Big Shot! Podcast Charlie King

In Part 2 of Big Shot's Iowa Caucus coverage, we hear from current and veteran Iowa Caucus campaign staffers and learn about what it's like to play a role in shaping America’s future. We also hear from a former winner of the Iowa Caucus on what it took to secure victory on Election Night.

What are Iowans like? Is the Iowa Caucus overrated? What would our Founding Fathers think of the Iowa Caucus process? Listen to hear their answers to these questions (and more)!

Special thanks to Sascha Owen, Nicole King, and Sarah Paden for sharing your experiences on the campaign trail with us. And thank you to former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum for sharing your Iowa Caucus story with our listeners. Make sure to follow Senator Santorum on Twitter at @RickSantorum.

Nancy Pelosi is the current Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and Leader of the House Democratic Caucus. The first and only woman to be nominated Speaker, she is the highest-ranking elected woman in U.S. history and one of the most powerful leaders in American politics.

Born and raised in Baltimore to a political family, Pelosi was involved in Democrats politics from an early age. Her father served as a Democratic Congressman from Maryland for nearly a decade and became Mayor of Baltimore when Nancy was seven years old. Growing up, she helped her father at his campaign events and supported her mother’s efforts to organize Democratic women.

Upon moving to San Francisco after she graduated college, Pelosi started working her way up in the Democratic Party. She was elected as a Democratic National Committee member from California in 1976 and was selected to head the California Democratic Party only five years later in 1981.

Pelosi was first elected to Congress in 1987 in a special election, narrowly defeating San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt. She won reelection in the regular election in 1988 and has since been reelected 16 times with no substantive opposition, winning an average of 80 percent of the vote each election.

In 2003, after Democratic House Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri’s resignation, Pelosi took over as Minority Leader and became the first woman to lead a major party in the House. Following the 2006 midterm election, in which Democrats took control of the House, she became the first woman, the first Californian, and the first Italian American to hold the speakership.

In President Bush’s second term, Pelosi distinguished herself as a major opponent of the Iraq War as well as the President’s attempt to reform Social Security. She strongly opposed the 2007 troop surge, joining with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to write a letter to Bush in which they claimed, “there is no purely military solution in Iraq. There is only a political solution. Adding more combat troops will only endanger more Americans and stretch our military to the breaking point for no strategic gain.” Pelosi also helped successfully defeat Bush’s Social Security plan, imposing intense party discipline to coordinate near-unanimous Democratic votes of opposition to the proposal.

When President Obama took office in 2008, Pelosi played an instrumental role in passing many landmark bills. She spearheaded the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 despite widespread concern from other Democratic leaders that the bill could not pass, leading President Obama to call her “one of the best speakers the House of Representatives has ever had.” Additionally, she provided key leadership in passing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and 2010 Tax Relief Act.

In the Trump era, Pelosi has led Congressional opposition to the President’s agenda. She thwarted his attempt to build a wall on the U.S./Mexico border during the 2018-2018 shutdown and has aggressively sought to expand federal gun control laws. Additionally, she has led efforts to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and Trump’s role in the scandal.

While controversial among Republicans and Democrats alike—Republicans for having passed key progressive legislation and Democrats for having worked to rein in the progressive wing of her party—Pelosi is widely recognized as one of the most important and effective Congressional leaders in modern American history. As written in a well-known 2010 Christian Science Monitor article, “make no mistake: Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in American politics and the most powerful House Speaker since Sam Rayburn a half-century ago.”

It's the first test of political strength in any presidential election contest, and Iowans take it seriously. Candidates take Iowa seriously too – knowing that the state can make or break their chances to become President.

But what do Iowans think about all of this? How do they process this very important role they have in shaping American's future? Big Shot sent our senior editor (and native Iowan), Greg Drilling, to reconnect with his home state and its people to get a view into how the Iowa Caucus process is playing out.

In this episode of Big Shot, host Charlie King and co-host Tom Allon of City & State NY sit down with special guest Anthony Scaramucci. This live episode features a discussion with Mr. Scaramucci on the state of the Republican Party, how "Trumpism" will shape the future of the GOP, and how President Trump would stack up against our list of fantasy candidates, among other topics.

Featured Guest:
Anthony Scaramucci, Founder & Managing Partner, SkyBridge; Former White House Communications Director
https://www.salt.org/bio-scaramucci-anthony
Follow Anthony on Twitter @Scaramucci

Co-Host:
Tom Allon, President and Publisher, City & State
https://www.cityandstateny.com/author/tom-allon.html
Follow Tom on Twitter @TomAllonCSNY

Make sure to follow City & State NY on Twitter @CityAndStateNY on online at https://www.cityandstateny.com/

Special thanks to Feedspot, who recently named Big Shot! one of Top 15 2020 United States Presidential Election Podcasts!
https://blog.feedspot.com/presidential_election_podcasts/

There are few people with the credentials of Theodore Roosevelt, even fewer Presidents. Entering the Presidency following the death of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt would go on to create the national parks, forge the Panama Canal, and strengthen the national economy through antitrust legislation. Roosevelt, moving past incredible personal hardships, would forever change the power of the Presidency and show the world the strength and resolve of America.

Born into the wealthy, dynastic Roosevelt family in 1858, Theodore, or “Teddy” was the second child of Marth Bulloch and Theodore Roosevelt Sr. He first entered public life in 1882 when he won election to the New York State Assembly. His work in the statehouse was focused on anti-corruption measures, a stance that he kept up for the rest of his political life. After “retiring” from politics after the death of his wife and mother, he returned from North Dakota to accept a position in the Civil Service Commission and after that, the President of the New York Police Department Board of Commissioners. In both of these roles, he continued to fight against corruption and the extreme poverty faced by the poor immigrants in New York City.

After the election of William McKinley in 1896, Roosevelt went through three powerful offices. The first was Assistant Secretary of the Navy before he resigned to fight in the Spanish American war. The second was after the War when he decided to run for Governor of New York. The third was the Vice Presidency, which he took over after the incumbent died. This set up Roosevelt to become President in 1901.

Roosevelt built his brand of politics around anti-corruption and pro-economic growth with social reforms. His trust-busting days were never anti-business in nature, Roosevelt would only go after companies that got too large and stifled economic growth.

In addition to his actions on conservation, Roosevelt established food standards nationwide to protect people from foodborne diseases. He reinforced the Monroe Doctrine with the Roosevelt Corollary, essentially telling the world that any “trouble” in the Western Hemisphere would be dealt with by the United States. Theodore Roosevelt left his marks on politics, writing, and conservation just to name a few. His bold personality allowed him to always keep attention on him and away from his enemies. His personal strength of will, coupled with a firm belief in doing what is right would make him a fierce opponent, regardless of who was running against him.

Robert Francis “Bobby” Kennedy was a former U.S. Senator from New York and U.S. Attorney General. A member of the prominent Kennedy family, he is best known for his activism in the civil rights movement and his advocacy for marginalized communities.

Robert F. Kennedy was born in 1925 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He served in the Navy before graduating from Harvard University and the University of Virginia School of Law. Early in his career, Kennedy managed the successful U.S. Senate campaign of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, and served as chief counsel to the Senate’s McClellan Committee. Following the election of John F. Kennedy to the Presidency, Bobby was appointed U.S. Attorney General. He became known as a crusader against organized crime and advanced desegregation throughout the country.

After the assassination of President Kennedy, Robert was elected as the U.S. Senator from New York and became a staunch advocate for gun control and social justice issues. He was also a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War.

Poised for a successful political career, Kennedy announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president in 1968. After winning the California primary, he was tragically assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year old Palestinian who opposed Kennedy’s support of Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.

His legacy has been revered by both sides of the aisle and has inspired a variety of tributes, including the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and the renamed Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. Kennedy was survived by his wife Ethel (née Skakel) and nine children. He is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.