Episode 62: Americans Elect Making Waves? Romney’s Primary Hat-trick and the Supreme Court Case of a Generation

By Staff | April 5, 2012
EMAILPRINT

Will you join in?

After a little hiatus (Charley and I were in Chicago last week) we’re back with an update on politics, the supreme court, and a great interview with Ileana Wachtel, the national press secretary for Americans Elect.

Of course though, we all know how much Charley loves baseball and so in honor of this new season, we start with the news that Magic Johnson, in the most expensive transaction for a sports team — ever — has purchased the LA Dodgers from the bankrupt and troubled McCourts.

From one game to another, we recap the happenings in the GOP primary race. Despite a Romney hat-trick in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C., Santorum is hanging on, presumably waiting for a showdown in his home state of Pennsylvania 3 weeks from now.

While the primary race rumbles on, attention is turning — slowly but surely — to the national election. Alongside incumbent president, Barak Obama, Americans Elect – a new platform hoping to facilitate the first direct, online, presidential election — is also waiting patiently for the spotlight. We talk to AE’s national press secretary about the mission, where they hope to be in 4 months, and 4 years, and what they think about Citizens United and public funding of elections a la Europe. Tune in to hear what Ileana Wachtel had to say.

Charley and I continue to think about AE after the interview, giving our thoughts on the power of the movement and where we think they will, and should, end up.

To wrap things up, we move to the biggest story of the month: the most momentous supreme court case in a generation — the debate over universal health care. Over three days last week, the justices heard the full oral arguments, posed questions (sensible and stinging) and have now voted on the Affordable Care Act. But since we have to wait until June to find out about the decision, Charley and I still have time to discuss the central arguments and predict the outcome. I went with 5-4 in favor, and Charley went for 6-3 in favor, with Chief Justice Roberts joining Justice Kennedy and the liberals. Will this be the decision where the Roberts Court truly becomes the Roberts Court?

Tell us what you think about the Dodgers, the GOP primary race, the national election, Americans elect and the Supreme Court. Phew.

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Related articles

About Staff

View all posts by Staff →
Posted in: Podcast, Politics, Supreme Court
  • http://bridgetable.net aurora20

    The Dodgers recall my youth (I’m 92)–my mom was an ARDENT Dodgers fan and I remember taking her to a game in Brooklyn (we lived on Long Island) and she got lost somehow. All ended well!

    The Republican Party and election — the RP is committing suicide. I think it would be healthier for the country if Santorum persisted. RP NEEDS to split into two, at which point it might even pick up ME again (the sane part of it not the religiou/teaparty/far right).

    I am registered with Americans Elect6 and will vote for Buddy Roemer

    About the Supreme Court — I never heard THIS argument in favor of approving that mandate, did you?

    Since the Court(s) created the mandate that makes emergency and health care mandatory on ERs to anyone who shows up (EVEN ILLEGALS!!!) they created this license to freeload by those who don’t want to buy insurance.

    SO – they need to create that mandate we MUST all own health insurance.

    Preferable (and no doubt why every well-run industrial country in the world except us) is a single=payer system with room for insurance industry to operate outside of it.

  • http://www.americasthirdparty.com Sarah Hart – America’s Third Party

    David Jon Sponheim is a candidate on Americans Elect. you can support his page at: http://www.americanselect.org/profile-candidate/366392/topic-answer

    We are at a critical time in our country. We are suffering from a Great Leadership Crisis and Americans feel too despondent to pursue their passion or offer help to their fellow man. It seems to me, the people are waiting for a leader and they want the government to take care of them. With the current administration, we have headed further into despair- primarily because our elected representatives and our President do not inspire us to greater goals. The two parties see each other as the enemy. The only thing they seem to agree on is lining their own pocketbooks. We need better leadership. We need a better choice for President.

    An ideal candidate for President would be unbuyable, innovative, creative and always honest with the American people. As President, he would answer to the American people, not other politicians and big corporations. We need someone in office who is always thinking about helping the American people and developing ideas to solve our societies biggest problems- homelessness, healthcare, infrastructure and much, much more.

    The best tool the President has is his voice and his word. The ideal candidate must INSPIRE the American people to be better than they think is possible. He must be honest, brutally honest if necessary, and tell us that it will take hard work and dedication to achieve our dreams. Yet, we all CAN achieve our dreams, whatever they may be. Then, he must lead by example. The ideal candidate will be an everyday American who can relate to the struggles of the American people. He doesn’t have to jump through all the social hoops and follow a traditional political path. An ideal candidate will lead the way on a pathway to
    peace and prosperity because he is a persistent problem-solver.

    David Jon Sponheim is my ideal candidate for President. He meets all the requirements I have laid out. David Jon Sponheim is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He just released a book entitled “Hybrid Capitalism.” The concept behind this new type of economy he proposes is that the government can compete in the free market without taking over any industry. Sponheim has incredible new ideas for our country from a Homestead Renewal Plan and Legalizing Marijuana to an Ocean Pipeline, Renewable Energy Savings Bonds and Getting Off of Our Reliance of Foreign Oil.

    David Jon Sponheim would focus on peace, but be a strong individual who doesn’t kowtow to anyone. He would focus on America first. We may to have to go “back to the basics” and focus on solving issues related to water, food, housing, healthcare and our monetary system. We have been on a tremendous slide. Now it it time to re-build America and create a sustainable society use the latest technology available. Our biggest asset is the ingenuity of the American people. We need a leader that can inspire that ingenuity once again.

    Every week night, David Jon Sponheim hosts a political video chat show at http://www.blogtv.com/people/americasthirdparty – you can also find out more at http://www.americasthirdparty.com -Thank you