainly was. The other aspect you have on appropriations, which is going to make it difficult, is you have to reach the 60 vote threshold in the Senate. You pointed again to Mike Johnson. How did John Thune, as the Senate leader, the majority leader in the Senate, how did he do?
SPEAKER 19 :
I think that he looked at the same thing that haunts Johnson. Johnson is haunted by the failure of Obamacare in 2017, and this time around, Thune clearly made a calculation that that wasn't going to happen. There was a lot of wrangling with the moderates and conservatives, but he got this thing across the finish line, not to detract from Leader Thune's accomplishment here, But I think that every senator wants to grow up and be president, and they're all sort of in their own silos. Johnson was confronting the House Freedom Caucus, who was promising to vote as a bloc. In this case, I think the big difference between past legislative fights with Trump and the one big beautiful bill is he really has remade the Republican Party in his image. And some of these folks who were roadblocks last time around, like Mitt Romney or Jeff Flake, those guys are gone. The Republican Party has transformed, really, in Trump's image.
SPEAKER 03 :
Interesting point. I think you're right. Phil, we just have about two minutes left. I want to shift to next week after the Fourth of July break. By the way, I hope you have a great Fourth of July. The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be here for a meeting with the president on Monday to discuss. a ceasefire for Gaza. But in advance of that, and I'm going to talk about this in the next segment, but in advance of that, the Likud ministers issuing a statement calling on the Israeli government to declare sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. Is there some fear that the Trump administration may be pushing for that old two-state solution?
SPEAKER 19 :
We're going to see the details. We've heard some leaked out about different governing structures. But I think that the through line here is that when Donald Trump is solidly on Israel's side, he's up to the hilt. I mean, we saw that with these strikes on Iran, the most fateful decision. He was willing to do that. But also, the president has been more than willing to push back against Bibi Netanyahu. He has been more than happy to give him not the whole loaf, but half. So we'll see how those negotiations play out. But very much, I think that Prime Minister Netanyahu, he's going to be coming to the White House certainly after his armed forces pulled off an incredibly successful attack. But he's going to be coming there in debt to the United States because the United States is the one that finished the job with those 14 bunker-busting bombs that dropped on Fordow and other nuclear facilities in Iran. I think that Donald Trump, not Bibi Netanyahu, is going to be driving that meeting.
SPEAKER 03 :
We will see next week. I think you may be right. Certainly, President Trump is really shaping that discussion with coming in behind Israel and taking on Iran. I think also you've got negative news coming out of Gaza. It's going to set back, I think, the prime minister just a bit. Phil, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us. Happy Independence Day. Thank you. All right. Same to you. I think it's going to be very interesting to see. Israel started the fight, but the United States under Donald Trump came in and finished that off when it came to Iran. But the expansion, and we're going to talk about this in the next segment, but the expansion of the Abraham Accords, which is a real possibility now, I think has Israel a bit nervous about what they might have to get to secure, give to secure those territories. Hey, don't go away. We're coming back right after this.
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The family is the oldest, most tested, and most reliable unit of society. It is divinely created and sustained, and yet there are those who are always tampering with its values and structure. That's why we need organizations like the Family Research Council that can effectively defend and strengthen the family.
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Family Research Council began over 40 years ago, like all great movements of God, with prayer. Today, rooted in the heart of the nation's capital, FRC continues to champion faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
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FRC is one of those bright lights that helps us focus on true north. And I shudder to think had they not been here that it could have been worse, worse, worse.
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The Family Research Council is key. It's one of a handful of groups that I think will determine whether our children live in a country that enjoyed all of the freedom and all the opportunity that we enjoyed in this great land.
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It's just a wonderful parachurch organization that doesn't seek to take the place of the church, but it seeks to assist the family and the church as we try to move forward successfully, not in a defensive mode, but in an offensive mode as we seek to live our lives according to the Holy Scriptures.
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FRC is not going to be whooped.
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You know, we're going to fight. We're going to take a stand. And again, we don't retreat. You will never see in front of this building here in Washington, D.C., a white flag flying. We will never step back. We will never surrender. And we will never be silent.
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Hello, friends, this is Tony Perkins. You know what? We just finished our 21 day family Bible challenge through the book of Matthew. And if you joined us, I pray that it has already borne fruit in your life and in your home as you place the Lord and his word at the center of your home. Now, our journey through the Bible doesn't end here, though. The challenge was a part of our stand on the word Bible reading plan. And from here, we're going to cover the rest of the New Testament. And now that we finished the book of Matthew, let me ask you, would you consider joining us for the rest of the journey through the word of God? In 10 to 15 minutes a day, you'll see how the good news of Jesus transformed the lives of common people, people just like you and me, and how those same people transformed the known world through the power of the Holy Spirit. I invite you to continue the journey with me and discover the life-enriching power of the Word of God. Visit frc.org slash Bible for a reading plan. That's frc.org slash Bible to learn more. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. All right. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as I mentioned, will be in Washington next week to meet with President Trump to discuss a ceasefire for Gaza. The arrangements have pretty much been made. It's whether or not Hamas will join in. Now, in advance of this trip, as I mentioned, the Likud ministers have called for the Israeli government to declare sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. I think it's probably a historic statement, certainly significant. Joining me now to discuss this and more live from Tel Aviv is Ruthie Bloom, columnist and senior contributing editor at the Jewish News Syndicate. She is also a former advisor at the office of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Ruthie, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for staying up late and joining us tonight.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER 03 :
So let me ask you this. How significant is this meeting next week between President Trump and the prime minister from the perspective there in Israel?
SPEAKER 02 :
very significant, as have been all his meetings with President Trump. And we've seen the results of those meetings. I mean, let's not forget this amazing victory, that joint victory that Israel and the United States had in defanging Iran's nuclear program.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, as I, you know, and I'm pretty close to this, my read on this is I see in my previous meetings with the prime minister over, I think I've met with him three times since October the 7th. Number one, get the hostages back. Number two, eliminate the threat of Hamas. Number three on the list was the existential threat of Iran. Now, Iran being taken out, as you said, defanged their proxy network in shambles. Now there's this discussion, once again, of expanding the Abraham Accords, which we see Saudi Arabia, Qatar potentially recognizing Israel. I mean, we could see peace, at least a manageable peace is in the foreseeable future. But there are some like Saudi Arabia and others wanting to say, well, we've got to have a two state solution. We've got to find a state for the Palestinians. We've got to carve out some land for them. Was this statement by the Likud ministers kind of preemptive to make sure that's not even on the table?
SPEAKER 02 :
I'm sure that was part of it. But another part is the Abraham Accords, when the Abraham Accords were announced and they were signed in September 2020, during President Trump's first term in office. Ahead of that announcement, Prime Minister Netanyahu had said that on July 1st, we're going to declare sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. That was in 2020. And then because of the Abraham Accords, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided that he would postpone that in order to sign the Abraham Accords, probably because President Trump asked him to. And he agreed because this was so important to sign those accords. And now that we're back again with discussions of the Abraham Accords, I think that these ministers, also this is the first time that Israel has had a completely right-wing government with many religious members, that should take the opportunity to remind Prime Minister Netanyahu that this is still on the table, especially ahead of his trip to Washington, and especially given the fact that Israelis understand that a two-state solution is just ridiculous. There is no two-state solution.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, post-October the 7th, which Gaza was a de facto two-state solution, and we saw that that was nothing more than a launchpad for terrorism, the polling in Israel is very clear on this. I think there's only like 20% or so of the population will entertain that old notion of a two-state solution. So it's clear that the Israeli public does not have a tolerance whatsoever for this continued international conversation of Israel once again being forced to give up land for peace. It doesn't work.
SPEAKER 02 :
No, it's always land for war. It has been proven again and again and again. Israel has done everything to make peace with the Palestinians and always conceding territory, and it never works. The opposite happens. Now, it's not only the October 7th massacre and the war in Gaza that makes Israelis understand that this is just impossible. It's that there's a huge amount of terrorism going on in Judea and Samaria. And the Palestinian Authority, that was a de facto state, sort of, according to the Oslo Accords, it was a pre-state, didn't even condemn the October 7th massacre.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. Well, and also, you know, people in the United States who don't necessarily know the geography of Israel, but when you compare Judea and Samaria, which is the heart of Israel geographically and from its heritage standpoint, it's 24 times larger than the Gaza Strip. So if you consider all of the problems that have emerged from Gaza, just imagine magnifying that by 24 times.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, exactly. But you know, the discussion about the yanking Jews out of their homeland in order to make room for a Palestinian state, that was just part of it, that there are many more people in Judea and Samaria. But this is the biblical heartland of the Jewish people, number one. Number two, it is not occupied by Israel. First of all, Israel cannot occupy its heartland. Three, when it was occupied, it was occupied by Jordan. And in the Six-Day War, when Jordan joined in with all these Arab armies, Israel. That was when Israel won the war, and that is when those territories came back to Israel, so to speak, and it had nothing to do with Israeli occupation.
SPEAKER 03 :
I know, I like, I'm trying to remember which member of the Knesset made this point, it may have been Ohad Tal, said, how can you occupy Judea? That's where the term Jew came from. How can you occupy the very place that you came from that your name was derived from? I think it's important as the American people being educated and standing with the right of Israel to declare sovereignty over the entire region of that country that is there. Anytime we get into dividing the land, it never works out well for Israel or for the United States. Ruthie, I got 30 seconds left. I'll give you the final word.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, my final word is that I'm hoping that this summit between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump will reveal some kind of bombshell, so to speak, about and some way to get the hostages out of Gaza without kowtowing to Hamas.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes. Well said. Ruthie, thank you so much for joining us again. Thanks for staying up late.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER 03 :
And folks, if you'd like to weigh in on this, text LETTER to 67742. That's LETTER to 67742. Stay with us.
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The Center for Biblical Worldview's all-day workshops delves into the formation of a worldview, what it is, how it's formed, when it's formed, what that means to them personally and their churches and communities.
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for Bible believing Christians to know what God's Word says on these issues and to learn how they can apply it to their lives. And we believe that the more Christians that we equip, that's how we'll change the nation.
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SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, of course, the big news going into the July 4th weekend, President Trump's signature piece of legislation, the one big, beautiful bill, has passed the House. But it didn't get there without plenty of twists and turns. The bill gained support from House conservatives after President Trump made some key executive policy commitments to help offset the Senate's more problematic revisions. Joining me now to talk about this, Congressman Eric Burleson, who is a member of the Pro-Life Caucus and the Values Action Team and the House Freedom Caucus. He was a part of the negotiations process as this unfolded this week. Congressman, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Great to be back, Tony. Now, you may not be able to get into all the details because some of this stuff is still being worked out. But tell us a little bit about the negotiations that paved the way for a number of the conservative Freedom Caucus members to get to a place where they could support this bill.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, thank you. And thank you for for that. for seeing the bill for what it was and not being just a cheerleader as an organization. You guys really did your due diligence and saw the bill the way that we saw it, which was that it came back from the Senate with some flaws in it. And we felt like we had to address some of those flaws before we felt comfortable moving forward. And I think that I can stress what those flaws were, that the Planned Parenthood language Instead of a 10-year ban, it being a one-year ban, you had the transgender language that for government funding for transition surgeries and gender affirming care, that language was thrown out. We had a lot of language related to the Inflation Reduction Act, the Green New Deal stuff that was watered. We felt like it had been watered down. And so the fiscal costs of the bill, because they made the tax cuts permanent, we have grave concerns about our national debt and the deficits. And so those were all things that we brought to the White House and to the administration. And we were willing to give them the latitude to figure out how we can address those concerns without directly putting it into the bill, because we felt that there was a huge risk If we were to get those things in the bill and then send it back to the Senate, because who knows if Lisa Murkowski or someone like her gets their hands on it again, they're probably going to make it worse.
SPEAKER 03 :
So, I mean, this was really you are talking about the... President of the United States, known for his negotiations, and he knows it's a two-way street. And so conservatives negotiated with what I would describe as conservative offsets to what the Senate did to the bill. As you talked about Planned Parenthood defunding, it was 10 years when it left the House, it came down to one. But you were able to engage the president and you in particular, I'm told by those in the meeting, helped really lean in on the issue regarding the abortion pill, the abortion drug, and getting the administration to a place to have a policy there that would be reflective of its pro-life credentials.
SPEAKER 11 :
That's right. And so whenever I had an opportunity to talk directly to the president, I stressed to him, Mr. President, Missouri is in a lawsuit. Our Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued the Biden administration because after you left office, Mr. President, Joe Biden eliminated the restrictions on mifepristone and these basically abortion by male procedures. And I said, and it's just been devastating. I said, there's young women, some of them are dying. Many of them are getting gravely sick. And it's just irresponsible. Even if you're not pro-life, it's not good for women's health. And of course, you and I are strongly pro-life and worry about the baby as well. And the president, his staff did not think that he would be receptive, but I think he was extremely receptive. We had a great conversation about it, and we're going to be continuing that conversation. And I really welcome your help in this as we educate the president. He wants to learn more about this topic, and he'll learn all sides of this before he makes a decision. But at least we're able to move the needle.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think you're absolutely right. I think the resistance that we have encountered before has been the staff around him. But I think when you his position has been post Dobbs, the states have a right to protect the unborn. Now, I think it's for at every level of government, but that's his his his position. And the abortion pill is undermining that. Because states like Missouri, states like my home state of Louisiana, who also they're actually suing or they've indicted a doctor from New York that has been mailing abortion pills into the state of Louisiana. So I think it's consistent with his stated policy. And I appreciate the fact that the Freedom Caucus members didn't. conform to the pressure to get something done, but rather they looked at this objectively and were willing to take the political pressure to negotiate a better outcome. And I think that's what we have here. I think we have one big, beautiful bill that lost a lot of its glamour in the Senate. Well, I think it's now got a good coat of makeup and it's ready for primetime now.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, some of these changes that we got or these executive actions will be made clear soon. Some of them not so clear. It may take a few months for people to see and for the White House to reveal. But I'm confident that President Trump and his team will follow through on their agreements with us. And look, it was not easy and it's not fun. to be in the middle of the meat grinder in the arena and have the whole world screaming at you, your phone blowing up because people in district are having their phone blow up. It's not fun, but you know what? That's how we save this country. We need people to be strong and not be a rubber stamp and fight for what's right.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and I appreciate, Eric, you doing that, and I appreciate you coming on the program today to talk about it. Have a great Fourth of July weekend, and we'll talk to you soon. Folks, stick with us. We're coming back with more Washington Watch on the other side of the break as we continue to take a look at the one big, beautiful bill.
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Family Research Council is committed to advancing faith, family, and freedom from the East Coast to the West. So FRC is going to Southern California for this year's Pray, Vote, Stand Summit, October 17th and 18th at Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills. Join us for this powerful gathering of Christians desiring cultural renewal and spiritual revival. The Pray, Vote, Stand Summit brings together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. Together, we will seek God's guidance for our nation and engage in meaningful discussions on the intersection of faith, government, and culture. If the spiritual foundations and the cultural walls of our nation are to be rebuilt, we all have a role to play. May we each find our place on the wall as we build for biblical truth. Register now at PrayVoteStand.org. That's PrayVoteStand.org.
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How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow Outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes each week.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to this Thursday edition of Washington Watch. Be sure and check out the website, tonyperkins.com. Better yet, get the Stand Firm app and you can keep up with Washington Watch every day, no matter where you are. You can also get our news and commentary from a biblical perspective, the Washington Stand, and I believe, most importantly, our daily devotional, Stand on the Word. All that can be found on the Stand Firm app. Well, our word for today comes from Luke chapter 2, where Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple for the first time. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." So led by the Spirit, Simeon entered the temple just as Mary and Joseph arrived with Jesus. He took the child in his arms, praised God, and declared this. For my eyes have seen your salvation, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. And Joseph and Mary marveled at his words. Imagine their awe as this spirit-filled man confirmed what they already believed but would need to cling to in the years ahead. Like Simeon, we're called to be spirit-led. You never know what a word of encouragement offered in faith and obedience may strengthen someone for the road ahead. To find out more about our journey through the Bible text, Bible to 67742. Well, to say that it's been a wild week would be an understatement. But it culminated today with the House passing the Senate's version of the one big beautiful bill. Now, there were a lot of negotiations behind the scenes over the last 36 hours, sleepless nights and tireless efforts. not just for those on the Hill or in the White House, but our team also here at FRC working around the clock to make sure that faith, family, and freedom were represented in the final outcome. Joining me now to discuss this, Travis Weber, FRC's Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs, and Jody Heiss, former Georgia Congressman and now FRC Senior Fellow, as well as the Friday host here of Washington Watch. Travis, Jody, thanks for joining me. Thank you, Tony. Travis, let me start with you. I know Kana Gonzalez, who was on last night, he worked through the night, and so we're letting him take a little nap. Talk a little bit about the efforts of your team and how they were engaged in the process.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, so Tony, this has to do with the one big beautiful bill, right, that many people may have seen in the news and see a lot being written about it, a lot being talked about it. It's in the headlines in D.C. as Trump's been pushing for it, the president's been pushing for it, the House and Senate are engaged on it, right? But we're looking out for the way this piece of legislation deals with these issues of faith, family, freedom. specifically the protection of the unborn and the way it's dealing with the abortion issue and the human dignity of us being created male and female and gender transition procedures for minors, an issue that's been with our nation in our nation's spotlight for several years now. So these are things that we're looking for. as they intersect with this bill that's many, many pages, a lot of text, a lot of issues being addressed. So the framework, the analysis is through that lens, Tony, as the team engages. So we're in the process of analyzing the text that's being considered, but then assessing the many amendments that are being considered, negotiations, different positions of, as you will often note, a deliberative body in the case of the House and the Senate addressing a mammoth piece of legislation like this. All of those factors go into the process, and this is why it often requires late hours as the process, the work of the House and Senate are going into the late hours. And, Tony, this is the way in which we're approaching it and zeroing in on the issues that we care about.
SPEAKER 03 :
And Jody, you've been there on the Hill for some of those late night votes, but you've worn both hats. You've been inside Congress. You've also been a key part of the Family Research Council. And I know that you were on the phone talking with colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus throughout the night. And we just had Eric Burleson on the program on the previous segment. And he was talking about how helpful it was to have FRC not join the crowd of cheerleaders. In fact, I think we were the only organization that said, wait, I think we can do better than what the Senate sent over. How important is that when you're on the inside trying to work for a better outcome and you look outside and there's very few allies on the outside?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, Tony, you just used a key term that I think a lot of people probably perhaps miss or don't fully understand the power of it, and that is providing cover. There is enormous pressure when you come into a vote series like what took place last night, enormous pressure. even the building up to it, not just the vote series itself, but the process of getting there and the whip process where they're trying to find out how you're going to vote before it comes to the House floor and all these types of things. Enormous pressure. And in the midst of that environment comes an organization like FRC. And let me just publicly say a huge, huge thank you to Travis, to his team, to Kana, to FRC, FRC Action, and Tony, to you personally for your involvement. I cannot overemphasize the power and the impact, the significance that FRC played in what took place last night, much of which we will see unfold in the weeks and months to come. But to provide cover at a time like this means that in essence, when you have an organization like FRC that carries a big stick, where you have conservatives who want to have good scores and a good relationship with FRC as one of, if not the most premier Christian organization on Capitol Hill. People want to have a good score with FRC. And so when FRC comes into a picture like last night, holding up the biblical truth of marriage and life and these type of things of the transgender, male and female, all these type of things, it provides representatives hiding, if you will, behind the cover of FRC to stand for their biblical values as well, and to do so with a large organization that is going to carry with it many, many other representatives. And so for the presence of FRC to be there last night and to provide that kind of cover and that type of capacity to stand for biblical truth in the midst of enormous pressure cannot, cannot be overstated.
SPEAKER 03 :
When you look at the process, and I know that, you know, I had a conversation with the Speaker. They want to get this bill through, but there were some major changes in the Senate. And fortunately, the members of the House Freedom Caucus said it's just too much. We've got to negotiate some... Now, for the bill to go back to the Senate, I understand that would be, as Eric Burleson pointed out, Congressman Burleson pointed out a few moments ago. I mean, they understood that was a nonstarter because what would come back would probably be even worse than what the Senate sent over the first of this week. But this administration was willing to make some policy changes. compromises. So, Travis, when we look at kind of the two big issues that we were concerned about was Planned Parenthood going from 10 years defunding down to a year and then, of course, the transgender, forcing taxpayers to fund transgender procedures. They got some major offsets from the administration some commitments. They're looking at the mefaprestone, the abortion pill, which is now 63% of abortions. That's being mailed into states. That's something that, as Eric Burleson talked about earlier, they're going to have conversations following up with the president and his administration.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, Tony, that's that's right. And so for any folks looking at this process and thinking, well, well, that the House bill has one year, you know, provision for Planned Parenthood funding to be cut off for a year. What's wrong with that? Well, of course, that is that is good. But we have to examine the larger context. The original House bill, the 10 year ban on that funding. It goes to the Senate. The Senate drops that to one year and they cut the provision was cut out. That would have barred or that would have barred tax dollars from going to gender transition procedures for minors. So those areas we were obviously concerned about and that's what we're working hard to see them addressed and ultimately could not be in. We're not inserted back into the bill or in the final legislative text. But Tony, as you're referencing, we want to advocate for strong positions on those areas and so because of of the reduction the the change that we saw in the senate we're looking at what else can be done and executive action in these areas is something that can be taken and adva we can see advancement to protect lives in the first one, the chemical abortion issue, really abortion drug, bifepristone, that the FDA has had history of regulating or offering safety protocols going back to the year 2000. And over the years, we see different approaches to this, but clearly an area that needs to be examined by the FDA right now. to to increase the safety protocols over the dispensing of that abortion drug which is now being trafficked across state lines mailed around the country to different states to circumvent state pro-life protections for women this is an area that the administration can address and take action on the second one being No federal dollars going to any gender transition procedures for adults or children, period, flat ban. Our tax dollars should not be funding them for children or adults. So that's an area that we would have seen addressed in the original House-passed bill. It was taken out of the Senate. So this is an area that we at Family Research Council still very much care about and want to see addressed.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and we'll see, as Jody mentioned, the days ahead, some of these things, how they actually take shape and come out. But the Freedom Caucus members that are part of these negotiations are very confident, very encouraged to the place where they all came to a yes vote on this bill. Jody, you've been in some of those negotiation sessions. Congressman Burrell said a few moments ago when we were talking, said it can be uncomfortable. Describe what that's like, you know, sitting there in the Oval Office trying to negotiate with the negotiator, the one who did the art of the deal.
SPEAKER 04 :
I mean, again, the pressure, the intensity of the moment is is indescribable. But, you know, I was in a Freedom Caucus meeting, I don't know, probably a month or so ago when they were talking about this one big, beautiful bill, even then anticipating what was coming, anticipating. that the hour would be called upon them to stand in the gap and to negotiate and to negotiate in an authentic kind of way without caving. And so this is not something that just happened over the last 24, 36 hours. This has been anticipated. literally for weeks. And they knew, the Freedom Caucus did, that they were going to have to stand in the game, that they were going to have to stand strong. They didn't know at that moment exactly what the issues were, but they were even then anticipating what some of those issues were going to be. And they were developing a strategy as to how to stand in the midst of that. So I think they went into these last couple of days well-prepared mentally, spiritually, and politically, knowing what had to be done for the good of our country, not just for political purposes. And I believe they went into the scenario about as prepared as they possibly could. And boy, I tell you, I'm just extremely proud. And I will say, too, that The Senate version, I totally agree. We could not have sent another bill back to the Senate. It would have been disastrous. So passing the Senate bill and then, in addition to that, getting some negotiating policy commitments on the table were huge. And these are not going to just simply be show votes. By my conversations, Tony, I am convinced that many of these members who were holdouts ended up coming on board because they are convinced that the things they negotiated for are actually going to become a reality.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I mean, absolutely. In show votes, none of these guys were willing to risk what they did for show votes. And I will say this. I had a similar experience in the first Trump administration. Back, you might remember the repeal and replace of Obamacare. The Freedom Caucus was kind of a holdout, and we were— a similar situation back then negotiating with the administration. And that's how we got the executive order on religious freedom within the federal government. And they followed through on that. They did that. And so that's a part of the legislative process of the give and take where you can advance. But in this particular case, there were clear offsets to the problems created by the Senate amendment. So, again, I can't say enough good things about the Freedom Caucus at this moment because not only did they take a stand, but they championed the moral and social aspects of this bill that had been assaulted by the Senate and by the parliamentarian. And that's a big statement.
SPEAKER 04 :
It's a huge statement, Tony, and I couldn't agree with you more. The attacks were not just from the Senate and the Senate parliamentarian, but the Democratic Party as a whole. This whole bill, keep in mind, just for context, this whole bill, we are here because of horrendous decisions that have been made in the previous administration that are now being corrected or at least attempted to be. So there's a lot of factors involved in this that need to be understood as well.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I assume, Jody, that you were probably relieved that you're no longer in Congress. You didn't have to sit through Hakeem Jeffrey's record-breaking speech today.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, when you see Hakeem take that long, you know there's something good about to happen.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hey, by the way, folks, we still want to lean on this administration, encourage them to take the right stand on the issue of chemical abortion because literally it is killing people. And so text the word life to 67742. Sign the petition. We'll add your name to it. We're going to back up the Freedom Caucus. with this information so that as they continue these conversations, we can get some positive outcomes. So that's life to six, seven, seven, four, two Jody Heiss, Travis Weber. Thanks so much for joining me today. Have a great 4th of July weekend. And Jody, by the way, you can take off tomorrow. Okay. Okay. All right, folks, again, text the word life to 67742. The reason I said Jody can take off tomorrow, we got a special July 4th edition of Washington Watch. I'm going to let Jody take off the 4th of July and spend it with the family and grandkids. And I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July celebrating our freedom. But most of all, remember, our freedom is in Christ. That's where true freedom is discovered. Until next time, keep standing.
SPEAKER 18 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family, and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
In this episode of The Mike Gallagher Show, guest host Carl Jackson delves into the complexities of a major House bill advancing to the final vote. With insights on its potential impact on President Trump's legacy, Carl explores the various facets that stand to reshape American governance. He touches upon the vital importance of border security and energy production in solidifying the United States' future.
SPEAKER 06 :
He's the happy conservative warrior, Mike Gallagher, broadcasting across hundreds of radio stations nationwide and seen on your trusted conservative TV network, Salem News Channel. Sitting in for Mike today, here's Carl Jackson.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hello and welcome to the Mike Gallagher Show. I'm your guest host, Carl Jackson, sitting in for the great Mike Gallagher. The number to call into the program, 1-800-655-MIKE, 1-800-655-MIKE. Coming to you live from the ReliefFactor.com studio. Thank you, Mike Gallagher, for allowing me to sit in, trusting me behind your microphone. Tracy Stockwell producing the program. Eric Hansen is in my ear. Christian on video. Teresa is on the lines. Again, 1-800-655-MIKE, 1-800-655-6453. Or go to mikeonline.com. Lou's got my back at AM950, the answer, orlando.com. And it has been an absolute crazy morning, technically. So thank God for people like Eric and Lou. All right, so here's the deal. Right now, as it turns out, it looks like the House... Excuse me. It looks like the House has advanced the big, beautiful bill, according to just the news towards the final vote. This is obviously a big win for President Trump. It's a big win, I believe, for the United States of America. There's things in the bill, once again, that I don't like that I'm sure many of you don't like. And then there's plenty of things in the bill that we absolutely love. And I am impressed. Listen, we have to win 2026. I know it's annoying that every every every time one of these big bills rolls around, we're sitting here saying, listen, next time around, next time around, next time around. I think this does this bill will solidify President Trump's legacy. This will get many of the things that we need in place, particularly border border security that I'm very I'm very concerned about. An energy production that's honestly going to be a boondoggle for the United States of America. So that is a good thing. So it looks like it may be headed to the president's desk, according to Just the News. After the marathon hours of haggling and backroom negotiations, the House voted early today to advance Donald Trump's big, beautiful bill to a final vote. leaving the president at the threshold of securing, again, his signature legislation for the July 4th holiday. Holdout fiscal conservatives appeared to fall in line as the chamber voted 219 to 213 in the early morning hours to begin debate on the legislation that delivers trillions in tax cuts for Americans, makes the first significant cuts in federal spending in decades, and fundamentally reshapes the size and scope federal government with initiatives like Medicaid and food stamp reform. All right, so the lone Republican holdout to join Democrats in voting. Advancing the bill was moderate Representative Brian Fitzpatrick. He's from Pennsylvania. While the bill still faces a hurdle during the debate, the procedural vote Thursday was a strong signal that Trump could secure the major legislative victory by Independence Day. It also was a major win for House Speaker Mike Johnson. Who navigated the warring factions? Obviously, the president implored Republicans to rally around the bill despite individual grievances, applying maximum pressure and posts on his true social account. He said largest tax cuts in history and a booming economy versus biggest tax increase in history and a failed economy. So what are the Republicans waiting for? President Trump said Trump wrote this on social media. What are you trying to prove? MAGA is not happy and it's costing you votes. So the president applying the pressure again. I think the bill could have been better, but I do think the bill will be great for America in the sense that it's going to help our economy, our our economy boom as more details roll out about the bill. I will make sure that we share those with you. Feel free to call in and express your your opinion. Your joy or even your grievances. That's all right with me. 1-800-655-MIKE. 1-800-6455. Excuse me. 645. 5-3 is the number to call into the program. Again, I'm your guest host, Carl Jackson, sitting in for the great Mike Gallagher. You can find me on all things social media at Carl Jackson Show. At The Carl Jackson Show, X Instagram and Facebook is where you can go to find me. Also subscribe to my podcast, The Carl Jackson Show. Guys, we're headed up an Independence Day and any listen, any new details that I could bring. I had a printout of what was happening in the wee morning hours. But the bill hadn't passed the House yet or gotten past this hurdle yet. And so thank you, Tracy Stockwell. I had to go back and do some really quick reading because I did not catch that on my drive here. But, guys, I want to talk to you about the greatness of America. I got other topics that I want to talk to you about as well, even though I left my outline at home. So let me look it up. And I've got the articles printed out. But there's so many things that I want to talk to you about. CNN's Harry Enten that said the Democrats are no longer pro-Israel. I'm sure you guys have heard that video clip. I think we may have that video clip on hand. If we don't, I'll try to send it to you here, guys. I know it's an oldie but goodie. It's been circulating a couple of days now. But I want to tie that in to my overall opinion. to the topics that I'm speaking of today. Also, there was a great article, both in the Epoch Times, also the Federalist, and I saw one earlier in just the news, how the FBI suppressed intelligence on Chinese meddling in 2020. I mentioned it briefly on my podcast several days ago, but this is a big story because if elections aren't free, nothing else matters. If elections are not free, nothing else matters. And if you don't have a legitimate rule of law, You don't have the United States of America. It's as simple as that. This is not what the founders intended. And so I want to talk about that. Also, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to ask those of you in the listening audience, if you happen to be a legal immigrant. A legal immigrant and you left a place to come to the United States and you're just you can't believe what you're witnessing in New York City and California and even from the Democratic left. I'd love for you to call into the program. I'd love to hear for you from you as we head into Independence Day. Perhaps you have some wisdom that you could share. with some of us American listeners, and you're American, of course, as well, if you are a legal immigrant. But I'd love to hear from some of you at 1-800-655-MIKE. 1-800-655-6453 is the number to call into the program. Also, there was an article in the New York Post I want to talk on. Ma'am Danny's grocery scheme is foolish, but there's a method to the madness. So I do want to talk about Ma'am Danny and his policies, some more of his policies. I do want to talk about grocery stores, how he wants government-run grocery stores, an idea so bad that even the socialist mayor of Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson, said, ah, that goes a bit too far, shockingly. And so this is what Ma'am Danny wants to usher into New York. New York City residents, I hope to God. that you guys are figuring out who you're going to coalesce around in order to defeat this guy. If it's Curtis Sliwa, so be it. I would even take Mayor Eric Adams, quite frankly, over this guy. And I think it's a win that America needs, in my opinion. Fake racism alert. I want to get to that as well. Earmarks of a shakedown. This from the Free Beacon. The Congressional Black Caucus has threatened to boycott Target after the retail giant stopped funding their NPO. And I want to get into that. I want to get into fake racism. I want to get into why the founders made the best country that God has ever given man based on Judeo-Christian principles. There's a lot of people out there, sadly, on the left and in the Democrat Party that believes that America is systemically racist. And it just isn't so. And quite frankly, many of our founders were abolitionists. So I think that's a very important detail for many people in the listening audience to know. Yes, there were some founders that were slaveholders, but you have to understand the you have to you have to look at America's founding and the context of history. That is extremely important. If you don't do that. You don't understand how blessed you are. Slavery may have been universal. Slavery may have been worldwide. But the good news is, based on our Judeo-Christian principles and the Constitution that was laid out by our founding fathers, slavery ended here in the United States. This is Carl Jackson. And for the great Mike Gallagher, we'll be back in a few.
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SPEAKER 03 :
All right. Welcome back to the Mike Gallagher show. I'm your guest host, Carl Jackson, sitting in for the one and only Mike Gallagher. Again, so much to get to today. The big one, big, beautiful bill has passed the House. So it looks like this thing may be on track to be on the president's desk. by Independence Day, and obviously that'll be a big win for the president of the United States of America. The left is not going to be able to stand that. There's going to be more time in the future to get this thing together, and honestly, it's going to take your voices. If you want less spending and less deficit spending, if you want a reasonable budget, these are things that we're going to continue to have to fight for, but there are a lot of great things in the bill that are going to solidify, uh, this president's legacy. Uh, I do believe. All right. So I want to talk about the founding fathers. I want to talk about America. I've got news, uh, obviously, uh, that, uh, that I want to share with you as well. Some of the things that the left is doing to continue to try to destroy America, but I want to talk to you about the goodness of America and why I love, uh, why I love America. So many things. There's several, there's several books that I keep as reference books. Uh, The Miracle That Changed the World, The 5,000-Year Leap. This is a book that I've read, I don't know, it must be anywhere from 10 to 15 years ago. And this book has just been a game changer in my life. Just reading the principles of the founding fathers, understanding there's 28 principles of liberty that the founding fathers were guided by. And this is why we have the greatest country that God has ever given man. There's another book, and I'm not hawking anything. These are books that literally I've had on my bookshelves for over 10 to 15 years, The Making of America, The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution. And when you start reading through these books and you consider where we were 5,000, where mankind was 5,000 years ago, Hence the word or hence the title, the 5000 year leap. What the founders did for America is absolutely astonishing. It is absolutely a miracle from God to have established a nation like the United States of America. And sadly, so many people take it for granted. And then you get a bunch of communist actors like this man, Danny, like the AOCs of the world that will try to manipulate you, make you feel guilty about. for being a blessed American make you feel guilty for the success that you're able to have in this country and that other people flock to so much so that you're willing to give it up. And it's astonishing to me, and it's sad. I would say this. To all of you commies out there, you have a responsibility to make sure that the United States of America stays strong. Whether that's fiscally, a lot of people emulate, a lot of countries try to emulate the United States of America. Unfortunately, China wants to become the next United States of America, but not a free United States of America. The founders believe that Americans should be free, they should be prosperous, and they should experience peace. Those were some of the three tenets that they focused on a big time free. You should be free. You should be able to be prosperous and you should be able to to live through peace. All right. Through through a government and nothing like that had ever happened before in mankind. One of the principles, the only basis for sound government and just human relations is natural law. This is one thing that the founders believed in. I remember sitting in the studio one day and the first time I sat in on national nationally syndicated radio. and sitting in for Dennis Prager at the time. And I was in studio with my buddy, Nostradamus, from the American Adversaries, and we were talking about natural law. And this is so important. It's so crucial because natural law, in a sense, is common sense. It's God-given common sense. It's actually the Ten Commandments as well written on your hearts. You know what's right. You know what's wrong based upon what's already in your heart. It's a natural instinct. It's intuitive instinct. If I were to throw a rock at you, you have this natural instinct to defend yourself. That is a natural law. Man should be able to defend himself, to have a Second Amendment where man can defend himself from the tyranny of the government. Nothing like that has ever existed in mankind. And it doesn't exist anywhere still today except here in the United States of America. If you consider the First Amendment, free speech, we take it for granted. And then we'll come in and we'll let people like the Biden administration and all of the commies that he had working underneath him censor us online and so on, etc. Oh, yeah, they deserve to be censored because they're not saying what I want to hear. Man, you're not an American or you don't understand how good you have it. The moment that you censor speech, the moment that you quell speech, the moment that you quiet someone else, you actually quiet yourself because ultimately it's going to turn around and it's going to come back to you. To have founders that thought about what do we need to do? Actually, to put our own butts on the lines, even some of those that own slaves. If you look back and you consider the Bill of Rights, if you look back and you study and you read the Constitution, these men were divinely inspired. Divinely inspired. Religion, speech, press, the right to, you know. Address your government for grievances. Nothing like this has ever existed, and we have a duty to take care of it. We'll be back. Carl Jackson in for Mike Gallagher.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 05 :
Mike Gallagher.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right. Welcome back to the Mike Gallagher show. I'm your guest host, Carl Jackson, sitting in for Mike Gallagher. The number to call in 1-800-655-MIKE, 1-800-655-6453, 1-800-655-6453, MikeOnline.com, MikeOnline.com. All right, guys, I want to talk to you about this real quick. The Federalist had a piece and also it was on Epoch Times and also other other outlets as well. But I just thought it was I thought it was majorly disconcerting. And I want to make sure that I talk about it. Also, thank you, Tracy. President Trump is is that today that he's going to be meeting with Trump? with Vladimir Putin, I believe, at 10 a.m. I mean, absolutely insane. The guy, as Tracy writes, and she's right, he just doesn't stop. And I think that throws Democrats off big time. And honestly, he's a guy on a mission. You may not agree with everything, but honestly, his second term I think I've loved it. I've enjoyed it. I've had fun with it. Again, I don't agree with everything. You're not going to agree with everything, no matter which party you're in. But the bottom line is I think this guy absolutely loves America, and he's doing everything he can to restore America to American greatness, to be that shining city on a hill. But I do believe that we need to win in 2026. I believe that we need to win in 2028, 2032, 2036. uh 2040 because i do believe that the left has done so much damage it's absolutely insane i want to bring your attention to this before i go too soon some more calls hat tip the federalists the fbi suppressed intelligence on chinese meddling in the 2020 uh in the 2020 election to cover for christopher ray uh this is very um This is frustrating. And the caller mentioned earlier, when is there going to be any accountability for this stuff? It's a good point and it's a fair point. I do believe, listen, there's many ways to hold people accountable in the American system. Obviously, that's the election system when you consider it politically. Sometimes you can debate people. You know, we can do it here. on the radio. But you need the rule of law. You need law enforcement to be able to investigate, and if so, criminally charged incidents like this. And frankly, there's a lot of frustration. There's a lot of good stuff happening with the FBI. There is some frustration uh with the fbi still even though kash patel and dan bongino are in the head and i love kash patel love dan bongino uh but obviously and what they've done here is the right thing because they passed on information uh to senator chuck grassley uh so i do want to make that emphatically clear but i do want to see uh some of the whistleblowers hired back i don't know why that's taken so long and that's frustrating me uh but now nonetheless there's this Grassley's office, Senator Grassley's office says that that there is evidence that was never investigated further, despite signs of credibility of a sudden and abnormal decision of further proceedings and bury the I.I.R.' 's existence because, as the FBI put it, the reporting will contradict Director Ray's testimony. So, Carl, what the heck are you talking about? So the FBI. The FBI interfered with an investigation into Chinese meddling in the 2020 election to cover for former director Christopher Wray, who had just testified in front of Congress, by the way, that he had seen no evidence of coordination or voter fraud, coordinated voter fraud effort. All right. So this is absolutely insane. Senator Chuck Grassley says, quote, the FBI suppressed intelligence, close quote, of alleged CCP or Chinese Communist Party interference in the 2020 election, including the production of tens of thousands of fraudulent driver's license to manufacture mail-in votes for then presidential candidate Joe Biden. Carl, why are you going back to this? Why is this important? Are you one of those cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, guys? If elections aren't free, nothing else matters. And frankly, elections bring us together. Elections unite us. More on the other side with this. Why this is such an important story still. All right. So the FBI also suppressed intelligence of alleged CCP interference in the 2020 election. Again, including the tens of thousands of fraudulent driver's licenses to manufacture mail in votes for then presidential candidate Joe Biden. This is huge news and we need to talk about it. And I will do so more after the break. Carl Jackson and for my Gallagher. I'm growing tired.
SPEAKER 02 :
There's a national focus on eating all the healthiest of foods, and that's great news for Balance of Nature. Their method of producing a vibrant nutritional supplement is second to none. While so many others use chemicals and additives, Balance of Nature is made solely from whole food ingredients. While other methods sacrifice nutritional quality for the sake of profits and volume, Balance in Nature's advanced vacuum cold process involves freeze-drying the fruits and veggies into a fine powder, helping to retain as much nutritional value as possible, compared to the other inferior methods, which cut corners at your expense. Balance in Nature packs a nutritional punch, and that's the whole reason for taking Balance in Nature, getting the most nutrition for the sake of your health. Use my discount code Charlie to get 35% off plus free shipping and their money back guarantee. You must use my discount code C-H-A-R-L-I-E. Call them at 800-2468-751 and use discount code Charlie or order online at balanceofnature.com. That's balanceofnature.com. Use discount code Charlie to get 35% off plus free shipping.
SPEAKER 06 :
The Mike Gallagher Show.
SPEAKER 04 :
What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order, and on national sovereignty carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country. We're not going to let that happen.
SPEAKER 06 :
In the Relief Factor studios on Salem News Channel and Salem Radio Network, here's Mike.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, welcome back to the Mike Gallagher Show. I'm your guest host, Carl Jackson, sitting in for the great Mike Gallagher. The number to call in to the ReliefFactor.com studio, 1-800-655-MIKE, 1-800-655-6453, or go to MikeOnline.com. Again, that is Mike. online.com is one of the places where you can go as well. Please follow me on all things, social media at Carl Jackson show at the Carl Jackson show, wherever you find me X, Instagram and Facebook Salem podcast network for my show, the Carl Jackson show YouTube or rumble. If you go there, rate and review us, or wherever you go to get. Also, guys, I want to talk to you about Hotel Heartness. Hotel Heartness is Mike's home away from home. Travel and leisure's world best rates. It's the number one resort in South Carolina, the third best resort in the United States, and number 24 in the world. Wow. And it's right in the upstate. You can stay there, too. All you have to do is go to hotelheartness, H-A-R-T, hotelheartness.com. That's hotelheartness.com. Okay, real quick, and then I see you callers out there, Sidney, Vincent, Harold, Art. I will get to you if you want to call in. 1-800-655-MIKE, 1-800-655-6453. I do want to finish up on this topic, though, because I think it is crucial. Again, if we don't have elections, if we don't have legal and fair elections, nothing else matters. If we don't have people that believe in the rule of law, law enforcement agencies that believe that they're beholden to the God above, the United States of America simply will not work. We will not be able to continue and thrive. So you had this information where now we know the FBI had suppressed intelligence of alleged Chinese communists, the Chinese Communist Party interfering in the 2020 election. Meanwhile, you had the Democrat Party lying and making up a fake Russia collusion hoax that Hillary Clinton had paid for bought and paid for all right i'd love to see some justice for that that drives me nuts so tens of thousands of fraudulent driver's licenses uh to manufacturers what the ccp did mail-in votes for then candidate joe biden so you had the chinese communist party that wanted joe biden or at least his uh his shell uh to win uh to win in 2020 i wonder why in 2020 it's weird These records smack of political decision making and prove that the this is Senator Grassley. And I quote, these records smack of political decision making and prove that the Ray led FBI to be a deeply broken institution ahead of a high stakes election happening amid an unprecedented global pandemic pandemic. The FBI turned its back on its national security mission. One way or the other, intelligence must be fully investigated to determine whether it's true or if it's smoke and mirrors. Chris Wray's FBI wasn't looking out for the American people. It was looking to save its own image. And apparently Cash Patel declassified this information and sent it to the Senate. Guys, I got to be honest with you. I wish the FBI would have been busted up. I'm glad that Cash Patel is there and Dan Bongino is there. But if we don't rot a root out the deep state within these agencies, we better make sure that we do not lose in 2026 and in 2028, because I do believe that they'll come after conservatives like they tried to do before. All right. So leftists can't win based upon ideas. I'll talk about this grocery store and this rent control issue momentarily with Ma'am Danny and what that's about. Even rail stations. You still have liberals across the country that want rail stations. We have one here in Orlando, in Central Florida. It's the dumbest thing ever. It doesn't even ride roll on the weekends. But But we have it. It's crazy. But I can tell you why they put things like this in existence for government to be able to control. And frankly, it's all about communism. It may sound good, but it's all about communism. Your area wants a rail. Listen, it works in small towns. It may work in New York City. I think there's a train in Seattle or something like that. It may work there. I'm not sure. It may work in all these older towns. These older cities, these underground railroads, it's asinine to have these bullet trains and all that kind of stuff, in my opinion, are these rail stations in the United States. It's done for a purpose that's absolutely crazy, and it has to do with communism. So we'll get to that. But again, Grassley released the documents after Kash Patel gave him that. That's the apparent proof of a conspiracy to protect Christopher Wray. And this is because apparently he had sat in front of Congress just a day before or a day after and said something completely opposite. Says, according to Customs and Border Protection, officers caught 1,513 shipments of fraudulent documents, including nearly 20,000 driver's licenses between January and June of 2020, the majority of which came from China and Hong Kong. And, of course, you guys know that China raided Hong Kong, took it over. Records released show that the FBI's decision to recall and suppress a September 12th September, I'm sorry, 25-2020 Intelligence Information Report, known as an IIR, from the Bureau's Albany Field Office, which included information from a confidential human source showing evidence of the CCP plot. Grassley's office says that the evidence was never investigated, despite signs of credibility, because of a, quote, sudden and abnormal close quote decision to stop further proceedings and quote bury the I.I.R.' 's existence. close quote, because as the FBI put it, the reporting will contradict Director Wray's testimony. So Grassley says, quote, most concerning to me is stating the reporting would contradict with Director Wray's testimony. He says, I found this troubling because it implied to me that one of the reasons we aren't putting this out is for a political reason, which goes directly against our organization's mission to remain apolitical and simply state what we know. An Albany FBI intelligence analyst said, quote, likewise, at the field operational level, I do not feel it is our job to assess whether or not our intelligence aligns with the director. My concern is that I think it gets dangerous if we cite potential political implications as reasons for not putting out our information. And that's exactly what happened with Christopher Wray. Basically, the guy lied on the stand. In front of Congress. The Albany field, Albany. The Albany field office, a staff warned against FBI assuming the role of sole gatekeeper for the intelligence community, emphasizing that suppressing field-generated reporting could deprive other IC, intelligence community elements, of the opportunity to corroborate or discredit intelligence. This is stunning. This is stunning. This is big news. This is huge news. It should be the news, in my opinion, some of the news of the day. Guys, we have a CCP. We have the Chinese Communist Party that wants to supplant the United States of America. You have a... Biden administration that obviously knew of this information once he quote unquote won that did nothing about it. You had Christopher Wray that knew of this information and worked to apparently suppress this information. Allegedly, let me say that just in case, worked to suppress this information and talked about, oh, Russia, we got it. We have to worry about there has been some Russia collusion. Russia collusion in our elections is so besides cyber attacks. It was so miniscule. It's not even funny. You had less than a thousand or a couple thousand people on Facebook that tried to interfere in the election in 2016. And then Hillary Clinton comes out with this Russia collusion hoax. And here you have the CCP literally printing paper ballots. to try to manipulate elections in the United States of America. The FBI knew about it and they scrubbed it. They scrubbed all of the information. They scrubbed the information from their laptops, from the computers, as if this was the Hunter Biden laptop. That is insane. That is insane. Guys, I'm telling you, not only do we have to win in 2028, I really hope I really hope that the FBI is cut down the size. What I don't want to see is more prosecution, weaponized prosecution from people that love America from the left. And I'm afraid that if we don't get this under control and if the deep state within the FBI, within the DOJ aren't cleaned up, we're going to be dealing with this stuff again. And we're not going to be able to do anything about it. The left is into a police state. The left is into communism. All you have to do is look at the popular how popular this guy, Ma'am Danny, in New York City has become. It's astonishing to me. It's astonishing to me. All right. Do we have time for a call here, Eric? OK, let's let's take a let's take a call. Let's go to Sydney real quick. Sydney is in Detroit, Michigan. Sydney, welcome to the Mike Gallagher show. You've got the mic.
SPEAKER 07 :
I just wanted to let you know, what state are you from?
SPEAKER 03 :
Just please go ahead with your point. Just go ahead with your point.
SPEAKER 07 :
I just want to know, you come out with the greatest tax deal ever. Poor people going to pay 70% taxes in 31. Are you okay with that?
SPEAKER 03 :
Wait, say that again. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Say that. Wait, I didn't hear you. I didn't hear you. You literally faded out. Poor people are going to pay what?
SPEAKER 07 :
74% in taxes.
SPEAKER 03 :
Poor people are going to pay 74% in taxes. Define poor. Define poor. And where are you getting these numbers?
SPEAKER 07 :
$15,000 and $30,000.
SPEAKER 03 :
So people that make... Don't read the bill. Okay, all right, drop the call. This guy just said poor people, poor people that only pay payroll tax are going to pay 74% of their income. Dude, oh my lord, help me. Please do some other reading besides CNN and MSNBC. Poor people that make 15%, Trump is going to make them pay 75% of their income. Just think about that. That is not even common sense. That is not... So, poor people that make $15,000, Trump's tax bill is going to make them make $4,000. Dude, wake the freak up. Who do you think gets welfare? Oh, my God. One of the dumbest calls ever on the Mike Gallagher Show. We'll be back.
SPEAKER 02 :
There's a national focus on eating all the healthiest of foods, and that's great news for Balance of Nature. Their method of producing a vibrant nutritional supplement is second to none. While so many others use chemicals and additives, Balance of Nature is made solely from whole food ingredients. While other methods sacrifice nutritional quality for the sake of profits and volume, Balance in Nature's advanced vacuum cold process involves freeze-drying the fruits and veggies into a fine powder, helping to retain as much nutritional value as possible, compared to the other inferior methods, which cut corners at your expense. Balance in Nature packs a nutritional punch, and that's the whole reason for taking Balance in Nature, getting the most nutrition for the sake of your health. Use my discount code Charlie to get 35% off plus free shipping and their money back guarantee. You must use my discount code C-H-A-R-L-I-E. Call them at 800-2468-751 and use discount code Charlie or order online at balanceofnature.com. That's balanceofnature.com. Use discount code Charlie to get 35% off plus free shipping.
Explore the latest Supreme Court ruling that changes the landscape of judicial power as we know it. Hosts dive deep into how the decision impacts President Trump's administration and beyond, restricting the reach of individual judges to block nationwide policies. As the ACLJ marks its 35th anniversary, we underscore the ongoing battle for constitutional liberties and call for continued support in the fight against judicial activism.
SPEAKER 08 :
Today on Sekulow, how the Supreme Court's ruling changes everything.
SPEAKER 07 :
Keeping you informed and engaged, now more than ever. This is Sekulow. We want to hear from you. Share and post your comments. Or call 1-800-684-3110. And now your host...
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome to Seculo. I know many of you are preparing to celebrate the 249th anniversary of American independence, the freedoms that we enjoy here. But a lot is going on in this country. And one of the things that we wanted to showcase today is the impact and the reality of what the protections of our freedoms and the ability for America to continue in its prosperity and how a lot of that has changed rapidly. in light of the Supreme Court deciding last Friday that nationwide injunctions aren't a thing. This should not happen. We saw an incredible opinion written by Justice Barrett that was going through the history, even using phrases that was in the ACLJ's brief as we represented the the state of West Virginia at the Supreme Court, like judicial pedigree, historical pedigree, things that we argued before the court were the basis of their opinion saying that district court judges should not have the power to put the entire country on hold because they don't agree with policy. It was historic. We fought hard to achieve this victory so that we wouldn't see imperial judges, as Justice Barrett pointed out in her opinion. That just because someone else may be acting one way, in this case, what is being argued about the executive branch, that the judges don't have the ability to then put a hold on the entire policy of the executive branch of the Congress. They can't issue these nationwide injunctions anymore. But we are at a time when that is exactly what was going on. We saw judges all over the country trying to block President Trump's agenda. So I wanted to get back into that today. I wanted to play segments after that great victory with Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, with the Attorney General of West Virginia, J.B. McCuskey. about how historic this is, but also what it means practically for you and why this was such a good victory. And all of this comes as you will be celebrating with your family the independence of the United States, but it's something that we here at the ACLJ are also celebrating. We're celebrating 35 years of justice. The ACLJ has been fighting for 35 years and we've had a lot of wins. We've argued at the Supreme Court. We've defended pro-life laws. We've protected students, pastors, churches. We've exposed corruption in Congress and in the Biden administration and the Obama administration. And we've mobilized hundreds of thousands of you to stand with us. Because at the end of the day, the ACLJ isn't just a law firm. It's a movement with a mission. And we fight for justice in the United States. So as we celebrate independence this weekend, We also celebrate here 35 years of justice. But this isn't just a party for the ACLJ. This isn't, hey, let's all pat ourselves on the back at the incredible work that we've been able to achieve over the past 35 years. No, this is calling all of you to stand with us for the next 35 years because we know the attacks on our liberties have not subsided and the fights haven't gotten easier. But we are here, we are capable, and we will continue fighting for the Constitution, for your liberties, but we can't do it without you. Stand with us today, and your donations will be doubled during this 35 years of justice campaign. You can go to ACLJ.org slash 35. That's just the numbers, three and five. ACLJ.org slash 3535. And have your gifts doubled during our 35 Years of Justice campaign. We'll be right back with more on Sekulow.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to Sekulow. Of course, we are celebrating a big win. I think we need to restate, Will, what's happening. And my dad, Jay Sekulow, he's on the phone. We're joining him live to really break down the opinion. But let's go over it for those just joining right now. And if you are just joining right now, I encourage you, share this show with your friends. Hit that thumbs up if you're watching on YouTube. Comment. We need to make sure people know this and they can see this because we have been fighting for this for months and months where President Trump has, you know, had all of these rogue judges who were able to somehow dictate the law of the land, the federal government, it feels like we're able to step in in a way that felt unconstitutional because of the way it was being targeted at President Trump. Supreme Court ruled that it seems like they agree with us on that.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right. This was a 6-3 decision authored by Justice Barrett. The dissenters were Justice Sotomayor, Justice Kagan and Justice Jackson, the three liberal members of the court. And in what Barrett's opinion held was that some say the universal injunction gives the judiciary a powerful tool to check the executive branch. But federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the executive branch. They resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them. We're going to go to Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, Jay Sekulow. And what is your first thought on this very important case?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, first of all, this is a big win for the administration. It's a big win for us. In fact, the argument that we put forward was used in large part by Justice Barrett in her majority opinion. And here's what the court said. So you've got a situation where the president's executive actions and other actions were being challenged by citizens of various locales. And then the court, instead of saying, well, we'll apply an injunction as to those people, they were doing it for the entire country. And there's no precedent in our history. And this is what Justice Barrett pointed out, and we pointed out too. There's no history precedent for this action. Zero. None. So when you look at it that way and realize what's at play, this was a 100% victory. It stops these rogue judges from issuing nationwide injunctions. I mean, a U.S. District Court judge could stop the administration dead in its tracks for the whole country. And the court said, that's not the way our system is set up. That's not the way jurisdiction set up. That's not the way the constitution works.
SPEAKER 08 :
And when you look at the ruling, and I think this is important for the audience to hear, because we think of Supreme Court arguments, you hear the two sides deliver oral argument. But as you say many times, a lot of times the Supreme Court decisions aren't won during the oral argument. And that is why at the ACLJ we engage in these types of filing amicus briefs putting forward the briefing for the justices, which is a large part of how they write their opinions. And when you see in this one, the arguments that ACLJ was making about Rule 26 of the federal judiciary, as well as even some of the phraseology, like the historical pedigree that was used in the opinion was a phrase that we were using in our own brief. You can start to understand why the briefing is, is so important for these justices as they come to their opinions on the law.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, that's exactly correct. And look, we've been at this for 45 years. And the truth of the matter is this. Our briefs are frequently cited by the courts, utilized by the courts. And this was a perfect example of it. It came out exactly as we anticipated and we were hopeful for. And it's the perfect decision in the sense that it curtails the ability of these judges. to stop the administration's actions for the entire country. They could do it for their district. They can't do it for the plaintiffs that's in front of them, but not for the whole country. And that makes a big difference in how these things move forward.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I wanted to talk about that too, because this is something that's going to be setting precedent. A lot of people Think about the fact that President Trump is currently in office as President Trump. This isn't just for President Trump. This is for future Republicans and Democrats, because if you could play this game, it will be endless. It would have been an endless battle for every administration, maybe for the history of time at that point where nothing could get done. It's another way that these judges and really, honestly, the activists can figure out how to stop even what the American people are voting for.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's exactly... Exactly correct. And here's the reality of what's happened. This put a check on the judiciary, which, again, coincides with the constitutional directives of a unitary executive. The president makes these decisions. A judge could stop it, but only for their district. No more universal jurisdiction. It wasn't good if Republicans did it. It's not good if Democrats do it. It should not happen.
SPEAKER 03 :
To break it down just a little bit more for those who are just tuning in right now. So overall, because of course, if you start reading one of these wins, you start reading one of the opinions from the Supreme Court, if you're not used to reading the opinions, it can get a little murky. So I was reading it, starting to read it, and I jumped to the bottom to go, okay, who voted for it? Because I think that can be a pretty good indication of who voted for what and whether they were being a little bit more nuanced in it. But for those who are just reading this, what I guess would be the big win takeaways, and is there anything we need to be looking out for in terms of the way these opinions are written?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, the big win takeaway is that an individual judge can't stop the actions of the administration for the entire country. That's over. So this judge shopping that they're doing is finished. And that's really important. And what this means is the president can exercise his authority under Article 2. The court's Article 3 authority is checked in the sense that their jurisdiction is limited to what Congress authorized. Congress did not authorize universal jurisdiction. There was no history or precedent. It's over.
SPEAKER 08 :
Sometimes, as Logan's talking about, you read and when especially when the opinions are rooted in the law and they are going through the history and things, sometimes you do have to parse out, OK, how big of a win is this? You know, is this very limited to this one case or is it broad? But sometimes you can jump to the dissents and get a real full picture of. of how big of a win it is based off how upset the more liberal, philosophically minded justices are. And I wanted to read this from Justice Jackson's dissent, who has actually surprised us many times by voting in the way of the conservatives, especially on the immunity decision where she was joining the conservatives in that. But she had this to say about this opinion. Perhaps the degradation of our rule of law regime would have happened anyway, but this court's complicity in the creation of a culture of disdain for lower courts, their rulings, and the law, as they interpret it, will surely hasten the downfall of our governing institutions, enabling our collective demise. I don't think I've read something so apocalyptic in a dissent before, but maybe I'm wrong. It's hilarious. First of all, it's a procedural decision.
SPEAKER 09 :
And it's a good procedural decision. It says courts can't exercise universal jurisdiction. That makes total sense. But to say this is the end of the rule of law, we know it, is nonsense. I mean, totally incorrect. Great decision by Justice Barrett. Good win for the administration. Good win for us. We're thrilled.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right. Thank you, Dan, for joining us again. Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. In the next segment, we're going to hear from J.B. McCuskey, Will, Attorney General of West Virginia. And he was directly involved in our suit here.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right. We worked with the Attorney General's Office of West Virginia. And in the brief that we filed was on behalf of the state of West Virginia. So both the Attorney General and his Solicitor General, as well as our team's names, are all on the front of the brief. And the brief... of amicus curiae state of West Virginia in support of the applicants is the title of our brief. So it's a win for not just the ACLJ and all of our members, but as well as a client in this, the state of West Virginia that was concerned about the implications of these district judges, not just on the administration, but how people could then go and, and forum shop to get nationwide injunctions to try and block things that individual states were doing and trying to almost have state warfare, economic warfare or lawfare against other states by the way that injunctions could be placed and handed down. And so we'll get the take of Attorney General McCuskey in the next segment. Very busy time for the Attorney General. He's able to join us. So that's going to be great to have him joining us in the next segment.
SPEAKER 03 :
That's right, so stay tuned for that, and then we're going to take your calls and comments. If you're on hold already, stay on hold. We do have a few lines still open for you at 1-800-684-3110. Once again, a huge win, a huge day for the ACLJ. Friday, you never know what you're going to get on Friday. Sometimes we're having more fun on this show. Sometimes we want to play you some best stops because we had such amazing content this week and last week, and we did have some amazing content, but we decided we had, when this decision came out at 9-0-1, This morning, Central Time, 10 Eastern Time, we said, hey.
SPEAKER 08 :
Folks, as we celebrate this Fourth of July weekend, and I hope all of you are with family, enjoying the freedom and the liberties that our Constitution protects, we at the ACLJ are also celebrating 35 years of justice. The ACLJ has been around for 35 years fighting for the Constitution, for religious liberty, for freedom of speech, fighting government corruption, fighting things that threaten your rights as Americans. So as we celebrate the freedoms we have, we also celebrate the work of the ACLJ to fight and protect those freedoms that the Constitution protects as well. We can't do it without you though. During our 35 years of Justice Drive, have your donation doubled. Stand with us as the ACLJ looks forward to another 35 years of winning, and of beating back the threats to your liberty. Join us today. Have your donation doubled at ACLJ.org.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to Seculo. Phone lines are open for you at 1-800-684-3110, 1-800-684-3110. We're joined by Attorney General of West Virginia, J.B. McCuskey, who has obviously been deeply involved in this case through our entire run here at the ACLJ. Of course, he's an ACLJ alum as well. But J.B., I want to get your initial feelings coming after this big win.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, this is a really good one. You know, while we didn't get to the merits of the actual underlying question, the Supreme Court held very sternly that these nationwide injunctions need to stop and that they are unconstitutional. They do exceed the scope of what our district courts are allowed to do, and they are politicizing the courts in a way that is very dangerous, whether it's a Republican or a Democrat doing it. And so we are just tickled. And the best part about this is that much of the language used in the amicus that we co-drafted with you guys was relied upon by the court and they're holding it. So we're really happy about this one.
SPEAKER 03 :
read those and always see what the ACLJ can do and what your team has done because when I look at this and you're right this is something bipartisanship should overtake this win not just a President Trump win not just a Attorney General West Virginia win because this is going to set precedent for the rest of our life whether you're Republican or Democrat and look if you agree like we agree that shouldn't matter in this sense that it's a it's not a partisan win one way or the other but Will I know you got something you want to share.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right. And JB, you may have not seen this yet. I know that you probably were pouring over the dissents just to see what the justices, the three liberal justices had to say on this opinion. But there is a line I want to get your take on, especially as someone who is an attorney general of a state who is very much lives by the rule of law in your everyday proceedings as that officer of the state. And Justice Jackson had this to say in her dissent. Perhaps the degradation of our rule of law regime would happen anyway, but this court's complicity in the creation of a culture of disdain for lower courts, their rulings, and the law as they interpret it, will surely hasten the downfall of our governing institutions, enabling our collective demise. Is that the feeling you get from this ruling, Attorney General?
SPEAKER 10 :
I generally don't feel like our country is spiraling into chaos when we uphold the constitutional framework that was set up by the framers, for sure. You know, honestly, it feels a little on the nose, if I'm being honest. I mean, that is a pretty lengthy and weighty thing to say about district courts being able to issue nationwide injunctions. That is probably what prompted... The small response to that language by Amy Comey Barrett, too, if I had to guess.
SPEAKER 08 :
And normally you don't see within opinions like that, within the body of the opinion, a direct smackdown, so to speak. And that's what the attorney general's referencing is that this was written by Justice Barrett. We will not dwell on Justice Jackson's argument, which is at odds with more than two centuries worth of precedent, not to mention the Constitution itself. We observe only this. Justice Jackson decries an imperial executive while embracing an imperial judiciary.
SPEAKER 03 :
It feels almost like the time of the founders, like the way they would talk to each other via the news, through the papers, through letters. It's humorous, but it's not. But it is humorous to read this end-of-the-world apocalyptic language when it comes down to whether judges have the right to make these kind of decisions. JB, I'm very excited that we were able to wrap this up also so quickly and that the ACLJ team was able to jump in and help you out because we're going to show a little bit later if you've been watching on social you've seen some of the clips already but you and jordan were so actively involved in this you were there at the court um really just being when the aclj team can get behind something like this it really shows how amazing the work can be done
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes. And this is sort of the reason why you build coalitions, right, is to make sure that you have all of the skill you need to do big things. And this is a really, really big win, not just for obviously West Virginia, but this is a big win for our country. This is this scourge of nationwide injunctions was only going to get worse. And we had to step in and do something. And I'm just really thankful that we were able to play a part in this. And even more thankful for the six majority judges who agreed with us.
SPEAKER 08 :
JB, thank you so much for joining us. I know that you've got a lot going on, a lot on your plate. It's not like you just sit around and read opinions from the Supreme Court all day. So thank you for joining us, being able to on quick notice when we got this out. Your team is wonderful to work with. We appreciate them and appreciate you joining us on the broadcast today.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I don't have to read those things, Will. I have you for that. That's right.
SPEAKER 03 :
Just like old times.
SPEAKER 10 :
You guys have a great day, and we are pouring through this decision, and it really is a good one. And we've got a whole bunch more that came out today that we can talk about next week.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, JB. Thank you so much for joining us. Attorney General JB McCuskey from West Virginia. We're able to have such amazing guests like JB who, again, who also are ACLJ alumni, people that have been part of the team. uh throughout the years and it's really uh encouraging to go to this next step and be able to see how our team has been able to now influence the supreme court of the united states once again for another generation and again that doesn't happen without your support i do want to take some phone calls also and i want to hear from president trump because i know that he has been speaking about this you want to play something from trump let's go ahead this is from the press conference he uh moments ago
SPEAKER 08 :
announced early as soon as this came out, this decision by the Supreme Court that there would be a press conference with him and the Attorney General and Todd Blanch as well. And so this is a bite from early in the press conference. It's still ongoing, but let's go ahead and roll bite six.
SPEAKER 01 :
I was elected on a historic mandate, but in recent months we've seen a handful of radical left judges effectively try to overrule the rightful powers of the president to stop the American people from getting the policies that they voted for in record numbers. It was a grave threat to democracy, frankly, and instead of merely ruling on the immediate cases before them, these judges have attempted to dictate the law for the entire nation. In practice, this meant that if any one of the nearly 700 federal judges disagreed with the policy of a duly elected president of the United States, he or she could block that policy from going into effect or at least delay it for many years, tie it up in the court system. This was a colossal abuse of power which never occurred in American history prior to recent decades. And we've been hit with more nationwide injunctions than were issued in the entire 20th century.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, again, that was from President Trump. Look, in the next half hour, I'm going to hear from a lot of you, and a lot of you have called in right now. So if you're on hold right now, Dion, Martin, Brad, John, we've got two that are currently being screened right now. Stay on hold. I'm going to get to you guys as early as I can in this back half because I want to keep hearing from you because these are the moments. President Trump right now, he is taking questions about this right now, so we're going to go through and make sure that we pull anything that is necessary or you feel like you need to hear it. But again, we have a second half hour coming up. And in that second half hour, we've now heard from my dad, Jay Sekulow, our chief counsel. We have now heard from Attorney General of West Virginia, who was involved in this, J.B. McCuskey. And now we get to hear from you. Like I always say, the most important voice in the room.
SPEAKER 08 :
Folks, as we celebrate this 4th of July weekend, and I hope all of you are with family, enjoying the freedom and the liberties that our Constitution protects, We at the ACLJ are also celebrating 35 years of justice. The ACLJ has been around for 35 years fighting for the Constitution, for religious liberty, for freedom of speech, fighting government corruption, fighting things that threaten your rights as Americans. So as we celebrate... the freedoms we have. We also celebrate the work of the ACLJ to fight and protect those freedoms that the Constitution protects as well. We can't do it without you though. During our 35 years of Justice Drive, have your donation doubled. Stand with us as the ACLJ looks forward to another 35 years of winning, in a beating back the threats to your liberty. Join us today. Have your donation doubled at aclj.org.
SPEAKER 07 :
Keeping you informed and engaged now more than ever. This is Sekulow. We want to hear from you. Share and post your comments or call 1-800-684-3110. And now your host,
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome to Seculo. I know many of you are preparing to celebrate the 249th anniversary of American independence, the freedoms that we enjoy here. But a lot is going on in this country. And one of the things that we wanted to showcase today is the impact and the reality of what the protections of our freedoms and the ability for America to continue in its prosperity and how a lot of that has changed rapidly. in light of the Supreme Court deciding last Friday that nationwide injunctions aren't a thing. This should not happen. We saw an incredible opinion written by Justice Barrett that was going through the history, even using phrases that was in the ACLJ's brief as we represented the the state of West Virginia at the Supreme Court, like judicial pedigree, historical pedigree, things that we argued before the court were the basis of their opinion saying that district court judges should not have the power to put the entire country on hold because they don't agree with policy. It was historic. We fought hard to achieve this victory so that we wouldn't see imperial judges, as Justice Barrett pointed out in her opinion. That just because someone else may be acting one way, in this case, what is being argued about the executive branch, that the judges don't have the ability to then put a hold on the entire policy of the executive branch of the Congress. They can't issue these nationwide injunctions anymore. But we are at a time when that is exactly what was going on. We saw judges all over the country trying to block President Trump's agenda. So I wanted to get back into that today. I wanted to play segments after that great victory with Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, with the Attorney General of West Virginia, J.B. McCuskey. about how historic this is, but also what it means practically for you and why this was such a good victory. And all of this comes as you will be celebrating with your family the independence of the United States, but it's something that we here at the ACLJ are also celebrating. We're celebrating 35 years of justice. The ACLJ has been fighting for 35 years, and we've had a lot of wins. We've argued at the Supreme Court. We've defended pro-life laws. We've protected students, pastors, churches. We've exposed corruption in Congress and in the Biden administration and the Obama administration. And we've mobilized hundreds of thousands of you to stand with us. Because at the end of the day, the ACLJ isn't just a law firm. It's a movement with a mission. And we fight for justice in the United States. So as we celebrate independence this weekend, We also celebrate here 35 years of justice. But this isn't just a party for the ACLJ. This isn't, hey, let's all pat ourselves on the back at the incredible work that we've been able to achieve over the past 35 years. No, this is calling all of you to stand with us for the next 35 years because we know the attacks on our liberties have not subsided and the fights haven't gotten easier. But we are here, we are capable, and we will continue fighting for the Constitution, for your liberties, but we can't do it without you. Stand with us today, and your donations will be doubled during this 35 years of justice campaign. You can go to ACLJ.org slash 35. That's just the numbers, three and five. ACLJ.org slash 3535. And have your gifts doubled during our 35 Years of Justice campaign. We'll be right back with more on Sekulow.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to Secular. We do have some phone lines. Well, not really open right now, but they will open up at 1-800-684-3110. Again, I want to hear from you after this big win from the Supreme Court of the United States and our ACLJ team, our ACLJ. And by the way, I mean team, I mean you as well. ACLJ champions and supporters are really get a round of applause today because of their hard work. And we actually have – I'm going to play for you a little bit later a bit that happened at the Supreme Court, right outside of the Supreme Court. My brother and JB, so you can kind of see what happens. Remember, our offices, our headquarters in Washington, D.C., our legal headquarters, is directly across the street from the Supreme Court of the United States, just on the corner there. So they're able to go be a part of this. That's a little bit different with our organization as well. We have – Two big headquarters here in Tennessee and Nashville, where there is sort of this media hub that is being built right now for so many people like us. And it's been amazing. I've lived here for a very, very long time. And then also our Washington, D.C. office, which, of course, is where our legal headquarters is. And that's very important as well to make sure we are in the thick of it for both the equal parts media and law. We can't do that without you. We can't have these amazing facilities. We can't do this show and all of that. But I want to make sure you see a little inside look of what happened there.
SPEAKER 08 :
And I also want to bring up when you say we're in the thick of it, how in the thick of it we are. When yesterday we actually mentioned there was a victory at the Supreme Court where states can effectively defund Planned Parenthood. We had filed in that case. It was a big win for protecting taxpayers from having their money spent on Planned Parenthood. And the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services was excluding Medicaid dollars from Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood sued, saying you can't take our money away. And the outcome of that was a victory for life and for the taxpayer. Of not having their money go to Planned Parenthood. Like I said, we filed in that case. Well, as happens in front of the Supreme Court, there were protesters. There were people actually that were pro-life advocates that were celebrating the victory. And then there were pro-abortion protesters that were there. So this is a case we'd filed in and had just received a victory. And people we know, Reverend Pat Mahoney, who has been a client of the ACLJs for decades, since really the founding, was there with a group of pro-life advocates that were excited. They were celebrating the victory. And an individual, a pro-abortion protester, came up and got in the face of some of the friends and colleagues of Pat Mahoney and and began spitting on them, getting in their face, smacked the wife of the client's phone to the ground, and then fell over and started screaming that she, this person, had been assaulted by the pro-life advocate. The Capitol Hill police immediately arrested this individual. Reverend Pat Mahoney called us at the ACLJ. Our offices are right across the street from the Supreme Court. And our attorneys jumped into action. We're able to review footage from other individuals there that were celebrating this victory. We're able to get on the phone and we're able to get this individual out of jail immediately. rather quickly for a false arrest charge now where you still have to fight and the disposition of the case because there was a charge of assault but it was a false arrest and because we are there in that location we were able to get a phone call and our attorneys immediately jumped into action to get an individual out of jail do we have that clip i mean this is from rever
SPEAKER 03 :
Reverend Pat Mahoney, he sent us a clip to show, again, this is on the streets, so of course this is like shot with a phone, but I think it's fun to see. We've represented Reverend Mahoney my entire life. I've known him our entire life. He's someone who has been a consistent voice for the pro-life movement uh someone who has never wavered i will say that someone who may not be your most traditional conservative he may not be your republican uh but he has been someone who has been the biggest fighter for life and i really respect everything he has done he's been arrested more times than any of us could count uh in pursuit of keeping babies alive let's hear from reverend mahoney
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, blessings. I'm Reverend Patrick Mahoney. And first of all, I want to thank the American Center for Law and Justice. They're always there when you need them. We had a dear friend at a pro-life demonstration at the Supreme Court, a significant victory as the Supreme Court voted to allow South Carolina to defund Planned Parenthood. And as often is the case, pro-choice demonstrators came out. They were spitting on us. They were pushing on us. They were assaulting us. And they accused one of our pro-life demonstrators of physically attacking them. Tragically, they were arrested. But guess what? We sent up the bat signal for the ACLJ. We're outside the jail right now waiting for him to be released. And I just want to tell everyone We are so thankful for attorneys who are principled and caring, who support free speech, who support constitutional freedoms, and my dear brother would probably still be in jail if they hadn't intervened. So God bless, and we're waiting shortly for him to come out and greet us.
SPEAKER 03 :
Of course, again, that was from Reverend Patrick Mahoney. He's been a fighter for life, like I said, my entire life and has been a good friend of the ACLJ. But it's always nice to see him out there when we can get a big win. And those wins, Will, you actually have a bit of an update.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right. So from our attorneys, I mentioned, you know, there may be things that... linger that after this arrest no charges filed against the client uh so our attorneys boldly were able to go in there we're able to do a quick on the ground investigation by looking at video footage and seeing what happened and able to not only get him released from jail but have no charges against him that is a big win quick win uh that that we wouldn't have even had time to tell you about on the show on the comments saying throw out the bad signal yeah that's
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly right. That's what our team's able to do. And again, longtime friends and allies have just been so important to the ACLJ over our 35 plus years of existence. I can find footage of Reverend Mahoney younger than I am right now as part of this team. And it's always great to hear from him and to see him. I do want to take a couple of calls. And then in the next segment, we'll even discuss more of what happened and how our team was involved with this big win out of the Supreme Court of the United States. Let's go, though. Let's go in maybe order. Some people might hold for a while. Dion, a little off, but all right. Dion in Seattle, you're on the air.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, congrats, guys, on your big win. I was really getting hurt with these courts trying to block everything the president's doing. But I'm praying for your father. I hope he's doing well, really.
SPEAKER 03 :
He's doing well. You heard him on the show earlier on. Make sure you stay tuned. But thank you. What's your question?
SPEAKER 05 :
May I digress a bit to something else? It's the economy.
SPEAKER 03 :
I mean, we could try. Let's see where we're going to go from here. What's your question?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I'm not sure how – I hear the big, beautiful bills having trouble in the Senate. That concerns me. The economy concerns me. And I'm wondering when we're going to start getting our oil drilled here in the country so we can get something done before the – so we can actually show we're getting stuff done and give them less to, you know, attack.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, Dion, today is a win for that, though. Remember, because obviously President Trump can now go ahead and do a lot of the things that he was being stopped from doing. So take that win. Today, it's good. A lot of people have issues with the big, beautiful bill. Look, I mean, you saw a big fight that happened between Elon Musk and President Trump and all of that fallout from that. That's not necessarily what's driving the sort of delays. But whenever you're talking about a bill that has to do with spending and cuts, it's never as easy as it seems.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right, because the big beautiful bill is budget reconciliation. So it essentially has to be revenue neutral. Like they have to when they cut from something or add a program here, they have to pull from something else so that that's the only way you can do it by just having the simple majority 50 votes instead of a brand new thing where you'd have to get above the filibuster 60 votes. So. To your point, you have people who are representatives. They represent the interests of different states. Even though they may be Republicans, there are different things that different people have concerns about in different states. They're representing them. The SALT cap, that's the state and local taxes cap. And you have to be able to raise or lower that sometimes to be able to pull from other places. And there is a place where there are people that are from states that have higher income taxes, but they have Republican representatives. that want a higher salt deduction. So it's some things like that that are nuanced, that are fighting, but I do feel confident that they will get that passed. And also about the oil leases. Dion, once again, one of the things that this will affect, this bill, is these nationwide injunctions, things like oil and gas leases that the Department of Interior announced, that people rushed to court to try to get blocked. Things like against Doge, where it was individuals trying to block Doge, making the government more efficient, which in turn helps our economy. This win today actually helps a lot of those things going forward. And if you look at the jobs numbers, you look at the inflation numbers, the economy is singing right now. It's in a really good spot, but we need many things like these injunctions that can stop the
SPEAKER 03 :
progress of rebuilding the economy in the post-biden era uh to move forward and that's one of the things this this ruling today helps with all right when we get back we're going to hear from you we got a full bank of calls right now one line open just because uh we just took one so if you want to call in no guarantee you're going to make it but we'll try 1-800-684-3110 but martin stay on hold john wes and david will get to you um in the next segment Support the work of the ACLJ, as I said. And we're going to try to spend a little bit of time, if we do have time, to show you this video we have of my brother and Attorney General McCuskey when they were prepping for this case. But also, it's available on ACLJ.org. So if you don't get to it, that's a great way to find it. All right. Let's wrap up this week strong with some of your calls and comments. Let's go ahead and go straight to it. We've got a lot of calls to get through. Let's go to Martin in North Carolina. Line 2, come on and raise up. You're on the air.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yes, sir. Thank you for taking my call. I'm like Dan. I had the answer. I can't call the answer, but I can swerve as well, too. I'm the same line. With the dissents that we're seeing now, if it's a mainstream thing, we see some 9-0 votes, but most of them are 6-3, 5-4. And especially with the dissent Will read earlier, it makes me wonder whether the threes are really being advocates for the far left. or even more scary, do they even really understand the Constitution, which is, that's where the constitutional crisis comes in. Because it was ridiculous what she said.
SPEAKER 03 :
It is ridiculous, and it does feel very performative, very showy, and that's very unlike the Supreme Court of the United States in a broader historical standpoint. I'll say that in a last 50 years, in our lifetime, until this kind of lineup of court, They've been pretty reserved. You didn't know a lot about the, there was almost a mystique behind the justices. Sure, they took very strong opinions, whether it was Scalia or whoever. You knew where they probably stood on a lot of issues. But you are right that there did seem to be a lot more 9-0 decisions, but not always. I mean, it was still always been one of those courts like this. But the rhetoric of them having to go back and forth through the paper is so bizarre. But also because Justice Jackson decided to make this an apocalyptic sounding moment. And I can't help but feel like those are like career moves. Those are decisions that you're doing if you wanted a good book deal or you wanted a good, I don't understand how that applies to being a Supreme Court justice. You can go out and vehemently say you disagree with it and that you hope another case can get filed. Things can change. We've seen things overturned over the years. So it's not like this is the end of the road and the end of the world for democracy, though they do make you feel that way each and every time.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right. Even Justice Sotomayor's dissent was trying to make it more about the merits of the case and was saying things like, you know, there are times when it's definitely clear that an overbroad injunction is not valid. the way that it should go. She said there may be good reasons not to issue universal injunctions in the typical case. But then she's saying the one before us, the underlying case isn't a typical case. So even her dissent, while fully a dissent, was making it more about the case, not about the outcome, about what actually was before them. Because remember, this wasn't about the executive order. This case was about the injunctions. So the many on the left of the court were trying to mix the two in able to get beyond the injunction issue to get really into the merits of the case. But that's why I think Justice Jackson's felt so out of left field on this is that it was just bizarre that this literally, she says, It will surely hasten. The court's opinion here will surely hasten the downfall of our governing institutions, enabling our collective demise. She's saying this is the end of the republic. This will hasten it. And that just is absurd. Like it couldn't be further from the truth that saying individual district judges are can't just continually block, especially when you look at what the opinion says is that the federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the executive branch. We know that from the constitution. This was a very textualist decision by Justice Barrett of saying, look at what we know, look at the history. And what does it tell us? District judges can't be doing this. And that's exactly what they received. And for some reason, Justice Jackson decided to take it way further.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. All right, let's continue on. We got John in Boston. John, you're on the air.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thanks for taking my call, guys. With that being said, what you just explained, what do we do with judges like Judge Murphy up here in Boston, who is ignoring the Supreme Court's ruling and Basically saying, you know, I'm going to find you in contempt when you come back.
SPEAKER 08 :
So what John's referring to is that there was the judge that issued an injunction about the president deporting migrants that were slated for removal to a third-party country. We saw a decision out of the Supreme Court earlier this week, actually, about... That very issue, which said, you know, that they can be moving, at least at this point, move forward. They can be taken to third party countries instead of directly back. You may think, OK, an Iranian may not be received back in Iran right now or a Venezuelan may not be received back in Venezuela because we don't have good relationship with those countries. But then the the judge Murphy out of Massachusetts, as you as you mentioned, John, as you are there as well, has said basically it seems like he's going to defy the Supreme Court. Don't know where this one goes, but I know the government is is asking the justices at the Supreme Court to address the, quote, unprecedented defiance of. of the Supreme Court's authority. So that is something we do need to watch, John, and we'll see how, if there's anything the Supreme Court does, because right now, they're in recess. All right, John, thank you for calling.
SPEAKER 03 :
We've got two more calls. We've got two and a half minutes. We're going to try. Let's go to Wes first. Wes, you're on the air.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. How come the illegal aliens get kicked out, but the people that hire them don't have any repercussions? Wonderful.
SPEAKER 03 :
that's necessarily true, Wes, that they don't have any repercussions. And look, we obviously have a lot of issues that we have to get through in terms of employment and verification and all that. It seems like every time they put in some sort of new verification system, there's an easy way around it. But Will, you got something? That's all you're talking.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I know that Wes, sorry, not John, specifically that the FBI and the government is doing things. This is just from a while ago. Just from a while ago. No, I mean, Dan Bongino put up an update that there was a big business that was specifically going around that rules and that one, they had worked with ICE to handle the issue of the migrants as well, but they are looking at what statutes were violated.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's just not making as much news, Wes, but it is happening. And look, I think there's a lot of people who have built their businesses on that, unfortunately, and they're now trying to figure out what to do. That's why I even saw some relief happen for the hospitality industry. They're trying to figure out how they're going to keep functioning. I'm not saying that's right. I'm just saying that's the facts. Let's go to David very quickly in Tennessee. David, go ahead. Last call of the day. Thank you for taking my call.
SPEAKER 11 :
What is birthright citizenship?
SPEAKER 08 :
Folks, as we celebrate this 4th of July weekend, and I hope all of you are with family, enjoying the freedom and the liberties that our Constitution protects, We at the ACLJ are also celebrating 35 years of justice. The ACLJ has been around for 35 years fighting for the Constitution, for religious liberty, for freedom of speech, fighting government corruption, fighting things that threaten your rights as Americans. So as we celebrate the freedoms we have. We also celebrate the work of the ACLJ to fight and protect those freedoms that the Constitution protects as well. We can't do it without you, though. During our 35 years of Justice Drive, have your donation doubled. Stand with us as the ACLJ looks forward to another 35 years of winning and of beating back the threats to your liberty. Join us today. Have your donation doubled
AI's profound impact on the job market takes center stage in this insightful episode. Bill Gundersen and his guest explore forecasts by CEOs of major companies like Amazon and Ford, predicting significant workforce shifts due to AI advancements. As we unpack these developments, the discussion also covers geopolitical tensions and their repercussions on the global economy. From the temporary halt of Iran's nuclear ambitions to the strategic resumption of chip software exports to China, this episode offers a comprehensive overview of market maneuvers and technological evolutions shaping our world today.
SPEAKER 02 :
He's been seen on CNBC, the Fox News Channel, and the Fox Business Channel. His articles can be found on MarketWatch, Seeking Alpha, TheStreet.com, and many other places. He's the author of the weekly Best Stocks Now newsletter and the inventor of the Best Stocks Now app. He's president of Gundersen Capital Management. Here is professional money manager Bill Gundersen.
SPEAKER 07 :
Good morning and welcome to the Thursday, July 3rd edition of the Best Docs Now show. I am Barry Kite, planner and analyst here at Gunderson Capital Management, and we'll have Bill on the line here in a moment. All right, we've got him here, but we've got markets right now all in the green. We've got the Dow up 0.65% to 44,772. We've got the S&P 500 up just about 0.7% up to 6,270. And the NASDAQ up 176 points. That's 0.87% leading the way today up over 20,569. And we've got crude oil down just a hair about 22 cents to 67.23%. Gold pulling back just down $22 today. And we've got Bitcoin up over $110,000, up 1.5%. And again, good morning. Welcome to the July 3rd edition of the Best Docs Now show. Yes, I am here now. We got him. There we go. There's the captain.
SPEAKER 09 :
We had to go to plan B here. You never know with the Internet these days and whatnot. But anyways, hey, you know what? We're hitting a new all-time high today. on the NASDAQ. We're hitting a new all-time high on the S&P 500 today. And, of course, the Dow is moving towards an all-time high. And, you know, I mean, I look at Bitcoin as kind of a risk-on indicator. And look at Bitcoin. Did you see that today? Very 110,000, which it's closing in on its all-time high also. So, boy, you've got... All gears running smoothly on the market today. And we've got some good news also on the front.
SPEAKER 08 :
How did that jobs number come in today, Barry?
SPEAKER 07 :
Came in higher than expected. It was a pretty strong report, as we mentioned yesterday, with the ADP. A lot of times the ADP and the non-farm payrolls paint different pictures. And non-farm payrolls in June rose 147,000. That was stronger than the 110,000 expected. So pretty, at least on the job front, some great news. And I think I also saw another number that came out this morning was factory orders picked up as well.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I never thought I'd see the day, too, that Vietnam would be such a big player in the economy. But part of the new highs in the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 yesterday and then following through today, a trade deal has been reached with Vietnam, which has become quite a big manufacturing hub, the U.S. will get total access to the Vietnamese market. Well, I don't know if we can take on Vietnamese clients, Barry, but others that U.S. products will have total access, and Vietnam will pay a 20% tariff on goods sent to the U.S., so... I know a lot of the manufacturers, especially the clothing manufacturers, were really worried about a stiff tariff against Vietnam because they're getting a lot of their goods out of there today in this world. And 20%, I guess, is palatable for them because it will be spread out amongst the manufacturers, the sellers, and the buyers today. And apparently we're getting closer. You know, we talked about July 9th being a hard deadline, and it doesn't look like he's going to extend it. As it sits right now, Japan has to do something because they can't afford it. I don't know how they can pay a 25% tariff on their cars. I mean, would you buy a Toyota and pay whatever, you know, it is, extra prices built into that car? Coming from Japan, 25% to me is unpalatable for them. They're going to have to give somewhere. I think it comes down to our farm products. I know California wants to sell their rice to Japan. In fact, I bought a five-gallon bucket of sushi-grade rice from Sacramento. Did you when you were there? It was really, really good. Anyways... We'll just have to see where that goes with Vietnam. Yeah, and those nonfarm payrolls, 147,000, 147,000 jobs created. And, of course, you also have the initial jobless claims dropping this week to 233,000 versus the 240 consensus. And, you know, look, as long as that line remains stable and sideways like it's been – that means that the jobs market is remaining very strong, very steady, not rocking the boat, and there doesn't seem to be any signs of a recession out there on the horizon because that would be the first place you would see that show up would be in those initial jobless claims, which we look at every single Thursday. That's a leading indicator, a leading indicator that either shows a healthy jobs market or trouble brewing out there on the horizon, which we have not seen now for quite some time. Here's an update on Armageddon, Barry. It's been postponed for now. You can move the date back at least two years. The U.S. strike set back Iran's nuclear program by two years. That's the Pentagon's final assessment here. It didn't set it back. We heard that it was obliterated, may never come back. But Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell disclosed during a press briefing that Iran is much further away today from nuclear weapons than they were before the president took bold action to fulfill his promise to the American people. And that promise was that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. The mission, codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, targeted nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan Donald Trump said Defense Secretary Pete Hexup and Pete Hexup claimed that it had obliterated it. Well, two years, I guess, is better than two weeks. Obliterating it would have been even better. But the Atomic Energy Agency says they could restart their enriching uranium program in a matter of months. Do you think Iran will go back to enriching uranium, Barry? I mean, they risked it. They take a big risk, but I think they will. I really don't think. I think they're hell-bent on coming up with a nuclear weapon somehow, some way. But at least Armageddon has been postponed for now. The other big news today, I kind of missed this. I caught it early this morning that we've resumed chip design software exports to China. That's a pretty big deal. That was a big concession that we made on our part. And, of course, the big concession that China made was access to their rare earth elements. But that's helping. Cadence and Synopsys are the two biggest companies in America that design the chips. Once, you know, they get all the algorithms and whatnot to build into those chips, but they actually do the design. Taiwan Semiconductor, which has been a very strong stock breaking out to new all-time highs recently, does the building of them, and they use ASM lithography and other equipment makers' equipment to make those chips. But that was a pretty big concession, and that's a big boost to our chip industry here in America. The question is, what will China use those advanced designs for? Will they be putting it in their weapon systems? Well, you know, that's the risk that we take, but that's the concession that we made to get that deal.
SPEAKER 07 :
For the rare earth, right? They're going to trade us the rare earth minerals, right? Yes.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes. And, of course, we'll use them in our weapons system. You know, too bad that the world has to have enemies and war. But it's all been predicted. U.S. and India accelerate trade talks following Trump's deal with Vietnam. I think India wants to get in on a lot of the business that's leaving China, the manufacturing business. uh because of the tariffs and of course vietnam has picked up a lot of that slack it was already moving to vietnam because now they have cheaper labor now the chinese you know they don't have the cheap labor like they used to have on a relative basis they do but on an absolute basis there's cheaper labor now in other countries and the receiving end of all this seems to be vietnam in india that wants to become a major manufacturer and of course we're seeing that with apple And Apple's move away from China, not completely, but moving a lot of their manufacturing to India to work around those big tariffs on their phones coming out of China. Well, we've been talking about AI. In fact, I had a discussion last night at the dinner table. Will AI replace guys like us, Barry? And my answer is no, because I've seen people that have brilliant people, scientists like software programmers, go into the day trading business, and with all their algorithms and formulas, they couldn't do it.
SPEAKER 08 :
I mean, very few people succeed at day trading. If they can't do it, I can't see how a consensus of all of those people on AI would do it. But Ford says that AI will replace half of all white-collar workers in the U.S. That's the Ford CEO.
SPEAKER 09 :
And welcome back here to the second quarter of today's Best Docs Now show. Well, I had someone ask me when we were in Sarasota, he teaches some high school kids, what careers should we be telling our high school kids, our college kids to be pursuing? What should they be studying in college? Well, I would say a white-collar worker, not a good deal. I mean, that's... White-collar workers are middle management, I guess, for the most part. But the Ford CEO yesterday says half. I'd like to see a number. How many white-collar workers are there in the U.S.? I think there's quite a few, millions and millions of them. And, of course, Andy Jassy over at Amazon said they're going to continue to reduce the company's workforce over the next several years. replacing them with AI. JP Morgan said the operations headcount there could decline about 10% in the coming years, a growing AI adoption. And Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in April predicted that most of the company's code could be written by AI. in the next 12 to 18 months. So coding seems to be another career that is going to have some trouble.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, 30% of Microsoft's code, according to the CEO, is currently being written by AI.
SPEAKER 09 :
There you go. And then, of course, this company Fiverr, which is a website that you can hire code writers and different kinds of people from different professions. Micah Kaufman, that's publicly traded company, FVRR. He says, AI is coming for your jobs. It doesn't matter if you're a programmer, a designer, a product manager, a data scientist, a lawyer, customer support rep, salesperson, or a finance person. Hear that, Barry? AI is coming for you. I think I'm going to become a lifeguard. I can't see robots swimming out there and rescuing people. I don't know. There's got to be some job. A plumber. I'm going to get a plumbing truck, park it in my garage just in case. Lucid Group sees a strong jump in second quarter deliveries. When's the last time you saw a Lucid group?
SPEAKER 07 :
I saw this story towards the top of Seeking Alpha's list today, and I was like, man, I haven't seen their name in a while.
SPEAKER 09 :
Nor have I seen anybody driving one.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, if anyone's seen one of those or owns one of those, send Bill a message.
SPEAKER 09 :
I saw one on the Ravenal Bridge. That's the only one I've ever seen. It was a beautiful-looking car. I haven't seen it since. Yeah, I've seen one, too. But, you know, I see plenty of Cybertrucks in our neighborhood. They're funny-looking things. I'm not a fan of those Cybertrucks. I can't see a plumber showing up in a Cybertruck.
SPEAKER 07 :
The new Scout. Remember the old Scout from years ago? I had a friend was telling me about the new Scout electric vehicles. They look sleek, and they seemed like they were fairly priced. You just never know with these things taking off. To me, the trick is they're very software heavy. We were talking about some of these companies that have gone by the wayside. It's like if you own one of those cars, do you still get a software update? No.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, it's like an iPhone coming out every year. Well, these EV cars are going to become better every year, and the one you've got is going to go down in value, sometimes in a big way. Our EV car has gone down in a big way because the demand isn't there on the secondary market for them. Rivian sees deliveries tail off. I do see a fair amount of Rivians running around our neighborhood. They're going to come out with their new model introductions. I think it's a good-looking car, but, you know, I mean, you're going to pay a lot more for a Rivian than you're going to pay for a little Ford truck. Samsung is said to be delaying completion of its U.S. chip plant due to lack of customers. Well, that's a good reason to delay your plant. Of course, Samsung makes a lot of the flash memory, and they are building a second U.S. chip plant in Texas. but they originally were going to begin operations in 2024. They pushed it back to 2026 due to a shortage of local customers. Yeah, I think I might just put that one on the scrap heap. Now, speaking of how's the economy doing in China, Louis Vuitton creates a buzz in Shanghai. You ought to see a picture of this thing with a ship, a cruise ship-themed concept store. This thing is gorgeous. There's an artist's rendering of it on Seeking Alpha today with escalators and everything. And this store is called the Louis. And it looks like a big, giant cruise ship that you walk into. It's got a metallic Louis Vuitton monogram, a ship-like anchor in the shape of an LV logo. The upper levels are designed to look like the brand's iconic travel trunks. visitors need to book in advance to enter the Louis Vuitton Concepts. Now, I wonder how much buy-in there will be. How many people are going to show up to see this thing? How many people are going to walk out with a shopping bag full of goods, you know?
SPEAKER 07 :
I mean, it puts the flagship in flagship store, doesn't it? I mean, it is a ship.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, my gosh.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow, that thing is gorgeous.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay, well, you know, sometimes these big Wall Street firms are wrong, and eventually they have to kind of admit it. Needham has had an underperformed rating on Meta for a long time, and the stock continues to plow forward and hit new all-time highs. So here's how Wall Street works. Needham, which is a pretty big, I mean, secondary Wall Street firm, I would say. They're not Morgan Stanley or Bank of America. On Thursday, they took a more neutral stance. Okay, they're not negative anymore. Now they're neutral. Does that mean I run out and buy it? They gave it a hold from its previously assigned underperform rating. So anyways, I would say that they... kind of been wrong about Meta, which has been one of the top performing stocks in the market. And over at Marigan Stanley, one of our favorite firms to follow, they are upping Salesforce. I guess Salesforce has raised their prices. recently which you know look i mean they're at a very high price point we've looked into sales force i think you have to be a pretty large company larger than our company and have a much larger sales force and a much bigger budget for your sales force to be a customer for sales force but you know it's a great company they have a great product but it ain't cheap And Morgan Stanley has said that these recent price hikes are going to help them. Well, we'll see. I mean, that's a two-edged sword. On the one hand, you know, it may drive people away and they may go to the cheaper, what's the one underneath the Salesforce? There's a couple of them that compete with Salesforce that are a lot cheaper than And I've been watching Salesforce stock. It's a member of the Dow. That's a negative. And it has really cooled off in growth recently. But Morgan Stanley's got a pretty lofty price target on Salesforce CRM. $404, and it's currently trading at $273. They're very bullish on Salesforce. I'll keep my eye on it. We'll be right back. This is Bill Gunderson. Thank you for tuning in to today's Best Stocks Now, Best Inverse Funds Now show. I put several hours of research in during the wee hours of the morning each day to bring you the very best cutting-edge stories that I can. To get two free weeks of my newsletter, go to GundersonCapital.com. To talk to us about our fee-based only money management services... Call us at 855-611-BEST. Now, back to the second half of the show.
SPEAKER 06 :
We've got to get together sooner or later.
SPEAKER 09 :
And welcome back here to the second half of today's Best Docs Now show. Well, it should be a pretty celebratory July the 4th with the fireworks and everything. We don't have an embargo on fireworks. I see the fireworks store. That was one of the areas that was threatened by the tariff standoff was Chinese fireworks. Yeah, Chinese fireworks.
SPEAKER 07 :
Didn't the Chinese invent fireworks, I believe, if I'm not mistaken?
SPEAKER 09 :
I think so, yeah. I mean, you've got to hear the NASDAQ is hitting a new all-time high. The S&P 500 is hitting a new all-time high. Much to the chagrin of the Trump haters, whether you're a Trump hater or a Trump lover. You can't deny the fact that the market's hitting new all-time highs after they painted... They basically wrote the epitaph for the economy, the gravestone for the NASDAQ, the gravestone for back in February and March of this year. And once again... I like to listen to people that are right. And once again, the pundits, and they know who they are. They're all the usual players and actors that come forward and give you bad advice right at the time you need good advice. They were wrong again. Bitcoin could surge to $200,000 by the end of this year, says Standard Charter. That's a big bank headquartered in the U.K. They have branches all over Asia. A big, big player. Why do I sit here looking for stocks when I could just buy Bitcoin, which is backed by nothing that I know of. I don't know what it's backed by. It's all I know. It's supply and demand. And they keep buying it and keep running it up and running it up. And now it's at $110,000 a day. I think the all-time high is $111,000. And a standard charter is predicting 200,000 by the end of the year. Well, write that one down. We'll see if they're right. We'll know by December 31st. CrowdCheck shows very robust demand as momentum continues, says Wedbush. You know, I was thinking that of all of the big firms out there that are... uh... in the news every day in commenting every day and we're seeing their target prices were seeing their stock picks were seeing their predictions i would say that were most in line uh... with wed bush uh... in their uh... way of thinking uh... they tend to be you know laser focused on Tech. Tech, okay, and the Silicon Valley. I don't know that they would own a Decker's Outdoor or a – I don't know. I guess they do, but they seem to be the ones – they're always bullish on Apple. They kind of backed off of Apple a little bit, but they seem to be in a lot of the same – I guess you could say. We used to have a Wedbush not too far from the firm that I worked for many years ago in San Diego. I don't think it's there anymore. It was in Solana Beach. Wedbush is headquartered in Los Angeles. And, of course, Dan Ives is a big name. I'm sure he makes a pretty penny for kind of being the spokesman for Wedbush. But there you are, you know, Tesla, big supporters of Tesla, the AI revolution, etc., etc., etc. I'd put them up against Morgan Stanley any day of the week. I mean, if I was going to open an account with a big, big tech firm, Google proposes fresh changes to search results to comply with the EU's new antitrust rules. I see there's a lot of whining and complaining about some of the new regulations that are being proposed by the EU, especially in the AI space. A lot of companies not happy saying it's going to tie their hands. Because of the strict regulations. I just wanted to say something. I have a personal story here about Google searches. I have a little battery issue with my boat. I go out there and I have a charger. I plug it into shore power and all this and that. And I go out there and the batteries are dead. All four of them. It's pretty maddening. It's pretty aggravating. trying to troubleshoot it and figure it out. And I looked at a Google search. You kind of need someone to come to your home. It's very hard. You've got to take your boat out of the water. That's a couple grand, Barry. Breakout, not another thousand. Boat is breakout another thousand, B-O-A-T. And it's a couple thousand just to have it halt. So I Googled this Google search, 151 five-star reviews. Now I have to question those reviews. Who's writing those? Is anybody authenticating those reviews? I mean, in theory, you could have some club or whoever, a bunch of your friends at church write a bunch of posits. So I said, well, okay, that sounds pretty good. They ought to be able to handle this job. I mean, it's not that complicated. They were the worst. They were a nightmare. Totally scary. I said, how can you have 150 five-star reviews? Am I the only guy that you screwed up so badly? I'm just saying, take those reviews with a grain of salt. Now, when you get into Yelp, I think Yelp's a little more honest on restaurant reviews, but the Google reviews, I think you have to really... And they know how... I'm not saying these guys do that, but they know how to manipulate the search, right? So their name comes up. As the top boat repair firm in our neck of the woods. So, anyways.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, they paid for that title and maybe the reviews.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I mean, they were scary bad. I would be afraid to get in my boat if I continued to have them working on it. It was just a nightmare. All right. Robin Hood. Tokenized stocks. What do Robinhood's tokenized stocks mean for the industry? They're at it again at Robinhood, looking to transform another part of the financial world. The rise of stock tokenization and the tokenization of other underlying assets has sent the company's shares on a blistering rally. climbing 18% over the last three sessions. SEC Chair Paul Atkins is hailing tokenization as an innovation and vowing to put an end to regulation through enforcement by making clearer rules. Well, Robinhood, you know, their initial success was the introduction of commission-free trading. I would say they're probably the number one hold it in your hand on your iPhone trading platform. uh... when robin hood went to zero all the competitors had to go to zero they've got the fractional share trading uh... yeah give me a half a share of booking and uh... a little bit of uh... price or a little bit of uh... decker's on the side uh... whole hold the johnson and johnson please the success of fractional shares trading became one of the first mainstream brokerages to offer crypto trading also Robinhood has been a very successful stock. We got into it four days after the market bottomed. We've owned it in the past. Because it also has an unknown quantity that's hard to measure. popularity amongst, I would say, the Reddit crowd. Is that fair? The same ones that were buying GameStop. GameStop and Bed Bath & Beyond. Yeah, Robinhood is more of a real company, right? So this token, I haven't had to study this tokenization. You know, Vlad Tenev is the CFO, but it makes it easier to expand equity trading from a 24-hour, five-day-a-week schedule to a 24-7, as well as introduce DeFi aspects like collateralized lending, borrowing, swapping, staking, and self-custody Robinhood is using Arbitrum for now. It's planning on building a custom Ethereum-based L2 to power the tokenized stocks. This is getting above my pay grade here. It sounds a little suspect to me. You know, I remember the day when, in the early days of my career, I had clients that wanted the stock certificates, Barry, in their safe deposit box. I bet your dad could tell you some stories of, no, I want those certs. That went away a long time ago as it all became electronic. How do you know if you even own the shares without the certificates? I've also had people show up with a box of stock certificates that they inherited, right?
SPEAKER 07 :
And the EE savings bonds were the other ones that were always tricky.
SPEAKER 09 :
Now, those are worth something. But most of the stock certificates could be used as wallpaper. And they were always, they figured they had a lot of money because there was 100,000 shares. There was 10 certificates with 10,000 shares each. The problem is the shares were worth zero. Doesn't matter if you own a million shares. So anyways, Robinhood just ran tokens on SpaceX and OpenAI. There's been some drama. A little bit controversial there. Robinhood's actually down today. First day in a long time. It's down real quickly. Pull up Robinhood. It was down 3% or 4% last time I looked. My Internet's a little slow. I'll have that. Oh, it's down 5.3% today after hitting a new high yesterday. We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 04 :
You want to go and do what you want to do with it.
SPEAKER 09 :
And welcome back here to the final segment of today's Best Stocks Now show with professional money manager Bill Gunderson, president of Gunderson Capital Management. I'm here with Barry Cotter, chartered financial analyst. I was just looking at CrowdStrike. Look at that chart. That's a new all-time high on CrowdStrike, CRWD. It ain't cheap. But either is filet mignon.
SPEAKER 07 :
I wonder how much of their code is getting written by AI.
SPEAKER 09 :
You know, I don't care. They're going to make $4.70 in earnings next year. It's hitting a new high, Wedbush. And it's one of our largest holdings. I think it's the number one cybersecurity stock as far as stocks go when it comes to performance versus the other stocks out there. For a while, their Palo Alto Networks was kind of at the top of the heap. And, of course, Palantir and CrowdStrike are probably the two dominant companies. I saw today that Datadog, which I've looked at it in the past, and I still look at it. It got added to the S&P 500 today, which is a big feather in their cap. We'll see how Datadog, I know that's been a favorite at a lot of these firms out there. CrowdStrike's now a $127 billion company. Guess where they're headquartered? In the Silicon Valley of cattle country, Austin, Texas.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right, there we go.
SPEAKER 09 :
You tip your Stetson cowboy hat. I remember my father, who met all of the Marlboro men and had his picture. I have a picture somewhere. I need to put that on my office wall of my dad standing there with the Marlboro men. There was four different models there. They were real cowboys, too. They weren't actors from Hollywood. But I remember as a token of their appreciation, they sent my dad a Stetson hat.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, man.
SPEAKER 09 :
Those are those beautiful... I mean, they're not cheap. A real cowboy... You know, in Montana, on a cattle ranch, where's a Stetson on his horse? I look silly in one. My dad looks silly. He looked silly in a Stetson hat. It just doesn't fit some people. It doesn't fit everybody. But anyways, Austin, Texas, I'm sure there's a Stetson hat. And then the boots you wear are also very important. Those Toccova boots, you know, or whatever. Boots are the big ones of cattle ranchers these days. I don't know if they wear them at CrowdStrike. I doubt it very much. They show up in Waymo's, right, and get out. Nowadays, yeah, exactly. Totally different crowd. And hang out with the – they have lunch with the robots, you know, The humanoid robots.
SPEAKER 07 :
Self-driving horses, right?
SPEAKER 09 :
This Brazilian Embraer, they tallied a 30% increase in Q2 aircraft deliveries. They continue to hit on all cylinders. And Embraer is hitting a new all-time high today. That little stock's been good to us. Now, I haven't seen Wedbush mention Embraer. I don't know if they get into it. My best stocks now hold system is non-discriminatory. I mean, it doesn't focus. It's not heavily tilted in any one direction. It just happens to be that most of your premier growth stocks in today's world, most of your Wagyu beef is in the technology industry because that's where the growth is. And growth is one of the big factors in earnings today. Earnings growth is very important. It's hard to attain earnings growth in the waste disposal industry or in the big pharmaceutical industry. Once in a while, one comes along that does that. It just happens to be. But then you get, here's a little plane maker. that is hitting new all-time highs and we own that in that value, relative value portfolio, which I am really happy with and it's growing very rapidly as we put more and more money in it, more clients putting put in it. It's not a traditional value fund, which is absolute value. We're talking relative value growth at a reasonable price would probably be it's not like it's a totally new concept but i think it is uh to call it i've never seen a relative value etf or a relative value fund and i'm very happy with the performance so far uh and uh and it's a fun one i mean there's a lot of a lot of fun a lot of different things in there yeah It's kind of freewheeling. They come from small, mid, large cap stocks. Former high flyers like Chipotle, you know, it dipped down. And Chipotle is still a pretty good growth stock.
SPEAKER 07 :
Things you run into or find as you're going through and looking at possible things for premier growth, ultra growth, and emerging growth. And, you know, you come across other names that may not quite have that momentum piece but still have the valuation and that stuff. Yes.
SPEAKER 09 :
I find it to be the most lucrative shopping aisle right now with the most merchandise on the shelves. Because it can happen very quickly. They move onto that shelf, the clearance aisle. I mean, they're not that bad. It's not like they're on clearance like the stale bread and those things. They wheel out those carts in the back of the store. The old donuts. The old donuts at the front. But anyways, I find it to be a very fertile area to shop in these days. And, you know, any company could land on there at any given time because of the nature of the beast. So I'm very happy. And there's no rules that it has to pay a dividend. I think that may have been an issue. Although that's the most popular strategy from my perspective in the market today. There are more dividend achiever ETFs and mutual funds, rising dividend, people that consistently raise their dividend, people that have paid dividends for the last 27 years, missed a dividend. I just found that it's hard to find inefficiency in that area because it's so widely popular. It's so popular, everybody's doing it. And I think, you know, I was tying my hands a little bit, not to say that we haven't had some great stocks. Meta pays a dividend, okay? But you get into the insurance stocks and stuff like that.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's harder to separate because you've got so many people who are on those same names, so it's hard to, you know, they all seem to be more fully valued than others.
SPEAKER 09 :
It's hard to get alpha. That's the bottom line. It's hard to squeeze alpha out of that sector. Okay, BNP Paribas, they like FedEx. Now there's a typical, that's another one that's a very popular Wall Street stock. No thanks. All right, we're out of time. We're going to have a three-day weekend, get the fireworks ready. We can celebrate new, firework number one, new highs in the NASDAQ. Firework number two, new highs in the S&P 500. Firework number three, we'll be back on Monday. To set up an appointment, 855-611-BEST. To get a trial to everything we offer, GundersenCapital.com. GundersenCapital.com. Have a great day. Have a great Fourth of July, everybody.
SPEAKER 03 :
This show is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Bill Gunderson or clients of Gunderson Capital Management may have long or short positions in stocks mentioned during the show. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Gunderson Capital Management is a fee-based registered investment advisory firm. All accounts are held at Charles Schwab. Schwab is a member of SIPC and FINRA.
Welcome to the Kim Monson Show podcast. Kim Monson is your host. “Those Host of Worthies.” Co-founder of Liberty Toastmasters Brad Beck conveys his thoughts regarding Independence Day and “those host of worthies” regarding the men of our American Founding. Author Dennis Busch discusses what the lead-up was to the Civil War and Lincoln’s frustration with the inaction of his generals. Show sponsors Karen Gordey, owner of Radiant Painting and Lighting, and RE/MAX realtor Karen Levine share their thoughts about our Declaration. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Kim Monson Show airs on KLZ 560 AM every Monday thru Friday, 6-8 AM MST. You can listen to the live stream by going to www.klzradio.com
SPEAKER 07 :
It's the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 03 :
I find that it takes work to get your brain around these ideas, and it takes work to engage in these conversations.
SPEAKER 07 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 03 :
With what is happening down at the Statehouse, I used to think that it was above my pay grade to read the legislation, and it's not.
SPEAKER 07 :
Today's current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 03 :
I see big danger in as much as we will be giving an unelected bureaucrat the power to make rules about what we inject into our bodies.
SPEAKER 07 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 03 :
Indeed, and welcome to the Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You're treasured, you're valued, you have purpose. Today, strive for excellence, take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment in history, and I am so grateful for the people I work with. That's Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, and all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. The show comes to you because of our great sponsors, and thank you to Laramie Energy and Karis Oil & Gas for their gold sponsorship of the show. It is reliable, efficient, affordable, and abundant energy sources that powers our lives and fuels our hopes and dreams. We are pre-recording these shows for Independence Day week. I've decided it's a week and not just a day, and with very special guests. And in studio with me is Dennis Bush. Dennis Bush, welcome. It's great to have you here.
SPEAKER 05 :
My pleasure.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, where should we start regarding the Battle of Gettysburg?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I always start usually when talking just history in general. And when teaching or speaking about history, I always make it a point to be as accurate and as factual as possible. History, though, is not an exact science. But then as we have painfully learned recently, science is not an exact science. The important thing about history is to learn from it, and you can't if it is embellished or distorted in any way. It has to be as factual as much as possible to ascertain what it was, the good, the bad, and even the ugly. Playing on an old Western fondant. Then and only then can we adjust to avoid past failures and mistakes and take full advantages of past successes. Revised or altered history does us all a great disservice. That's my commercial.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, you're absolutely right.
SPEAKER 05 :
There seems to be considerable discourse on what caused the Civil War or war between the states, depending upon what part of the country you're from. The actual cause or catalyst was the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, the first Republican. This precipitated the secession from the Union of 11 southern states over the next several months because they feared that the Republican Party would abolish slavery. which actually was the end result when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on 6 December 1865. But in 1861, the platform of the Republican Party went only so far as to stop the spread of slavery into the new Western states, which became Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. Imagine all of those as slave states. The Southern aristocracy, or the privileged class, believed that if slavery was not allowed to spread into the new states, it would die. They were probably right in that assessment, but their actions of secession precipitated the bloodiest war in American history. On paper, the war should have been over quickly because of the industrial preponderance and much greater population of the North. One of the primary reasons why it lasted so long was the fact that in the beginning, the South had better generals. Why was that? Well, probably heritage. Almost all the really big generals in the Civil War went to West Point. Both sides. So they were friends across the battlefield. Isn't that amazing? Yeah. But the tradition of the South was the chivalrous cavalry. I mean, that's why they were much better cavalry soldiers as well in the beginning, not at the end, but in the beginning of the war. And it's just probably the tradition of military background that these guys served. Yeah. The Union appointed most of its generals politically, and it took several years before they got rid of them. And good generals like Grant and Sherman and Sherrod and all the streets that are named in Denver, Logan.
SPEAKER 03 :
For now.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, yeah. Waiting for them to change those. But those are all the great Union generals are all those streets that come off Broadway. Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
question because this was really frustrating for Lincoln, those political generals. It was tough, wasn't it?
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yeah. He anguished over it because he knew he was not a professional soldier, but he actually was as good a soldier as anybody that was in the war. His secretary of war, Stanton, actually hated him in the beginning until he really began to realize that Lincoln was a genius. Because they thought he was just a country bump below them, right? Like kind of where I came from, yeah. And me too. But it just took time for these guys to develop. Grant was not even in the Army when the Civil War broke out. He'd been kind of cashiered as a drunk. And so he begged and was given a regiment of troops in Illinois, and then he worked his way on up through the western part of the war until – he's not even present in Gettysburg. Because Gettysburg was 1863. And Grant was – actually, at the same time, the city of – Grant was sieging the city of Vicksburg.
SPEAKER 03 :
Really?
SPEAKER 05 :
And they capitulated on the 3rd.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, when we were preparing for this, you said there was something else that was happening during that time.
SPEAKER 05 :
And so all of those great generals, Logan, Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, were in the West. And it took another year or so before they all migrated east. And that's when the war really turned.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. Well, and you said in your notes that on paper the war should have been over quickly, correct?
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yeah. You look at the industrial part of the country was in the north. The south was still very agrarian. Actually, slavery crippled them. in terms of as an economy because they were stuck in this, you know, archaic farming system and never developed. And this really hurt them during the war. They didn't have the industry. You know, you need industry to support a war. You've got to make cannons. You've got to make cannonballs. You've got to make bullets and rifles. And they never really had anything like the Union did.
SPEAKER 03 :
I hadn't really thought about it, that slavery had just crippled them. Oh, yeah. That's so interesting. So what's the next thing we need to know?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, fortunately, an army led by poor leadership going up against a much smaller army led to a brutal war, the deadliest our country has ever endured. And it pitted America. Many instances of brother against brother and father against son. It's sad, right? It is sad. Gettysburg is probably the most important battle in American history with the possible exception of Yorktown because its outcome would have such a drastic impact on America forever. Would we be one powerful nation or two dysfunctional ones? That was the question. The Battle of Gettysburg pitted the two major armies of that war, the Southern Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee, and against the Union's Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George Meade. And that's one of the misnumbers. Most people would think it was Grant. But like I said, Grant at that time was out west. It began as the Battle of Chancellorsville ended once more in Union defeat on 6 May 1863. Union General Joseph Hooker, the latest Union commander of that army, and yes, that's where that notorious name comes from. I don't know about the notorious name. What do you call prostitutes?
SPEAKER 03 :
Really?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. You could say he kind of ran a loose camp.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 05 :
I see. It's funny that that's true, but that's where it supposedly is derived. He was completely out-generaled by Lee in that battle.
SPEAKER 03 :
And if you study that battle— He wasn't paying attention to what he needed to.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, and they flanked him and just wiped him up. Okay. I can honestly say that Lee was one of the greatest generals this country has ever produced. And yet I can still despise the cause for which he fought. There is no doubt of his greatness as a military commander. I can only think of one contemporary and that would be Dwight Eisenhower. But it's a subject that I could debate for hours.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hours. But somebody would need to know what they're talking about if they were going to debate you on that. Well, maybe not.
SPEAKER 05 :
Anyway, the leadership of the Confederacy knew that the South could not win a protracted war. And so they decided to capitalize on the demoralizing victory over its foe. They strategized to end the war as quickly as possible by sending the Army of Northern Virginia on its second invasion of the North. Its intended mission was to capture Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the capital of that state, and or Philadelphia. There was also an alternate strategy to lure the Union Army of the Potomac into a battle, defeat it once more, and then march on Washington. That would force the end of the war.
SPEAKER 03 :
So that was their plan.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. So it was a strategy for all the marbles. And Lee carried with him a letter that basically asked the Union to end the war. And that he was going to deliver it personally to Lincoln. That was the end game of this invasion. Wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow. Well, I think this is a spot that would be a good place for a break. And so let's do that. And I get to work with amazing sponsors of the show. I know them all personally, and they all strive for excellence. I have on the line with me Karen Gorday. She is an entrepreneur and business owner. She owns Radiant Painting and Lighting. And we are prerecording these interviews for Independence Week. Karen, welcome to the show. Thank you, Kim. Glad to be here. And wanted to get your thoughts about the Declaration of Independence, of course, was signed on July 4, 1776. But you're going to be right there on July 4th, yes?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, I am in the Washington, D.C. area through the 6th and then headed down to Williamsburg for a few days.
SPEAKER 03 :
And there was a lot happening 250 years ago, at this time in 1775. And, of course, next year we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Karen, what's your thoughts about our declaration?
SPEAKER 04 :
I think it's absolutely amazing, and I'm really glad we did it, or they did it, 249 years ago.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and I think that what Jefferson wrote, that we are all created equal with these rights from God of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. And I had Brad Beck on with Liberty Toastmasters recently. He said Calvin Coolidge had said, I think on the 150th anniversary of the Declaration, if all men are created equal, and he meant men and women, if we're all created equal, then that is final. And government should not be coming in picking winners and losers because if we're created equal, that is final. I think that that's so powerful, Karen Gorday.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely it is. I think you say it best. You can't have equal rights if you have special rights. And that goes to the founding principles of our country.
SPEAKER 03 :
And for government, government is supposed to be impartial at the Supreme Court. Lady Justice has a blindfold. And so that means the government is not supposed to be picking winners and losers. It's not supposed to be putting forth a specific agenda, which right here on the local level, What you're watching with what's happening with this push in Lakewood regarding zoning and the rewrite on the zoning and really, I'll say forcing. It's one of those force words by using public policy to pick winners and losers, get a specific outcome. That's not the way it's supposed to be. And you realize that right there on the local level there in Lakewood.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely. I think that's what a lot of people don't realize is the local level is so important because everything starts at the city level and works its way up to the federal level. And so it's very, very important to watch what's going on at the city level, the school board level, all of the local level is important. you know, really, really important to our way of life.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and when I was on city council, I came to the realization because people say, oh, government should be local. And I see many times that special interests or politicians or bureaucrats may be pushing agendas that will pick winners and losers. And if it's not okay for government at the federal level to pick winners and losers, it's not okay for government to do that at the local level either. And that's why we have to keep an eye on it. And that's, again, why it's so great the work that you're doing regarding watching this whole rezoning thing out in Lakewood. We've got a little over a minute left. We're pre-recording this, but you will be back in Virginia and Washington, D.C. area, which is that's where everything was happening with our Declaration of Independence, of course, in Philadelphia as well. What's your final thought that you would like to leave with our listeners, Karen Gorday? And also, let's make sure we get in there, your website, before you give us your thoughts on that.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely. I think the final message would be that we really need to protect our rights, our freedom, etc. We can't let go of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence. We really need to guard that well. And our website is www.paintwithradiant.com. Or you can call us at 720-940-3887.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, have a great trip and enjoy Williamsburg. That's going to be super awesome. And we will talk with you next week and wish you and yours a very blessed Fourth of July and Independence Day.
SPEAKER 09 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter, and you can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com as well. This week of Independence Day week, we are pre-recording these shows with great guests. And actually, I interviewed Dennis Bush because he has a book that is being released this week of Independence Day week regarding Omaha Beach, the real heroes of Omaha Beach. I can't wait to get that book published. And you said it's part of a trilogy, so we'll just tease that just a little. Book one of a trilogy. But then, as we were talking, he said that he'd studied the Civil War for many, many years, and the Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1 to July 3 in 1863. I said, how about let's record something on Gettysburg, and so that's what we're doing. So you had said, before we went to break, that the... The Confederate Army had a strategy. They were going to do these different attacks. And that Lee actually had a letter of surrender that he wanted to personally give to Lincoln. So what's going on at this time?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, they're going north and they're going after and getting deep into Pennsylvania. And basically that was to try and lower the Union Army up to try to stop them. But before we get into the battle, there are two very important factors that must be taken into account. The first was that the Union Army, licking its wounds again after Chancellorsville, was slow to respond to Lee's bold and run. Upon learning this, Lincoln had enough and fired him and replaced Hooker with General Gordon Meade, the V or V Corps commander. So the Union Army would have a new commander going into this major battle. And he had no idea as to where his enemy was when he took command of the seven infantry and one cavalry corps consisting of around 100,000 men. Oh my gosh. Yeah. The other factor was that Lee's most trusted and capable subordinate, General Thomas Stonewall Jackson, had been wounded in the hand and arm in the aftermath of Chancellorsville by friendly fire. Yeah, his own men shot him. Not on purpose? No, he was out reconnoitering and they, you know, thought it was Union guys. Today he would most likely have survived his wounds. But not in 1863, when medicine was still in the Stone Ages.
SPEAKER 03 :
So it was probably infection?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, he died four days later on 10 May from amputation complications that led to pneumonia. So pneumonia actually killed him. It prompted Lee to say before his death, Jackson may have lost his left hand, but I have lost my right hand. prophetic. The great loss of leadership led Lee to reorganize the structure of his 72,000-man army going into the battle, which is never a good thing. He divided his two large infantry corps into three, commanded by Lieutenant General James Longstreet, 1st Corps, and he was the holdover, and Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell, that was 2nd Corps, and Lieutenant General A.P. Hill, 3rd Corps. Both generals, Ewell and Hill, who had formerly reported to Jackson as division commanders, were now corps commanders. So both armies went into their most critical battle with major upheaval and questions in leadership. And it did have a major impact on the outcome. How so? We'll see. Okay. I'll tell you as we go. To make matters worse for Lee was the fact that the Confederate Cavalry Corps, led by the dashing Major General Jeb Stuart, went off on its own to wreak havoc and get headlines in the rear. As such, he left Lee blind as to the whereabouts of the Union Army. When they were finally located in hot pursuit, Lee was vulnerable of being defeated piecemeal. His army was strung out between Chambersburg, which was 28 miles due west of Gettysburg, and Harrisburg, which is 30 miles north-northeast of Gettysburg. So you can imagine his entire army is in that area. But that just opens them up for being defeated in pieces. And so that was not a good thing. It follows, so Lee commanded his forces, once he found where the Union was in pursuit, to consolidate on a town in southern Pennsylvania, a strategic town of the many roads leading in and because of all the roads leading in and out, and it was Gettysburg. He hoped he could consolidate his army there before the Yankees got there. It was a race. At any rate, the place for the battle had been determined. Now it was just a matter of time.
SPEAKER 03 :
So I imagine then the Union scouts are probably watching this. They know where he's at then? Yes? No?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, that's next. I'll tell you how they come to me. It's kind of interesting. The first Confederate troops to arrive was Heath Division of Third Corps on 1 July 1863, who was actually headed for Gettysburg anyway because there was a shoe factory there. Most of the poorly equipped Confederate soldiers were barefoot.
SPEAKER 03 :
I can't even imagine.
SPEAKER 05 :
Their uniforms were in tatters.
SPEAKER 03 :
But that's kind of like Washington at— Valley Forge, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
But anyway, he expected— At least this was summer. It was cold during— Yeah, that's one to my advantage. Actually, it was hot. He expected to find the town defenseless, but ran into a Union cavalry division under Brigadier General John Buford, who was scouting to locate the Confederate Army. Though greatly outnumbered, the dismounted Union cavalry made a good accounting of themselves, holding Heath's men at bay until two corps of Union infantry arrived at Gettysburg later in the afternoon.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. So it begins just very small forces.
SPEAKER 05 :
Sporadically, yes, because both armies are trying to get to this point, and as they join the battle, it sways back and forth in its first day because first you've got a division of Union cavalry holding off an infantry division, which is much larger. And then they get a corps to support them, and then the Confederacy gets a corps to support them. And by then, two large Confederate corps also joined the fray from the north and northwest. An intense battle commenced, consisting of 22,000 Union troops versus 27,000 Confederates. Now remember, the Army of the Potomac, the Union Army, is 100,000. So the rest of these guys are strung out to the south trying to get to Gettysburg. 27,000 Confederates when their army was 72,000. So they're not consolidated. This actually started off as a small battle that just got bigger and bigger and bigger as the day wore on. It was very unusual for the rebels to outnumber their enemy. They were used to being outnumbered. In this case, they were not, and it made a difference.
SPEAKER 03 :
So where is Lee at this time?
SPEAKER 05 :
He is still back. He has not gotten to the battlefield yet. And he is trying to move the logistics to get the people to the battlefront. He does get to Gettysburg on day one. Meade does not. He doesn't come until almost midnight. But anyway... The Confederate troops prevailed and forced the Union soldiers to retreat back through Gettysburg, but fortuitously up onto a ridge of hills to the southeast of town. So ended the first day of battle, the Confederacy having whipped their enemy once again, but they failed to rout them. undoubtedly because of the timid leadership of General Huell, one of the new Corps commanders, right? Stonewall undoubtedly would have continued to press the attack and probably would have succeeded in pushing the Yankees off the high ground. At that time, their hold there was tenuous at best. If that had happened, then the inevitable battle certainly would have been fought elsewhere and might have turned out quite differently.
SPEAKER 03 :
So, Dennis, as a layperson, I've got to think that, as you say, Jackson would have realized that it's so difficult to take high ground and so would have pushed them on off of there. Why don't you think that they did that?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, he was new to command, and he had won a victory. I mean, they pushed the Yankees out of the town. And, frankly, he got cold feet. I mean, this is one of the real contentious issues coming from the battle from a military strategy point, is why didn't Ewell take the high ground when he could have?
SPEAKER 03 :
Right.
SPEAKER 05 :
Okay. And see, the high ground is critical in those days.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right.
SPEAKER 05 :
It still is. It still is, yeah. But the high ground today is an aircraft. Right. Okay. It eliminates the ground itself. But these were high hills that to attack, you would need a three-to-one advantage. Right. If you were really going to be successful, then they were under-advantaged. I mean, they were 72,000 against 100,000 when the day ended. So this was really a tough, tough, tough challenge for the Confederacy.
SPEAKER 03 :
Gosh, this is absolutely fascinating. We've got a couple of minutes left in this segment, or we can go to break and then come back. What do you think?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I've got one more little short bit here to finish the day. As night fell, the remnants of the Union forces were entrenched overlooking the Confederate Army. Meade arrived late that night at several other corps of his army. He made the decision to go on the defensive and dig in. So Lee would have to shove them off the heights. By morning, a very strong Union line of seven infantry corps comprised a fishhook-like formation linking Culp's Hill to Cemetery Hill to Cemetery Ridge and terminating just north of Little Round Top. The Union Army owned the high ground, except for two hills on the southern flank.
SPEAKER 03 :
But that probably wouldn't matter that much, would it?
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, they did.
SPEAKER 03 :
It did. Okay. This is so fascinating. And we're pre-recording these shows for Independence Day week. Take a look at the Center for American Values website. They're doing such great work honoring our Medal of Honor recipients, putting together educational programs. Their On Value series is just great. And check all that out. A good thing to do this week during Independence Day week, that website is AmericanValuesCenter.org. That's AmericanValuesCenter.org. And we have wonderful sponsors, and one of those is Karen Levine.
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. And they have five locations, Loveland, Aurora, Lone Tree, Westminster, and Colorado Springs. Great specials to get together with friends Monday through Friday. Or you could do some takeout wings during Independence Day week. So just check all that out. They have great wings. And, again, that is Hooters Restaurants. In studio with me is Dennis Bush. And he's an author, obviously. He's also a veteran, United States Air Force. Served during the Vietnam War. So thank you for my freedom. I really appreciate it.
SPEAKER 05 :
No. In the end, it was all for nothing.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, that's why we are battling in this battle. Well, the Vietnam War, yeah.
SPEAKER 05 :
I lost 19 friends. I mean, when you go to the military academy, you're going to have a lot of casualties. I can't imagine how many of my contemporaries at West Point died in that war. Probably three or four times that.
SPEAKER 03 :
We were talking during the break. These are people's husbands and sons and brothers. We have to realize if we are going to put our blood and treasure on the line, we need to make sure that we're in it to win it and not be messing around. Okay, let's get back to the Civil War, Battle of Gettysburg, Day 2 and 3. So what happens on Day 2?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, on the morning of the 2nd of July, two powerful armies faced one another, patiently waiting for the other to either flinch or take the initiative. Longstreet, General Longstreet, who was one of Lee's key subordinates, met up with Lee and expressed his opinion that the right tactics to employ would be to move their entire army around the Union left flank and find a suitable defensive position that was between the Union army and Washington, D.C. Then Meade would be forced to attack them as they were forced at Fredericksburg. and more than likely with similar results. That would effectively end the war. But Lee was aghast and said that the Union army was there and he would attack them there, unless they were foolish enough to attack him, which they weren't. In hindsight, Lee was clearly wrong in this decision and should have listened to his defensive master strategist. In his defense, it was the first battle without his primary tactician, Stonewall, and we can debate all evening what his suggestion would have been. Lee's plan was to launch a two-pronged assault on the Union flanks, the ends of the line, an attack from the side or the rear. The experienced divisions of General John Bell Hood and Lafayette McClaws of Longstreet's Corps, followed by Major General Richard Anderson's division of Hill's Corps, was to lead the attack on the left flank of the Union lines. On the Union right, General Ewell's 2nd Corps was to attack Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill when he heard gunfire from Longstreet's assault. The attack did not start until late in the afternoon, as it took way too much time for Hood and McClaws to get into position. They were probably stalling, as both saw that the daunting attack they were ordered to make would be... When they finally did engage, it was hell on earth. The individual battles all across their lines became infamous on their own. The Peach Orchard, the Wheat Field, the Devil's Den, and Little Round Top, and one of that hills that I mentioned earlier. They were all notable for their sheer brutality and horrendous casualties suffered by both sides, including the irreplaceable General Hood. At the end of the day, the Union left was pushed back a few yards, but it did not waver and held firm. As a matter of fact, their lines were extended to now include Little Round Top, a hill. On the right flank, Yule did very little as he misunderstood Lee's orders and so believed that his primary mission was to create a feint, a false attack, a faux attack.
SPEAKER 03 :
How could he get that wrong?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, let me explain that. To prevent Meade from shifting troops from his right flank to his left flank. That's what he thought he was supposed to do. See, Lee's leadership style was unlike a demonstrative general like Patton. No, he was very low-key and made suggestions rather than direct orders. But subordinates should make no mistake, they were orders. Lee told Ewell to press the attack if practicable, when what he meant was to press the attack with the full weight of his forces. So Ewell just, again, not working with Lee. Didn't understand it. Did not understand the style of leadership that Lee exemplified. I love that style because it's such much more effective than autocratic style. But anyway, the second day ended with both sides licking their wounds, and each army was virtually in the same position as they were at the start of the day.
SPEAKER 03 :
But lots of dead and wounded.
SPEAKER 05 :
Lots of dead.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. Okay, day three.
SPEAKER 05 :
Two days of intense fighting had not only resulted in significant casualties on both sides, Longstreet again approached Lee, suggesting his plan to move around the Union left flank was still available. And, of course, the Confederate Army had the advantage. But Lee once again rebuffed his subordinate and proceeded to reveal his own plan to his most trusted general. Now that Jackson was dead. It was based on the fact that Pickett's division of Longstreet's Corps had arrived late on the second day and thus was fresh and unbloodied. They were to attack the Union Center, netmarked by the infamous Copse of Trees, which is a small grove. Also included in this bold assault and to the strength of the enemy lines were six brigades from Pettigrew's and Trimble's Division of Hill's Corps. In total, some 12,000 men made this assault. Though most of three divisions comprised the attack, it was forever labeled Pickett's Charge, an epithet that dogged the man for the rest of his life. He was blamed for the failure at Gettysburg in the South.
SPEAKER 03 :
Gosh, Dennis. So Lee has a reputation as a great general, but it seems to me like that didn't make sense. And it seems to me like it would have made sense to get in between the Union Army and Washington, D.C.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes, it did. But the thing was... Stonewall was the tactician. Lee was the commander. Just like Eisenhower was the commander and he had great subordinates who were the attackers. And there's a difference in the type of general that you have at the top and at the next level. That's really what it boils down to.
SPEAKER 03 :
And because because Jackson was gone, Lee didn't he leaned on him. And so when this other general comes in and recommends it, of course, they're probably there's a lot going on in Lee's brain at that time. Yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I think he was tired of the death and he wanted to end the war. And he thought that his strategy would do that. He believed in his army because they had won virtually every battle in the East. Okay. And he just believed so much that his men could do the impossible that that's what he asked them to do.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. So that's day three.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is day three. This is the great charge. The assault was to be prefaced by fire from something like 160 cannons. Okay. the largest bombardment ever on North American soil. In spite of all that, Longstreet was so convinced that the attack across almost a mile of open fields would fail that he could not even give Pickett the order to charge. He simply nodded. In the end, he was right. The Confederate troops were valiant and advanced under intense Union cannon fire, and once they got closer, intense rifle fire. At one point, they even buckled the Union line, but Meade poured in reinforcements and retook the ground given. This moment was later labeled the high mark of the Confederacy. It was devastating as nearly half of the rebels were unable to make it back to their lines. As the wreckage of three divisions retreated, Lee approached General Pickett and said, General Pickett, sir, see to your division. The totally demortalized commander responded with a heavy Virginia accent. General Lee, I have no division. That, in essence, summed up the results of the Battle of Gettysburg. The next day, Lee led his tattered, demoralized, and crippled army back across the Potomac. General Meade elected to hold his position and let the rebels retreat successfully. He therefore forfeited an enormous opportunity. He had Lee's army on the wrong side of the Potomac and on the move. If he had pursued and attacked his beaten foe, the war might have ended on that date. But he didn't, and the war went on for two more bloody years. When Lincoln heard the news, he was beside himself. So during the battle, both sides had an opportunity to end the war, and both failed to do what was necessary.
SPEAKER 03 :
Do you think that Lincoln was beside himself because he recognized that opportunity was lost? Oh, yeah. He just went off.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, this is, you know, like I said, he spent most of his time down at the Department of War because they had telegraph. The most common communication back then was telegraph. And he could listen to the messages coming in and keep abreast of it. And this is where Stanton really began to realize how smart Lincoln was because he understood better than a lot of the generals what they needed to do.
SPEAKER 03 :
That is so fascinating. Dennis Bush, thank you for sharing this with us. And again, we are pre-recording these shows because it is Independence Day week. And the Battle of Gettysburg, though, was fought July 1 through July 3, 1863. We get to do this because of our sponsors.
SPEAKER 10 :
We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 16 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. And you can email me at Kim at Kim Monson dot com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you shouldn't have to force people to do it. We are pre-recording for this week. A very special guest in studio with me right now is Dennis Bush. He is the author of a book that is being released this Independence Day week, and that is The Real Heroes of Omaha Beach. I can't wait to get the book. I can't either. But we're talking about the Battle of Gettysburg that was fought during the Civil War, July 1 through July 3, 1863. Lee knows he is defeated, demoralized. So what happens in the aftermath?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, the toll of the battle is appalling. The Union casualties numbered over 23,000. 3,155 were killed outright, 14,531 were wounded, and 5,369 were captured or missing. The Confederate casualties are not as well documented. The best estimate is also just over 23,000 casualties, 4,708 dead, 12,693 wounded, and 5,830 captured or missing. Perhaps worse, nearly a third of Lee's general officers were killed, wounded, or captured. This amounts to the bloodiest three days in American history. It sounds horrendous, but it was actually much worse. Though estimates are undocumented, perhaps half or more of the 27,000 wounded probably succumbed within the next few weeks because of the lack of medical knowledge back then. Of those who didn't die, a great many of them were maimed for life with the loss of at least one limb. So the most effective weapon of the battle was the surgeon's bloody saws. But that is the true cost of liberty. Lost in most statistics was the cost in horses, as almost 5,000 were killed during the course of the battle. It has been estimated that for every soldier, 200 horses were required to support them. Equipment, food, you know, there were large wagon trains that followed every army. And it took lots of horses. And it's an interesting study about what happened to the horses. But the aftermath here, let's go. On the afternoon of 19 November, 1863, a ceremony was held in Gettysburg to commemorate the military cemetery there. The principal speaker was Edward Everett, who droned on for two hours. Lincoln, who was invited to attend the ceremony almost as an afterthought, then rose to deliver the requested short remarks. It was over so fast that most in attendance didn't even hear his words. Lincoln thought that his speech was a total failure. It was days later, and after his speech was widely publicized, that he and the rest of the world realized the greatness of his short remarks. Short, succinct, to the salient point, and from the heart of a nation in parallel. Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who have here gave their lives that the nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate We cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. it is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced it is rather for us to be to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to the cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion. that we here highly resolve that these dead men shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Those words mean and apply as much now as they did in 1863. Vote. Now, the battle has been documented by literally thousands of books. Unfortunately, most of them are not very well written. But there are some great authors who are worth reading about Gettysburg. Their names are Bruce Catton, Shelby Foote, and Michael Schera. In addition, there are two great movies you might get hold of and watch. The best is titled Gettysburg, made in 1993, and you can find it online. It was panned by film critics, but what do they know about history? It is an accurate adaptation of Michael Shera's masterpiece, Killer Angels. I also strongly recommend Glory. This star-studded production released in 1989 tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, one of the first African American units to serve in the Union Army. I read somewhere that nearly 150,000 African Americans served in the Union Army, most of them former slaves. If you happen to find yourself in the middle of Pennsylvania, dedicate an entire day to visit the battlefield. You will find it well worth your time. The Park Service has done a marvelous job of preserving and presenting the battle as they have most of the others. When you are there, you can literally feel the souls of the men who perished there. It is truly a sacred place.
SPEAKER 03 :
Dennis Bush, I totally agree. I've only been to Gettysburg once, and not enough time. I was driving from New York to Kansas City at the time. But to your point, you can feel it. You can feel it when you're there, and it does feel like sacred ground.
SPEAKER 05 :
But I recommend you read a bit about it before you go, because you're going to see this place called the Peach Orchard. Well, if you don't know that the Peach Orchard said you could walk from one end to the other and never step on the ground, but just the bodies of dead men.
SPEAKER 03 :
And again, this is husbands and sons and brothers and fathers on each of these wars. And what a battle. But the question ultimately was this vision of the Declaration. Are all men created equal? As Calvin Coolidge said, if all men are created equal, then that is final. And they really put their lives on the line to ask that question and to answer that question, Dennis Bush.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I think that misnomer is the term men. It actually is the species, not the sex. It includes women. Yes. It was never inferred in all this documentation that women were equal to men, but the fact of the matter is they were probably, even during the Revolutionary period, more powerful than the men.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, we've got a few minutes. How so? How would you say that?
SPEAKER 05 :
They ran it from the rear, behind, and in the back. But they were certainly—I mean, they were totally influential on there. If you really want to read about—I think it's Adam's wife— How much they were involved in everything. And they did it through their husbands because of the stigma of being female. But the fact of the matter is, you know, it's still true today. Women end up running everything.
SPEAKER 03 :
You heard it here first on the Kim Monson Show. Dennis, we have just a couple of minutes left, and let's do a teaser for our America's Veterans Story show that will be on Sunday the 7th regarding your book, The Real Heroes of Omaha Beach. I've been thinking about that interview, sharing some tidbits about that interview where you said there's 12 men that made a difference on that battle. I find it fascinating.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, actually, I started off to write, I wrote actually two screenplays, thinking that if I sold a book, I would sell a million. Or, you know, if I was good, I sold a million copies. If you make a good movie, you get 25 to 50 million people watching it. And I really was inspired to try to get the story of Omaha Beach to as many people as possible. It's part of our heritage. So anyway, after failing to find any opportunity to press forward with a screenplay, I decided to write, after my wife passed away, the book about Omaha Beach. Well, after I got up to 260-some pages, I mean 660-some pages, I realized that it was way too big, so I decided to break it into a trilogy. And the battle actually breaks in naturally into three parts. The eastern half of Omaha Beach, which was in command or under the responsibility of the 1st Infantry Division, which is book one. Book two is about the western half of Omaha Beach, which was under the command of the 29th Infantry Division. But fortuitously, also on that end of the beach were a battalion plus two companies of rangers. And they ended up making a huge difference in the battle. The third book is is about Pointe du Hoc, where three companies of Army Rangers assaulted 100-foot-high cliffs to take out six guns that could hit either Omaha or Utah beaches and any of the ships in the channel. And they sent these guys up to make sure they were taken out.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's remarkable. And so the first book is out now, and people can buy it where?
SPEAKER 05 :
Just go on Amazon.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, and that's the real heroes of Omaha Beach. Dennis Bush, thank you so much. This has been so fascinating about the Battle of Gettysburg. You're welcome. Thank you. Our quote for the end of the show, I went to Robert E. Lee. He said this. He said, a nation which does not remember what it was yesterday does not know where it is today. So my friends today, be grateful. Read great books. Think good thoughts. Listen to beautiful music. Communicate and listen well. Live honestly and authentically. Strive for high ideals. And like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 14 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 03 :
I find that it takes work to get your brain around these ideas, and it takes work to engage in these conversations. With what is happening down at the Statehouse, I used to think that it was above my pay grade to read the legislation, and it's not.
SPEAKER 07 :
Today's Current Opinions and Ideas.
SPEAKER 03 :
I see big danger in as much as we will be giving an unelected bureaucrat the power to make rules about what we inject into our bodies.
SPEAKER 07 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome to our number two of the Kim Monson Show. Thank you so much for joining us. You're each treasured. You're valued. You have purpose. Today, strive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment. And thank you to the team. That's Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie. And all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting, I so appreciate them. We are pre-recording for this week of the 4th of July with a very special guest. And so excited to have in studio with me Brad Beck. You know him. He's a regular guest on the show. He writes great essays for the Kim Monson Show. And he also guest hosts sometimes. And you're just becoming a real pro, Brad Beck.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I have a face for radio, so I love doing it. And it's always a privilege to be in studio with you, Kim.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it's great to have you here. And so we're talking about big ideas this week. Two things. Independence Day, obviously. Also, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1 through July 3. So these are some big, pivotal times in our country. And I wanted to talk about Independence Day. And you've written a really excellent essay. So let's jump into it.
SPEAKER 08 :
Happy to do so. One of my favorite weeks of all the year, not just because you get off of work and you grill and do all the things of gatherings and getting together with friends and family, but I love reading the Declaration of Independence. And more importantly, I'm fortunate enough to listen to a CD that I have from many years ago. In 2010, I had the privilege of listening to Dr. John Ridpath's who was an incredible objectivist speaker, but more importantly, he was a student of American history. And every time I listened to him on audio or in live on 2010 when I got to see him at the leadership program at the Rockies retreat, I was just amazed at the caliber of his knowledge, his passion, his understanding about the American idea. and freedom, and using reason as the reason why we have these big ideas. So I listened to the Independence Day America Saga. It's a CD. Hard to find. I looked around just because your audience might be interested in looking for it. There are other things on the Ayn Rand store that people can find about Virginia and Virginians, and I believe they've got another series on individualism that he recorded. Okay. What is the name of it again? So the Ayn Rand Institute store has lots of audio recordings that you can purchase. I've got the one that is Independence Day, America's Saga. Okay. And it starts off with Jefferson on a hot, humid day, but not as bad as it had been. Walking out to pay for a instrument that he got because he was always curious and always getting these various instruments from around the world, usually England or France. And he went down to pay for it. And the story of what the day looked like on July 4th. And you sit there and you listen, you imagine. If you've ever been to Philadelphia, you can see the cobblestone streets. You can feel the atmosphere. And it's just a sense of building a story about what life was like in that time at that particular city with what he calls those hosts of worthies. Wow. I just got chills. Yeah. I mean, it's just and when he says that he chokes up and you feel his emotion come through that audio. So I always find it. I look forward to listening to it again and getting a chance to actually read the document. It's not long. And yet I'm always finding some other nuance when I read the declaration. It is the mind of man. at its very height. And the original version with the longest segment, which was taken out probably by Franklin and Adams and others that were in the Committee of Style putting it together, which was all about slavery. And unfortunately, it wasn't addressed at that original time. But go back and look at the original Declaration of Independence penned by Thomas Jefferson, and it is just fabulous.
SPEAKER 03 :
What did he say about Slytherin?
SPEAKER 08 :
of bringing these people from Africa enslaved and then the King George basically condoning it. And this was just a wrong that they recognized, even though many of the founders had slaves themselves.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I have heard that there, and I use this for the word of the day, that Jefferson said it was foisted upon us. Had you heard that at all?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, so you've got to imagine our friend Tom Cranwetter would say, you know, little George Washington, little Thomas Jefferson, little, you know, John Adams. They lived at a time where it was common not only in this country but around the world. Slavery was everywhere. Everywhere. And interesting side note, I just read a little piece on the Trail of Tears and the Five Nations, the Crow and the Cree and all the folks that left from the southeast and went across on foot. And that was force. It was all force during the time of Andrew Jackson. They had slaves. The American Indians had slaves as well on the Trail of Tears. I did not know that. Most people don't. So it's endemic in the human experience. It's always been with us. And the beautiful thing about America and what we should talk about is for the first time in human history, we talked about slavery. The equal, universal, natural rights of all men, meaning men of any color, of any stripe, of any background, just because they're not here in America, they still had those individual rights. And this country, those host of worthies recognize that. may not have lived it because we were we're still talking about a more perfect union we are in process the japanese called kazan which is continuous improvement it's something that we we need to remember and so this idea this high idea of individual rights is so important and so unique that you actually see You know how they talked about climate change and the hockey stick? Well, that's false. But the real hockey stick was the advancement of human understanding, using reason, using the source of their wealth, which is their mind, around the time of our founding in 1776. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall. Oh. You've been to Independence Hall. No. Oh, my goodness. I've never been to Philadelphia.
SPEAKER 03 :
I need to do it.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, my gosh. It is amazing, because if you're a student of history, either they have the actual buildings or a recreation, like Ben Franklin's house. It's not standing. But the courtyard and where the house was, and they have a replica out of iron, so you can see what it looked like, his printing house. businesses off the main street. You just get a sense of it. And there's a beautiful museum right there underneath. You walk down to Independence Hall, you walk to the house, they have a rendering of it that George Washington occupied during that time. Wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
And just to go to Independence Hall. I've got to do it. Last year, I got to go to Monticello and Montpelier in Virginia. It was just magical. It was just amazing. So I'm talking with Brad Beck. And we get to do this because we have amazing sponsors. And we are pre-recording our interviews this week for this show because of Independence Week. In studio with me right now is Karen Levine. You know her for everything residential real estate, to buy or sell a home or a new build. Karen, reflecting upon our founding, upon the Declaration of Independence, What's your thoughts about that?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, Kim, when you suggested that we would prerecord for Independence Week and the subject matter being the Declaration of Independence, I felt... sort of move to review the declaration. And I think it's helpful for myself and for listeners to remember why we celebrate July 4th and what happened on July 4th of 1776. And that was when it was announced that we were separating we, the 13 American colonies from Britain. from the British rule, and why were we doing that? It was a formal statement explaining why the colonies regarded themselves as independent sovereign states, no longer subject to British colonists' rule. The document, primarily drafted by Thomas Jefferson, outlies the philosophical underpinnings of individual rights and the purpose of government, asserting that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. And just revisiting that caused me to pause and think about the journey we have been on here at the Kim Monson Show, the journey we've been on in our lives, and some of those freedoms, some of those liberties that have been threatened by history and by things that have happened by those who are governing us and not respecting the governed. And the thing that gives me hope and provides some freedom is the ability to have homeownership. And so I feel honored that I get to help people continue to strive to achieve homeownership and have that freedom to create their own shelter and then develop generational wealth over time.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and owning your own home, property rights, the right to own your property, whether or not it's tangible or intangible, was a pretty radical idea that everyday people could do that. But when that happened, well, America happened, where everyday people... could create wealth and go after their hopes and dreams and come up with an idea and strive for excellence. And what happens? Well, America happens. At this particular point in time of reflection, America was founded because government got way too big for its I think there are some parallels now. And that's why we do the show is we're in a battle of ideas. And ideas are so powerful. And so your support of the show over all these years, then also to honor our veterans with America's Veterans Stories, is so greatly appreciated because this American idea is worth conserving, preserving, and passing on to the next generation.
SPEAKER 13 :
I would totally agree. And I And I had this thought, which was a reflection of what Lauren is sharing this week. And it just skipped right out of my brain. So with that said, I think we need to be reminded of the foundings of our fathers and why it was so important to break ties with British rule and taxation. And that's what I was going to say is Lauren being raised in the Boston area, you know, obviously got... kind of firsthand education of why the T went in the harbor. And I sometimes find myself reminding my friends, why did the T go in the harbor? And the fact that we have the ability to strive for excellence in America, and that we can do that with not overtaxing our citizens, but giving them freedoms to make choice in a marketplace that is more capitalistic.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, absolutely. And Karen Levine, if people want to check out buying, selling a home, new build, what's that phone number to reach you?
SPEAKER 13 :
Call me at 303-877-7516. Let's start the conversation, whether you're looking to sell a home, move up, start home ownership, or looking to invest in property along the front range. I hope I'm a good resource and available to answer questions for you.
SPEAKER 03 :
And that's Karen Levine for Everything Residential Real Estate.
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SPEAKER 01 :
Do you strive for excellence as you work with your clients and customers? Does it make sense for you to add a unique and focused branding opportunity to your marketing portfolio? Would you like to access a broad customer base that loves our country and wants to make life better for ourselves, our neighbors, our colleagues, our children and our grandchildren? Then you may be a perfect fit as a sponsor or partner of The Kim Monson Show. To learn more, reach out to Kim at kim at kimmonson.com. Kim would love to talk with you. Again, that's kim at kimmonson.com.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. And thank you to the Harris family for their gold sponsorship of the show. We are pre-recording for this week of the 4th of July and really pleased to have in studio with me my friend Brad Beck. And Brad, when we went to break, you'd mentioned that there had been something in the original declaration by Jefferson regarding slavery. You made the important point that slavery was prevalent throughout the world. At that time, it is here as well. When there are those that want to disparage the founders because they had slaves, they were trying to reconcile this as well, but they were working towards this ideal. But those that want to disparage the founders, I think they want to disparage the founders is what they want to do, because if they were really serious about slavery in America, they've got plenty they could do right now.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, several years ago, it used to be that you could go on two planes to a country and buy a human being. Now you can just go pretty much to any major city in America and buy a human being. It's called human trafficking, and it's everywhere, and it's in every state. And if you don't think it exists, your head's in the sand.
SPEAKER 03 :
There's 85,000 children that have come across that southern border, and the government doesn't know where they are. That is unconscionable.
SPEAKER 08 :
It is, and it was unconscionable then as well. But the founders knew that it would take time to persuade and using the faculties of reason and discussion and debate that eventually this horrendous institution would be absolved. In, I believe, 1800, Jefferson wrote that he would like this no longer to be an importation in this country. And so there was laws in 1800 to stop it. It didn't mean that there weren't still people trying to bring people in, but it continued for several years. And, of course, we had this... incredible battle of brother versus brother in the Civil War. And they tried to overcome it with various bills and legislation in the U.S. Senate and House and arguments and people going back and forth. Bringing in states free and slave. The problem that came in is the South considered people as human capital, as a way of life. And it was very difficult to leave that way of life. I think Jefferson is a perfect example. As brilliant as he was, he could have manumated, which is manumation is paying for the release of his slaves. And he didn't do it. And the question is why? And I don't know if we'll ever know that, but there's continuing research. I'm hopeful that one day we'll find something. You know, it's interesting. I just read yesterday that they found a catch of bottles in George Washington's basement. I think there was 35. And inside there's all kinds of fruit fermenting. And the people that put them there... I think 25 out of the 30-some-odd, 32, are in fully tact, and they have pulled out the seeds, the roots, the inner parts of cherries, and they're thinking, how do we replicate them to understand what the people at that time, that type of cherry? It's just fascinating. I mean, there's a lot of history out there that is still unfounded, is my point.
SPEAKER 03 :
There's probably none of those cherries because George Washington cut down the tree, right?
SPEAKER 08 :
But they probably made a wine or something, a fruit or who knows. But there's a lot still to be discovered. And through fixing up and restoring these historic places like Mount Vernon, We can find a world of information. This is why archaeology is so important. Because when an archaeologist is digging, it's not the object in situ where it is found. It is how it's relation to other objects that are found. There is information there. That's the sadness of when you have people grave digging around the world, pulling up treasures. The real treasure is the information, not the object. We put value on the object. So I think we need to put more value on our American founding. And that value is understanding the mind of man to use as reason to, for the first time in history... recognize individual rights. It had never happened before. And you ask yourself, why? And Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady of Great Britain, once said that Europe was founded on history and America was founded on philosophy. And that philosophy is the rights of the individual, property rights, physical property, intellectual property, the sovereignty of the individual. That is what is so unique about our nation. And so when I look at the United Nations as an example, we're not all equal. We hold each country up to this equality. But if a nation does not recognize equal natural rights, To me, they're beneath America. They're beneath the Western way of thinking. And that may be ethnocentric. I'll take it. There are people in countries that rule other people, as did popes and potentates and tribal chiefs forever. And people were beholden to them. And it was only when the opportunity to be free, to live free, to think free, to have the information to know how to pursue one's happiness, that things really started to change. And the founders read the ancients like Cicero and like Socrates and Aristotle. And so they knew what a republic was. They knew what a democracy was. They knew what a theocracy was. And I think they chose rightly a republic. It has democratic institutions, but we're not a democracy. And when I hear people talk about America, the democracy, or we're losing our democracy, no, we're losing our republic with democratic institutions. And those institutions have been usurped by, you name the flavor of, left-leaning philosophies. The progressives, the Antifas, the Black Lives Matter, they're all left-leaning institutions that have taken over our academic institutions. Our military, one of the most trusted institutions Americans forever have always believed in. I say that, I'll step back. The early Americans did not want a standing army because they knew what they could do. They could march across the country like they did in Europe. the American military has been trustworthy. I don't know if I can say that anymore.
SPEAKER 03 :
I don't know about that either. And we were talking before we went on the air about this new thing where young men ages 18 to 26 have to register for the draft. I'm very concerned about that. I don't quite understand why. And the other thing that's interesting is my understanding is it's not just citizens. It's any male residing in the country right now. This is a dangerous, dangerous thing to have happen, I think, Brad Beck.
SPEAKER 08 :
We are at a tipping point, obviously. May you live in interesting times, I think is an old Chinese saying, and we are. And I'm optimistic, but I'm also realistic. I have this hope for a better world, a better time. Otherwise, you know, you look at your kids and you go, really? I just don't know what to do. Or your grandchildren. The other side of it is I know the spirit of the American people. And most people want the best for their families, for themselves. They want to pursue their happiness in a way that is free without encumbering other people, without hurting other people. They want to be free. And the only way that we have innovation and creativity is through freedom. If we're constrained, there's no way we can do what we need to do. And you look at countries like North Korea, South Korea. The North Koreans, for the most part, unless you're part of the elite, are starving to death, always. I mean, they get the minimum. And you talk against the government, you're gone. Or you're put in a camp. So you look down at the other border, at South Korea, and it's a pretty free, democratic country. And you have to ask yourself, okay, why is that? What's the difference? What's the difference? Look at the lights at night. I mean, we've seen them. The maps. Yeah, the maps at night. Or you look at Hispaniola, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic in our hemisphere. And one's totally disforested. There's revolution. And... Amazingly, there's a big wall, a fence, between the left side of, which is probably appropriate, the left side of the island as opposed to the right side of the island. And they have trees. They have freedom. They have all the things that we have as a republic.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's such an important distinction. I'm talking with Brad Beck, and we have these important discussions because of our sponsors.
SPEAKER 11 :
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SPEAKER 02 :
Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty, wrote founding father John Adams. REMAX realtor Karen Levine has been working diligently at the local, county, state, and national levels to protect property rights and home ownership. Karen has navigated the often challenging Colorado metro real estate market for years. We'll see you next time.
SPEAKER 12 :
Focused and wise marketing is essential for your success, especially during tough economic times. If you love The Kim Monson Show, strive for excellence and understand the importance of engaging in the battle of ideas that is raging in America. Then talk with Kim about partnership, sponsorship opportunities. Email Kim at kimmonson.com. Kim focuses on creating relationships with individuals and businesses that are tops in their fields. So they are the trusted experts listeners turn to when looking for products or services. Kim personally endorses each of her sponsors. Again, reach out to Kim at KimMonson.com.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMonson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter, and you can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice, and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. We are pre-recording for this week of the 4th of July, and a great thing to do to honor This great country of ours is to make a contribution to the U.S. MC Memorial Foundation. They're raising money for the remodel of the Marine Memorial. And it is so important that we honor those that have given their lives or been willing to give their lives for our freedom. And a great way to do that would be to make a contribution to the USMC Memorial Foundation. And as I mentioned, we're pre-recording for this week. And in studio with me is Brad Beck. He's written a really beautiful piece, This Independence Day. But Brad, you mentioned this host of worthies and this idea that all men are created equal with these rights from God of life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. They didn't know what could happen, but you know what happened? The American middle class happened, where everyday people, where they're able to keep most of the fruits of their labor and keep their property, the things they think about, the things that they build with their hands. What could happen? Well, everyday people could have their own castle, their own homes, their own whatever. And so I think that's really unique about the American idea.
SPEAKER 08 :
What's even more incredible, Kim, is friends of ours who are from all around the world who came here legally, took lots of time and treasure. People from Cuba and Sweden and Mexico and you name it, China. who knew there was something different in the world, and they pursued it to pursue their happiness. And they came here pursuing freedom, the freedom to speak, the freedom to read, the freedom to vote, the freedom to build something for themselves. And they're the canaries in the coal mine. They see what's happening to this country, and they see, and I know many of them are warning us, Hey, guys, don't go down that path. I lived that experience. You don't want to go down there. And so we as citizens, citizenship has responsibility. And we have to quit saying, well, when I retire, when I have time, when the right issue comes up, find an issue that you're passionate about and think about. doing something writing a letter to an editor going and sitting in a town hall meeting i mean i know they're excruciating and a lot of times you won't understand things but those who have never been to a town hall meeting or a school board meeting and sitting in there's a childlike quality that they could ask the question you know i was sitting there as an audience member i've never been here before can you explain what that vote meant i mean that's powerful And then say, hey, you know, I'd like to know more. Can we have coffee? Can you explain it? I mean, not to find out things nefariously, but just to get their take on it. And any time I hear people talking about, well, we're here to help. The government's here to help. My antennas go up. I don't need the help, thank you very much. There may be people that do, and I think private enterprise can do a much better job than the government. Government's job is to protect rights, period. It's not to give us stuff, not to help us, not to make us necessarily in their mold, but they're there to protect the rights, to protect us from the criminals and from foreign invaders or potential invaders, and to adjudicate our differences. That's what the federal government is. Everything else should be at the local level where we have the opportunity to challenge the thought process and the legislation that is pending. Question for you.
SPEAKER 03 :
And that is regarding the local level. First of all, I've come to this aha. When we talk about local government. The first place we need to start is ourselves. We are the most local of all government. That's where we need to start. But there can be people that are tyrannous and local government could be the HOA. We've we've heard of that.
SPEAKER 18 :
I.
SPEAKER 03 :
believe that even though the the founders thought each of the colonies each of the states would be a petri dish and they could do different things that the lit this litmus test of our declaration of independence that all men are created equal with these rights from god of life liberty and pursuit of happiness any ordinance initiative piece of legislation has to go through that that litmus test before anything can be passed But that's not the case, that we have different states and counties do different things that are antithetical to that. But I really think that every government should have to have that as a litmus test. What do you think?
SPEAKER 08 :
I would agree. And I go back to Abraham Lincoln's philosophy. fragments on the Constitution where he talked about that apple of gold, the Declaration, and the Constitution, the frame of silver. And the frame of silver, the Constitution is Robert's Rules of Order. It's how you do it, but it takes its direction from the Declaration. In other words, all those things that our founders in Jefferson were talking about that the king did and all the usurpations, they were flipped into our Constitution because the Articles of Confederation were so loosely written. that there was no teeth in them and so you had this federalist anti-federalist back and forth and one of the things that really helped galvanize the union was this idea of the bill of rights because you would put in what the government could not do The problem with it is then you'd have to put in everything. And they didn't think that as we progressed over time that things would turn out the way they did. They use their reason and their faculties, but they also have mechanisms throughout, you know, Article 5 and, you know, doing different things to prevent the tyranny of the masses. I think local government should remember how they're formed. You know, it is there to live in a society that respects rights. We're sovereigns. We should be able to keep what we produce without being encumbered with more taxes that are unnecessary because somebody has a pet project or somebody wants to build a park or a pool for the greater good. Well, I say, OK, that's wonderful. Convince me. If you can convince me that it's worth me investing my labor, my time, my treasure into doing something for the benefit of others, I might contribute. But through the force of government, I'm going to push back. Do we really need, even at a local level, another library, another statue, another art in public places? No. Talk to me. Convince me. Convince my neighbors. And let's figure out a way to do it. Maybe we get sponsorship from a local entity, a business, or a not-for-profit, and we go forward there. It's a much better way of doing government.
SPEAKER 03 :
Lower taxes, lower taxes, and that's one of the reasons why I'm president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. And I'm a member. Yeah, and the group is doing amazing work. I wanted to just mention, I think you mentioned the Statue of Liberty. And what is written on it, many times those radical activists, extremists, have used those first words to tax us more, to take more and more of our stuff for those that would be less fortunate. But you need to read the whole thing. It says, give me your tired, your poor actions. Your huddled masses. And they stop there and they say, government should step in and do something about it. But you have to finish what it says. Yearning to breathe free. I think that's so important to recognize that.
SPEAKER 08 :
The idea of the American experiment is based on so many things, but assimilation and belief in those ideas. When you come to America legally... You are given a test to study, to understand our history, good, bad and indifferent. And we need to do it as Americans born here and not enough Americans know our history. It's funny, my daughter for Father's Day gave me a book on the American quizzes, you know, chapter going back to ancient Egypt to modern times. And there's a whole segment in there of the American founding and progressivism and on and on. And I'm reading some of these things, and I'm like, of course, I got that answer, and I got that answer. And then I come to one and go, gosh, I don't know that. I need to do some research on that. We all need to do more research. And instead of watching or been watching Netflix... Take a half an hour and study. Read a book. Read the Declaration. Yeah, read the Declaration, the Constitution, the Northwest Ordinance.
SPEAKER 03 :
I need to read that. But the Declaration, you're a co-founder of Liberty Toastmasters. Correct. And we have Liberty Toastmasters table topics once a month. And so I gave them as a subject the usurpations in the declaration. It was so good.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. Yeah. Well, we talk about those big ideas in Liberty Toastmasters. We theme our meetings around them. And I think it's important. People are afraid of having civil conversations and agree to disagree. That's okay. That's what our founders did. They went to taverns, drank their beverage of choice, and debated, discussed, argued. And then they came across different ideas, and they might have incorporated those different ideas to make things better for the society that they wanted to create. And they became better people by doing that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Brad Beck, this is so fascinating. And we get to have these discussions because of our sponsors. One of those is John Boson with Boson Law.
SPEAKER 17 :
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SPEAKER 06 :
All of Kim's sponsors are an inclusive partnership with Kim and are not affiliated with or in partnership with KLZ or Crawford Broadcasting. If you would like to support the work of The Kim Monson Show and grow your business, contact Kim at her website, kimmonson.com. That's kimmonson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 16 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Be sure and check out our website. That is KimMonson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. And you can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com as well. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice and we search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. If something's a good idea, you shouldn't have to force people to do it. That idea should be able to stand on its own merit. And I tell you, a great place of great ideas is the Center for American Values located on the beautiful Riverwalk in Pueblo, Colorado. I'd recommend that you go down there this week and celebrate and honor our Medal of Honor recipients and these great educational programs that they're doing. You can get more information by going to AmericanValuesCenter.org. That's AmericanValuesCenter.org. And we are pre-recording this week with special guests. One of those is Brad Beck. He's in studio with me. And you've written this really important piece regarding Independence Day, some of your traditions. I was thinking about, you mentioned Leadership Program of the Rockies. And I went through the program, graduated in 2012. And on the last day of the year, of the Leadership Program of the Rockies year, Bob Schaefer does the, I think it's the Thomas Paine speech, Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.
SPEAKER 07 :
Patrick Henry.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, Patrick Henry. That's right. Patrick Henry. Very good. And the year that I was in, we were meeting at a property meeting. over on Bellevue, which is a horse property. And the air conditioning was not working in the facility. And this was in June. It was hot. And you could hear the horses neighing. I think there were some roosters. And then Bob gave that Patrick Henry speech, give me liberty or give me death. And I thought, oh, my gosh, this is kind of like what it might have been like. And so powerful.
SPEAKER 08 :
If you can imagine, those people in Virginia at that time got out of the capital, Williamsburg, and went down to Richmond, where they probably thought that they weren't being listened to by government, kind of. apropos today dj vu all over again and they went to saint john's church and they listened to a variety of speeches but then they listened to patrick henry's speech on that day and there were people soldiers and citizens listening in the you know the windows were open because it was hot and They decided to open it up, and Patrick Henry gave his speech. It was pieced together from remembrance. We don't know the actual verbiage, but we're pretty sure of what he said. And so if you ever had a chance to listen to it, it's powerful. But he's basically talking about, are we going to live freely or are we going to live in chains? Are we going to live as men or are we going to be supinely on our back holding the phantom of hope? And after his speech, when he threw his hands up and brought one down and said, give me liberty or give me death, and one hand came like a dagger to his heart. And one of the soldiers outside the door exclaimed, bury me here. And he was because the speech was so powerful after this individual heard the story. And if you go to St. John's Church today, you can see that. without the amplification, people in the gallery listening. Bob did that speech, the Honorable Bob Schaefer did that speech again this year, turned off the microphone and did it beautifully. And you sit there and just go, we as Americans need to know these pieces of oratory and need to understand why they're important. Why should we read them? And then have a discussion with your family or your friends and say, what does that mean? And is it relevant today? Those are great conversations to have. Too often we're too busy talking about what's on social media. And, you know, all that's going to do is kind of corrupt your mind with so much junk. But there are powerful words and powerful ideas and powerful people at a time where their lives were on the line for our freedom today. And so, yeah, go have a hot dog or, you know, have a beer or, you know, recreate. But for goodness sake, take the time to read the Declaration. Take the time to read those founding bits of oratory or listen to them and try to think how that can apply to your life today. It's going to go away if we don't pass it on to our children and our grandchildren. And it's got to be important to them, too.
SPEAKER 03 :
I feel we're at the third founding of our country right now. Who are we? Are we going to survive? Are we going to pass this great idea on to the next generation? And, Brad, at the beginning of the show, as you co-host, you now know all the little things that I say. But I've added in... In the part where I say we were made for this moment, many times I'll say in history. We now, this is our time, and we must step forward. And so many people are. But it's in a big battle of ideas. That's really what the battles are. The battle was, are men free? Are they equal? No. In the eyes of God, yes, those are big ideas. Ended up they had to fight it out with weapons. We don't want it to get to that point because the ideas are so powerful. I think that it's attributed to Stalin is that he said ideas are more powerful than guns. We wouldn't let our enemies have guns. Why would we let them have ideas? And I think that's pretty powerful.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, education is a perfect example. What our children are learning in schools or what they're not learning. Right. The omission is as important as the indoctrination that has gone on. Now, I'm not against teachers. I'm not against schools. In Colorado, it's required that a child is compelled to go to school. And that's great. We need a literate population. But what are they teaching? And we found out during COVID, didn't we?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, and they're not literate. And they're not being able to read and write. And young people cannot write cursive. And we've got to reclaim these basics. And Colorado is at the tip of the spear. I'm convinced of it. I think something amazing is going to happen here. But we cannot give up. There are those before us, blood and treasure. And, you know, as they were signing the... Declaration of Independence, putting their names on that document, they could hear the cannon, the British cannon, just down the river, not very far away. They knew that they were signing a death sentence. And we can ask no less of ourselves.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, John Hancock had his signature so big because supposedly King George had bad eyesight. So he wanted to make sure he saw his signature. And of course, hence, we have it. Give me your John Hancock on a document. It was important for them, as I believe Franklin reiterated. Somebody said, maybe it was Jefferson or Adams who said, we will surely hang. It was Franklin. Well, Franklin jumped in and added the line. Oh, okay. Somebody said, we need to hang together, or surely we will hang separately. Right, okay. So somebody started it, and then Franklin finished it. I didn't know that. Right now, I can't remember. Too many gray hairs. Uh-huh. But it's important that these things be talked about, discussed, understood as citizens, free people. We are the luckiest people on the world in this time. I mean, you flip on a switch, you've got light, you flip on another switch, you've got air conditioning. We've got indoor plumbing. We've got fresh water. We've got refrigeration. We've got washing machines and dryers.
SPEAKER 03 :
And they're trying to take it away under the guise of climate change.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right. And change your climate then. Move over here, move over there, but leave me alone.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, the great thing about freedom is, you mentioned air conditioner, or we have heat in the winter, is that that is our own personal climate. And they want to take away our own personal control over our personal climate. And we have to ask why. But that's just one thing. It's really what it is. It's about freedom.
SPEAKER 08 :
And it's about control. They want to control us, the people, and don't want to participate. Otherwise, why do they have 15 homes? I don't condone success. But if you really want to help change the planet, get out of your private jet and don't have all those big homes and go to fancy places.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and the other question is, how did they get that? Now, if they get it through inheritance, my understanding is that... Let's see, is it Al Gore? Who's married to Teresa Hines? Is it?
SPEAKER 08 :
John Kerry.
SPEAKER 03 :
John Kerry. Yeah. Okay, John Kerry's married to Teresa Hines of Hines Ketchup. Somebody had an idea about ketchup, and they were able to make a great business, and they became fabulously wealthy, and I don't begrudge that whatsoever. capitalism works yeah however though is is if these people are these bureaucrats are becoming wealthy because of public policy that's not the way it's supposed to be and that is the elites of of the past of the kings and the monarchs and the all of that so anyway this is so interesting we've got a couple of minutes left so how do you want to button this up and then i'll ask you for the quote for the end of the show
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, Kim, another tradition I always do is I love listening to music on my porch. I'll have a cigar and a bourbon and read and listen to friends. We'll have conversations. We'll come over. And I love listening to one of my favorite musicians, believe it or not, is Charlie Daniels. I listen to him. Marshall Tucker Band and the Allman Brothers Band and Southern Rock, as they call it, Bluegrass. And I just love that type of music. And there are some lyrics that Charlie Daniels put on a CD that I purchased, believe it or not, at a wonderful Cracker Barrel in Tennessee. And I have all his albums, but I didn't have this particular song. It's really a poem set to a guitar called My Beautiful America. Okay. And I've done this presentation. I've recorded it. People want to go to my website, my YouTube channel. It's there. And what's your website? Well, BradleyCraigBeck.com is my website, and I have all kinds of stuff there, mainly for business and just to promote. I want to be in control of what's said about me. But the quote that is at the end, the part that, you know, around the world there's beautiful places. But there's a spirit here that's unique in America. And the last quote of or portion of My Beautiful America is, quote, This then is America, the land that God blesses with everything. And no Eiffel Tower, no Taj Mahal, no Alps, nor Andes, nor Native Hut, no royal palace can rival our awesome beauty. Her diverse population, her monolithic majesty, America the free. America the mighty, America the beautiful.
SPEAKER 03 :
Brad Beck, thank you.
SPEAKER 08 :
My pleasure.
SPEAKER 03 :
This is awesome.
SPEAKER 08 :
Happy Independence Day.
SPEAKER 03 :
Happy Independence Day. And my friends today, be grateful, read great books, think good thoughts, listen to beautiful music, communicate and listen well, live honestly and authentically, strive for high ideals, and like Superman, stand for truth, justice, and the American way. My friends, you are not alone. God bless you, and God bless America.
SPEAKER 14 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
In this enlightening episode of The Good News, Angie Austin teams up with academic entrepreneur Dr. Cheryl Lentz to explore effective strategies for letting go and achieving mental clarity. Drawing inspiration from an article by Mark and Angel, they delve into how practicing acceptance and challenging ingrained narratives can significantly enhance personal growth and decision-making. Discover how letting go of unnecessary worries can empower you to live a fuller, more peaceful life. Additionally, Angie engages with Meals on Wheels President Ellie Hollander highlighting the critical support they provide in reducing senior isolation, ensuring well-being, and the necessity of increased federal support for senior programs.
SPEAKER 05 :
Welcome to The Good News with Angie Austin. Now, with The Good News, here's Angie.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hello there, Angie Austin with The Good News and also Dr. Cheryl Lentz, the academic entrepreneur. Hello, my friend.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hello, hello, Andy.
SPEAKER 02 :
I have a kind of cool topic for us today. You and I often go to the website Mark and Angel for cool topics. And this is four effective ways to start letting go in life. And I know as a professor, you put a lot of these things into action. And I really admire, Cheryl, how... you're much better than I am about getting up. You've got a list, you get to work. Like I think too much in the morning and then I might roll over in bed and go, I'm going to nap another half hour. And then, Hmm, I, you know, in my interviews, I don't start that early. So I can be, they call it, I'm bed rotting. That's what the teenagers call it. And I know, Yeah, that's what it is. That's what I do some mornings. And you do not bed rot.
SPEAKER 03 :
No, not typically. I'm up with the sun. I probably get more done before nine in the morning. Most people do all day just because I got to get started. Not always and not every morning. But I will tell you, I have trouble in the wintertime when the sun doesn't come up and it's not as long as it is in the summer times.
SPEAKER 02 :
Me too. Winters are not my favorite. Okay. I like these because it's kind of not dwelling on the junk that doesn't matter. And the first one is practice letting everything breathe. And that sounds like, oh, deep breathing. No, it's about stopping for a moment. And like there's peace and just letting, you know, just calming yourself. What does the Bible say? It's like, be still and know that I'm God. Like just like quieting your mind.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I think you make better decisions in that clarity, in that timeliness. It's not about breathing to relax. It's about getting to that calmness. That's where I get some of my ideas and then I will get inspired. Oh, I got to call this person. Oh, I got to call that person. I do it from a point of strength and clarity, not neuroticism and running like a chicken with my head cut off, you know?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes. And I think we forget things like I know I'm stressed whenever I lose my keys. And if I lose my keys, I know I'm stressed because I'm thinking about too many things at once. And I've completely forgotten where I put it. It says you don't need to control everything. You don't need to worry about everything. You don't need to change everything. Sometimes you can just accept things. And when you quiet your mind, like you said, that's when you get creative. For me, if I take the time to journal, my life is more orderly or ordered, as you would say. And I think I think you're a little bit better at putting your day in order than I am. I kind of fly by the seat of my pants a lot more drives my husband crazy because we might have a plan. And I'm like, oh, let's stop and look at the world's largest ball of twine. He's like, that's not on the schedule. And I'm like, you know, he's so orderly and he his work day. He gets so many things done. And I'm a little bit I think the kids think I'm more fun, but I drive him crazy.
SPEAKER 03 :
I struggle with that. I subscribe to the Brian Tracy, eat that frog. I try and do the worst stuff that I don't like first so that it's not hanging all over my head. And cause I'm not a fan of accounting and I have to do my books once a month. And I just, the hardest part is just getting started. And that's the whole point. So I make a point of don't complain about it. Don't be, just do it first thing, get it over with. And then the rest of the day goes much easier. So you don't have the monkey on your back.
SPEAKER 02 :
And whose theory is that? Brian Tracy, eat that frog. Eat that frog. Oh, that means you eat the frog first and then the rest of the day is better. Exactly. You're just going to get that frog.
SPEAKER 03 :
If you put it in the boiling water and it just goes there and it goes there and it sits there and then it eventually dies and it doesn't notice it because it's just a little itty bitty things over time. So he's just like, eat the frog, get it over with. And to be honest. It's not really even about eating the frog. It's just getting started because I know I'm only going to do this for half an hour, and most of the time, once I get started, I finish the whole darn thing because I don't like it, and I'm procrastinating, and I'm not a procrastinator. I just procrastinate on things I don't like. So if I just finally get started, usually that's the impetus, or I'll break it into –
SPEAKER 02 :
you know different things all right i'll do half an hour now half an hour later and there's so over three days i will get it done but i will get it done you know so it's not everything all at once where you're like take the medicine just make the spoonful sugar and go away you know oh my goodness all right um here's the next one uh and again we are discussing an article that is just kind of helps your life flow a little better it is four effective ways to start letting go in life so that You know, you can actually reach your goals and enjoy things. Number two, practice accepting your present reality. And then they say, and just floating, which is a little too, you know, ethereal for me. But imagine you're blindfolded and treading water in the center of a large swimming pool and you're struggling desperately to grab the edge of the pool. You think it's nearby, but really it's not. It's far away. Trying to grab that imaginary edge is like stressing you out. You think you're there and you're not. You're splashing aimlessly, trying to hold on to something that's not there. Now imagine you pause, take a deep breath and realize there's nothing nearby to hold on. And you just start treading water. You're not struggling. You're relaxing. You're just slowly floating, treading water. It's an inner peace that begins to develop the moment that, you know, you accept that. And I think that what it kind of brings to mind for me is when you're trying to make something happen, when like I bring up the example of, you know, Hope has ADHD. And when we were trying to jump through these hoops to get her accepted into college, when they didn't necessarily like her test scores, And I was trying to prove that even though she's not a good tester, I got all these people to write letters. I got tutors, you know, the people that work with her four years in her high school and, you know, people that just go, this kid is the most amazing kid you've ever met. She was the biggest dream to work with. Her caseworker said of all my kids that I work with with. learning issues she is my number one favorite the one I'm least worried about like that and she was the educator of the year so I thought well that's going to hold a lot of weight and when those things didn't work I was so frustrated I was like trying to grab the edge of the pool and struggling and you know splashing and like why isn't this working and I finally just had to like let go and let God per se you know what I mean and that's I think with this that's how I envision this particular practice accepting your present reality and just treading water instead of trying to just splash around and make things happen that would control it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it's a serenity prayer, right? How do you know what to let go of, what to hang on to, what the courage is, and the wisdom to know the difference. Trust me, it's a work in progress. Me too.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, I like that one. Practice challenging the stories you keep telling yourself. Many of the biggest misunderstandings in life could be avoided. If we simply took the time to ask, what else could this mean? A lot of people always jump to the most negative conclusion. My mom oftentimes does that. She's gotten much better, which is, you know, you can teach an old dog new tricks, I guess. A wonderful way to do this is by using a reframing tool that we initially picked up from research professor Brenny Brown. When we tailored it with our coaching work with our students, say Mark and Angel, we call the tool the story I'm telling myself. Although asking the question itself, what else could this mean, can help reframe our thoughts and broaden our perspectives. Using the simple phrase, the story I'm telling myself, as a prefix to troubling thoughts, has undoubtedly created many aha moments for students and clients. Here's how it works. The story I'm telling myself can be applied to any difficult life situation or circumstance that in which a troubling thought is getting the best of you. For example, perhaps someone you love, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, et cetera, didn't call you or text you when they said they would, and now an hour has passed, and you're feeling upset because you obviously – you know, feel like you're not a priority to them. When you catch yourself feeling this way, use the phrase, the story I'm telling myself is that they didn't call me because I'm not a high enough priority, but it could, then you ask yourself, is this absolutely true? How do I feel and behave when I tell myself a story? What other possibility might there be? What other, you know, reason? And I learned this through a weatherman whenever he'd come in crabby and I was like building his maps and I was like the underling weather person and he'd be crabby and i'd say are you mad at me and one day he stopped he goes no every day i tell you i'm not mad at you because i suffer from depression and it's not always about you angie and so the story i've been telling myself was completely wrong right but that's the hard part isn't it amazing when we tell a new story the events haven't changed just the story has and our perception has so that's and the way we feel changes
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. So you're not in your story. You're talking about your story. And that's huge. That's huge.
SPEAKER 02 :
Okay. The last one is practice putting the figurative blast down. Okay. Now this is a lesson that Mark and Angel learned. So I'm going to tell you the story. 20 years ago when Angel and I were, oh, and by the way, when Mark and Angel started this very successful coaching career and markandangel.com and their books, they're very successful. They have a huge following. His story was rejected for like the student paper or whatever it may be. And she said, well, hey, let's just start our own website. So here he was rejected. It reminds me of my friend who was the gardener at Channel 2 where I worked on the morning show. And when they said, we don't need you anymore, he was like, oh, I'm done. I'm like, well, no, you're not. Just because you're not their cup of tea, like another station might need you. And now he's been 20 years at the number one station in town. doing his gardening and it's a hugely you know immensely popular segment okay 20 years ago an angel and i were undergrads in college our psychology professor taught us a lesson we've never forgotten on the last day of class before graduation oh you'll love this because you're a prof she walked up on stage to teach one final lesson which she called a vital lesson on the power of perspective and mindset you know how we view things As she raised the glass of water over her head, everyone expected her to mention the typical glass half empty or is the glass half full metaphor. Instead, with a smile on her face, our prof asked, how heavy is this glass of water I'm holding? Students shouted out answers ranging from a couple of ounces to a couple of pounds. After a few moments of fielding answers and then nodding her head, she replied, from my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass is irrelevant. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it's fairly light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numbed and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass on the floor. In each case, the absolute weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it seems to me. As most of us students nodded our heads in agreement, she continued, your worries, your frustrations, your disappointments and stressful thoughts are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a little while and nothing drastic happens. Think about them a little bit longer and you begin to feel noticeable, maybe mental pain. Think about them all day long and you'll feel completely numb and paralyzed, incapable of doing anything else until you drop them. Think about how this relates to your life right now. If you've been struggling to cope with the weight of what's on your mind, Maybe you need to restructure it and see this as something that, as she put it, you need to put the glass down. So if you've been struggling to cope, let go to renew faith in yourself. A big part of practicing letting go is gradually renewing your own faith in yourself. This renewed faith means finding the willingness to live with uncertainty, to feel your way through each day, to let your intuition guide you like a flashlight in the dark. It's about firmly standing on your own two legs in the present without crutches that you've been holding on to, gradually taking small steps forward. You've got this. And if you choose to believe that you have enough and are enough in each and every moment, what if today you choose to believe that you are strong enough to move forward one step at a time? And, you know, a lot of it, I think, is letting go of people pleasing, letting go of like expectations, people around us trying to please our parents, please our spouse, like living up to other people's expectations, etc., And I just like the idea of holding on to all those beliefs, the unforgiveness, the negative attitudes about ourselves. If you hold on too long, your arm just can't take it anymore, nor can your brain.
SPEAKER 03 :
That's amazing. So it's all amount of time, not task. So it's not what you're doing, it's how long you're doing it. That's brilliant.
SPEAKER 02 :
And learning to maybe reframe these things or let these things go. I think that reframing things just like me thinking that every day my boss was mad at me because I get stuck in L.A. traffic and then I feel so guilty and anxious, you know, because he's standing there with his arms crossed when I walk in because I'm building his maps for the weathercast for the show. And thinking he's angry at me every day when it just made my life so much easier when I finally addressed it. And he's like, it's not always about you, Angie. It just stuck with me like, oh, and I got that from my mom. She always thinks one time someone stopped her in traffic, like, you know, a construction guy and he put his flag up and stopped her. And she came home and she goes. That construction guy was going down Castle Pines Parkway, and he purposefully stopped me and no one else. And I'm like, Mom, he stopped you because you leave a lot of space in between cars, and you drive slowly. So that was the obvious break in traffic. But that was how ridiculous you took things personally.
SPEAKER 03 :
I had a coach of me telling me, he goes, what other people think of you is not your business.
SPEAKER 02 :
I tell my kids that all the time. I look at that going…
SPEAKER 03 :
It isn't. He goes, no, because you can't control it. So it's what you think of yourself that's important because you can't do anything about what they think. The best you can is the best you can do. So I always remind me, it doesn't matter what they think. It's not my business.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, my goodness. I love having you on, DrCherylLentz.com. We use up the time. I felt like five minutes, but it's been almost 15. DrCherylLentz.com. Thank you, Brent.
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely, honey. Thank you.
SPEAKER 06 :
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SPEAKER 01 :
Littleton is listening to the mighty 670 KLT Denver.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hello, it's Angie Austin with the good news. I'm really excited about today's show because this is an area of interest for me and hopefully for you as well. So let's get right on into it. We're going to be talking about seniors, how we can help them, and an organization that I've done some work with, Meals on Wheels, which is a fabulous organization. About 60 years ago, on July 14th, the Older Americans Act was created to empower older adults to live independently, reduce poverty, which a lot of them do deal with on their limited incomes, and isolation, and ensure that they have access to essential social and health services. Joining us is Meals on Wheels America President and CEO, Ellie Hollander, who will discuss why increases in federal investment in senior care is smart policy. Hi there, Ellie. Hi, Angie. How are you? I'm well. All right. So we're going to get into Congress. But I just wonder, how did you get into this line of work?
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, we always think about what we're going to do next. This was just fortuitous, this opportunity at Meals on Wheels America. And, you know, it's always what's happening in your life at the time. And it wasn't the best personal time for me. My sister was gravely ill and I was sort of a caregiver to my dad. And timing wasn't perfect, but they both urged me to do this. And I'm so glad that I took this on. I can't imagine a more important cause than meals on meals.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes. I have a favorite radio friend and I've interviewed him on numerous occasions. His name is Kevin. He was in the military. In fact, he was a lawyer in the military. And here in Colorado, when he retired from his big mucky muck job, you know, big officer, jurist, you know, important guy. He his kid's laugh is that he's not retiring. So every single day of the week, he does some kind of volunteering job. And he works a lot with Special Olympics. But one of his favorite days is his Meals on Wheels days. We've talked about it extensively on the show. So I want to get into it a little bit more later because I think people think the commitment is like forever or every day or really difficult. I mean, there's so many ways Meals on Wheels works around you. So we'll get to that in a minute. But let's start with why did Congress originally pass the Older Americans Act?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I mean, I think there was incredible foresight, and I give Congress a lot of credit 60 years ago to recognize that we needed a nationwide, federally funded program to preserve the dignity, independence, and well-being of older adults. I don't know if anyone imagined then how fast the segment was going to grow and that, you know, fast forward to today that older adults, 60 and over, outpace the number of kids under 18. But regardless... it's been an incredibly impactful understated program a lot of people don't know about the older americans act but they do know about the programs that it enables that it funds like meals on wheels maybe one of the most recognizable ones but you know think about senior centers think about transportation to doctors appointments for folks that have mobility challenges think about Elder and respite care for caregivers. You know, all of these programs are funded through the Older Americans Act. It's like the best kept secret, but yet it continues to deliver. And we find that we are improving the health and well-being of older adults in America. And we are saving health care costs by doing that.
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. And, you know, we were talking earlier, I mentioned in the intro about reducing isolation. I talk a lot about the Harvard Happiness Study that's decades old. I mean, maybe close to 80 years or something. And they found interviewing families and, you know, generation after generation that the largest indicator or the best indicator of happiness is connections, friendships. family and connections to others. So that little piece of, by the way, of Meals on Wheels, it might be as important, if not more than the food sometimes.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think you nailed it, Angie. It's so true. We hear this from our clients and we hear this from our volunteers is that, you know, it's those moments of human connection that you can't replicate. And as families are not living as close together as they used to. Yeah. right it's so important to have a peace of mind to know that someone is checking in a loved one or or a neighbor someone that you care about deeply and we we hear all the time that as important as that nutritious meal is it's you know it's that it's knowing someone's going to check in on you it's knowing that you're going to have a conversation and friendly visit and it's as uplifting for the volunteer as it is for the senior who's receiving that oh yes yes i totally agree like you think you're doing something for others and you're like wait a second
SPEAKER 02 :
This person just helped me. So let's talk a little bit more about that. We talked about the connection part, the friendship part, not being isolated. How are these programs critical to the well-being of our senior population? What else do they get out of this?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I think one of the most important things that we forget about is that most of us do want to have the choice to live out our lives in a setting of our own choosing. Yes, we can live at home and we can we can get the support we need to be as independent, healthy and safe as possible. That's what most of us are going to choose. And if we don't have that opportunity, we're going to be we're going to, you know, have more chronic disease than we do now. And we're going to end up either as a high flyer in an emergency room or we're going to end up being admitted, readmitted to a hospital or prematurely placed in a nursing home. which, of course, costs our country a lot more, costs taxpayers more. The little factoid I like to use, because people always remember it, I think it's just easy to think about. We can provide Meals on Wheels, which is that nutritious meal, the social connection we talked about, safety and wellness check for an entire year for the same cost, roughly as one day in the hospital or 10 days in a nursing home. Are you kidding me? No, that's what I mean. I mean, it's like, whoa, whoa, what a return on investment. Why aren't we doing more to make that opportunity possible for everybody involved? is really the question here at hand.
SPEAKER 02 :
Wow. All right. If you're just joining us, CEO of Meals on Wheels, Ellie Hollander, is with us. And we're talking today about OAA. And so we're talking about the Older Americans Act. And in terms of challenges that OAA, the Older Americans Act, faces, what are the challenges that OAA programs are currently facing?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, funding is never kept pace with need, with the growth of the senior population, or with inflation. So you have all those three factors. And what's happening is there's a huge growing chasm between those who actually need a helping hand, like a Meals on Wheels service. From those that we can provide. So waiting lists are mounting across the country. One out of three Meals on Wheels programs reports having one on average of four months, some as long as two years. They've had to cut back on services. This is really having an impact. And we know today we estimate about 2.5 million low income food insecure seniors need Meals on Wheels and aren't getting it. And so, you know, what the challenge is, is that we need to continue to invest in those programs that we know work, that are cost effective. And that's what we're really trying to do by celebrating the 60 years of the Older Americans Act and saying that, you know, we want this program to get the investment to enable it to continue to do what it's doing successfully for another 60 years and not leave seniors behind.
SPEAKER 02 :
Now, I don't know how it works in other cities, but here in Denver, I was introduced to Meals on Wheels about 20 some odd years ago. A friend of mine was working for, he was a Mucky Mucket Volunteers of America. And so they handle the program here in Colorado. Is that a common thing for VOA to do that or do different organizations handle the Meals on Wheels program around the country?
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, they're independent and, you know, they're run very differently based on the communities that they serve. I see. There really isn't like a one-size-fits-all because it really is focused on the needs of that particular community. But what is common among all Meals on Wheels programs is the commitment to mission. It's enabling seniors to live independently with dignity and safely and healthy in their own homes if they so choose. That is the mission that they all share, regardless of size, regardless of location, regardless of what kind of partnerships or who's running it or so forth. That is the common element.
SPEAKER 02 :
And the cool thing is, so my friend, I was talking about Kevin McCrary, my radio friend, I just so admire all the good works he does. But he was explaining to me with Meals on Wheels that you can pick up a day that you can kind of specify where you work, where you live and where you'd like to work. You may be able to pick up holidays that you don't necessarily have to make a commitment. For him, it's one day a week and he has a shift. And I said, well, how many hours does it take you? Because I can get it done in two or three hours. Just depends on how long I'm going to chat with people. And of course, there have been instances where. He's helped rescue someone because there's no one there to help the elderly person call 911 or whatever it may be. And he's been able to ascertain like there's an issue with the apartment. But he's developed some relationships with them. But he just assured me because I've got three teenagers, five pets. My mom lives with me. I'm married. He said, look, if you just want to pick up like the empty shifts or when they have needs, you can do that or just take a day a week or more if you want. So I love the flexibility of that. It doesn't take over your life per se, and that there are ways to fit into your current lifestyle. I interviewed a lady, oh gosh, 13 years ago when I started The Good News, and her children grew up going with her. I think she homeschooled and she had lots of kids, so they'd always go to these Meals on Wheels deliveries. These seniors were going to like graduations, school plays. They became friends with all of these kids. And she said it was such a beautiful relationship. And she brought a couple of the grown kids with her and they explained to me how fulfilling it was for them to develop all these friendships with kids. older people who became important in their lives that each week would want to know how did you do on your spelling test last week you know are you getting along with bobby better you know i know you know billy beat you up on that on that playground how did that all work out you know just it's so it's such a rich you know relationship needed a hundred percent you know there are two critical things that you mentioned there you know one was volunteers was it
SPEAKER 04 :
Look, there are all kinds of ways you can volunteer and they can be episodic or it can be, you know, on a regular route. It just depends on your time, your time availability and what the program needs. So don't ever be turned off by you think that you have to make a two hour a day investment or two hour a week investment. It's not the case. But the other thing that you're pointing out is the relationship building. This is basically Meals on Wheels is considered an extension of families in many, many cases. And, you know, the first call that sometimes a senior will make if they if they have a need, we're the ones to call for help. And. That's that's precisely what this is about. And to the extent that we can continue to build those relationships, we're able to tell right away is something not right. If we go up to a door and we know that generally the person knows when we're coming, Sally knows I'm going to be there at 10 o'clock in the morning and it's 10 o'clock and Sally's not there greeting me. I know something's up. And so getting to know people and people helping people, it really is an amazing program. And as we said earlier, it's as fulfilling for the volunteer as it is for the senior.
SPEAKER 02 :
One of my good friends, he went blind when he was a teenager. He was an incredible athlete, and he was going to go on to be in the NFL. When he went blind, he's like, well, what can I do? Well. I could become an Olympic weightlifter. I don't need to see to do that. And now he's written 60 books and they're working on his ninth movie. And he started the narrative television network, which kind of reads the movie per se, like describes it to a blind person. So I said to him, you know, I think you've turned out to be more, more, you know, successful than you would have been. Have you not gone blind? He goes, well, here's what I figured out when you're feeling sorry for yourself and no one was more depressed and feeling sorry for themselves. And the kid that was going blind in the 10 by 10 room in the back of the house. He said, but I found that if you go and do something for someone else, there's nothing better than that to make you feel better. And so he's very involved in, you know, doing things for others, which obviously you are as well. Which, by the way, you mentioned your dad and your sister. Was there anything else in your upbringing or what what initially gave you a passion for for helping others, for doing things that contributed to society rather than take away?
SPEAKER 04 :
yeah i mean that was the values that i learned from my parents and my grandparents and you know the older generation was already always part of my life because we were living close together my grandparents came over every weekend to spend time um you know i think and my dad spent a lot of time working in jobs and volunteering for you know community psychiatric clinics and helping others It just was sort of in my DNA. So it was a natural, it wasn't really a leap, but it was sort of a natural growth opportunity for me to do what I think I've always loved doing, working with people and making a difference.
SPEAKER 02 :
I love it. You said we all want to make a difference, is that what you're going to say?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, we do, one way or another, right?
SPEAKER 02 :
Ellie, where do we go to get more info?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I'd love people to visit MealsOnWheelsAmerica.org. It's a very rich website. There's a lot of information and also opportunities on ways that you could get more engaged if you're interested, ways that you can help us raise awareness, raise funds, volunteer, be connected with your local program. So I would encourage people to visit and peruse it because it's a very rich site.
SPEAKER 02 :
Excellent. Thank you so much. Great interview. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you, Angie. Love talking to you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Me too. Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
In this transformative episode of The Flatline, host Rick Hughes illuminates the path to spiritual richness that stands apart from earthly wealth. With references from Corinthians and Proverbs, discover how treasures of wisdom and knowledge are tucked away in the divine scriptures, ready to enrich the soul. This thought-provoking conversation challenges common perceptions of prosperity and happiness, pointing listeners back to the scripture's enduring truths. Rick introduces the concept of spiritual IQ and emphasizes the importance of consistent learning and application of God's Word. As he expands his broadcast reach, Rick remains steadfast in his mission to uplift and educate. Hear his personal stories and the wisdom gleaned from years of dedication, such as his inspiration from the tough yet fair guidance of a pastor who shaped his ministry journey. The idea of faith-driven living is brought to life with compelling scripture readings, offering a fresh perspective on enduring challenges and the nature of real wealth. Learn how to navigate life's pitfalls with prudence and discretion, and understand the critical distinction between good and evil as outlined in the Bible. For anyone seeking a life enriched by faith and insight, this episode offers invaluable guidance and encouragement.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to the Flatline with your host, Rick Hughes. For the next 30 minutes, you'll be inspired, motivated, educated, but never manipulated. Now your host, Rick Hughes.
SPEAKER 02 :
Good morning and welcome to the Flatline. I'm your host, Rick Hughes, and for the next few minutes, we'd like to give you a cordial invitation to stick around. Here's some good news. Everybody listening to me today, everybody has a brain. Some of you guys have a really high IQ, and some of us are kind of middle of the rotors. How, rotors, that's right, middle of the rotors. But in God's wonderful plan, our human IQ can be supplemented by learning his word and developing what we call a spiritual IQ. How's that done? Well, when the Holy Spirit controls your life, problem-solving device number three, and you take in God's word on a consistent basis using your own volition to study and learn, Then this is what happens. The Holy Spirit transplants what's in that Word of God, the Bible, into your soul, giving you phenomenal discernment and insight through the eyes of the Scripture. Save you a lot of mistakes. Save you a lot of money. Save you a lot of years of misery when you go by God's plan for your life. So you might want to ask yourself, why does Rick do these radio shows? What benefit is it for me? And that's a fair question because... As I expand these radio shows, and we're adding now nine new stations, or eight or nine new stations this week, that'll bring us up to 37 radio stations across America we broadcast this show. And this is 15 years of doing it. So you might want to say, why? What's the deal? As I expand and add additional costs for the production and the broadcasts, The one thing I take comfort in is God's grace provisions. He provides the finances and he provides the inspiration for me to bring the messages to you. That's important because the objective is to make you wealthy, not financially. No, I'm not here to pronounce financial wealth. I don't have any idea how to do that, but I can tell you how to be spiritually wealthy. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4, 7, we have this treasure in earthly vessels so that surpassing greatness with power will be of God and not of ourselves. We have this treasure in our earthly vessels. That's our body. And the word for treasure may surprise you in the Greek New Testament. It's a word you're familiar with. It's a word called thesaurus. A thesaurus, you know what that is. It's a word treasure. And when you learn God's word, you have a word treasure in your soul. It can save you a lot of misery, save you a lot of money when you listen to what God has to say. So listen to Colossians chapter two, verses two through three. Paul said that their hearts may be encouraged having been knit together in love and attaining to all the wealth, wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding understanding the key word here resulting in the true knowledge of god's mystery that is christ jesus himself in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge this is exactly what god said he wants you to do he wants you to know him and understand him in proverbs 3 13 how blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding For her profit, that's wisdom, is better than the profit of silver. And her gain, that's wisdom, better than that of fine gold. She's more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire will compare with the wisdom of God. So that's very interesting, isn't it? When I first got saved, when I accepted Christ as my Savior, I really wondered about what to do after I got saved. I had a lot of questions as a young Christian. I had no church background, so I wasn't influenced by organized religion. And as I grew, I sought the Lord's will for my life, as you do. And I had a lot of influential men who tried to direct me into their way of thinking. But for some reason, it just didn't click with me. I mean, they tried to make me something I was not. Maybe you've seen that in church. Eventually, I think the Holy Spirit directed me to a great pastor, a no-nonsense type guy who reminded me of my college football coach, the old Paul Bear Bryant from Alabama. Though he was a tough guy, but he was always fair. And this pastor that I got under, same way, very, very tough, but very, very fair and the best in the land. And I knew if I stuck with him that he would lead me correctly. And he did. That was in 1968. And today it's the year 2020. He has been the man God has used to be the guiding light in my ministry and in my life. And what I hope to do is to direct you to that sort of pastor for you, the man God has for you. And that pastor's job will be to teach you and make you rich, wealthy in God's word. Because if you have spiritual wealth, then you are going to be dangerous to the enemy. You will be well equipped to see past all the scams, all the temptations, everything that he will throw at you that would seek to ruin your life. So what about it? Are you hungry? Are you ready to really seriously do it for real? I remember a friend of mine said, you know, I played with studying God's Word, and I just goofed around with it. I was busy. I was working, and I didn't take it serious. But when I decided to take it seriously... A lot of bad things started happening to me. Yes, Satan will attack you. If you put priority number one in your life, the Word of God, every day, if you'll stay filled with the Holy Spirit and you'll say, Father, this day I'm going to take in your Word and learn it and apply it into my life, You get under that right pastor teacher who provides it for you, you will find opposition like you've never seen before. Listen to Proverbs 8, 10 through 12. Take my instructions and not silver. This is wisdom speaking now. Coming to you from God is wisdom speaking to you. Wisdom says take my instruction and not silver and knowledge rather than the choicest gold. for wisdom is better than jewels, and all desirable things cannot compare with her. I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. in this passage that i just read to you proverbs 8 10-12 we find the eternal value of god's wealth which is ours for the taking you know you've seen many people long for wealth and believe it's the key to happiness i see people buying lottery tickets and sometimes i'll even buy a lottery ticket Not because I desire to be wealthy, but because my wife gets a kick out of getting a lottery ticket and seeing what she won. And we never win anything like you. We never win grits. But people long for wealth. television shows about homes that people are buying because they won the scratch-off lottery and we got wealthy. Elvis Presley was once asked this question, said, are you happy with all your riches and with all your fame? And you know what he said? He said, no, I'm actually very lonely. The great John D. Rockefeller was asked the same question to which he replied, I have made millions, but they brought me no happiness. Clearly, you and I can understand monetary wealth is not the key to happiness because many people today live with no satisfaction and no fulfillment. Much of their activity is to deaden the pain of the empty life that they have. And that's a shame, but that's the truth. That's what happens a lot of times. And so they spend money they don't have to buy things they don't need to impress people they actually don't even like. Our Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear when he said, happiness belongs to those people who hear my father's word and keep it. Luke 1128. So what I can offer you today is the truth about real wealth and real happiness. I can tell you the truth, not some gimmick, not some game. I'm not telling you that if you win a million dollars, you're going to be happy. In Proverbs 8, 10 through 12, we find wisdom speaking to us saying that her instructions and her knowledge are better than silver, better than gold, and better than precious jewels. How in the world could divine wisdom be better than monetary wealth? Does that even compute to you? Does that even make sense to you? The answer is found in verse 12 of Proverbs chapter 8. Because I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. Looking at the Hebrew text, we find the word prudence. It's an interesting Hebrew word. It's called ormah. O-R-M-A-H is the way it's spelled, ormah. And it's a feminine noun, meaning the ability to be shrewd or to be very crafty. I mean, you remember that old Kenny Rogers song about the gambler, you got to know when to hold him and know when to fold him. Remember that? Being very shrewd and very crafty. That's what it means. When a believer such as you or me, when we learn and we apply God's word or Bible doctrine into our life, then we stop being irrational and we stop being controlled by our emotions. That's what gets us in trouble. And we develop a new way of thinking called divine viewpoint. And that includes you having prudence. That's why I read this passage to you while ago before we even started about the human IQ and divine IQ and how the problem-solving devices give you this phenomenal spiritual x-ray vision. And that includes prudence. When you have spiritual x-ray vision, When you can see past the schemes and the plans of Satan and the world and the lure of the world, then you can be extremely wealthy because you won't destroy yourself and destroy other people in part of it. I mean, I know people that have made a lot of money illegally and destroyed themselves and destroyed other people in the process. Solomon said when he wrote these verses in Proverbs 1, 4 that his intention was to do something. When he wrote those verses that I just read to you in Proverbs 8, he said this. He said in 1, 4 that my intention is to give prudence to the simple. And to the young man, knowledge and discretion. Prudence, knowledge, and discretion. The wealth of God's wisdom is tremendous. I can't even begin to tell you how tremendous it is. That's why I call it spiritual x-ray vision. It's the ability to maneuver through this life without falling into the pit holes of failure and frustration. Can you imagine living a life without failure and frustration? Can you imagine living a life without being duped by the devil into thinking that money or sex or love is the key to happiness when it's not? When it's not. Jesus said, happiness belongs to people who hear my father's word and keep it. Wealthy people are not people that have a lot of money. Maybe so in the world's view. But the real wealth that I'm talking about is the internal wealth of soul, the richness of thinking with wisdom, insight, and discernment, having discretion, having prudence. It's tremendous. The next Hebrew word in that passage that we were just looking at, back up just a minute in this so I can get this verse for you right here. The next word was understanding. That was the one we wanted to look at here in that passage. Hang on just a second. Here we go. Wisdom dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion, understanding. So the word knowledge is the Hebrew word knowledge. And knowledge is the Hebrew word da'ath, which means to have discernment, to have understanding, and to have wisdom. So again, take my instruction and not silver. And knowledge, rather than the choicest gold... For wisdom is better than jewels, and all desirable things cannot comprehend with her. I, and this is wisdom speaking, I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. Knowledge, the Hebrew word da'ath, which means discernment, understanding, and wisdom. In the Greek New Testament, we find two words for knowledge, and it's very interesting. The word knowledge is pronounced gnosis, G-N-O-S-I-S in the Greek New Testament. But there is another word that is often used and it's not the word gnosis. It's a prepositional phrase in front of it called epi-gnosis. And that's spelled E-P-I-G-N-O-S-I-S. And there's a difference between gnosis and epinosis. You see, gnosis is information that you heard, that you understood. Maybe you went to church, maybe you took a piece of paper, maybe the pastor passed out his notes. and you wrote down a few things and you heard it and you understood it and you left there fairly clearly understanding what he taught you, but you don't apply it. You see, epinosis is the word of God applied. It's full knowledge, epi being full and gnosis being knowledge. So there's a difference between hearing and keeping the word of God. That's why the Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke 11, 28, happiness belongs to those who hear and keep my father's word. When you have epinosis, epinosis, you only get it one way. You get it by faith. You hear what the pastor teaches. And now you have to be faithful to live what he taught you. You believe it and you apply it. That's called you being faithful. And when you have that sort of fidelity in your life, then God begins to bless you in ways you cannot believe. Not that he makes you wealthy, no, but he sure gives you tremendous opportunity, tremendous insight. tremendous impact in the devil's world so to have that sort of knowledge and that's what God said in Jeremiah 9 I want people to know me and understand me the greatest wealth there is is understanding God and knowing God through his son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior it's one thing to know the Bible it's another thing to obey the Bible and to apply the knowledge which we learn that then turns into wisdom Insight and understanding wrapped in prudence and discretion. What is wisdom? It's insight and understanding wrapped in prudence and discretion. Again, let me say it the third time. It's like a bombing run with a plane. I flew over and dropped the bomb, turned around, came back and dropped the bomb. Now I'm coming for the third run. Listen. When you take that knowledge of the Word of God and believe it and apply it, then it turns into wisdom. And wisdom is simply this. It's insight and understanding wrapped in prudence and discretion. Now, you're not going to get any knowledge if you're not listening to the teaching of the Word of God, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. If you're not assembling under a well-qualified pastor, if you're not learning consistently God's Word, you're not going to get any knowledge. And I'm going to tell you right up front, I'm going to be as honest with you as I can be. If you think going to church on Wednesday night for 30 minutes and going to church on Sunday morning for an hour is gonna make you a mature believer, you are mistaken. You are dead wrong. You've been a Christian a long time now and you oughta know more than that. If you went to the first grade and you went for 30 minutes on one day and 30 minutes on another day and 30 minutes on another day, that's an hour and a half. How many years would it take you to get out of the first grade? Well, if you compare that to church, 30 minutes Wednesday, 30 minutes Sunday morning, another 30 minutes Sunday morning, hour and a half, how long is it gonna take you to graduate to be a mature believer? Until you come to the place where you hunger for God's Word, until you come to the place where you're willing to sit down and listen to a well-qualified pastor teach you the Bible on a daily basis, You're going to have a hard time ever reaching spiritual maturity before you check out of this planet. You're going to have a hard time ever getting any real epinosis because you're going to be distracted. You're not going to be able to cut it. You're not going to be able to handle it. And when you get to the judgment seat of Christ, you're going to be very surprised because you're not going to hear, well done, my good and faithful servant. I don't know what you're going to hear. I know what I don't want to hear myself. I don't want to hear the Lord say, why did you goof around so much, you idiot? Why didn't you pay attention to what I told you? Why didn't you get with the program instead of just being lazy and running off and doing everything in the world except what you should have been doing? It's one thing to know the Bible, and it's another thing to apply the Bible. So this is critical. The third word that we want to take a look at here in this passage, I wisdom dwell with prudence and knowledge and discretion. The word discretion here in this passage is the Hebrew word mezema, mezema. The word discretion is mezema, M-E-Z-I-M-M-A, mezema. And that discretion is the ability to apply judgment and to decide how to handle any situation that you're confronted with. It's the ability to act using prudence and full knowledge of God's word. Those people who have a position of power are most often able to exercise discretion. and hopefully how they will apply or exercise that power that they have but without these traits or character the new testament christian will seldom even know how to pray or how to apply impersonal love i mean do you know how to pray if i told you today that you could pray for one thing if you could ask god to give you one thing If I gave you a free ticket and said, here it is, now you can take this to heaven, and you can say, God, I want you to give me this, and he would do it for you, what exactly would you ask for? That's a fair question. I want you to listen. I want you to listen to what Solomon did. I want you to listen to Solomon's prayer for wisdom. And he knew what to ask for. In 1 Kings 3, 5 through 14, in Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night and God said, ask what you wish me and I'll give it to you. There it is right there. So what would you ask for? Remember now, Solomon's father was David, and now he was the king. He had tremendous responsibility for national leadership. And this is what Solomon said to our heavenly father. Solomon said, you have shown great loving kindness to your servant David, my father, according as he walked before you in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart towards you. And you have reserved for him this great loving kindness that you've given him a son, that's Solomon, to sit on his throne as it is this day. So now, O Lord, my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. And yet I am but a little child. and I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of your people, which you have chosen. And it's a great people, way too many people to be numbered or counted. So please give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours? Wow. What did he ask for? He asked for what? He asked for an understanding heart to judge the people of God so he would be able to discern between good and evil. What a request. He didn't ask for money. He didn't ask for fame. He had tremendous humility when he said, I am but a child and I don't know how to go out or come in. Next time you pray, try saying that. Father, I'm but a child and I need your advice. I need your wisdom. I need your word. And God said, okay, pick up your Bible. There it is. Everything I want you to have is written in that book right there. It's all there for you. And I have qualified men who have the gift of pastor teacher. I've put them in pulpits and they are there to teach you my word. In Hebrews 5, 11 through 14, here's something about that good and evil because this is what he asked. Excuse me just one minute, I had to take a drink. Solomon asked, give me the ability to discern between good and evil. In Hebrews 5, 11 through 14, the writer of Hebrews said, concerning him we have much to say and it's hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you've come to need milk, not solid food. Because everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness. He's just a baby. But solid food is for the mature who, because of their practice of have their senses trained to understand the difference between good and the difference between evil. What does Solomon say? Again, your people to discern between good and evil. Here it is again, to discern between good and evil, Hebrews 5, 11 through 14. Now you may think evil is bad stuff and good is good stuff, but that's not it at all. The good we're talking about is God's grace plan. For example, in salvation, for by grace, are you saved through faith it's a gift of god not of works that someone should boast about it evil is it when satan takes the word of god and distorts it organized religion is the most evil thing in the world because organized religion will tell you you can go to heaven by being good organized religion will tell you you can go to heaven if you don't drink if you don't smoke if you don't cheat on your taxes and you're faithful to your wife then you're going to go to heaven. And that is not true. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his grace, he saved us. It's very clear in the Bible. Many Americans, Christians cannot discern between good and evil. Many Christians are blinded by socialism, humanism, and even progressive thinking. And now, As we watch, they're willing to bow down to social demands in order to be accepted and not persecuted. I see their thinking and I wonder why they cannot see the evil they are facing and they can't see how they're being manipulated or what I call drinking the Kool-Aid. So what is good and what is evil? Good is the word of God. Evil is the word of God twisted. It's Satan's genius. It's Satan's policy. God's policy is grace. Satan's policy is works. The genius of Satan can trick you just like he did Eve in the garden. And you can be a victim of that if you're not very careful. So it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon asked for these things. And God said to him, because you asked for this, and you didn't ask for a long life, you didn't ask for riches, you didn't ask for me to kill your enemies, but you've asked yourself to have discernment, to understand justice, I will do according to the words that you've requested. I have given you a wise and discerning heart so that there be no one like you. Before you or after you, and I've also given you what you have not asked for, which is riches, honor, so that there will never be any among the kings like you all of your days. And then it winds up by telling him this. Listen to this warning. And this should be your warning and mine as well. If you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commandments as your father David did, then I will prolong your days. And here's the secret to having a long life. If you walk in my ways and obey my statues and commandments, how to have a long life. Children obey your parents and the Lord. This is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise. So it may be well with you and you may live a long time on this earth or in the Bible and Proverbs. My son, forget not my laws, but let your heart keep my mandate. So you can have length of days and a long life in peace. It's all right there. This is what God has designed for you. This is the wealth and the wisdom of Bible doctrine. Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. The fear of the Lord adds length to life and years to the wicked are cut short. So what good does it do you to be rich if you don't live long enough to enjoy it? The secret to God's blessing of length of years is to have humility and obedience and listen to the call of wisdom. That's all I can offer you, wisdom. Are you listening? Are you paying attention? It is my prayer that you are and that you will respond to what I've said today. Until next week, this is your host, Rick Hughes, saying thank you for listening to The Flatline.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening to The Floodline with your host, Rick Hughes. If you'd like to contact Rick, please write to him at P.O. Box 100, Cropwell, Alabama, 35054, or online at www.rickhughesministries.org.
Dive into the world of side hustles with Angie and her guest, Dr. Cheryl Lentz. As the conversation unfolds, listeners learn about innovative ways to make extra income, from Airbnb ventures to selling vintage clothing. Amidst these discussions, lifestyle expert Valerie Greenberg introduces the trending must-haves for summer, providing a wholesome and varied perspective on pursuing dreams and managing finances effectively. This episode is sure to inspire with its diverse topics ranging from personal anecdotes to practical business tips.
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SPEAKER 02 :
Welcome to The Good News with Angie Austin. Now, with The Good News, here's Angie.
SPEAKER 11 :
Hey, it's Angie Austin and Jim Stovall on The Good News with Angie Austin and Jim today. Hey, Jim.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hey, it is great to be with you as always.
SPEAKER 11 :
We're talking about your column Window on the World. When I first saw the title, I thought, oh, you know, Jim likes to travel. So do I. And if you haven't heard Jim before, Jim is blind. Now, do you say blind or do you say unsighted or not sighted?
SPEAKER 06 :
Blind works great. Everybody knows what you mean. You know, I mean, if you say these other things, people always ask, what do you mean? And you end up saying blind anyway. It's just easier.
SPEAKER 10 :
Jim, you're so funny. It works. You like to travel, and I like to travel. You have a favorite place in San Diego we always talk about that I'm just dying to go to. Last time I was there, I attempted to get over there. For some odd reason, we couldn't drive over to see it because I've got to visualize it because you've spoken about it so many times. You go with Crystal, and you go at least once a year.
SPEAKER 11 :
Anyway, I thought, does Jim go to Europe? Because I have not been to Europe yet. My husband hasn't either, which is odd for people our age. And we're fairly successful people. And all of my friends that I travel with, the three that I really do a lot with, well, actually four, are going to Europe, not together, but on different trips this summer. And I said to my husband, I said, you know, this is like the third summer that I've asked you if we could go to Europe. And I said, I'd really like to do that. And he said, we have kids. I said, no, that's not the excuse. When I was going to go with my cousin, he said, well, I want to go too because my cousin goes a lot to see her sister in Germany and then travels all over. And he said, well, I'd like to go too, but I can't. And I'm like, well, that's not fair. So this time it was we have kids. I'm like, these are lame excuses. And, Jim, what I think it comes down to is he gets – he's stressed a lot about his business. And so he doesn't want to go overseas. So he doesn't want me to go if he can't go.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, I used to – before I went the first time, you think, wow, it's like this far-off thing. And, you know, and – I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and we connect everything in Dallas. When we die and go to heaven, you have to lay over in Dallas.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's funny.
SPEAKER 06 :
And so I'm used to going to Dallas and then catching a four-hour flight to New York or whatever. And so you go six or six and a half hours, and you're in London or Paris or wherever you're going. And it's really amazing. And our last trip, Crystal and I went. And I had a friend that had just been, and he said, man, I hired this driver for the whole week. He's kind of an elite guy, and he'll just stay with you all week and go places. He knows the language. So I hired this guy. And so we're riding in from the airport, and I said, so you do this every week? He said, yes, sir. And I said, so... So who did you have last week? He said, the Sultan of Brunei. And who are you going to have next week? He said, Elton John. Oh, my goodness. I said, I'm the weak link here. This is a slow week for you. And then he laughed and said, I'm looking forward to it. You know, he got us, you know, we went to the Palace of Versailles and the line's four hours long. He drove right up to the door and got us in, and then we went to Normandy Beach, and I did not know. I hadn't been paying attention to the calendar, and we got there on Memorial Day on Normandy Beach, and he got us right in, and we sat next to a general, and they did this amazing review, and all of these graves, and just such an emotional thing, and then we went to... Actually, we went to the Louvre, and Crystal wanted to see Mona Lisa and several other things. Well, I said, I'm not going in there. I'm not standing out in line. So I sit on this bench outside in the courtyard, and they have a statuary out there. And I'm sitting there, and a girl comes over to me, a French girl. We discovered fairly quickly her English was slightly better than my French, so we're struggling through this. And she said, why aren't you going in? And I explained to her, I'm blind, I can't go in. And she went and talked to this guy, and then says, follow me. And I cannot believe to this day I did this. I don't know this woman, but I walk off with this woman over into this young girl, and She, we get behind the rope, and we, it was Rodin's Thinker, the deal with the guy sitting there thinking and everything. And I got to touch this sculpture, and it was cool and everything. Oh, my goodness. I called my publisher that day, and I said, when's the new book coming out, Wisdom of the Ages? And he said, a couple weeks. I said, do we have a cover for the second edition? He said, no. I said, we do now. Put Rodin's Thinker on there. So there's one edition of that book that has it. But then I went in and I sat in the gallery next to where the Mona Lisa was, and I heard all these people that had come in from all over the world, and I heard their reaction.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, that is the coolest thing. That is so cool. I would never think to do that, to see how everyone else is reacting.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. You know, I wish greatly that Leonardo could have been there, because just to see something you did 500 years ago is still inspiring people that much. And it's on my project list. Someday I'll write a book about Leonardo. But anyway, I highly recommend it. It's wonderful. But everywhere I've ever been outside of the U.S., I'm glad to go, and I'm really glad to get back to America. It's a wonderful thing.
SPEAKER 11 :
Only you, Jim, can I ask some innocuous question where I get like – you were with the driver that was thinking – you got the Elton John tour basically of Europe, the Sultan of Brunei tour, the red carpet where you roll out and miss the four-hour line and you get to touch the thinker. And I the food I'm into the food and just even like going to New Orleans and trying different things that maybe I wouldn't normally order. But I'm like, you know what? I have to get the turtle soup or I have to try the crawfish or whatever it is, because this this is this is the food here. You know, like you've got to taste it. And I had the best meal I've ever experienced at Commander's Palace in New Orleans.
SPEAKER 06 :
Love it. I've been there. Yeah. I love that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Oh, it was a myth. I mean, lunch was like $250, but you know what? It was like the best lunch I've ever had. I'm sure dinner is like three times that, but I wanted to ask you about the food, you know, is, is that also something like, are there any places you've been that you just, the food just really stands out to you where you've traveled?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. There's a restaurant about halfway up the Eiffel tower in Paris and it's called Victor Hugo's and it is a, It's an amazing experience, but do not try to decipher the menu. Have the guy help you because they serve – their specialty is horse. Oh! And I am – you know, and I don't know why that's worse than eating a cow, but – Right, right, right. I just don't – no, no, I'm an American. No horse, please. No, thank you. But no, fabulous, fabulous food, wonderful people, and – You know, people always say the French are very standoffish. We did not find that. And, boy, the closer you get to Normandy Beach, where our troops landed and freed them from the Nazis, even today, the closer you get down there, the more they love Americans, I promise you.
SPEAKER 11 :
Oh, man. And in the U.S., anything that stands out to you? Any places, any types of food?
SPEAKER 06 :
Me here in America? Yeah. Oh, Commander's Palace is wonderful. Jean-Georges in New York is one of my favorites. The Cow Palace in Kansas City is fabulous. There are great places everywhere, but a lot of them, Angie, are little tiny mom-and-pop out-of-the-way places.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yes, isn't that true? I love to go not to a chain when I travel.
SPEAKER 06 :
I always have a driver wherever I go, and I always ask, where do you like to go? If you had your best friend in town and they got one dinner, where are you going? And it's usually just a really good place.
SPEAKER 11 :
I always ask the locals, too. If we have you know, at our hotels and there's a band driver or whatever, and they'll take you different places near the hotel. And I always have them take me to their favorite spots. It's never a chain. It's always some local place, especially in the South when you're getting, you know, barbecue and hot chicken and, you know, collard greens and, you know, all that stuff. Oh, I love the Southern food. All right, so let's get into your window on the world column this week and your winner's wisdom column. What's this all about?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I'm sure you and everyone listening to us is aware that people just are divided right now. They're arguing about everything, and the news is such a big deal. When I was a kid, I had to do current events, and you would go home and watch the news. And there was only three channels of news. And they were the same. I mean, whether you're watching Walter Cronkite or Peter Jennings or Tom Brokaw, didn't make any difference. You know, switch ties and it's the same. I mean, there's three guys reading the news. And you know this. You've been in TV news. And, you know, now. You know, people aren't arguing about their reaction to the news of the day. They're arguing about what's true and what isn't. And it's really, really amazing. So it really depends on what window you're looking through, whether you're looking through clear glass, tinted glass, stained glass, really makes a difference what you're looking at. As you know, I follow a lot of sports, and I can listen to a game. Yesterday, I listened to the St. Louis Cardinals game, and then when the other team was up to bat, I would listen to their home team announcers. It's a great way to go, and I do this for a football game and everything. And then when they have a thing where they're going to review a call and they're doing the instant replay, it's fun to go back and forth because these announcers generally, they've played the sport, they've been in it for many, many years, they know what they're talking about, and they will see it their way. And, you know, the people for the St. Louis Cardinals will say, oh, no, he clearly, clearly was safe on that play. You see, we're looking at it right here. Here he is clearly safe. And then you switch over to the godless Chicago Cubs, and their guy, who is just as good and used to play, he said, no, no, see, right here you can see. And they're looking at the same thing, Angie, and they're seeing something different. It's a confirmation bias. And, you know, if we're going to get along, we need to go to the news of the day with an open mind. And you really can't just have one source. I listen to five different newscasts every morning very, very quickly, and you can do them online. It takes 20, 30 minutes to do all five just to get the news roundup. And it's amazing because some of them, it's not that they're telling the story different. They're telling a completely different story. Something was the headline on one network. that didn't even make the news on another one. And, you know, there's no wonder we're not getting along. We're all just seeing a different view from a different window.
SPEAKER 09 :
I feel like I can't even make sense of it all.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. You know, so many people, Angie, they're looking at this and saying, And, you know, or they've already made up their mind. I don't believe so-and-so. Or this organization is corrupt. Or that guy doesn't know what he's talking about. And it doesn't matter what they say. You know, they've already got their mind made up. And, wow, you need to come to it with an open mind. And then when you meet somebody you disagree with, I... I really believe in Dr. Stephen Covey's admonition, seek to understand before you seek to be understood. I mean, listen to what they've got to say and fully understand what they're saying. In fact, repeat it back to them. Okay, so what you're saying is you believe this and this and this. And why do you believe that? And then you understand their position. Then and only then do you share your position. And a lot of times you find that there's not that much separation. We're not as far apart as we think. When you look at the two traditional parties, the extremes in both parties are just out there on a limb. But for the most part, the moderate majority in the middle are great people, and we're just not that far apart. We all want the same things. We just have a a slightly different view of how we get from here to there. But, uh, you know, I, I just think the divided divisiveness is so destructive and you see people responding online and they would never say something like that to someone in person, but they will write these hateful things out there. And, uh, you know, it's just, it's just ridiculous. Uh, you know, and, um, You know, I just, we need to seek to understand and to try to find middle ground. And, you know, I had a woman tell me the other day after one of my events, never in the history of our country Have we been more divided? And I've heard this from a number of people, and I always say, did you miss school the day they talked about the Civil War? I think we were pretty divided then. And we had a number of these, and we always get back together. And we were pretty divided in the 90s with Clinton and Newt Gingrich and all that stuff that was going on. Then 9-11 happened, and wow, we were all Americans. And we will get back to that. We will get back to that. But don't burn any bridges. There are so many people, they go online and they say things to friends and family members, and you can never take those words back. And, you know, so just be aware of that because it's there forever. I completely agree.
SPEAKER 11 :
Jim Stovall.com, the columnist with New on the World. Thank you, friend. Thank you. Be well.
SPEAKER 05 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
Pine Bluffs, Wyoming is tuned to the Mighty 670 KLT.
SPEAKER 11 :
Hey, Angie Austin here with the good news, along with my good friend, Dr. Cheryl Lentz, the academic entrepreneur. And we're talking a little bit today about side hustles, which I think is such a great topic. Welcome, Dr. Cheryl Lentz.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hello, hello, hello. Oh, I like this topic. It's something I've just never thought I'd find myself in, but it's really cool.
SPEAKER 11 :
I talk a lot about my kid, and he started this side hustle while he was in school around 12, and he started with high-end Nike shoes resale to get the rare ones. Once they've dropped, he'd get a drop, and then somebody would want them that didn't get the drop because it's like a lottery. Anyway, then he transferred over to vintage clothing, which is big. He just went to a Metallica concert recently, and he was walking up to people wearing their shirts in line to get merch. so he knew that oh if you're getting merch you're going to have a new shirt to put on and I might be able to buy that old vintage Metallica shirt you're wearing so he did pick up a few shirts you know that way but in general you know he does you know thrifting and he goes to estate sales and he finds people that to be honest with you are kind of hoarders and he goes into their home that he might get stacks and stacks of clothing but it's turned into a very lucrative it's not even a side hustle really anymore he's incorporated. And he travels to different venues to go to big thrift con events and stuff. And it's turned into a legit business. And my sister-in-law, I always really admired her because she had all kinds of real estate setups where she built a home on her lot in ADU and she rented that. And then she divided up her home and rented all kinds of other stuff on Airbnb. And I knew you had foreign exchange students, but tell everyone what you're doing now that you no longer have the foreign exchange students.
SPEAKER 03 :
I converted my home into an Airbnb, an owner-occupied Airbnb, and it's turned into not just renting rooms. It's turned into a community, and I've been doing this about seven years, and I have a lot of repeat business because it's a safe place. It's a community base. It's very quiet. Most people in my neighborhood have no idea what I do. And I have repeat business because it's someplace that's not the Hilton, no offense, but they don't want the hotel. They want that family atmosphere where it's just a few people. They can cook. They can have community. They can be by themselves. They can play the piano. It's a really interesting setup I never intended to do, but wow, it's been fun.
SPEAKER 11 :
And here you are, Professor. You're divorced. You didn't have kids. Your wonderful, loving heart dog passed away, and you kind of solved a couple of issues here. You have a side hustle with extra income, but now you have a bunch of new friends because you have a lot of repeat people coming, and you said you – stand around the kitchen you cook together you have a glass of wine and you stand around the island in the kitchen and you have you know companionship camaraderie of friends and these people that come back some of them you really look forward to coming back you were telling me about the grandpa that the handyman you know grandpa that comes and stays with you and fixes things and it's really turned out to be a really cool communal kind of living environment
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. And I think it's just a matter of trying to find the right people because I was expecting that at some point I'd be remarried again, you know, someone else's kids, dogs, etc. And that hasn't happened yet for me. And so in the interim, I've been able to commute this with a lot of people who are also in these odd stages in their life. I've got a gal here who can't yet find a home, but she wants to stay part of a home. So while she's looking, she's staying with me. I've got a chemical engineer who's in the house who's been with me since last October who's just kind of hanging out because he doesn't want to own anything. He travels a lot, moves every couple of years, and so he's got the basement. I've got a doctor who's now just doing an internship for five weeks at one of the local community centers. medical institutes that I have. And we had one three months ago. So I get a lot of traveling doctors. I had one in the basement. I told you about, he was studying for his boards. I get a lot of traveling nurses that come in and they just, they don't want to do the hotel thing. And particularly women, they want a safe place because their pocketbooks won't go as far as some of these expensive hotels are. But they also don't want to stay at the seedy hotels because of their pocketbook that aren't safe. And so I give them a little bit of a bridge between. And we have found, matter of fact, here's an interesting thing. You know what happened with the Iran attacks, right? There were four people in my house. And I didn't even know because there were two of us sitting in the living room. That's where the community TV is. And one of them came down and he goes, did you hear about the attacks? And we're like, no. So we turn on the TV. everybody comes down from their rooms we sit in front of the tv for like three hours trying to process the fear factor we're all together most of them are out of town we ordered carrot cake and had drinks and wine and just sat there and i don't mean to make light that we made a party out of it but we needed to have that fear factor and we experienced it at a community together even though these people were their families were hundreds of thousands of miles away i was their family that night and it's a community we all slept easier knowing that we were all there together instead of
SPEAKER 11 :
in a hotel room by yourself it was really a unique experience well and you've got companionship and you're making money you know i mean you've got absolutely you know you could have three to four different people renting in the home and my sister divided it up in a way that was even hers is more separate than yours because she was doing long term so she literally like locked off you know sections of her home where people one was short-term airbnb but the other two We're long term. And and then she has another rental home that has a guest house in the back, a small one. But, you know, she rents out both of those properties as well. And so that really, as a single mom, helped her supplement her income in a very effective manner. And it's just a really neat side hustle. And the home that we're looking at for my son in Boulder, Colorado is. He has a separate garage that we're going to convert into where he will live, and then we'll rent out the whole home, the rest of the home once we finish that. He'll live in it first, and then once we finish the garage conversion, we'll rent out the home to college students.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, we're in a housing situation where it's so out of reach for many people. Yes. All they can do is afford to rent a home. So you're essentially being, instead of a condo, you're making an apartment out of a house, but with a communal living space if they choose to have it. You just have to look at the space because I never looked at the space when I bought this home for that purpose. When I do this again, I like what your sister is doing to have those separate entities because it is safer. It is more autonomic. And then you have options that I can't convert this house the way it was designed, not to mention there's only a limit of space. garage space and zoning and in car space in the driveway, et cetera, et cetera. So I think there's a lot of this because a lot of people don't like the, the, I'm going to live with 2000 of my closest friends, even a hotel. They like that more intimate setting. They like that ability to cook and to have company.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, the cooking saves so much money, but second in the company is nice. But the most important thing for me that you mentioned was the safety aspect. Like once I've stayed, let's say there once and then I go, oh, wow, this is safe. I like Cheryl. She's a professor. There's a doctor staying here, a chemical engineer. Like, how cool is this? I feel safe because I don't like staying in a hotel by myself. I recently went to Nashville and spent several days alone, and I did not in one particular hotel feel safe at all. I felt like, oh, my goodness, I wanted to have one of those things you put on the door that when it wiggles, you know, it makes a noise. And, oh, I wanted to add, you know, so you know when someone's trying to get in. And, of course, I used the second lock. But I wanted to tell you my – we're talking about side hustles. I'm going to send my daughter to college with her nail light to do gel nails because she does those. And also she does eyelashes, which those eyelash extensions that are semi-permanent can be $200 sometimes when you have them put them on and then another $100 a month to like upkeep them. So I said, why don't you just I know it's hard to charge your friends, but tell them you're charging just a little bit for time and the supplies and charge like twenty five dollars. And then she may not have to get a job in college and she can just do the volleyball team eyelashes and other girls, you know, in her dorm. So it'll be a dorm full of girls with eyelashes and she can make money on the side doing that. And it'll fit with her athlete schedule, which, you know, is so busy. All right. We're about out of time. Dr. Cheryl Lentz dot com. Fun to talk about side hustles. Stick around because I've got another guest joining us now as we turn a corridor here. We always love having Valerie Greenberg on the show. So as you joined us. Yes. Well, summer is in full swing, and that means it's time for sun, fun, and summer must-haves. Joining us for the look at what's trending this season is celebrity lifestyle expert Valerie Greenberg. She's the founder of You've Been Validated, a celebrity website, and a regular guest on national TV. Welcome back, Valerie Greenberg.
SPEAKER 04 :
Angie, it's always great to chat with you. Thank you for the warm intro, of course.
SPEAKER 11 :
You're welcome. I love following you and seeing all your adventures on social media. I get a kick out of it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, that means so much.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, tell me, what are, since we're seeing so many celebs in the news, you know, with the big wedding recently, what are celebrity A-listers including on their must-have list for this summer?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, Angie, if you've been following me, you know. So I have a book coming out, and it releases in September. It's called You've Been Validated, A Playbook for Confidence and Connection. And I actually interviewed 15 different celebrities in the material. So it's on all of their must-have lists. So you can get ahead of the herbs. and pre-order it now on Amazon. And it's all about honing in on your superpowers, lifting your spirits, going for your dreams, tenacity, grit, hustle, surrounding yourself with a community of people that lift you higher. And that's exactly what these celebs have done for me. And I'm so excited to be able to share these stories through the material.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right. Well, let's talk about some must-haves for getting creative.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. Okay. So summer is a great time to start off some style. And Cricut Joy Extra literally lets you personalize every project with pro-level ease. So from custom pickleball paddles to s'mores caddies, custom water bottle stickers, and sunny t-shirts, you can literally do it all. So this is a compact, smart cutting machine, making it easy to add a personal touch to all your seasonal must-haves. Cricut Joy Extra cuts over 50 materials like vinyl and cardstock and iron-on, so you can really just say hello to professional-looking, beautiful-colored stickers that labels, cards, tags, T-shirts, signs, and so much more. It's like really a great way to get in the spirit for any type of event you want to personalize. And the Cricut Joy Extra was designed also to fit in any space because it's compact. So that's pretty great too.
SPEAKER 11 :
One of my friends uses it. She's a professional chef, like a big famous chef, and she uses it for her events to decorate her tables. And I was actually considering getting one for my daughter because I want her to have a side hustle at school because she's going for volleyball to college.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 11 :
And I thought in the dorm, you know, she could help with blankets or for the volleyball team to do different things that are personalized.
SPEAKER 04 :
And also like a bonding activity if you're creating, you know, personalized items for people.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, and to make a little money so she doesn't have to get a real job.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely. Listen, that hustle is real. I like it.
SPEAKER 11 :
I travel a lot this summer. I'm sure you do too. So what should travelers watch out for when they're planning trips online this summer? Any tips in that arena?
SPEAKER 04 :
I don't know about you, Angie, but I get like an influx of these phony texts all the time. And so scammers are no different when it comes to traveling because they know that we're looking for great deals. So they're ready to try to cash in. But guess what? Thank goodness McAfee scam detector works. is going to help keep us safe. So whether you're at home or enjoying the summer on a getaway, it uses advanced AI to spot and stop scams across text, email, and video platforms before they can do harm. And a lot of us have fast fingers, so it's important not to click. And this is like a digital version of a trusted friend tapping you on your shoulder and saying, hey, that doesn't look right. And it's available now in all core McAfee plans at no extra cost because everyone deserves to be safe and have peace of mind online.
SPEAKER 11 :
I know the kids are out of school right now, so they're spending a lot more. How can people stay on top of their spending this summer?
SPEAKER 04 :
This is very important, especially for the young ones. Between trips, events, and all those little extras, the spending can sneak up on you. It's happened to me. Experian is helping make it easier for us to manage our money with tools that go beyond just credit scores. Listen to this. It's like your financial BFF, your big financial friend, offering resources that can help you find the right credit card and stay on top of your finances. And with a paid membership, they can actually help you lower rates on bills and cancel unwanted subscriptions. Now, they've even launched a new campaign to show how they support your full financial life, and head to Experian.com and check that out.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right. Any other summer must-haves?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. My favorite sale of the year happens to be the biggest event for McKenzie Childs. It's their barn sale, and it's happening from July 17th to the 21st. You can save up to 60% on more than 2,000 hand-picked items from seasonal items to their iconic courtly check tea kettle to beautifully painted ceramics and enamelware. And for the first time, select pieces from their rosy check collection and a brand-new line by tastemaker Megan Stokes will be included. New items are dropping daily, so head to McKenzieTiles.com each day to grab the best deals before they're gone.
SPEAKER 11 :
Okay, how can we find out more info and give us where to reach you as well?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, so everybody go to tipsontv.com to find out all about the Summer Must Haves and message me on Instagram at Val Greenberg or my website, youvebeenvalidated.com and grab the book at Amazon or on barnesandnoble.com.
SPEAKER 11 :
Excellent. Always fun, friends.
SPEAKER 04 :
So much fun, Angie. And this book would actually be great and all the items here for your daughter as well.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
Join us for a lively discussion as guest host Andy Peth takes the helm, filling in for John Rush. The episode kicks off with some light-hearted banter and quickly transitions into a heated political debate over a major bill and its implications for the next presidential election. The conversation highlights the strategic necessity behind political decisions and how public perceptions shape policies—an eye-opener for those curious about the behind-the-scenes of Capitol Hill.
SPEAKER 04 :
It's finally Friday on Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush. So I tell him I'm a pro, Jack. And who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama himself. So we finish 18, and he's going to sniff me. And I say, hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know? And he says, oh, it won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness. So I got that going. And movie reviews with Andy Payne.
SPEAKER 14 :
I think that you got the wrong impression about me. I think in all fairness, I should explain to you exactly what it is that I do.
SPEAKER 10 :
What I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.
SPEAKER 12 :
What do you want to do tonight?
SPEAKER 04 :
Same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world. Stick a fork in me, Jerry. I'm done.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, here is your host of Rush to Reason, John Rush.
SPEAKER 01 :
Filling in is Andy Pate, party of choice.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I'm your host, Andy Pate, filling in for John Rush today. One more day. John's going to be back next week. We are going to be off for the rest of the week. Doing best of shows should be a lot of fun. I'm joined, of course, by Luke Cash and Tanner Coleman. I thought I'd throw it in for you because you haven't been manly enough lately.
SPEAKER 06 :
What, you can't handle this type of flow?
SPEAKER 03 :
I really can't. I just can't.
SPEAKER 07 :
I can't handle that. I'm standing on business.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right. We've got a lot of Hollywood stuff to get to here in a moment. But first, I just want to talk for a moment about the big, beautiful bill. Just one little bit of politics. I just want to tell people. I know right now there are a lot of people out there who are complaining that it is too big and it's spending too much. I want you to know I agree. But it has to. OK, because guess what? Right now, about 65 percent of Americans oppose the big, beautiful bill. And it's not because if you look at the districts where they oppose it, it's not because it spends too much. It's because it spends too little. So for all my libertarian leaning friends out there, for all the Rand Pauls, for all the Thomas Massey's and those folks, I just want to be a little bit realistic with you. If we put through anything even remotely close to what you want or what I want, because fiscally, that's that's where I am. OK, I'm far right. I would be cut, cut, cut, cut, cut. Folks, if we did that, I guarantee you we would lose at least 20 to 30 seats in the House in 2026. Okay? What does that mean? That means the last two years of Trump's presidency, there is no Trump presidency. Not a good idea. So, folks, I'm really hoping, really hoping in the next day or two they pass this thing, put it through. I know there's more spending than we want, but the purest notion that we can just get by without it isn't going to work. If we do that, we lose the house. We lose it massively. in 2026 and one other thing uh i was noticing that some people were saying why are we doing it so quickly why does it have to be right now why does it got to be right now let me tell you and i'm going to throw it to you guys because too many american voters are dumb all right and here's what i mean when you've got 65 percent and this is 70% independents, by the way, who are looking at this, this thing that barely cuts, and saying it's not enough spending, and we're going to have all these terrible things happening. We're going to lose our medical. We're going to lose our homes. We're going to lose everything. There's going to be fires in the street. It's going to be L.A., but nationally. And they're saying this. This means that they do not know what's coming. And so if we pass this right away, it means it's going to have a full year before the next election season for them to see. Guess what? The only people off Medicaid are the ones who shouldn't have been on Medicaid. OK, that it's not the worst thing in the world for Medicare recipients. I mean, I'm sorry, not Medicare, but for welfare recipients to work 20 hours a week and pitch in a little bit that the world is not going to end. They need to see that there's going to be an economic boom. They need to see all the goodness. And they need to see it for an extended period of time. So once again, Rand Paul, Thomas Massey, I got news for you. Your economics are exactly the same as mine. I agree with you on virtually everything under the sun. But it won't sell. Not enough Americans agree with you. And we need that. Thoughts?
SPEAKER 06 :
Agreed. I briefly looked over the bill today. I thought there was a lot of good things in there. Some things I wasn't 100% sure on. But the fact that we have millions of Americans that haven't worked real jobs in who knows how long and who knows if they ever have is kind of shocking. And it goes to show you kind of the direction our country has been heading in for a while.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's laziness. And you can't just care in the world about our country.
SPEAKER 03 :
And you can't just turn that ship suddenly. Can you, Luke? I mean, if you do that suddenly, they're just going to vote you out. That's true. They need transition. You got to turn the barge around right now. You've got an entire America that's been educated by the public education system for several decades. They're not suddenly going to become perfect, wonderful capitalists overnight. Is that fair? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Now, that's enough of that. I want to talk a little Hollywood. Did you hear who the next James Bond might be?
SPEAKER 06 :
No. I always thought he was a black lesbian.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, yeah, of course.
SPEAKER 06 :
But if they don't do that, failing that... Is it the Ariana Grande's other half? No.
SPEAKER 03 :
Tom Holland.
SPEAKER 06 :
I don't mind that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Do you know Tom Holland? Of course. Oh, come on!
SPEAKER 06 :
Uncharted, Spider-Man.
SPEAKER 03 :
He's 5'7". Well... He's a shrimp. What's he going to do, secret missions to the Shire?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, look at Tom Cruise out there.
SPEAKER 1 :
What?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, but he's not Tom Cruise, okay? No, Tom Holland's too boyish. He's boyish.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, that's better, I think.
SPEAKER 03 :
Does Tom Holland have Cruise as cool?
SPEAKER 06 :
No. No.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, granted, they're both, shall we say... Manlets. Hot. Little people. What?
SPEAKER 1 :
Jeez.
SPEAKER 03 :
You're so troubled. You're so troubled. So, I just want to get an idea. Who do you guys think should be the next James Bond?
SPEAKER 07 :
Me, personally? If I had dealer's choice, Henry Cavill. Oh, I like that. I think he would be a killer James Bond. He's got charisma. He's got size. He's got some charm to him. He's a great actor. I think he'd do excellent.
SPEAKER 03 :
I've got another choice, but first I want to hear yours.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think just bring back Daniel Craig. Screw it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, he's getting old. He's getting old. By the way, he's not that tall either. But my only problem, and who do you want again? Henry Cavill. Only problem is he's getting up there. Henry Cavill is not a young guy anymore. So he's going to age quickly. And this was a problem. They took way too long to put Pierce Brosnan into it so he could only do a few movies. I want to run one by you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
Timothee Chalamet from from Dune.
SPEAKER 06 :
I feel like that's the same route as Holland.
SPEAKER 07 :
I feel like he's also.
SPEAKER 03 :
No, he's taller.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, yeah. I mean, he he doesn't look 30 and he's 30.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. But I mean, so you don't think so. You don't think I mean, he's a dreamboat for all the girls. They go crazy over him. Any young guy can put on a few pounds in the weight room.
SPEAKER 07 :
I think maybe in 20 years he can play that role.
SPEAKER 03 :
20 years?
SPEAKER 07 :
You want him to start when he's 50? Well, when he's 50, he'll look 35, and then I think that'll be appropriate.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, we want 007, not 77. I'm trying to get something a little more youthful, somebody who can actually play for a long time. I guess I'm not selling well, am I? He's a great actor.
SPEAKER 07 :
He's a great actor. I think he's too similar to Tom Holland. I think they feel like the same niche.
SPEAKER 03 :
But he's taller and he's cooler than Tom Holland. He's cooler.
SPEAKER 07 :
He's cooler. He is taller, but he's not manlier.
SPEAKER 06 :
I'm still in for, I don't know, I can't think of any young male actor that's coming up other than those two.
SPEAKER 07 :
Charlie Grimes is the next James Bond.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, he turned it down.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think they gave... There was a page.
SPEAKER 07 :
Charlie's ankles.
SPEAKER 03 :
He said, my ankles. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think they were... I saw something at some point once they were done with Craig that they would switch over to Idris Elba, but he's also 50, so... Ah, go with Abe Black, James Bond. He's English, too.
SPEAKER 03 :
There are several who would be cool. And Idris would have been very cool, but he's too old.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, he's already too old. Sorry, man. Jamie Foxx could do well.
SPEAKER 03 :
Too old.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Come on, what is with you and the octogenarians that you want to be James Bond? I think James Bond needs to be... Are you saying he'd look really cool with a cane?
SPEAKER 07 :
I think you've got to go for the silver fox, a little salt and pepper in the hair kind of look. I feel like that's very... What about Daniel Radcliffe? Daniel Radcliffe, huh?
SPEAKER 06 :
5'1 out there, however tall he is.
SPEAKER 03 :
uh no harry potter getting back to the shire uh no that's not actually gonna work okay so we disagree on that personally i don't think any of them are going to be it can't no it can't be tom holland i'm sorry he's a little shrimp i mean that's why he makes such a good spider-man that boyish face the look the tiny physique go ahead
SPEAKER 06 :
Aaron Taylor Johnson is my pick.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 06 :
Young, British, cool, kind of... That one will work. Kind of a badass, so, I mean... That one will work. I could see it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. That one I'm going to give you, and one second here. Do we have someone chiming in? Is this John and Cheyenne? Yeah, hey.
SPEAKER 05 :
Hey, Andy.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hey, John. What do you got for us?
SPEAKER 05 :
The guy, I can't remember his name. I'm drawing a blank that was in... played Elton John in the Elton John movies. Well, he's pretty short, too. What is this? It's hard to tell, but what about the other guy, Colin? Colin Firth? Is he too old now?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, he's too old. Colin Farrell's too old. Colin Firth is too old. All the Collins are too old. Nobody's naming their kid Colin anymore.
SPEAKER 05 :
Because they're all too old?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, unless they're a girl. I mean, it's a whole different age, man.
SPEAKER 05 :
How about we reverse it? Since they keep getting an American, an Englishman to play Superman, how about we get an American to play Bond?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, Chalamet is French, I believe. So at least I was going with that. So I was going off the island.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think John was talking about Taron Egerton.
SPEAKER 03 :
Edgerton.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. Kingsman as well.
SPEAKER 03 :
Edgerton, yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
He's not bad.
SPEAKER 03 :
No, I really like him, but he, again... It really worked for him to... What was it, Eggsy? Was that the role he played? Yeah. But that worked better, once again, because he was short. It kind of worked for the role, because he was a student. You know? I don't know. I want somebody... Look, Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, these guys were tall. We just did a guy who was, I think, the lowest we can go. Was he 5'9"? Terrence 5'9", as well.
SPEAKER 07 :
i don't want to do it again i want somebody who's eight foot okay eight feet tall i want michael bay's optimus prime the robot to play oh that would be great he can transform into a truck i mean all the gadgets are right there no think about it noodle is in it what's that john what's those british cars that they always drive Austin Martin.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, and Aston Martin. Yeah, he could transfer. That's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's right there.
SPEAKER 03 :
He could become his own Aston Martin.
SPEAKER 07 :
If they end up using that, I'll send them a bill.
SPEAKER 03 :
These are great ideas. These are going to sell.
SPEAKER 07 :
Aaron Taylor Johnson's 511.
SPEAKER 03 :
I'm going to go with him.
SPEAKER 05 :
And he's built, too. One other comment real quick. Go ahead. The reason they didn't go to Pierce Brosnan sooner is that NBC wouldn't let him do it because of his Remington Steel contract.
SPEAKER 03 :
I know.
SPEAKER 05 :
I know. And it really bugged a lot of people. Yeah, because he would have had the Timothy Dalton movies would have been his in addition to the ones he did. And it would have gave him, what, like a seven movie run or something?
SPEAKER 03 :
You think so? I think so because he was so... You know who should have done it when he was young and they could fake that he had hair? Jason Statham. Would he have been great?
SPEAKER 05 :
I love him.
SPEAKER 03 :
He would have been good. He would have been so cool.
SPEAKER 05 :
Andy, I'll talk to you at 4.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hey, John, I'll talk to you at 4. You take care. Okay. And one other thing really quick here, and then we're going to take a break because I've got a couple of movies coming up, but I want to take a little time with this. Okay. Once again, Elio, the producers are whining about Elio, saying that it's because we did an original story. No, that's not why nobody's going to Elio. Okay. I'm going to just put it to you guys. I put it to John. I'm going to put it to you guys. What if next summer Pixar came out with a movie that was masculine? I'm not talking toxic masculine, okay? I'm just talking masculine. Like, Cars was masculine, you know what I mean? Toy Story actually had a masculine feel to it. You could be masculine, you could be feminine. It celebrated both genders equally. It was just fun because Elio had literally no masculinity whatsoever in the movie. The director was gay. I don't know if that played into it or not. Definitely. Maybe it played into it. He didn't write it, though, so who knows? But this was, you just put out a movie that toxic masculinity was the villain. There was no masculinity whatsoever in the entire movie. And by the way, the last several Pixars have had no masculinity or virtually none. What if they turned that around and stopped hating men and made a movie, a good one? What do you think? Would it sell?
SPEAKER 06 :
I think it would sell more than Elio or whatever it's called. ELO.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, because it wasn't that bad of a movie. It was an average movie, but it bombed. It had the worst start out ever for a Pixar. What do you think, Luke? I just think they've gone way too one way.
SPEAKER 07 :
I think the biggest issue isn't masculine or feminine. It's just, it's saying nothing. It's all just like studio corporate slop. It's like there is no intent. There's no message. There's no artistry behind it. It is movies designed in a boardroom to hit market points.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, they had a hardcore agenda in this movie.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, but I think, agenda or not, it's an agenda built by... the market, right? Where it's like, here are points on our Excel sheet that we think will sell well.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. Then meet me halfway. Cause I think it was an agenda built on their view of the market, which is like, so you're, because you're right. They were hitting all the market points, but only on the left.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right. There's like, if we do this, people will love it. If we do this, people love it. But there's no like, I don't know. You look at Toy Story, right? Toy Story had a message, right? There's artistry behind there.
SPEAKER 03 :
Beautiful message. Innovative.
SPEAKER 07 :
Exactly. But that wasn't a message built to a market share. That was a message built by someone who had something important to say that they cared about. And this is just, it's just studio corporate slop. It's just, here's all the stuff that we think will sell well with a certain audience and we'll throw it in there for, you know, points.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think they've got to let guys back in.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
But I think everything you just said is true as well. Basically, quit reeling off corporate points and selling points and make an actual story, but also bring the guys back in because, hey, guess what? We're not the evil ones. Sound good? Do we agree? Yeah. Have we fixed Pixar?
SPEAKER 07 :
I think so.
SPEAKER 03 :
Maybe. Let's take a break. We'll come back and do some movies. Up next is Dr. Scott Faulkner. Get a doctor who innovates to keep you safe and healthy. For you, First Medicine, on the cutting edge, call Dr. Scott. at 303-663-6990.
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SPEAKER 15 :
Suck it up, buttercup. Back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason. Denver's Afternoon Rush. KLZ 560. Andy Pate filling in for John Rush. Along with Tanner Cole. Man. And Luke Cash.
SPEAKER 07 :
Man.
SPEAKER 03 :
Luke. Yeah. It's that time again. I got a question for you.
SPEAKER 07 :
It is? Are you ready for a movie? Yes! I'm always ready!
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, you might actually like this movie. I'm not sure. Okay, well, it's time for another post-apocalyptic horror film in 40 Acres.
SPEAKER 05 :
How to kill all mosquitoes in the area in just minutes.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, that was an ad, but there's a post-apocalyptic horror to it. Do you feel that too? Because in a post-apocalyptic world, we're going to have mosquitoes everywhere.
SPEAKER 07 :
What do you think? For a brief second, I thought it was like a really artfully done introduction to a movie trailer where it'll start with an ad and zoom out to something. I don't know.
SPEAKER 03 :
Somebody's screaming, oh, no, the mosquitoes. And you're in Japan, and you see thousands of people running from one side of the screen to the other to get away from the kaiju. What do you think?
SPEAKER 07 :
Scooby-Doo style, like move through the doorways. Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER 06 :
AI made a killer mosquito, and that's the end of the world.
SPEAKER 07 :
You know what? You know what? Pixar, I'm here.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, it would be a love story. Okay, I would make it and a musical at the same time.
SPEAKER 07 :
Do like a, it's like the Bee movie, but with a mosquito in it. Okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let's get back to 40 Acres.
SPEAKER 09 :
I know I've been hard on y'all. It takes hard work to survive. I've got the 24 to Freeman Live. You copy? Ain't nobody pushing the seed through the soil, is there? No, ma'am. There's nobody else out there like us. Freeman One, do you copy? We don't need nothing and nobody. Reload. Work now. Yes, come on. Augusta 24, Freeman One, do you copy? Afternoon, Augusta.
SPEAKER 14 :
You've heard about the attack by now?
SPEAKER 09 :
Thought your Union army was going to come and take care of it.
SPEAKER 14 :
They're dead. All of them.
SPEAKER 08 :
We could have left. People forget what animals were like.
SPEAKER 09 :
But what matters now is how we react. Shoot first. Don't ask questions. We ain't waiting on no revenge. They gonna end up dead anyway.
SPEAKER 04 :
I'm right there. Need help?
SPEAKER 09 :
Please.
SPEAKER 1 :
Oh, me.
SPEAKER 09 :
It's right here.
SPEAKER 16 :
You don't want us to trust anyone because you can't trust anyone else.
SPEAKER 09 :
We don't need nothing and nobody.
SPEAKER 16 :
Get back.
SPEAKER 1 :
Please.
SPEAKER 09 :
Please.
SPEAKER 1 :
Oh, God.
SPEAKER 09 :
Freeman 1 to Augusta 24, do you copy? We found your damn animals.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now pick up. All right, Luke, does that sound scarier than mosquitoes?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, here we go. We've got to race through this because we've got a couple to do quick. In the future, the world has been decimated by a fungal pandemic. Kind of killed everything. Then you had civil war and then a famine. Now those remaining must focus on one thing. What to eat. That makes sense, right? Thus, mankind has returned to an agrarian age where good farmland is like gold. Not only must farmers work tirelessly to bring in the crops, but they must constantly fend off attackers trying to get in and steal from them. Well, this brings us to the Freeman family. Led by Mother Haley, she's played by Danielle Deadweiler. I don't know if you know her, but she's a wonderful actress. Anyway, they are well-armed and skilled in both farming and killing to live. Another pronounced aspect of this family is their incredible work ethic. As Haley reminds them, we work now, we rest when we're dead. That's life for the Freemans. Well, naturally, this can be a bit much for the kids, right? But they manage. Problem is, they're totally isolated except for radio contact with surrounding farms. They don't know anyone. But now, one by one, these farms are going silent. Someone is taking them out. Remember how I said the focus was one thing, what to eat? Okay, well, it turns out there's something else beyond corn crops. What if some people started eating people? Uh-oh.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yum.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, that would be bad. Delicious. Yeah, delicious. It appears there are a large number of cannibals moving through the area, descending on farmers and feeding on them. What was always a war for survival is now a horrifying battle against the worst mankind can become. So here we have the Freemans no longer just fighting for their farm, but for their lives. These aren't zombies they're facing, since zombies don't use guns. These are guys coming with guns, right? They're hunting them. And since the Freemans are so isolated, they have no idea who to trust. And that is the story of 40 Acres. What do you think?
SPEAKER 07 :
I think it sounds pretty interesting.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, it does. Well, what works in 40 Acres? First of all, in the midst of horror, this film conveys a hopeful sentiment about family. Very nice sentiment. I liked it. There is some superb acting, especially from Deadweiler. She's a force. And she always is, any movie she's in. You probably don't know her. You kind of have to be a movie geek like me, but trust me, she's good. Kateem O'Connor, he's a young guy. He shines as her son, Emmanuel, while Michael Greyeyes, I don't know if you know him, he's gritty as this older guy, Galen. And he's an Indian actor, and he's always been very good. There's also a good beginning with Kills in a Cornfield, and there's a good ending. All right. What doesn't work in 40 Acres? Unfortunately, everything else. All right.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, no.
SPEAKER 03 :
I hate to say it. Well, it's terribly slow. It takes three quarters of the film before the villains show up. I'm not kidding. Let me say that again. It takes three quarters of the film before the villains show up. It's far too slow in the horror buildup. We always talk about horror, right? Horror movies, it is such a directing balance. You've got to make sure that you build up enough for the horror to make it scary enough, but not too much to lose interest. Guys, I was nodding off. I know I'm an old man, but really, I shouldn't be just nodding off there while I'm watching a horror film. This thing was plodding until the last quarter. Next, I hate to say this, this is truly the most racist film I've seen in many years. This film is to BLM what Barbie was to radical feminism. It is. Virtually all the cannibals are white. White people are either evil, desperate, incompetent, or flat-out helpless in this movie, while black and indigenous people are all good, well-meaning, courageous, and fantastic warriors. No. We have to always ask ourselves this question, Tanner. What if it were the opposite?
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, so what if... People would actually have heard of this movie.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, yes, exactly, yes. What if it were black and Indian people who were evil, desperate, incompetent, and flat-out helpless, you know, while the white people were all good, well-meaning, courageous, and fantastic warriors, but they were being eaten by these evil black and indigenous people? their studio would be firebombed, right? I mean, the protests would be everywhere. By the way, you're right. People would actually have heard about 40 Acres because no one's heard of it because they have no budget pushing this movie, which surprises me. I've actually been looking forward to this movie for about six months. But unbelievable. The depiction of the races was what it had to be the most slanted I've seen maybe in five years. I don't know. I've seen so many hundreds of movies. I lose track, but it was unbelievable, incredibly bigoted. The worst part, though, of this movie had nothing to do with race. It was the pace. Under two hours, and it felt like three hours. The middle portion, I love the opening scene. Now, once again, they're having to kill a bunch of white folk coming on their land because the white folk are all coming to get them or whatever. But at least it was a really cool scene. Very excellent action. I liked it. I liked the cornfield scene. And I liked the ending. The middle was slow as could be. And it wasted some really good performances. The guy who plays her son is just terrific. uh katimo connor get used to him i want to see him in more stuff because he wasn't just a tough kid he was he had a lot of feeling he was very torn on what he had to do you know killing it was very hard for him just to go out and kill i know he's gee i'm doing it for the family but really so i was very impressed okay and finally here's a smaller thing there was no they're driving their vehicles around right in this post-apocalyptic world where'd they get the gas There are no gas stations. There's nothing, okay? They don't go anywhere. I mean, they don't go far. So where are they getting the gas? Where are they filling up if they have no contact with the surrounding world?
SPEAKER 07 :
That's a great question.
SPEAKER 03 :
Sorry, but for me, you know, and they're rationing bullets and so forth. I'm thinking, well, that's probably pretty wise. Where are you getting them at all? Yeah. I suppose maybe. Well, they did have an armory, which is very cool. Tons of cool guns. And so I guess they just had she was ex-military. So I guess they just still had it. But eventually that's going to run out.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. Well, I mean, fire a couple of rounds and.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, pretty quick. Yeah.
SPEAKER 06 :
It reminds me of a movie we talked about earlier this year, like A Black Family in the Woods, post-apocalyptic. Right. I can't remember what it was.
SPEAKER 03 :
That one was a little better. It was still slow, but it was a little bit better. This one was very slow. Although, I will say, when the bad guys are closing in on the farm, then it picks up. But that's toward the end, right? You're talking the last quarter. The last quarter of this movie, in my opinion, was at least four-star. Okay. Okay, but that's a quarter of a film.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. Let's get a battle at some point.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It took way too long. Okay. Rotten Tomatoes gave 40 acres. What do you think?
SPEAKER 1 :
86.
SPEAKER 03 :
86. What do you guess?
SPEAKER 1 :
89. 89.
SPEAKER 03 :
88. My gosh, you guys are good. You guys are like really, really good.
SPEAKER 07 :
We know the critics.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. The critics love that kind of agenda. And as I always say, I separate out the quality from the political, from the more religious. Now I'm going to do it. Quality, I'm going to give this one and a half stars.
SPEAKER 10 :
Oof.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, it's pretty bad. And the reason I'm giving it... I know people are thinking, well, if it's that boring, why do you give it any? I give it that much because of the opening and ending were strong. Okay. Okay, when they do have war, when they do have people invading, and also because of the acting ability of a couple of characters. I thought it was very strong, very good. Some others were just kind of there. Okay. But... No, folks, you can't make a movie setting aside all the agenda. I don't care. Okay, the fact is you can't make a movie this boring and slow and make me want to see it. There's no way I would see it again, even if it had no agenda whatsoever. No way. And so when I think of a movie that there's absolutely no way I'd see it again, I can't give it a high grade. Fair enough? Yeah, fair enough. Okay, political, zero, obviously. I mean, it was offensive. It was... Outright offensive. By the way, I was the only white guy in the audience.
SPEAKER 06 :
What's the movie I was talking about?
SPEAKER 03 :
That's okay. I go to a lot of movies like that. I have fun, but it was just... What's the movie I was talking about, Never Let Go?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yes. Okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, which, by the way, was from a director I really like, but that one was better than this. Okay. More Religious 3. It had some downsides to it, but also a nice family message. I like that. So, More Religious, I'm giving it a 3. Do I recommend going to 40 Acres? Yes, if you are into BLM. And by the way, I'm not kidding when I say that. There are people who listen to us from the other political side. I'll just say it. If you're into BLM, then you will like the rage and hate and the depictions of people in this movie. You'll think it's really cool. Okay? Anyone else, you're going to find this offensive and, oh, by the way, boring. So, no, I don't recommend going to 40 acres. It's not worth it. Unfortunate. Yeah. But guess what? We've got another movie coming up, and it's a huge sequel. We'll do that next. First up is Veteran Windows and Doors. Shop around, but don't sign anything until you've met with Dave from Veteran. For the best quotes and better quality, call Veteran at 303-529-0720.
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SPEAKER 15 :
The best export we have is common sense. You're listening to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560, Andy Pate filling in for John Rush, along with Luke Cash and Tanner Kolb. And Tanner! What's up? Got a question for you. Yeah, what's going on? We've known each other a while, you know, so can we get a little... 40 years. Yeah, about 40 years, and you're only, what, 26? Yeah. I knew you before you were born. It was... I got great parents. You were a child of prophecy. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I got a question for you. Are you ready for a movie?
SPEAKER 10 :
I'm ready for a movie.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. Well, you know, Tanner, it's yet another reboot for the lizards who eat people in Jurassic World Rebirth.
SPEAKER 08 :
Dr. Henry Loomis, this is Zora Bennett, our mission specialist. Sorry, what mission? This would be a medical breakthrough that could save countless lives. It comes from the largest dinosaurs on the planet. Whoa. Fortunately for us, all these species exist in one isolated place. Can you be ready tomorrow?
SPEAKER 09 :
I can guarantee your safety. I mean, more or less. More or less?
SPEAKER 08 :
He's your guy?
SPEAKER 01 :
We're the best at moving things and people in and out of places they shouldn't be.
SPEAKER 04 :
We look towards Barbados, avoid government patrol, but there aren't that many anymore.
SPEAKER 08 :
Why's that?
SPEAKER 04 :
No one's dumb enough to go where we're going.
SPEAKER 14 :
This island was the research facility for the original Jurassic Park.
SPEAKER 08 :
We need DNA from the three biggest dinosaurs. Do we have to get a sample from an egg? I suppose we could try and get it from the parent, but they're a flying carnivore the size of an F-16.
SPEAKER 14 :
Maybe we should make it quick.
SPEAKER 08 :
These dinosaurs were too dangerous for the original park. The worst of the worst. We're left here.
SPEAKER 03 :
Scary, right? I was always scared by these movies. Are you guys or no?
SPEAKER 07 :
I remember when I was, because I had watched them when I was younger, I remember being pretty scared. They were, you know, they're like filmed like horror movies.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, the first one terrified me.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, dark raining. They are kind of trapped in these cars and then dinosaur comes back.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's pretty scary, dude.
SPEAKER 06 :
That got me.
SPEAKER 03 :
Although everybody laughed when the lawyer got eaten. Okay, here we go. It's been a few years since the dinosaurs spread across the earth, but guess what? Many are dying again. It seems today's Earth is generally inhospitable to the creatures, except in very tropical regions. That makes sense, right? And so we see them dying off in places like New York. Well, Scarlett Johansson, she stars as covert ops specialist Zora Bennett. After many missions, she's grown weary of danger for hire, but now a scientist has a plan to use dinosaur DNA for curing cancer. Oh, sure. That'll end well.
SPEAKER 07 :
It always does.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, yes. Well, along with paleontologist Harry Loomis, played by Jonathan Bailey, and mercenary Duncan Kincaid, played by Mahershala Ali, who is always good, Zora leads an expedition to the Caribbean island that is one of the last places that dinos thrive. It's one of the only places left. Naturally, there's danger everywhere. The mission? A mega-rich pharmaceutical company. Have you noticed how these are now the villains in many films? Pharmaceutical companies.
SPEAKER 06 :
They have been for decades. They are real-life villains, so it's like an easy parallel.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's been cranked up.
SPEAKER 06 :
This is our new dinosaur. Pfizer.
SPEAKER 03 :
Pfizer. I know. The Pfizer pod. I mean, they're terrible. Well, anyway, they want to get DNA samples from three specific dinosaurs. These dinos must be living, which makes the venture incredibly risky. And you can't just go up and say, hey, can I have a sample? Right. Just go in the bathroom. Sign this release form real quick. Yeah, it doesn't quite go that well, but the payoff is massive. Well, the dinos aren't making it easy, and they attack from land, sea, and air. Plenty of people become dino food, of course, while our core characters must find ways to survive. But can they survive? This place is just terrifying, and hungry T-Rex wants lunch. Mmm, delicious. What do you think, Tanner?
SPEAKER 06 :
I love Scarlett Johansson, but I don't have a lot of hope for this one.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I like her. She's got good personality.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, here we go. First of all, what works in Jurassic World Rebirth? Well, the CGI blending with live action is as good as ever. Very impressive. Very impressive what they do. You can always tell they put the money into it and the time. Second, there are plenty of creative kills and tense moments. Some very good ones. You got one along a cliff. You got one when they're in a boat going down, right, going out at sea. And they've got the sea ones all over the place. Very cool. Very well done. I just thought that they got more creative with the types of kills and their directions that the dinosaurs came from in this movie. That was neat. Joe Hanson, she's a pure movie star offering the big screen gravitas we need from our heroine. And she does a good job with it. In fact, each of the characters has played pretty well. They really are. You've got, of course, the guy from the pharmaceutical company is obviously a jerk. I mean, you know, they have to do that every time. everybody is quite good the script is probably the best in recent years for the franchise i would say well no no you know what i'm gonna back off on that i'm gonna take i'm gonna take some shots at the script here in a moment i think i was too nice let me let me drop that But they have a family in this that is a rather touching family that they have, and they're trying to survive as well. They've been kind of shipwrecked out there by the dinosaurs, and they're trying to survive as well. So pretty good. Okay. And, of course, the action scenes are just very high action. These things are everywhere. Now, what doesn't work in Jurassic World Rebirth? It feels like a rehash. Okay. Very, very predictable. This guy's going to die. You just know it. That guy, too. It's like watching a group of teens entering a cabin in a slasher flick.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Don't go in there. It's so formulaic.
SPEAKER 07 :
I'm hearing just the trailer. It sounded almost exactly like Kong Skull Island. Yeah, I know. You remember that from back in the day.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I know. It totally does.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's the same setup, same plot, same situation. Interesting.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I mean, it was just crazy what it was like, and it was so predictable. I didn't know what to do with it. The characters have interest, but they fall short of the Goldblum gang from the original. They're not nearly as good, and I'll get to why in a moment. And I don't know how many times they can replay the old greedy companies with evil scientists do something really stupid theme. I mean, really? You've beat that to death, guys. The horse, it's not just dead. It's been buried for years.
SPEAKER 06 :
And it's children.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, it's just like, stop! But here was the biggest thing. Scarlett Johansson is actually a very good comedic actress. I don't know if you know this. She can turn a line. She can turn a phrase.
SPEAKER 06 :
She was fantastic in the Moon Landing movie. I thought that was the best she's ever done.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, well, she can do it. Jonathan Bailey can do it. Maher Shali Ali can do it, and some of the others can do it. Here's what got me. I was watching the movie. There were so many times... when they had a perfect opportunity for a humorous moment. All they had to do was plug in a funny line. I was writing the lines in my head as I was watching it. I was like, oh, you should have said this then. Oh, you should have said that then. It would have been really funny. Oh, man, you could have put this in there. This movie was not very funny at all. It had a little bit of humor. It could have had so much. And so while I was watching this movie, I was just seeing wasted potential, wasted potential, wasted potential. And that is not what you want for a summer blockbuster. I don't think this thing is going to do that well. I mean, obviously, it's going to have a big week one. It's July 4th. It's the big July 4th movie. It's certainly not going to be taken down by 40 acres. Okay, it just isn't. But I think they fell short. Okay, Rotten Tomatoes gave this movie 52%. They were not impressed either. Well, once again, you're watching pure formula. It was just pure formula. A lot of impressive stuff. Some impressive moments. But pure formula. I think you had an underused cast. Really. Scarlett Johansson can fly a lot higher, guys. You can do more with her and... To me, it seemed like she was kind of mailing it in because she didn't have much to work with.
SPEAKER 06 :
They focused a little too much on the CGI and not the actual content of the movie.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. And Luke, you've seen movies where you've known a lot of great actors. Oh, yeah. And you've seen them in a movie where the script, let's face it, is not really doing much with it. And you can just see the actor kind of mail it in.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. Where's my check? And I was kind of seeing that with her. A couple others were trying, but it just wasn't good.
SPEAKER 1 :
52%.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, quality, I'm going to go right down the middle, two and a half stars. This is not a bad movie. I certainly wasn't bored. I mean, there were a lot of scary moments, right? A fair amount of action. And the formula... such that it is, at least it works, right? Political, I'm going to go two stars. Why? Because I'm just sick of beating up on big companies and this. They had a real strong message about We shouldn't... Pharmaceutical companies shouldn't get rich. They should just... There shouldn't be any patents. Everybody should be able to sell everything. And I'm just kind of like, I'm sorry, guys. The free market don't work that way. Without the profit motive, none of this happens, okay? More religious, three. There was nothing in it objectionable at all. It was fine. Do I recommend going to Jurassic World Rebirth? You know, sure. Sure. Why not? It's not bad. It feels like a summer blockbuster. It's a little boring, but it's got plenty of tension, plenty of eating, okay? And, you know, not a great script, but that's okay. You'll get through it. And, by the way, there's going to be a sequel coming after it, so it'll set you up. What do you think? Tanner, you look bored.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, I'm not going to see it.
SPEAKER 03 :
You're not going to see it. It's not doing it for you. Luke, I know it's not an art film.
SPEAKER 07 :
No, I'll just go watch the original.
SPEAKER 03 :
What if they had all the dinosaurs wearing turtlenecks? Would you go?
SPEAKER 07 :
I'd consider that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Would that be arty enough?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, let's take a break. We'll come back. We'll do question of the day. Here we go. Geno's Auto Service is next. If you're on the west side of town, get your car fixed by the best. Go to Geno's Auto, where great customer reviews tell the story. Call Geno's at 303-794-6700.
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Ridgeline Auto Brokers. Right now, new cars are too expensive. Have you guys seen some of the new car prices? Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 07 :
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SPEAKER 18 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560, Andy Pate filling in for John Rush once again, along with Tanner Cole and Luke Cash. Man. All right, guys, let's do yesterday's impossible question. Actually, on Monday, I couldn't get to it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
We were a little too filled, but here we go. We're going to do Mondays today because there was none for today. Perfect. Now you know. Okay. What does the 1967 Outer Space Treaty forbid?
SPEAKER 07 :
What year?
SPEAKER 1 :
1967.
SPEAKER 07 :
1967. What is it? Forbid?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes. I don't know. I'm going to give it. No one can own the moon.
SPEAKER 07 :
I guess that makes sense, huh?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. Well, Elon is very upset. Just so you know, so is Bill Gates.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, luckily, Elon Musk didn't sign that treaty.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. Yeah, so he's not bound by it. He can do whatever he wants. Yeah, go by the moon.
SPEAKER 07 :
Just like how I never signed the Geneva Convention.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly. So you don't have to follow that at all.
SPEAKER 07 :
Anything happens.
SPEAKER 03 :
You have a lot of people captured in your basement, don't you? Yeah, I thought so. It also says you can't colonize the sun, but nobody really cared much about that. Okay. Name the world's, this is today's impossible question, name the world's largest island nation.
SPEAKER 07 :
Greenland? Australia? Island nation? Australia.
SPEAKER 03 :
Greenland? Australia? I would have thought it's one of those. It is not. It's not Australia? Yeah, and I'm not going to give the answer because it's going to be on the next show that they're going to give the answer. Believe it or not, this really surprised me. Okay. Right, because I would have gone right to Greenland or Australia. Yes. Or what about Antarctica?
SPEAKER 07 :
That's a continent, right? Not an island. I don't know what it is. I mean, no one really lives there.
SPEAKER 03 :
Nobody cares about Antarctica.
SPEAKER 06 :
That's where they have the weather machines. Dude, they got penguins.
SPEAKER 03 :
I hear that's where Trump is going to be keeping all the deportees. You know, it's going to be Antarctica. Okay, really quick here. In the next hour, what are we going to be doing? What is our topic? Do some sitcoms. Yeah, best TV sitcoms. Do you guys like TV sitcoms? You don't seem to be the types.
SPEAKER 06 :
When we were younger, definitely, because they were more prevalent and better.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, there were some back on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, but never watched any of the classics, really.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know one that I like, which I won't say because it'll get me banned from TV, but Teen Titans Go.
SPEAKER 07 :
Get out of here. It's one of the stupidest shows. Get out of here.
SPEAKER 03 :
I like it.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's funny.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay. Well, one thing I love about TV sitcoms is that's what you binge watch at night a lot of times. Fair enough. Yes, and people still do it today. Okay, folks, that is it for our number one. In our two, once again, we're going to be doing best sitcoms. Give us a call at 303-477-5600 if you want to tell us your favorite sitcom. Until then, keep it right here on Rush to Reason, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 10 :
Average Guys. Average Guys.
In this episode of Rush to Reason, Andy Peth, along with co-hosts Luke Cashman and Tanner Coleman, engages in a captivating discussion about their favorite sitcoms. While reminiscing about the golden age of sitcoms, the hosts explore how these shows have evolved, from The Honeymooners' timeless humor to today's sharp wit from South Park. With a mix of nostalgia and analysis, this episode is perfect for anyone who loves to laugh and appreciates the art of sitcom storytelling.
SPEAKER 23 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 22 :
You are going to shut your damn yapper and listen for a change because I got you pegged, sweetheart. You want to take the easy way out because you're scared. And you're scared because if you try and fail, there's only you to blame. Let me break this down for you. Life is scary. Get used to it. There are no magical fixes.
SPEAKER 23 :
With your host, John Rush. My advice to you is to do what your parents did.
SPEAKER 26 :
Get a job first. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 13 :
Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there. It is this feeling that has brought you to me.
SPEAKER 29 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 03 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush. Presented by Cub Creek Heating and Air Conditioning.
SPEAKER 12 :
Actually, it's Andy Pate.
SPEAKER 14 :
Party of choice. And welcome to our number two here on Rush to Reason. I'm Andy Pate filling in for John Rush along with Luke Cash and Tanner Cole. That was very manly. You know what? Usually you can't keep up with Luke. But, I mean, none of us can.
SPEAKER 18 :
You know, you're pulling your weight now.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, you're doing all right.
SPEAKER 18 :
I'm so proud of you.
SPEAKER 14 :
We raised him well, didn't we?
SPEAKER 18 :
I think so.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, I think so. Okay, this hour we are going to be doing favorite sitcoms. Do you watch a lot of sitcoms? I do.
SPEAKER 18 :
I don't. I don't. I watched them when I was younger, so I got a lot of cartoon sitcoms or Nickelodeon sitcoms from when I was 10.
SPEAKER 14 :
Nickelodeon sitcoms?
SPEAKER 18 :
Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, they had some sitcoms, yeah.
SPEAKER 19 :
That's kind of all it was for young teens and teenagers.
SPEAKER 14 :
See, all I know is all the Nickelodeon and Disney girls are all messed up. well yeah i mean they're on crack they are you know protesting with their heads shaved all i did was watch the show and i turned out all right it's not my fault yeah then you did okay after that okay well let's jump right in and the most long running what's the longest running sitcom ever
SPEAKER 18 :
Are live action or including cartoons? It'd have to be like The Simpsons.
SPEAKER 14 :
It is The Simpsons. I do believe. Isn't it, Charlie? Yeah. And I'm going to go to The Simpsons right now. And I've played this before, but I've got to play it because Luke is here.
SPEAKER 18 :
Oh, thank you.
SPEAKER 14 :
Homer buys a gun. Here we go.
SPEAKER 21 :
I'd like to buy your deadliest gun, please. Aisle 6, next to the sympathy cards.
SPEAKER 14 :
Hmm.
SPEAKER 21 :
Whoa, careful there, Annie Oakley. I don't have to be careful. I got a gun. Well, you'll probably want the accessory kit, holster, bandolier, silencer, loudener, speed cocker. Ooh, I'd like the sound of that. And this is for shooting down police helicopters. Oh, I don't need anything like that. Yet. Just give me my gun. Sorry, the law requires a five-day waiting period. We've got to run a background check. Five days? But I'm mad now! I'd kill you if I had my gun. Yeah, well, you don't. There's... It's so good.
SPEAKER 14 :
It's so good. I tell you. Oh, my gosh. That show, when it first came out, it was just shocking. It was on Fox. And it kind of, that was a show that almost made the Fox network. It just launched it. What do you think?
SPEAKER 18 :
I believe it. Luke, you're up. Speaking of believing it, would you believe if I told you I've never seen a single episode of The Simpsons? Are you serious? I've seen clips in parts and pieces, but never a single episode start to finish. Why? I'm close to that.
SPEAKER 19 :
I've seen a million clips.
SPEAKER 14 :
Look, guys, I understand. It's old stuff. It's before your time, but there's a... Okay, I'm just going to clue you in. There's this thing called reruns. reruns yeah you disgusting want something old yes never old stuff is classic okay tell me the new stuff so basically every show you guys mention i will never have heard no well probably like 50 all right i got some classics on here well just some of the good ones i just want to know some of the shaved head protester um you know meth meth freak uh nickelodeon kids okay well i'll go to nickelodeon first and this one's for you tanner
SPEAKER 18 :
This one goes out to you. Big Time Rush. Oh, dang it. I wanted that one.
SPEAKER 14 :
I knew you wanted it. You got to explain it to the old guy.
SPEAKER 19 :
It was not that great, but it was kind of funny. And being like 12, 13, I think, when it came out, it's just this group of four guys in a band, and they're kind of all idiots. But they run around in this stupid lifestyle kind of... Yeah, it's very like...
SPEAKER 18 :
They're starting a boy band, and if any 13-year-old kid has ever had the fantasy of, like, I want to be, like, a music star. Yeah. It was that, and it was just all them getting up to wacky hijinks. You know what? Believe it or not, saw Big Time Rush live, Del Mar Fair. Yeah. like like 2012 or something like that they had a big hit they were i can't remember what it was first of all i'm just adjusting to luke saying the words boy band okay i just that doesn't seem you no it wasn't it was my brother jake's thing at the time and was it really if he thought boy bands were girls things No, if you wanted to be a rock star, if you wanted to drive fancy cars and have cool clothes and do all that fun stuff, same. That makes sense.
SPEAKER 19 :
It was actually pretty funny, if I remember right.
SPEAKER 18 :
They had some pretty highbrow jokes about the industry snuck in there every now and then.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, you've changed my mind. I think maybe me, John, and Charlie, we could try this. I don't think you should.
SPEAKER 18 :
You don't think so? No, no, I think we're good.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay, we won't go down that road. Okay, what was it again?
SPEAKER 17 :
Big Time Rush. Big Time Rush. Big Time Rush. Nickelodeon, shout out.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay, now that he's taken that, Tanner, do you have any left? Or will you be silent for the rest of the hour?
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, I got a million, but I'm going to go with one of my more favorites as a teenager. Parks and Recreation.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, that was a fun one.
SPEAKER 19 :
So funny. Chris Pratt was great in it. The Indian actor as well was hilarious.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, you actually, is that Kamal Nanjiani? I think so.
SPEAKER 19 :
He got canceled, I believe, is the one who got in trouble. But he was so funny in the show.
SPEAKER 14 :
I love Kamal Nanjiani. He kills me. He really does. Did you ever see Stuber, the movie?
SPEAKER 19 :
Almost. You've told me I watch it.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, he's in it with Dave Bautista.
SPEAKER 19 :
That sounds funny.
SPEAKER 14 :
Folks, if you've not seen Stuber, I'm going to tell you right now, not a great movie, but I had fun. It's stupid fun. Very much stupid fun. It's worth watching.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, it was Aziz Ansari. Sorry.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, Aziz Ansari. I like him.
SPEAKER 19 :
He's so funny.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, he's funny. Okay, up next is John and Cheyenne. John, do you have any sitcoms?
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, I got two favorites, Andy.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 16 :
I could watch them. To this day, I'll watch them if I can find them on. And the first one is, of course, the legendary Jackie Gleason in The Honeymoons. Him and Art Carney just, you know, the jokes never got old.
SPEAKER 14 :
They didn't. And, I mean, they were so classic that you had shows copying them for decades afterward.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, the Flintstones, they were going to get sued. Because they said the Flintstones copied the Honeymooners.
SPEAKER 14 :
Did you ever see the episode on Moonlighting where they did the Honeymooners?
SPEAKER 16 :
Yes. Yes. It was pretty funny in itself.
SPEAKER 14 :
What blew my mind is because on the Honeymooners, Bruce Willis was the funny one always, right? And what's her name? I forget the name of the actress on the Honeymooners. Sybil Shepard. Sybil Shepard. Okay. But Sybil Shepard... was deadpan perfect in her delivery of The Honeymooners. She was perfect. She was right on. It blew my mind.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, Audrey Meadows had the comedic timing against Gleason down to a sign.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, she was a straight man. Ultimate straight man. Ultimate straight man. She set him up and he laid it down. It was perfect.
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, and, you know, do you ever see that meme?
SPEAKER 14 :
Which one?
SPEAKER 16 :
That's out there. There's a meme of two astronauts, and they're looking down at a dead woman in 50s clothes, and they go, oh, my God, it's Alice Cramden.
SPEAKER 14 :
No, I'm afraid I missed that meme. Sorry, John. Okay, well, what's another sitcom?
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, my other favorite is The Odd Couple.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, yes. Jack Klugman, Tony Randall.
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh. And what's funny is if you go back and watch the movie version of it, because it was a Neil Simon play. Yeah, it was. And the movie version of it is very funny.
SPEAKER 14 :
That's Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Yeah, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon.
SPEAKER 16 :
But here's the funniest thing. I read this in a book. In the original Broadway version of that, it was Art Carney and Walter Matthau. Really? In the Broadway version. Art Carney? And Art Carney played the Oscar role.
SPEAKER 14 :
Really? Walter Matthau played the neat freak? Yes. You've got to be kidding me.
SPEAKER 16 :
On the Broadway version of it.
SPEAKER 14 :
Wow.
SPEAKER 16 :
And that was late 50s, early 60s. But here's the thing. If you watch a sitcom today, they make their jokes off of a lot of sexual innuendo. Sure. And a lot of the old sitcoms, they were funny without the innuendo. You know what I mean? Right. Because they were funny. Now they're going for cheap laughs through sexual innuendo. So there's not many good ones. The other one I always enjoyed, and I'm probably going to steal it from somebody newer, is Big Bang Theory.
SPEAKER 14 :
I think Big Bang Theory is pretty funny. What do you think, Luke?
SPEAKER 18 :
Oh, it's very funny. I've seen a couple clips, and I remember enjoying some time with it.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, I got a friend in Kansas City. His name is Andrew. We used to manage movie theaters together, and that was his show. I mean, oh, yeah, he had to see Big Bang Theory. He talked about it all the time. There were two things in the world that mattered to Andrew Armstrong. One, Star Trek. And I still know him today. I know him online. He builds little models of the Enterprise. And all the phasers and everything. Oh, yeah, but he just loves it. It's really cool. He gets into it. But also, he loved the Bing Bang Theory. He just loved it.
SPEAKER 18 :
People were obsessed with it for a long time.
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, it's funny.
SPEAKER 18 :
And if you look at the...
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah. Well, I won't steal anymore. There's probably other people going to call in. So you guys have a great weekend. Enjoy your Independence Day, Andy, guys.
SPEAKER 14 :
Happy Independence Day, John. You take care. Nah, he used them all. I'm out. What do you think? Do you got any?
SPEAKER 19 :
Never seen the Big Bang Theory because I'm not a nerd.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, it was pretty funny. Okay.
SPEAKER 19 :
I think maybe you are.
SPEAKER 14 :
I'm going to go next. Now, this one is my favorite sitcom probably of all time, and it is The Family Guy. Okay. And here he is. He's got a salesman at the door.
SPEAKER 11 :
Hello, sir. Enough with the foreplay, sailor.
SPEAKER 10 :
What are you selling? Well, I was going to try to sell you some handsome cream, but I can see you already bought out the store. Go on. So perhaps you'd be interested in something every homeowner cannot be without. Volcano insurance. Go on. According to my uncle, who's a real whiz with volcanoes, a volcano is coming this way. Hmm.
SPEAKER 11 :
I, too, have an uncle. Come in. How much is this volcano insurance? I don't know. Let's say $200.
SPEAKER 1 :
$200?
SPEAKER 11 :
That's more than I spent on all that handsome cream. I don't have that kind of money. What about that jar of money? No way, that's Lois' rainy day fund. Ah, come on. It never rains in Rhode Island? Well, yeah, but I'm pretty sure we've never had a volcano either.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, don't you think we're overdue for one? Touché, salesman.
SPEAKER 14 :
Peter Griffin. I don't know if there's ever been a dumber character. Also... And that's what sitcoms are about. You always have to have an idiot. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 18 :
I was just going to say, also, that is a very accurate representation of insurance sales.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, it is.
SPEAKER 18 :
Believe it or not.
SPEAKER 14 :
Only it's volcano sales.
SPEAKER 18 :
Only volcano insurance.
SPEAKER 14 :
Volcano Insurance. Okay. You are up, sir.
SPEAKER 18 :
I'll piggyback off of that with another one based right here in Colorado. South Park.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, yes. South Park was great. I wonder, do I have anything on that?
SPEAKER 18 :
It's probably hard to find some clips from South Park. It's usually pretty raunchy.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay. It is. But, you know, I do have – and they never even try to impersonate the voice. No. Okay. Okay. And so this one is recent, and it's just Donald Trump going in to be president, and they're walking him through.
SPEAKER 29 :
Yes, sir. Here are all our military secrets and all classified information. Okay, good. This is the drone program. In there, you can kill anyone on Earth remotely. Here's the keys. Thanks. In here is satellite surveillance where you can monitor anyone's conversation live. Oh, that'll come in handy. Extreme interrogation room in case you ever find interrogation necessary. Oh, hell yeah, it's necessary. Let's do it. And here, of course, is the famous football, where you can order a nuclear attack in four minutes. Love me some football. And finally, in here, is the diplomatic strategy and negotiating room.
SPEAKER 14 :
Anyways. They had a lot of fun. That's pretty good. That show obviously is incredibly disgusting. Yes. But it can be unbelievably funny. It's just well written.
SPEAKER 18 :
Very well written. They are very funny guys.
SPEAKER 14 :
They are. Okay, Luke, you're up. That was you. Tanner, you're up.
SPEAKER 19 :
Tanner, you're up. I think this is the best sitcom of all time. The Office, the U.S. version.
SPEAKER 14 :
That's a funny show. The Office is a very good one. I love it.
SPEAKER 19 :
Especially Dwight and Steve Carell is amazing.
SPEAKER 14 :
I wanted to put together clips. I did not have time. There's too many. Oh, The Office is crazy. Although I got to be honest, a lot of The Office, a lot of the humor on it is visual.
SPEAKER 19 :
you got great lines but they go so well with what they're doing and their facial expressions make it even better Steve Carell just kills me I think my favorite episode is like season 2 right when they start getting really good and he just has like the international day and he's just as racist as possible about every race and then he gets slapped at me it was so funny
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, that sounds good. Okay, folks, we are talking about best sitcoms ever. We'll be right back with those. Up next is Paul Leuenberger. Paul is now an insurance broker, shopping nine companies to find the best plan for you. Call Paul at 303-662-0789.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 14 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason. Denver's Afternoon Rush. KLC 560. Andy Pate filling in for John Rush. And Luke had to step out. He will be right back. And I'm joined, of course, by Tanner Cole.
SPEAKER 19 :
Man.
SPEAKER 14 :
All right. Tanner, I'm going to go to, I believe... Quite possibly the best written sitcom ever made. And the reason I say that is because other sitcoms came off it. Two other sitcoms came off it that were also very popular with the same writers. These guys were on fire. And this is Cheers. Did you ever see Cheers?
SPEAKER 19 :
I've heard about it a bunch. Yeah, it's before your time. Definitely.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay, well, this is a scene really quick here with Coach, and this is an early season, and Coach is an old guy, and he's got to answer the phone. Here we go.
SPEAKER 09 :
Cheers. Yeah. Coach, your friend Walt.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, Walt. Walt. Walt. Walt, Walt, my God, it's so good to hear from you. Oh, I'm so glad the operation's over, Walt. Listen, I didn't want to say anything beforehand, Walt, but, you know, I didn't think your chances of going in there were too good. Oh, it's tomorrow?
SPEAKER 29 :
That's the beauty about being a mailman now.
SPEAKER 14 :
I'll just leave it there. They had, after him, because Coach is only on one or maybe two seasons, I think it was two seasons, and then they had Woody Harrelson take over for him, and he actually played a character called Woody. And he was just as dumb as Coach. And that's where Woody Harrelson became a big star. Before then, you'd never heard of him. So that was on the show Cheers. If you ever want to get some laughs, watch reruns of Cheers. Wonderfully written. Very, very funny. Great stuff. Okay, Luke, you're up.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right. Well, let's follow in the footsteps of watching some young people or younger people, you know, get their rise to stardom. Zendaya was in a sitcom show called Shake It Up. I think it was on – I think it was Disney Channel. Disney Channel's Shake It Up is where Zendaya – I remember seeing her there back when I was but a young boy. With Bella Thorne. With Bella Thorne, yep.
SPEAKER 14 :
And Zendaya did not throw her life away. No. She actually went on to just be a star and keep being a star. Yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
Bella Thorne, however, I think fell on some harder times.
SPEAKER 14 :
That's so sad. You know, Disney and Nickelodeon just grind these young girls into nothing. And I don't know what they put them through. I really don't. But the number of them who have gone nuts...
SPEAKER 18 :
It happens enough that maybe there's a pattern there worth looking at.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, yeah. No, I agree. I think there's a pattern where you've got to look at Disney. I mean, obviously they're sexualizing them because they're attractive young girls, and yet they're very young, right? And that alone can be kind of scary, right? But also, whatever they're doing there, they are cooking them. I'll never forget Lindsay Lohan.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, I mean.
SPEAKER 14 :
Or Britney Spears.
SPEAKER 19 :
We saw what Nickelodeon then came out of the whole documentary. So, I mean, Disney, it seems like they got triple the amount.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, just horrible.
SPEAKER 19 :
Okay, Tanner, you're up. In my opinion, the best Nickelodeon one from back in the day, Drake and Josh.
SPEAKER 14 :
Drake and Josh. I've never seen this. That's so funny. That was one of those good ones. What's it about?
SPEAKER 19 :
Two stepbrothers. One's really hot, gets all the chicks and dumb. The other one's fat and ugly and doesn't get any chicks. And they're the main characters. Their parents are hilarious. Their dad's like a failed weatherman. It was great. The sister is like conniving and evil, their younger sister.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, I like it.
SPEAKER 19 :
It was great.
SPEAKER 18 :
It was a good like brothers show. Like watching two guys try and be brothers and get along. Anyone who had siblings is like, oh, this is very relatable. Right.
SPEAKER 14 :
Do you both have brothers?
SPEAKER 18 :
Yes. I got one. He's got five. I have five younger brothers.
SPEAKER 14 :
You have five younger brothers? Yep. Oh, my gosh. So you had to raise them all.
SPEAKER 18 :
I did. All me, mom and dad. Were they like slave labor?
SPEAKER 14 :
I mean, did they mow the lawn for you? Did they clean your room? Did they take care of everything? I wish.
SPEAKER 18 :
We were all too close in age. So we were all just like fighting each other, just punching.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, that explains the violence.
SPEAKER 18 :
That's all right. We're all cool now. We're all best friends now.
SPEAKER 14 :
I know you're deeply into the violence culture. That's true. Oh, yeah. Definitely. Very hyper-violent.
SPEAKER 18 :
Fight club at the Cashman household. Yeah, exactly. You get on the trampoline and you just beat on each other until someone bleeds enough.
SPEAKER 14 :
That's great. That's good to know. It explains a lot. Hey, Tanner, what about your brother?
SPEAKER 19 :
I was five years older, so I couldn't touch him, but he got mad at me quite a bit.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, did he?
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, yeah. I was called the teasing king around the house for years.
SPEAKER 14 :
You were horrible to your brother.
SPEAKER 19 :
I mean, that's what they all say, but they just lost every time they played me.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, because you were taller and you always played basketball.
SPEAKER 19 :
Faster, stronger, built to last longer.
SPEAKER 14 :
Did you play dodgeball and just throw it at them as hard as you could?
SPEAKER 19 :
I mean, I only had two siblings, so it was pretty quick. Knock them off their feet. They'd throw a ball, I'd catch it. I'd throw it at the other one, the game's over.
SPEAKER 14 :
Just heartless. Okay, that being said, let's go to probably, I think most people would say this is their number one sitcom, Friends. Here we go.
SPEAKER 08 :
Anybody know a good tailor? You need some clothes altered? No, no. I'm just looking for a man to draw on me with chalk. Why don't you go see Frankie? My family's been going to him forever. He did my first suit when I was 15. No, wait.
SPEAKER 1 :
16.
SPEAKER 08 :
No. Excuse me.
SPEAKER 1 :
15.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, when was 1990? Okay, you have to stop the Q-tip when there's resistance.
SPEAKER 14 :
That, by the way, may he rest in peace.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 14 :
Brilliant comedian. The guy who played Joey was very funny.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, Joey was great. Matt LaBloc.
SPEAKER 14 :
Matt LeBlanc was very good. And who played the other guy? I'm spacing all their names.
SPEAKER 19 :
David Schwimmer.
SPEAKER 14 :
He played Ross. Yeah, he played Ross. I'm talking the other one.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, Chandler.
SPEAKER 14 :
Chandler.
SPEAKER 19 :
The one who passed.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 19 :
I'm blanking.
SPEAKER 14 :
I don't know. Guys, I deal with so many actors. The names, they blend together. Everybody is that person and that person and that person. Matthew Perry. Yeah, Friends was a case of having six terrific young talents. I mean, really terrific young talents. And to put all that talent onto one show, I don't know if it had actually been done before. Because usually you had a show where maybe two, maybe three were really funny and really good, but that was about it. But to have six talents like that was just incredible.
SPEAKER 19 :
It was a great show. And all the extra actors they brought in for however many episodes, like Paul Rudd, Bruce Willis. Oh, yeah. Monica's boyfriend at one point. He's a big actor. I'm blanking on his name. Oh, yeah, Tom Selleck was in it for quite a while. It was great. I mean, so many good actors.
SPEAKER 17 :
Very cool. Okay, Luke, you're up.
SPEAKER 18 :
Oh, let's go with some Malcolm in the Middle.
SPEAKER 14 :
Malcolm in the Middle was funny.
SPEAKER 18 :
I have seen a couple episodes of that one. That's one of the few older, in air quotes there, sitcoms that I've seen episodes of. It's pretty good.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, that's good.
SPEAKER 18 :
I enjoy it. One of my favorite pieces about Malcolm in the Middle is when they were doing the casting for Breaking Bad initially, and Bryan Cranston was cast in the role. There was this huge... sort of controversy up of like, you got the dad from Malcolm in the Middle to play this, you know, meth-dealing drug lord? It'll never work. Only for it to work better than any casting choice I think you could have ever made.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, Cranston is pure talent.
SPEAKER 18 :
He is. One of the greatest actors.
SPEAKER 14 :
And the thing is, is that he played you know, a funny character on Malcolm in the Middle, but not a character where you thought that he could do much more. You didn't think, oh, this guy's got really broad acting chops and can do anything. And you just didn't think about Bryan Cranston. And what's he go on to do?
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, he does Breaking Bad, and it absolutely kills the role.
SPEAKER 19 :
It's so good.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, I agree. Okay, Tanner, you're up.
SPEAKER 19 :
Another one of my favorites. I look like I could be cast in the show right now. That 70s show. Yes. So funny. And they've made two shows after it. That 90s show, and then I'll just throw it in right now. Netflix made The Ranch, which also had Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Sam Elliott, a few others.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, they produced some stars on that show.
SPEAKER 19 :
Kutcher, Kunis, yeah.
SPEAKER 14 :
Kutcher is a very talented guy. He can do an action movie and turn around and do a comedy and do them equally well.
SPEAKER 19 :
Romantic as well, yeah.
SPEAKER 14 :
Exactly. All right, tell you what, let's take a break. We'll come back because I've got a lot more. Up next is, let's see, what is up next? Oh, yeah, Flesh Law. Corey and I won easily with Kevin Flesh. You can too, so call Flesh Law. That's F-L-E-S-H at 303-806-8886. Or you can go to FleshLawFirm.com.
SPEAKER 06 :
Here's why you need personal injury attorney Kevin Flesch on your side. He understands the way the jury thinks. In the context of a personal injury case, you've been hurt by someone else's negligence. The idea is that you're going to try to recover so that you can get back to where you were just prior to that incident occurring. What that really means from a jurist's perspective is that you're going to be asking them to award you money. So when we talk about fairness, we're talking about six people that you don't know. Those six people view the evidence and make a unanimous decision that will decide what the fair value is. When you're the one who's hurt, you have a good idea of what you think it's worth. The question is, can you persuade those other individuals whom you don't know and were witnesses to believe that's what the case is worth? Kevin Flesch understands the way the jury thinks. Call now for a free consultation, 303-806-8886.
SPEAKER 09 :
This is TJ with KLZ Radio, and I've got Al Smith from Golden Eagle Financial here in the studio with me. Al and I were just talking about how in retirement, he helps his clients to stretch the time in their retirement. Al, what do you mean by that? Tell us a little bit more about how time works in retirement.
SPEAKER 25 :
Well, when you think about leaving the working world, you think about, well, it's still going to take money to live on once I'm retired. And that nest egg, whatever that is, that's going to permit you to do what you want to do with the time that you have sort of earned for yourself. So the nest egg is not only in dollars, but it's also in the time that you have to do the things that you believe will be fulfilling in retirement. And when I have a conversation with people, I think it's equally important to think about how they're going to be spending their time as it is to accumulate a nest egg.
SPEAKER 09 :
You've got to have some pretty good examples of things that people do in retirement. So open the door for us. What sort of things can we expect?
SPEAKER 25 :
Well, sure. I have one gentleman who is very much into aviation. He owns his own small plane. He actually works on that small plane. He's within a few years of retirement. He's retirement age. But right now, while he's working, he takes his small aircraft, flies to locations where he investigates air disasters. I also have some people who spend a lot of time with their grandkids, some of whom live nearby and some are a little farther away. I have some who are incredibly involved with their churches and go on missionary trips and so forth.
SPEAKER 09 :
How do people get in touch with you if they want to stretch that time out in their retirement?
SPEAKER 25 :
They can reach me at 303-744-1128. And if they're driving when they hear this, you can contact KLZ and they'll put them in touch with me.
SPEAKER 09 :
Of course, as always, you can find Golden Eagle Financial on klzradio.com slash advertisers and get right in touch with Al if you're driving and can't write that number down. Al, thank you so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 25 :
You're welcome.
SPEAKER 12 :
Live and local, back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 14 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. We are doing favorite sitcoms. I got to do one that's an all-time classic. Now, this sitcom really pioneered the hyper-liberal political sitcoms.
SPEAKER 19 :
Great.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, I know. But you got to keep in mind, I know while that's offensive to Tanner and to me at times. And, you know, the fact is, though, it became the pioneer. And before long, every sitcom had a hard left slant, every single one. And it all started with All in the Family.
SPEAKER 23 :
Well, what would our leaving solve? I mean, with or without protests, this country would still have the same problems. What problems? Well, it's the war, the racial problem, the economic problem, the pollution problem. Oh, come on. If you want a nitpick. Nitpick? Let me tell you something, Mr. Bunker. No, let me tell you something, Mr. Stivick. You are a meathead.
SPEAKER 15 :
What did you say?
SPEAKER 23 :
A meathead. Dead from the neck up. Meathead.
SPEAKER 14 :
What do you think? I like it. It's way before your time, I know, but it was funny. And Carol O'Connor, I thought, created possibly the most memorable character ever in sitcom history. Certainly top five.
SPEAKER 15 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, because, and the problem is that the, no, top 10, because some are incredible, right? Homer Simpson.
SPEAKER 18 :
There's some like cultural staples.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah. Well, he was too. But Homer Simpson, we were talking Jackie Gleason earlier on the Honeymooners. I'm going to throw one out really quick here. Alex on Family Ties.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 14 :
Did you ever see Family Ties? I don't think so. Okay. I just did too. Sorry about that. Okay. Luke, you're up.
SPEAKER 18 :
You're all right. Well, let's jump to a more modern one. And there are not a whole lot of modern sitcoms, but I think one came out that did it all right. I thought it was pretty decent. Shane Gillis with Tires.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, new season, and they're set for season three. What's it on? Netflix. I just started season two. I've enjoyed the first three episodes. There's 12 of this one.
SPEAKER 14 :
I've never seen it. I like Shane Gillis.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, and there's a bunch of other comedians in it.
SPEAKER 14 :
He does good stand-up. Really?
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, J.J. Watts in this season. That scene's so funny. J.J. Watts? I haven't seen it yet, but I've seen clips. It's hilarious.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, on Netflix. Go check it out. Okay. Very good.
SPEAKER 19 :
And they're 20-minute episodes. You fly through them without even realizing.
SPEAKER 18 :
It's great. Not a whole lot of decent modern sitcoms coming out. This is one of those. It's like, I can see this kind of becoming more of a staple. I can feel it catching some solid footing.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay, say it one more time.
SPEAKER 18 :
Tires on Netflix with Shane Gillis. That you put on your car.
SPEAKER 19 :
tires it's called tires yep it's because it's about him working in a tire shop yeah yeah okay i gotta watch it i will i think it's the only one i have on my list that's been created in the last eight years yeah or started in the last eight years okay all right um one that's still going has had a really good track record one of my favorites it's always sunny in philadelphia so good
SPEAKER 14 :
Is that Danny DeVito?
SPEAKER 19 :
Yes. I love him. Charlie Day. I believe that's his name.
SPEAKER 14 :
Is Danny DeVito ever not good?
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 14 :
I don't think so. I get to see him fail. I know. He is so good. Okay. I just got to play the song for this next one because everybody knows it. Here we go.
SPEAKER 05 :
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip that started from this topic port aboard this tiny ship. The mate was a mighty sailing man, the skipper brave and sure. Five passengers set sail that day for a three-hour tour, a three-hour tour.
SPEAKER 14 :
Now, you guys probably never saw this. It was called Gilligan's Island. I was going to guess that, yeah.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah. I remember seeing it on my grandma's TV after church in 2003, maybe. It was like a rerun.
SPEAKER 14 :
The funny thing about Gilligan's Island, it was just stupid humor. These seven people who are shipwrecked for several years. And yet, it started this long, long-going... argument that still goes today about the two girls who are on the island and one is a movie star named ginger and the other one is a girl from the midwest named marianne and so everybody would all the guys would always ask ginger or marianne ginger or marianne who's your favorite who's the hottest And in real life, Marianne is played by Dawn Wells, who was also a, she had one, she was like Miss Something. I forget what, Miss Arkansas or whatever. And so she was a beautiful lady, too. And Tina Louise played Ginger. And so that's what everybody would always talk about, all the guys, Ginger or Marianne. So there you go. A little bit of history for you. Go ahead, Luke, you're up.
SPEAKER 18 :
Oh, let's go with... Ooh, I haven't seen it, but it is iconic, and I feel like someone's got to say it, so I'll say it now. Golden Girls.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 18 :
Is Roseanne Barr in that?
SPEAKER 14 :
No.
SPEAKER 19 :
No, that's a different show.
SPEAKER 14 :
That's a different show. Do you want to go with Roseanne? No, no.
SPEAKER 19 :
no no no no there's enough from our times that uh i think it was like 2007 to 2014 was the hotbed at least for us um i'm gonna go with how i met your mother oh yeah people were upset about the ending of that one i could see that i didn't see it why
SPEAKER 14 :
Apparently the – Everybody die in a blimp accident?
SPEAKER 18 :
That would have been very exciting.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, okay.
SPEAKER 18 :
No, spoilers – not going to spoil How I Met Your Mother, but there's – the whole show is a big lead up to finding out who the mother is, and I guess the mother ended up being someone that they really didn't want it to be. Right. There was a fan favorite pick, and she didn't get it.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, well, there you go then. You know, I only saw a little part of a couple episodes. It was never my thing. It seemed pretty funny.
SPEAKER 18 :
It was. Yeah, it was all right. It was a good time.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay. Well, here's another cartoon, and this is made by the people who did The Simpsons, and it's in the future, and it's... Futurama. Classic. Yes. And in these clips, it's actually Zap Brannigan, who is my favorite idiot commander of a spaceship. And here we go talking Zap Brannigan.
SPEAKER 26 :
Just so we'll know, who's the enemy?
SPEAKER 20 :
A valid question. We know nothing about their language, their history, or what they look like. But we can assume this. They stand for everything we don't stand for. Also, they told me you guys look like dorks.
SPEAKER 23 :
They look like dorks! Shall I fire on them now, sir?
SPEAKER 20 :
Not yet, Kif. In the game of chess, you can never let your adversary see your pieces. What? We made it through, Kif. How many men did we lose?
SPEAKER 15 :
All of them.
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, at least they won't have to mourn each other. Seal the airlocks.
SPEAKER 14 :
Seth Branigan. That's good. Yeah, at one point he says the way he won this great battle was to keep sending waves and waves of his men at the enemy until his enemy finally ran out of ammunition.
SPEAKER 18 :
If it works, it works. He's such an idiot.
SPEAKER 17 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 18 :
Luke, you're up. Oh, we'll go with another animated one. Definitely newer. Definitely very funny. Shockingly so. The Amazing World of Gumball. I have not seen this. It's a more modern cartoon. A little wacky, a little zany. But one of those where it's like, oh, this has good jokes. Like good highbrow humor.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay. And what is it called again? The Amazing World of Gumball. The Amazing World of Gumball. I'm interested. Okay, Tanner, you're up.
SPEAKER 19 :
Let's go with Workaholics.
SPEAKER 18 :
I've never heard of that one.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, it's with Adam Devine. Oh, I like him. I can't remember the other two, their actual names, but it was hilarious. All three of them worked in this office with a hot boss, and then they were just always causing havoc. I think it was three or four seasons. It's a good one.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, I like Adam Devine. He's always funny. Okay, here's another theme song. It's an easy one, but it's an old show that's way before your time. Here we go.
SPEAKER 28 :
Do you know this song?
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay, happy days now. We were talking earlier about the most classic characters ever created. Another one of them would have to be the Fonz.
SPEAKER 19 :
Right.
SPEAKER 14 :
Played by Henry Winkler. Certainly one of the classic characters of all time in sitcom history. Okay. All right, Luke, you're up.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right, let's run it back to young stars getting their start in sitcoms from mine and Tanner's generation. Victorious. Yes. Was a show on – I think that one was Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon, yeah. And that one had Ariana Grande in it. Oh, really? Before she was a big movie star. Now, I know she was doing some music and some singing and stuff like that. Right. Yeah, that was – she was in that one – how many years ago was that? Forever ago. Yeah.
SPEAKER 14 :
Are you guys looking forward to this winter or Christmas? I forget which. Wicked 2? No.
SPEAKER 19 :
No. Well, if they give her some eyebrows this time, maybe. Yeah.
SPEAKER 14 :
Honestly.
SPEAKER 19 :
Never saw the first one. Never will.
SPEAKER 14 :
It had moments. It had a couple great songs and a lot of really boring songs, and it dragged a lot. Honestly, it really did. The song at the end is tremendous. So there you go.
SPEAKER 18 :
There's another one of those. If I want to watch something in that vein, I'll just watch The Wizard of Oz.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah. Yeah. See the real story.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay. You were up, Tanner.
SPEAKER 19 :
Happy Days, I assume Fonzie is part of the Fon family.
SPEAKER 14 :
Right.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER 14 :
No, no.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh. Never mind.
SPEAKER 14 :
He's Arthur Fonzarelli, and he's called Fonzie, or the Fonz. And he was a very classic character, and everybody was talking about him constantly. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 19 :
Entourage. Entourage. Can't think of any of the actors' names, but that was a big show. I can't remember what was on, maybe HBO. Okay. Movie star and then all of his dumb friends and his older brother who wants to become a big actor and a bunch of famous actors and celebrities throughout the show. It was really good.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay, let's speed it up here a little bit and just do another couple rounds and take a break. I'm going to go with another Danny DeVito show that launched his career, Taxi. And trust me, he was great on it. Go ahead, Luke.
SPEAKER 18 :
Slightly newer, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. That's a funny show.
SPEAKER 19 :
Trailer Park Boys.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, yeah. That's funny, too.
SPEAKER 19 :
That was pretty good.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay, here's another one, a spinoff that came from Cheers, Frasier. And that won all kinds of awards. That was the top show on TV for quite a while. Okay, go ahead.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right. We haven't had Seinfeld yet, have we?
SPEAKER 14 :
We have not had Seinfeld.
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, let's steal it.
SPEAKER 14 :
Well done. Okay, Tanner, you're up.
SPEAKER 19 :
I have to say this one at some point, The Cosby Show. Oh, ooh.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, but still, it dominated. It dominated. I'm going to go The Bob Newhart Show. Okay. That was very popular in its day. Okay, go ahead.
SPEAKER 18 :
All right. This is newer. Tanner knows it. Hi, Carly.
SPEAKER 14 :
I actually know that one.
SPEAKER 19 :
Oh, you do? Tanner, go ahead. Let's go with New Girl.
SPEAKER 14 :
New Girl. I actually know that one. I like that one. Two in a row. Have you guys ever heard of WKRP in Cincinnati? No. It was funny. It was a funny show.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, Luke, you're up. A little controversial. Charlie Sheen represent two and a half men. Yes.
SPEAKER 14 :
Just a little.
SPEAKER 18 :
A little controversy.
SPEAKER 14 :
Still funny.
SPEAKER 19 :
Let's go with Modern Family. That's a big one.
SPEAKER 14 :
Modern Family, well done. Okay, tell you what, let's take a break. We'll come back and we will go rapid fire through a bunch of them. There are so many great sitcoms. Up next is Michael Bailey Law. Hey, don't wait on your estate. Sleep better by getting your will done now with Michael Bailey at 720-730-7274.
SPEAKER 27 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
We don't yell at you. We inform you. Now, back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 14 :
And welcome back to Rush to Reason. Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560, Andy Pate filling in for John Rush along with Tanner Cole. Man. And Luke Cash. Man. Okay, let's see what kind of men you are. We're going to go rapid fire. We've got six minutes. Are you ready? Are you up to it? Ready. Tanner's sweating. We'll survive. Okay, here we go. One of the greatest of all time, M.A.S.H.,
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Top of my list. Okay. Go, Luke. Arrested Development. Oh, you took it off my list. Go, Tanner. Full House.
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Full House was funny. Okay. Have you guys ever heard of Third Rock from the Sun? No. No. It's very funny. Trust me. John Lithgow stars. Okay.
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Luke, you're up. Well, it's not the Third Rock from the Sun, but it is 30 Rock. Nice. 30 Rock. Very good.
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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
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Oh, yes. Love that one. I love the dance. Carlton. The Carlton dance is just one of the classics. Okay, this spawned movies. Police Squad.
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Okay.
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Okay, go ahead. Let's go with Scrubs. Scrubs, good. Tanner, go. Family Matters, Steve Urkel.
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Yep, Steve Urkel. Okay, I'm going to go with Wings, another show that came off of the Cheers writers.
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Okay, Luke, you're up. Swiped right off of Andy's list, Archer.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes! You took it off my list. How dare you?
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Maybe the best kid sitcom ever is SpongeBob SquarePants. Oh, there you go.
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That's good. Okay, I'm going to go with Everybody Loves Raymond. Okay, Luke, you're up. Hey, Arnold. Hey, Arnold. Wow, another one I've heard of. Go ahead, Tanner. Shameless. Shameless. I've heard of it, but I never saw it. Is it funny? Mm-hmm. Okay. Here's a British one I'll bet you've never heard of. It only ran a few seasons. Black Adder.
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No. Black Adam?
SPEAKER 14 :
Black Adam. It was very funny. He was a very, very bad person.
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Okay. Luke, you're up. Here's a British one you have heard of, but there's a better American version. The British Office.
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The British Office. I've never seen that one.
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It's not great.
SPEAKER 14 :
No. Not great. Okay.
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Let's go with Freaks and Geeks.
SPEAKER 14 :
Freaks and Geeks. Okay. I got to go to another classic one. The Brady Bunch. The Brady Bunch. We've all heard of that. Okay.
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Luke, you're up. Oh, let's hit community.
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Community. Yeah, okay.
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Rules of Engagement.
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Rules of Engagement. I'd never seen it. Was that funny?
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David Spade's in it. I liked it a lot.
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Oh, I love David Spade. Okay, my wife got this one, an all-time classic, I Love Lucy. All-time classic. And, Luke, you're up.
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Oh, Mr. Bean. Oh, you still left.
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And that stars Rowan Atkinson, who is also the star of Black Adder.
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Yeah, I was just going to say it.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, that was his other show. Okay. Okay. Go ahead, Tanner.
SPEAKER 19 :
The Penguins of Madagascar.
SPEAKER 14 :
That's a movie.
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Let's go. No, The Penguins. They had a TV show. They had a show? It was great.
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It was pretty funny. Really? Kowalski.
SPEAKER 19 :
It was pretty good.
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Kowalski. Well, jeez, I love the movie. I've got to see it. Okay. Ted Lasso. You ever seen it?
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No. Everyone tells me to.
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Okay. Luke, you're up.
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All right. This one's for you, Tanner. Ned's Declassified. pulling up some ancient memories.
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All right.
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I got The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
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Jeez, that's so young. Killing me. Okay, I'm going to go with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She's a stand-up comic. It's pretty funny. Go ahead, Luke.
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Oh, this is how I know what a naglet is. Phineas and Ferb.
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Wow, you're really going down the cartoon route. I am. Go ahead, Tanner.
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Glee.
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Glee. Okay, I never saw it, but I hear it's pretty good. Okay, I've got to go with another absolute classic, Get Smart. It was wonderful. Trust me. I grew up on that show and laughed my head off. Go ahead, Luke.
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Oh, Bob's Burgers. Nice.
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One second. Bob's Burgers also stars the same voice of... Archer, is it? Archer. Very well done. I just want to make sure you can get it. Okay, Tanner, you're up.
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The Fairly Oddparent. Let's go.
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Okay, this is just a hilarious show that ran for many years. Married with Children. Okay. Al Bundy, one of my favorite characters ever. Luke, you're up.
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Lilo and Stitch.
SPEAKER 14 :
No, that was a TV show?
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, they had a TV show for Lilo and Stitch.
SPEAKER 14 :
Was it a sitcom? Okay.
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Disney Channel. I mean, yeah, sitcom. That stumped me. Let's go with Home Improvement.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, yeah. Well, of course. Timmy.
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Yeah, Tim Allen.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, he was great. The original Dick Van Dyke show. And that was actually pretty funny for its time. Okay, Luke, you're up.
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Running low. Rugrats. Rugrats? You are running low. I am running low.
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By the way, did you do Malcolm in the Middle? I thought you did. I just wanted to make sure, so I'm taking it off my list. Go ahead, Tanner.
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Beverly Hills Hillbillies. Oh! Basically my family.
SPEAKER 14 :
The Beverly Hillbillies was great. That was funny. Okay, Sanford and Son. You wouldn't even know what that is. Starring Red Fox. It was a classic. Luke, you're up.
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All right, last on my list. Barely qualifies, but it's still good regardless. BoJack Horseman.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, that's a good show. Okay, Tanner, it's me and you. It's me and you, man. Go. Curb your enthusiasm. Curb your enthusiasm. I'm going to go to Barney Miller. Classic show. Go. Community. Community has already been taken by Luke.
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Two broke girls.
SPEAKER 14 :
Two Broke Girls. Okay, I've seen it. McHale's Navy. I'm going way back. It was actually a good show. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 19 :
George Lopez.
SPEAKER 14 :
George Lopez. I know it's been mentioned, but did anybody use Roseanne?
SPEAKER 19 :
No.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay, I'm going to go with Roseanne.
SPEAKER 19 :
Wizards of Waverly Place.
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Okay.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah. Here's one you would not have thought of. Andy Griffith. Total classic. Go ahead.
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Hannah Montana.
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Hannah Montana. He's running low. Here's a funny show Chuck ran for several years. Okay.
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Zoe 101. No.
SPEAKER 14 :
We're getting to the end. He's falling apart. Has family ties, I mentioned. Bewitched.
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All right. Weeds, Netflix.
SPEAKER 14 :
Oh, yeah. Okay. Here's a show. You've got to watch reruns of this. Night Court. Night Court was very funny. Okay. Go ahead, Tanner.
SPEAKER 19 :
The Eric Andre Show.
SPEAKER 14 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 19 :
Barely qualifies.
SPEAKER 14 :
Laverne and Shirley. Go. Eastbound and Down. Okay. Bosom Buddies. Go. The League. Okay. I Dream of Jeannie. Go. My Name is Earl. Welcome back, Cotter. And that is all we have time for, folks. I should have said Saved by the Bell. That would have been right up your alley. Okay. Thank you for joining us today. That was Best Sitcoms of All Time. Thank you, Tanner. And thank you, Luke. Oh, thank you. Great job. And thank you, Charlie, once again, for keeping us on the right track. That's it for today. Hour 1 replays next. Hour 2 is at 6. John is back on Monday. So until then, drive safe, God bless, and thanks for joining us at Rush to Reason, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 1 :
I'm a rich guy.