The Takeout CBS News

Author and former broadcast journalist Luke Russert joins Major at famed Capitol Hill watering hole Tune Inn for a discussion of Russert's new book, "Look for Me There," a memoir about losing his father and traveling the world. Russert recounts advice he got in 2015 from then-Speaker of the House John Boehner, who told him to leave network news and explore the world. Stick around for a chat between Major, Russert and Boehner on why the speaker offered that advice and why it was the right call for Russert. Boehner also offers his thoughts on the state of the Republican Party and its frontrunner for president, Donald Trump. Join us!

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It's been a whirlwind week in Washington with both chambers of Congress considering a bill to lift the nation's borrowing limit and avert potential default on America's debt. The House passed the bill Wednesday night and Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana believes the Senate will follow suit -- at some point before the June 5th deadline. But it's not clear exactly when or how. Cassidy explains the handful of sticking points for Senate Republicans. Stay for a longer conversation on the future Social Security and why Cassidy wants to lead on an issue that most politicians prefer to avoid.

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We're wearing our nerd hats this week because, well...the news-of-the-day requires such attire! The ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan Boyle, joins Major for coffee at one of our favorite haunts, the Dubliner on Capitol Hill. The congressman dubbed this chat about debt ceiling negotiations the "nerdiest conversation I've ever had sitting in the [familiar, famed Irish pub]."

Boyle is optimistic that a debt ceiling deal could be reached soon, but he admits that default is possible. "This is without question the most serious danger with that we have faced since 2011," Boyle said, referring to an early debt ceiling showdown that led to a brief downgrading of U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor's.

And sure, for those of you math-averse folks - this could be a daunting listen. But amid all the big numbers, there are lessons to be learned. Join us!

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Much has been made in recent weeks about the House GOP's 'five families' and Speaker Kevin McCarthy's efforts to unite these five ideologically-diverse caucuses in effort to strike a deal with the Biden White House on raising the debt ceiling. South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace recognizes how difficult it is for McCarthy to navigate the demands from each of the five factions, but she's content operating as a 'caucus of one,' an 'independent voice' marching to beat of her own drum.

So, she has her own opinions on the debt ceiling negotiations ("it's been both parties that got us into this"), abortion ("you have [GOP members] that don't want to talk about birth control...which is crazy and scary at the same time") and her embattled House Republican colleague ("I want to see George Santos removed from Congress").

We cover a lot of ground in this episode - don't miss Mace's takes on TikTok, ChatGPT and Elon Musk's Twitter.

This conversation was recorded inside the South Carolina congresswoman's office on Capitol Hill on May 18, 2023.

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The state of Arizona is anticipating an influx of migrants seeking aslyum at the U.S. southern border following the expiration of Title 42 on Thursday, May 11. Just days prior to the end of the Trump-era public health restrictions, Major sat down with Arizona Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs to discuss her plans for addressing the fallout. Hobbs says, "there's a lot of frustration across the board that Washington isn't doing enough and taking this seriously enough."

Asked whether she's "excited" about a Biden reelection campaign, the Democratic governor made it clear she's not yet ready to weigh in on the 2024 presidential election.

And for our Arizona listeners, yes, we talked tamales. Hobbs recently vetoed a bill that would have expanded the law allowing street vendors to sell perishable homemade goods like the traditional corn-based Mexican dish.

This conversation was recorded on May 5, 2023 at the McCain Institute's 10th Annual Sedona Forum in Sedona, Arizona.

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This week, we're offering our listeners 'a taste' of a podcast hosted by a friend of The Takeout, POLITICO's chief Washington correspondent Ryan Lizza!

If you talk to Democratic strategists about the 2024 presidential election, there is a certain type of Republican nominee who they fear: Someone who knows how to speak in the language of inclusion; who can discuss abortion and guns without alienating suburban voters; who stands up to the GOP on some of the most fraught issues of the culture wars; who can argue that he or she has almost as much government experience as Joe Biden himself, but is still younger; who handled the pandemic in their state in a way that avoided some of the most unpopular decisions of both Democrats and Republicans; and who spends a lot of their time explaining to Republicans why they should leave Donald Trump in the past. 

Asa Hutchinson — who sounds an awful lot like that imaginary candidate that Democrats fear — is here on Playbook Deep Dive this week to tell us why you shouldn’t count him out.

Hutchinson got his start in politics as a U.S. attorney during the Reagan Revolution, when his home state of Arkansas was still run by Democrats. He served two terms as governor and shortly after stepping down this year, he announced he’s running for president.

If there’s one thing that makes him stand out so far, it’s that he’s willing to say things about Trump that other Republicans aren’t. Hutchinson recently wrote that the former President “has led us astray,” “undermined the fabric of our democracy,” and is emblematic of bad leaders who are, “focused only on themselves or on settling scores with political opponents.”

In this episode of Playbook Deep Dive, host Ryan Lizza speaks with the former Arkansas governor after his first official trip to Iowa. He opens up about why he’s running, how he thinks he can take down Trump, and why his record – which is among the most conservative in America – is full of surprises.

Subscribe to Playbook Deep Dive for the stories behind power, brought to you by host & Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/playbook-deep-dive/id1111319839

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