KLZ 560 AM DENVER'S CONSERVATIVE HOME STATION
Menu
Join Jody Heiss as he delves into the intricacies of the House GOP's latest budget resolution, exploring its significance in controlling runaway spending and promoting individual liberty. With insightful contributions from Ken Blackwell, discover how the Republican Party's unified approach is shaping the nation's political landscape. As global relationships take center stage, listen to discussions on India's Prime Minister's recent visit to the White House and the U.S.'s stance on international Christian persecution.
SPEAKER 12 :
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. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, good afternoon and happy Friday. Welcome to this edition of Washington Watch. I am your Friday host, Jody Heiss, Senior Vice President here at the Family Research Council and President of FRC Action. Thank you so much for joining us today, and we have a lot coming your way. First of all, the House GOP's budget resolution survived a critical hurdle today or yesterday. It passed out of the Budget Committee on party-line votes 21 to 16. We're doing a budget today.
SPEAKER 18 :
My Democrat colleagues never did a budget for five years. And when y'all did the IRA, Build Back Better, it didn't come through the Budget Committee. We've empowered this committee, and we respected the deliberative process. We've got it to a good place. And now we're gonna put it in play and let the process continue.
SPEAKER 04 :
That was House Budget Committee Chairman Jody Arrington last night toward the end of yesterday's markup hearing. I'll discuss the significance of this development when I'm joined here in just a few moments by Ken Blackwell. He's the Senior Fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance here at the Family Research Council. And India's Prime Minister was at the White House yesterday for an Oval Office meeting and decided to borrow a line from none other than President Trump.
SPEAKER 01 :
If I were to say this, borrowing an expression from America, our vision for a developed India is to make India great again, or MIGA.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, those, by the way, were translated remarks, as you may have guessed. But overall, those were remarks from the Indian prime minister. And I would just say, look, if he wants to make India great again, the country's persecuted Christians might have some suggestions for him. And I'll be joined a little bit later in the program by Jeff King of International Christian Concerns to discuss what those concerns might be. And speaking of what makes a country great, a new poll is showing that a plurality of Americans for the first time in 20 years, a plurality of Americans believe that the country is actually on the right track. I'll be joined by Mark Mitchell. He's the chief pollster at Rasmussen Reports to discuss that. And then yesterday, a defiant New York governor, Kathy Hochul, rejected an extradition warrant signed by Louisiana's governor for a New York doctor who violated his state's law regarding abortion-inducing drugs.
SPEAKER 15 :
I took an oath of office to protect all New Yorkers, and I will uphold not only our Constitution, but the laws of our land. And I will not be signing an extradition order that came from the governor of Louisiana. Not now, not ever.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, so under oath to protect all New Yorkers, what about those who are not yet born? Well, this is a very interesting case that's underway right now. I'll be discussing these items a little bit later when I'm joined by David Claussen for our weekly Biblical Worldview segment. So as usual, we have a lot coming your way today. You don't want to miss any of it. But if you do, our website is TonyPerkins.com. And speaking of Tony, let me just say real quickly, FRC's Stand Firm app, if you don't already have it, you want to get the app. But beginning this coming Monday, on the app only, is going to be our first episode of Tony's new series called God and Government. It's a 13-week video-driven Bible-based training course designed for anyone who's wanting to make an impact for biblical truth. So if you want to get a head start on this and watch the intro to that first episode, simply text the word COURSE to 67742. All right, let's jump into our first item for today. Yesterday on Capitol Hill, the House GOP's budget resolution completed a successful markup. It passed out a committee. It survived in that process. Look, I just have to tell you, that's a critical hurdle for the House of Representatives. So the budget resolution, which advances now a lot of President Trump's policy goals, quite frankly, it passed out of the committee on a party-line vote. And that is significant. Joining me now to discuss how significant this is is Ken Blackwell. He's a senior fellow for human rights and constitutional governance here at FRC. He's got an enormous, vast political career, including serving as mayor of Cincinnati, as well as treasurer and secretary of state for the great state of Ohio. Ken, welcome back to Washington Watch. It's always an honor to have you, my friend.
SPEAKER 13 :
Jody, it's good to be with you, and we are together at an exciting time in America.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow. Exclamation point on that. Absolutely. All right, let's go to what happened with this whole budget resolution. This is another significant moment for our country. Just how significant is it?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I think it's very significant because what it does is it puts us on a path that controls runaway spending and it allows for tax cuts that will accelerate growth. And that's what we need. We need an economy that is growing, an economy that's putting Americans back to work. But most importantly, an economy that stops runaway spending and starts to reduce the muscularity of government. You and I have talked about this any number of times. There's a dynamic tension between the muscularity of government and government. human and individual liberty. And one of the things that this budget suggests is that it's going to err on the side of spending rationality and individual liberty and American prosperity.
SPEAKER 04 :
Boy, that makes it extremely significant. I want to ask the team, go back, if you would, and play clip one for me. Can we do that real quickly? We're doing a budget today.
SPEAKER 18 :
My Democrat colleagues never did a budget for five years. And when y'all did the IRA, Build Back Better, it didn't come through the Budget Committee. We've empowered this committee, and we respected the deliberative process. We've got it to a good place, and now we're going to put it in play and let the process continue.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, that was House Budget Committee Chairman Jody Arrington yesterday. I was so glad that he made this comment, Ken Blackwell, that Democrats never did a budget in five years. Why is that? How can that be?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, again, it's smoke and mirrors. And to the degree that they don't have a disciplined budget process, they can in fact stuff the pockets of the administrative state and actually slow growth and create an administrative state that is controlling as opposed to unleashing individual liberty and prosperity. But I will tell you, Jody, what I was impressed with is that Republicans had a robust debate, but they, in fact, practiced getting to yes in a very responsible way. They did it and they put the Democrats back on their heels. And I think that one of those One of the outcomes of this will be the American people will see that this is a Republican Party that is ready to work together in a very transparent way, but in a very disciplined way that controls spending, accelerates growth, and puts Americans back to work again.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow. And unified party, like probably like I've never seen before, at least in a long, long time. You know, your opening words as you came on this segment, we're talking about how this is such a great time to be an American with watching what we're happening now. So let me circle back around to that comment. What do you think? Just describe it for us. What do you think about President Trump and congressional Republicans right now and how they're doing?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, you know, I think, ironically, it might have been a blessing that a rigged election separated his first term from this term because it, in fact, gave him plenty of time to come in with a game plan, hit the ground running and stay on the offensive. And I just think this is a president that has a game plan that has put America first. but he actually understands that what he has to do is to get our economy growing at an accelerated pace so that we can once again pick back up on making America as great as it's ever been.
SPEAKER 04 :
And it is just breakneck speed that all this is happening. What do you think about the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE? How are they doing?
SPEAKER 13 :
I think they're doing excellent. What really gets me is that the left and the Democrat Party talks about these unelected folks. What do they think an unelected administrative state is? The bureaucracy is not a bunch of elected officials running around. It's different between the administrative state and Elon Musk and Trump and that crew is that they understand that they work for the president and they're going in doing the work for the president. But most importantly, the work for the president that he has signaled is important to get our economy growing against shrinking government and making sure that once again, this is a government for and by the people and not by the administrative state.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, great point, Ken. Can we actually say this, that I think also DOGE right now is communicating to the American people and to the federal government that it is the government who works for the people and they've got to be held accountable to the people.
SPEAKER 13 :
Absolutely. And they're not confused. The left is off balance, confused and babbling, just running their mouths. And in fact, what President Trump is doing is running an administration that is geared towards making sure that we make America great again by expanding our economy, putting Americans back to work and respecting the human dignity of the American people.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow. Just unbelievable. So what more, real quickly, we've just got a couple of minutes here, Ken. What more do you hope to see from this Trump administration and from Congress? They could not be off to a better start. What more do you hope to see?
SPEAKER 13 :
I want to see them really stay to the sort of discipline that they are exhibiting right now. The president and his team, they have to keep their foot on the gas. And that looks exactly like what they're doing. They're not going to let the administrative state and the radical left catch its breath. And so this is... Right now, this is full steam ahead and getting America back to full force as the greatest economy and the greatest nation on the face of the earth. So you think we are on path. And he's picked that spirit. People are catching that spirit. That's what is so important. I'm in neighborhoods. I'm in states. People are catching that spirit, Jody, and that's so important.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, and I just have to say, I agree with you. People say that to me all the time, and it seems like we are on path to indeed see America great again. Ken Blackwell, Senior Fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance here at FRC. Thank you so much, as always, for joining us.
SPEAKER 13 :
Good to be with you, Jody. God bless.
SPEAKER 04 :
God bless you, my friend. All right, coming up, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the White House yesterday meeting with President Trump, and he wants to make India great again. Well, how can he do that? International Christian Concern's Jeff King will join me next to discuss it. Stay tuned.
SPEAKER 10 :
During these challenging times for our nation, Family Research Council continues to serve as a watchman on the wall for faith, family, and freedom. And together, thanks to your support, we're making an eternal impact. 2024 was a year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington, DC. Last fall, over 1,000 spiritually active, governance-engaged conservatives gathered for the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit to pray for our nation and ensure that the issues impacting sage cons were understood and advanced. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins marked a major milestone this year, its 900th episode, and added the Washington Watch News Desk, a new production that presents the top news each day from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand published 2,000 articles of news, commentary, and podcasts in 2024, garnering over 5 million views. FRC's outlet for news and commentary continues to pursue the truth on the issues that matter most to you and your family. And with the launch of the Stand Firm app, you can listen to, watch, and read our content in one simple place. Pray for current issues, stay rooted in the scriptures, and engage the political sphere with the community of believers on our new platform. In 2024, FRC shaped public policy and culture, organizing the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, where members of Congress and Christian leaders came together to seek God's intervention in America. In May, FRC called upon believers to pray for and stand with Israel by dedicating a portion of their worship services to pray for Israel's peace, prosperity, and protection. with pray vote stand decision 2024 frc and real life network led a powerful evening of election night coverage to analyze the election results and pray that our nation would turn back to god we also filmed a transformative educational course god and government launching early this year in january 2025 this series will explore the biblical and historical foundations of our government, empowering you to stand confidently in your role as a citizen of heaven and earth. Family Research Council thanks you for partnering with us, and we look forward to 2025 and standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 11 :
Looking to grow closer to God in the new year? FRC's Stand on the Word spiral-bound journal is here to help. Dive deeper into scripture with thought-provoking questions, note-taking space, and context for each book and author. This second edition, covering Isaiah 2 Revelation, will guide you in tracking your journey through God's word while deepening your faith in Christ. Order now at frc.org slash store or text journal to 67742.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. Welcome back. I'm Jody Heiss, your Friday host, and an honor to be with you. A great joy to have you on board with us as well. All right. Yesterday, President Trump welcomed to the White House India's prime minister, Narendra Modi. This is the fourth foreign leader to get a visit in, frankly, the coveted Oval Office office. Well, these two leaders had a lot to discuss in their meetings, including things like tariffs that President Trump had threatened, a potential trade deal between the two countries, and America's trade deficit with India. But one big, big issue was seemingly left unaddressed, and that is how Christians and other minority groups in India are facing increased and significant persecution under the prime minister's Hindu nationalist government. Well, if Modi wants to borrow from Trump's make India great again, as he said yesterday, those were his words, then how about Maybe he ought to start by taking a page out of Trump's own executive orders. Maybe he should work on eradicating anti-Christian bias. Well, here to discuss this and more is Jeff King. Jeff is the president of International Christian Concern. Jeff, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to have you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Jody, always great to be with you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, so let's look at this meeting that took place. Maybe I missed something, but do we know at all if Christian persecution even came up when these two leaders met?
SPEAKER 07 :
Not yet. And that would certainly be the first step. The first thing you have to do is name and shame. A little goes a long way. It's the, you know, what we call the bully pulpit. The strongest tool President Trump has is for a public statement to be made. That would shake the foundations. And we've got to figure out, you know, and India's got to figure out, are they a partner in peace or in persecution?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. Yeah. Well said that that is what it comes down to. So let's go to India. OK, let's try to dive into a little bit about what kind of government they're working under. Does do they have there in India any form of religious freedom or not? Let me just start there.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes. So that's a great question, because the Constitution does allow for religious freedom. You know, the Constitution, you know, back in the time of Gandhi, it was it was very much about tolerance on all levels, especially religious. And those days are gone. You know, Modi is honestly he's the head of the snake. He's the head of the party called BJP. And the BJP is, these guys are hate mongers. They view Christianity as a virus to be eradicated, to be stamped out. And so Modi is a very polished, very savvy world politician. You're never going to hear him say anything. But if you go listen to what's being said in different languages from the BJP leaders, it's pure hate speech. And they're stirring up the masses. And then Christians are attacked. And then Modi, his role is to stay silent. He doesn't say anything. And so attackers know they have impunity. They can attack and nothing will happen.
SPEAKER 04 :
So where do we go with this? I mean, what ought to be the response of the United States? I mean, what needs to happen? Obviously, there's persecution taking place in India, and now's the time for us to be able to deal with it. In your opinion, what needs to happen?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I think the first thing is just to make a decision where religious freedom is going to lie in the order of importance. Does trade trump everything? And once we get there, Trump would make announcements. But there's different things we can do policy-wise. And if we want to go that route, it's like we could name a special envoy on religious freedom. And that means it's almost like an ambassador focused on just one issue. on India. That would be an unbelievable move. Name India as what's called a CPC, a country of particular concern. This is machinery and a legal framework within the United States government. But above all, it's the bully pulpit. Come out and say something.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow. Do you anticipate that will happen?
SPEAKER 07 :
I'm hopeful. You know, Trump administration, the first administration, oh, my gosh, it was fantastic. It was really golden age for the golden age for religious freedom. Everything from the vice president on down to the head of the State Department to a department within the State Department that focuses on religious freedom. great players. And so I was extremely encouraged to see Rubio head upstate. He is brilliant. We've worked with him in the past. He's been concerned about persecution. So I am hopeful and we'll see what's cooking in the background.
SPEAKER 04 :
So do you believe at the heart of the issue that the prime minister, Prime Minister Modi, do you think he really wants to make India solely a Hindu nation? Is that kind of underlying his worldview, you think?
SPEAKER 07 :
You nailed it. That's it. No, you know, their ideology is called Hindutva. And I remember going to India for the first time. I'm trying to think how long. It might have been 15 years ago. And I was seeing things, front page, huge spreads in the press depicting India as a virgin and Christians and Muslims molesting her and Mother India must be protected. These foreign forces, it's a virus. depicted in various ways, but just really hateful. But this is the ideology of the BJP. This is Modi's ideology. He'll never come out and say it publicly. Like I said, world-class politician, very savvy. But all you have to do is go listen to the speeches of his party leaders. And oh my gosh, it is eye-opening. And then it makes complete sense what's going on.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow. Okay, so let's kind of wrap up. Our time's almost gone here. What would you suggest to Americans here, Christians here? What can we do to assist our brothers and sisters in Christ who are there in India under various difficult circumstances?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I think the first thing is to follow the issue. And so that you go to persecution.org, go to one of the other persecution ministries and follow what's going on. So you're aware. And then call your representative, call the White House, call the Indian embassy. They are extremely important. interested in good relations and in trade. So we start calling the embassies. We call the White House and we say, stop persecuting Christians. And for our government, name a special envoy to pay attention to religion in India and name India as a CPC, a country of particular concern. Those are the that's that's our playbook right there. And name and shame. You tell it. Tell it to all your friends. Let them know what's going on in India.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern. Great information. Thank you so much for joining us again here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 07 :
Always an honor.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, friends, after the break, we're going to continue on with an incredible Rasmussen support. Trust me, you don't want to miss this. Some incredible information coming your way right after the break.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain.
SPEAKER 02 :
At the 2025 National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, hundreds gathered with Christian and government leaders at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, to pray for the nation and ask God to forgive us of our sins.
SPEAKER 08 :
We gather here not to appeal to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We are appealing to heaven. Today we make our appeal not in the authority of a political party or in the name of a denomination. We come in the name and the authority of Jesus Christ. who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and we have been commissioned to operate in that authority.
SPEAKER 17 :
Father, we pray in Jesus' name for our complacency, our greed, our pride, our gluttony, our sloth, and tolerance of sin.
SPEAKER 14 :
Lord, your word is the food that can make America healthy again. May your word be exalted and believed in our nation again. Lord, we ask that you allow us to become that shining city on the hill once more for your love, your grace, and your mercy.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you for your love and your grace and your mercy, for the opportunity that you have provided us to heal our land. We ask you to do it, Lord. We ask you for the wisdom, discernment, and stamina to do the thing that you have called each one of us, all of us here, to do. May we be found faithful. We trust it, pray it, believe it all. In Jesus' name, amen.
SPEAKER 04 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I am Jody Heist, your Friday host. Thank you so much for being with us today. All right. We all know Trump has been busy as all get out during the first month of his second term. But how does this performance translate over to everyday Americans? Well, according to data from Rasmussen Reports, it seems that there are more people who think the nation is on the right track compared to those who think it's going in the wrong direction. And this is the first time in all of Rasmussen's polling that this positive metric outscored the negative one. So is there a specific reason for the change? Or is it just, to paraphrase Hulk Hogan, is all this just a symptom of Trumpamania? Well, here to pour over the data and what it all means is Rasmussen's chief pollster, Mark Mitchell. Mark, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to have you.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, really good to be here. It is what an incredible environment out there for public opinion. I never predicted anything like this would happen. This is an upset of the last like 30 or 40 years of this red team, blue team dichotomy where we talk about things like policy and political capital. And then the people, the talking heads on mainstream media argue about what Americans think. And right now, what it looks like is that this is an existential crisis for D.C., for the essentially what people have termed the oligarchy, a group of unelected powers that have been doing what they want. and they've lost the ability to control it because they're concerned trolling out there right now about how horrible all this chaos is, how we absolutely can't stop giving all this federal funding to other countries away, how we can't cut into the IRS or the Department of Defense. and Americans are the happiest they've ever been. As measured by, do you think the country's headed in the right direction or wrong track? We have never seen that number positive in all of Rasmussen polling. It's at 47% today, tying a record, and it is positive for the first time ever.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's amazing. Now, I don't know when this was actually in the field, but how do these numbers in the poll compared to the very beginning of Trump's second term? How does all that factor in?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, what kind of happens is what we've seen is that every time a president gets elected, it spikes up. And then over time, everybody comes to know that, well, we're probably not actually going to get what we voted for. And it peters out. Happened for Obama. It happened for Trump. One, actually, although I think COVID had a lot to do with that. In fact, the second highest right direction has ever been was February of 2020. And that was very unique. Doesn't normally happen. And then interestingly, after January 6th and the 2020 election, Joe Biden did not enter office with very high right direction. And Trump's numbers have only gone up since he's been inaugurated. And that's really incredible because they're saying like, look at President Elon and look at all of these people that don't. I mean, Americans are loving this. Donald Trump's got a 54 percent, a plus 10 net approval rating right now. And Doge has a plus 10, too. So everybody's saying, oh, well, they weren't legislatively created. They don't have security clearances. Americans do not care. They're finally getting what they voted for.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. So what did y'all mean when you were talking about right track or wrong direction? Is this purely political? Is it economic? What do we mean when we're saying, is America on the right track?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, it's one additional measurement of happiness. And the question is literally just that. It's U.S. likely voters is a country in the right direction or wrong track. And the reason it's so powerful is just because everybody asks it. And we have so much history. And the fact that it's never been above 50 percent in all of our polling history is kind of sad because you'd want in a representative democracy to try and maximize that number. And we haven't been. I mean, I'll tell you, there's times when it's been in the upper teens and low 20s. And, you know, times like at the beginning of COVID, times like after the Supreme Court ruling, times like after January 6th. But here we are happy now. And this is new because, again, Trump didn't come in with some kind of policy promises. Trump came in promising aggressive action. And everybody said, yeah, sure. Yeah, sure. Well, we're seeing it. We're seeing it now. We sure are. And I think a lot of Americans – yeah. Yeah. And a lot of Americans aren't really understanding the scope of what's going to happen here, because this could be a fundamental referee reformation of all kinds of politics. Like, I just don't see even the debt ceiling discussion that's happening next month. It's not going to play out the same way because people see through, I think, the political lies, like the way that Chuck Schumer just got brutalized on Twitter. I don't think we've ever seen anything like that.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. And I mean, you're so right. There's just so much to talk about here. I mean, even here at FRC Action, we have a Trump commitment tracker and already he's completed 26 out of the 51 that we have listed. That's got to be a factor in all this. People see he is doing what he said he was going to do.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, well, the Teflon Don has had everything thrown at him that they possibly could have. And I use the royal they because it's a whole lot of people. And believe it or not, there are fewer people that strongly disapprove of Donald Trump today than did in January 2017. So none of it works. And the truth is, is that approval kind of used to matter a lot for presidents, but it doesn't seem to anymore because his approval is decoupled. From what's going on. And that's because MSNBC, the MSM, all of these news outlets, they've gaslit too much. They pushed it too far and they've completely lost their power. And now Twitter is setting the mainstream narrative and people are just happy and chilling out. So it's like he's got carte blanche in a way I don't think any politician in my lifetime has certainly.
SPEAKER 04 :
I totally agree with you. Mark Mitchell, Chief Pollster at Rasmussen Reports. Thank you so much. Incredible information. Thank you for all you do.
SPEAKER 16 :
Always great to be here.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thanks. All right, friends, listen, by way of reminder, I mentioned the Trump Commitment Tracker that we have at FRC Action. It's easy for you to get and to follow. It's available at frcaction.org slash Trump Tracker. It's also on our Stand Firm app when you get the toolkit. You can do that by texting TOOLKIT to 67742. All right, our weekly Biblical Worldview segment's coming up next right here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 09 :
Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But do you know the Bible talks about four institutions of government? Do you know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this thing, separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 05 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion. And this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you are the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sage con and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 04 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I am your Friday host, Jody Heiss. I'm glad to have you joining us today. Before I go to my next guest, I want to encourage you to preview our new 13-week series called God in Government. It launches on FRC's Stand Firm app this coming Monday, President's Day. This is a powerful video-driven, Bible-based training course. It's designed for anyone who's wanting to make an impact for biblical truth. So ahead of the launch coming up this coming Monday, you can watch the course introduction and take the pre-test to prepare for the very first episode. Simply text the word COURSE to 67742. All right. Well, yesterday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul defiantly rejected an extradition warrant signed by Louisiana's governor for a New York doctor who violated Louisiana's state law regarding abortion-inducing drugs. And by the way, that doctor was also ordered yesterday by a judge in Texas to pay more than $100,000 in penalties for prescribing abortion drugs for a woman near Dallas. So with more cases like this expected to come out, how much longer can the issue for the state's claim hold up? Well, joining me now for a worldview discussion on this, as well as other items making headlines this week, is David Claussen. Of course, David is the director for our Center for Biblical Worldview here at the Family Research Council. David, great to see you as always. Thanks for joining us. Hey, happy Friday.
SPEAKER 03 :
Great to be with you again, Jody.
SPEAKER 04 :
And happy Friday to you as well. I look back and I wonder where in the world has this week gone, but here we are. All right, listen, before I get into a bunch of other stuff, I just got a hit on this. New York, I just had on the last segment before I hit the New York story that I was just talking about, this whole thing from Rasmussen showing that a majority of Americans believe that our country is on the right track. This is the first time like in decades that something like this has happened. What's your thoughts on that poll?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, precisely. It's the first time in 20 years, so two decades, Jody. Rasmussen has been putting out this poll, kind of just asking Americans a battery of questions that they ask, of course. But do you think the country is on the right direction or the wrong direction? And it's a close poll, like you would expect it to be. But 47% of Americans told Rasmussen that they believed the country was on the right direction. 46% said on the wrong direction. And the way I look at it, Jody, is I think this is just kind of vindication or validation, so to speak, for the first month or so of the Trump presidency. I think the average American appreciates leadership in the Oval Office. They appreciate seeing strong leadership in the Oval Office. A couple of days, President Trump's been meeting with the Indian Prime Minister, the King of Jordan, Benjamin Netanyahu last week, and other world leaders. I think the American people appreciates the policies on immigration, on really the work that Elon Musk and DOGE is doing, the Department of Government Efficiency. Again, I know it's early in the honeymoon period, so to speak. We're still early in the first hundred days. But if I was the Trump folks, I would look at a result like this with the Rasmussen poll as a general validation that a lot of the policies and decisions that they're making are resonating with the American people.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, so is that what we mean when Christians, for example, what does it mean when we're suggesting that the nation's on the right track? I mean, certainly Christians' understanding of the right track will be different from a Christian's someone else, let's just put it that way, their definition of the right track. What are we kind of specifically referring to here? And are we on the right track from a Christian or biblical worldview?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, that's a deeper level question, Jody. And I guess that is why we have our Worldview segments. Because as Christians, we don't just say the nation's on the right track because of economic indicators or political power or even cultural trends. As Christians, we want the nation to be aligning with God's moral order. Proverbs 14.34, after all, says, righteousness exalts a nation. And so I think for Christians, for us to kind of get excited that the nation's on the right track, we would want to see a nation where justice is being upheld. We would want to see a nation where life is protected, where religious liberty and the ability to live out our faith is protected, really where truth is promoted. So I think where we see those things happening, Jody, a Christian could say, I think our nation is trending in the right direction. Because again, as Christians, we want to see truth promoted. We want to see life protected. We want to see, I think an important phrase that I would use, Jody, is we want to see a return to creation order. And generally speaking, and I guess I should also add, Jody, where those things are not happening, where creation order is being inverted, where we're seeing moral confusion, where we're seeing moral compromise, I think those would be indications that a nation is on the wrong track. And so I think generally speaking, Jody, when you look kind of, again, it's been a quick three weeks for the Trump administration, but looking at the logic embedded in some of these executive orders that is protecting life, that is defining sex, according to biology, according to creation order. I think these are all things that, again, I wrote a piece last week kind of cheekily titled Making Social Conservatism Great Again. These are all things that I think would indicate, for a Christian perspective, not only has there been a vibe shift, so to speak, but that we are kind of getting back on track in a way that's consistent with the moral order.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, really, really encouraging news to hear that. Now, let me go back to what I originally was going to start with. Yesterday's news coming out of New York that I was talking about right before you came on the program with the governor there of New York has rejected the request to extradite a doctor who's been charged with prescribing some abortion pills online to a woman in Louisiana. And this is, isn't this like the first time where these so-called shield laws have been, are going to be tested? Absolutely. But fill us in on the details of this story. What's going on here?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, Jody, I think that's, you hit the nail on the head. That's why this is an important story, because you will remember after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, you know, it's in Justice Alito's majority opinion that the decision, the policymaking authority to regulate abortion goes back to the people and their elected representatives. And so many state legislatures jumped in the void, so to speak, and passed very strong pro-life bills. And many states had already passed these pro-life legislation. Those laws were allowed to go back into effect. They were called trigger laws. So that's what you had happen, kind of where you had conservative leadership in place. But in places like New York, you're exactly right. They passed these so-called shield laws that provided protections for abortion providers, abortion doctors, agencies, pharmacies that prescribe abortion pills, specifically mifepristone, and they would ship that across state lines. And so in this case right here, Louisiana, we know the governor, a friend of the program, under his leadership, Louisiana has very strong pro-life laws in place. And exactly what you just described, you have a doctor who's based in New York who sent abortion pills across state lines from New York down to Louisiana, and they were given to a minor child. And so Louisiana is wanting to extradite this judge, or excuse me, not this judge, this abortion provider, and New York's saying absolutely not. So this is a real showdown And Jody, why this is important is because chemical abortion is the new frontier. I think most viewers of Washington Watch know that a majority of abortions, and this is true for the last couple of years, are not surgical abortions. The majority of abortions for years, even right before Roe v. Wade was overturned, are not taking place at clinics. They're taking place with this two-pill abortion pill regimen. And so, again, if—and by the way, this is the wild, wild west. There are no regulations over these chemical abortion pills. The Biden administration gutted even some of the few remaining regulations that were in place. And so, Jody, this is going to be a massive story to watch because hopefully these laws will be challenged because as it is right now, it does not matter what Florida does or Louisiana does. They can have the strongest pro-life laws in the nation. And yet these shield laws are allowed to be upheld. Well, you can have abortion pills mailed in to conservative jurisdictions from liberal states and we'll see abortion. Those numbers continue just to go up, Jody.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow. Here we have at the same time yesterday, a Texas judge fined this very same doctor over $100,000 for sending these abortion pills to a woman in the Dallas area. So what's going on in that part of this case?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, it's part of really the same story in a sense, because it is the same doctor in New York, again, Jody, who's just kind of has this carte blanche freedom to mail abortion pills all over the country. And so, again, in Texas, again, we have some strong pro-life champions in the Lone Star State that have passed strong legislation that prohibits you know, the use of these drugs. But again, you have in place this shield law that is providing protection for this abortion drug provider. And so what you have is this Texas judge has ordered very explicitly, stop sending abortion drugs in violation of Texas law into our state. He's ordered this provider to pay over $100,000. But again, I think what's important for people to understand is that this is a stark departure, Jody, from the way interstate commerce normally works. The practice of extraditing and honoring subpoenas and sharing information. Normally states cooperate with one another. But in the jurisdictions, the states that have passed these so-called shield laws, they're really, it's a massive win for the abortion lobby at this point. That again, these abortion doctors can operate with basically impunity. They can get away with this with no legal repercussions. And so this really is, Jodi, going to be one of the new frontiers for those of us who are convictional pro-lifers, who don't want to see these abortion numbers go up, who understand how dangerous chemical abortion is, not just for unborn babies, of course, which it kills, but for the women who take it. You know, Jodi, one in 25 women who take these abortion pills, the two-pill regimen, ends up in the emergency room. And again, it's completely unregulated. And so again, this is going to be a major thing, a major story to watch. And again, I would encourage all of our viewers to just be praying, because again, this is the previous generation that would pray outside abortion clinics, heroic frontline work. The next frontier is these chemical abortion pills right now that are allowed to parachute in to conservative states and continue to kill unborn children.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow. A lot going on there. We need to keep a pulse on for sure. If I can switch gears with you here a little bit, David, there's another story happens to be coming out of Louisiana as well, where we have a law professor there who was recently barred by an appeals court from returning to work at LSU's law school. And the professor has been on leaves since last month. Apparently, it was discovered that he had made some disparaging comments about the state of Louisiana, the governor there, as well as President Trump. What's your thoughts on this story? What's going on?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, it's interesting. You know, we're familiar with the term ideological capture. And if you're not, you know, ideological capture is just this idea that institutions can be captured by ideology. And, you know, those of us who are conservative know, Jody, that this is something that has long been a problem in higher education. And so here in this situation at Louisiana State University, LSU, You have this law professor who, again, who's been there for years, has been teaching for well over a decade, allegedly in his class, and he was recorded, I believe, saying some really crude things, not only about the governor there in the state of Louisiana, but also about the president of the United States. And so again, There was a court, so LSU has put him on paid leave. There was a court that ordered him, the administration, to let him come and teach again. And then an appeals court has said, no, not yet. And I think this speaks to the fact, and I'm glad this has happened in a way, Jody, because it really does, in my view, highlight the ideological capture of so many of the law school's IN THE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. YOU KNOW, JODY, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, YOU KNOW, WELL, TWO MONTHS AGO, MY WIFE AND I HAD OUR FIRST CHILD, AND I'M ALREADY THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THE KIND OF THE LANDSCAPE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AND IT IS NOT ONE THAT IS FRIENDLY TOWARDS CONSERVATIVES OR FOR CHRISTIANS. And I think I hope every parent that's paying attention to this story and others realizes just how infested, if I can use that word, much of higher education is and how much the left has captured our institutions. And so, again, I hope LSU continues to do the right thing. It appears that they're doing that by not allowing just such blatant ideology in the classroom like this. But it's something I think that it's a warning sign for those of us who are conservative Christians.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely. Listen, David, we've got about a minute or less. Anything else that we should be following as Christians that something we need to be tracking?
SPEAKER 03 :
I think I would just encourage, I know there's been a lot in the news recently, Jody. I would just, you know, we know from Scripture, Paul commands us to be praying for kings and for officials in high places that we may lead a godly and dignified life in every way. You know, there's a lot going on. Talk about the first hundred days, Jody. I know we have Operation Prayer Shield going on. encouraging folks to be praying. But President Trump and the folks that are around him here in D.C. and state legislatures that are getting very busy right now introducing legislation, what a wonderful time, again, at kind of the beginning of many of these legislative sessions to be praying for all of our leaders to make decisions that honor God, promote human flourishing. And I think that's, I just want to encourage folks, I think this is a great time to be praying because there's so much to be praying about.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely, and could not be a better way for us to end this program and this week. David Claussen from the Center for Biblical Worldview here at FRC, thank you so much for the great work you do and for helping us break it down each Friday from a biblical perspective. Thank you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Always a pleasure. Thank you, Jody.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, friends, that wraps up another week here at Washington Watch. I want to thank you so much for joining us. Hope you have a fantastic weekend. Go to church somewhere and encourage people in the Lord. We'll see you next week here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 12 :
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.
Delve into the intricacies of today’s market with seasoned money manager Bill Gundersen, as he navigates through the significant financial events leading up to Valentine’s Day. This episode highlights crucial developments such as the implications of TikTok's availability in US app stores, which has had a substantial effect on companies reliant on its platform. Leveraging his expertise, Bill examines the broader market trends including the resurgence of gambling stocks, propelled by strategic moves and strong customer acquisition. Additionally, the dialogue sheds light on the performance of both value and growth stocks within the cybersecurity and software sectors, focusing on leaders like Palantir and CrowdStrike. Listeners are treated to a spirited discussion about the evolution of sports betting stocks, where names like DraftKings and Flutter are making headlines with impressive gains. As the episode progresses, financial strategies for navigating the volatile landscape of tech stocks are unraveled, with reflections on the lessons learned from past market behavior. Tying it all together, Bill shares valuable insights on maintaining a robust and balanced portfolio amid varying market conditions, offering a clear road map for both novice and seasoned investors.
SPEAKER 01 :
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 04 :
And welcome to the Friday, it is the Valentine's Day edition. You know where your local flower shop is. Of the Best Docs Now show with professional money manager Bill Gunderson, president of Gunderson Capital Management. And I'm here with Barry Kite, our chartered financial analyst. And just when it looked like we might be in line for another Friday fade, the market has actually perked up just a little bit here this morning with the Dow up 42 points right now, 44,753. The S&P, which broke out yesterday to the upside, I sent out that chart this morning, It's up 9 points, 6,124. That's a new all-time high on the S&P 500. So we have a breakout and a new all-time high. That's something to take note of. The NASDAQ is up 37. It started off on the soft side, especially the AI stocks. But now it has improved. It's up 39. It's at 20,220. And if I'm not mistaken, that's a new all-time high for the NASDAQ. Small caps up 14 points right now. That's 60 basis points. The 10-year was down again. That's helping markets out, equity markets. The 10-year is down another six basis points after a 10 basis point drop yesterday. And right now on that 10-year, we're sitting at 4.48%. So welcome to the Best Stocks Now show on this Friday, February the 14th. You know, one you always have to circle on the calendar, February the 14th, you better. Valentine's Day, you know, I'm sure the line at Walmart, the flowers are going fast or wherever, you know, 1-800-Flowers or whatever the case may be. I'm just reminding you all of this date today. We had a good day yesterday in the market. Really good day. And it's because President Trump backed down or delayed some tariffs that he was ready to... to put on other countries. The market loved that, obviously. The Dow, by the end of the day, was up 343 points. The NASDAQ was up a whopping 295 yesterday. It's following through a little today. and uh we are i think hitting a new all-time high on the nasdaq the s p was up 63 yesterday that was uh just four points short of the new all-time high but of course with today's move we're hitting a new all-time high on the s p 500 so things going well uh we've basically been bullish since 2009 earnings are driving the bus they will continue to drive the bus until The bus starts to swerve and the earnings start to slow down, which we're not seeing any sign of yet. The Russell 2000 likes the big drop in interest rates. 11 basis points yesterday after the PPI report that did that. And today it's down another four or five basis points. Gold closing in on... Yeah, retail sales today. Yeah, retail sales today is dropping it. Gold closes in on 3,000. Yesterday we had three huge winners. They're not big positions here. App. is in our emerging growth portfolio dutch brothers is in our emerging growth portfolio and that darn aurora innovations which is in the uh the the the incubator portfolio it was up 46 yesterday so anyways we're having fun are we having fun yet i hope you're having fun We're trying to do our best over here at HQ. So anyways, pretty decent day in the market yesterday. RFK is your new HHS secretary. Doge added another member. To their team, the co-founder of Airbnb. So he will be the next target. They'll start going after him, I'm sure. January retail sales slide more than expected. You know what? By January, I would call it exhaustion.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right? I mean, especially this year.
SPEAKER 04 :
It's like you've got to go on a diet after a big Christmas buffet. You know, all you can eat. Man, you gorge yourself. You know, January, you go on a diet. For a couple of weeks.
SPEAKER 03 :
Nowadays, you've got so much buy now, pay later. Honestly, probably for some folks, it's a lot more popular now. You probably had some folks in January who were like, all right, let me get this thing paid off so I can start a new one.
SPEAKER 04 :
We're not like the U.S. government. We can't go just borrow more money from China or print more money. I mean, there comes a reckoning day. It was a pretty weak report, though. January retail sales down minus 0.9%. Okay, this is the second story this week that I have seen on surging prices. Power demand. U.S. electricity demand growth through 2027 will be like adding another California. Okay, that's a sizable chunk.
SPEAKER 03 :
That's an interesting way to put it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Maybe if we add Canada or Greenland, you know, we will be adding another California. I don't know. But how much electricity are we going to need? A lot. A lot. or more precisely an unprecedented 3,500 terawatt hours for the globe over the next three years. That corresponds to adding more than the equivalent of a Japan to the world's electricity consumption each year, according to the International Energy Agency, which by the way, if I'm not mistaken, they've been very bullish on wind and solar. You're not going to get that kind of bump to your grid with wind and solar. I mean, it's going to help. It's going to put a dent in it. But with that kind of demand, you've got to do something different. And, of course, we've seen in the world something big and something quick by 2027. All right, that's around the corner. And I still say that it's a good investment right now to be investing in all of the different ways you can invest in nuclear. Your standard utilities, they're not good investments. I looked at Dominion Energy yesterday. Over the last 10 years, you've made about 1% a year on a lot of these traditional utilities. Not good investments. You've got to be in the right utilities, the ones that are growth utilities. That's what I would say. Growth utilities enable to really expand their output. So anyways... We are strong growth and electricity demand is raising the curtain on a new age of electricity. Electrification of buildings, transportation and industry combined with the growing demand for air conditioners and data centers is ushering a shift toward a global economy with electricity at its foundation. Well, the old windmill just is not going to cut it anymore out back. And it's going to take solar, you know, it's not going to cut it. It's going to help. But it's going to take big, big things. Bistra, NRG, Constellation Energy, Oklo, you know, Smart Modular. Just some of the ones that I would add to the mix there that could continue to be players down the road. And I saw an article on Tuesday or Wednesday talking about nuclear. I saw Trump talking with somebody. I can't remember who it was. It wasn't Modi. He talked with Modi yesterday from India.
SPEAKER 03 :
But one of those... He's had so many people he met with.
SPEAKER 04 :
Parading in and out. But one of them was all in on nuclear. Billionaire Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. What do you think? You think he's a pretty smart guy? Coming up with the whole Airbnb concept?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, right.
SPEAKER 04 :
Going to join Musk Doge. The Doge guys. The Doge boys. And we talked yesterday about... The, let's see, January, February, January we spent, let's see, where is that number? There it is right there. The federal deficit climbed to $127 billion in January. That's just one month. That was for the month of January. Another $127 billion, and in basic numbers, we continue to take in about $4 trillion, and we continue to spend about $6 trillion. That's just not going to work. Something's got to give. So add one more person to the team, billionaire, billionaire Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. being added to the team. He's based out of Austin. He's also a Tesla board member and a close friend of Musk. So, hey, at least we've got some pretty smart guys.
SPEAKER 03 :
Some more talent.
SPEAKER 04 :
No, I've seen arguments. What do they know about, you know, government spending? Well, I would just say, you know, and as someone said, we need forensic accountants. I would just say these guys are multi-talented in many different areas. You have to be to be a business owner. So anyways, I say more power to them. We'll be right back. And welcome back here to the second quarter of today's Best Stocks Now show. TikTok is back. You hear a ticking that's back live on the Google and the Apple app stores in the U.S. Is it really?
SPEAKER 01 :
I didn't know.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think it's been working. I mean, it's been working all along, but you just weren't able to... New people that wanted to put it on their... their Android or their Apple. It is back. It's again available for download in the US after President Trump delayed a ban on the app until April 5th, 2025. TikTok was removed from the app stores after the ban went into effect on January the 19th. And it has been dark. Oh, I guess it hasn't been working. And, you know, I've got to tell you, it has really hurt a lot of the companies that depend upon TikTok influencers, right? Elf would be a perfect example of that. Elf had their worst quarter they've ever had.
SPEAKER 03 :
No, right. No, that's right.
SPEAKER 04 :
And what did they blame? They blamed TikTok being down. We don't own Elf. You know, Elf would be one. I continue to have a value-based fund on the drawing board. I've got about 10 stocks in it now. Elf would definitely be a value name at this point in time because they still have a pretty good franchise. And maybe with TikTok coming back online, they'll get that thing moving again. But that's something. I think someone's going to end up with TikTok. Trump's idea was to make it a part of the new sovereign wealth fund. which is being proposed by not only Trump but by our Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessem. I saw an interview with him last night.
SPEAKER 03 :
His house is for sale here.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, how much is he asking?
SPEAKER 03 :
I think it was $22 million.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, yeah, well, all right.
SPEAKER 03 :
That pink house.
SPEAKER 04 :
My wife's always wanted to live in downtown Charleston. I said, 80 days out of the year it floods. I said, no. No, I don't need that.
SPEAKER 03 :
It floods and it doesn't even need to rain. It could just have a king tide.
SPEAKER 04 :
A high tide comes up through the storm drains and all of a sudden you've got soggy shoes and soggy stocks in your portfolio. Who's investing in what? I'll tell you who moves the market more than anybody. You mentioned it this morning, Jensen Wang. Jensen Wang, the CEO of NVIDIA, he came out several weeks ago and blasted the quantum stocks. They were down 50% that day. I've never seen one person like that impact an entire sector. like he did well he disclosed that he's been selling sound hound serve robotics nano x okay let's just take a look at those stocks today sound hound which is ai uh you know creating voices whatnot Down 23% today. Okay. Serve, which I've been watching serve. They make the little robots that will deliver the food to your table over at IOP and whatnot.
SPEAKER 03 :
I saw a couple of them in New York, actually. Did you really? Yeah, this little thing. I turned a corner and almost ran into it. It was coming at me. It was like a server. It wasn't Jeff, was it, on roller skates? As a kid, I was a big Star Wars fan, so it looks like some little Star Wars robot was coming at me. Was it carrying anything? Yes, so it's got different shelves, and, like, literally, they just, I mean, it's basically a moving platform that happens to be a robot. You put the plate on top, and it goes down and will go right in front of the table, and then you just pull it off.
SPEAKER 04 :
Okay, well, okay, Serv Robotics is down 38% today, and Nano X, N-N-O-X, we never bit on any of these. It's down 12%. Now, he also sold a big stake in Arm. which is the UK AI chip maker. It's only down 4.4% today. But now he also disclosed what he's buying. Okay, that's, let's see. NVIDIA reduced his position. The new filings, he still owns stakes in Applied Digital. Okay, Applied APLD. We own that in our emerging growth portfolio. It's up 11.5% today. Nibius, that's the one you mentioned. We own that in our emerging growth. It's up 10% today. Hey, that emerging growth portfolio is having one heck of a year. And RXRX, we don't own. It's up 14.8%. And the one that's really popping today is WeRide. What is WeRide? Yeah. China. China company provides autonomous driving technology. We own their competitor. I guess we should have bought WeRide. Pony's up 13%, though. It's ponying up to the bar there for us. But WeRide is up 83% today. W-R-D. Actually, we had a listener or a follower actually email us and said, hey, can you add W-R-D to the app? maybe a week ago or so, a couple weeks ago. I did. And we have some good people out there, scouts. WeRide came public. Up 80%. Yeah. It came public last November at 15. It's 31 today. Now, generally speaking, these big moves like that at the open, if you could get stock to short, they always come back to earth quite a bit. That happened yesterday with App. It happened with Dutch Brothers. And WeRite is already down $12 from its high, but it's up 78% today after Jensen Wang. Now this is, okay, instead of the little waiter coming along with your pastrami sandwich, WeRite is going to be delivering people from place to place. We know that the autonomous vehicle, the code quite has not been broken yet. Waymo is trying, and of course Tesla is trying, and one that we talked about yesterday that we own, Aurora Innovation is trying, Pony is trying, WeRide. Those are basically your five big players in autonomous driving. Right now, which is almost like the people mover at Disneyland where there's no driver. Okay, but there are cars rolling around Phoenix, San Francisco, Austin. different areas, and they're trying to make that big breakthrough. And where I see it really happening is for DoorDash.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, delivery, certainly first.
SPEAKER 04 :
Uber, you know, that's going to be a big deal for them if they can do it. All right, so that's Jensen Wang. Now, when Berkshire, now he still moves stocks, but not like Jensen Wang, no way. DaVita, which I don't know why Warren Buffett, DaVita is a cross the nation kidney dialysis centers. He had a big stake in that. He sold half of it, did Warren Buffett. And let's see what that's doing to the stock. He's not really one people watch anymore. DaVita's down 12.3% on that news. You know, the only one he's been buying lately really is Occidental Petroleum. All right. And one more here. Let's see before the break. Now we'll talk about it when we come back. This is the Best Stocks Now show.
SPEAKER 05 :
And the boys upstairs just don't understand anymore. Well, the top brass don't like him talking so much. And he won't play what they say to play.
SPEAKER 04 :
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 GuntersonCapital.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 09 :
Welcome back here to the second half of today's Best Stocks Now show. Well, let's just check on the market here real fast.
SPEAKER 04 :
ah yeah i'm seeing the friday fade we should have uh bought sqq uh about the time that rally ended and started to a turn that's already the sunday fade we haven't even finished the show yet no you know it's just there's just something about it sqq is is triple short you went and saw the 15 year anniversary of tqq right which is long than that triple leverage long yeah Now, it's one of the best performing ETFs, probably the best. I mean, if you look at the 10 to 15-year.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's the largest leveraged ETF out there. Actually, I didn't know that. And it's been around for 15 years, so they've been cranking it out for a while.
SPEAKER 04 :
Now, SQQ has been the wrong side of the street to be on. That's been crushed. Oh, yeah. You know, I'm just playing this on paper. You know, when you see that rally start to fade on Friday, go take a bunch of SQQ, hold it till the close, because that just seems to be the trend here recently. Okay, you'll be surprised, I'm surprised, that really Airbnb, it's having a huge day. It's up 15% today. It's not been a very good stock. Okay, he may be a billionaire. But people that have bought the stock have not done very well. It came public. You know, it's a great idea and everything like this. But, you know, it came public. I'm going to look it up here. It came public towards the end of 2020. Okay, the COVID years. COVID started to leave. Airbnb came public. About in the 175 area was where it came public. So now it's been a public company for almost five years, four and a half years. It went public at 175. Today it's 162. It's down $13 since its opening day, which isn't very good. If you look over the last three years, I mean, it got up there in the 200s. And so actually the last three years, it's gone down by 5.4% per year, while the market's been up 12.8%. It's got a little momentum now. Over the last 12 months, Airbnb is down 8.3%. The market's up 21.8%. So it has not delivered alpha. Now it's delivering alpha today. But you know what? At the end of the day, it's 10% grower, maybe 12% at best. It's been profitable, you know, all along, really since day one, almost. It took them about a year as a publicly traded company to turn profitable. And despite the big day today, I show 70% upside potential, which does not meet our valuation criteria, and it does not meet our momentum and performance criteria, our alpha criteria criteria. We did take a stab at it at one point when it looked like it was going to really start to be a little bit more consistent. And it didn't work out. And so, you know, it's a good idea, but it hasn't panned out well for investors. Now the next one has. And it took a while, though. But I'll tell you what, these gambling stocks, gambling on sports stocks, which I remember my dad used to call his bookie. He had a little bookie somewhere. I don't know where he was, El Centro or something like that. We'd bet a horse at Belmont in the third race that he had a hot tip on.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's like my uncle at Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, or take the Chargers and six points to beat Oakland or whatever the case may be. Now it's like wide open, right, out there in the open.
SPEAKER 03 :
Kids are doing it. You can bet in the middle of a game. So you can have a game that's, you know, say we're in the second quarter and someone's creating a spread for that, and you can go ahead and, hey, I missed the missed kickoff. No problem. Just go ahead and get in right now.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, Dave Portnoy is definitely one of the faces of all of this at DraftKings out of Boston. Look at that stock today, up 13%. hitting a new all-time high. This is a best stocks now, okay? There's no question about it. You know, the growth, they trade higher after strong customer acquisition growth takes the sting off of an unfriendly NFL outcome. So, yeah, they wanted Kansas City to win. The bookies, the gamblers did. The big people taking the bets wanted Kansas City to win. But DraftKings is up... Now, I would own DraftKings, but I own Flutter already. And Flutter's doing just fine, too. Look at Flutter today. Flutter's up 5.1%. I own both of them, actually. But, you know, in a portfolio with just 20 stocks, you hate to own two in the same industry.
SPEAKER 03 :
And you've got 10%. Yeah, you've got 10% in the high-flying gamble.
SPEAKER 04 :
You've got to spread your bets around a little bit on that roulette wheel, right? So anyways, Flutter's doing well. Flutter is actually out of Ireland. I mean, they kind of invented sports betting with the Irish sweeps, the big horse race and everything many, many years ago and gambling on horses.
SPEAKER 03 :
And the U.K. has been. I mean, they've had wide open camps. Wide open gambling, you know, for years. Yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
Betfair. PDDY is Betfair. And, of course, you know, I went to the Breeders' Cup last November with my wife out at Del Mar. We're going to go again this year. We had a good time. That is basically Flutter Entertainment that runs that. Flutter is a $53 billion company right now. And DraftKings, which is the best stock now, what can I say? It's $25 billion. It's half the size of Flutter. But DraftKings is up 12% today after their earnings report, and Flutter's up 5%. And they're both breaking out to new all-time highs today. Roku, we owned Roku in the early days. They're still, they're hoping to turn profitable next year. That's an issue I have with Roku, okay? You know, Roku, when COVID, they did well during COVID. And then we had that huge run after COVID that kind of ended in early 2021. And that was the year Kathy Woods had her big year. And these long-duration companies that are unprofitable but hoping to be profitable had a huge year. Yeah, Roku got up to $490. Wow. Since then, it's hit 39. From 490 down to 39. Okay, it finally bottomed out in 2023. I like Roku. I think it's a good product. I have a Roku TV that I enjoy. Their sales are still growing by about 19% to 20% per year. But they haven't made a profit yet. They're hoping by next year to maybe squeak out a profit. And therein lies the problem with Roku. $14 billion company. The street, like the report today, up 12.6%. Up 12.6%. They eye profitability in 2026. They delivered upbeat results and forecast. It's not a best stock now because, you know, I mean, that's a competitive business. How many of these? What competitors are there that Roku has out there? Okay, the next one is Palo Alto Networks, one of the kingpins in the cybersecurity, but not a good report. It's down 5.2%. It seems to me that Palantir is the stock in that sector these days, and CrowdStrike. I mean, those two have really kind of pulled away from the pack. Palantir, and to some extent Snowflake has really started to pick up. And Snowflake has kind of the same DNA that ServiceNow has. I mean, look, the symbol has just got an S in front of it, S now, Snowflake. And, you know, ServiceNow is now. So it has the same DNA, a lot of the same people starting Snowflake that started ServiceNow, which was one of the great stocks of all time.
SPEAKER 03 :
And AI can shape, you know, will shape these, especially, you know, these cybersecurity companies, obviously Palantir, CrowdStrike. And the one kind of one bright spot on the Palo Alto report was, you know, they had some good encouraging segment of business, obviously, is on the AI front. So that's why we're in those other software names as well because of AI. Right.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. So, you know, I mean, the lesson to learn there is, okay, you've got a sector in the market. In this case, it's technology. Subsector is software. And then you break it down even further into the group that it's in, and that's the cybersecurity group. And there's leaders in that group. I would add one more to the leadership side, CyberArk, C-Y-B-R. Palantir and CrowdStrike right now are the best stocks now in that sector, which is a best sector now. There's no question about it. And there's others that aren't keeping up with the rest. We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 08 :
You've got to go where you want to go, do what you want to do, and win whoever you want.
SPEAKER 04 :
And welcome back to the final segment of today's Best Docs Now show.
SPEAKER 03 :
The love edition.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, the love is in the air edition of the show. You know, one of the guys that's big that met, you know, I think like Trump's first week in office, he had all those big AI guys there. He had the guy from OpenAI, Sam Altman. He had Oracle's CEO, Larry Ellison. And he had SoftBank's. uh ceo uh which uh it's the guy's son right yeah check right yeah yeah it's uh masayoshi's son and uh you know so softbank reported earnings the other day And I just looked at, really, when you're investing in SoftBank, you're investing in a lot of venture capital. Right. But a lot of publicly traded companies also. How have they done? Not very good.
SPEAKER 03 :
Didn't they get caught up in the WeWork thing that kind of set them back a bit, I believe? Yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
But, I mean, look, an investment in them 10 years ago, 8.3% per year. That's terrible. I mean, the S&P is 19.3%. So I wouldn't say that they have a real good eye for spotting future winners. I think they had some big bets, too, in a lot of the Chinese tech stocks like Tencent and Alibaba.
SPEAKER 03 :
Over the last... They've had some cloudy past, you know. I'll say. I think it was WeWork that was involved. I mean, really, the only reason they got the return they have now is because of the company that you just mentioned, the English-UK chip company that... Oh, yeah, Arm Holdings. Yeah, Arm.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, because they took them private and... Right, and then they rolled it out. Their last five years, they've averaged 4% returns per year. You're taking a lot of risk in SoftBank, too. Because they're not buying, you know, established. They're kind of out there on the forefront. And 4% per year for the last five years, we're taking a lot of risk. S&P is 16.2. Last three years, once again, 11.9. It got better because you had that ARM deal in there. But the market did better. The S&P did better. And over the last 12 months, you've made 6.9% in SoftBank when the S&P is 22%. I had a big competitor in San Diego. who was on the show right before me over at KCEO. He was a big proponent of SoftBank. He loved SoftBank. The symbol was SFTBY, SFTBY. You can buy it online. But it's done terrible. What can I say? I mean, that's pretty mediocre returns. Okay, let's take a look at two more, and then we're out of time for the week. We're going to be about 80% done with earnings season by the end of today. Like I say, it's been a good one so far because you started out this earnings season with expectations for 11.6% growth, and now we're up to 16.2% are the expectations, with about 20% of the companies left to report growth. They're going to start trickling in now. It's not going to be these last three weeks, man. You know, in the mornings, I read all the news over the last 24 hours in the market. It's been a two-hour job every morning because of all the news. It seems to me, too, that Seeking Alpha has picked up a lot more companies, even ones underneath the radar, which is good. I mean, that's just fine by me because it brings my attention to something maybe early on. And they've also gotten more verbose, Seeking Alpha, on the earnings reports. I don't read through the earnings reports, just the highlights. But I've been working. It's put a big load on my time over the last three weeks this earnings season.
SPEAKER 03 :
Lots more articles.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, my gosh. JFrog. Okay. This is one that... Oh, I've watched over the years, you know. Hey, think about frogs. R-C-O-O. Remember she sent a picture earlier this week of her friend that opened up a can of string beans, took the lid off in the can opener, and there was a frog with the string beans.
SPEAKER 03 :
Surprise.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's not good. I don't know what brand it was. What brand was it? So I know not to buy that brand.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I'll look at the picture, but I don't know if you want to tell them.
SPEAKER 04 :
My mom used to put a little bacon in the string beans, you know, to flavor it up. But she never put a frog in there. J-Frog.
SPEAKER 03 :
I opened a can of soup yesterday, and I made sure. As I'm pouring it in, I'm pouring slowly. I'm like. I go through that stuff.
SPEAKER 04 :
Sunnyvale, California is home to JFrog. You know, it's been an okay stock, really. They provide software guys. I'm going to have to ask Jeff. He'll understand this. They provide binary repository management solution for software distribution to software developers, which I think it's someplace where you upload the code and protect the code probably. Because the code is big. I mean, the code takes up a lot of space. We have code to the app. I can't just, like, email the code to somebody. I have to upload it into somewhere. And it has to be safe so that nobody steals your code. I'm thinking that's probably what they do. But, you know, it's been a pretty good stock. It's up 6.8% today. And the last one I'm going to mention here today is Applied Materials. Probably the oldest. They're kind of along the lines of Intel, how long they've been around making equipment to build chips. AMAT has not been a good stock for a long, long time. They were a great stock in the late 90s, early 2000s. Now it's a single-digit grower. What can I say? It's a single-digit grower, and the returns reflect it. It's up to you. I mean, you can invest in single-digit growers. I would put applied materials. I mean, if you're looking today for the stocks of today that make that equipment, it's obviously ASM Lithography out of the Netherlands and Lamb Research and probably KLA are the three leading chip-making equipment companies. All right, well, we're out of time. We have had so many people sign up for the four-week trial. We're having fun. You've heard some winners that we've produced here. This past week we had three in one day there that were all in that free trial. You can still sign up. I'm still keeping the offer open. Go to GundersenCapital.com. And, of course, people come to us all the time. I can't believe how bad the accounts are from other people. Now, I'm sure there's other good ones out there. We probably never see those because I just see a bunch of garbage portfolios that I've got to go in there and clean up and liven up. If you'd like to talk to us, 855-611-BEST. 855-611-BEST. Have a great day, everybody.
SPEAKER 02 :
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.
Mike's daily visit with legendary Dallas/Ft. Worth talk show host Mark Davis of 660AM The Answer has become appointment listening. Here's today's segment: Dallas, Texas officials are defying Federal Immigration law and will obstruct ICE from conduction deportation efforts. Plus, AOC is giving webinars on how to avoid deportations. Will these public officials face repercussions?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SPEAKER 03 :
Mike Gallagher. Every day, Mike visits with Mark Davis, morning host on 660 AM, The Answer in Dallas. Here's today's Eminem experience.
SPEAKER 06 :
Radio is sort of done by satellite, so that's why it always sounds like Mike is sitting right here in the room with me, even though he has been historically in New York. He has been, it's how he joins us from South Carolina or D.C., wherever he is. But Mike lives now, of course, on the Gulf of America, right there in St. Pete. And goes across the bridge to Tampa to do the show from the radio station there. And, of course, there's a video component with the Salem News Channel. So he tapes that and runs it during his show. And that's how we do the X feed, live feed, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So you notice the key thing here is there's a video component, right? And that means that my Skype connection goes bling, bling, bling, bling, bling, bling. And then I see Mike's happy face and he sees mine, usually by about 728. So it got to be 728, 729, 730. No Skype, no Mike, no Mike, no Skype. And that's like something, something is happening here. My text fires up and says, give me the phone number. I need to call you. I need to do the hit on the phone. Whenever Mike has to do the hit on the phone, something has happened. Let's find out what. With more, here's Mike.
SPEAKER 04 :
Welcome, my friend. Okay, so this is one for the ages. Do you remember Chevy Chase did a series of vacation movies? Yes. And there's a famous scene that I'm thinking of this morning. You remember when he and Rusty and the family were in the car, and they kept trying to get off on the exit, and they could never get the exit. I think it was European vacation, and he was on a roundabout, remember? Yes. And he kept going round and round the roundabout for hours. He could not get over to get to the exit to get off to where they wanted to go. And it was one of the funniest scenes. Mark... I was a half block from the radio station. Right. They are tearing up all the roads around the radio station. The very rude construction guy says, nope, you can't go there. I said, I'm right there. I pointed to the office. I said, I'm right there. He said, you're right there. I said, I'm right there. He goes, you're right there. It was like a sketch. I got Henny Youngman, the construction worker.
SPEAKER 06 :
Or who's on first with Abbott and Costello?
SPEAKER 04 :
you're right there i'm right there you're right there he goes turn around and take your butt and go the other way so i had a few choice words for him meanwhile now i can't find the office i'm now chevy chase trying to get because there's there's only one like driveway i am now back on the howard franklin going the wrong direction i'm 18 miles going the wrong direction And I'm just laughing because I cannot believe that I was that close, and I had to have, you know, the John Belushi of construction workers tell me to turn my butt around and go the other way. So I may not make it for the show at 10.05. I don't know. I'm driving up and down the highway. I'm like a pilgrim coming over on the Mayflower. I'm driving. I'm trying to find the promised land, and I may or may not get there. And I had so much to talk about.
SPEAKER 06 :
Inquiring minds want to know, Clark. Inquiring minds want to know, as you sat there and visited with the power-tripping construction guy, you were in the shadow of the radio station, and you said, look, it's right there. Right there is where I need to go. Okay, that's fine. If there is a navigable way to get there, if he had been more accommodating, could he have let you through to where we would not be enjoying this fun right now?
SPEAKER 04 :
By the third time that we said to each other, he said, well, right there, I said right there. I know he could have let me go through. He just wasn't going to. And I was probably a little bit of a jerk.
SPEAKER 06 :
See, that's what I was going to say. Are there lessons in this? Because it sounds like, and this may be hard for the public to believe, you might have copped a toad with the guy.
SPEAKER 04 :
I know. Shocking. Shocking. And then I started to say, I have a show. That's exactly it. I've got a talk show. That's where I was going next. Do you know who I am? Well, no, it's not that you know who I am, but do you know who Mark Davis is? The urgency, yes, of course. Do you know who Mark Davis is? I've got to do a hit with my buddy Mark Davis. And I've got so much to talk to him about. Don't drag me into this. Because I am dying to ask you about the interim Dallas sheriff. Oh, okay. I am unbelievable. All right. What a story. So we've got to go there. So forget it. Look, I hope the guy doesn't come find my car and key it because of the few choice words I had for him. Because you know what? And again, now I have no idea where I am. You should hear Tracy try to tell me how to get to the radio station. I've only worked here for five years. I don't know how to get there. I have no idea. Parking lots, frontage roads. She says, are you on the frontage road by the building? I said, there's nothing but frontage roads and buildings here. What are you talking about? So I'm a little fired up. And then I got to read about the interim Dallas police chief. He wants the job, right? Michael, whatever his name is, Hugo, Ego. Yep, yep, yep. Now, you've got to explain this to me, Mark. He's holding community meetings bragging about how the Dallas Police Department will not cooperate with ICE and with the efforts to expel illegal immigrants from Dallas.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let me give you the quote. I know, I know. Let me give everybody the quote. This, indeed, is Michael Igoe, who is the interim chief. Quote, the Dallas Police Department is not assisting any federal agency or on detaining people that are either documented or undocumented in the city of Dallas. And he did this at one of these meetings. I've been noticing, and all the local TV folks go cover it, they should cover it, but there's been a kind of a cheerleading aspect to it that's been a little weird. It's like, hey, here's a meeting where you can skirt ICE enforcement or evade the nasty ICE guys.
SPEAKER 04 :
AOC is doing it. Absolutely. AOC is holding town halls telling people how to avoid it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. He made sure to reassure Spanish-speaking residents that his police officers would also not report anybody who is there illegally and calls 911 for help or gets pulled over for a traffic violation. I'm going to give one sliver of grace here. If somebody is calling 911 because some horrible crime is happening and somebody can prevent a murder, I'm prepared not to lie awake at night and worry about that person's immigration status. But traffic stops? You pull somebody over and you discover that they're in the country illegally? Hello, deportation. This is woke, woke policing. And I'd love to know what freshly minted Republican mayor Eric Johnson has to say about it. I know what the people, I know what... thinking people ought to say about it, and that's that it's an outrage.
SPEAKER 04 :
Who does Michael Igoe report to? Who does city commission? The city manager?
SPEAKER 06 :
The city manager hires everybody. The council has things to say. But it's Dallas. It's Dallas.
SPEAKER 04 :
What does that mean? Dallas gets to break the law? Dallas gets to break the law?
SPEAKER 06 :
Dallas doesn't care if such laws are flouted. It's a big, blue city.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, guess what? Big blue cities are going to F-A-F-O. I'm telling you, Tom Holman, I mean, where's Ken Paxton on this? Where's the governor? Where's Governor Abbott on this? I mean, I'm not kidding you. This is outrageous. I'm reading this and I'm...
SPEAKER 02 :
Hi, everyone. If you've been injured in an accident that was not your fault, listen up. We have legal professionals standing by to answer your questions for free. Call now and find out if you have a case and how much it's potentially worth. Call 800-702-5400. I'm here with spokesman John Wolf. So, John, tell everyone listening who should call right now.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, Maria, first off, thank you for having me here. It's always nice to answer the listeners' questions. Now, as far as who should call in, anyone who's been injured in an accident and think you deserve compensation, give us a call right now. 800-702-5400. You'll find out if you have a case and how much it's potentially worth.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thanks, John. You heard it, folks. Take advantage of this opportunity and call now. 800-702-5400.
SPEAKER 01 :
Advertisement sponsored by Legal Help Center may not be available in all states.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wait a minute. You don't get to flaunt and break the law. Flout, flaunt, flute. I'm a little fired up today. Now I'm on another frontage road. Now I'm in a parking lot. He's in Orlando. He's actually arrived at Wally World. I cannot find the exit, Clark and Rusty. I can't find the exit. You don't get to do this, Mark. You just don't. Ideally not. And I mean it. I'm not trying to be a smart aleck. He's going to futz around, and he's going to find out. Look, can you make an argument against arresting him? Can you make an argument against arresting AOC? AOC is holding town hall meetings and holding Zoom conferences to tell people how to avoid ICE detection. I mean, it's the same as barbering a criminal. How do you get away with this?
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, is it? Because I don't like it any more than you do, but we had a little... Fun, if that's the term yesterday, talking about whether this is like a radar detector that, you know, the avoidance of enforcement is a little bit of tradition to it in American life. And it's not like we're harboring illegals with the police at the door or nobody in this house. It's telling them where the enforcement is. It's it's it's. Terrible. It is a middle finger to law enforcement and to the notion of the rule of law. Are they themselves breaking the law by doing it? That's an interesting legal question.
SPEAKER 04 :
I don't think the analogy holds. I don't think it's an anti-radar detector, Mark. I think that's a weak analogy. It is against the law. It is a federal crime. And let me ask you a question. If the feds come in to downtown Dallas with an arrest warrant, a federal arrest warrant, you're going to tell me that the local police, the Dallas police, are going to take a position? Well, we're not going to cooperate with you. You have to have cooperation.
SPEAKER 06 :
He actually talked about that. Igo made sure to clarify that undocumented immigrants with criminal warrants are a different story. They're criminals already.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I know that, and you know that. I know, I know, I know. That's a distinction without a difference. I mean, Caroline Levitt said it beautifully. One of the reporters said to her the other day, well, I mean, do you think it's – she goes, they're criminals as it is. It's against the law to do what they've done. Correct. Why won't Michael Igoe enforce the law?
SPEAKER 06 :
Because he – it's funny. You know the answer to that question because he, with woke Democrat – illegal immigrant protecting points of view does not... The question to Caroline Levitt was, how many of these people that you guys are looking to deport have broken the law? And her answer was, all of them. All of them. Because to be in the country illegally is breaking the law. But they seek to establish a different goal line, a different place for the goalpost to be, that just being in the country illegally, not really a crime. If you're a rapist or a murderer, okay, I guess we can be serious about you. But they're looking to destigmatize and legitimize simply being in the country illegally.
SPEAKER 04 :
So if we agree with Caroline Leavitt and if we agree that all of them are breaking the law, Michael Igoe has taken an oath to uphold the law. One would think. Michael Igoe is under oath to – he has sworn a duty to uphold the law. These people have broken the law, and he is telling them he's not going to enforce it. I don't know how – and again, all the excuses, well, it's big blue Dallas. Oh, it's not an excuse.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's an explanation because you're 100 percent right.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. But it is. But it turns out to be an excuse because it's a flimsy excuse. And Michael, I go, first of all, two things. Number one, he absolutely should not have a chance, a snowball chance of hell of getting the top job permanently. He wants it. He's throwing his head in the ring. Baloney number common sense prevail. And number two, I think there's got to be accountability for the guy. Well, there is.
SPEAKER 06 :
And maybe it comes from Pam Bondi. She has taken action against Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul in New York for obstructing Trump's desire to have immigration laws with teeth. And so from the state of New York to the city of Dallas to any other blue city, any other blue state, let the word go out that we're not going to have obstructionists trying to prevent the law from being followed.
SPEAKER 04 :
I can't wait until somebody asks Tom Holman about this police chief in Dallas, this interim police chief. I can't wait until somebody asks Pam Bondi. I think I know the answer. These guys cannot do it, Mark. They can't get away with this.
SPEAKER 06 :
Do you know where Holman was an hour and a fraction ago? Sitting on a couch on the Fox & Friends set. So no mystery there. I think Holman has his own suite at Fox & Friends. Guess who was sitting right there next to him talking all kinds of harmony? That would be New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who suddenly has realized – God bless Mayor Adams. The governor of New York is useless, but the mayor of New York has seen the light about the way his city is adversely affected by illegal.
SPEAKER 04 :
And you're following the news about how Trump's Justice Department has ordered all the charges to be dropped. Look, Trump is very big on loyalty. He's very transactional. Very, very transactional. Loyalty matters to him. It'll get you somewhere. I'm not kidding you now what I'm about to tell you. I am sitting, I swear to you, in a parking garage. And I don't know how to get out of the parking garage to get to the office.
SPEAKER 06 :
I'm in a parking garage.
SPEAKER 04 :
In the parking garage of the building where you're trying to get? In the parking garage, they told me to cut through the lots to get to the back of the radio station. I took the wrong turn again while I'm talking to you and getting fired up about this goofy interim police chief, and now I'm in a parking garage.
SPEAKER 06 :
And so you are maybe 200 yards from the studio where you do the show, but there is great question as to whether you will actually be there.
SPEAKER 04 :
I'm officially in an episode of The Twilight Zone. I don't know. I'm driving. I'm driving. I'm driving. So let me – and here's the great part. Tracy and Cassie just sent me a pin to my phone like I know what to do with a pin. How do I know? What do I do with it? Do I click on the pin? Do I watch the pin? Do I do the pin? Do I sing to the pin? This is insane. I'm not going to make it. I'm just going to just curl up here and take a nap.
SPEAKER 06 :
I'm done. Welcome to Boomer Technological Adventures with Mike. We will let you navigate the rest of the way. We look forward to you being on the air via whatever method that might be. And happy Valentine's Day to you.
SPEAKER 05 :
And happy Friday. And we'll be ready. That's Mike. That's so awesome.
SPEAKER 03 :
Download the podcast and hear all of Mike and Mark's conversations at MikeOnline.com for the Eminem experience.
In this enlightening episode, Rick Hughes leads listeners through the challenges believers face, such as stumbling blocks and the battle for self-control. Explore the intricate dance between liberty and love within the Christian doctrine, where personal rights are balanced with the responsibility to protect and uplift others. Rick's candid discussion on these themes encourages listeners to embrace their volition, take accountability for their actions, and walk the path that God has prepared for them. Tune in to embrace spiritual wisdom tailored for everyday triumphs.
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 Flotline. I'm your host, Rick Hughes. For the next few minutes, would you please stay with me? It'll be a short time, just 30 minutes of motivation, a lot of inspiration, some education. And you know we do this without any type of manipulation. We're not going to dun you for money. We're not going to con you to join anything. We're not going to ask you for anything. We just want to give you something, and that's accurate information. Information from the canon of Scripture, the Bible. It is a show about the Bible, I admit that, but no ranting and no raving, no jumping up and down. We're just going to give you the information, and you can decide whether you want to orient and adjust to the plan of God after you hear it. That's up to you. But my job is to be accurate, not to mislead you, but to give you insight to what the Bible has to say. in regards to your life. It's a wonderful life. There was a movie about that. But this life that God has given us, what short life that it really is, It can be a fantastic life or it can be a miserable life. It all depends on your decisions, the decisions that you make, the things that you do. And if you are a believer in Jesus Christ and have accepted him as your savior, you've made the first step in taking the road to a great, wonderful, fantastic life. Because the Christian life is a life where we never have to worry, we never have to be afraid, we never have to be jealous, we never have to carry guilt. It's a life where we can have a relaxed mental attitude, we can assimilate the mind of Christ from the Bible, and we can enjoy a wonderful privilege of being in the royal family of God, knowing our destiny, knowing our blessings, knowing that our Father protects us, watches over us, and provides for us at all times. That's why the Bible says all things work together for good. to them who love the Lord and are called according to a predetermined plan. So when you receive Jesus Christ, the anointed Son of God, as your Savior, you are in effect accepting the offering he made for you, the offering he made on your behalf, the free gift from the compliments of God. That's why the Bible says in Ephesians 2, 8, 9, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God and not of works, lest any man should brag about it or boast about it. On our radio show, we follow themes or patterns, and it's always about building a flat line in your soul. The flat line is an invisible protective barrier inside your soul designed by God to operate off of 10 unique problem-solving devices. These problem-solving devices we teach repeatedly on this radio show, and we have written them in a book for you. If you'd like to have a copy of the book, just go to our website, RickHughesMinistries.org, and request that book, and we'll send it to you free of charge. We never charge for anything that we produce, manufacture, give away. We never charge for where we speak. We never solicit offerings. We don't take offerings. I've always believed if God's in it, God will pay for it or else I can go do something else. And so God pays for it in his wonderful grace. What a privilege it is to live like that. Puts the monkey on his back, not my back. I don't have to worry about raising money. I don't have to worry about trying to hustle up the finances. The Lord provides or the Lord doesn't provide. That's simply up to him. So when we live this Christian life, we build this invisible wall of protection, this main line of resistance, this FLOT line, F-L-O-T, Forward Line of Troops, using a military metaphor for this concept. of 10 unique problem-solving devices. Problem-solving devices like confession of known sin. How do I solve the problem of sin? 1 John 1, 9. Problem-solving devices like the filling of the Holy Spirit. How do I control the sinful, lustful flesh of my old sin nature? Walk in the Spirit and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians talks about that. The problem-solving device of dealing with testing and unknown circumstances in my life using the faith rest drill. Problem-solving device number three. On it goes. Problem-solving devices like biblical orientation, grace orientation, having a personal sense of destiny, having personal love for God with the result of impersonal love for others, sharing the happiness of God, and obviously being occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ. These are unique problem-solving devices that I just skimmed over, like throwing a rock on a flat pond and making it skip across the pond. I didn't go into them. I didn't describe them. I've done that in the past, and I can do that in the future. Or we can send you a series of MP3 that deals with this if you've just begun to hear it for the first time. If you'd like to know what all it's about, let me know. We'll get the information to you. But it's the wonderful way that we live as Christians so that the outside source of adversity does not become the inside source of stress. Now, as believers, we all have the ability to destroy our life. We all have a volition. We all have a sin nature. And the Bible says we have three enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. So make no mistake about it. Satan wants to sidetrack you. Satan wants to discourage you. Satan wants to defeat you. And the Bible says he goes around like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. We can carry that analogy on out to the end of what happens once the lion eats. He takes a big old poop. And so people who get into Satan's plan, believers especially, who buy into the doctrine of demons become a pile of lion poop. Sorry to put it that way, but that's about what it amounts to, a smelly pile of poop, because they did not learn God's Word. They did not live God's Word. They did not advance in God's Word. And sometimes they even become a stumbling block to other believers. The stumbling block is something we talked about last week when we were warned not to become a stumbling block to other people. The Lord Jesus Christ rebuked Peter in one passage in Matthew 16 where he said, You are a stumbling block to me. Because Peter said, You must not die, Lord. That couldn't happen to you. You don't need to go to the cross and die. Jesus said in Matthew 16, 22 and 23, get behind me, Satan, you are stumbling block to me because you're not setting your mind on God's interest, but on man's interest. That stumbling block I'm talking about is a trap or a snare or a movable stick or trigger. And metaphorically, it's any person or anything by which one is drawn away into error or into sin. Jesus said in Luke 17, 1, it's inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to him through who they come. And our Lord was specific about those who cause young believers or other believers to stumble. He even warned the disciples that the religious crowd would kill them. And the religious crowd in John 16, 1, 2, and 3 would persecute them once he left and not to stumble when that happens. And then Paul wrote about being a stumbling block, and Paul was very concerned about young believers and the things that they had to go through. And in 1 Corinthians, the town of Corinth, he wrote the letter, and he talked about not being a stumbling block to those people. We went into that study in 1 Corinthians 8, 9, 10, 11, right through there, and we saw where Paul said, for example, in 1 Corinthians 8, 9, take care that this liberty of yours does not become a stumbling block to the world. And this is directed towards self. And biblically, what this means is you and I, we have the right to do certain things that are not sin. Now, keep in mind that preachers make stuff sin that are not sin. They may tell you that it's a sin to play cards. Well, the Bible doesn't say it's a sin to play cards. They may tell you it's a sin to dance. But the Bible doesn't say it's a sin to dance. And you know, you can follow that out to a lot of different things. What the Bible says is sin and what people want to make sin is two different things. And so it's possible that you may be doing something that's not sinful. but it may tempt the weaker believer to go in to do the same thing. And in his case, not having enough doctrine in his soul to understand it, he could sin. And so you want to avoid doing that under the law of liberty. You got the right to do certain things, but you don't do them because you don't want to distract a younger believer. You don't want to scar up his behavior. And so you disregard these things and put them aside until, at a later time when you have privacy and you're alone or you're with someone who's mature enough to understand it so the law of liberty is there we have the right to do certain things but we don't and that's motivated by the law of love and therefore first corinthians 8 13 if food makes my brother to stumble i won't eat food again so that i don't cause him to stumble And the law of love is actually a function of one of the problem-solving devices we have called impersonal love. That's when I have the ability to love the unlovable person. And Jesus tells me I have to love the unlovable person. But the only way I can do that is to love him based on the content of my soul, not based on the content of his soul. So the law of love is generally directed towards a new believer who the ones that are ignorant of these things and don't know any better, are even directed towards believers who could be distracted by the legitimate functions in life. And you have to be careful here. I don't want to double talk, but I want to make this plain. Don't let some legalist establish a tyranny over you and use your graciousness to manipulate you. You got to remember that. Every one of us is a minister of reconciliation, and we must refrain from doing anything that would cause someone to stumble, not because it's wrong, but because it would prevent an unbeliever from seeing the true issue of salvation. And that's that we want them to see Christ in us, not question what we do, even though we may have the right to do it. It created a false issue. And so, for example, Jesus in Matthew 12, one through seven was condemned because he let his disciples pick corn on the Sabbath and people got all bent out of shape. They thought that was a sin to pick corn on the Sabbath. And obviously it was not a sin. But then there is the third law, the law of supreme sacrifice. And we didn't get into this one, but I want to go into it today. This is the highest law of Christian behavior that you and I must observe. And it would generally apply to a mature believer, a believer who has a maximum amount of doctrine in his soul, a believer who has established a flat line on his soul. He has that main line of resistance. It applies to that believer to forsake normal living and legitimate functions in order to serve the Lord in some special way. Listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians 9, 4 through 6. Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a Christian wife, even as the rest of the apostles do and the brothers of the Lord and Peter? Or do only Barnabas and I not have the right to refrain from working? You see, under the law of supreme sacrifice, a few normal things in life, even sometimes marriage, even sometimes what we eat, these things are set aside because they interfere with the concentration on a special ministry or they interfere with a leadership function in our life. We do not want to be a stumbling block. Nothing in our life is worth causing someone else to stumble. But nothing in our life is worth letting someone manipulate you. So here's the real bottom line. If you are concerned about another believer and his growth and you want him to grow spiritually, you have to be careful how you act around him, what you say around him, because it may offend him and he doesn't have enough doctrine to know that it's not wrong. But if it's a legalistic believer and that person wants to judge you and manipulate you and try to coerce you into living under his legalistic concepts, then you can just ignore him and disregard anything he tries to do to you. He's not going to change and you're not going to change him and you're wasting your time trying to convince him that he needs to get under the serious study of the Word of God under a well-meaning pastor teacher, well-qualified pastor. I see this all the time. I talk to people all the time who don't have any questions. I know I tell them things they've never heard before. I show them verses they've never seen before. And they are either dull, not interested, don't care. It never even makes a dent in their soul. And so, even though I may try to treat them graciously and I may try not to offend them, There comes a point in my life when I move on and forget about them because they're not going to listen and they're not going to learn. Now I want to move into another area that starts with S. The stumbling block is one of the areas of spiritual failure in your life. You can become a spiritual failure by being a stumbling block. But I want to show you another area where you can become a spiritual failure. You can become a spiritual failure when you have lack of self-control. Lack of self-control. I know. I know. I can hear you now. You've quit preaching and you've gone to meddling, buddy. Well. What I'm about to read to you is in the Bible, and it's going to be a little strange, but listen carefully. In 1 Corinthians 7, 5, Stop depriving one another except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourself to prayer and come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. This was written to married couples in Corinth. if you take the notes from the nasb here's what it says the christian deprived of normal sexual activity with his or her marriage partner may be tempted by satan to become sexually immoral the normal god-given sexual drive in human being is very strong and what they mention here and what this passage is saying what paul is saying is it's okay to deprive each other for a period of time as you devote your life to something. But don't do it for a long period of time because you may lack self-control. And this has to do with being apart, being separated, or us just saying we're not going to have the normal acts of marriage for a while. remember the enemy knows your weaknesses he knows what your flesh is about and it's a strange passage i admit it where paul gives instruction concerning christians abstaining from intercourse among married couples in first corinthians 7 3 a husband should give to his wife her sexual rights and likewise a wife to her husband i didn't say that paul said it he's talking about sexual intercourse A husband should give to his wife her sexual rights and likewise a wife to her husband. I could go on to develop this into things that are illegitimate that you can get into from the lust of the flesh and lack of self-control, even things like pornography that take away the right of the other person for self-pleasure. But Paul listed three reasons that it might be okay to abstain from sexual intercourse in a marriage. The first one was that it's by mutual agreement. Secondly, for a specific time. And thirdly, so you can devote yourself to prayer. And he said in 1 Corinthians 7.3, "...then resume your relationship, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." The word self-control, akrasia, A-K-R-A-S-I-A, akrasia is a Greek negative here. The Greek negative A means no, and plus the word for strength, kratos, and thus the word no strength or lack of self-control. That's the background of the word self-control, no self-control, akrasia. So this word recognizes that each of us have areas of weakness that could be used by Satan to distract us from the plan of God and to destroy our lives spiritually so that we never advance. And Paul identifies lack of self-control as one of the characteristics or one of the trends that the church and believers will face in the end times. Listen to what he told Timothy as he wrote to him in 2 Timothy 3. but realize this that in the last days difficult times will come men will be lovers of self lovers of money boastful arrogant revilers disobedient to parents ungrateful unholy unloving irreconcilable malicious gossips without self-control there it is right there brutal haters of good treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they deny the power. And then he goes on to say, avoid such men as these, for among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women who are weighted down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. This is a picture of a society without any morals and without any values. But notice, holding a form of godliness. If there's anything we have in this nation, it is a form of godliness. Religion is not Christianity. Christianity is a relationship. It's not religion. It's Christ in you, not you trying to approbate God by being religious and observing a certain set of taboos. So holding the form of godliness is false teachers who use religion to gain control over the weak and the gullible and manipulate them. It's always been a plague of the church, gullible, vulnerable believers who buy into the lie being told by the cosmic system evangelists that it's okay, you know, you can do this. We read it in the paper every day where men in the ministry are responsible for manipulating certain people and leading them into areas of sin. It's always like this. It's always been a plague of the church. So this picture of society without morals or values is a picture of the United States of America today. You can paint it right here, black and white, from the Word of God. I need to read it to you again. See if you can identify with any of this. Let's go through it again. Men will be lovers of self. That's arrogant self-justification. Lovers of money. Oh, my gosh. You will be surprised what people will do for money. I had a big surprise recently of a friend of mine who got in trouble because of a love of money. boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents. When the word of God tells you in Ephesians 6, obey your parents, honor your father and mother. And today there are a lot of young people that don't believe that. They're disobedient to their parents and ungrateful, unholy, not living a Christian life, unloving. They have no concern, no care. Irreconcilable, gossips without self-control, brutal, haters of good. And it goes on to say in verse 4 of this passage that we're reading this to you from, 2 Timothy 3, treacherous, reckless, conceited, listen to all these words, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they deny the power. I mean, they act religious, they sound religious, but they're not. It's not from God. Avoid these, the Bible says. Paul lays it out. Avoid them. Because why should you avoid them? Because among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women. This is for sexual exploitation. Weighted down with sins, led on with various impulses. People always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. This means that we have to take responsibility. Responsibility for our lives and our decisions. Responsibility is an issue that you must learn to clear up in your own head. Let's go through some principles. One, responsibility denotes something within your power to control. You must control yourself. You must control your volition. You must control your decisions, and you do it by means of the problem-solving devices. Only through the filling of the Holy Spirit can you control the lust of your flesh. Two, under the law of volitional responsibility, we cause our own misery and our own suffering because we have no self-control. Three, by means of divine punitive action, God will discipline and eventually remove the guilt through the discipline, you just can't afford to carry the emotions of hungover guilt. When you sin because of lack of self-control, if you go to problem-solving device number one, the rebound technique, and if you confess your sin to God, He's faithful and just to forgive you. This means that you move on in your life, you get up from your failure, and don't let Satan cause you to have remorse and guilt because you failed. Everybody fails. Some of the greatest people in the world failed, like Peter. When the Lord told him before the rooster crows in the morning, you will deny me three times. And he said, no, absolutely not. I will not. I will die with you. And that wasn't true. So God disciplines us. The discipline removes the guilt. Because you can't carry the emotions of hungover guilt and operate in the Christian life. Point four, each one of us must take the responsibility for our own decisions, our own actions in our life. Sins, impetuousness, indiscretion, impulsiveness, cowardness, these are all sins that we must take responsibility for and confess and deal with. Point five, we can never blame other people for our misery, our unhappiness. We must take full responsibility for every decision that we make. Point six, the grace of God has given each of us human volition. You can choose. You're not a robot. You're not an automaton. God gave you free will. But point seven, you must not allow your volition to lead you into sin or into human good or into evil. Galatians 6, 7 states the law of volitional responsibility. Here's what it says. Be not deceived. God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will also reap. So under the law of volitional responsibility, it is possible that you and I can inflict unbearable suffering from personal sins because we had no common sense. We didn't take responsibility. So I want you to remember the conscience is designed by God to house norms and standards so you always have your options. You've got to have options if you're going to control your life because if you have no options, then you have no chance of ever succeeding in your life. You must teach your children the Word of God so they have options because if you don't, they will be enslaved by the world of sin, good, and evil. Emotional control of the soul removes the protection of the conscience. If you allow emotions to take over in love, in money, anywhere, this is what motivates lust. If you allow your emotions to get absorbed with the lust, you will give away to the temptation and you will not take responsibility for what you do. until it's too late, until you crash and burn, and Satan stands on the sideline laughing at you. Maybe it's already happened. Maybe you've already crashed and burned. Maybe you've already made a series of tragic mistakes. I just have one question. Are you still alive? Are you still listening to me? Because if you are alive, God has a plan for your life. He is not finished with you. Now, whatever you're facing, you must take responsibility for that, own up to it, admit it, confess your sin to God, and he will be faithful and just to forgive you. There's a life he has for you. There's a plan he has for you. There's a road he has for you. If he's left you here, it's for a reason. It's time you took responsibility for your failure, for your sin, and that you took responsibility to learn and apply his word into your life. Lack of self-control is a terrible, destructive force in your life. I hope you're listening. I hope you're learning. And I hope, above all things, you're applying this to your life. Until next week, this is your host, Rick Hughes, saying thank you for listening to The Flotline.
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.
In this week's episode of the Mike Gallagher Show Week in Review, we delve into the political controversies shaking Washington D.C. J.D. Vance's recent tweet has sent shockwaves throughout the political landscape, sparking debates across news networks. We explore the implications this has for the balance of power between branches of government. Plus, President Trump's bold move to stop minting pennies becomes a topic of national discourse. Is it a step towards efficiency or just another political maneuver? Tune in to find out more. Additionally, we uncover a scrapped plan to dedicate a museum to Dr. Fauci, admire the public support for Trump despite constant controversies, and listen to Joe Piscopo's candid reflections on his time at SNL to his latest book, Average Joe. Join us for an episode full of political insights, nostalgia, and an inside look into Trump's plans to streamline the federal bureaucracy. Stay till the end to hear about the interesting political and cultural intersections making headlines this week.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome to the Mike Gallagher Show Week in Review podcast. It's Friday, February 14th, 2025. Happy Valentine's Day. I'm Eric Hansen. This week, there's no love for doge among Democrats. Plus, the crowd at the Super Bowl greeted the president with a huge ovation. But first, the entirety of the Democrat Party has melted down over the Department of Government Efficiency. So what's their problem?
SPEAKER 08 :
The tweet, the post that J.D. Vance put up the other day is what has sent shockwaves through the beast. The beast is roaring its disapproval over these words. Let me read it to you. J.D. Vance wrote, If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the Attorney General in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that's also illegal. Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power. Now, that's, again, sending shockwaves throughout the Beltway. Oh, Washington, D.C., they're losing their mind. They're flipping their lids. Big debate about this last night on CNN. Here was Scott Jennings with Abby Phillips and Gretchen Carlson, of all people. I don't know, Gretchen was evidently, you know, she's the former Fox News host who sued successfully Fox News for what she claimed was sexual harassment. And got a lot of money. I forget how many millions of dollars she got. But she used to host a daytime show. I think she was also on Fox and Friends first. Then she got a daytime show. Anyhow, now she pops up once in a while on CNN or MSNBC as the loyal opposition to MAGA and Trump and Trump supporters. So Gretchen has gone from center-right to hard-left. And she found herself in the unenviable position of debating the great Scott Jennings over this issue last night on CNN.
SPEAKER 09 :
It is the executive branch's job to figure out how to spend money once it is appropriated by Congress. And sometimes they spend money that's not been appropriated. But the correct political control is between the executive and the Congress, not some random federal judge.
SPEAKER 05 :
I want to return to that because that is also a major legal question. Do you really think that J.D. Vance's tweet is only about these district judges? I think this is about no, this is a slippery slope because they're going to move on to what the next ruling is. They're setting the stage so that they can say that executive branch has control now over the judicial branch. They're setting the stage. And for people who think for people who think that President Trump has not planned all of this, he pushes the envelope constantly. There was January 6th. He has a myriad of people out there that would support him. The executive branch being able to rule over the judicial branch because there have been no repercussions. And when there are not consequences and when there are not repercussions, you get away.
SPEAKER 09 :
I get it. You want you want individual federal judges who hate Donald Trump. No, I don't. To tie him up for four years.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, I don't.
SPEAKER 09 :
If you want a big policy questions decided, let the Supreme Court do it. But in the interim, the executive has to be allowed to go.
SPEAKER 08 :
Point is, the delay is everything. Scott Jennings' argument is the point is the delay. That's all they're trying to do. They're trying to handcuff Trump for as long as they can. That's all it is. That's all it is. And ultimately, the Supreme Court will prevail, but it might take a year or two or three. They're trying to run out the clock. And I am really intrigued by Gretchen's question, do you really think that's what J.D. Vance meant? Again, I'll read the post from J.D. Vance. If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that's illegal. If a judge tried to tell an attorney general how to use their discretion, that's illegal. Judges are not allowed to control the executive's legitimate power. There are now judges like the one in Rhode Island, like the one in California. There are judges who are insanely overstepping the lower federal courts. Yesterday, a judge in Rhode Island. Rhode Island! I think this radio station or TV studio I'm sitting in is bigger than Rhode Island. Ruled that the Trump administration... violated a temporary restraining order and is now ordering the end of all the spending freezes initiated by the White House. A judge in Rhode Island is telling the executive branch what it can and cannot do with regards to the federal budget. All these crazy grants that were given out by USAID... to organizations promoting DEI and inclusion initiatives in foreign countries? A left-wing judge in a left-wing state just told American taxpayers they have to keep paying them and that the executive branch has no discretion in how federal bureaucracies operate. As Bunchy puts it over at Red State... It's hard to see this as anything other than a soft coup. This is a soft coup. This is an attempt, again, at lawfare.
SPEAKER 10 :
Now let me ask you, if you or your company spent $40 to make a product that you sold for $4, how long do you think you'd stay in business? That's why Trump wants to stop making the penny.
SPEAKER 08 :
Apparently, President Trump was so bored at the Super Bowl that while he was there, he tweeted out that we're going to get rid of producing pennies purging pennies in order to cut waste. And I thought, well, let me look at liberal media. Let me see what the New York Times is saying about it. Headline, Trump orders Treasury to halt minting new pennies to cut waste. Since taking office, President Trump has set his sights on big targets like Greenland, but he's also taken aim at small ones like paper straws and pennies. Sunday night, Trump said he ordered the Treasury Secretary to stop producing new pennies. Now, during... On his post, Trump himself wrote, let's rip the waste out of our great nation's budget, even if it's a penny at a time. Adding that pennies literally cost us more than two cents. Well, with all due respect, Mr. President, according to the New York Times, you're wrong. It costs 3.69 cents to produce and distribute one penny. according to the 2024 U.S. Mint annual report. That means, accounting for face value, each penny cost the American taxpayer a loss of 2.69 cents. Now remember, I'm reading from the New York Times. Last year, the Mint issued over 3 billion pennies, according to its annual report. Now, why would we not get rid of pennies? Who in the heck cares about keeping pennies when we're wasting millions and millions and millions of dollars on the minting and distribution of pennies? It's the same with USAID, with USAID. I've lost track. Do we say USAID, guys, or is it USAID? It's my poor brain circulation. I am. I'm having some memory issues. Anybody remember what it was? It's AID, right? I mean, I think the colloquial, you say it, abbreviate USAID, but it's really USAID. I got a note from somebody who finds it horrifying, just an absolute abomination that Trump's doge is going in and uncovering all this waste at USAID. And as I said from day one, there are good things that that government agency does. It's not a charity. It was signed into law by an executive order from JFK in the early 60s. It's gotten turned into some bloated, bureaucratic boondoggle. Sesame Street in Iraq and all this other crap. But you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater, as I've said repeatedly. Let's not let people die because they've been counting on food supplies and medicine and other righteous services that that organization provided. I think, as I understand it, Trump's vision is to put it under the auspices of the State Department and keep the life-saving materials and services flowing. And that's as it should be. Look, what do the defenders of USAID have to say about all the goofy, crazy things that have been uncovered about it? Do you just ignore it? Nothing to see here? Oh, nothing? Don't pay no attention to funding PBS or the BBC or Politico? No, no, no, no, don't pay attention to that. We're sending food to starving kids. All right, but what about all the other stuff? Does it matter? No, no, no, no, no. It's horrifying, somebody told me this morning. Horrifying that the cruelty of Trump would be to dismantle this agency that I love so much. Oh, really? You love taxpayers being forced to pay for things that the vast majority of taxpayers object to? See, it matters.
SPEAKER 10 :
There are some angry voices speaking out against the president, but there are many more that love what he's been doing for the country in his first three weeks. They let him know how they felt about him at the Super Bowl this past weekend.
SPEAKER 08 :
There's a lot of really good things. Look at this poll that just came out from CBS. I mean, 53%? You would think, with all the weeping and gnashing of teeth... that Trump haters are doing right now, then his approval rating would be in the toilet. He should be underwater, right? Not according to CBS News.
SPEAKER 04 :
Our CBS poll finds that a majority of Americans, 53%, approve of the job he's doing. That's a better approval number than he ever reached during his first term in the White House. Joining us with more is our executive director of elections and surveys, Anthony Salvato. Good to see you, Anthony. What's driving this?
SPEAKER 02 :
I will keep it simple, Margaret. He's doing in the eyes of the public what he said he would do in the campaign. There's political value in that. In fact, 70 percent of people say he's doing what he promised. That's whether they approve of him or not. Now, there's another part of this that continues over from the campaign. There were words that he was described as being tough, being energetic. And he still is today in big majority numbers. So as people take a look in these first few weeks, there's been a lot of activity. They're getting that general sense of governance, and that's being reflected in these early numbers. So that's perception. What about the actual policies? Well, let's start with the ones that are popular. And again, these echo a lot of what we saw in the campaign. The idea of deporting those in the country illegally continues to be popular. We saw that in the campaign. Sending troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Again, majority in favor. We'd seen that in the campaign. For his supporters in particular, the focus on ending DEI is popular. We had seen in the campaign a lot of them thought those processes had gone too far.
SPEAKER 08 :
Do you know how hard that had to be for CBS? CBS! That wasn't Newsmax. That wasn't the Greg Kelly show. That wasn't The Five. That's Margaret Brennan on CBS looking constipated, having to report, oh, wow, the American people robustly approve of what he's doing. So when you have a Trump hater in your life who acts out towards you, understand, it's the country that they resent. It's not one man. It's not Donald Trump. And looking at the – I love this headline. President Trump booed by the crowd. We ought to – what is the spun? Does anybody know what the spun is? I'm afraid to ask. With my luck, it's like watching a Kanye tweet. With my luck. I mean, it's – and here's what Florida just texted me. Hey, Mike, how about drunk and delusional at the not-so-Super Bowl? See you on the cruise. Well, it's gaslighting. Does that mean the crowd roaring its approval of Donald Trump was drunk and delusional? Maybe that's how you feel. I hope not, especially if you're going to go on the Alaska cruise with us. We want to get along. I don't want you to push me overboard. Arkansas. Mike, I think it's like those experiments where someone says a word and some people think it's one thing and another thinks it's something entirely different. People hear what they want to hear. Or they're just lying. I wish I knew the answer to it. Again, play the clip 15. This is the moment the second Trump appears on the Jumbotron during the Star Spangled Banner when John Batiste is singing this beautiful rendition of our national anthem. And for just a few brief seconds, for just a couple of seconds, They put Trump on. They minimized his appearance there. You know that if a Democrat sitting president had made history by attending the Super Bowl, it's all we would have seen. Oh, my goodness. Look at this. First time a president has ever attended. With Trump, it was just little drips and drips, little bits and pieces, a little tiny few seconds here, a few seconds there. And I'm grateful. to the production staff that decided to put Trump on the screen for just three or four seconds during the Star Spangled Banner, resulting in this reaction.
SPEAKER 01 :
Broad stripes and bright stars Through the perilous fight For the Reds
SPEAKER 08 :
It's amazing. What a moment. Portions of our show brought to you by MyPillow. And I do want to tell you, I got a message from Mike Lindell himself today. This is an amazing offer. Free shipping on everything. So if you've thought about getting the mattress topper, which comes in a big box, and that mattress topper is like three inches of heaven. You take it and put it on any mattress, turn it into the most comfortable bed in the world. And it comes in a big box. You unfold it and everything. You unpack it. Well, guess what? For a limited time, free shipping on anything you order. Mike Lindell is so grateful to this audience for your constant support of MyPillow. They've tried to cancel him, too, just like they're trying to cancel RFK Jr. and everybody else. It isn't working because you're standing in the breach. You're defending this great American company. And for a limited time, not only can you get the classic standard MyPillow for only $14.98, limit $10, please, because that's a crazy low price, the MySlippers, the doggy beds, the flannel sheets, even the mattress itself. You can get a MyPillow mattress, which has thousands of cooling points. It has the patented technology from MyPillow in the mattress. And best part of all, free shipping. Free shipping as a thank you for your support for a limited time. So go to MyPillow.com. Look for the Mike Gallagher Specials Square. Click on that box. And with anything you order, enter the promo code MikeG. MyPillow.com. Promo code MikeG. MyPillow.com. Promo code MikeG. Or call 800-928-6034. 800-928-6034. Like we love to sing. For the best night's sleep in the whole wide world, visit MyPillow.com.
SPEAKER 10 :
Promo code MikeG. This is the Mike Gallagher Show Week in Review podcast. I'm Eric Hansen. I'll bet you didn't know that there was a plan to honor Dr. Fauci with his own museum in Washington, D.C. But thanks to the Trump administration, that's not happening anymore.
SPEAKER 08 :
Do you realize they were going to spend hundreds of thousands on an Anthony Fauci museum at the National Institutes of Health? Oh, nothing to see. How does that sit with you? I saw this on social media. In fact, the reason I saw it is because Elon Musk himself reposted this. This is just a citizen activist, a citizen journalist, somebody posting content on social media. Reading what we're reading, learning what we're learning about monies that the taxpayers were supporting and projects like a museum dedicated to Fauci at the NIH.
SPEAKER 06 :
This just in from the Department of Government Efficiency. In the past 48 hours, Health and Human Services has canceled 62 contracts worth $182 million. The contracts were entirely for administrative expenses. to include $168,000 contract for an Anthony Fauci exhibit at the National Institute of Health Museum. I would like all of the income taxes that I've paid since I've been alive and working to be returned to me ASAP.
SPEAKER 08 :
Hey, man, I'm with her. Karen Gallagher would like to speak to the manager. I want my money back. Oh, how are you with some of your tax? And again, not a lot of money, obviously. Obviously $162,000 in the scheme of things. But it's the principle of the thing. Do you think most American taxpayers are okay with our money being used to fund a museum, an exhibit, a tribute to that guy, Anthony Fauci, knowing what we know now? About the things that he did to this country? About his knowledge of gain-of-function research? About Wuhan? About all the crap that he pulled? An exhibit? I'm old enough to remember libertarian Mark Cuban. Now, admittedly, I'm not really old enough to remember it. I saw this clip on social media as well. But this is from years ago. Check out what Mark Cuban in 2017 said about the size and scope of the federal government.
SPEAKER 01 :
As a libertarian, I think we can reduce employment in government by at least a third, reduce the overhead in administration by that much or more, so that we can offer more to services for our citizens. And so when it comes down to it, where I tend to disagree with everybody, and this is the libertarian in me, I'm happy to push down the size of government. And I'm happy to make work on making government more efficient because then more money can pass through and help the people who need it. And that's what needs to change.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, really? But now you're saying that what Trump is doing, which is exactly that, is a danger to democracy. As you lefties love to screech.
SPEAKER 10 :
Our friend and colleague Joe Piscopo, a star of stage and screen, visited the show this week to talk about his life as an entertainer and his new book, Average Joe.
SPEAKER 08 :
Your story, even with Saturday Night Live, is so riveting. A lot of people don't realize that you really helped save the show from cancellation. You were one of the actors hired to replace one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live. And you were on there for, I think, four or five years. But the behind-the-scenes that I happen to know about... is what I think people find so fascinating, because really, thanks to your... That show was on the verge... SNL was about to be canceled, right, Joe?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, man. Again, thank you for bringing that up, Mike. What I wrote about first is the comedy club. First, I talk about heritage. I talk about my Italian-American heritage and how great it is to be an American and how proud I am. And you can see me on the wide shot that you have. That's my grandfather behind me, my great uncle behind me. That below here is the manifest that is from the freighter, the multi, the German freighter that my grandfather came to America on, you know. So so I appreciate I wrote that and I went to the comedy clubs. But making the transition to Saturday Night Live, don't they were for some reason, Lorne and company, Lorne Michaels and company left and they had to bring in a whole new staff. So they hired a great gal by the name of Jean Domanian, who was Lorne's right hand at the time. And she had to rebuild the show. And then we had the task of replacing Gilda Radner and John Belushi and Danny Aykroyd. Oh, it's heavy. Oh, oh. It was impossible. No, it was a no win situation. Didn't work out great for the first 10 shows. But you're absolutely right. Talk about reinventing yourself, hanging in, staying with it, you know. And by the grace of God, it worked out when Eddie came on and Dick Ebersole came in. And no disrespect to anybody else, but it's just work. But we glitched for a bit there. You're absolutely right. Well, it's not easy. I'll tell you.
SPEAKER 08 :
And you produced some memorable moments. I mean, I still see you and Eddie Murphy, Ebony and Ivory together. I mean, just some great, great, great moments. The great Joe Piscopo is with us. His book is on sale today, Average Joe. And I cannot wait to get my hands on it. This is a book that really... It has been years and years in the making, and I'm so honored to get to announce it to the world today that it's on sale today wherever books are sold, Average Joe by Joe Piscopo. And Joe, you and I both will remember to our dying days The moment in the hallway at AM 970, The Answer, when Donald Trump came down the escalator and we sort of whispered almost like we were in a secret club together. Hey, this guy's the real deal. The American people are going to go for this guy. And you and I were one of the only two. People were mocking us. I never forget being up on a panel with – And hey, I don't mind name dropping Eric Metaxas. And he browbeat me in front of the crowd. Oh, there's Donald Trump. Are you kidding me? He's a clown. And now Eric, of course, like so many others, is a huge Trump supporter because Trump won people like Eric and Ted Cruz and others over. Joe, you saw it coming.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, well, we did it. Thank you. And just we talked about this on my morning show. And thank you for gracing the airwaves with us this morning, Mike Gallagher. You know, I love you. My mother always loved you, you know, but Mike, I went to Mike and I were talking about to your audience kind enough to watch and listen is that we talked when you were at the Empire State Building as we chatted this morning and I met Mike Gallagher. I said, I know the Democrat blue dog, but a Democrat, a diehard Democrat. And I talked to Mike Gallagher, walked out of that studio at the Empire State Building with the great Gallagher. And I said, this is a nice guy. I mean, he's got all the outlook. He believes in God and country. He's got a conservative view. And I'll tell you, it started to turn my political outlook. So I thank you for that. And then me meeting Ronald, it was Mike Gallagher and Ronald Reagan that really kind of changed my whole political outset. I'm telling you something. But I appreciate it more than anything else, and I appreciate you always being there. But I wanted to say, too, and not to lose track of what we're talking about, we chose the Mike Gallagher show to make the national break of the book.
SPEAKER 08 :
I'm so honored. Well, that means more to me than you'll ever know. And I'm so honored. And I know our audience will love the book. Go to Amazon. Get it. Go to Barnes. Wherever you've got to go to get the book. Average Joe. And in the minute or so we have left, Joe, this summer, we've managed to talk you into joining us for the second annual Patriots Alaska Cruise. Now, obviously, you sing. I can hit a few notes. There's a rumor that maybe we're... And Larry Elder and I, along with you, Joe, and Jennifer Horn from L.A., who we love, is there any truth to the rumor that we might be able to do a buddy song together on the ship for our passengers?
SPEAKER 13 :
You know, worth the price of admission alone is just you and I singing on stage. Mike Gallagher is Broadway caliber. This guy on stage.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, yeah. I'm community theater caliber. I'm no, I'm dinner. I'm dinner. I'm dinner theater caliber. I'm dinner. I'm the La Comedia Dinner Club in Ohio. That's what I am.
SPEAKER 13 :
When you looked at me in the hallway, you said he would win, and I looked back and said we were right, and I'm telling you we're right about you and I doing a duet on the Patriots cruise. It's called TravelWithSalem.com. Come on with us.
SPEAKER 10 :
Every day, Mike talks to Mark Davis, the morning legend at 660 AM, The Answer in Dallas. This week, it was all about Doge.
SPEAKER 03 :
The American public seems to have come around. Even the public has said, yeah, I guess we don't like wasteful Washington spending. But then somebody says, well, let's cut it. They go, you're trying to kill grandma. Stop it. For the first time in your life and mine, and we've been around for a while, the public finally seems ready to accept solutions like these.
SPEAKER 08 :
I think you're right. I mean, I'm really watching this and thinking, I mean, yesterday was such an extraordinary moment where there was Elon with his little boy, little X. Little X. Crawling around the Resolute desk. Hmm. And having a ball. And there was Trump smiling. And Elon Musk is answering every question. And it was such a refreshing moment because at one point they called Elon Musk out. Apparently it was technically incorrect. It wasn't $50 million for condoms, evidently.
SPEAKER 01 :
There was some aspect of that.
SPEAKER 08 :
And Elon Musk said, you know what? I'm going to make mistakes. We're going to get things wrong. We've got so much going on, we're going to err.
SPEAKER 03 :
Tell me when I do.
SPEAKER 08 :
Tell me when I do, and we'll fix it. Again, I'll correct it.
SPEAKER 03 :
My gosh, no politician talks that way. No, as opposed to... Let's take a look at the Biden mistakes. Joe Biden comes out and says there are 37 genders. Anybody stepping in and saying that's wrong would have been pilloried, vilified, condemned. I mean, Democrat lies go unchecked. And in fact, they get lifted and enabled by a willing media culture. So, yeah.
SPEAKER 08 :
Who doesn't love a public figure saying, yep, I got that one wrong. You got to call me out on it. They are all about transparency. How do you push back against... eliminating government waste. Here's the cover of the New York Post. The jihad bill. Here's how bad USAID got. It once paid for a terrorist's college tuition. USAID funded... Anwar al-Awlaki's Colorado State University education as part of the tuition program for foreigners he went on of course to be killed he's one of the worst terrorists on the radar USAID paid for him Now, that's how bad it got. That's how runaway... And there are people on... I know some people on the Beltway. Oh, this is terrible. Children are going to die. There's going to be no more AIDS funding. You've got to keep the philanthropic aspects of USAID. But my gosh, if you don't see how broken a bureaucracy is that is funding terrorists, supporting Hamas... And look, Victor Davis Hanson broke this down brilliantly last night. I'm going to play it on my show today, where he says... Let's get some basics here. John F. Kennedy signed USAID into existence with an executive order. Donald Trump signed DOGE into existence with an executive order. They are perfectly constitutional, plausible, legal, legitimate things to do. They got nothing. And let me, you know, I'm at a point right now where I'm feeling like I've got to avoid wallowing in the nastiness of the left. But I do think it bears repeating how desperate they are. Here's this beautiful moment yesterday. Trump, Elon, little X in the Oval Office, answering every reporter's question, dealing with everything with transparency. You want to know what the MSNBC takeaway was of that press conference? Oh, my. You want to know what Lawrence O'Donnell called it? And the Daily Beast, of course, is excitedly running with this. Trump was humiliated in the most powerless image ever of a U.S. president. By what?
SPEAKER 03 :
Because he was sitting down. Yeah, sitting down and Elon standing.
SPEAKER 08 :
And the little boy is running around. And Trump was, according to the Daily Beast and MSNBC, humiliated in the most powerless. Oh, yeah. Real humiliation. Right. They got nothing, Mark.
SPEAKER 03 :
And this is funny because doesn't this run counter to the notion that Trump is an egomaniac and makes everything about him? He gladly steps aside and allows people whom he has wisely selected to enact his agenda to let them have the spotlight, let them have some glory, let them get some positive attention because it's all to the good of what he wants to do to, one could say, make America great again.
SPEAKER 10 :
We've had a lot of good news coming out of the Trump administration over the last few weeks. The biggest? Even many of his detractors are starting to come around.
SPEAKER 08 :
Trump is winning everybody over. Look at Meghan McCain. Now look, there's no secret about the no love lost between the late John McCain and Donald Trump. They hated each other. No question about it. And many would argue that Trump was... disrespectful in some of the things he said about John McCain. And clearly his daughter, Megan, she loves her father, cherishes him, and hates Trump. He insulted her dad. And you get that on a purely personal level, right? We understand that. And look, I said it once or twice before, kind of mocking the prisoner of war status of John McCain, not my favorite thing. So be it, all right? It is what it is. Meghan McCain yesterday posted on X the following. Why couldn't Joe Biden bring Mark Fogle home? Mark Fogle is the guy who went over to Russia, was imprisoned on some bogus trumped-up charge. He was falsely imprisoned, and Trump brought him home. Trump got him released. And here's what Meghan McCain, who you know hates Donald Trump on a personal level for insulting her late father, here's what she writes. Why couldn't Biden bring Mark Fogle home? The man was in prison over three years, and Trump took just three weeks to do it. Why was Biden unable or unwilling to make it happen? I genuinely want the answer here. Meghan McCain, good on you. Good for you. Welcome to the party, Megan. And we get it. We understand family and we understand the way you reacted. But we also appreciate the fact that you're putting your country and your president and what is truly right and just and righteous ahead of your own personal contempt and For Donald Trump, the man. And it's happening all over the place. Chris Sununu? You think the former New Hampshire governor was a fan of Trump? He used to bag on Trump regularly. Last night, he's getting insulted by Anderson Cooper. Called a schoolyard name. A juvenile schoolyard. Caustic vulgarity. That's how flustered Anderson Cooper got. They don't know what to do. They don't know what to say. And they resort to childish antics. Here's Anderson Cooper. Now, I want to warn you. I had to ask my boss, can I play what Anderson Cooper actually said on air for the benefit of showing how pathetic and unhinged the left is becoming? And I said, do I need to bleep it? He said, well, it's a schoolyard taunt. It means jerk. But I always think of kids in the backseat of the car as mom might be driving around running errands. And we don't want to offend mom. And I get that. So I said to Phil, I said, how about this compromise? How about if I warn mom in the front seat of the minivan that for the next 67 seconds, I'm going to play a clip from Anderson Cooper on CNN last night insulting Chris Sununu. You're going to hear Anderson Cooper. The stoic, classy, elegant veteran journalist get reduced to a schoolyard bully because he's getting bested by former New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu.
SPEAKER 11 :
These guys are saving $2.3 billion a day. Well, that means it's incredible. That's what they're saying. But where's the proof? You're not going to be satisfied until he shows up with 10,000 pages. He's giving very specific things, but he's not actually giving any evidence of that. It's all going to come because what they also said was if we have to go to Congress, we'll go to Congress. Right.
SPEAKER 12 :
But we'll show where some of the details that have come out, like the, you know, fifty nine million dollars spent on luxury hotels.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's actually not the FEMA money that was used for migrants. That was.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 11 :
FEMA money for migrants? That's OK now? No, I'm not saying it's OK.
SPEAKER 12 :
I'm not saying it's OK. Don't put words in my mouth.
SPEAKER 11 :
So would you stop that? Would you stop that process?
SPEAKER 12 :
Don't be a dick. What I'm saying is the portrayal by him is just not factually accurate. He's talking about luxury hotels. Look, I was in a hurricane. I saw what FEMA does.
SPEAKER 08 :
Talking about luxury hotels, that guy lives in New York City. He knows about the luxury hotels that have been converted to migrant shelters. He's lying. He's pretending he doesn't understand the millions and millions of dollars that have been earmarked to convert luxury hotels in New York City to housing for illegals. He knows that, and he's playing dumb. And moreover... He's acting like a little schoolyard punk calling Chris Sununu a name. Incidentally, I'm told that Anderson Cooper later apologized. So there's that. Good for him. Shouldn't have done it in the first place. And did you hear the other voice on that set who was piling on with Chris Sununu? It was Jeffrey Toobin. Do you want to know about that guy? Google it.
SPEAKER 10 :
And finally, Elon Musk gave himself a new handle on X this week, and he's having some fun with it at the media's expense.
SPEAKER 08 :
Look, you want to know the great metaphor with the Democrats and the Republicans right now? I keep thinking about Lucy and Charlie Brown with the football, but it's Wile E. Coyote. Wile E. Coyote. Atlanta just pointed this out. Wile E. Coyote is the Democrats. The Acme Tool Company is their judicial tool. Which leaves the roadrunner as President Trump. And how does it ever turn out for the coyote? For Wile E. Coyote? That's the metaphor. I mean, do we play the Dana Bash clip? Do I have to warn everybody again? Mom's in the minivans? Let me give you another. This will only be a 30-second warning. But Elon Musk, he too is the roadrunner. Trump and Elon are roadrunners. Dana Bash is Wile E. Coyote. Dana Bash at CNN is trying to catch Trump. The Roadrunner. Beep, beep. And Elon Musk changed his handle, his name, on X. Now, I don't want to say the name because it's, you know, kind of vulgar. But it wasn't, and that's not spelled the way you think it's spelled. It's got a Z in there. But one would think Dana Bash wouldn't be stupid enough to take the bait. One would think she wouldn't read the name on CNN. But again, Wiley Coyote was never particularly smart. So let me again warn the soccer moms. Use discretion for the next 30 seconds, come back after 30 seconds, but I just have to play what Dana Bash actually said looking into a camera, reading a teleprompter with a pained expression on her face.
SPEAKER 07 :
Now, the disruptor in chief, Elon Musk, who apparently has adopted the alias, at least he changed his social media handle to Harry Balls, tweeted this morning, democracy in America is being destroyed by judicial coup. An activist judge is not a real judge.
SPEAKER 08 :
This is what I've come to. This is what this show has come to. We have to have meetings with very important people about what we can air. This is Elon Musk. And Elon Musk, of course, is having a field day just laughing all the way to the Doge office and back. Dana Bash did it. She read his new screen name. I mean, what's she going to do if his new screen name at X is at Dana Bash is an imbecile? I guess she'll have to read that. That should be his name for tomorrow. Change it to Dana Bash is a moron. At Dana Bash is a moron. Oh, my goodness gracious. How much fun can we have?
SPEAKER 10 :
And that wraps up the Mike Gallagher Show Week in Review podcast for Friday, February 14th, 2025. I'm Eric Hansen. Be sure to subscribe to all of the podcasts and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And if you like the show, be sure to share it with a friend. Happy Valentine's Day. I'm Eric Hansen. We'll see you back here next week on the Mike Gallagher Show Week in Review podcast.
In today's episode of Rush to Reason, host John Rush guides listeners through a thought-provoking discussion on the complexities of federal agency spending and its impacts on local economies, using Colorado's latest financial freeze and subsequent thaw as a case study. We explore the implications of government involvement in everything from national debt to renewable energy subsidies, questioning the effectiveness and necessity of such interventions. As the conversation deepens, John contrasts personal responsibility with governmental overreach, sparking debate on what roles we should personally undertake versus what we expect from the state. Against this backdrop, advertising segments remind us of practical everyday concerns like managing mortgages, healthcare, and household efficiency during fluctuating economic times.
SPEAKER 07 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 08 :
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 09 :
With your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 06 :
My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job, sir. 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 08 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 07 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, happy Thursday. Welcome, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. I do not have Steve House with us today. As promised, he notified me, oh, about an hour or so ago that he was stuck on an airplane. So normally we would have Steve House with us and Dr. Kelly. Dr. Kelly has family in town, so she had already planned to not be here today. So, Dr. Kelly, if you're listening, have fun with your family. We appreciate all that you do for us on a regular basis. I've got plenty of things to cover today anyway, so... No fear. The show goes on, and what I will tell you is this leaves an entire hour, or if there's something on your mind, something you want to call in, something we've talked about here recently, 303-477-5600. Yesterday's question of the day, which pioneering computer scientist described the first bug in computing history, an actual moth trapped in a relay in their logbook in 1947? 1947. That would be Grace Hopper. Found and documented the first literal computer bug, a moth trapped in a relay of the Harvard Mark II computer. She taped the moth into the logbook with the note, first actual case of bug being found. This may have helped popularize the term bug for computer problems, though the term predated this incident. Today's impossible question in ancient Rome. What was the unusual profession of the nomenclator, and why were they particularly important to politicians? So what was the unusual profession? So there you go. That is today's impossible question, and I would not have gotten that. All right, several things that I'm going to get into today in this hour. Number one, before we get fired off, and if Dr. Kelly and Steve were here, we would be talking about this. So earlier today, it's been a few hours now, RFK Jr. was confirmed as the HHS Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretary. Now, Tulsi Gabbard, I believe, was also confirmed. It was either late yesterday or early this morning. I didn't check exactly when, but she's also been confirmed. So this will be good. To me, personally, great news. I believe that he will do a lot in the health care end of things, much like Musk is doing in the financial end of things, which I'll get to a few things along those lines here in a minute. So the Senate confirmed. RFK Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary on Thursday, putting a longtime critic of vaccines and the medical establishment in charge of the nation's vast and powerful health apparatus, says The Wall Street Journal. Every Democrat voted against Kennedy on Thursday, while Senator Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor who had criticized the nominee's questioning of vaccines, was the lone Republican no vote. So everybody else on our side voted yes. McConnell voted no. It was a 52 to 48 vote. And his subsequent swearing in at the White House office, Kennedy is in a position to apply today. They're saying unconventional views to U.S. health policy. By the way, thank you. I'm glad he is. We need some quote-unquote unconventional views of what's going on in regards to health care. Again, something that in this particular hour, every Thursday, for the past, gosh, since, well, Steve House and I, early in COVID, so about March of 2020, started talking about these sorts of things. Dr. Kelly joined us in August of 2020. So do the math. We've been talking about, at least in this hour, unconventional things regarded to health during that hour. Now, on Health and Wellness Wednesdays, You know, I and Charlie both, we have been interviewing and talking about unconventional things medicine-wise for probably, even when Dan was with me, for what, Charlie, eight, nine years now probably? At least eight years or so? Been a long time. So reality is, we... On KLZ 560 and Rush to Reason, we talk about unconventional medical things constantly. Dr. Scott Faulkner, who's one of our great sponsors, and he's going to do some filling in for me here in the not-too-distant future. He is unconventional as a doctor. It's partially what got him fired from his last job, which is why he's doing what he's doing now, because he prescribed ivermectin to a COVID patient and got canned. Now, I wouldn't say that ivermectin and prescribing it was unconventional because, frankly, prior to all of that nonsense, that would have been the normal thing to do. But because of the powers that be and COVID and so on, and it's partially why, by the way, I believe RFK Jr. is now our HHS. He was in charge of HHS. I believe because of some of that, it's why he's there. Now, some may argue with me on that, although we've had many a conversation about RFK Jr. And as I've talked about on the NCR, National Corporate Roundtable, along with Bob Duco and Neil Boron, are we all in line with RFK Jr. and everything that he believes in? No, because he has some things he believes in, i.e. abortion, that we don't. Do I feel like we can move him over to our side more than he already is? Yes, I do. I believe he's open-minded enough to listen to some of those things. And frankly, and I know there's a lot on our side that don't like RFK Jr. because of some of those things that he has said in the past along those lines. But again, I believe that A, that's really not going to be his focus. B, he's going to focus on things that really make America healthy again. The MAHA. That's his motto. Make America healthy again. And we're not. We're not. We talk about that on Wednesdays. We've talked about that with Dr. Kelly on Thursdays. The reality is the food that we eat, the things that we have, the processes involved in a lot of that, and I'm not making excuses because I guess we all have choices, but I tell you what, in our world here in the United States of America, and I'll be the first to admit it, it is easier and in some cases cheaper to eat unhealthy than it is to eat healthy. And that's a problem. And that's something that RFK Jr. is going to take a look at and do his best to fix. And it needs fixing, to be honest with you. So one other thing along these lines before I move on to break and keep going here. I read a lot of different things on social media, belong to a lot of different groups, and I've had a lot of different things that I've done in my background, so I follow a lot of different people. I, and again, not to boast, but because of this show, have close to 5,000 friends, I guess you could say, because they're not followers, friends on Facebook. And do I know each and every individual? No, I do not. Do I know a lot of them? Yeah, I do. I know quite a few people. And one thing that I have been noticing a trend on from the church sides of things, and this is where I will have hard disagreements with folks, is there's a lot of church people, all aspects, doesn't matter what particular denomination, that are complaining and whining about USAID being, in a lot of ways, shut down because it's going to be completely revamped. And these people are whining and complaining because this particular program that this particular entity or NGO or church organization was involved in, the funding has been shut off, and there's all these people now wondering what's going to happen next, and some of them don't have income and this, that, and the other. And while I understand that a lot of these organizations do some good work around the world, the problem is there's a lot that didn't, as we're seeing coming out of Doge and other places, the list of things that were absolute nonsense. And unfortunately, because there weren't the right checks and balances at USAID, a lot of the things that they started getting into corrupted the good work that probably was done at one time. Now, I also, and I explained this to somebody earlier today, as much as I want to help personally those that are in need around the world, and that's very noble of these individuals even on social media to express their concerns over this, We are a country that is $36.5 trillion in debt. And some would say, well, it doesn't mean anything. We still have resources. Well, not if we keep going down that path we won't. And so for a lot of the church folk that are out there, and I don't get on social media and start responding and getting in debates and so on because, frankly, you're not going to change their minds anyways, and so why go down that path in the first place? But in my heart and in my mind, I'm thinking to myself, okay, we are a country that is $36.5 trillion in debt, and anything we do to help other countries, and I've used this example before, is like that fancy house on the block. that has every toy known to mankind in fact the driveway is overflowing in things that they have purchased and they've got the nicest of everything rolls-royce parked in the in the garage maybe a couple of them they've got all of the eighty visa snowmobiles and trailers and so on and it's the biggest house in the neighborhood absolutely the biggest house in the neighborhood problem is problem is everything they owned is on credit And it's not just on credit. It's they can't even show what they've got debt for. In other words, they are so deep in debt that they don't have enough in regards to those things that are sitting in the driveway in the house to cover the debt. And yet the neighbor gets cancer. And so because they feel a really big need to help that neighbor that has cancer, they go back out to the bank one more time and borrow more money so they can then loan it to the neighbor to then help them out. That's what we as a country, folks, are doing. It's exactly the same scenario. Before you get after me, yes, I know as a country we have a lot of assets, and our assets probably equal and or are more than what our debt is. But you get where I'm going with this in regards to the debt itself, the interest we pay on the debt, and so on. We can't continue to go down that path. We are like that superpower. what looks to be wealthy family on the block that has debt coming out of their ears that wants to go borrow more so they can help the family in need next door, when, in fact, they should help themselves first. And right now, that's what we're doing as a country. Shutting down USAID and many other programs like it is helping us overall as a country. And I know. I know. It's a small percentage of our national budget. I get that. But $40 billion is $40 billion. And I said this with Scott Garlis last night. Every billion counts. Every million counts. If you're the CEO of a company that comes in and you're trying to get things turned around, every dollar counts. When you're a family that all of a sudden had some sort of a change, you've got an illness. Maybe there were two people working. Now there's only one. And so you have to start doing some cutbacks. Even in a family, every dollar counts, doesn't it? And I think it would be very, very wrong for us as Americans to say, well, that doesn't matter. It's only 1% of the budget. Why does that matter? We can just keep sending that $40 billion out. That doesn't make any difference. Well, because here's what happens. It's like the family that is trying to tighten their belt and get a better handle on their budget that says, well, you know, we like cable. We like having, you know, 350 channels of whatever to watch, and we like all the streaming services we get, and we like spending $300 a month on all of this, which I'm not too far off on if you had every package known to mankind. And yet they're not able to pay the mortgage and they're not paying the car payments very well. They're getting behind on some of those things. And yet they still want to have the best cable package known to mankind. You get where I'm going with this. At some point, you have to make the tough decisions to start making cuts. And that's where we are as a country. And by the way, we are far too late to the game in this. We should have done this decades. I say decades, plural, ago. Not now. decades ago i know we did pretty well under you know even believe it or not bill clinton a democrat we did pretty well at that point in time but we still weren't debt free And all we've done since then is continue to pile on, pile on, pile on. And, yes, both parties are equally at fault for that. Affordable interest mortgage is next. Kurt Rogers will be with me at 5 o'clock. By the way, we'll talk about some of these things in regards to the mortgage world and housing and so on and see how that's going to affect things. In the meantime, if you've got a question on a mortgage, give Kurt a call, 720-895-0500.
SPEAKER 10 :
Interested in buying a new home? Well, the cost may have just gone down. It's been a seller's market for years, and buyers are regaining some authority. Want to cut your costs when you buy? Take AIM, Affordable Interest Mortgage, 720-895-0500. Recent changes to buyer's agent compensation now helps the buyer spend less. Sellers no longer need to raise the price to cover compensation for both sides. Your pre-approval now gives you more control in pricing and compensation. Make sure you work with a knowledgeable mortgage broker that will save you money. Take AIM 720-895-0500. AIM has a team of broker agents willing to negotiate their compensation and save you thousands. They know the new law. They're experienced and professional. Before you sign with an agent, protect yourself with a real pre-approval letter that puts you in charge. Take AIM. Affordable Interest Mortgage. 720-895-0500. We have that team willing to work for you. That's 720-895-0500. Regulated by Dora and MLS. 217-147-Equal Credit Lender.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, and Dr. Scott, I was talking earlier in regards to RFK Jr. and HHS and that, and I was talking about Dr. Scott as well. And, yes, he is definitely on our side, thinks exactly the way we do. He is an out-of-the-box, nontraditional, which, by the way, they're accusing RFK Jr. of being. He is that nontraditional thinker. Talk to him today and have him be your doctor. 303-663-6990.
SPEAKER 05 :
Are you looking for a healthcare provider who truly cares about you and your well-being? Look no further than Castle Rock Regenerative Healthcare, where Dr. Scott Faulkner is ready to provide you with top-notch care. At Castle Rock Regenerative Healthcare, you'll experience a competent, friendly, and efficient staff that puts your comfort and care first. Dr. Scott Faulkner is a true advocate of the latest advancements in healthcare and weight loss. Worried about being lost in the crowd of impersonal health care? Fear not. Dr. Scott is a big picture doctor, not beholden to big pharma or big insurance like some other providers. He takes the time to understand your unique needs and will customize your health care to fit you, your body, and your lifestyle. Tired of waiting weeks for an appointment? Unlike other practices, Dr. Scott Faulkner has the remarkable ability to see you in a matter of days. Reach your full potential and achieve your goals. Call Dr. Scott today at 303-663-6990 or visit him online at castlerockregenerativehealth.com or find him at rushtoreason.com. Castle Rock Regenerative Health Care, your path to a healthier tomorrow.
SPEAKER 02 :
Cub Creek Heating and Air Conditioning. And, yep, a little bit warmer today. We've got more weather coming in, though, this weekend and next week. We're not out of the woods yet. If you've got any furnace issues at all, please give Cub Creek a call. Find them today at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 12 :
Reem Certified Pro Partner Cub Creek Heating AC Appointments are already filling up, and it's only going to get colder from here. When it's warm or even a little bit cool, your furnace will turn on and off, giving it a rest from time to time. But when the extreme cold we are expecting this time of year comes, your furnace may run for days without shutting off. When your furnace runs constantly, it wears out quicker and the chances of it breaking down increase exponentially. Cub Creek will come clean your system and check it for potential issues. And if they find something, they'll make sure you understand what your options are. Cub Creek techs aren't paid commission, and they understand that you know your finances better than them. So they let you decide how you'd like to handle it after you understand the problem. So make a call today and have Cub Creek Heating and AC come out for a furnace tune-up and ensure you're not left in the cold. Find Cub Creek on the KLZRadio.com advertisers page.
SPEAKER 07 :
No liberal media bias here. This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, we're back. Got a text message in, which I cannot disagree with anything in this message. We need to absolutely shut down USAID along with 50% of all federal agencies. And by the way, you might be generous in that. In addition, we need to get rid of 50% of all employees in the existing Fed agencies. I talked about that some yesterday. Again, I think you're being very kind. Every Fed agency needs to be audited every two years. Otherwise, this is what happens. Reality is government does not care about saving taxpayer money. Government is so out of control. This is exactly what the founders warned us about. Again, you are 1,000% correct and, frankly, probably too kind in your statements. I'm not as kind because I feel like we could run on. We have 2.4 million. It's actually, I read this morning, it's 2.5. 2.5 million government workers. About 75,000 now have agreed to take the buyout plan that Donald Trump initiated, which, by the way, is now considered to be very legal in what he's offering. Don't know why that has to be approved by some dumb judge. But anyways, it has been. So 2.5, which if you get rid of 75,000, we'll be back down to roughly 2.4 million. And again, I realize there's a lot of things government does. But I will also be the first to tell you there's a lot of things government does, doesn't need to. There is so much redundancy when it comes to federal government on top of what state governments already do. It's just stupid. You could explain it this way. It's like that construction site where you drive by or you pull up, and there's one guy down in the trench doing whatever it is he or she needs to be doing, and there's about six other people with hard hats on up above watching. And you guys have seen memes and things along those lines, but really I'm not exaggerating. That's a lot of what happens governmentally speaking. One person's doing the actual work. while there's six other agencies or people in those agencies making sure that that work supposedly gets done correctly or oversees it or whatever the case may be. It's just stupid what we do. And it just grows and grows and grows and becomes a bloat. And it's a waste of taxpayer money. I've got some things in a minute I'll talk about in regards to Colorado and what some of the funds that were frozen would affect. Some of those funds, unfortunately, have been unfrozen. And I wish they'd be frozen. I'll get through that list in a minute. Somebody else says, why is the U.S. government... Through USAID giving any money to religious organizations, that's my money. If I want to give it to religious organizations, that's my prerogative. What's really ticking me off is what the Catholic churches are doing with the illegal aliens, harboring them with my money. Again, I can't argue with anything that you're stating there. You are correct as well. Spot on text message. And Charlie and I were just talking about that through the break. If you're a religious organization, it doesn't matter what kind of a church you have. The majority of organized denominations have missionary things that they do around the world, and they've got things set up, and some are really good at it, some are not so good. But my feeling is if you feel that burden by whatever USAID is doing, then you as an organization figure out how you're going to raise that money in most cases. These organizations do a fantastic job of taking care of whatever needs to be taken care of with very, very, very little overhead. In fact, a lot of it is done through volunteers, so there's not much overhead at all. So if you're that burdened by what needs to be going on with USAID, I'm sorry to be this way. Go raise the money yourself. Go find where that money's at and make it happen. Quit relying on on the government, me, the taxpayer, to support those things. It's gotten out of control, and it's got to be reined back in, much like you guys that are texting in are saying. And you are 100% correct, and you know where I stand on this stuff. So, all right, before we move on, I've got a couple other text messages I'll read at break. It's hard for me to read and talk at the same time. I'm not that good. I can scan and talk, but I cannot read word for word and concentrate and do things at the same time. I'm sorry to say I just can't do it. I'm not that good. I wish I were. So let me read to you a few things that were frozen here in Colorado that, frankly, in my opinion, should still be frozen. Now, John Hickenlooper, Senator John Hickenlooper, which is going to be up for election in 2026, said that the majority of the dollars that I'm going to list to you have already been awarded to contractors and the work's already begun. I don't care. Pull it back. Cancel it. I could care less. Doesn't matter to me. Here they are. And you're going to be, well, you won't be shocked because you're my listeners, but we should be shocked. Grid resilience formula funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, $25 million. Home energy efficiency rebate program from the U.S. Department of Energy, $70 million. Keep in mind, these are Colorado programs now. So these are things inside of Colorado that the funds were frozen. Some of these have been released, unfortunately. And, of course, we've got politicians, Phil Weiser and others, whining and complaining about this money not coming into Colorado. State Energy Program formula funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, $2.8 million. State Energy Program bipartisan infrastructure law from the U.S. Department of Energy, $6.9 million. Home electrification and application rebate program from the U.S. Department of Energy, $70 million. RECI Advanced Building Performance Standards from the U.S. Department of Energy, $2.5 million. RECI Colorado Advanced Energy Code Adoption and Enforcement Program from the Department of Energy, $2.5 million. So I will just tell you, those last two, total waste of money. Not one penny of that should go to that. Total, absolute waste of taxpayer money. Fully. CPRG, Climate Pollution Reduction Planning Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, $3 million. Another complete waste of money. Weatherization Assistance Program, WAP block it's called, from the U.S. Department of Energy, $22.6 million. Another complete waste of money. Weatherization Assistance Program, WAP, IIGA, from the U.S. Department of Energy, another $50 million. So we've got 77, almost $78 million going into the Weatherization Assistance Program. Now, I know this is going to sound really harsh. I'm going to say it anyways. If you live in Colorado... and you can't afford to properly weatherize things with your home correctly, by the way, because you're spending $300 a month on cable, which I'm probably not too wrong in saying, you ought to move to a warmer state. I'm being 100% honest, folks. If we need to take $77 million of taxpayer money here in Colorado alone and help people weatherize their homes, they ought not live here. I know that sounds really harsh. But you know what? Sometimes it's harsh words that need to get to reality so people really wake up and understand what's going on and make the necessary adjustments in their own life to make things better for themselves. Because the reality is I, as a taxpayer, don't want $77 million, almost $78 million of my money going there. And I'm sure most of you listening don't either. I weatherize my own home. You guys listening, you weatherize your own homes. And again, my feeling on this is, and I don't know exactly how the program works, but I highly doubt, I highly doubt they have to prove their budgets before getting this money. I'm guessing it's all based on income and where they live and a zip code and so on. I don't know, but I'm probably not far off in my thought process because I've seen enough of these programs and know enough about how these work that that's most likely the case. So at the end of the day, nobody in these programs is having to prove that you don't go to fast food or do whatever else however many times a week. You're not wearing the most fancy Nike shoes they have out there instead of wearing Skechers, which, by the way, I wear. In other words, you're not on any kind of a budget, and you have that high cable bill, and I can keep listing the things. On and on we go. And the reason for that is because if you're getting free help on this, why would you have to budget? If I can get you as a taxpayer to help me weatherize my home. Why would I have to budge anything? And again, please, I'm not trying to throw anybody that's elderly or they can't do some of these things on their own and they're living Social Security check to Social Security check and they need some help. But folks, believe me, I can already guarantee you that's not the majority of cases here. Now, what you'll hear coming out of those in Colorado that want these programs to continue is probably the scenario I just gave you, but I will tell you, by and large, that's most likely not the case. And again, we have enough other charities and things along those lines where if this was really a big burden, we have other ways to make these things happen. Energy efficiency revolving loan fund from the U.S. Department of Energy, $1.6 million. Energy efficiency and conservation block grant from the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, $2 million. Training for residential energy contractors, $2 million. from the U.S. Department of Energy. So we're paying $2.5 million to train residential energy contractors. Total waste of money. Solar for... Oh, this one's going to crack all of you up. Actually, it'll probably make you ticked. Solar for all from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, $156 million. This is going to Colorado. Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, $129 million. IRA codes competitive award collaboration solutions from the U.S. Department of Energy, $20 million. Renewable energy siting through technical engagement from the Energy Department's Energy Works, $1.9 million. Energy futures grant electric deployment from the U.S. Department of Energy, $500,000. Adopt Build Code's Formula Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. In other words, how are we going to make your homes more efficient and make you spend more money at the same time? $12 million. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure from the Colorado and Federal Transportation Departments. I talked about this one yesterday and Tuesday as well. $44.5 million. Okay. Folks, every one of those should make each one of you mad at the fact that our federal tax dollars are going back into not only Colorado, but a lot of other states as well. And it's an absolute joke. Joke. So if you're on the side of, yeah, this needs to happen. Yeah. Sorry. No, it doesn't. There's not a single thing on that list that needs funded. Not one thing. I'll go to break and come back. Golden Eagle Financial is coming up next. Al Smith, who would love to help you with your financial future and, by the way, help you even budgetarily speaking. Where are you going to be in retirement? How do you get there? How do you stay there? Talk to Al today. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 03 :
We'll be right back. Starting to save even a few years earlier could mean the difference of hundreds of thousands by the time you enter retirement, even if the same amount is contributed annually. The longer you wait, the more you miss out on the compounding effect of time, making it much harder to catch up. Let Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial help you today by contacting him on the klzradio.com advertisers page. Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management LLC, a registered investment advisor. BCM and Golden Eagle Financial Limited are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM, but are offered and sold to individually licensed and appointed agents.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, Roof Savers of Colorado. And hey, it's a nice day today. Dave could definitely be out today doing work on your roof. So whether you're looking for a full replacement, you need to extend the life of your roof, you've gotten one of those nasty letters from an insurance company, give Dave a call today, 303-710-6916.
SPEAKER 01 :
At Roof Savers Colorado, we are about more than roofs. We are about helping you make the best decisions with the right information. Being a homeowner isn't getting any easier or cheaper, and neither is getting your roof the solution it needs. Deductibles are going through the roof, and with every passing year, insurance covers less than the one before. Due to a record amount of hailstorms recently, insurance companies have started limiting your coverage and pulling out of states entirely. We know the industry. With over 3,000 roofs under our belts and 23 years of experience, Dave Hart and his team are ready to complete a free roof inspection and discuss the option that is best for you. Don't wait. Policy renewals are increasing by as much as 50%. Now is the time to get the solution you need. Call Roof Savers Colorado today at 303- 710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com. That's 303-710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com to schedule your free inspection and start saving your roof today.
SPEAKER 07 :
High Five Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric can install a tankless water heater as soon as today. Tankless water heaters are preferred to tank heaters because they heat the water as you use it, meaning you'll never run out of hot water again. Tankless water heaters also save you money on energy costs because you're not constantly heating up that big tank. And because they are so efficient, you will save more money in the long run. High Five customers also enjoy tankless heaters because they take up less physical space in your utility closet or laundry room. These tankless heaters can even add to your home's resale value. In addition to all these benefits, you can receive incentives and rebates of up to $3,200 from Uncle Sam, so it pays for itself. Find out more about tankless water heaters on the klzradio.com advertisers page and get in touch with High Five for answers to your home questions today.
SPEAKER 09 :
Live and local, back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right, some of you laughing at my Skechers comments. Actually, I don't wear the slip-in Skechers you saw on the Super Bowl ads that you get at Kohl's. No, I wear Skecher boots, believe it or not. They actually have a really comfortable boot. And when it's cold out, especially, I have an insulated boot that I have on right now that I'm wearing that's actually a little warm because it's warmer out today. But, yeah, no, I actually like their boots, and I've worn them for, gosh, a decade. Plus now, maybe longer. Actually, they wear very well. They're very comfortable, and I've worn those for quite some time. Also, Dan from Blackhawk mentioned that one thing that we're not in favor of, and I'm not either. He's not in favor of it. I'm not either. And you've heard this coming out of the Trump administration, and I love Donald Trump. You guys all know that, but I'll call it like I see it. I am not in favor of the feds getting involved with capping interest rates on credit cards. Let the free market dictate that. If somebody wants to come out with a low-interest credit card and you're of the qualifications of, then so be it. Again, I'm not in favor of government meddling in things along these lines. What I am in favor of, which is starting to happen, is let's deregulate some things banking-wise. Let's let local banks get back into the credit card business if they'd like to. Because, by the way, they're not. Some are, but most aren't. Let your local credit union do some of this if they would like to. And if they want to offer a 14% rate instead of a 35% rate, and they can gain more customers by doing so, and have more customers coming to their bank, putting deposits in, and so on, so let them go for it. Let them do it. So, yeah, Dan, I'm with you. I am not in favor of any kind of a credit card rate cap from the federal government. I don't think that's, again, that is not the proper role of government. You hear me talk about that a lot, but I mean that sincerely. It's not the proper role of government. And that's something I haven't talked about here for a while, and it's something that, you know, let's take a couple of minutes here and go through that. Because government gets involved in all sorts of things. I just read you a list of funding that was frozen, how much of it's been unfrozen coming into Colorado. And by the way, some of you just said it. You just made your stomach turn as I was reading that. Yeah, mine too. And I will tell you. that other than the $25 million, and I don't even know what grid resilience formula funding is, because from the looks of that, that's not really doing anything to the grid resilience. It's probably just a study. I'm all for spending money on the grid. Now, do I think that needs to all come from the Department of Energy? Well, no, I don't, actually. I think our utilities should be handling some of that. Now, if we need to strengthen the grid in other ways and we need to help out in certain ways and it's justifiable, okay, that's infrastructure. I'm for that to a degree, small degree, as you guys all know, because I'm a small government person. And as we had the texture early saying at least half of the federal workers need fired, that's being kind. That's being kind. I think you could actually go through the list and look at every single department and probably find that, in some cases, just eliminate it. We don't need it at all. I've said this before. Do we need the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency? No, we don't. Each state has a Department of Health or a Department of Environmental Services, in some cases both, which, again, that's a state issue where they don't need both either. Haven't gotten there. I talked a little bit about that yesterday, how every state should have a DOGE department, but I'll talk about that maybe at another time. I'm just talking right now on the federal level. So much overlay. When it comes to what we do federally speaking, the majority of what happens in the federal government outside of defense, outside of collecting revenues, which you could actually put back to the states as well. That's another conversation. In other words, does the IRS need to exist? I believe no, they don't. No, they don't. You could put all the tax collection on the state level. In fact... I'll go one step further. I don't feel like employers, myself included, should be the tax collector. Some of you are thinking, well, John, you're not. Yeah, I am, actually. Every employer is. Because you pull money out of the gross wages of an employee, and it's up to you to send that into the government. Frankly, I don't think that should be my responsibility. I don't think garnishments should be my responsibility. I think all of those functions should come from the person themselves, not me. I don't think an employer should be responsible for doing those things. Not my proper role. The employee, the person, the personal responsibility of said person should be responsible for those things, not me. And believe me, our tax situation, this spending that we're talking about at Doge and so on, if every single employee was sending off their own personal withholding check on a monthly basis, believe me, things would change overnight. The problem is nobody sees that money coming out and where it goes. They see a net check. Yeah, they look at the figures, and yeah, they're disappointed that their gross wages were X and their net wages are now this. And in a lot of cases, they don't even pay attention to what's going out the door tax-wise. Because the employer is the tax collector. And frankly, it's a bunch of crap. It shouldn't be that way. I, as an employer, should not be the tax collector. You, as an employer, your employer, should not be a tax collector. You should be sending that off on your own. And I know I'm speaking heresy in a lot of ways when it comes to the federal government and state government, but we should not be the tax collectors. Each employee should take care of that themselves. Now, here's why we are. Because you can't rely on the employee to pay it. So they make us do it. Again, it's a bunch of crap. We should not be responsible for doing that. Every single taxpayer and worker should be responsible for their own. I should not be the one in charge of doing that. And by the way, you talk about lessening the burden on businesses. If all we as businesses had to do was calculate wages based upon either a salary, a commission, or an hourly wage, and all we did was write a direct check to them and they took care of everything else themselves, oh my word, would you eliminate a lot of positions in a lot of companies across the country. And boy, would you free up productivity for them to go do something else to make those businesses grow, help those businesses grow. cutting costs, and so on. I will tell you, there are so many ways to lower overall costs in this country, and a lot of it hasn't even been talked about yet, and I just gave you one of them. I've talked about this in the past, another area that I'm disappointed in Trump in. You could literally overnight lower the gas burden in this country by making an executive order and having four blends of fuel instead of the 24 we now have. Overnight, Donald Trump could lower gas prices tomorrow by doing what I just said. I don't know why somebody hasn't informed him of that, and I don't know why he hasn't done that yet. He should. That move alone would help families out coast to coast overnight. Because it's a direct, you know, our costs, food and otherwise, are directly related to a gallon of gas and that price. You could literally, and I'm not exaggerating, you could cut 30 cents a gallon Coast to coast, out of the fuel costs of people by doing what I just said. Why hasn't he done that? I got to believe there's advisors around him telling him these things. I mean, again, as I said yesterday, I don't have the highest of IQs. If I can figure these things out, I'm sure there are people around him that have as well. Why is this stuff not happening? So am I against Donald Trump? No, I'm for all of what he's doing. I want more, I guess is what I'm saying. I want more things done. I want more cuts. I want more federal workers' jobs eliminated. I want more departments canceled. I want more. And I know some of you listening do as well. So I am the opposite of some of these that get upset when they see such and such department canceled. I'm not that person. I read some of the comments on social media at times, and I just shake my head and think to myself, you're not really that stupid, are you? But, yeah, I guess they are. What are you going to do for your child's education when they cancel the Department of Education? You know what? Your kid will be just fine. In fact, probably be better off. And, in fact, will be better off because he won't have to learn about DEI and transgenderism and all this other crap that's forced out on schools through the federal system. On and on and on we go. All right, I'll take a break. We'll come back. We'll do another full segment when I come back. Veteran Windows and Doors is next. Dave Bancroft, make sure you're dialed in when it comes to your Windows and Doors today and find out what the next deal is that he's got. Give him a call today. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 12 :
Veteran Windows and Doors knows that when you're feeling cold drafts near your windows, that means your windows are likely failing. Cold air seeping through and ice in between your window panes are just a couple of signs that your windows aren't functioning as they should. When windows are installed incorrectly or the windows are not properly engineered for your area, the mechanics of your home will start to decline. This causes your home to not maintain the temperature inside and makes your HVAC system work overtime, increasing your energy costs. Veteran Windows and Doors guarantees the windows they install are up to code and engineered for your area, so you can be confident your windows will work. Veteran makes sure every window is weathertight, meaning the window is sealed and properly flashed so that no weather ever gets inside. Connect with Dave and Veteran Windows and Doors to receive 40% off three or more windows with free installation by going to klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right. Bruce Simmons, he is a reverse mortgage professor. If you've got a question on reverse mortgage, talk to Bruce today. klzradio.com is where you find him.
SPEAKER 03 :
Reverse mortgage expert Bruce Simmons has seen it all. So many people think the unexpected can't happen to them until it does. Life can change fast, really fast. Then you need that money now. Home modifications, a new accessible stairway, medical expenses you weren't anticipating, and it all costs much more than you would have expected. upgrading your home now to help with a medical emergency can even increase your home's property value and over time with a reverse mortgage if you add a line of credit that balance increases too bruce can help you plan for the unpredictable and he can help you build that line of credit in case an emergency arises having access to that money is very powerful and can be a lifesaver Bruce knows having a line of credit will help you weather life storms. Connect with our reverse mortgage expert, Bruce Simmons, today at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 02 :
Ridgeline Auto Brokers, where if you're looking for a new used car, they've got you covered. They can help you buy a new car as well. Ridgelineautobrokers.com.
SPEAKER 04 :
Are you in the market for a reliable car, truck, or SUV that won't break the bank? Does your vehicle need high-quality auto repair? Then look no further. Ridgeline Auto Brokers and Legacy Auto Repair specialize in quality used cars that cost between $15,000 and $25,000, making them a great option for first-time drivers or anyone looking for a great deal. At Ridgeline, we pride ourselves on providing a transparent and happy hassle-free car buying experience. That's why we never charge any dealer fees. Plus, all of our vehicles are inspected by our team of ASE certified technicians. You can trust that the car you're buying is in excellent condition. And remember, we can also service your vehicle after the sale. At Ridgeline, we can take your current vehicle on trade, and we also offer competitive financing options for vehicle purchases and also for vehicle repairs. Ridgeline now has two locations, one in Boulder and now a second location in Fort Collins located at 1101 North College Avenue. Both locations offer full-service auto repair and a host of off-road accessories. Check out all their services at RidgelineAutobrokers.com. Ridgeline, the smart way to buy or service or accessorize your car, truck, or SUV.
SPEAKER 09 :
It's time to leave your safe space. This is Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 02 :
All right. Several of you, by the way, agreeing with the credit card cap and the fact that we should not do that. And I'm still getting comments on my Skechers. Mike, go ahead, sir.
SPEAKER 11 :
So I came in from outside. I was listening. I was working, doing things outside and Somehow, through the power of your audience, the other thing that just drives me crazy is why Trump, and I say President Trump with great respect, because I... But anyway, I cannot figure out why two things, two or three things. Why do we still have subsidies going for wind generation and solar panels? Because those two items all by itself probably... ends up being hundreds of billions of dollars for China right there, because that's where it goes to. So we've got to cut those subsidies.
SPEAKER 02 :
And let that fade away because it is not... Well, and correct me if I'm wrong, Mike, but isn't that something that Doge and... Aren't they currently looking at those things as we speak? And again, I don't know exactly where you're running into some issues, is when some of this was in the last infrastructure, which I call it the inflation bill from Biden. But given that they've already voted on and approved those things... I mean, is this something that the new Congress has to go back in and reverse? This is above my pay grade.
SPEAKER 11 :
So I spend probably two or three hours every night on the computer just going through different news sites. It has not shown up on any news site at all that I look at.
SPEAKER 02 :
Okay, well, because what I'm reading is, on the first day in Oval Office, this is coming out of factcheck.org, on his first day in Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that attempted to slow the growth in the country's wind generation capacity. I haven't looked up solar yet. The order paused all leasing on federal waters for offshore wind and paused new and renewable energy. New and renewed approvals for onshore and offshore wind projects on federal land until the outcome of a comprehensive assessment and review of the federal wind leases and permitting practices. The order also suspended a large and previously approved project in Idaho. Although the order described the provisions as temporary, no end date is specified. So they are on that path right now, Mike. They haven't got them all done, but it sounds like that's not as quick as what you and I would like it to be.
SPEAKER 11 :
Now that you mention it, I do remember reading that about the federal land and water and maybe even one or two of those. While the approved projects that were already on the East Coast, they were tanking even before Biden ever left office. So that was a good thing. But let me go on to another point here and just to see what you think. Our founding fathers, I don't want to get you riled up too much, but our founding fathers... said, without truth, honesty, and full disclosure, our system of government will not work.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 11 :
And you can see right now where, when my two girls were growing up, their granddad was on national television explaining how they were to all the questions on a college acceptance test. And... those two programs that they do for college testing were equal questions with language that everybody should be able to understand. And I would tell my girls, I would say, do you think if somebody was cooking the books at the college where your grandfather is a professor, if they were cooking the books and they needed to have him sign off on a paper that wasn't correct or legal, financially not good? Do you think your grandfather would do that? And they both said no. And that's where this whole, I cannot believe, John, this goes, I cannot believe, we have such a hard time even when a bill comes up to get even one or two Democrats ever to break away from the Democratic Party and do the right thing.
SPEAKER 02 :
You're correct.
SPEAKER 11 :
And it drives me absolutely crazy, and I just have to ask this question. If you're going to call yourself a Christian, how can you belong to the Democratic Party? Because when you look at the things that they've done in the last 25 years, it's They've just been overtaken by special interests, and they're basically communists.
SPEAKER 02 :
They're Marxist, Mark. I mean, Mike, we talk about it constantly. They are a full-out Marxist movement. If you're on that side of the aisle, period, you're involved in some way, shape, or form. You said it best. You're not even voting outside of that party, meaning that you're a part of the problem, not a part of the solution. And I'm with you, Mike. I don't know how in the world you could call yourself a quote-unquote Christian, and be lock, stock, and barrel with God himself, I don't know how in the world you could do those things, Mike, and not go against his will.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yep, and I'll let you go here. I'll let you comment on one other thing that I'm going to say here, and then I'll hang up because it's breaking on top of the hour.
SPEAKER 02 :
Gotcha.
SPEAKER 11 :
Colorado, and Kim Munson actually said this a couple months ago, even when Doge first came out, But Colorado needs to have its own Doge team set up. to go through our own funding. How much money are we spending for blankety-blank wolf on the western coast of Colorado?
SPEAKER 02 :
I'll let you go with that, Mike. No, I am with you on that one, Mike. Sorry, I didn't mean to hit the button just a tad too soon. My apologies. We're running out of time, though. But, yes, absolutely. I've said that, that not only Colorado, but every state should have their own DOGE department where we are going through and analyzing every single thing like what we're doing at the federal level. Because, yes, Mike, I guarantee you – this one I could bet my life on – We as Coloradans and our tax dollars that come into the coffers at the Golden Dome, you'll come into the Treasury here in Colorado, are wasted. And I don't know how many cents on the dollar, but I'm guessing it's at least 40 cents on the dollar, if not higher. We'll be back. Hour number two is next. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 08 :
Average Guys. Average Guys. Average Guys.
Join host John Rush as he explores the complex web of taxation and financial freedom with author Mark Kwan. As they dissect the flaws in current governmental structures and propose efficient strategies to navigate through financial systems, the conversation promises to be an eye-opener for anyone keen on securing their financial future. The episode offers practical advice and explores the influence of policy changes on personal financial planning.
SPEAKER 17 :
This is Rush to Reason. 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. With your host, John Rush. My advice to you is to do what your parents did.
SPEAKER 07 :
Get a job, sir. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same, and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 14 :
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 13 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind?
SPEAKER 08 :
It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 16 :
And we are back. Hour number two, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Mark Kwan joining us now. Be smart. Pay zero taxes. Use the buy, borrow, die strategy to get rich and stay rich. And Mark, welcome. We appreciate you joining us.
SPEAKER 18 :
Thanks for having me on, John. I really appreciate having me and I'm looking forward to talking with you guys.
SPEAKER 16 :
We got a lot to talk about. Let's get started, though, with we'll get into the book and some things that we can give people tips and tricks on. But how do you think President Trump may may reshape or change some of what he did a lot of that, by the way, when it comes to taxes, tax code and so on in his first term? What do you think he's going to do this time around?
SPEAKER 18 :
I think he just needs to cut the fat. I mean, cut most of the federal government, to be honest with you. I mean, it's just education. This education system is a failure. If something is a failure, you've got to change it. You can't keep doing it and accelerating and expect it to change. He's going to reverse some things that should have been done a long time ago, like Social Security payments to Americans. They were always promised to be tax-free by the government. Of course, the government got greedy and then started taxing them. And if you're a middle owner, which is essentially a triple taxation policy, We definitely need no tax on tips would be awesome because And over time. So, I mean, really cut the fat. The federal government's just too big. They're stealing from everybody. They're just the backdoor deals, corruption.
SPEAKER 16 :
I mean, it's... Seeing that now, I mean, this week, I said, Mark, on Monday, because of all the hoopla going on in regards to Doge going into the Treasury and actually getting a look at the check register. Finally, by the way, I don't know why it's taken this long in my lifetime. I'm sure it's ever been done in that manner. And it's way, way, way overdue. And to your point, I've talked about it all week. The amount of waste. And Mark, we knew there was a lot of waste. I'm not sure most people knew that there was this much waste.
SPEAKER 18 :
No, nobody realized it was really this bad and this corrupt. I mean, I'm shocked every single day. Like, I'm like, really? Was it really that bad? And I think it's just starting on us.
SPEAKER 16 :
And you and I, you know, you can tell by your book where you come from, much like me. I mean, I think you and I are pretty savvy on a lot of the corruption that's already there. And I think even you and I are surprised.
SPEAKER 18 :
I'm I'm shocked every single day, like the stuff that's happening, like literally you go, all right, the media has been bought and sold. You kind of know that. But then you literally see the payments literally been bought and sold.
SPEAKER 16 :
I mean, I'm like you. It's like, OK, we knew this stuff was going on. I've talked about it on my program for a decade plus now, Mark. But to actually see the receipts, it's like, oh, I guess I guess, you know, you know, at the end of the day, we weren't as wackadoodly as everybody thought we were.
SPEAKER 18 :
All my conspiracies, they're all coming true right now. It's actually worse than I thought.
SPEAKER 14 :
It is worse.
SPEAKER 18 :
I'm just shocked every single day, and I love Doge. I'm such a huge fan of Doge. Oh, me too, me too. It's like Christmas every single day. You ever go on the U.S. debt clock?
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, yes. It's bookmarked on my browser. I look at it constantly. There's now a Doge, whatever you want to say, clock there, if you would, that's added in.
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, very cool stuff.
SPEAKER 16 :
Absolutely. No, and as you can tell, yeah, I stay up on that quite often. And I'm sad to say this, Mark. There are days where I want to look at it, but then I don't want to look at it because I know that $36.5 trillion just keeps going up and up and up. I'm hoping that with Doge now and some of what we're doing, we'll start to see that clock not roll up as fast. I want to see it start going the other direction.
SPEAKER 18 :
Oh, I mean, that would be amazing. That would be absolutely amazing to see that happen, but it's going to take a while. You know what I mean? You gotta, you gotta kind of do things strategically to do this. I mean, you can't cut everything at the same time, but this little cuts and then replace it with them. And obviously they're going to bring a lot of jobs to the United States. which, I mean, Trump's been talking about that since 1988 on Oprah. I mean, literally, same thing since 88. It's not something new. It's just, again, when you see what it really looks like and you're going, wow.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, so let's talk about your book, Be Smart, Pay Zero Taxes, Use the Buy, Borrow, Die Strategy to Get Rich and Stay Rich. And again, for everybody listening, I know everybody's in a different place in life, Mark, and I try to be very sensitive that I'm self-employed, have been since I was 22 years of age. So it's just kind of the way I've always lived and done it. I'm unemployable, to be real honest with you. I don't think I could work for anybody else. So in a lot of what I should say you're going to talk about or that you've talked about and written in the book, I pretty much understand. But I will tell you, Mark, that sometimes that's hard to – Describe to somebody that's not in that world, am I right in my thoughts or am I overthinking it?
SPEAKER 18 :
The biggest problem with this course is the more educated a person is about finances, the more difficult it is to understand these concepts. I'll give you a simple example. My nephews, my wife, they turned 18. What did we do? We put $2,000 in an investment account. And then we taught them the Bible or die strategy. They have no idea what it's like. They just press buttons and create money, which if you understand the Bible or die strategy, they don't know any different. The problem is the longer you're educated. I mean, financial advisors don't understand this. CPAs don't understand this stuff. I know. I used to train them, right? So this is a very different book. There's never been a book written about this in the history of books. This is the first one ever written about this topic, and anyone can do it. We start people with $100 in a brokerage account, and they can learn how to do it.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay, so let's talk through some of this, and I know, hey, everybody, go get the book if you want to know more about this, but give us the 10,000-foot view.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay, so obviously I worked in the financial industry for a very long time. I used to train financial advisors in the inside, the outside. All of the financial industry exists for one reason. to maximize profitability to the shareholders. That's it. So when you get financial education or a retirement account or a financial advisor, those are all terms Wall Street created to convince you of the benefits of giving all your money to Wall Street. Just the word retirement, that means that I'm going to go work hard, pay taxes, and put my money into a retirement account. The rich aren't doing that. The rich are using a strategy called buy. They buy assets. Let's say you just wanted to buy Amazon stock or Starbucks stock or Costco stock. You just kept buying it, and you never sold it. You would never pay taxes, correct? That's correct, because there's no gain on it.
SPEAKER 16 :
Correct. You didn't realize the gain. There's no actual realized, quote-unquote, gain.
SPEAKER 18 :
Okay. So let's say I had $10,000 in my brokerage account, and then I could take a loan at 5% interest, a margin loan. and I could send $2,000 to my bank account, okay? Now, I'd still have the $10,000 invested. I didn't trigger the taxes because I didn't sell. Where did the $2,000 come from?
SPEAKER 16 :
It's a borrow. It's a loan. It has to be paid back, and that's where that 5% comes in. But there's also no gain on that, meaning no taxes due.
SPEAKER 18 :
You circumvent the tax system. You created $2,000 that didn't exist without any worker taxes. And by the way, the loan does not need to be paid back. It's actually paid back basically. You can run that loan forever. It's just sitting there basically, right? It's just sitting there. There was no money created. There's no money created. They just press a button, create some money. There's interest of 5%. They create it. But Take it a little step further. There's a couple companies where you can do this. One's Robinhood. One's M1 Finances where you can do this. And you can literally invest money and then borrow and create money. So you can do all kinds of things. As a business owner, you can invest, invest, invest, never pay taxes, take a low interest loan, fund your business. There you go. You created a tax deduction on money that didn't exist. Right.
SPEAKER 16 :
And this is for a lot of folks that are listening. They may understand this in the real estate world because a lot of huge real estate, not only developers, but folks just own lots of either residential or commercial real estate is essentially what they do in their world as well. It's just done in more of a tangible way.
SPEAKER 18 :
Right. It's just we took the thing. We spent four years on this. We ran about 300 students through this sort of beta test for this company we built. And we ran it. We took people with money, with no money, just starting out investors. They don't know anything. We've proven it's working. We had hundreds of people using this system. And then I was called by Humanix, Newsmax, and they said, could you actually write the book on this? Because we're very interested in this topic. And then I just spent... six months, seven months writing the book and it was I got the hard copy yesterday, and the cool thing is we haven't even, it's about a month from the release, it's already ranked number one on Amazon for textbooks.
SPEAKER 16 :
Nice, yeah, because we're in that season, and I know there's some things in my notes, and it's just things that folks need to be looking at as they go down this path into the tax preparation end of things, and you've got it in my notes here, but it's very true. Make sure that you've got a guide in the book, by the way, making sure you've got legal deductions, that you're doing everything possible, You know, use your record-keeping abilities to the max. Make sure you're staying organized. I mean, on and on we go, Mark. The reality is, and frankly, the reality is most don't do this.
SPEAKER 18 :
You know what? Here's the thing. I understand there's all that record keeping and that sort of thing. If you just understand the tax codes, you can do things to not pay taxes. For example, just something simple. Like when you buy a home, right? You put 3% down, you buy a home. All the 97% was created without paying taxes. You create hundreds of thousands of dollars. You don't work or pay taxes on it. It buys your home. So you just saved hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxes. Some people go, oh, put 20% down on my home. Great. You just paid massive amounts of taxes because you should have put 3% down and invest the other money. People pay up, extend an extra principal payments on their homes. It's just literally volunteering more taxes in the future when they should be investing the money into a strategy such as Bible or die, then they, they still own the home. Now they're investing, earning higher rates of returns, not paying taxes. And a little example, I have students that, let's say they donate $10,000 a year to their church. Okay. They go, $10,000 a year. They're making $100,000, like $10,000 going to the church. I'm like, invest the $10,000, press the borrow button, send the money to your bank account, donate the $10,000 to the church. Well, what did you just do? You created a tax deduction on money that didn't exist.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right. Against the other money that you did make. That's right.
SPEAKER 18 :
So now you have $13,000 in your investment account. You're never going to sell it. You're going to grow it. You created a tax credit because you created a tax deduction on money that didn't exist. The government has to give you money back. You throw it in your investment account. You just rinse and repeat. Very powerful strategy. And I have employees that use this strategy, business owners, or middle America rich. It's all the same. It works incredibly easy.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. Folks, get the book, Be Smart, Pay Zero Taxes, Use the Buy, Borrow, Die Strategy to Get Rich and Stay Rich. And I heard you say Amazon. What's the best place for folks to buy it, Mark?
SPEAKER 18 :
It is on Amazon. Absolutely. Probably the best place is just on Amazon right now. Okay.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, Mark, I appreciate it. And again, you're in good company, and I hope we see a lot more coming out of Doge. Will do. Thanks, John, for your time. Thanks, Mark. Appreciate you very much. And Affordable Interest Mortgage. Speaking of mortgages, you heard him talk about it a moment ago, Mark, and there's somebody that's an expert when it comes to mortgages. That is Kurt Rogers. Find out what he can do for you today, 720-895-0500.
SPEAKER 11 :
Do you have more month than money? The cost of everything is going up, except your income. How about some relief? Take AIM, Affordable Interest Mortgage, 720-895-0500. Do you have a great rate on your first mortgage, but household debt is swallowing the rest? Rates are falling. Lower your monthly debt $700 to $1,100 a month. Call AIM, 720-895-0500. When you lower your household debt $700 to $1,100 a month, you are still able to pay off your home in the same time frame, sometimes even faster. Let our 23 years of experience help save you money. Remember, saving interest is money in your pocket. Take AIM, 720-895-0500. Tired of paying high interest rate on your credit card debt? Think about it. Bills paid, money in the bank, less stress. Affordable interest mortgage, 720-895-0500. Give yourself a raise and keep more of your money. That's 720-895-0500, where it's all about you. Regulated by Dora and MLS, 217-147, equal credit lender.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, you heard Dr. Kelly talking about the literacy rates of our young kids, kids that are coming out of school and how bad it is. And the reality is, and actually our last guest talked about the exact same thing. So we've had two guests in a row now talk about that. The reality is you can help with that. You can help young kids learn how to read. You do that with The Adventures of Jimmy and Andrew. It's a book. Use code KLZ. Get 10% off. Buy two or more. Get a free hat. And if you want any of those signed and sent to that particular individual, they will do that for you as well. Mike will. JimmyandAndrew.com is the website.
SPEAKER 05 :
American Stonehenge by Mike Goldstein is more than just a children's book. It's a way to connect with the children in your life and encourage them to read to you and for themselves. When Mike Goldstein started writing American Stonehenge, he went after a specific problem. Children today don't think for themselves, and test scores nationwide show that. American Stonehenge is gorgeously put together, so it'll draw their attention. It's filled with action, the prose flows as smooth as sand through an hourglass, and it's historically accurate from the stories and the illustrations. But it's also a portal to quality time with children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. It's a way to connect with them while tacitly teaching them the importance of critical thought and giving them a break from scrolling in their free time. Find American Stonehenge on klzradio.com and bring your family together this holiday season.
SPEAKER 07 :
High Five Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric is ready to help you upgrade your living space in the new year. High Five has great discounts on modern conveniences like touchless faucets and outdoor kitchens, but they also have amazing deals on those ordinary things you use most often. For a limited time, High Five will give you $75 off a new garbage disposal and installation. to make sure that next year yours will keep up with the holiday traffic. Tanked water heaters are currently $200 off, and you can get an incredible $500 off a tankless water system installation. These are just a couple of the great savings that the licensed and insured techs at Hi-5 have ready for you to take advantage of. Reach out to High Five today and ask about your specific needs, and they'll walk you through the best way to make it happen without breaking the bank. Whether it's the everyday necessities or high-tech convenient add-ons that you're after. Find High Five on the KLZRadio.com advertiser's page.
SPEAKER 06 :
Call High Five with it. Call High Five with it.
SPEAKER 12 :
Putting reason into your afternoon drive.
SPEAKER 16 :
This is John Rush. All right. We had an old listener call in, by the way. Not old listener. An old resident of our area that was a listener, still is. Tim up in Wisconsin. Thank you for listening. And the name of that last book. For some of you that maybe didn't get all of that, it's by Mark Kwan, Q-U-A-N-N. Be smart, pay zero taxes, use the buy, borrow, die strategy to get rich and stay rich. And it's just come out. In fact, we're probably one of the first folks to interview him. So, yeah, go buy the book and check it out. And you'll learn some things in it as we learned a moment ago from talking to Mark. Mark, but Tim, thank you for listening. We appreciate that very much. All right, question of the day yesterday. Which ancient Greek philosopher is known for his paradoxes, including Achilles and the tortoise? That would be Zeno of Elea. Zeno of Elea. Elea, Elea, probably not saying that right. Today's impossible question. In the film The Shining. What phrase does Jack Torrance repeatedly type on his typewriter? This one I would have gotten right away. So, in the film The Shining, what phrase does Jack Torrance repeatedly type on his typewriter? Great movie, by the way. Scary movie, but a great movie. Okay, speaking of scary things, there was an article that I found. Actually, I think Joe sent me this. Jersey Joe, thank you. I think I saw this as well, but Jersey Joe sent it also. There was a federal air marshal that was jailed over a fake ATF charge that he had a silencer. And as you read through, and I read as much of this as I could, and the reason I say that is because as you read this, you just get more mad and more mad and more mad. And this is the kind of garbage that was happening under the Biden administration that I really hope, and I believe it will, change under President Trump. I think you're already seeing some changes, by the way, DOJ. You'll see changes, by the way, when it comes to ATF and a lot of the other three-letter agencies. But the amount of injustice that has been done under the last administration, and frankly, some of that was done under Obama as well, but literally the amount under the Any other presidency prior had as much. And I know for a lot of you on the left, you're thinking, oh, John, you're just a conspiracy theorist. These things really didn't happen. And they happened under other presidents. Yeah, no, they didn't. No, they didn't. Not things like this. They didn't. The false – not false raids. The raids on wrong individuals. The raids on individuals that frankly had nothing to do with that particular crime. The raids on individuals like this where they basically made stuff up and sent people to jail, to prison over them. And the amount of damage done to those particular families in this particular case, this particular air marshal, who, by the way, had been there 20 years, you know, the damaging end of things when it comes to his own career and who he is as an individual, you can't get that stuff back. I mean, even once you're exonerated, it's hard to get those things back because in the back of somebody's mind, they're always thinking, yeah, yeah, you know, they exonerated him, but... There's always that but at the end. In fact, even we as conservatives at times will do that with individuals that you know have been exonerated. You're like, yeah, they exonerated him, but... And on you go. So... I anticipate – and we were talking to Dr. Kelly and Steve House. We were talking to them through the 3 o'clock hour. I anticipate that there will be a lot more of these types of stories come out where these particular individuals are – they get their own justice, I should say, and they are exonerated. But these types of stories, as I read through these, just make your blood boil. I don't know about the rest of you, but they do mine. Because you just think, how could this happen in the first place? We're supposed to live in a free country. Supposed to be innocent before proven guilty. How do these things even take place? Well, and I will tell you how. Because in the past, under the Biden administration, we've had the opposite. You're not innocent before proven guilty. Look at Donald Trump and what they brought against him. You're guilty. Now prove your innocence. In fact, you started to hear those in the corrupt news media who we now understand have been on the take, budgetarily speaking, from us, the taxpayer, for quite some time. And who knows how long some of this goes back. But you even started to hear the news media basically use the words, well, he needs to prove his innocence. No, no, no, no, no. That's not how things work. That's not how things work. It's up to the prosecutor. Whoever has brought charges, that particular DA, they bring their prosecutor in, or sometimes a DA may even take that case on themselves, but it's up to them to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that that person is guilty, not the other way around. It is not up to the person to prove their innocence. And I think because, this is my opinion, because of what happened with Donald Trump, that narrative among a lot of Americans has changed, right? You'll hear normal everyday Americans say, well, yeah, they got to prove they're innocent about such and such. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You've got this completely wrong. In the criminal justice system in the United States of America, the burden of proof relies on the prosecution, not on the defense. It is up to the prosecutor to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that person is guilty. Bring enough evidence to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that person is guilty. Bring enough eyewitnesses to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that person is guilty. You see where I'm going. And I'm not a lawyer, but I know how this works. I know how the rule of law works. Now, this is the other thing that happens, even in the media. They confuse criminal with civil. And they're not one of the same. You hear me talk about that a lot with Kevin Flesch, that he'll either represent you or go after people criminally or civilly. And they're two different things. Civil is where there's just been a what somebody thinks is a wrong. Sometimes it's not a wrong. But, you know, you could civilly sue somebody over the fact they don't have any hair and it bothers you. The light shining off of their forehead bothers you, so you're not going to sue them. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that. There have been those types of just stupid, frivolous cases that get brought, and those are civil cases, not criminal cases. And there is no burden of proof on whether somebody's innocent or guilty in a civil case because you're not going to jail in a civil case. It's all about money. You know, a group of individuals that get a class action lawsuit, this would be civil, and they go after a particular drug company because that drug company caused, you know, whatever, some sort of complication among individuals. So they get a class action lawsuit going. And then they try to prove that, yes, indeed, that company did do those things knowingly. And then there's usually a jury there that decides whether or not all that's true or not. And depending upon how things go, somebody gets awarded or not at the end of the trial. And that's how it works. That's way different than a criminal case. Now, can you have a criminal case come out of a civil case? Yes. Can you have a civil case come out of a criminal case? Yes. But they're not one and the same. And I think there's a big misconception among a lot of Americans today because of the news media, by the way, and the fact that they've gotten a lot of these things wrong, where they literally have changed that narrative around and have made it such that most people don't know the difference between those two, like I just said. Dan and Blackhawk, you're next.
SPEAKER 09 :
So I'm glad you mentioned the difference between criminal and civil. Criminal is beyond a shadow of, what is it, beyond a reasonable doubt, right?
SPEAKER 15 :
Right.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. In a civil case, it's the preponderance of the evidence presented. In other words, you're basically looking at the evidence, and does the evidence suggest that the person is whatever, right?
SPEAKER 16 :
wrong responsible for whatever they did wrong right crime well not even crime but wrong wrong yeah i mean typically it's you know for example for everybody listening and dan you know some of this in in your world let's say for example you know in the business community you may have a particular you know people sue for example over a business that doesn't perform everything you know contractor they didn't perform everything building the house that they were supposed to there's some things left out you know, hanging out there in the wind, if you would. The homeowner then decides they're going to go ahead and sue said contractor. That's now a civil suit. And if the homeowner can prove, not even by honest shadow of a doubt, but can just prove that they're correct and the contractor didn't fulfill their end of the bargain, most likely a jury is going to find that guy guilty.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. It's not even guilty.
SPEAKER 16 :
You know what? Hang on. I got to take that back. It's not even guilty. They are going to award money to that homeowner that then that contractor will have to pay. Let me say it that way.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, and then it goes, so that would be, I believe that would be, Kevin would answer this better, but I believe that's a tort case.
SPEAKER 16 :
Those are tort cases, that's correct, yes.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, right, because you've been damaged or wronged. You're not made whole is what they like to use.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 09 :
The word whole.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 09 :
So, and people, I'm not saying, but a lot of people don't understand that concept. So you paid money for a contractor who, To build a house, you give them, say, $200,000. And your house, when it's all said and done, they figure, well, the fair market value of the house is not $200,000, it's $150,000. So you sue the contractor for the $50,000 that you paid them for. You should be able to build a house and have... $200,000, a house worth $200,000.
SPEAKER 16 :
And even, Dan, it could even be, well, maybe the contractor screwed the roof up or the siding's not on correctly or he didn't put the correct windows in that were spec'd out. I mean, it could be any number of things. And, yeah, at the end of the day, if that's proven that that particular contractor didn't do that correctly, then it's awarded is what they really say. You know, there's a judgment awarded against that contractor in favor of that particular client that hired him.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right, and they will be awarded the money to make them whole. So if they have to go and redo the windows, and let's say they spent $20,000 to have the windows put in, but in order to replace it, it's going to cost them $40,000, they're going to have to make up the difference or whatever.
SPEAKER 16 :
Or pony up, depending upon the judgment, may have to pony up for the whole $40,000. This is how those cases go because what's defined in that case, Dan, is the very things you're talking about.
SPEAKER 09 :
So what did they do with Trump? Was that a criminal case?
SPEAKER 16 :
Some of his were criminal, some of his were civil, and it depended upon the case. And what they tried to do, what government tried to do, is make as many of them criminal as they could, even though, honestly, some of them literally were civil cases and frankly shouldn't have ever been there. For example, the fraud case where they claimed that, you know, he defrauded the banks on the, you know, valuation of properties and so on. You know, at best, at best, I'm not even saying it was because nobody was harmed. At best, that was a civil case that they turned into a criminal case.
SPEAKER 09 :
And was it because the dollar amount? No, it's because Alvin Bragg wanted it to be. Oh, well, right. And that's... And then the judge they got hated him, right?
SPEAKER 16 :
That's right. That's exactly right. Everything was stacked against Donald Trump. Again, my main reason for talking about a lot of this, Dan, is because there's a huge misconception, I think, now in America to where most people don't even know the difference between civil and criminal at all, and they want to kind of combine it all into one. The other thing that I think, as I was saying earlier, that's so messed up is people think that if you get – so, Dan, if all of a sudden you are accused of, I don't know, murdering someone, And what people have a tendency to believe is, oh, you know, Dan's now got to prove his innocence. No, no, no, no, no, no. The prosecution has to prove that Dan was guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt, and a jury has to agree on that as well. And if there's any doubt whatsoever, Dan's probably going to be acquitted. That's how that works. Dan doesn't have to prove his innocence.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah. So I was going to mention O.J. Simpson, because remember, he had the... criminal charges against him for the accusation of the murder of... If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit. Right. So he won that case. He was not convicted of the crime murder. However... I can't remember. Who was the boyfriend's family?
SPEAKER 16 :
No, the family sued him on the civil end of things. What was the name, Charlie? O.J. Simpson's girlfriend's family. What was that? I can't think of it. Nicole Brown Simpson. Sorry, I had it wrong. Nicole Brown Simpson. Her family sued.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. Right. So they ended up winning the civil case against him.
SPEAKER 16 :
And the reason for that, Dan, is because at that point there's no quote-unquote burden of proof. Everything changes in a civil court versus a criminal court.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes. And so they were able to, which is crazy, they won the civil case, but they lost the criminal case.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 09 :
But he ended up proving the type of character he was anyway.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, yeah, then he got off on all of that and then did some stupid things with some art and other dumb things that ended up landing him in prison when it was all said and done. So, I mean, they ended up getting him on some other things, which, you know, rightfully so, because, you know, did he kill her? Did he not? You know, again, Dan, I don't know.
SPEAKER 09 :
I mean, the evidence suggests that he killed her. Yeah.
SPEAKER 16 :
It was the same old one. What ended up getting him off was the glove didn't fit. Literally, that one line, which is famous today, if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit, and it didn't fit.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, but it was all bloody.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, I'm with you, but keep in mind, that's what ended up happening.
SPEAKER 09 :
But it's beyond a reasonable doubt.
SPEAKER 16 :
Correct.
SPEAKER 09 :
Beyond a reasonable doubt. So all they had to do was put a little bit of doubt in one juror's mind. That's right. Because it's a jury of, is it 12, I think?
SPEAKER 16 :
I think it's 12, yes. In a case like that, I believe it's 12, yes.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, so you have to... convince 12 jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that the person is guilty of the crime.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's exactly right.
SPEAKER 09 :
All the defense has to do is just get in a little bit of a reasonable doubt in one juror's mind, and then you end up having what's called the Hong trial.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, you know, the defense can even go through, well, you know, this evidence shouldn't have been submitted because it wasn't collected correctly. You know, you didn't do this right. You didn't read the rights of this individual at the right timing. You've seen some of the TV shows. The reality is, you know, that's then the defense's job to come in and find out, you know, pull coals in what. you know, the police department and others might have done in all of that, and even the collection of evidence and so on. And that's where some of that comes into play. And keep in mind, too, for a lot of you listening, when it comes to civil things, Dan, they're not even all jury trials. It depends on the civil case and what those two parties have agreed upon. Sometimes a magistrate can rule. Sometimes a judge can rule. Sometimes there is a jury.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, and a jury in a civil case is six.
SPEAKER 16 :
I think that's correct. Yes, you are right in that as well.
SPEAKER 09 :
So... So it's interesting, you know, people, so the one individual has said, well, Trump's a felon, and that's just because they believed what the media said.
SPEAKER 15 :
Correct.
SPEAKER 09 :
And, you know, I brought up the point that the judge was a known Trump hater, and so he should have recused himself.
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 09 :
Taken himself off the case, but he didn't. And that there in and of itself is an issue right there.
SPEAKER 15 :
I agree.
SPEAKER 09 :
I mean, I think I sent you the image of what justice is. It's that woman holding the scales.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 09 :
That is blindfold.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 09 :
And, you know, and it's.
SPEAKER 16 :
That's how it's supposed to be.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, but people are so convinced and believe what they want to believe that you could try to. explain these things to him, oh no, he's a felon.
SPEAKER 16 :
That particular trial, Dan, shouldn't have even been held where it was held. That's another thing that shouldn't have happened.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes. I mean, there's a couple cases up in, so somebody at work got called to jury duty for a murder case. And it's like everybody in the county knows about the murder case or what happened. And they're still trying to hold the trial.
SPEAKER 16 :
That's a tainted jury at that point. Yeah, they shouldn't be doing that.
SPEAKER 09 :
up in Clear Creek County, and I'm like, well, if everybody, I shouldn't say everybody, but a majority of people in Clear Creek County know about this case, how are you going to get somebody that is, they've already formed opinions in their mind, but that isn't looking at any evidence. So, and that's probably, that's what happened with Trump, or is it Bondi? They asked her that question, she goes, oh, you mean what they did with Trump? In other words, they found the person They determined they wanted a person and then they found evidence to try to fit the crime. And that's not the way it's supposed to work.
SPEAKER 16 :
And my whole point in bringing that up, Dan, was just the simple fact that I think a lot of Americans have a very they're very misunderstood or they have a misunderstanding in how some of these things actually work because the news media has done that. It's tainted them.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, they've been paid to do that, haven't they?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, we're finding that out. Yep. That's a big fact, Dan. Absolutely. Your tax dollars and mine have paid them to do so.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes. Go figure.
SPEAKER 16 :
Way to go.
SPEAKER 09 :
Way to go, government. Go figure.
SPEAKER 16 :
I mean, Dan, it's like I was talking to our last guest at the top of the hour. We all knew some of this stuff was going on, and we had a good idea that these things were happening. We just didn't have any legitimate proof. Well, now we do, and we've been right all along.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah. Not to throw in a bunny trail, but did you see where Trump said it? Well, we'll just buy Gaza and fix it.
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, I was going to talk about that some today. So, no, that's not a bunny trail. And I talked about that. We talked about that a little bit on the National Crawford Roundtable this week. And reality, Dan, as crazy as some might think that sounds, it's not all that crazy.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, and the article I read about it today was like, You know, it may never happen, but what he's doing is he's getting the people's feathers ruffled over there, and maybe they'll do something about it.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, the other thing that most people don't know, again, misconception, because I looked this up just to determine how much of Gaza is actually left right now, and 90% of Gaza is in ruins. So the reality, Dan, is you really need to just come through there with a bunch of dozers and scrape it and start over, because that's the condition it's in anyways.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, so... He was talking about turning it into a resort area?
SPEAKER 16 :
Basically, it would be the other Riviera.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 16 :
The Mediterranean Riviera. The other Riviera is what he was saying. And by the way, I don't think he's all that off.
SPEAKER 09 :
I'm not disagreeing. I just think it's like people say he's a rocker. He can't do this. He can't do that. I'm like, yeah, why?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, in fact, OK, so think about this for a minute. And again, it was a topic I was going to cover. And he was a Dell. I know you're holding hang tight. We'll be done here in a minute. But think about this, Dan, the influence that Trump has with a lot of other. you know, very wealthy individuals around the world. I mean, I'm talking, you know, keep in mind, you know, Qatar has kind of been in the background on Gaza. You've got Saudi Arabia. You've got a lot of those very wealthy Middle Eastern countries that actually do play pretty nice when it comes to Israel. Would they want a piece of the action in getting that rebuilt? I can already tell you that answer, Dan.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, because they need to diversify, right?
SPEAKER 16 :
They need the diversification. They would love that revenue.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yep, they would.
SPEAKER 16 :
So, yeah, could Trump get that put together and not even the United States be involved? Yeah, he could broker that pretty easily.
SPEAKER 09 :
Probably so.
SPEAKER 16 :
Anyways.
SPEAKER 09 :
That'd be awesome.
SPEAKER 16 :
It would be, Dan. Appreciate you, man, very much. I'm going to squeeze Del in before the break. Del, go ahead.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, John, how are you doing?
SPEAKER 16 :
I'm good, sir. Thank you.
SPEAKER 10 :
The other thing between civil and that is what people don't understand is that they get a judgment on someone in a civil case. then they have the option to have the courts issue what's called an erogatory.
SPEAKER 15 :
Right.
SPEAKER 10 :
And what that is is they have to fill out that erogatory of all of their assets, bank accounts.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, yeah, and really quick, Dale, because I was going to mention this. I'm glad you brought this up because one thing people forget as well is just because you have a judgment doesn't mean you have any cash in your bank account. You now have to figure out how to collect.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. And the other thing, too, is I think the reason a lot of this criminal stuff is changing is you're getting all these district attorneys that's backed by Soros.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right.
SPEAKER 10 :
And they don't like the way the system is because it's like a deal I had years ago up in Greeley. I had a just between my ex-wife and I, and I had a DA call me wanting me to come in and I was harassing her on the phone, and I said, child, but you can't prove that anyway because that's a state of mind, and you can't prove state of mind of an individual.
SPEAKER 15 :
Right.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right. But your point a moment ago about the Soros DAs and such, yes, that is a big part of what's going on right now, Dale. You are 100% correct.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. You know, I think... You know, because they don't want to, you know, whether it be social services or the DAs or anything else, they think they're above everybody.
SPEAKER 16 :
That's right. That's right. You're 100% correct. Del, thank you, by the way. I appreciate that clarification. We'll be right back. Golden Eagle Financial is coming up next, folks. When it comes to your financial future, get as much advice as you can. Talk to Al today. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 12 :
Putting off planning for your retirement another year can cost you tens of thousands. But Golden Eagle Financial can get you back on track to maximize your retirement now. Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial is a retirement advisor who gets to know you from the very onset. What are your dreams for retirement? What do you want to do when the work is done? Many people want to give back or volunteer or donate time or money. Others might like travel or learn a new skill and Al Smith can help make all of these dreams a reality. Whether your dream is giving back to other groups or people traveling the world or taking up a new hobby, Al will make sure you're prepared for the road ahead without financial concerns. He's a man who has years of experience and can help you make your retirement dreams come true. Contact Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial on the klzradio.com advertisers page. Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management LLC, a registered investment advisor. BCM and Golden Eagle Financial Limited are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM, but are offered and sold to individually licensed and appointed agents.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, Cub Creek Heating and Air Conditioning. And yes, if you need anything done to your furnace, they're the place to call. AC season isn't that far away as well. And don't forget, $500 or more, including a complete replacement, they've got financing available. Find them at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 13 :
People who call Cub Creek Heating and AC for a second opinion typically go with them. Cub Creek techs aren't salesmen. They're craftsmen who know how to repair your furnace and air conditioner. It's that simple. They won't imagine worst-case scenarios to scare you into buying something you don't need. Their team will figure out what you need repaired in order to be comfortable in your home, and they'll let you decide how to move forward. No upsells and no commissioned salespeople masquerading as HVAC techs. So if you've already gotten a quote elsewhere, you need to call Cub Creek for a second opinion. The techs at Cub Creek are passionate about heating and air conditioning, but they're more passionate about caring for you and providing exceptional service. Find out more about Rheem-certified Cub Creek heating and AC or schedule your service on the klzradio.com advertisers page.
SPEAKER 04 :
Is your office ready for a new copier? Business Equipment Service has you covered. Whether you're a small business or a large corporation, Business Equipment Service has current model Konica Minolta and Canon copiers on sale right now. Our models have very minimal usage at a fraction of the cost of buying new. We stand behind our equipment with a 90-day parts and labor warranty, as well as a one-year or 100,000-page performance warranty. giving you the reliability you need to keep things running smoothly. Right now, get free delivery and installation when you mention this ad. Why choose us? Aside from saving thousands on high-performance copiers, we have lease options starting at $100 per month, we service and supply what we sell, we offer full-service maintenance plans, fast on-site service, and remote support. For over 20 years, Business Equipment Service has helped hundreds of Colorado businesses find affordable, reliable office solutions. Visit us at besofcolorado.com or call 303-825-5664. The best export we have is common sense.
SPEAKER 17 :
You're listening to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. One thing, and it's not in my notes, but Charlie and I were talking about it a moment ago through the break, so I might as well just include it now, and that is some of you have probably noticed that There's been a lot of scuttlebutt today on all of the ICE raids in the Denver area yesterday. In fact, there were some people that noticed that there were some kids even taken out of school, which people were up in arms over. How could you take a kid out of school and blah, blah, blah? Once you read through and find out exactly why, it was because these were children of some of those that had been arrested. In other words, those bad guys that were going to get deported, these were the kids of, and that's why they were pulled out of school. I've got more on that as well. Joe, though, you're next. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hey, John, I just want to flash back to your guest at the beginning of the hour about borrowing money against stocks. You know, that can work in some extreme cases, but for the vast majority of people, it's a losing proposition. Can I expound on that for a little bit? So first of all, let's say you buy $10,000 worth of Amazon stock. That's your cost basis, and it goes up to $20,000. Now, first of all, when you borrow money, you can't borrow 100% of the value. Depending on most stocks, you can get $50,000. Maybe on a utility stock, you might be able to get a 60%. But then you're going to pay that 5% interest on the entire value of the loan. Now, conversely, if you've held that stock for a year or more, Most people, unless they're earning more than $600,000 a year, their capital gains rate is only 15%. And that 15% is only on the appreciated value. The gain. Right, only on the gain. So if you're going to take a loan out, so let's say out of your $20,000, you want $10,000. You want to buy a boat or something.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, in his case, you're not buying anything. You're investing it back into something else to make more money. But, yeah, I get your drift.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, so you take the 10 out, but now you're paying 5% a year on that 10, which is 500 a year.
SPEAKER 16 :
His math is still ahead, Joe, at the end of the day. If you're reinvesting it, like he said, buying a boat, no, you're going to be behind. If you go buy silly assets that, by the way, boats depreciate, they don't appreciate. There's very few boats that appreciate, as you know. Typically, it's a losing asset at the end of the day. His thought is, or his premise is, again, much like real estate individuals will take, and there's very famous people that have done that. They buy the first property. They get it paid down to where they've got some equity in it. They pull that, you know, they refinance, pull that equity out, go buy the next property. And or in some cases, by the way, this is the other thing people don't realize, in some cases, if you get enough of those done and you want to refinance and pull a couple hundred grand out to live on, you can, and there's no taxes on that 200 grand you just pulled out. That's his premise with all of this.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right, but there's no taxes, but you're paying 5% a year.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, in that case of that mortgage property, you're remortgaging it. Now, in the case of the property that you're remortgaging, typically you've got enough cash flow coming in that all that's getting covered. And to his point, that 5% is a tax deduction as well. So in the end, yes, you're still better off doing it that way than taking a paycheck.
SPEAKER 03 :
John, the last time I looked, interest on – if the loan wasn't for a home mortgage – interest is no longer, loan interest is no longer tax deductible.
SPEAKER 16 :
On a business, it always is.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, if it's a business, yes. But if it's just you as an individual.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, your first, I looked this up. Oddly enough, I looked this up yesterday for somebody else, one of my clients, and it's actually you can deduct mortgage interest if you itemize and you have enough income to make that work, of course, but you have to have enough income to make that work. But, yes, you can itemize your first and second home on the interest up to a certain amount.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right, but if you're just an individual and you're paying interest on a collateralized stock loan, you as an individual can't deduct that interest as an item.
SPEAKER 16 :
You probably cannot in that case. No, you'd have to set some sort of a little business up to be able to do that. Joe, appreciate it. I've got to run. Thank you, though. Good comment on that. And, yeah, by the way, read the book because I don't know all. the ins and outs and what he tells you to do. So what I would suggest is, even for you, Joe, read the book and then tell me back what you think when it's all said and done and is he on to something or not. Paul Luehmerger, by the way, is up next when it comes to insurance. Please talk to Paul today. He can actually go through and broker other deals. And some of you that have American National Insurance, you're getting letters that your rebate is ending. It's not just your rebate ending on your homeowners. It's going to end, period. So call Paul today. Don't do anything else before you talk to him. 303-662-0789.
SPEAKER 02 :
You love your spouse. That's why you married them. Every time you look down at your ring, it reminds you of your wedding day, the precious commitment you made to one another and the vows you exchanged. Until one day you look down and it isn't there. Make sure that beautiful representation of your love for one another is covered this February with Paul Leuenberger of American National Insurance. Putting your wedding ring on the policy protects you in case you lose it, it gets stolen, or even in the case that the stone falls out. Ideally, you never look down to find it isn't there, but give yourself the assurance that you're protected. Let's say everything goes according to plan and you don't have to make a claim for three years. You'll be getting back 25% of what you paid in premiums three years ago. And in both cases, your spouse will be happy. Protect the investment you made in your love now by calling Paul Leuenberger of American National Insurance at 303-662-0789. Again, 303-662-0789. Michael Bailey Law, he's our mobile estate planner.
SPEAKER 16 :
Find out where you're at with your estate today. If it needs redone or done completely from scratch, give Michael a call. Find him at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 08 :
A dirty little secret in estate planning is that you can do it yourself. But Michael Bailey will put it together for you faster, cheaper and much better. There are lots of self-help programs that will ask you questions to get a basic idea of your needs. But if you don't understand the question or the why, you may answer incorrectly. Michael knows the right questions to ask for your specific situation. Put aside just 56 minutes for a session with Michael Bailey, the mobile estate planner. That's all it takes to get a better, cheaper, and faster result that won't leave your family guessing. 56 minutes. Find Michael at klzradio.com slash estate today.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, Ridgeline Auto Brokers. I said earlier, for those of you looking for a specific vehicle, they've got a really, really nice, Josh calls it a John Rush type vehicle. It's that nice. 2021 Dodge Charger Scat Pack. Go to the website. You'll find it there. And that's RidgelineAutoBrokers.com.
SPEAKER 08 :
Are you in the market for a reliable car that won't break the bank? DriveRadio's sponsor, Ridgeline Auto Brokers, specializes in quality used cars that cost between $15,000 to $25,000, making them a great option for first-time drivers or anyone looking for a good deal. They pride themselves on providing a transparent and hassle-free car buying experience. that's why at ridgeline they never charge a dealer fee plus all vehicles are inspected by legacy automotive a colorado select member and sponsor of drive radio for a limited time they are offering first-time customers the first oil change for only one dollar every car comes with a 30-day warranty with the option to purchase a service contract And at Ridgeline Auto Brokers, there are competitive financing options to fit your budget. If you cannot make it to the dealership in person, there are videos of all Ridgeline cars for sale on their website at RidgelineAutoBrokers.com. Call today at 303-442-4141 to schedule a test drive or visit RidgelineAutoBrokers.com. Ridgeline Auto Brokers, the smartest way to buy a car.
SPEAKER 16 :
And all right, roofing needs everything under one roof, literally. That's Dave Hart, Roof Savers of Colorado, 303-710-6916.
SPEAKER 01 :
At Roof Savers Colorado, we are about more than roofs. We are about helping you make the best decisions with the right information. Being a homeowner isn't getting any easier or cheaper, and neither is getting your roof the solution it needs. Deductibles are going through the roof, and with every passing year, insurance covers less than the one before. Due to a record amount of hailstorms recently, insurance companies have started limiting your coverage and pulling out of states entirely. We know the industry. With over 3,000 roofs under our belts and 23 years of experience, Dave Hart and his team are ready to complete a free roof inspection and discuss the option that is best for you. Don't wait. Policy renewals are increasing by as much as 50%. Now is the time to get the solution you need. Call Roof Savers Colorado today at 303- 710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com. That's 303-710-6916 or go to roofsaversco.com to schedule your free inspection and start saving your roof today.
SPEAKER 16 :
Now back to Rush to Reason on KLZ 560. And that's it for this second hour, folks. Don't forget, another full hour coming your way. And a familiar guest of ours, by the way, that talks about election integrity is Ken Cuccinelli. We'll be talking to him in just one moment, so don't go anywhere. Hour three is next. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 1 :
I'm a rich guy
In this episode, John Rush speaks with Ken Cuccinelli about the importance of maintaining election integrity amid changes in political landscapes. Explore the significance of transparency in elections and the controversies surrounding mail-in voting. Hear about the advancements and the ongoing work required to improve election systems nationwide. This episode sheds light on the complexities of managing a fair election process.
SPEAKER 12 :
This is Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 16 :
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 12 :
With your host, John Rush. My advice to you is to do what your parents did. Get a job, sir. You haven't made everybody equal. You've made them the same, and there's a big difference.
SPEAKER 08 :
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 07 :
Are you crazy? Am I? Or am I so sane that you just blew your mind? It's Rush to Reason with your host, John Rush.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right, hour number three, Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. As I said a few minutes ago, Ken Cuccinelli joining us now, chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative. Ken, welcome back. How are you today?
SPEAKER 07 :
I am very well. I hope you are.
SPEAKER 11 :
We are very well. It's been a fun, well, it's been fun since November, but it's even gotten more fun over the last couple of weeks, and it's going to continue to get more fun, I think.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, it's gotten very real in the last couple of weeks.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah. Even just this week alone with some of the findings on, you know, the checkbook and what's actually happening at the Treasury and so on. And Ken, you're kind of dovetailing that into the election end of things, which is, you know, which is where you come into play. And I... I don't have a crystal ball. I know you don't either. But what do you foresee with all of the changes that are happening right now? You know, Trump, the administration, the things that he's tackling. And I'm guessing that, you know, election integrity is probably on that list someplace. But what are your thoughts there?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah. So, you know, I lead the election transparency initiative I have for four years. And and it's important for people on the right to realize, hey, it's nice that President Trump won the election. But he won it by enough that people weren't paying too close attention to the election issues. Right. We still have a lot of work to do across this country. Your state is absolutely no exception. Correct. You know, the heavy reliance on the mail. I don't know how bad the post office has to get until states start ending that. because I know the numbers from looking at them today, I know there were about 1,000 ballots that never made it into the Utah election count simply because the post office was too slow and didn't mark the dates on the ballots. And for states that are reliant on mail, the continuing decline of post office performance has a real meaningful effect on our elections. In one of our most Democrat cities in Virginia, where I still live and where I served as the attorney general, I talked to the woman who is now the senior election official in the whole Commonwealth of Virginia. And for five years, she has been advising people not to put their ballots in the mail because of how unreliable the postal service is, no matter how far out. from election day, you're mailing the ballot. So we have a lot of work to do to clean that system up all over the country. We've made real advances, but our right of center allies need to stay on the field. There's a lot more work to do.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, and we talked in the past even in regards to voter ID. To your point, the mail-in ballots in a lot of states, in our case here, we try to encourage as many of our listeners to drop them off and not mail them at all, although that's not how most people do it. To your point, they'll just put it in the mail and off it goes. But the whole voter ID and making sure that the right people are really voting, in my opinion, Ken, that has to be something that happens in every state.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, absolutely. And look, the way the election transparency initiative works, we work state by state. And that's the way elections happen. Got it. Every state does things differently. And, you know, to put my old Department of Homeland Security hat on, people don't think about this very much. But in the same way that we've all been advised to diversify your financial portfolio for anybody who invests in anything. Right. And there are good reasons for that. Well, We have a diversified security portfolio as a nation. If you think in terms of Russia, Iran, China, North Korea, if they want to try to interfere with our elections actively, and I don't just mean Facebook ads. I mean actually try to get into the machinery. Well, there isn't one system to get into. There's 51 different systems. And I can tell you that the danger, first of all, they don't know who's going to win what elections, right? So are they going to go into all 51? Are they going to try to guess which states they've got to go into to accomplish whatever their goals are? And every time you go into one, you raise, as an intruder, you raise the risk of getting caught. And it's not linear. The more times and the more states you do it, your danger goes up exponentially. So the fact that we operate 51 different systems. is actually a security benefit to us. It is a good thing. And it's our history. It's our constitutional history.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, yeah, and I've cautioned people in the past that have called in and have said things, and I think they're just not thinking through it correctly. So sometimes you, I, have to kind of correct them on this. I've heard some that would call in and say, oh, we just need a federalized election system. No, no, no, no, no, no. We don't. We need to keep states' rights added to your point.
SPEAKER 07 :
Then you can get a post office version of, of elections. Wouldn't that be great?
SPEAKER 11 :
I mean, we're already seeing with what Doge is doing how bad things are screwed up there. You really want them running elections?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah. Yeah, no, absolutely true. Absolutely true. And one of the things I learned as the Attorney General just of a state government, and by the way, we were elected, we were voted the best managed state in the country. And as the AG, I got to see kind of everything going on. My thought was, You've got to be kidding me. Well, God help the other 49 if this is the best. And, folks, I'm telling you, Doge has only begun to uncover the muck you're going to see. There are things government has to do, but it's always overkill. It's always too much money. Frankly, we're bankrupt at the federal level anyway.
SPEAKER 11 :
We sure are.
SPEAKER 07 :
And we need to we need to shrink it and simplify it. And they're just making that more obvious. And I'm glad we have a president who's willing to put his energy behind actually doing that. I hope he'll start cutting budgets all over because we are bankrupt.
SPEAKER 11 :
I, you know, Ken, my prediction is I think he will. I think, you know, give it time. I think right now it's sort of show and tell on, hey, America, look at what's really going on. And by the way, we've only scratched the surface. Wait till we get into some of these bigger, you know, quote unquote accounts that are out there. Medicare, Medicaid, some of the others that are out there, you know, whatever. Wait till we start showing you some of the out-and-out fraud and theft, by the way, that's going on in some of those areas. Building credibility, I guess, Ken, is the way to say it, much like you and the election integrity end of things. The more credibility you build, the more power, the more clout, I guess I should say, you have moving forward.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, so let's talk about that. So you remember the explosion in 2021 and 2022 when Georgia was reforming its election laws. By the way, they did far less than, say, Iowa had done only the month before, but nobody said boo about Iowa. And the left came in with it because it's a southern state. Oh, Jim Crow 2.0 and Stacey Abrams and the president. And you know it's bad on the left if the Washington Post says, is saying joe biden and stacey abrams are lying and the washington post was saying that that's how far out of field they were so fast forward to the 2022 election and uh what happened they had the highest minority turnout ever um the university of georgia which despite being the sec is no right-wing institution They surveyed Georgia voters after the election, and you would be amazed at the percentage of black voters who had complaints about the Georgia election. The number was zero. Zero percent. And on the flip side, when they asked people, do you think the election ran well or superbly, black and white respondents were literally within tenth of a percent of one another. So it didn't matter what color your skin was. You just want good elections to operate better. And Georgia made their election system better. And despite all the hue and cry, it worked better in 2022. And they made more improvements and made it work better in 2024. They still have work to do, just like the rest of us. But you need to be really cautious, listeners, about the screaming memes of the sky is falling on the left about cleaning up elections being a bad thing.
SPEAKER 11 :
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 07 :
Ask yourself on a common sense level, how can this be bad?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, it's not, and I think at the end of the day, Ken, people want their vote to count. That's why they're doing it in the first place. And I also believe that the more they believe their vote counts, the more voters actually turn out. That's my other thought process as well.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, and that's why our name is the Election Transparency Initiative, because we agree with you. We believe transparency counts. is the gold standard you should be able to see everything right down to the computer code because we believe in open source code not proprietary for any machines we believe you should be able to see absolutely everything in your election except how your neighbor marks his or her ballot there you go and um that transparency and not hiding anything is how you gain confidence in the outcomes. So people can duplicate what happened with open source code. They can see all of it end to end in real time. And they can challenge mistakes. You know, most often when bad things happen, they're just flat out mistakes. But mistakes can also be a cover for actual fraud. So we can't let either slide by. And more transparency is one thing we've sought. And by the way, we've achieved it in some blue states like New Jersey. So, you know, this stuff is just common sense. It isn't left right. If people would drop their partisan blinders, we can get to better election systems. And we're slowly but surely getting there.
SPEAKER 11 :
Ken, what's the best way for folks to follow you and help out if needed?
SPEAKER 07 :
So you can follow me on Twitter at Ken Cuccinelli. ElectionTransparency.org is where we are on the web. We love to have folks support. We work with lots of other groups on the right of center and anyone else who will work with us on the left. I've had the opportunity to do that when they're willing to agree on common sense solutions. And that's worked very well. So we're going to keep pushing. I appreciate you keeping a spotlight on this issue. You definitely in your state have work to do, and we're happy to help do it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Ken, I appreciate it very much. Thank you for the update and for joining us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Good to be with you.
SPEAKER 11 :
You bet. Have a great evening. That's Ken Cuccinelli and his last name, if you want to follow him, by the way, on Twitter is C-U-C-C-I-N-E-L-L-I. Ken Cuccinelli. That's how you pronounce that. It's a little different than what it sounds as far as how you spell it. Geno's Auto Service coming up next. And remember, Geno's is with a J. Speaking of how you spell things, if you need something done to your vehicle, they're there to take care of you. It's genosautoservice.com.
SPEAKER 02 :
Take advantage of Geno's alignment and tire rotation special. Snow and pothole season is upon us. Save $30 on an alignment and tire rotation now through the end of the month. Have you ever noticed how your tires have a way of finding holes in the pavement? Now is a great time to get your car aligned and your tires rotated. With consistent alignments every 5,000 miles, your vehicle will get better gas mileage and longer tire life. Geno's is celebrating 42 years in business, serving Colorado families in Littleton. We back up our work with Napa's nationwide 36-month, 36,000 miles peace of mind warranty. We invite you to check out all our Google reviews. We offer loaner vehicles so you can drop your car off and pick up when ready. Save $30 on an alignment and tire rotation. Give us a call or go online to schedule an appointment. Geno's is AAA approved and located at Bowles and Platt Canyon. Stop in or visit us online at genosautoservice.com.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right, and for all of you that need some help on your furnace, we have a solution. Cub Creek Heating and Air Conditioning. Find them at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 03 :
People who call Cub Creek Heating and AC for a second opinion typically go with them. Cub Creek techs aren't salesmen. They're craftsmen who know how to repair your furnace and air conditioner. It's that simple. They won't imagine worst-case scenarios to scare you into buying something you don't need. Their team will figure out what you need repaired in order to be comfortable in your home, and they'll let you decide how to move forward. No upsells and no commissioned salespeople masquerading as HVAC techs. So if you've already gotten a quote elsewhere, you need to call Cub Creek for a second opinion. The techs at Cub Creek are passionate about heating and air conditioning, but they're more passionate about caring for you and providing exceptional service. Find out more about Rheem-certified Cub Creek heating and AC or schedule your service on the klzradio.com advertisers page.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right, Veteran Windows and Doors, and there's always a great deal. Just talk to Dave today. You can find Dave at veteranwindows at klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 03 :
veteran windows and doors knows that when you're feeling cold drafts near your windows that means your windows are likely failing cold air seeping through and ice in between your window panes are just a couple of signs that your windows aren't functioning as they should when windows are installed incorrectly or the windows are not properly engineered for your area the mechanics of your home will start to decline This causes your home to not maintain the temperature inside and makes your HVAC system work overtime, increasing your energy costs. Veteran Windows and Doors guarantees the windows they install are up to code and engineered for your area, so you can be confident your windows will work. Veteran makes sure every window is weather tight, meaning the window is sealed and properly flashed so that no weather ever gets inside. Connect with Dave and Veteran Windows and Doors to receive 40% off three or more windows with free installation by going to klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right, we are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. Appreciate you all joining us today. I had a text message that came in, so this isn't in my notes, but you know what? I thought I would cover this. I thought it was a good question. And somebody asked me, would I start a business today in today's climate and business climate and so on? And my answer back was, yes, of course I would. In fact, with the coaching and things that I do, I help new businesses get started, not on a weekly basis, but I help new businesses get started on a fairly routine basis. And yes, I would start a business now. With that comes, and this is where I guess somebody says, you need to write your own book. Well, that's easier said than done, and I'm definitely not a writer. I would have to find somebody that would write for me because that is not my forte. Charlie is my grammar and spelling expert. I am not that person. You guys all know that I'm just a redneck that ended up on the radio and writing a book and not really in my wheelhouse. If I could find somebody to help, I might be interested. And then it would be, what do you write the book on? because there's lots of topics that I'm familiar with that you could probably write a book on, but starting a business would be one of them. And I think anybody looking to do that, usually, not always, but usually the biggest problem that I see in starting a business is, I don't even want to say how many fold it is, but there's several things people get into that they don't think about. Number one, and you'll hear this a lot, most are underfunded. Now, I will say that you can be underfunded and still make a business work. I've done it. Now, having more funding always helps, makes things a little easier, although in some cases it might make it too easy and it may still fail. So just because you have funding doesn't mean it's going to work. It just makes things a little bit easier, lightens the stress in some cases. Second of all, I don't think most people, you know, they're good at their trade. They're good at their craft. But when it comes to running a business and handling everything to do with, you know, marketing and the books and HR with employees and the regulatory end of things and so on, most aren't very good at all those things. They might be really, really good at their craft and typically are. But it doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be good at everything else. And unfortunately, when you're starting off, depending upon the size you start off at, going back to the capital end of things a moment ago, you may not have enough capital to have all of the people you need to do those things I just said. you may be doing a lot of those yourself. That's typical for a lot of new owners. They're wearing a lot of different hats. Now, I'm one that says they should get rid of some of those hats as quickly as possible, but that takes time, and you've got to get things built from the ground up in most cases. Now, I think the other thing, this one's a big one, by the way, and even coaching, I see this probably more than anything. Most people, and again, I'm trying to be as nice as I can here, Most people don't have the gumption to own their own business. And I don't know how else to say it. They don't have the drive. They don't have that understanding that when I'm starting out, I'm liable to put in 80 to 100 hours a week getting this thing off the ground. And I might do that for the first year or two until I really get things dialed in. I don't think most people really understand that end of things. And I don't know. I'm trying to be nice here. But I just don't think most people really comprehend that end of things. I think some people think that owning a business is easy. They've watched somebody else do it. They think, oh, man, if that person can do it, I can do it. And so off they go. Off in business, they're off and running. And they think they can do that work in 40, maybe 50 hours a week even. And I'm here to tell you that there's very, very, very few new businesses that you can get by doing that with. There are some. This comes back to the funding end of things. And there's some folks out there that can maybe do that. If you look at even the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, who's now going through everything in our government regarding spending and the waste and so on, you can go back and like the guy or not, doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on, you can't fault him for this. There's been many a time in the businesses that he has owned and started, he slept there. Meaning that guy is working if he's not sleeping. And he's probably only sleeping five or six hours at that, and he's back up working again. He has been known to sleep on the factory floor at Tesla. True story. I'm not exaggerating in the things that I say, meaning he's the richest guy in the world and still knows how to work. That's my point. And I think the other point of that is he didn't get to be the richest guy in the world by not knowing how to work. And I think you could look at it as much as I'm not a big fan of the Bezos and Bill Gates and so on of the world. When those guys started out working out of their garages, I guarantee you they worked hard. They were working nonstop around the clock. At one time, Jeff Bezos was actually acquiring the books. because that's what Amazon started with, was selling books. And at one time, he was acquiring the books, shelving them, packing them, shipping them, the whole nine yards. He did it all himself. He didn't have anybody else. He was it. There's pictures of him in the garage of his house doing this. That's where it started. So when somebody asks me, you know, would I start a business, my answer typically back is, well, of course, yes, I would. Now, would I recommend somebody else? You know, I have to have an interview process with that person to tell you whether or not they're a good fit or not, because honestly, I don't know. And I've done that sometimes. I've actually had people come to me and say, you know, I think I'm thinking about doing such and such. I'm like, let's talk first. Let's have a discussion, which I'm always willing to do. Free of charge. Always willing to have that initial conversation for free. really finding out, are they a good fit for this? And, you know, sometimes they are, and sometimes they understand it. They've got the tenacity. They know exactly what it's going to take to make things work, how much effort's going to have to go in, and so on. And I'll be just straight-up honest. There's other times where I look at that person, and they're saying all of the right things, but I know in my heart they're never going to make it. They don't have the willpower and the wherewithal work-wise to make it work. And I'm not saying, because I think this is another misconception that owners get caught up in, is just because you work hard doesn't mean you're going to make money. Now, you have to be smart about what you're doing and how you're working and so on, because just because you work hard doesn't mean you're going to be successful. I've known some very, very, very hardworking individuals that weren't super successful. They were hardworking, but they weren't super successful. So you've got to combine that hard work with... the proper smarts, I guess I could say, and knowing what to do and where to work, by the way. And I think also the thing that helps when you start a business and you start growing and so on, it's also knowing when do I need to hand things off? If I hand that off, will I actually be better off at the end of the day because I'm freed up to go make more money somewhere else, and I'll let this person do that job that I don't need to do anymore? And these are things that not every business knows and understands and doesn't even know when they get to that point, and that's where consultants and coaches like myself come along and try to help those individuals recognize those things. But my point is I had a text message come in, would I start a business? Yes, I would. Now, with that was all of the caveats I said earlier that you have to remember and think through. And the other thing too, about a new business that I don't think enough new businesses do is you got to do your due diligence. Who is my customer going to be? How am I going to market to that particular customer? How am I going to set my business up to handle that particular customer in that right way? Because one of the things that I always ask a business when I first start consulting with them is, number one, who's your target customer? Narrow that down for me. And by the way, initially, the answer I get back is, well, anybody that wants to spend money. No, wrong answer. Wrong answer. Every business has a target audience that they're going after, a target customer they're going after. And no, you don't want every customer. In fact, there are some customers you need to fire. You don't need them as a customer. They're awful. They're draining your business. You'd be better off to give them a $20 bill and send them on their way and never deal with them. You'd be money ahead. Yes, there are those kinds of customers. For those of you that aren't in business, just tune out for a moment because those of you that are will understand everything I'm saying. So you need to really know who your customers are, how you handle it, and so on. Now, the other question that I always ask that most people get wrong. is I always ask, who's your competition? If I ever wrote a book, this is what I would say. Who's your competition? And you'll get all kinds of answers back. If it's an auto repair shop, well, it's a repair shop down the street. If it's another type of a retail establishment, it's their competitors around town, blah, blah, blah, and you get my drift. That's usually what they'll rattle off. And my answer back is, wrong answer. Wrong answer. You know who your competition is? Anybody out there that's taking the same money from your customer that you're trying to get. That's the right answer. Now, I know some would argue with me on that, and you'd want to define that competition a little bit closer. But really, folks, when I just said that everyone is your competition that's trying to pull that money out of that customer's pocket, that's the reality of who your competition is. Meaning you've got to do every single thing possible that you can to do things correctly to make them spend money with you versus anyone else. So if you can handle all of those things that I just mentioned and do all of that correctly and have a good plan, would I start a business? Absolutely. Still the best way to make a profit and to stay ahead in this world. and do some of the things even that our guest at 4 o'clock mentioned when it comes to taxes and things along those lines, owning your own business is a huge tool that will benefit you greatly if you do everything correctly and make it work along the way. So Roof Savers of Colorado is up next. Dave Hart, who, by the way, is a great business and a great model as well. He does all sorts of roofing, commercial, residential. He'll extend the life of your roof with the RoofMax product. He'll fix minor repairs or do anything else that's needed when it comes to your roof. It literally is everything under one roof. 303-710-6916.
SPEAKER 01 :
You work hard to keep a roof over the heads of you and your loved ones. The last thing you need is to be worrying about the condition of that roof. That's where we come in. At Roof Savers Colorado, we pride ourselves in helping homeowners like you get a new roof without all the worry. Deductibles are skyrocketing, and since it's illegal to waive those fees, the financial burden of upgrading your damaged roof can seem overwhelming. But here at Roof Savers, we offer both financing options and referral fees to offset some of those upfront costs. Already filed a claim with your insurance? We are happy to utilize those insurance proceeds to get your roof the replacement it needs and your home stronger protection from hail. With over 23 years of roofing experience, Dave and his team are ready to help. Call us today at 303-710-6916 or go to RoofSaverCO.com to set up your free inspection. That's 303-710-6916. Or go to RoofSaverCEO.com and stop worrying about your roof today.
SPEAKER 11 :
Hey, while I'm on the subject of businesses and starting and so on, insurance is also a big, big factor that most people that start a business fall short on. You've got to make sure you're properly insured. And group insurance analysts can do that, by the way. They will find you business insurance. They're a broker. They can shop that for you. E-GIA.com.
SPEAKER 04 :
Finding the right home and auto insurance can be confusing, and picking the wrong plan can cost you thousands of dollars more out of your pocket. You need an expert in home and auto insurance to help you find the best coverage that fits your needs and at the very best premium. Call Paul Linegro at GIA Insurance, and his team of home and auto insurance specialists will help you find the right plan for your needs. I'll see you next time. Whether it is your home, auto, classic car, or liability insurance, GIA has got you covered. Call 303-423-0162, extension 100, or go online to e-gia.com. Get more without paying more.
SPEAKER 12 :
I-5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric can install a tankless water heater as soon as today. Tankless water heaters are preferred to tank heaters because they heat the water as you use it, meaning you'll never run out of hot water again. Tankless water heaters also save you money on energy costs because you're not constantly heating up that big tank. And because they are so efficient, you will save more money in the long run. Hi5 customers also enjoy tankless heaters because they take up less physical space in your utility closet or laundry room. These tankless heaters can even add to your home's resale value. In addition to all these benefits, you can receive incentives and rebates of up to $3,200 from Uncle Sam, so it pays for itself. Find out more about tankless water heaters on the KLZRadio.com advertisers page and get in touch with Hi-5 for answers to your home questions today.
SPEAKER 13 :
My ceiling is raining because the bathtub just ain't draining. Go Hi-5 with it. Go Hi-5 with it.
SPEAKER 05 :
Live and local, back to Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right. We are back. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560. And some of you, by the way, I love you listeners. You're great. You guys that text as well. Thank you very much. I appreciate each and every one of you. One of you said, see, John, you could write a book. You just did like the opening chapter and some of that with what you just did that last segment. So you guys have a lot of faith in me. Thank you, by the way. I appreciate that. And lastly, too, I want to make this because somebody texted this in as well. Got a lot of business owners, by the way, that listen to me, which I appreciate each and every one of you. And you know where I stand when it comes to those things. Somebody said that, you know, a lot of people think business owners just print money. You go out back and print money. Yeah, I wish it were that easy, folks. I wish it were that easy. If you know any small business owner, you have them in your family, friends, whatever, trust me, they work super hard. They are doing things that nobody else is doing. Even when they get to be quote-unquote successful, and maybe they've been doing it for a long time, believe me, they are still working hard. They are still doing things behind the scenes to make things happen. And no, they are not just printing money. As much as all of us in business would love that to be the case, like the federal government does, Yeah, no, we don't have that ability. We don't get the same handouts that you're seeing Doge go through right now when it comes to those things. Speaking of, speaking of, we don't have this kind of job. This is an article I looked at yesterday. New York Post. Top paid. This is the most top paid federal employee. We all thought it was Fauci, but he was up there. But this guy's higher. Top paid federal employee is leaving his ten and a half million dollar a year job after Trump because we're getting rid of him. Now, this is the Tennessee Valley Authority CEO, Jeff Lyish. He is the highest paid federal employee with a compensation package of $10.5 million a year. He abruptly announced Friday that he was retiring 11 days after the return to office of President Trump, who during the first term slammed Lyish's ridiculous pay and vowed to fire him. Yeah, this guy does need canned. There is not... A single job anywhere outside of the President of the United States inside the federal government that deserves that kind of pay. I am sorry, folks. You cannot convince me, and I think you'd have a hard time convincing anyone, by the way, that any federal employee should be paid that kind of money. Sorry. That's not how that's supposed to work. When you work for government, back in the day anyways, I know it's changed from that, but back in the day, and Charlie, if I say anything wrong, please raise your hand and correct me, but back in the day, you went to work for the government. Because you knew you might not make the same hourly or salary wage that you would work in the private sector, but you knew your benefits were going to be much better. Your retirement package, your health package, and all of the days off, you knew all of those sorts of things were better. And that's what governments did to entice people to come to work for them out of the private sector. Charlie, am I pretty correct in that? He's agreeing. I think most of you would agree with me as well. Unfortunately, that's not the way it is any longer. The governmental end of things is offering just as good, if not better, pay packages in a lot of cases than what the private sector does. Now, some would come back and say, well, John, don't we want the best and the brightest working in government? No, actually, no, we don't. We want the private sector to be the best. And what we want the federal government to do is to support the private sector, not the other way around, by the way. This is where, by the way, a lot of people in government have it wrong. I, as a business owner, see this completely opposite of the way most do. I want the best and the brightest in the private world, and I want government supporting those individuals any way they can, not hindering them, but encouraging them to do more. I also feel like government should be set up with lots of systems in place whereby those systems are running what's supposed to be done. And very few people are doing it because in today's world, especially with technology, most things could be automated to where you don't need nearly. Folks, I don't think I'm exaggerating here. You could literally fire at least half of all governmental workers, if not more, by automation. Literally by automation. And it's something that, again, I talked in the 3 o'clock hour. If you got a chance to hear me, I was talking to Steve House. He'll be back with me next Thursday. I'm going to see if he won't get with me and really dive into some of what I'm talking about because he's really big on a lot of the things that I'm talking about and understands that fully. I'm pretty in tune with a lot of that as well. And let me tell you what. Anytime I go and deal with anything governmentally speaking, all I do is look at it and say, oh, my word, you guys are archaic in what you do. You are still living in yesteryear. The problem with government, though, is once you start a person, once you start a department, it never ends. It just keeps going and going and going. Just like this particular job, this guy that's CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Ten and a half million dollars a year. Now, for a lot of you listening, you could do that job for a year or two and pretty much be set for life. Because you've got to pay taxes and stuff out of that. I understand that. So you're not netting $10.5 million. I get that. But even if you netted half, most of you could work one year and live the rest of your lives pretty comfortably on $5 million. If you did things correctly. So yeah, I'm with Donald Trump on this one. This guy doesn't need to make $10.5 million. That job itself doesn't need to be making $10.5 million. And how much is too much? Well, personally speaking... This is probably a bigger topic I could take a whole hour and spend. But my feeling on top government officials is this. If the president of the United States, who, by the way, has the lion's share job of what goes on in the federal government, the current one does. Our last one slept in the basement most of the time, so he doesn't count. But typically, your president has a lot on their shoulders. They are going to all sorts of meetings. They're traveling. They're doing different things. They're meeting with dignitaries. They're figuring out budgets. They're handling this. They're handling that. They're doing press conferences. You all see how much Donald Trump actually works. By the way, probably one of the hardest working presidents we've ever had. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that. So my feeling is, when it comes to federal workers, is whatever the salary of the president is, nobody else should be above that. That's my feeling. If the president makes $400,000 a year, there should not be another federal working making over that. Period. Period. I don't care what they do. I don't care what they're in charge of. That's how I think the pyramid, if you would, the pay pyramid in the federal government should work. Now, if some in there feel like there are jobs worth more than that, then they better figure out a way to change what we pay the president. Because, again, I feel like that person is at the top rung and everything else should fall underneath that person. That's me. I know I know others would look at that differently. And I realize that the president has a lifelong salary, not of the 400 K. But I get it. They're making money for the rest of their lives. That's the agreement we've made as the citizenry to do that, which, by the way, I'm not I'm not against that. As you can look at any president, including Obama, and look at what they look like coming into office and then what they look like going out of office. And believe me, they age. It is not an easy job. I don't envy any of those guys that are in that job. It is not an easy job. Now, I also understand they're pretty well set for life once they do it. And I understand that's a part of the pay package. But I'm going back to what should federal workers make? The top ones. And I'd have to run through the list and determine what some of them make. I know Fauci makes more than the $400K. This guy was making $10.5 million. And I understand there are football coaches and things like that that are quasi-government employees that are making millions of dollars. I'm not including them. That's a whole different world that I've talked about with my son and Andy many, many times. That one I'm not counting because that's a whole different world. They are a money-making arm of that entity, so that one doesn't count. In most cases, look at Boulder, CU Boulder with Sanders, with Deion, and the reality is he has brought money into that college and the town even that far exceeds what he's being paid. He is a money generator, not an expense. So I don't look at those guys in that light. I'm talking about regular government officials that are running a particular department in government like this guy. And again, my feeling is they shouldn't make any more at the end of the day than the president makes. Some of you may disagree, may agree, send me a text message. But to me, that's what needs revamped inside government. Now, you're going to ruffle a lot of feathers if you do what I just said. And that would have to be done, by the way, through Congress. You'd have to pass some bills and turn those into law and establish some of these things, which frankly needs to be done. Once again, I'll remind everybody, we are a country that is broke. By definition, we are $36.5 trillion in debt. $36.5 trillion in debt. And our unfunded liabilities, if I roll on down, hang on, I've got to look at the debt clock. Our total national debt... is not counting the trade deficit and so on. So our total debt... Hang on, it takes me a minute to find this. Is... By the way, it's way above that. Total U.S. debt. It's $101 trillion. $101 trillion. So... When you look at it that way, there's not a single business owner, CEO of a large company, and so on, that would look at that and say that we need any government worker making $10.5 million a year. That one pretty much is self-explanatory. So, again, we need an overhaul completely of some of the things that are going on right now in the United States of America because we are a country that is deep in debt that we've got to start getting our way out of, or our great-great-grandkids are going to be paying for this. Not us, but they will, and we're doing them a huge disservice if we don't fix this. Speaking of finances, Golden Eagle Financial is up next. Al Smith, and whatever you're trying to do to get to retirement, please talk to Al today. Find out if your plan is there, if it will work. If you don't have one, he'll devise one for you. But talk to Al today. He's got all sorts of options on that. Golden Eagle Financial, klzradio.com.
SPEAKER 14 :
We'll be right back. Starting to save even a few years earlier could mean the difference of hundreds of thousands by the time you enter retirement, even if the same amount is contributed annually. The longer you wait, the more you miss out on the compounding effect of time, making it much harder to catch up. Let Al Smith of Golden Eagle Financial help you today by contacting him on the klzradio.com advertisers page. Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management LLC, a registered investment advisor. All right, Kevin Flesch.
SPEAKER 11 :
And I talked earlier, 4 o'clock hour, about civil versus criminal cases and how all that works and so on. And no matter what you need representation or help with, Kevin can do either side of that. Some just do civil. Some just do criminal. Kevin will do both sides. 303-806-8886.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 11 :
All right, up next, it's Dr. Scott Faulkner. And as I say all the time, if you're looking for a doctor that really looks at and feels the same way we do here on A Rush to Reason and KLZ, look no further than Dr. Scott. He's got all sorts of things that help you with your health. Give him a call today, 303-663-6990.
SPEAKER 09 :
Are you tired of crisis care and instead want true health care? Do you want to improve your overall fitness and beauty? Do you have a chronic medical condition that no one has taken the time to understand? Are you trying to meet a health or weight goal? Or maybe you're just looking for a great doctor who thinks the way you do. Dr. Scott is a board certified internal medicine specialist, bringing decades of experience and expertise to the table. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Call Dr. Scott today at 303-663-6990 or visit him online at castlerockregenerativehealth.com or find him at rushtoreason.com. Dr. Scott Faulkner and Castle Rock Regenerative Health Care is your path to a healthier tomorrow.
SPEAKER 10 :
As independent brokers, GIA Insurance can help you shop the market so that you get the right coverage at the right price. Whether it is your home, auto, classic car, or liability insurance, GIA has got you covered. Call 303-423-0162, extension 100, or go online to e-gia.com.
SPEAKER 04 :
It's time to leave your safe space. This is Rush to Reason on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right, and we had a texter, I think somebody called as well, mentioning this, that President Trump in the past, I'm not sure about this term, has taken his salary and donated that to the charity of his choice and so on. And yes, that is true. I don't know what he's going to do this term. But keep in mind, in everything that I'm talking about, as taxpayers, we're still paying that. So even if he doesn't, take the money. He is taking the money and then distributing it out to somebody else. As taxpayers, that's still coming off of our backs when it's all said and done. And again, I'm not upset about that. I'm just reminding, even though he gives his salary away and has in the past, it still costs us money at the end of the day. And it is $400K plus $50K of personal expenses that he gets as president. This probably won't shock any of you, but the whole TVA, which, by the way, this is a public utility. You know, federally owned utility is what I should say. Tennessee Valley Authority, which I don't even want to get into that. Shouldn't be, in my opinion. That's a whole other conversation that I won't go down the road of. But there's other employees, by the way, that are making a boatload of money. It's not just this guy. So the CFO, John Thomas, makes $6.3 million a year. The COO, the Chief Operating Officer, Don Moll, makes $5 million a year. General Counsel, in other words, this guy's an attorney, Dan Fountain, he makes $3.3 million a year. The chief nuclear officer, and some would say, well, maybe this guy needs to be making some decent money because he's in charge of the nuclear end of things. He makes $3.3 million. So I guess really quick math, if you take the 10.5 plus the 6, almost 6.5, you're 17, 22, 23, 24, 25. You're about $28 million in payroll for that one utility just with your top dogs. And keep in mind, this is a utility that services one of the poorest regions of the country. I want to make sure I add that in. Not that it matters if they're serving New York City or L.A. or someplace like that, but just to keep it in context, this is a utility that's serving the poorest section of the country, and yet these guys, the top dogs, are making almost $30 million a year collectively. You talk about something that needs a revamp, which I hope Trump and Musk both look at, it's this thing. What an absolute fleecing of taxpayers. Absolute fleecing of taxpayers. And someone would say, well, that's probably figured into the price of power and this, that, and the other. Doesn't matter. Get rid of those guys and lower the price. Cut the cost. Help out the people that need the power. Again, poorest area of the country that this is serving. And I'd have to go look. Some of you might even know the answer to this. Are we subsidizing that? Do these guys make a boatload of money because the Fed, we are tax dollars, are subsidizing this somehow and the end user still doesn't pay any more than they would someplace else? Or is all of these salaries factored into the kilowatt hour cost? that these particular customers are paying. I don't know the answer. That's not in this article, and I'd have to go look that information up. Maybe some of you know, a little homework for some of you. You can figure that out. Text me back. I'll report back on it. But this is the kind of garbage, yes, I'm calling it that, the kind of garbage that needs to stop. Once again, these are federal employees. And somebody reminded me as well that don't forget, you know, we've got leaders here in Colorado that have led RTD and others that have made ginormous salaries as well. Totally wrong also. Totally wrong also. I would go as far as to say in the state, any state, whatever the governor's salary is, no one in the state should make any more than that either. I would use the same principle there that's used in the feds. Period. It's simple equation, by the way. If the governor makes X, no one else, no other Colorado state employee can make any more money than the governor. In fact, I would I would pass a law if I was running for office here in the state of Colorado. That would be a law I would run on and I would make that so every single government employee in the state couldn't make any more than that period, no matter what they're doing. To be fair to the taxpayers. But see, folks, these are the things that no one ever talks about. The left definitely never talks about this stuff. Don't bother me to talk about it. Because, again, I'll repeat myself. My feeling as an owner of a business is government's role is to help me in business do better. Not the other way around. I am not here to help them. They should be here to help me. And those of you that are business owners, I think you would agree with me. Government's role, fed, state, local, whatever, should be there to help you, not punish you and be your enemy. But for a lot of us in business, government is our enemy. Literally, they are the enemy. You don't want those guys fishing around anything on any level. Because typically we know what that means. You're going to pay something by the time those guys leave. That's not how it should work. Now, should we have some standards and make sure that people can pass fire codes and things like that? That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about some of the other frivolous things that some of you as business owners have to go through, some of the forms you have to fill out, some of the nonsense you have to deal with federally and locally. That crap should stop. Once again, government, local, state, national, should be there to help your business, help it grow, help it do better, not the other way around. That's my spiel, and if I was running for any office anywhere, that's what I would be telling people. That is, by the way, the proper role of government. All right. Speaking of the proper role of government, we have education in all states. Unfortunately, it sucks. And we have kids literally that are not learning how to read. A high percentage of them are not learning how to read. Almost half. You can help with that. You can give out some books to some of the folks that you know. You can use this in your own family. You can use it in your workplace, whatever it happens to be. Just get the book. You can buy multiples. You get 10% off by using code KLZ. And if you buy two or more, you get a free hat. And you can have these personalized as well. Just send an email off the website. Go to jimmyandandrew.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
Reading is fundamental to understanding the world, and that's why author Mike Goldstein wrote American Stonehenge. This breathtakingly beautiful book was written in order to bring parents and grandparents together with their children to enjoy stories while they learn to read. The book follows a boy and his immortal telepathic dog, with whom he communicates as they travel through time to learn about the dog's experiences through history. The book is historically accurate, including the illustrations, so you and your little one will learn something about the history of God's beloved Earth. The time that you spend with your children laughing and enjoying this beautifully written book will be something you treasure for a lifetime. Learn more about American Stonehenge and the adventures of Jimmy and Andrew by going to klzradio.com slash read and flip through a free preview of the beautiful prose and illustrations. That's klzradio.com slash read to learn more.
SPEAKER 05 :
Stay up to date with Rush to Reason after the show on Twitter at Rush to Reason.
SPEAKER 11 :
All right. I was just telling Charlie as we end the show here today, I was telling him through the break, frankly, the message I just talked about when it comes to, you know, owners and the proper role of government and what government should be doing and so on. Frankly, folks, that's some of the things that our state party, the state GOP, should be training our candidates on and how to speak to people so you're at their level. But unfortunately, we don't do that. And And I think I know why, but we don't do that. We should. We need better leadership. We need people that will talk about things the way that I just did to you all. Otherwise, folks, we're not going to win elections in Colorado. We're not going to move the ball forward. So, all right. Movies tomorrow. Let me look them up really quick for you. We're going to be doing Heart, Eyes, and Love Hurts. And then, of course, favorite commercials, Super Bowl or other. Text in whatever your favorite commercials are. We'll talk about those tomorrow. Have a great night. Rush to Reason, Denver's Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560.
Welcome to the Kim Monson Show podcast. Kim Monson is your host. Trump appears to be using tariffs to address illegal immigration at our northern and southern borders and the fentanyl crisis that is killing young Americans. Economic historian Dr. Brian Domitovic shares his perspective on Trump’s tariffs. District Attorney George Brauchler addresses proposed legislation at the Colorado legislature that would make it more difficult for everyday Coloradans to protect ourselves against bad actors. La Vaca Meat Company cattleman Jim May shares some Cowboy poetry. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 13 :
It's the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 08 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water. What it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 13 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 08 :
Under the guise of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it's actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 13 :
Today's current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 08 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 13 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 08 :
Indeed. Let's have a conversation. And welcome to 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 in history. And thank you to the team. That's Producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa, Amanda, all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Happy Friday. Happy Valentine's Day, Producer Joe. Happy Valentine's Day, Kim. Yeah. And actually, Colonel Rutledge had reached out. He had said, hey, Friday is Valentine's Day. Do you have somebody to talk to in Loveland, Colorado about Valentine's Day? And then I got busy planning all these shows and I didn't do that. So happy Valentine's Day to all of you out there. And I can't believe that we're at the middle of February. It is fantastic. Just really going by quickly. So much to do. And when I say that we were made for this moment in history, I am not kidding. And check out the website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You will get first look at our upcoming guests as well as our most recent essays. Very important essay by Pam Long that we'll roll out this weekend regarding what we can learn from the RFK Jr. hearings for Health and Human Services Secretary. He was confirmed yesterday, but it's a really important piece, and I'll talk a little bit more about that. how that can help you in your narrative when you're talking with people. So sign up for our weekly email newsletter. That way you'll get first look at that as well as all of our upcoming guests. You can email me at kim at kimmonson.com. Text line is 720-605-0647. Thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice on an independent station. What that means is I purchase my airtime so we have full editorial control on guests and as well as subject selection. So thank you to all of you who support us in that. The show broadcasts 6 to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. On all KLZ 560 platforms, first hour is rebroadcast 1 to 2 in the afternoon, second hour 10 to 11 at night, and that's on KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM, the KLZ website, the KLZ app. Within 24 hours, we've got the show posted on my website with a written summary. as well as the podcast. And then those podcasts can also be heard of the show on Spotify and iTunes. So we are everywhere. We search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom, which that is a really important litmus test, because if something's a good idea. You should not have to force people to do it. And it's not compassionate to take other people's stuff, their rights, their property, livelihoods, opportunities, childhoods, or lives via force. And force can be a weapon, policy, an unpredictable and excessive taxation, fear, coercion, government-induced inflation, the World Economic Forum's agenda, The globalist elites agenda, all these things are connected with the United Nations. You see it playing out at the Colorado State Legislature with this governor. Nothing happens down here at the legislature without his approval. And while he is trying to. say that he actually is a libertarian. That is not the case. And it's important to understand that he is in control of all of this stuff. And just a quick little report. As of this morning, 457 bills have been introduced at the Colorado Statehouse. We don't really need another law. We need to be pulling these bills. We're getting rid of laws, which we do have some Republicans that have proposed things to get rid of some of these laws, but it's out of control down at the Statehouse. But then land use codes and zoning regulations and forced fees and conservation easements and national monument designations. I should add in their enterprise zones. And the list has been getting bigger, although Trump is trying to trying to start to edit some of this stuff out of here. And he's doing a lot of amazing work. I was talking with a friend yesterday who said every morning when you look at the headlines, it's like going to the candy store to see what's happening from a freedom standpoint. And additionally said, much rather watch the headlines versus sports these days because there's a lot happening. And we are in the third founding of our country, reclaiming our country in this great American idea. And when I say we were made for this moment in history. It's an exciting time. It's a dangerous time. But indeed, we were made for this moment on the show. We focus on the issues and we will mention the people pushing those issues. But we're trying to stay out of the eighth grade girl fighting that can happen in politics and stay focused on the issues and have discipline in doing so. This Sunday, 3 to 4 p.m. on America's Veterans Stories, we are broadcasting part two of an interview with Bob Chica. He was on the USS Pueblo. It was taken captive during the Vietnam War in 1968, held for 11 months by the North Koreans. It's a riveting story. in interview. We have part one that broadcast last Sunday. And if you want to hear part one, that will broadcast on Sunday night, 10 to 11 at night. But then part two is three to four this Sunday. And it's absolutely riveting. And Oh, my gosh. We so take for granted everything that we have here. And listening to these stories, we realize that these are everyday people that put their lives on the line for us. And that's one of the reasons he's a Marine. It's one of the reasons why I so support the USMC Memorial Foundation and the work that they're doing regarding the remodel of the Marine Memorial Institute. And just a little something this year, make sure that you get some money over to the USMC Memorial Foundation for the remodel of this Marine Memorial. And you can do that. That website is usmcmemorialfoundation.org. And a riveting interview with Bob Chico. That will be this Sunday, 3 to 4 p.m. on all KLZ 560 platforms. And it is my great honor to get to do these interviews. And the impetus for this was the trip that I took in 2016 with a group that accompanied four D-Day veterans back to Normandy, France for the 72nd anniversary of the D-Day landings. Each of those guys has passed on now, but it truly changed my life. And so again, the USMC Memorial Foundation, a great place to make sure that you support with your dollars. Word of the day is inculcate. It's I-N-C-U-L-C-A-T-E. It's a verb. And it could be to teach or impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions. And we have seen the mainstream media And with the help of a big tech, try to inculcate particular messages to the American people. The veil is coming off on all of that, but we still see it each and every day. And I'll talk a little bit about that on one of these headlines here in just a moment. But since it is Friday, that is our Medal of Honor. a quote day. And I take that quote from this Medal of Honor quote book that is published at the Center for American Values. Highly recommend that you have this in your home on your Freedom Library. Sit down and talk with your children and your grandchildren about these different quotes, these different men here. I said to Drew and Brad, the co-founders, that I really think that we should have in Colorado that every student would take a Medal of Honor recipient, one of the quotes here, and do a report each year on one of these guys. I think it would really change people's attitudes. I think it would change our education system. But that book, you can get that by going to the website. That's AmericanValueCenter.org, AmericanValueCenter.org. And our quote today is from James A. Taylor, United States Army Medal of Honor recipient. He was born in 1937. He's a retired United States Army officer and recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions he took during the Vietnam War. The actions were November 9, 1967. And this is the citation. Captain Taylor Armour was serving as executive officer of Troop B, 1st Squadron, and his troop was engaged in an attack on a fortified position west of Quezon when it came under intense enemy recoilless rifle, mortar, and automatic weapons fire from an enemy strong point located immediately to its front. One armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit immediately by recoilless rifle fire, and all five crew members were wounded. aware that the stricken vehicle was in grave danger of exploding captain taylor rushed forward and personally extracted the wounded to safety despite the hail of enemy fire and exploding ammunition within minutes a second armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit by multiple recoilless rifle rounds despite the continuing intense enemy fire captain taylor moved forward on foot to rescue the wounded men from the burning vehicle and personally removed all the crewmen to the safety of a nearby dike moments later the vehicle exploded As he was returning to his vehicle, a bursting mortar round painfully wounded Captain Taylor, yet he valiantly returned to his vehicle to relocate the medical evacuation zone to an area closer to the front lines. As he was moving his vehicle, it came under machine gun fire from an enemy position not 50 yards away. captain taylor engaged the position with his machine gun killing the three-man crew upon arrival at the new evacuation site still another vehicle was struck once again captain taylor rushed forward and pulled the wounded from the vehicle loaded them aboard his vehicle and returned them safely to the evacuation site his actions of unsurpassed valor were a source of inspiration to his entire troop contributed significantly to the success of the overall assault on the enemy position and were directly responsible for saving the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military profession and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. And as we read these citations, that obviously was a physical fight, but we're in a battle of ideas right now. We need to take heart from this and engage in the battle of ideas every day on a regular basis. And this is what James A. Taylor said. He said, Hard work and sacrifice are all you need to succeed in life. Challenge a challenge and be ready to give your life if necessary to preserve freedom for future generations. And that's James A. Taylor, United States Army Medal of Honor recipient. A couple of things I wanted to mention. RFK Jr., was confirmed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. And I found this particular headline very interesting from USA Today. And of course, USA Today used to be, I don't know if it still does, but if you were, when I used to go back to New York on a regular basis, I might find it at the door of my hotel room, and for free or included in the price of the hotel. And USA Today has really just look at this particular headline. It says, Kennedy is a dangerous joke. What comes next is on Republicans. And I find that headline super, super troubling because it's really kind of like trying to push a particular narrative. And this piece went on to say, let me get to it here. Oh, gosh. It was calling it quackonomics was one of the things. And for some reason, it's not giving me the whole story here. But you can see if this is the only things that people are hearing or reading, that their attitudes can be skewed. It's important that we look at everything. And I would recommend that you check out Pam Long's article that we'll publish on Sunday. It'll be in the newsletter. And she goes through the things that we can learn. And one of the things that Kennedy has said is that we have an epidemic of chronic disease in America. We need to get that turned around. The mainstream media is calling his his actions that that might be crackonomics because they want to continue to have people have to look to pharmaceuticals instead of things that we can do to make ourselves healthier. So I just thought that was a really important headline. Another thing is the Senate approves Trump's FBI pick, and that is Kash Patel. It looks like he has moved on. And through this, this is from Politico. And so that's going to be super interesting. It was a 1210 vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee. And that's why elections really do matter, because if the Republicans were not in control of the Senate, then that that would have had a different outcome, I think. And so these elections really matter. I am dedicated to continuing to work. on to to build on the work that we did with our colorado 2024 election project thank you to all of you for raising the money for those two lawsuits and we are morphing this into reclaim colorado 2025. so want to stay tuned on all that i thank the harris family for their goal sponsorship of the show it's because of these great sponsors that we do all of this And I also wanted to mention the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance team. They know that there's things that can keep us up at night, although I think people are taking more and more comfort that we're reclaiming our country. But your insurance coverage should not be one of those things that you think about as you're going to sleep. And so reach out to the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance team. They can help you with all of these things that happen in our lives, and they want you to feel safe and well-served. And so they can respond to a text or a call 24 hours a day. So for that 24-hour peace of mind, call Roger Mangan at 303-795-8855. Like a good neighbor, the Roger Mangan team is there.
SPEAKER 06 :
So I just got the State Farm personal price plan on my car insurance. So you told your agent you play the bagpipes for your dog? What? No, I didn't get that. Personal, my agent just helped me create an affordable price just for me. Okay, let me show you what I've been working on. Hey, Buster. Prices vary by state. Options selected by customer. Availability and eligibility may vary.
SPEAKER 01 :
With the limited number of homes in the Colorado Front Range market, Karen Levine can help you achieve your home buying or selling vision. Karen has the right connections, technology, and strategies to help you buy or sell your home or to purchase a new build. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed or want someone to take the wheel, or you just need a second opinion, you can rest assured that RE-MAX Realtor Karen Levine is the right agent for you. Call Karen Levine at 303-877-7516. Karen is the trusted professional who strives for excellence. That number is 303-877-7516.
SPEAKER 09 :
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 08 :
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.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. 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. 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. I do want to hear from you. The text line is 720-605-0647. And wanted to mention this headline from the Denverite. It's like Mayor Mike Johnston just does not give up on trying to run Denver into the ground. Denver is dirty, it's dangerous, sanctuary city. And so we want to get on this early because we were able to work to defeat his sales tax increase proposal last November for affordable housing. Now, it says the Denver mayor wants voters to approve millions in new debt for citywide projects. It says voters could decide in November whether to keep higher property tax rates to pay for playgrounds, roads, and more. They always put these things in that they think people... care about and boy the roads in denver they're terrible and again it's because they don't really do what they say they're going to do with the money and of course they're putting different streets on road diets with those goofy barriers uh for between um bike bike lanes and uh bus lanes So anyway, recreation centers, libraries, playgrounds, roads, bridges, that's just a snapshot of what Denver Mayor Mike Johnson envisions the city could finance with a proposed new vibrant Denver bond package, which could allow the city to take on hundreds of millions of dollars in debt to pay for new projects. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I do want to just mention that property owners are having to pay a sidewalk tax. for sidewalks and so um anyway uh so they're digging property owners over there for that but anyway they want to keep the higher property taxes as well and this is what johnston said this is a chance for denver to control its own destiny and make sure the things that make this city joyful and vibrant are on the front of our priority list And he says and he announced the proposal on Wednesday at here. Let's get down to the rest of this at the Carla Madison Recreation Center on East Colfax. The city was setting wasn't random. The Carla Madison is Denver's newest recreation center and its forty four million dollar construction was funded through a 2007 bond. Johnson said it's the right time. to launch a new debt spending program since it has nearly wrapped up its current bond packages. How about pay those off and let people keep more money in their pocket? And this is the thing that they say, says the bond won't raise taxes, but it will keep them higher. So the package would be funded through general obligation bonds, which are repaid over years using property taxes. So what they want to do is they want to keep these taxes there. If the taxes went away, your taxes would go down. And this is one of those smoke and mirrors kind of things that you see with these politicians. And, again, we will go to work on it. Recommending a no vote on that already, and it would keep these taxes at the current property tax rates. And I wanted to just mention, this is... let's see here where i've got it at the cut board meeting the other night the colorado union taxpayers board meeting we talked about this house bill 25 11 34 which the prime sponsor on that is representative scott bottoms and as the president on friday evenings i go through and look at all the bills that are scheduled for hearing for the next week and we'll select bills from our cut pledge which you can find that at the colorado union of taxpayer website our pledge and we look at these bills on how they affect taxes or Tabor Colorado's taxpayers Bill of Rights school choice property rights I did not select this bill for us to look at because I didn't see government coercion or force in it and again it's House Bill 25 1134 insect production for human consumption and And as we talked more and more about it, certainly this could be a camel's nose under the tent to push people eating more and more insects. And I was thinking, okay, free market, as long as people have informed consent, as long as they understand what's going on, then I thought it was a free market question. Although some of the board members said, well, maybe we might want to take another look at this because there might be some real health concerns regarding insect stuff in our food. And so we wanted to just kind of revisit that. And so I think that we will do so. But that again, that's House Bill 25-1134, Insect Production for Human Consumption. And we'd love to hear what you guys all think about that as well. Because where I was concerned is if, in fact, we would regulate a food source, insect production, which is something that I don't like, could that mean that also that you might have government trying to regulate production for things that I do like, such as beef production? And so that's where I came down on that. And So we'll continue to have more and more discussions about that. So the next thing I wanted to mention regarding headlines, let me get to this. And this is that the Biden-Harris, these bureaucrats, this has really been highway robbery, what these folks have done. And this is a top Biden HHS official funneled billions to migrants through her nonprofit Connections. And this is from the Tampa Free Press. And it says a watchdog report revealed Thursday that a top official in the Biden administration's Department of Health and Human Services directed millions in migrant assistance grants to nonprofits where she previously held senior positions. Robin Dunn-Marcos led the HHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement, that's ORR, under former President Joe Biden. She oversaw $22.6 billion in grant distributions since 2020, with her former employers emerging as top beneficiaries. i talk about interest of parties politics um pbis politicians joe biden bureaucrats robin dunn marcos and interested parties the office of refugee resettlement and it goes on to say this um the international rescue committee irc where she spent 23 years as a senior director received five hundred ninety eight million dollars while church world service her employer of four years was awarded three hundred and fifty five million dollars according to an open the books report It says, consistent with the ethics pledge, Robin Don Marcos is recused from participating in particular matters involving specific parties in which IRC is or represents a party. A spokesperson for the Administration for Children and Families, ORR's parent agency, told the outlet, the recusal obligation lasts for two years from her date of appointment, which was September 11, 2022. Article goes on to say, while HHS officials maintain to the outlet that Dunn-Marcos recused herself from decisions involving her former employers, Open the Books reported that IRC's funding increased dramatically during her tenure, jumping from $22 million in fiscal year 2021 to $235 million in 2023. I think with all of this that the Trump administration, Trump too, and Elon Musk are finding is that they have been fleecing everyday Americans. That's all I can really come up with. They have been fleecing us and running us into debt, and this show has got to stop. And I am going to have Rachel with Open the Books will be our featured guest on Monday. So we're going to delve into this at much greater detail. But in Open the Books, my gosh, they have been doing such great work. On all of this and shedding light on all of this and so very pleased and excited that she'll be on on Monday. All of this happens because of our sponsors. Another great sponsor is Hooters Restaurants. And Hooters Restaurants has five locations, Loveland, Aurora, Lone Tree, Westminster and Colorado Springs. And they have great specials Monday through Friday for lunch, as well as great happy hours. Now that the Super Bowl is over, we're now going to be focusing on hockey and basketball. So a great place to get together with your friends to watch all those games. And again, Hooters Restaurants is a great sponsor of both the Kim Monson Show and America's Veterans Stories. How I got to know them is a really important story about freedom and free markets and capitalism. And the guys that own these franchises, they are really great conservatives. They understand the American idea. They're entrepreneurs. And I really appreciate their support. And again, all this happens because of sponsors and for that great protein source in your diet. And with RFK Jr. getting into office, he said, we're going to be focusing on being able to eat things that are better for you and a great protein source, and it tastes really great, is Lavaca Meat Company. Lavaca is located at the corner of Main and Nevada in Old Littleton, right here in the metro area.
SPEAKER 11 :
Lavaca Meat Company takes great pride in selling only the best. Lavaca Meat Company is a third generation family owned business with its roots in Eastern Colorado. Many individuals are concerned about the dangers of highly processed foods. So a product that is 100% wholesome makes sense. Lavaca Meat Company's only preservative is a freezer. Wrapped in cryovac packaging, Lavaca has a very high food safety process. Lavaca is located at the corner of Maine and Nevada in Old Littleton. For a steakhouse experience at home, visit Lavaca in person or shop online at LavacaMeat.com. Lavaca Meat Company, only the best. Again, that's LavacaMeat.com.
SPEAKER 15 :
A serious accident or a life-changing injury can leave you with seemingly insurmountable physical, emotional, and financial challenges. How will you be able to afford your medical bills? What if you can't return to work? The attorneys at Bozen Law understand the immense stress you are under and want to help. Bozen Law's attorneys have decades of experience helping people like you navigate some of the most difficult times in their lives. Bozen Law can provide the guidance and support you need to get back on your feet. Call Bozen Law now at 303-999-9999 for a complimentary appointment. That's 303-999-9999.
SPEAKER 14 :
Don't delay. 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 Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 08 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Check out our website. That is Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. 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. 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, shouldn't have to force people to do it. And pleased to have on the line Dr. Brian Dimitrovic. He's an economic historian. He's the Richard S. Strong Scholar at the Laffer Center. He holds a PhD in history from Harvard University, where he also did graduate work in the economics department. He earned his bachelor's degree at Columbia University studying history and mathematics. As a former associate professor and chairman of the Department of History at Sam Houston State University, he's written for numerous scholarly and popular publications. And he is the author of Econoclast, The Rebels Who Sparked the Supply Side Revolution and Restored American Prosperity. He co-authored with Larry Kudlow, JFK and the Revolution, A Secret History of American Prosperity, and most recently, author of The Emergence of Arthur Laffer, The Foundations of Supply-Side Economics in Chicago in Washington, 1966 to 1976. Dr. Brian Dimitrovich, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hi, Kim. Good morning. It's great to be here.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, a lot's happened since you and I last talked. We're into Trump, too. And what's your thoughts about Trump, too?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, Kim, yeah, it's really a great development. We were we were flirting with a disaster if we had gone the other direction in the election. I mean, you know, but Biden, President Biden was fooling around with, you know, blowout spending that was enhancing the deficit, the debt, the national debt without getting Any kind of economic payoff. When Ronald Reagan increased the debt in the 1980s, we won the Cold War, dispatched inflation that had been double digits and went from constant stagflation into 4.5% per annum growth for 20 years. So you can buy good things with deficits if they come through marginal tax cuts. They come through welfare spending. I mean, that's the road to ruin.
SPEAKER 08 :
Brian, I have been shocked as I've seen these totals that have been coming out of information regarding Elon Musk and Doge and United USAID, the amount of money that they've been spending. I had just talked about one of Biden's top officials. She was Robin Dunn-Marcos. She had been with the Health and Human Services Association. over the Office of Refugee Resettlement, and had moved $22.6 billion, and the organizations she'd been involved with, had one of them received almost $600 million. This is like fleecing the American people, I think, and it's shocking to me.
SPEAKER 04 :
At least since the 1950s, there has been a complete bipartisan consensus that that waste, fraud, and abuse should be rooted out of government. And those three terms have been used literally since the 1950s in bipartisan fashion. And it's finally happening. I mean, that is a sea change in the development of American political economy. If we actually are rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, wow, we really have reason to believe it might be morning in America.
SPEAKER 08 :
Do you think that Elon Musk can get to a trillion dollars in all this fraud, waste, and abuse? He seems like he's making great headway on that.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I mean, I'm with a vast majority of Americans out there, Kim. I mean, I have no idea what's in the budget, so I don't know if he can get to one trillion. The only thing I know is... is that the headline number is absolutely gigantic. I mean, with a $6, $7 trillion budget, I mean, you can just – that is far beyond what any kind of reasonable organization, I don't care how sprawling it might be and how important it might be, could spend in an efficient manner. So I think even if it's in a lower than that fraction, if it's in the hundreds of billions, even $100 billion – The effect on the economy would be immense in that there would be this kind of multiplier effect whereby, whoa, we're shrinking government, and then there'd be more investment by the private sector into the real economy. And so there would be this kind of double growth. And that's when you really vanquish your debt. I mean, when you have economic growth – that is making government spending redundant. That's what happened in the 1990s. We've been growing for 15 years so well. The people said, I don't want this government spending. The private economy is too exciting. The demand for government spending collapsed. We went into chronic surplus. And the debt was getting eliminated. And we're embarking on that kind of road right now.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, that's really exciting. As I see these headlines, Brian, on the micro level, seeing people that are losing their jobs on a micro level, there is part of me is like, oh my gosh, they have rent, they have families, they have house payments. What would you say to that on the micro level on these people being rooted out of government positions?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, well, that's a good sympathetic point, Kim, and we should remember that, and we should remember that feeling just so we resolve that we never do it again. I mean, let's make sure, again, we don't bloat government because, of course, that's what it does. It pulls people out of the real economy, out of the real sector, into something they really ultimately shouldn't be doing that gives them a false sense of accomplishment and all that stuff. When you have tax rate cuts and reduced government spending, there is an enormous amount of new investment in the economy. We saw this with Reagan. The layoffs in the Reagan era were just unbelievable. I mean, Motorola was laying off 10,000 people a year. W.R. Grace laid off 60,000 people in the 1980s and 1990s. I mean, the Fortune 500 laid off people like crazy. And there were 40 million new jobs between 1980 and 2000. That's what happens when you have these incredible transitions. When you move from one model, the government model, to the private sector model, you're moving from a model that is more deadened and wooden economically to a much more dynamic and prosperous model. And there's this wrenching transition where people lose jobs, but almost always the result is a dramatic increase in net new jobs. So I would... I would tell those people, you know, let's bid the current efforts, including a forthcoming tax rate cut, especially at the top. Let's bid them good luck. And you just may be able to find yourself in the new economy.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay, that's great to hear. So we're in a total shift. This is tectonic, wouldn't you say?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, that's a good word.
SPEAKER 08 :
OK, so next question, then tariffs, Trump's tariffs. People have all kinds of different opinions about it. He really seems to be using it as a tool from a political standpoint with these other countries. What's your overview of these tariffs?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I am. I mean, I'm watching with the same kind of awe that the rest of the nation is. The one thing I like about President Trump's rhetoric on tariffs is that he's very nostalgic for the era when we did not have an income tax at all, back before 1913, when the tariff carried the vast majority of the revenue load of the United States government. He's nostalgic for that. So if we could, like, have a revenue tariff in exchange for getting rid of the income tax, like he has contemplated, I mean, that gets me going, I have to say. Now, that said, there are a lot of dangers. I mean, if you have tariffs and an income tax, you can really kill the economy, like Herbert Hoover did in the early 1930s. As goes negotiation, one of the things that income tax rates and value-added taxes, Europe and Canada have these value-added taxes, one thing they do is They are an engine of domestic tax revenue. You've already captured the taxpayer. They're the domestic inhabitants, and so you milk them through income and value-added sales taxation. And you have a surfeit of revenue. Then you don't feel like your own tariffs have to raise any revenue. And so these countries end up having protective tariffs, tariffs that are way higher than they would be if the government actually cared about getting the revenue. And so President Trump is contemplating trading partners who have these tariffs. They're not even trying to get revenue from the United States. They're just trying to keep the goods out. And he's like, look, guys, you have to lower those. And he's using leverage, and I understand that.
SPEAKER 08 :
So, Brian, so the other countries have been charging tariffs on our products going to them. Is that what you're saying?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, and in such a way that if they lowered the tariff rate, they would get more tariff revenue, duty revenue. It's a Laffer curve prohibitive range, and that's what happens when you get domestic taxation. You don't need the tariff revenue. And so then lobbyists come in and make you raise tariffs that are revenue unproductive because I don't need the revenue. I'm getting it from my income tax. That happened in the United States. I mean, in the United States right now, most of the tariffs in the United States are not revenue tariffs. That is to say, if you lowered the duty rate, they'd get more money. The government would. And that's because we have income taxes and the wage taxes that are just engines of revenue. And then that means that we don't care that our tariffs are protective. And that's an epidemic globally.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay, well, what about him using these tariffs to get what he wants, for example, with Canada and Mexico to secure our borders? That's been really effective. And initially, both Canada and Mexico said, well, we're not playing with that ball. And within about 24 hours, they said, okay. And so I don't think Trump is looking at keeping these tariffs on forever, but yet he's getting their attention. This has been fascinating to watch, Brian.
SPEAKER 04 :
It has. Now, my focus, my own kind of expertise and perspective is in the area of the economics and the political economy and history. So I can perceive what higher tariffs will do to the economy, and I can perceive how strategies to lower tariffs can be very productive in terms of bringing about economic results. When it gets into larger strategic considerations I mean, that's a complex, that's a complement of defense, national security, economic policy all at once. It's important to think about. But I think that if the final goal is lower tariffs and lower domestic taxation, everyone globally is going to be better off.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay, so I want to ask you then about income tax, because getting rid of income tax, I think income tax, that particular amendment, once you started to do tax income, I think you started to tax ingenuity and creativity and creativity. prosperity. And so we're going to go to break. We're going to continue this discussion with Dr. Brian Dimitrovich. He is an economic historian to talk about tariffs and income tax and what Trump is doing. And we have all these discussions because of our sponsors and for everything regarding mortgages, reach out to Lauren Levy. He can help you in 49 of the 50 states, just not New York.
SPEAKER 10 :
We'll be right back. If you'd like to explore what a reverse mortgage can do for you, call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. That's 303-880-8881.
SPEAKER 12 :
Call now. You'd like to get in touch with one of the sponsors of The Kim Monson Show, but you can't remember their phone contact or website information. Find a full list of advertising partners on Kim's website, kimmonson.com. That's Kim, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com.
SPEAKER 11 :
to ensure you and your family are safe. and you can shoot confidently. You'll benefit from experienced staff and trainers, including law enforcement and military backgrounds. Franktown's new shoot house opens in February, and they invite the public to come out to talk to them about it now and be ready for the grand opening. For safe and simulated training opportunities open to all levels of experience, come to Franktown Firearms where friends are made. Learn more about Franktown Firearms on the klzradio.com advertisers page where you can ask any questions you might have.
SPEAKER 08 :
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.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. 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. 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. So pleased to be talking with Dr. Brian Dimitrovic. He is an economic historian. He's the author of some very important books regarding economics. And wanted to talk about income tax. So Brian, the income tax amendment to the Constitution, I think was a big kind of inflection point in our history because that was the first time, I think, that we started to tax people's creativity and innovation and hard work and their prosperity. Is that too broad of a statement?
SPEAKER 04 :
No, I mean, I think that was really the major transition in American political economic history. I mean, what was the American economy in the decades before 1913? The greatest economy the world's ever seen to date and now. There's never been a greater economy in the turn of the 20th century. And then we had income tax, and that's when we started getting depressions and stagflations and malaise and secular stagnation, great recessions. The busts of the 19th century all occurred in the context of 5% per annum growth for the long term. more than double what we're struggling with today. So yeah, I mean, the income tax, especially at the top, it's progressive. And the people with the most money and the potential to make the most money have the easiest means of not deploying their resources because they don't need the money. So if you punish them exceptionally for deploying their money, they'll just take their toys and go home. And that's how we got the Great Depression.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay, so what would be the perfect taxation? And one of our listeners had reached out. She said that her husband used to come home at the end of June and say, okay, now the rest of the money that we earn this year is ours. The money up until then was the government's when they looked at federal and state and municipal and county and fees and whatever. And I've talked with a number of young people. In fact, a couple of our producers, my producer Joe and producer Luke, we've been going through Henry Hazlitt's book, Economics in One Lesson, as a book review on the show, because I think it's important that we have these discussions and understand what our younger people are thinking as well. And so many of our young people think that it's corporations that are really gouging their paychecks. And guys, if businesses could pay them more, that would be really helpful. And I said, but the biggest price gouge or the biggest greediest in your paycheck, I think, is government. And what would be the perfect tax to be fair to everybody so that we had everybody have skin in the game and we'd all be on the same side of trying to work towards prosperity and make sure these young people have more money in their pocket? What would be the best way to do this, Brian?
SPEAKER 04 :
First of all, Kim, you're absolutely right. It's that the employer really covers all taxation because the wager would engage with the employer unless the wage is sufficient to cover taxation and then some. So the employer has to raise enough revenue in business to cover the employee's taxation. So that's not great. My own personal view, a little bit radical maybe, is that the United States, at least at the federal level, should have no taxation at all. in that the United States runs the world monetary system. That's clear as day. It's done that for years. Many people the globe over will exchange their goods and services for U.S. dollars, no questions asked. I think the United States has just missed its opportunity since at least 1945 not to have federal taxation. Perhaps that's too kind of radical or complex a topic or abstruse, but that is my position. I think at the property tax level, absolutely property taxes should be no more than 1%. of property value. California proved that in 1978, single greatest tax reform at the state level in American history. There were no state-level sales taxations as of 1928. State-level sales taxation is a brand new thing in the American experience. 19th century, government was maybe 5% or 6% of GDP. Today, it's 33%, 35%. Good tax system is one in which we float a government that is about a third as large as it is today.
SPEAKER 08 :
What about, and this is so interesting, it's almost like you could read what's coming in on the text line. It says, what about our residential property taxes? They are taxing us out of our homes. And this is crazy. And out here in Colorado, Brian, we had these huge increases in assessments. It had gotten rid of the Gallagher Amendment. which I recommended a no vote to everyone because the Gallagher Amendment had kept guardrails on increases in residential property taxes, got this huge bump. The municipal, special districts, school districts, counties, they all wanted to keep that money. And it's like a tax on unrealized gains. And I think it's an assault upon property rights. And it's a real problem out here, Brian.
SPEAKER 04 :
It's becoming an epic problem nationally because home prices went up and then governments just kind of collected revenue on top of it. The single greatest tax reform in all of American history at the state level was California's Proposition 13 in 1978, mimicked in even better fashion arguably than Massachusetts in 1980, which is to say Massachusetts and California blow away the country in terms of free market. property tax policy and we've got a free market state taxes florida uh... uh... the property tax free marketplaces california massachusetts you are not allowed to increase no questions asked nothing you cannot increase property taxes more than two percent per year in california pay inflation last year was fourteen percent tough massachusetts said in nineteen eighty you can raise your property taxes by two and a half percent normal no more no questions that that's been that's been the case for forty five years the property markets have been beautiful in those places every state in the country should imitate this fascinating although it's difficult for people young people to buy a home in california i don't know about massachusetts so how do how do how do you match that up well yes now that's another that's another california's regulation like cray cray so they don't allow new supply to be built which is you know completely wrong Now, if California did not have cap property taxes, the state would be West Virginia. It would be depopulated because their income tax and capital gains taxes are just ridiculous, although they have no local level income taxes. So that's important. So everybody tries to put all their earning and wealth into the untaxed areas in California. And property is largely untaxed. So that's why you see all the money moving in there. And that's why property value has gone way up. And that's why there are also so many unrealized capital gains in Silicon Valley, because those are untaxed, unrealized. So these are just kind of crazy distortions. But we shouldn't be misled nationally that if you cap property taxes, the rate of increase and the absolute amount as a share of value, you just have a beautiful property market. Look at the properties in Massachusetts and California. Look how well everyone takes care of them. You look at this, it's just, what is this? You go to Illinois and Ohio, these places with high property taxes. Toledo, Ohio, there's barely a house over $100,000. Why? Well, in Detroit, they have effective 20% tax rates in Detroit. You look at the housing stock, what it looks like. Henry George talked about this in the 1870s. You cannot have punitive property taxes. You just have to cap them at an absolute level, solve your tax problems elsewhere.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay. So, Brian, I really would, and one of our listeners said commercial property taxes in Colorado are four times that of residential rates. We need to abolish property taxes altogether and stop paying the government rent to keep our properties. I think that's a good point. But we have this insatiable... appetite, school districts, special districts, municipal, county, state, that they want more and more of our money. And I really think that taxes total all in should be 10%. God asked for 10%. I think that's all. I think that everything all in that that's what that should be. Is that even possible to get to that all in?
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, he used to say that all the time after his mother's advice. Ronald Reagan himself said that if the Almighty can only take 10%, we should only take 10%. Andrew Mellon said the same thing in the 1920s. Yeah, I mean, the thing about school districts, it's very amusing. I mean, there are two big developments with respect to kind of primary education in the United States right now. Everyone's talking about the baby bust, okay? All right. So that means we're closing schools and reducing school spending, right? Yeah, right. Okay. And then let's say there's not a baby bust or whatever. Let's say we have population growth that J.D. Vance wants. Okay. Or Elon Musk wants. Great. Let's have that. At the same time, we have this incredible privatization innovation movement going on. It's like wildflowers, wildfire since the pandemic started. about people just pulling out of school and just setting up private consortia. I mean, it's now in the tens of millions of kids. Those people are going to claim on tax revenue. There are huge forces that are dropping the demand for public schooling, and we're not lowering school taxes in that context? That's outrageous.
SPEAKER 08 :
It is outrageous. And in my voter's guide in November, I was a no on all of these tax increases or continuing to keep mill levies where they were. And by gosh, though, Brian, the voters approved all of those. And I think it's because they want their kids to be educated. This is great info. Lots coming in on the text line. We only have about a minute left. How should you wrap this up, Dr. Brian Dimitrovic?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, at the state level, eliminate your income tax, cap property taxes, and remember that sales taxes really are johnny-come-lately in American history. The federal level, if you want to count into tariff, you have to absolutely reduce or eliminate the income tax. And we're starting to make progress on government spending, and, jeez, no one thought we would see that in our time. And if we are... It's time to get going with everything else.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely fascinating. Brian, it's so good to talk with you, and so much has happened. And I think that it's an interesting time, a dangerous time. All kinds of things are going on. But I really feel that we're in the third founding of our country, and I think we're going to make sure that we reclaim this great American idea, Brian.
SPEAKER 04 :
I'm totally with you, Kim.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay. And that's Dr. Brian Dimitrovic. Thank you so much. We'll talk again very, very soon. And because it's Friday, I normally grab the quote from the Medal of Honor quote book from the Center for American Values. And then at the end of the show, I like to have a courage quote. And so this is such a great one. This is from Patrick Henry, his speech to the Virginia Convention in 1775. And he said this, he said, the battle, sir, is not to the strong alone. It is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. And those words are so true for us today here as well. 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. God bless America. Stay tuned for hour number two.
SPEAKER 05 :
And I don't want no one to cry But tell them if I don't
SPEAKER 02 :
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 13 :
It's the Kim Monson Show, analyzing the most important stories.
SPEAKER 08 :
The socialization of transportation, education, energy, housing, and water, what it means is that government controls it through rules and regulations.
SPEAKER 13 :
The latest in politics and world affairs.
SPEAKER 08 :
Under the skies of bipartisanship and nonpartisanship, it's actually tapping down the truth.
SPEAKER 13 :
Today's current opinions and ideas.
SPEAKER 08 :
On an equal field in the battle of ideas, mistruths and misconceptions is getting us into a world of hurt.
SPEAKER 13 :
Is it freedom or is it force? Let's have a conversation.
SPEAKER 08 :
Indeed, let's have a conversation 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's drive for excellence. Take care of your heart, your soul, your mind and your body. My friends, we were made for this moment. Thank you to the team. That's producer Joe, Luke, Rachel, Zach, Echo, Charlie, Mike, Teresa, Amanda, all the people here at Crawford Broadcasting. Happy Friday, producer Joe.
SPEAKER 11 :
Happy Friday, Kim, and happy Valentine's Day.
SPEAKER 08 :
And happy Valentine's Day to you as well. And be sure and check out our website, my friends. That's Kim Monson, M-O-N-S-O-N dot com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. You'll get first look at our upcoming guests as well as our most recent essays. You can email me at Kim at Kim Monson dot com. Our text line is 720-605-0647. And thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice. We search for truth and clarity by looking at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom. Something's a good idea. You should not have to force people to do it. Hours broadcast 10 to 11 at night. Those platforms are KLZ 560 AM, KLZ 100.7 FM, the KLZ website and the KLZ app. And yes, we do look at these issues through the lens of freedom versus force, force versus freedom, searching for truth and clarity. And again, if something's a good idea, you should not have to force people to do it. Our word of the day is inculcate. It's I-N-C-U-L-C-A-T-E. It's a verb. And it could be to teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions. And I had talked about this USA Today article. Now, let's see if I can find it up here with everything that's open. And this was regarding RFK Jr. And, of course, the Democrats, the radical activist Democrats that have taken over the Democrat Party have they really it was quite a fiery confirmation hearing. But this now from USA Today, talk about a headline. And this is from columnist Rex Rappaport. Hupke says, Kennedy is a dangerous joke. What comes next is on Republicans. But if you will be signed up for my weekly email newsletter, you'll see Pam Long's piece that she's written on what we can learn from the RFK junior confirmation hearings. And one of those is that we have an epidemic of chronic disease here in America. And I wish that... that that would be part of the headline there, but instead they're going to already try to undercut what he will be trying to accomplish. So stay tuned on all of that. Let's see here. So inculcate, I would say that all of these headlines are trying to inculcate their positions within the American mind, and we need to be questioning and always ask what are the motivations on all of this. Our quote of the day is Friday. So I've taken the quote from the Medal of Honor quote book from the Center for American Values. And the center is located in Pueblo, Colorado, co-founded by Drew Dix, a Medal of Honor recipient for actions he took during the Vietnam War, and Brad Padula, who is an Emmy Award winning documentary maker. And the center focuses on several things. First of all, these foundational principles of honor, integrity, and patriotism. And they do that through a variety of different things, educational programs for K-12 students. Our kids, as well as honoring our Medal of Honor recipients. The center is nonpartisan. It's nonpolitical. But you really should have it on your bucket list to visit the Center for American Values. And that website to get more information is AmericanValuesCenter.org. And so our quote today is from James A. Taylor, United States Army Medal of Honor recipient. And this is actions that he took on November 9, 1967. We read that whole citation in the first hour. But he said this, honesty, hard work and sacrifice are all you need to succeed in life. Challenge a challenge and be ready to give your life if necessary to preserve freedom for future generations. But these are great things to live by every day. Honesty, hard work and sacrifice. And I really think that Jim May and his brothers that are the owners of La Vaca Meat Company and they are cattlemen produce great food. protein sources for our diets. I think that he really focuses on honesty, hard work and sacrifice. And I think that's the cowboy, the cattleman is really the epitome of Americans, hard work and just getting up every day to do their very best. Jim May, welcome to the show. I don't want you to get a big head though, as I'm talking with you about this, Jim May.
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, good morning, Kim. Yeah, that's very kind of you to say that. And my brothers, we do, we have worked very hard. But, I mean, I think a lot of other people have, too. We've been very lucky to be around some really good people. And, yeah, we had a great celebration last week with Dan getting in the Hall of Fame, and we all got together, and that was fun. But happy Valentine's Day, Kim.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, happy Valentine's Day to you as well. I can't believe that we're at the middle of February.
SPEAKER 16 :
I know. I know. It's going so fast. And I want to remind everyone, you know, La Baca Meat, we're available down there. You can run down there any time if you want to have a nice romantic dinner tonight and grab a piece. Yeah, tonight or even over the weekend for your Valentine. Yeah, you can get it there. We'd like to have more things online. It takes a little more time than that. Shipping online and stuff is a little bit tougher, but think of us sometimes on occasions like this. We're the steakhouse experience at home, but we can also be your little romantic just a meal at home sometime, and think about that one as a gift.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it really is. And you have your fillets. You either have, what is it, a six or an eight ounce. And they really are a premium product. I can attest to it. So it really is the steakhouse experience at home, a premium product. And beef is so good for your diet as well. So I was over at some friends last night, and thank you to Leslie and Mark for they did a... showing of our documentary, A Climate Conversation. And there were a couple of guys that were there and going around the hors d'oeuvres table. And one of the guys said, it was his girlfriend, he said, hey, I'm eating my vegetable for the day. And I thought, you know, I really have to struggle to eat vegetables because I love, I do love the Lavaca Meat Company steak. It really is a treat.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, well, thanks for saying that. It certainly is. I don't mind putting a salad with it, but I try to balance it out a little bit. But there's nothing like a good steak. Or, you know, we did sliders last week. There's a lot of things we could do. There's a piece of meat in there that you can either slice and have a couple of pieces of prime rib for two or something like that, or you can cook it as a roast and or rib steaks or anything like that for a bigger family. But we've got a lot of different options there. Come by sometime and look or look on our website, please.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay. Now, do you happen to have a cowboy poem today, or should we just recommend that people get to Lavaca Meat Company?
SPEAKER 16 :
I did write something, just wrote it. It's hot off the press here because it is Valentine's Day, and I call this my valentine. What should I get her for Valentine's Day? I should do something different this time. God knows she's been good to me in every way. She deserves more than flowers or wine. After 44 years, she still puts up with my faults. I tell you, the woman is more than a saint. I try to two-step when she wants to waltz. I've got a pencil when she wants to paint. I can't thank her enough for all that she's done, but I will pick out the best bottle of wine. We will have a nice dinner, and it's always fun. Thank you to my wife, my love, my only Valentine.
SPEAKER 08 :
That is so sweet. That is so sweet.
SPEAKER 16 :
I mean every word. She's been a gem in my life for 44 years. Like, we actually got engaged 44 years ago. We got engaged on Valentine's Day. Oh, Jim May. In August. So grateful to her for all she does for me. Yeah. I hope you all have, you know, you cowboys out there, take your lady out. And, yeah, if you want to have something at home, you can come swing by the store or just go out to a nice place or whatever you're going to do. But remember, Lavaca Meat Company.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. And that website is lavacameat.com. Jim May, thank you. We will talk next week. And happy Valentine's to you and Imogene.
SPEAKER 16 :
Hey, thanks so much. Happy Valentine's to you all. Have a great weekend.
SPEAKER 08 :
I don't know how he does that. He can just come up with that. I guess it's that cowboy poetry. I just, I truly, truly love that. And I'm blessed to work with great sponsors and other great sponsors, the Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance Team. And Roger's been in business for 48 years, taking care of his family and his clients and giving back to the community. and you're not in business for 48 years unless you strive for excellence. So give them a call, 303-795-8855, because if you bundle your insurance together, you might be able to save some money, and saving money is always a great thing.
SPEAKER 07 :
Most of us have been there. That surprise crunch when you backed into a car in a parking lot or someone rear-ended you at a stoplight? First thing you do is stop and breathe. Second, say a prayer of gratitude that no one was hurt. Third, look for your insurance card. And fourth, be grateful that you have your insurance with Roger Mannigan State Farm Insurance Agency. You can breathe easier knowing that you can reach the Roger Mannigan team 24-7 when you need them. For that Roger Mangan State Farm Insurance peace of mind, call Roger Mangan today at 303-795-8855. That's 303-795-8855.
SPEAKER 11 :
Lavaca Meat Company takes great pride in selling only the best. Lavaca Meat Company is a third generation family owned business with its roots in Eastern Colorado. Many individuals are concerned about the dangers of highly processed foods. So a product that is 100% wholesome makes sense. Lavaca Meat Company's only preservative is a freezer. Wrapped in cryovac packaging, Lavaca has a very high food safety process. Lavaca is located at the corner of Main and Nevada in Old Littleton. For a steakhouse experience at home, visit Lavaca in person or shop online at lavacameat.com. Lavaca Meat Company, only the best.
SPEAKER 12 :
Again, that's LavacaMeat.com. You'd like to get in touch with one of the sponsors of The Kim Monson Show, but you can't remember their phone contact or website information. Find a full list of advertising partners on Kim's website, KimMonson.com. That's Kim, M-O-N-S-O-N.com.
SPEAKER 08 :
And welcome back to The Kim Monson Show. Check out our website. That is KimMonson, M-O-N-S-O-N.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. 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. 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. And it is out of control down at the Statehouse under the Golden Dome. As of this morning, there's been 457 bills that have been introduced, and we don't need another law over our lives. We need to be repealing some of this stuff. But one of the things that this radical activist group down there that's in control of the statehouse is doing is trying to make it more difficult for everyday, hardworking, law-abiding citizens to keep and bear firearms to protect ourselves against bad actors. And so I wanted to talk with District Attorney George Brockler about some of these bills. And welcome to the show, George Brockler.
SPEAKER 03 :
Jim, thanks for having me on. Great to be with you folks.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it's good to have you, George. And first of all, you're the District Attorney for the new Judiciary District 23, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
That's right. Brand new. First one in over 60 years.
SPEAKER 08 :
And how's that going, getting everything set up?
SPEAKER 03 :
It's good. It's good. You know, this was a process that was multi-year. It actually began under my predecessor, who was weirdly also my successor, John Kellner, who is now free to go into the private sector since he did not run for election in Arapahoe County where he lives. But they've been spending the last couple of years putting together the IT infrastructure, the things you kind of take for granted, you know, all the things that run behind the scenes. Getting some authority set up, but really getting this thing off the ground and running began in earnest after the general election in November. And we are off and running. And I think we've had such great momentum, Kim, and such great successes. I'm looking forward to us displaying to the rest of the metro area the difference between Republican leadership in a public safety office and the rest of the metro area.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, we've got a lot going on in the metro area regarding public safety. And do you want to weigh in on any of the any of that right now and the illegal deportations all that? What's your thoughts on that, George?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I'll tell you, it's real. It's a real issue. And for folks that are only consuming, if they're listening to you, they're not. But if they're only consuming the legacy media type stuff from the main channels and the Denver Post, their perception of what's going on with immigration is about that hardworking family that, despite the fact that we have a federal law that says otherwise, wanted to start their time in America by violating our laws. But gosh darn it, they're just hardworking immigrants. And we should do everything we can to encourage them to stay. That's not my exposure to this part of the problem. In fact, the very first jury trial that we had since I've been district attorney, and by the way, today, Kim marks one month to the day since I was sworn in. So the very first jury trial that the office completed when I was DA involved part of a giant retail theft ring that had been taking place over multiple counties, but also including Douglas County. That conviction was of a guy who was an illegal immigrant from, wait for it, Venezuela. And there's others out there. And we've had a series of contacts and crimes that have been perpetrated by them. That's not to say that Americans are crime-free. My God, if they were, there'd be no need for a district attorney. But that's to say that this thing is pervasive. It's happening a lot. It consumes a lot of our limited public safety dollars. And whether it's you talk to me, you talk to Sheriff Darren Weakley or any of the chiefs of police out there, they'll tell you the same thing. This isn't some fake made up figment of Daniel Jarenski's imagination. This is a legit issue and it's one we got to tackle. And I will say this, since President Trump has been sworn in, We have seen a complete change actually since he's been elected, a complete change in the interest of ICE in wanting to scoop these folks up out of our jails and get them away.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and George, to that point, we have our own criminals. We do not need to be importing criminals into the country, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
That's right. We grow our own right here. We don't need any more.
SPEAKER 08 :
OK, so let's talk about Second Amendment stuff. I am I got this volunteer gig as the president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers Association. And we've got this great system, this Bill Track 50, where we're able to watch legislation. And we have flagged things that might have something to do with firearms. So as of right now, there's 20 different bills that have the word firearms in them. But I wanted to talk with you about five of them that really got my attention. And the first one was... Let's see here if I have these in the right order. I don't just check. I think it's House Bill 251055. And this is Max Brooks is the sponsor on that, Republican. And it's the repeal firearm dealer requirements and state permit. This is under the radar. But what do you think about this particular bill, George Brockler?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, there's three levels to this thing that are important, I think, for people to understand. One is a little bit of a brag. Max Brooks is my representative. He is from Douglas County. And what you're going to notice with a bunch of different things, including Mark Baisley's bill to try to undo those laws that stand between our local law enforcement and ICE, and there's a bill going through right now, they're all Douglas County folks. I mean, we're kind of becoming the tip of the spear for a bunch of different reasons, not the least of which is we're still a Republican stronghold in the metro area. The second layer of this is, look, if you're a conservative, you're not big on regulation and overregulation of any industry because you recognize that regulation is a way to erode liberty. But then you have all of this extra onerous overregulation on something that is protected by the Second Amendment. Those things... erode our freedoms in such a way that a bill like Max's isn't an attempt to really do anything other than take some of the shackles off of what we have, I think, naturally and constitutionally. And if you were going to ask me, I would tell you, Kim, I think the chances of this thing succeeding are slim just because of who's in control of the gold dome.
SPEAKER 08 :
I think that's true, but I really do appreciate these Republicans. And the word conservative is really those that want to conserve and preserve this American idea. And I know the word conservative has been demonized, but that's really what it's about. And so that's why this bill, I think, is an important one. It's under the radar. I don't think it'll get through committee, but I thought it was important that we highlight that. The next one is this House Bill 25-1133, requirements for sale of firearms ammunition. It's changing the, let's see, is this the age? I think that's the one that that is. It's changing.
SPEAKER 03 :
For 21.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. So, George, how is it that 18-year-olds can put their life on the line for this country? But yet they can't buy ammunition for a firearm for shooting sports or to protect themselves. This is crazy.
SPEAKER 03 :
This is crazy. This is part of an ongoing attempt, as you can imagine, by those on the left to try to continue to limit and, again, regulate away the Second Amendment. I mean, Senate Bill 3, which I know we're going to talk about, is a giant sweeping thing, but the rest of these things that they've been doing over time are little paper cuts that are designed to bleed the Second Amendment dry, just these little slices, little slivers of stuff. I agree with your analysis there, but we also tell kids that can go off to war and fight, you can't have alcohol, you can't have marijuana, now you can't have cigarettes. All this stuff has changed, not the marijuana piece as much, but all this stuff has changed just over my lifetime. I remember being in high school with guys who were one year ahead of me who were still at least able to buy a 3.2, if you remember that, Kim, 3.2 alcohol beer, which Coors had a product for that. But then slowly over time, we've decided we just can't trust these kids to do anything other than stick up their hand, put on a uniform and go fight for us. This is, again, another one of those bills because of the makeup of the gold dome where you expect it to achieve success. Here's what's crazy, and you've probably talked about this on your show. The last best hope that we have is actually a decent one, and that is Governor Polis. This guy has shown himself willing to work behind the scenes and in some cases threaten veto on bills that just go too far for him when it comes to the Second Amendment. Now, that can't give you a lot of solace as a conservative. You'd much rather have any Republican in there as governor. But in the past, he has done that, and I think he's worked his magic a little bit on Senate Bill 3. This one, I don't have any extra information that would suggest that he isn't going to sign this thing as is, but my expectation is that this thing passes.
SPEAKER 08 :
okay and the prime sponsors on this i have listeners say hey always let us know who the prime sponsors are is representative monica duran representative lindsay gilchrist and senator kyle mullica so you bring up an interesting point george and that is is that i've heard legislators say that nothing is happening down at the gold dome with this democrat party without Polis' knowledge and without his approval. And I am almost wondering if they're pushing, for example, and we will talk about Senate Bill 3 here in a little bit, is that they're pushing that through, gets to his desk. With big fanfare, he vetoes it so that it looks like, hey, I am more libertarian. I do care about the Second Amendment as he is trying to posture himself to run for higher office. Now, I know I'm getting a little jaded here. and a little jaded on Governor Polis, but he's really a smart political animal and I wouldn't put it past him.
SPEAKER 03 :
I wouldn't either. I'll say this though, he's got a different metric that he's got to use for how he's going to measure his success in office. It's one thing to try to get reelected as governor, but once you get within a term or less, and that's where he's at now. He's within a couple years of being out of office and end up having to really look strongly at whether he's going to pull off this presidential run, and I think he's going to do it. He has to look now at not how can I be appealing to Coloradans, but broader in the party itself, which will be a food fight, as you can imagine, for the Democrats. And he's got to start wondering the things that I do right now in my last couple of years, how will those things haunt me as I try to win the nomination for president? And so I think he's also motivated to look at bills from the standpoint of do not let this come across my desk. Do not put me in a position to veto some of these things. Now, when the bills are so extreme, like Senate Bill 3, and I think we saw this last night, you can see his fingerprints on some of the changes that are being offered and get made online. But there are some bills where I presume he just tells leadership and he has in the past, if you send this thing to my desk, I'm going to kill this. And so they either killed it themselves so they don't have to put him in a position to veto it or they make whatever modifications he wants.
SPEAKER 08 :
Okay. One other point on this House Bill 25-11-33, and you mentioned this, that somebody can put on the uniform of our country and they can put their life on the line for our country, but they can't buy a beer. This would change it so they couldn't buy ammunition for a firearm. But yet this radical activists, extremists that control America, the the state house are saying that it's okay for 12 year olds to give permission to have either drugs or surgery to um basically mutilate their babies or their bodies through the um this transgender thing it just doesn't match up you can do this over here at the age of 12 but you can't do this over here at 18 i think it's important people understand the hypocrisy of all this
SPEAKER 03 :
You're absolutely right, Kim. And if anyone has not yet had a chance to go look at Sean Boyd's great investigative reporting piece about what took place out in Jeffco, there's another aspect of this. And I don't know, Kim, if you covered this yet, but there's a story out of Jeffco where a teenager who was a student was starting to, quote unquote, explore her sexuality or whatnot. And the teacher that she had hooked up with, and I mean, it looks like literally hooked up with, worked with the principal at Columbine High School and other staff to falsely claim that she was homeless to submit paperwork to allow her to move out of her parents' house and into the teacher's house, all without the parents' knowledge. So here they are facilitating a teenager who we don't even trust anymore. to have a full adult driver's license with decisions, these big life affecting decisions. But when it comes to things just like ammunition, no, I'm sorry. We simply can't trust you. But the other part of this, and Kim, you've been great about talking about this on your show, is once again, we're focused on the implement, not the person. So we say 21 year olds, we can't trust you with the bullets because the bullets are the problem. We can't let you have constitutional concealed carry because the gun is the problem instead of the individual. On the other side, and you'll remember this, Our own attorney general two times in a row worked on legislation that authorized tens of thousands of convicted felons to get firearms under Colorado law, including drug dealers and car thieves. And so on the one hand, you have this great interest in, oh, my gosh, the guns, the guns, the guns, the guns. It's not the person. It's the guns. And so we'll just keep whittling away at who can be eligible to get these guns and the hoops you have to jump through to get them and sell them. And on the other hand, they turn around and say, but if you're a convicted drug dealer, there isn't any reason why you shouldn't be able to possess a gun. It's not just hypocrisy. It's idiocy.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I think that's true. So George Brockler, we will continue the discussion. And these happen because of our sponsors. And so for everything regarding residential real estate, reach out to Karen Levine with RE-MAX Alliance.
SPEAKER 01 :
With the limited number of homes in the Colorado Front Range market, Karen Levine can help you achieve your home buying or selling vision. Karen has the right connections, technology, and strategies to help you buy or sell your home or to purchase a new build. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed or want someone to take the wheel, or you just need a second opinion, you can rest assured that RE-MAX Realtor Karen Levine is the right agent for you. Call Karen Levine at 303-877-7516. Karen is the trusted professional who strives for excellence. That number is 303-877-7516.
SPEAKER 10 :
High inflation and increasing property taxes are making it more challenging for seniors to make ends meet. If you're 62 or older, a reverse mortgage may be the solution for what's keeping you up at night. It is essential that you understand the process and work with a trusted professional. Mortgage expert Lauren Levy will help you craft solutions for your unique circumstances, whether a mortgage, a second mortgage, or a reverse mortgage. If you'd like to explore what a reverse mortgage can do for you, call Lauren Levy at 303-880-8881. That's 303-880-8881. Call now.
SPEAKER 09 :
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 08 :
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. You can email me at Kim at KimMonson.com as well. And thank you to all of you who support us. We're an independent voice. 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. And my friends, this year, make sure that you have in your list of giving, and it is tax deductible, a contribution to the USMC Memorial Foundation. We have the actual official Marine Memorial right here in Golden, Colorado. It was dedicated in 1977. It's time for a facelift. And Paula Sarles, who is the president of the foundation, and her team are working diligently to make this a reality. And Paula is not only a Marine veteran, but also a Gold Star wife now. And it really would be great for us all to help them. So you can get more information by going to usmcmemorialfoundation.org. That's usmcmemorialfoundation.org. Pleased to be talking with George Brockler. He is the district attorney for the newly created 23rd Judicial District here in Colorado. And we're talking about a number of these bills down at the State House regarding firearms. And George, you brought up a very important point in the last segment that it's not the firearm, it's not the ammunition that actually is what creates a crime. It's the person behind that. And so many people don't understand that, which is a little bit crazy that we don't get that correlation.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I think if you just look at the things that we have seen recently with the 16th Street Mall attack, that was a knife. Four people were stabbed, two people stabbed to death. We've had other instances like that around the metro area. London, of course, which is a very notorious gun-free zone, is riddled with knife attacks. And that's not to say that guns aren't dangerous. They aren't potentially lethal. It's not to say any of those things. It's to say the problem is the person. If somebody wants to take your life, that's the issue that we have to tackle. And so when you start taking away guns, you don't take away their interest in wanting to engage in evil behavior or take away your life. What you've done is to take away the law abiding citizens ability to protect themselves from it. And that causes me pretty grave concern because I'm one of those folks. Look, I own firearms. And as luck would have it, pure luck, I imagine, none of those guns have ever taken a human life. And that's weird, isn't it? Because the gun is the issue.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it really is. So let's go to the next bill, House Bill 25-11-64. This is Representative Ron Weinberg's bill. Probably won't make it out of committee. I'm not quite sure where it was exactly. I'll check on that. But constitutional carry of a handgun. I do appreciate the fact that these Republicans are bringing forward some of these really good bills, so at least we can have a conversation about it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. Well, Ron's a great dude. And For folks that don't know, if you ever listen in on any of the legislative sessions, and I encourage you to do that. I mean, you get a real sense of what goes on under the gold dome and the comments that just don't get captured in the legacy media stuff. Ron is the one with the thick accent that sounds like he's not from here, but this dude is red, white, and blue all the way through. And what's interesting about his bill, what's interesting about this constitutional carry bill is that it would apply to anyone 18 or older. So in a world that doesn't exist, one we just talked about that limited ammunition to 21 year olds and older, you could foresee a situation where somebody could carry concealed constitutionally in Colorado at age 18 and yet not be allowed to purchase the ammunition in their firearm. But nonetheless, you can see the two parties working in opposite directions, one to expand freedom and liberty in a historic way, by the way, and others to try to continue to paper cut it to death.
SPEAKER 08 :
So in that scenario, what would happen is if a bad guy came up to, let's say, an 18-year-old woman and was trying to accost her, she might not have ammunition, but she could have that firearm so she could throw it at him, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes. Maybe she could hit him in the face or something as he attacked her. I tend to think that if you're one of those people that are going to carry concealed at that age, something tells me you're going to find a way to get the ammunition for the firearm too. And something you haven't asked about, Kim, but I think it's important to explore is what happens to these bills if and when they become alive, mostly the restrictive ones. And that's a concern for any elected district attorney, but especially one who is conservative. And that is, OK, now what do you do? The legislature has created a law that is most certainly going to be challenged in court. And my guess is, and we'll talk about SB3, wouldn't survive that challenge. So what do you do as the district attorney if this law becomes live and it creates crimes? that are prosecutable under state law. And I think one thing that people want to hear all the time is that a district attorney is going to announce, well, if I think it's unconstitutional, I just simply won't prosecute it. That's a challenge. Because the minute ADA does something like that, they invite other district attorneys on the other end of the spectrum to say the same thing about the laws that they don't like. Like if I just personally disagree that it's constitutional, I just simply won't enforce it. That's a challenge. But what I can tell people is there are layers of protection here on these bills. One is you're going to have groups, whether it's RMGO or – It's NRA or whomever. They're going to take up arms against this bill in court, which is the right immediate action to take. My presumption is, especially on SB3, there would be some type of an injunction before it became active. But even if it didn't and this litigation was lingering. You have to get through the police and the sheriffs, and the sheriffs are really our greatest protection out of that group. And that is, would a sheriff use their limited resources in this circumstance to pursue these violations of the law, which is very different from saying, I just simply won't enforce it ever. It's different than that. It is an approach that says, we have all of these crimes that we're chasing down, some of them illegal immigrant crimes. What do I do with my limited number of deputies? What do I do with my limited number of jail space? What do I do with my limited number of summonses that I can issue? Do I focus on this piece right here or do I focus on the other? And I think that's where people should feel some solace that if this thing becomes law, even if it's on the books pending some sort of judicial decree – It is, in my opinion, it is less likely to be something that gets enforced in the short term. And that's why you've got to pay attention to who's your district attorney.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right. And also your sheriff as well. Because let's say if you have an out-of-control sheriff over on the left, that they might choose to use their resources to go after law-abiding citizens on this. And that begs a big question. What if something is a direct affront? to the Second Amendment. And you mentioned lawsuits, but lawsuits are expensive and it takes resources to do that. And yet the the government has basically unlimited resources to pay for their legal component of that. And it's really not fair the way that works out.
SPEAKER 03 :
No, it is heavily lopsided, and that's why you have either well-resourced individuals or mostly groups that will go out there. And in advance, you can tell there are groups fundraising right now on the idea that, hey, we're going to have to fight this battle in front of a judge and probably ultimately up the appellate chain all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is one that's going to get particular attention, I think, nationally if it were to become law. That's SB3 because of how broad, sweeping, and unique it is, the way that it tries to attack the Second Amendment. So I'm not worried about us having the funds to fight it in court. I just think in a just country, a just state, you wouldn't have to.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, we're not in a just state. I think we're at the tip of the spear on all the nutso stuff that's going on. So let's talk about Senate Bill 25003. Prime sponsors are all Democrats. That's Senator Tom Sullivan, Senator Julie Gonzalez, Representative Andrew Bozenecker and Representative Meg Froelich. And so this is run into some trouble on the Democrat side to get this through. So what's the latest on Senate Bill 003?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, Kim, this is a question where I'm embarrassed to tell you that I know there have been significant changes while you and I slept last night and trying to wrap my fingers around what all of them were. I mean, this bill was amended before second reading with a date stamp of today, which tells you they carried over into midnight. They may have even gaveled out of yesterday's session and gaveled into today's. But those amendments are still out there, and I'm trying to piece through them. But I'm talking about within the last six or seven hours this bill has undergone some changes. And they could have taken the bill and turned it into something different by way of like a – government ID kind of a bill, like you have to get a government permission to own these kinds of weapons as opposed to an outright ban. That is also offensive under the Second Amendment because it does everything that I know you've talked about in the past, which is we're going to create some sort of government database as to who can possess firearms. The government's in a position to tell you yes or no, whether you're good enough to have them. That is where I think this bill may be headed. I just haven't had a chance to nail down all the amendments that came up in the middle of the night.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, and I know that our many times Republicans have said, hey, we've been able to get some amendments in there to make a bad bill, not as bad. But when you've got a bad bill like this and what you're describing here, and again, we don't know for sure, but that's an infringement upon our Second Amendment rights. And that is also nonconstitutional here. And so I appreciate trying to make bad bills better, but I think actually we just need to say no to bad bills and continue to shed light on that. But I know that politics, it's not quite that easy all the time. George Brockler.
SPEAKER 03 :
No, of course it's not. And we don't, I mean, listen, we say this all the time and it's a throwaway line at the end of aren't things bad in Colorado. And that is elections have consequences and, But it's true. Every single time you have someone on, Kim, to talk about what's going on in the gold dome, me included, that has to be ringing through the ears of the people that are listening. Elections have consequences, and we have lost a ton of them and for a long time. Now, this last year, as you know, we were able to pick off three more. But this next midterm, second term Trump election cycle is going to be as challenging as anything we've seen within the last 10 years, maybe even worse than 2018. And so when people are out there thinking about this, it is one thing to say, I disagree. This is awful. I wouldn't support this. But we really have to take steps to try to win back the legislature because this is going to keep happening. It's going to be death by a thousand cuts on all of the rights that matter to us, liberty in general, if these people continue to stay in control. These aren't the Democrats of 20 years ago in control of the gold dome. These are the whack jobs from the far left of the party. They've called themselves progressives now because liberal got to be a dirty word. But these people are extremists, and this bill is a prime example.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it is. And George, it's interesting that you would mention that because I've been thinking about these elections so much. And I think you're aware that we ended up raising money to get two lawsuits filed, one to hire a legal team that United Sovereign Americans hired that says the Colorado is not meeting minimum standards for elections as set forth by Congress. And so that was filed back in September of last year. And then on November 1st, with the Wisconsin Center for Election Justice, we raised the money for a lawsuit that says that Colorado's voter rolls have people registered that have moved, that our voter rolls are not clean. And so I've been thinking a lot about these elections because, George, I do not believe that the people of Colorado are voting really for this radical extremist stuff. And so we've got to get a handle on on these elections we got a lot of inflection points with these voter rolls that they just send out these mail-in ballots all over we haven't cleaned that up we've got some work to do i think before the next election to try to get this get this um get get our elections under control in colorado because i think we're at the tip of the spear on all the goofy stuff that's going on george brockler well my understanding uh kim is that you know we don't have a u.s attorney yet under trump we're going to get one
SPEAKER 03 :
And that there have been names – and I don't know who they are. I had my own suggestions for people from the Trump team as to, hey, you should look at these folks. I think that they're good conservatives and they know what they're doing. I don't know who they've picked out of those names to come up with their list of three, but what I have heard – from people that are in a position to know is that two of the major areas they want the new U.S. attorney to focus on out here are immigration and election integrity issues. That should give us some hope that if there's a way for, and I can't believe we're saying this after the last four years, if there's a way for the federal government to come in and shed a light on whatever weaknesses are out there, in our election system, we might actually get to the bottom of it. And so I think that that should give some people some optimism.
SPEAKER 08 :
I think that's great. George Brockler, I really appreciate you going through these bills with us and really informative. What's your final thought you'd like to leave with our listeners?
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, if you don't pay attention to what's going on right now, if you don't, whether it's listening to Kim's show or just taking the time to go to the Colorado legislative website and listen to these hearings, you really don't get a sense of how dangerous to liberty. these times are right now and these bills are just a piece of that and whatever inroads we've made this year they could be blown away in just the next election cycle a year from this coming november and so being aware being active participating These aren't just things to talk about on the radio and when we get together at political events. If you don't do it, we're just going to continue to see these things erode, and we'll have conversations like, I remember when for Colorado. I don't want to do that. I grew up here. I want the Colorado I grew up in, and that takes effort.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. George Brockler, District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks, Kim. Take care. Happy Valentine's Day.
SPEAKER 08 :
Happy Valentine's Day to you as well. And our sponsors, I know each and every one of them personally. And if you've been injured, reach out to John Bozen and Bozen Law.
SPEAKER 15 :
You don't have to suffer the consequences of someone else's negligence on your own. The attorneys at Bozen Law have extensive experience handling all types of personal injury and wrongful death claims involving motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, catastrophic injuries, and more. Bozen Law also assists clients with matters related to workers' compensation. and Social Security Disability, SSD. Bose and Law takes pride in truly getting to know their clients and genuinely cares about helping you seek the justice you deserve. Call Bose and Law at 303-999-9999 for a complimentary consultation. That number is 303-999-9999. Call Bose and Law now.
SPEAKER 14 :
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 11 :
Franktown Firearms and Shooting Range is excited to announce its new partnership and on-site training opportunity coming soon. Training in firearm safety for in-home or self-defense is difficult to do in a practical way. But Franktown, in partnership with Colorado CQB, is opening an indoor 360-degree shoot house that will bring you closer to reality than anything you've ever seen. Practice interactive scenarios for defense to ensure you and your family are safe. and you can shoot confidently. You'll benefit from experienced staff and trainers, including law enforcement and military backgrounds. Franktown's new shoot house opens in February, and they invite the public to come out to talk to them about it now and be ready for the grand opening. For safe and simulated training opportunities open to all levels of experience, come to Franktown Firearms where friends are made. Learn more about Franktown Firearms on the klzradio.com advertisers page where you can ask any questions you might have.
SPEAKER 08 :
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.com. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter. 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. 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, shouldn't have to force people to do it. And I do thank the Harris family for their goal sponsorship of the show. It is because of all of our sponsors, all of the support that you all give us. This independent voice with this independent station is on the air, kicking the tires on all of these ideas. So hopefully you can be more and more informed on what is occurring out there. Last night, I did want to say thank you to Mark and Leslie for hosting a movie night at their home of a climate conversation, really a great group of people. And Walt and Rami Johnson were able to make it. We had a little roundtable afterwards. But A Climate Conversation, check it out. They've been showing it on Newsmax pretty regularly. But you can watch it for free at aclimateconversation.com. And I think that this documentary is going to get more and more legs as we're moving into Trump, too, as people are understanding that with all of the money that we've seen going from the American taxpayer. and our children in the form of debt, and going into all of these interested parties. It's important to understand what is going on in a climate conversation. We're getting really great reviews on that. Walt is kicking around the idea of another one, and he's thinking about guests and subjects, and he and his wife, Rami, took money out of their... retirement account to fund the movie, and it's really been on his heart. It's really, I think, an important project. So be sure and check out climateconversation.com at climateconversation.com. And I did mention the USMC Memorial Foundation. I wanted to make sure that I get all of these things done as well. And then on the text line, the text line is 720-605-0647. Going back to yesterday, regarding this enterprise zone, this is a piece of legislation down at the State House, an enterprise zone to charge a fee for everyone that has a septic system, put that money into a government entity, an enterprise zone, which that's outside of our Tabor caps. Again, this is all strategic money. to provide loans for people to fix their septic systems and jenny said that this is the socialization well actually one of our listeners said this is the socialization of septic septic systems and really this is more moving towards as jenny said a communistic approach to our septic systems it's an assault upon property rights so if you start to charge people more and more they're perhaps have been maintaining their septic systems, charge them more and more for those permits. I don't think there's a cap on what they could charge. This is another way that they can take away our private property rights, particularly people in rural areas, which may have more property. They like the freedom of that. And again, this radical activist legislature, they are playing long ball. And let's just talk a little bit about the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, which is my fellow volunteers that we will be working this weekend on taking positions on legislation that will be scheduled for hearing for this week. And I want to say thank you to this group. That is Steve Dorman, Greg Golianski, Russ Haas, Bill Hamill, Robert Knuth, John Nelson, Wendy Warner, Marty Nielsen, Rami Johnson, Mary Jansen, Dave Evans, Corey Onizorg, and Ray Beard and Paula Beard have also joined the group. the board as well, so they will be looking at legislation. So if you join us, 25 bucks, you can do that by going to coloradotaxpayer.org. You will receive the email that we send out on Mondays to all of the legislators and the governor regarding our positions. And we look at these through our pledge, our cut pledge. But I look at things as how it affects property rights, parental rights, TABOR, our Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, and, of course, taxes. And we all pay taxes. And so out of this, there is a lot of legislation. And I had mentioned that at this particular point in time, there's been 400 bills. and 57 pieces of legislation that have been introduced down at the State House. We're not even, we're just a little over a month in. And so this is out of control, and you need to know what's going on. So we've taken positions on 90 bills, And we will be working on these other bills for this week tonight. And let me just let you know, bills with a scheduled committee hearing at this particular point in time for next week, and they may move this around a little bit, and some of them are crossovers, would be 134 bills that are scheduled for hearing this week. And again, it's a bill mill. These people are not legislating. There is no way that there is time that people can actually research all of these bills out there. And so you need to know what's going on. Colorado's at the tip of the spear, and we will continue to keep you informed. on all of this. And so again, join us, Colorado Union of Taxpayers, and when you see these folks, say thank you to them. So for $25 a year, that works out to $2.08 a month, you get hours and hours of analysis that we have put together on all of this. So let's see here. I think that's just about it. I do really appreciate all of you. I wish you all a really happy Valentine's Day. We I can't believe that we're halfway through February. And of course, we've only been through about four weeks of Trump, too. Who knows what's going to happen this weekend? But they are working diligently to get government back into its proper role. And as he's using these executive orders to do so, I hope Congress will then step up to the plate and do their job in making these things into law to reduce government, get us back to our constitutional republic. And then also working on, in my mind, what's going to happen with our Reclaim Colorado 2025 project, because Colorado is at the tip of the spear of everything that's going on. So because it was Medal of Honor quote day, at the end of the show, I like to use a courage quote. This is so amazing from Patrick Henry. To the Virginia Convention in 1775, he said, the battle, sir, is not to the strong alone. It is to the vigilant, the active, and the brave. So 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 02 :
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.
The latest developments in the Justice Department's actions against New York come under the spotlight, as Pam Bondi reveals the federal government's push to enforce compliance with immigration laws. Our host provides insightful commentary on the legal and moral aspects of using taxpayer funds for immigrant amenities, inciting a spirited discussion on civic priorities and responsibilities. Listeners are invited to weigh in through live calls, fueling a robust debate on what many see as one of the defining issues of our time. Humor and political critique blend seamlessly as the episode shifts gears to assess the shifting power dynamics within the U.S. Senate. The confirmation hearings of Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mark significant milestones, challenging the conventional political narrative. With engaging anecdotes and caller perspectives, our host critically examines the impact of these appointments on the broader political spectrum. Don't miss this captivating episode that marries in-depth analysis with the lighter side of politics.
SPEAKER 08 :
He's the happy conservative warrior. From the Relief Factor Studios, here's Mike Geller.
SPEAKER 10 :
I went to bed with a smile on my face. I woke up with a smile on my face. Every day keeps getting better and better. The United States Justice Department has sued New York, its governor, and other state leaders... as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration. The new Attorney General, Pam Bondi, announced the lawsuit. She made it very clear. This is a new DOJ. And you've got to stop prioritizing illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens. You know, I travel a lot. I'm in a lot of hotel rooms. I'm blessed. I like to stay home. in a nice place, when I'm away from my home, I am so mindful of how lucky I am. You know, I kind of consider myself, in some ways, a traveling salesman. I travel all the time. And living in a hotel is part of my job. And I know there are people who hear my voice. who might not have stayed in a hotel in years, maybe not their whole life. And there is something about the millions and millions and millions of dollars that taxpayers give to luxury hotels to turn them into migrant shelters, as they call it, that makes me crazy. I think about people who would love to have a nice hotel room. I think about a veteran. I think about a widow. I think about a single dad. I think about a senior living in a terrible, terrible condition. And it's unbelievable to me that Democrats think it's normal to direct taxpayer dollars to some owner of a hotel and house illegal immigrants for free. For them. It's not free for us. It's free for them. When New York says, come to our city, we are a sanctuary. When the mayor of New York or the governor of New York, more appropriately, says, come to our state, come from Guatemala, come from Guadalajara, come from Mexico City, come from Venezuela, come from China, come from wherever you want to come from, come live in our city and we'll house you at taxpayer expense, it makes me crazy. And I admit, it's a glitch. I've got a glitch here. I obsess over this. So you can appreciate my joy at the press conference yesterday that Pam Bondi held, where she put New York on notice. The Justice Department is suing New York to end these garbage tactics of providing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, of providing hotel rooms to illegal immigrants, of providing food and education and medical attention to illegal immigrants. As Pam Bondi put it yesterday in Washington, D.C., those days are over.
SPEAKER 01 :
If you don't comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable. We did it to Illinois, strike one. Strike two is New York. And if you are a state not complying with federal law, you're next, get ready. And the great men and women of law enforcement are standing behind me today. We have FBI, DEA, ATF agents. They put their lives on the line every single day to protect us. And what New York has, they have green light laws, meaning they're giving a green light to any illegal alien in New York where law enforcement officers cannot check their identity if they pull them over. Law enforcement officers do not have access to their background. And if these great men and women pull over... someone and don't have access to their background, they have no idea who they're dealing with. And it puts their lives on the line every single day. Violent criminals, gang members, drug traffickers, human smugglers will no longer terrorize the American people. And that is why we are here today. You will be held accountable if you do not follow federal law. It's over, it ends, and we're coming after you.
SPEAKER 10 :
Every word of that is music to our ears. Every word of that is worth jubilation, gratitude. Do you realize what we achieved on November 5th? Do you get this? Do you know how terrible things would be if Kamala Harris had been elected president of the United States? Let's go back to Pam Bondi yesterday, who makes it very clear it is a new day.
SPEAKER 01 :
We have filed charges against the state of New York. We have filed charges against Kathy Hochul. We have filed charges against Letitia James and Mark Schroeder, who is with DMV. This is a new DOJ, and we are taking steps to protect Americans, American citizens, and angel moms, like the mom standing right behind me who you're going to hear from in a moment. New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today. As you know, we sued Illinois. And New York didn't listen. So now you're next.
SPEAKER 10 :
Oh, my gosh. I'm not kidding you. I'm not saying this to be a smart aleck. I could quit right now and be the happiest guy in the world. I'm not going anywhere. I'm just digging in. I'm just getting started. But I could die right now the happiest guy in the world. Lord, take me now. I honestly could. I'm so happy. It's hard to even put into words what this feels like. And we're three weeks in. This country's just getting started. This country is roaring back. Common sense is prevailing. And you know what's magnificent? They don't know what to do. They've got nothing. From Chuck Schumer to Waters to Pelosi to Emanuel Cleaver, they've got nothing. They're reduced, and I'm not trying to be ugly here. I'm going to try to be on my best behavior. They are reduced to gibberish. I mean, like, literal gibberish. They're mouthing, they're going up to a podium and mouthing nonsensical words. Let me give you an example. Missouri's Congressman Emanuel Cleaver just yesterday said,
SPEAKER 09 :
Take your musty millions and musty Moscow rights to the moon. You get your musty hands off of our money or go to Moscow, you musty moon, moon, moon.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, that's their effect. That's their strategy. When all this waste is being carved away, when taxpayers are being rescued by the Trump administration, the best they got is Emanuel Cleaver mouthing gibberish. You take your musty, musty, moo-moo hands off. That's good. That's good. That'll work. That's very effective. That guy makes Chuck Schumer's approach... look like Winston Churchill. They're lost. They're broken. They're shattered. And it's just going to keep getting better and better and better. 800-655-MIKE. Welcome aboard. It is Thursday. We're here in the Relief Factor studios. And I think our best times are ahead. It is a glorious time to be on the right side of history, isn't it? It is a magnificent... And I do often think of how bad it could be if you've been on the wrong side. And I know many of you are listening right now. You're watching on Salem News Channel. You've got your radio station tuned in. You're hate-listening to me. You're angry. You're frustrated. You're sputtering. How does it feel to know how wrong you've been? I'm not trying to be mean here. How does this feel? I've asked that question now for a couple weeks. You got buyer's remorse? Look, come on in. The water's fine. 800-655-MIKE. One phone number does it all. One call does it all. Call or text 800-655-6453. Hope you join us. There's no better time than right now to call my friends at PhD Weight Loss and Nutrition to start your journey to a healthier you. As I hear from you about how PhD Weight Loss and Nutrition has changed your life, I know that each one of us has had our own reasons for starting. I started my journey because I gained enough weight and was ready to make a change. I sat down with Dr. Ashley Lucas, and like they say, the rest was history. I lost 53 pounds, and I've kept it off. We all have different reasons for starting. Maybe you got a discouraging diagnosis from your doctor. You needed to make a lifestyle change. One grandmother I talked to couldn't chase her toddler grandson and was afraid he might get hurt in her care. Another gentleman had lower back and hip pain, which forced him to give up golf. He wanted his life back. You want your life back? Do what I did. Start the PhD journey. Make 2024 your year to say goodbye and let go of all those unwanted pounds. Call PhD weight loss and nutrition today to schedule your your consultation. Call 864-644-1900, 864-644-1900, or just go to MyPhDWeightLoss.com, MyPhDWeightLoss.com.
SPEAKER 08 :
He's the happy conservative warrior. From the Relief Factor Studios, here's Mike Dellery.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yesterday, Tulsi Gabbard got confirmed. Today, it looks like RFK Jr. is about to be confirmed. We're watching the vote. We'll keep you posted. It's going to be a good day to stay plugged into the Mike Gallagher Show and the Relief Factor Studios. Welcome aboard. It's Thursday. Gosh, every single day I wake up with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. I can't believe how good things are going for us. Every single day seems to be better than the day before. Yesterday, Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, told New York, okay, you didn't listen. You're not paying attention. You can't keep giving driver's licenses to illegals. You can't keep circumventing the federal government on this. We are serious about ending the tidal wave of illegal immigration in America. And you've got to either get on board or suffer the consequences. So the Justice Department has sued New York. I was intrigued by these confirmation hearings and the way this is coming together for the Trump administration. President Trump's got to be sitting there thinking, man, I'm glad it's going a lot better than it went first time around when they were all screaming with their hair on fire. Now it is as if Americans have recognized he was the answer all along. And you've got people like Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth. You've got mavericks. You've got people who are not the quintessential politician by any stretch of the imaginations. And Donald Trump made a decision that Tulsi Gabbard should be his Director of National Intelligence. Why in the world? Why in the world would Mitch McConnell, a lifelong Republican, and the former Senate Majority Leader, vote against her? I wanted to get a take from a leftist... a leftist perspective. Malcolm Ferguson wrote a piece at New Republic. New Republic is a leftist site. And the headline is, Mitch McConnell explains his sad, lone, no vote on Tulsi Gabbard. Now, they're complaining, of course, from the left. What they're mad about is that McConnell couldn't get any other Republicans to vote against her. They write, Mitch McConnell has gone from being one of the most powerful men in the GOP, the face of conservatism, to failing to convince a single Republican colleague to vote no with him on Tulsi Gabbard. The former Senate Majority Leader was the only Republican to vote no on Tulsi's confirmation. McConnell said in a statement after the vote, the nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the president receives are tainted by a director of national intelligence with a history of alarming lapses in judgment. Entrusting the coordination of the intelligence community to someone who struggles to acknowledge these facts is an unnecessary risk. Well, Mitch McConnell is essentially telling Donald Trump, you don't know what you're doing. This is a blank you from McConnell to President Trump. No other way to describe this. How do you think President Trump feels about Mitch McConnell stabbing him in the back like that? How do you suppose Donald Trump... receives the no vote from Mitch McConnell. I'm going to go out on a limb and say, not well. Not well. I don't know what kind of a factor Mitch McConnell is going to play in Trump 2.0. And I'm curious as to what you think. I don't know if Mitch McConnell has any juice, any impact, any effect. Is it just a ceremonial no vote? Is he going to ceremonially keep sticking his thumb in President Trump's eye? Look, we remember what he said from the floor of the Senate after January 6th. Mitch McConnell was real revved up then. And he appears to be revved up now. Headline from the New Republic, Mitch McConnell explains his sad, lone, no vote on Tulsi Gabbard. He did the same thing with RFK Jr. Breaking news. Mitch McConnell is the lone Republican vote against RFK Jr. So it appears that Mitch McConnell... has become the 2025 version of Adam Kinzinger. It appears that the former Senate Majority Leader, and I think now we can kind of confirm it, after his lone vote moments ago against RFK Jr. to be the Health and Human Services Secretary, it appears that Mitch McConnell is prepared to be the lone Republican functioning in the U.S. Senate as the never-Trumper. I want to get your take on it all. 800-655-MIKE. One call does it all. Text or call us. The MyPillow text line is open to you. 800-655-MIKE. Give me your reaction. Again, Mitch McConnell voting against RFK Jr., who is expected to... Get confirmed. It might require the tiebreaker. We're going to see. We'll find out. But again, just like he voted against Tulsi Gabbard yesterday, he just voted against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. So tell me what you think about Mitch McConnell's role in the Trump era, in the Trump 2.0 era. 800-655-MIKE, 800-655-6453. Hope you join us.
SPEAKER 04 :
summer darkness.
SPEAKER 10 :
Portions of our show brought to you by MyPillow. And I do want to tell you, I got a message from Mike Lindell himself today. This is an amazing offer. Free shipping on everything. So if you've thought about getting the mattress topper, which comes in a big box, and that mattress topper is like three inches of heaven. You take it and put it on any mattress, turn it into the most comfortable bed in the world. And it comes in a big box. You unfold it and everything. You unpack it. Well, guess what? For a limited time, free shipping on anything you order. Mike Lindell is so grateful to this audience for your constant support of MyPillow. They've tried to cancel him, too, just like they're trying to cancel RFK Jr. and everybody else. It isn't working because you're standing in the breach. You're defending this great American company. And for a limited time, not only can you get the classic standard MyPillow for only $14.98, limit $10, please, because that's a crazy low price, the MySlippers, the doggy beds, the flannel sheets, even the mattress itself. You can get a MyPillow mattress, which has thousands of cooling points. It has the patented technology from MyPillow in the mattress. And best part of all, free shipping. Free shipping as a thank you for your support for a limited time. So go to MyPillow.com. Look for the Mike Gallagher Specials Square. Click on that box. And with anything you order, enter the promo code MikeG. MyPillow.com. Promo code MikeG. MyPillow.com. Promo code MikeG. Or call 800-928-6034. 800-928-6034. Like we love to sing.
SPEAKER 04 :
For the best night's sleep in the whole wide world, visit MyPillow.com.
SPEAKER 10 :
Promo code MikeG.
SPEAKER 1 :
Some breaking news.
SPEAKER 10 :
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been confirmed. It's all but official. It's not exactly official. He's got 50 votes. He needs, of course, a majority. J.D. Vance will be the tiebreaker. Right now it stands at 50 to 46. You know, I'm thinking only Donald Trump could get somebody like Bobby Kennedy confirmed as the Health and Human Services Secretary. Think about this. Think about what we're witnessing as a country, and it's what makes the left absolutely crazy. It's what makes Mitch McConnell crazy. I mean, for Mitch McConnell, a guy who's a dinosaur, been around for a long time, this is a guy who understands that the apple cart has not just been pushed over, it's been nuked. Donald Trump took his gold-plated limousine and ran over Mitch McConnell's apple cart. And he can't believe it. Can't believe it. Just can't get over it. And he's just not going to let him govern the way he wants to govern. He's not going to let it happen. 51 votes now officially for RFK Jr. No tiebreaker needed. RFK Jr. The vote is still open, but RFK Jr. has now gotten enough votes to confirm him. And I want you to picture Jeb Bush getting Bobby Kennedy Jr. confirmed. I want you to picture anybody. Picture any other Republican. Mitt Romney. I mean, first of all, none of them would go within a million miles of people like Tulsi Gabbard or Pete Hegseth or Bobby Kennedy or Seb Gorka, who I spoke with this morning. We want to get Seb back on the show soon in his role, in his counterterrorism role, because, look, the terrorists aren't going to rest. And we always have to be diligent. So what do you make of a lifelong stalwart Republican like Mitch McConnell? Let's start with Scott in the upstate of South Carolina, 22 past the hour. Welcome aboard, Scott. How are you? I'm doing great, Mike. How are you today, buddy? I'm great. Appreciate hearing from you.
SPEAKER 12 :
I think what we're seeing with Mitch McConnell would become very commonplace if we ever enforce term limits. He's running rogue right now. He announced he's not going to run again. He doesn't have to answer to his constituents. He doesn't have to answer to the Republican Party. And that's why I just hope the listeners realize we need to get out and primary these rhinos now. instead of waiting and hoping for term limits.
SPEAKER 10 :
You know, I have to tell you something. I have been on the fence about term limits for years. I've always appreciated the argument, we do have term limits, it's called the election. But the problem is, people like Mitch McConnell have a stranglehold on their constituents. And it's almost like a guaranteed shoo-in that they're going to get re-elected. I guess you could argue, well, look at Liz Cheney. The voters of Wyoming utterly and thoroughly repudiated her. They rejected her big time, right? But she wasn't a congresswoman in Wyoming for 100 years like Mitch McConnell. So I have to tell you, Scott, I think Lindsey Graham's never going to lose.
SPEAKER 12 :
He is going to get primaries this time, Mike. There is a huge force in South Carolina of people talking about getting out to vote. We need 60, 70 percent turnout, not the 9 to 13 percent we normally get to be him and get him out.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, you could be right. I doubt it, but you could be right. Anything could happen. But again, the typical established... Incumbents never lose. They just don't. And it's the power of the incumbency. And that's why I think you're probably right. I'm starting to believe more than ever in term limits. And I just think it's time. Lindsey Graham's, I mean, Mitch McConnell's a good example of that. And Lindsey Graham, whatever you think of him, he is not setting out to be a perpetual thorn in the side of Donald Trump. I would argue that Senator Graham has been pretty enthusiastic over the Trump agenda and has supported him. You know, Senator Graham, interesting guy. I think he believes strongly in trying to find common ground. He reaches across the aisle more than a lot of us find would be comfortable. But I think, to be very blunt, Lindsey Graham gets a bum rap. And I know that's not probably popular with a lot of people who are angry and don't like him, but Lindsey Graham is no Mitch McConnell. He's just not. He's not. You know, Senator Graham, from my perspective, was sort of joined at the hip with John McCain. John McCain passed away. Lindsey Graham sort of became his own man. And, you know, I'll take Lindsey Graham over Mitch McConnell any day of the week. Maybe you don't see it that way. Let's find out. Peggy in Ocala, Florida. Hi, Peggy. Welcome to the Mike Gallagher Show. How are you?
SPEAKER 13 :
I am just fantastic with Robert Kennedy coming into office.
SPEAKER 10 :
Pretty big day. Pretty big day, huh?
SPEAKER 13 :
I'm so excited. So excited to be an American.
SPEAKER 10 :
And I'm glad I got to be the one to deliver the good news to you, Peggy.
SPEAKER 13 :
Oh, I'm telling you, I've been crying and screaming until you came on.
SPEAKER 10 :
Good. Good. I love it. I love it. I love it. What do you make of this Mitch McConnell no vote?
SPEAKER 13 :
I just want to remind everybody that it's China Mitch. He's married to the largest bank in China, so he's been a rhino forever, and it's no surprise.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. Thank you, Peggy. I appreciate it very much. Richard and Alexander, where are you? You're in North Carolina, right, Richard? Yes. Welcome to the show.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thank you. First, prayers for your health. Thank you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks a lot.
SPEAKER 05 :
I think I'm just wondering if Mitch McConnell is part of that deep state swamp.
SPEAKER 10 :
It's hard not to wonder the same thing, Richard. You just have to figure there has got to be some driving force that would make Senator McConnell want to be the loyal opposition to Donald Trump. I mean, that's what I mean about making that comparison to Lindsey Graham. Senator Graham is not part of that never Trump loyal opposition. Far from it. But again, breaking news, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been confirmed to be the Health and Human Services Secretary. It's another glorious day in America.
SPEAKER 14 :
I've got to run, run like the wind, to be free again. And I've got such a long way to go.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hi, everyone. Tom Mustin here for the Legal Help Center. If you or someone you know were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma within the past 20 years, listen up. You could be entitled to significant compensation. For years, the weed killer Roundup was used in homes, farms, and gardens. And now studies have proved a direct link between Roundup and this deadly cancer. So if you or someone you know have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, call us and find out if you qualify for a cash settlement. Call 800-266-6200. That's 800-266-6200. Time to file a claim is running out, so don't delay. The call is free, the consultation is free, and you can find out if you qualify for a monetary reward. Call 800-266-6200. That's 800-266-6200. Call now. Advertisement sponsored by Legal Help Center. May not be available in all states.
SPEAKER 08 :
The Mike Gallagher Show.
SPEAKER 06 :
In terms of the war, you know, a million and a half soldiers, young people have been killed. I've met many. Yeah, and it's a terrible thing going on, so we want to get that done. I think this could be the very important element. You could be a big part of it, actually, because it could be a big, important part of getting the war over with Ukraine.
SPEAKER 08 :
In the ReliefFactor.com studios, here's Mike.
SPEAKER 10 :
Of course, that was a big development. Trump with a lengthy phone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin yesterday attempting to put an end to the war in Ukraine. And, of course, Trump negotiated the release of that high school teacher from a Russian prison. Three and a half years that guy languished in a Russian jail cell in the Biden administration. They didn't get him back. Trump comes along. Three weeks later, the guy comes home, Mark Fogel. It's just extraordinary, all the things that are happening. And the Democrats are only left with embarrassing themselves. You know, when you embarrass yourself, and anybody in the public eye, I always tell my team, just never let me embarrass myself. I've had some doozies of moments where I have thoroughly humiliated myself. I'll never forget going to Santa Rosa, California. I had a weird, goofy station there. They liked me. They didn't like me. But they brought me to the market. And in Santa Rosa. And they had tons of people at this restaurant waiting for me. And we had to make this long walk across the parking lot. So there's all these cheering people. This was years ago. Eric, do you remember when this happened? I'm walking across the parking lot with the program director of that station in Santa Rosa. And there's all these people waving, Mike, Mike, cheering, and I got all excited, and I'm waving back. I mean, I really felt like a big deal. And I tripped over the curb in the parking lot, and I rolled around like a bowling ball. And the whole crowd, of course, gasped. They thought I was dead. I mean, I went down like a sack of potatoes. I have never been more embarrassed in my life. That was my big entrance. Rolling around like a hobo in the gutter. I ripped my pants. I got dirt on my face. I mean, I went down hard. No wonder they kicked me off the station eventually. No wonder they didn't want me anymore. You never want to embarrass yourself. And so yesterday we played that horrific, squealing, wailing, that singing, we're going to be doge, we're going to be. And then you had Maxine Waters and Chuck Schumer with their goofy chanting. And I thought, well, it can't get any worse. Every single day these Democrats are holding rallies and they just keep embarrassing themselves. And I thought, well, yesterday, that takes the cake. The stupid singing to the Pete Seeger folk song, a commie, like Pete Seeger, you know, a communist folk song. What a shocker that they would change the words, change the lyrics to that. We will beat Elon Doge. We will beat Doge and Elon. So I thought, well, they've hit rock bottom, right? There's no way it can get any worse. Yesterday, along comes another rally, and one of the featured speakers was Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, Democrat from Missouri.
SPEAKER 09 :
Take your musty millions and musty Moscow rights.
SPEAKER 10 :
to the moon you get your muster hands off of our money or go to moscow you muster you musky moo moo moo you musty moo moo moo i mean they and they cheered for that i'd get a rubber i'd get like a butterfly net and just put it around him and get him into the home where he belongs And the anger is over the way. You take your hands off our money, you musty moo-moo-moo. Musty moo-moo-moo. Now, you know Elon Musk is going to have a field day with that. He's going to mass-produce T-shirts that say musty moo-moo-moo. Does he say musky moo-moo-moo? Somebody thinks he was going to say MF-er, and he stopped himself. Is he a preacher? Is he a minister? So you know what he was about to do. He was about to say MF-er, and he stopped himself, and instead of saying musky MF-er, he said musty moo moo moo. Let me listen to it one more time. You tell me if you don't think that's what he was about to do. He was going to say MF-er, and he caught himself because, after all, he's a preacher.
SPEAKER 09 :
Where is it? Where's the clip? Take your musty millions and musty Moscow rights to the moon. You get your musty hands off of our money or go to Moscow. You musty moo, moo, moo.
SPEAKER 10 :
It's like talking and speaking in tongues. Maybe that's what he was doing. He's a pastor. Maybe he was filled with the spirit. You musty moo, moo, moo, moo. What's today going to bring? I mean, what are they going to do? Are they going to light themselves on fire? Are they going to self-immolulate themselves? What's going to happen next? What's going to go on next? What's going to happen next with these Democrats, these poor, pathetic, pitiful, broken Democrats? They're broken. Trump broke them, which is astounding. I never thought I'd see it. Tom, Staten Island, New York. Love Staten Island. Staten Island. How you doing, Tom?
SPEAKER 07 :
How you doing, Mike? Nice to talk to you. At least you show a long time. Long time listener, first time caller. Thank you, Tom. You're fantastic.
SPEAKER 10 :
I appreciate you very much.
SPEAKER 07 :
I'm a senior citizen. Staten Island's doing okay. New York is all screwed up.
SPEAKER 10 :
I know, but Staten Island is like an oasis in the desert over there. I mean, I love it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes, it's like 80-90% Republican. I mean, you've got problems, but it's like a suburb of New York City almost. I know. Oh, I know. I know.
SPEAKER 10 :
You give Frankie Five Burrows Morano my love, all right? My good buddy, Frank Morano. Good, good, good guy. Yes, he is.
SPEAKER 07 :
I'm just calling. I'm a senior citizen here. I was in Vietnam, business, whatever. But I was one time a liberal. I've gone to the right. But I think, you know, your shows are great. But, I mean, you made a good point about Trump is a killer. He's going to get New York, too, I think. It's an unbelievable movement here now. We'll see what happens. But I was calling about McConnell. Sure. Yeah, I think he has no power now. But, I mean, he reminds me basically, like you said, a lifetime politician, never worked a job in the government all his life. And similar to Biden and Senator here, Schumer, he's another one, Schumer.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, just the light. You're right, they're losing their clout, aren't they, Tom? They're losing their relevance. And maybe that's what it comes down to, is they just can't. accept their fading relevance. There's no question about it. I mean, there's just no doubt that no one wants to lose that grasp of being relevant and staying relevant, you know? So, hey, thank you for your kind words. I want to remind you, I know you guys are getting some snow in New York and Chicago. It's chilly, it's cold. Portions of our show brought to you by MyPillow. They're having the first ever mega sale on overstock clearance and brand new products. And the one I'd recommend, the flannel sheets. You'll save over 50% on this season's flannel sheets. Queen size only $59.98. Look, Mike Lindell was put through hell. You know the whole story. Support MyPillow. Support a great American company out of Minnesota. The pillow that started it all, the classic standard MyPillow, you get it for as low as $14.98.
SPEAKER 1 :
$14.98.
SPEAKER 10 :
MyPillow.com. Promo code MikeG. MyPillow.com. Promo code MikeG or call 800- 928-6034. 800-928-6034. I hope you'll make it a MyPillow Thursday. Sing along with me.
SPEAKER 04 :
For the best night's sleep in the whole wide world, visit MyPillow.com.
SPEAKER 10 :
Promo code MikeG.
SPEAKER 1 :
Which side are you on?
SPEAKER 11 :
Which side are you on? I thought I'd keep this in people's heads for exactly 24 hours. Because Mike... As we mocked the latest weird drunken frat party of Democrats, they were singing this at an anti-Doge rally, anti-Elon rally, right? Was that the event? It's a real song. It's a real song with history. Pete Seeger recorded this in 1941. Stone-cold communist Pete Seeger. So good source material for these people. But that's a real song. I did not know that.
SPEAKER 10 :
I thought they might have gotten their creative juices flowing. Well, they did rewrite the lyrics.
SPEAKER 11 :
Because we're up against Elon, up against Doge. We're going to walk up, punch him in the nose. I mean, I don't even know.
SPEAKER 10 :
Before we dive in, let me, of course, extend my deepest condolences to you and Lisa and the whole team. When you hurt, we hurt. And you said something about the loss of your friend Jeff that really resonated with me. Jeff would love nothing better than to see people support Jeff. your efforts to feed starving kids. And what a beautiful gesture that would be. And I've gotten even a couple of texts saying, how can we help? And of course, I said, look, you could make a donation to Mark's Food for the Poor campaign.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's 660antheanswer.com. Click Give Life, and there's a little line item you can put in there. Do it in honor of Jeff Williams. In honor of Jeff Williams. Just a beautiful thing to do, and thank you.
SPEAKER 10 :
And in honor of Mark Davis, because I know you're hurting. In fact, I know it's weird to connect these two stories, but I think it applies. You and I talked about a friend of mine that we had kind of a fracture in our friendship over Trump, as so many people do. And this friend who lashed out at me a little bit and really hurt me, frankly, in terms of a position, because I didn't see it coming from him. He's a good, good man. And I was hurt, and I stewed about it and talked to you a little bit about it, and you stewed about it. And then overnight, he wrote me a note that was as gracious and loving and wonderful as I would have expected from him in the first place. Hey, I'm sorry I handled it this way. I would have liked to have done it a different way, and I should have. And I'm sorry, and I treasure our friendship and hope we'll always be friends. Now, I shared that with you. And when I first shared it with you via text, you were a little abrupt. And then you shared with me the loss of your dear friend. And your point was... In this short time we have on Earth together, we don't need to be sniffing at each other over politics, even something as important as the direction of the country. Look, it's politics. We're Democrats. We're Republicans. We're right. We're left. But, you know, in a blink of an eye, a years-long friendship, and I've had a years-long friendship with this person, too, that I'm referring to, Can be gone just like that. What? Because you're you've got a fit of peak because you're you know, you're not happy with the way the the election went or the you don't like Doge or you don't like, you know, you know, come on. And and you and then you said that you said and you this is typical Mark Davis. And I'm ripping the curtain back so the audience can hear this. You said to me, forgive me if I'm a little less gracious than I normally would be because of the loss of my dear friend Jeff. I think about that, frankly, with divorces. You know, if you've lost your partner to death, when you hear about people who kind of give up on their marriage, I always think, wait a minute, I'd give anything to have five more minutes with her. So hold the people you love in your life close to you. You're going to have disagreements. You might not like Trump. You may love Trump. But don't dispatch with abandon your lifelong friendships or family members or sons or daughters or husbands. It's not worth it, Mark.
SPEAKER 11 :
You just never know what's going to happen. You said that it's kind of a disconnect. No, it's not a disconnect at all for you to bring this up. It's exactly the kind of thing that I'd be happy for people to carry with them as we talk about this is don't let little things rob you of one moment of a friendship, a family relationship.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 11 :
And here's the real tricky thing. I'm going to ramp it up a little more if you're going to go down this path. Sure. Be the peacemaker. Swallow your pride. Be the peacemaker. Well, they really said something mean to me or, you know, they really dissed me or they really shut up. I don't care. I don't mean grovel to somebody who's horribly mistreated you and is unrepentant. But if there's been a long estrangement. Or just there's just bad blood. Be the person who steps forward and says, look, you're my brother, sister, husband, whatever. You're my brother. You're my friend. You're my whatever. I don't want this to define whatever time we have left together, whether that's one minute, one year or 15 years. Let let's heal this. Be the healer. Be the peacemaker. Don't let you. Well, he wounded me. Screw it. I don't care. Be. And listen, if they tell you to go take a hike, at least you tried. You did the right thing. But I wonder how many relationships could heal today or how many fractures could be amended today if people did that. And I hope that happened.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, look at what happened with this friend of mine. I mean, he sort of let me know how he felt and how different we were in terms of what we believe in and kind of was sort of closing, sort of trying to close the door on an aspect of our relationship. And when I expressed how, frankly, how hurt I was and how, look, if you ever change your mind, I'll be here. I'm your friend. Well, that's what I think did it. And so that's the peacemaker. That's saying, look, You know, I get it. And that doesn't mean abandon your principles. That doesn't mean you stop believing what you believe in. Agree to disagree, but be a bigger person. Absolutely. But we've stopped agreeing to disagree. That's what kills me. It's like it's my way or the highway, and you're evil. No, I'm evil. No, you're the devil. No, you're a fascist. And it's like, come on. I mean, we're... You mentioned about you and Jeff going through 9-11, and I remember that, of course, like it was yesterday. I was in the Empire State Building the morning of 9-11. And in the weeks and months after that, we weren't bickering about who was the Democrat and who was the Republican. We were unified, Mark. We really were. Even in New York, where honking the horn at one another is just like a wave. I mean, it's like a tip of the hat. You do that in Dallas, you might get shot. You lay on the horn at the red light. But nobody even honked their horns at each other for weeks and weeks. Denise pointed that out. She said, did you notice? Nobody's even honking. I thought, I know. It's different. It was something. I would long for that. And you know what is the worst irony of all? Trump wants that unity more than anybody. Of course. He does. He talks a lot about unity. They ignore him. They don't believe him. But he means it. He wants unity. He wants us to be greater together. He wants this country to be great. He wants middle class people to pay less at the grocery store. He wants everybody to pay less in taxes. He wants the roads to work. He wants the borders secure. He wants us to be a proud, vibrant, prosperous nation again. Why would anybody be against that?
SPEAKER 11 :
thing how is anybody against government efficiency how is it you you know you know the answer of course it is because they're you know because half of america or whatever or half of our you know political system loves the grift loves expansionist collectivist government needs for it to be this big and so when trump and elon roll in and actually do something about it for the first time in let me check my lifetime uh if you bet it's going to be a shock to the system It's a shock to my system in a hugely positive way. It's like, wow, these things we've dreamed of for years actually making government smaller rather than just breaking our arms, patting ourselves on the back for reducing the size at which it grows. These are different times, and I'm thrilled. So the people who have fed the trough of that government largesse, you bet they're going to be testy.
SPEAKER 10 :
You bet. You bet. And they don't like it. But see, they're not even just testy. And that's the tell. That's the giveaway. They're hysterical. Hair on fire. Raging, screaming little housewives from Oregon who are congresswomen. Oh, I hope my kids don't hear me saying F Trump. Well, then don't say it, dummy. What is wrong with you? What is wrong with you? Meanwhile, here's Trump talking to Putin about maybe ending his war in Ukraine.
SPEAKER 11 :
Here we go. Is he going to go there? Are they going to maybe meet in Saudi Arabia? Will we have Trump in Moscow, Putin here, sitting down with Zelensky? I don't even know what that looks like, what the settlement, what the compromise would look like. But if this happens, and I certainly hope that it does, And on Saturday, he lays down the line in the sand about if we don't get the hostages back, all hell will break out. At first, Hamas had said, we're not giving you anybody because you're threatening us with lifting the ceasefire. Now it's like they're blinking a little. Now they say we're going to give back the people who we had originally said we were going to give back on Saturday. What do we got? About 48 hours or so. I think we may be getting more people than they say.
SPEAKER 10 :
You got that right. And meanwhile, the former Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, struggling to explain his sad, pathetic, lone no vote on Tulsi Gabbard. You know, somebody, Malcolm Ferguson over at New Republic wrote, Mitch McConnell has gone from being one of the most powerful men in the GOP, the face of conservatism, to failing to convince, this is the way the New Republic, the lefties look at it, to fail to convince a single Republican colleague to vote no with him on Tulsi Gabbard. The only Republican to vote no on Tulsi, Mitch McConnell.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's virtue signaling. It's posturing.
SPEAKER 10 :
It is.
SPEAKER 11 :
It took me until a couple of days ago to go back to 60 minutes of last week or week before to see the profile they did about him. And they talked to his biographer. And listen, all biographers should be fawning and sycophantic, I guess. So it's, of course, it's somebody who thinks well of Mitch. And the interviewer asked, I think it was Norah O'Donnell, asked, what is Mitch's most courageous moment? I know what my answer would be, because there have been some. Keeping the Supreme Court seat open in 2016 when Scalia died so that the people could decide which president would fill that. Nope. It was his finest moment. Know what the biographer said his most courageous moment was? Condemning Trump for January 6th. Sticking up for funding for Ukraine.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thank you. Unbelievable. Hey, by the way, you mentioned Norah O'Donnell. This just shows how disconnected I am from broadcast TV.
SPEAKER 11 :
I don't really watch a lot.
SPEAKER 10 :
Have you seen it?
SPEAKER 11 :
I watched it on its first night. I kind of like it. It looks like a really high-toned local newscast. That's right.
SPEAKER 10 :
A weather guy with a weather map. I mean, it's bombing, apparently. The trades are all writing about how it's not very successful so far, but it's a week out of the gate. You know, I like that Maurice Dubois. Maurice Dubois is good. He's a New York City-based anchor, and I remember when I lived there, I enjoyed him. But CBS has always been sort of the also-ran, haven't they?
SPEAKER 11 :
Especially in the mornings, where the morning battle was today versus GMA. I remember Harry Smith, they had CBS this morning or something like that. They're a big, powerful network with a legacy.
SPEAKER 10 :
And now Gayle King, because it pays to be Oprah's BFF. When you're Oprah's BFF, you get all kinds of perks. Yes, it does. Gail King, my goodness. Oh, well. Anyway, hey, look, hang in there, and we're praying for you. We're praying for your family. We're praying for Jeff and his beautiful wife and kids. I met Jeff, and what a great guy. Just a prince. And you know what? I know it hurts now, but you remember something. As time heals, and it does, all those warm memories of your trip to Israel and all the stuff you guys did together, they will fill you with joy and gratitude and And believe me, he knew what a blessing Mark Davis was in his life. His wife knows what a blessing you and Lisa are to their lives. And that's a gift, Mark, that you give without even intending to give it. So I'm with you.
SPEAKER 11 :
He was a blessing in ours. And so let's all be blessings in each other's lives and do all those wonderful things. It's funny you mention about there's an old saying that when time heals, and of course it does, There'll be a time when your tears will be replaced by smiles, when remembering won't make you cry as much anymore, but you will smile. And I'm already doing both kind of at the same time. My buddy Jeff Petroulis, who used to work with us in the VIP realm, said everybody's got pictures of me and jeff and our whole posse they're all trading them back and forth you know like teenagers now he sent me a picture of me and jeff in the bap studio and jeff is festooned in tcu purple because of course and we're and we're both wearing um big orange and white elephant ears because i guess was the the promotional stuff from horton here's a who or something like this and we're just looking so matter-of-factly into the camera wearing massive cloth elephant ears with big smiles That was my buddy.
SPEAKER 10 :
That was Jeff. Well, you look at the pictures on your social media, you can see the twinkle in his eye. You see that mischievous kind of that big smile, and golly, I mean, you know. What a man. Just cherish those memories, my friend. I will, Ben, and I cherish you, and I love you so much. And we love you, and we're hurting with you, Mark. Hang in there, my friend. Thank you, man.
SPEAKER 11 :
Love you. That's what a friend is, too, by the way. That's Mike Gallagher, a friend to all, and he'll begin his friendly show at 10 o'clock as soon as we're done on 660 AM The Answer.
