The Leslie Marshall Show

Biden Presidency Begins

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His new show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Sarah Jones, Editor-in-Chief of PoliticusUSA. The two discuss President Biden's inauguration, the first series of executive orders that he signed, as well as what former President Trump's the legacy will be.
Sarah is a 2 time Telly Award winner, and now hosts Politicus News and co-hosts Politicus Radio. The website for PoliticusUSA is www.PoliticusUSA.com and their Twitter handle is @PoliticusUSA. Sarah's handle is @PoliticusSarah.

During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political round-table with Will Jawando and Mark Grimaldi.  The roundtable continues discussing the topic from the first half of the show, while also analyzing whether Democrats should continue impeachment proceedings into the Senate.

Will Jawando is Councilmember At-Large for Montgomery County, Maryland.  Described as “the progressive leader we need” by revered civil rights activist and Congressman, John Lewis, Will has worked with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senator Sherrod Brown, and then-Senator Barack Obama.

During the 8-year Obama Administration, Will had the honor of serving as Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, followed by a position as an advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in the U.S. Department of Education.

Will's handle on both Twitter and Instagram is @WillJawando.

Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President-Elect Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.' He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles.
You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.

Watch a video broadcast of the show here: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1BdGYYVrQMQGX

Inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris

Leslie begins the show with her 'Ripped from the Headlines' news segment.

Here are the stories that she gave her take on:

1. A selection of audio clips from today's inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris

2. AXIOS: "Voters favor Biden's climate policies, but few view issue as top priority"

3. NBC NEWS: "Some QAnon followers lose hope after Inauguration"

She's then joined by Moe Vela, who served in President Obama’s administration as the Director of Administration and Senior Advisor in the Office of then Vice President Joe Biden. The stint was the second White House appointment for Mr. Vela, who served as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Advisor on Hispanic Affairs for Vice President Al Gore. Mr. Vela holds the distinction of being the first Hispanic American and gay American to serve twice in a senior executive role in the White House.

Leslie and Moe discuss today's inauguration, and what happens to former President Trump and the Republican party after losing control of both the White House and the Senate.

You can follow Moe on Twitter, where his handle is @MoeVela.

President-Elect Biden's Pro-Worker Agenda

Leslie is joined by Roy Houseman, Legislative Director for the United Steelworkers.
The two discuss President-Elect Biden's pro-worker agenda.

Here are more details on the specific items that they touched on during their conversation.

Joe Biden’s campaign centered on calls for pro-worker legislation that would strengthen organizing rights and increase unionization rates in workplaces. Now that the American people have voted into office a candidate who ran on the strongest pro-worker stance in decades, Biden’s administration has the opportunity to advance the interests of working people through several legislative and policy initiatives:

- For short-term relief, Biden has indicated he will immediately pass relief aid for workers in the form of direct payments to curb the economic depression felt by the working class during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- He’s also called for legislation that increases the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, which would increase pay for tens of millions of workers. The minimum wage was last raised in 2009.

Biden’s administration must also support workers in the longer term. He could do this by passing a number of pro-worker policies championed by the USW and the labor movement, for example:

- Increasing retirement and healthcare security by:
- Strengthening the social security trust fund
- Lowering drug costs
- Replenishing the Medicare trust fund
- Protecting the pension funds of millions of working Americans

Passing legislation that will protect fundamental rights for working people, including:

- The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, the most comprehensive pro-labor law since the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, which would give workers more bargaining power on the job

- Appointing National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) leadership with pro-worker agendas and track records, so the agency protects workers instead of corporate interests

Investing in America’s workers and the environment through:
- Addressing America’s infrastructure crisis through investments to modernize both cities and rural areas
- Increased attention toward clean technologies and efficient manufacturing processes
- Using American labor to manufacture materials domestically for infrastructure projects
- Purchasing American-made materials for construction projects

Hard-working Americans have spoken by electing a pro-labor candidate to office. It is now up to the labor movement and its allies to push for the swift passage of these and many other important policies that will protect current and future generations of the working class.

The website for the United Steelworkers is USW.org and their Twitter handle is @steelworkers. Roy Houseman's handle is @RoyHouseman.

Can Biden Fix Trump's Vaccine Rollout? Capitol Rioters Meant to Capture and Assassinate Govt Officials

Leslie begins today's show with her 'Ripped from the Headlines' news segment.
Here are the stories that she covered:

1. WASHINGTON POST: "Vaccine reserve was already exhausted when Trump administration vowed to release it, dashing hopes of expanded access"

2. AXIOS: "Biden on his nearly $2 trillion plan: "We cannot afford inaction”"

3A. NEW YORK TIMES: "The Capitol Police is investigating whether lawmakers gave pre-riot building tours, as Pelosi names leader of security review"

3B. AUDIO: Speaker Pelosi says if members of Congress are found to have aided the insurrectionists then they should be prosecuted

4. WASHINGTON POST: "How the rioters who stormed the Capitol came dangerously close to Pence"

During the second half of the show, Leslie is joined by Olivier Knox, new Anchor of 'The Daily 202' at The Washington Post, a midday newsletter about politics and policy.

They discuss President Trump's approval rating falling to an all time low, a new court filing by federal prosecutors stating that Capitol rioters intended to 'capture and assassinate' government officials, and how some members of Congress are being investigated by the Capitol Police to see if they gave pre-riot building tours to those who then participated in the riots.

Olivier's Twitter handle is @OKnox, and the website for 'The Daily 202' is TinyURL.com/TheDaily202.

House Votes to Impeach Trump for Inciting Capitol Riots

Leslie's Executive Producer, Mark Grimaldi, guest hosts today's show.

He shares what he finds to be the most consequential and interesting floor speeches from today's House impeachment vote.

Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President-Elect Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Congress Briefed on 3 Plots to Overthrow Government; Protecting Capitol and Inauguration

Leslie begins today's show with her 'Ripped from the Headlines' news segment.
Here are the stories that she covered:

1. AUDIO: Trump calls his speech leading to Capitol Riots 'totally appropriate' 

2. AUDIO: Congressman Madison Cawthorn tells a TurningPoint USA rally to 'lightly threaten' their members of Congress during speech given on the morning of the Capitol Riots 

3. AUDIO: Verbal scuffle ensues in the House Rules Committee as Jim McGovern tries, unsuccessfully, to get Jim Jordan to admit the election was not stolen

4. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: "Democratic Illinois Rep. Brad Schneider tests positive for COVID: Lashes out at GOP colleagues who would not wear masks"

5. AXIOS: "WHO warns world won't achieve coronavirus herd immunity in 2021"

During the second half of the show, Leslie is joined by Col. Cedric Leighton, Founder and President of Cedric Leighton Associates, a strategic risk and leadership consultancy serving global companies and organizations.
They analyze the pro-Trump riots at the Capitol on January 6th, as well as three new plots to overthrow the government, which House Democrats were briefed on today.
Colonel Leighton's Twitter handle is @CedricLeighton, and his website is CedricLeighton.com.

How to Fix the American Economy; Trump Inspired Riots Leading to Subsequent Impeachment

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His new show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Dr. Robert Shapiro is the Chairman of Sonecon, an economic advisory firm and a Senior Fellow of the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.
The two discuss:- Current state of the economy. 140K lost jobs last week, highest since April.
- What should President-Elect Biden do to fix the economy?
- What can he do given political limitations?
- Who's who on the Biden economic team? (Janet Yellen, Cecilia Rouse, etc. )

Dr. Shapiro is an internationally-known economist who has advised, among others, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Jr., British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and then U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.  He was Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs in the Clinton Administration.
His website is Sonecon.com and his Twitter handle is @RobShapiro.
During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political round-table with Kim Scott and Mark Grimaldi.  The panel discusses the pro-Trump Capitol riots, the subsequent impeachment proceedings, President-Elect Biden's inauguration, and more.

Kim Scott is the Founder and Publisher of DemList, LLC, a free national daily political column, calendar and resource site for Democrats and allies - a unique, central source that connects people to the who, what and where of Democratic events, issues and activism.  You can find out more about them at DemList.com and follow them on Twitter @TheDemList.

Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President-Elect Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.' He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles.
You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.

Trump Incites Supporters to Storm U.S. Capitol; Georgia Turns Senate Blue

The guest hosts for today's show are Mark Grimaldi and Brad Bannon.

They discuss President Trump inciting his supporters, who then violently stormed the Capitol.  Mark and Brad also analyze the significance of Democrats flipping the Senate thanks to Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff winning their runoff elections in Georgia.

Brad is the host of 'Deadline D.C.,' which airs each Monday from 3-4pm ET.  He also runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns.His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.

Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President-Elect Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

GOP Electoral College Challenge, Georgia Senate Runoffs, Trump threatens GA Secretary of State

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His new show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Shawn Zeller, Editor of CQ Magazine, and host of the 'CQ on Congress' podcast. Shawn's Twitter handle is @ShawnZeller.

Brad and Shawn discuss how some congressional Republicans are planning to baselessly challenge the electoral college certification of President-Elect Biden.  They also preview the two Senate runoff elections happening tomorrow in Georgia.

During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political round-table with Nick Guthman and Mark Grimaldi.  The panel details President Trump's phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, during which the President threatened Raffensperger if he didn't find 11,780 presidential votes for Trump.  The panel also touches on the Georgia Senate runoffs, and then evaluates what young people and progressives are hoping that President-Elect Biden will achieve during his time in the oval office.

Nick Guthman is Co-Founder of 'Blue Future,' a national organizing program run out of the Youth Progressive Action Catalyst, a youth-led political action committee (PAC), focused on organizing young people around progressive electoral campaigns. His Twitter handle is @NickGuthman. The website for 'Blue Future' is www.OurBlueFuture.us.

Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President-Elect Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.' He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles.
You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.

Watch a video broadcast of the show here: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1dRKZNkLpdbKB

The Assault on American Democracy; Evaluating Pandemic Relief Deal

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His new show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by John Nichols, the National Political Correspondent for 'The Nation,' and Author of the new book, "The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party."  (Available for purchase here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48624170-the-fight-for-the-soul-of-the-democratic-party)
John's Twitter handle is @NicholsUprising.

Brad and John detail the inadequacy of the new pandemic relief package.  They also analyze the current assault on American democracy, including on both a national scale, and in Georgia.

During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political round-table with Bina Venkataraman and Mark Grimaldi.  The roundtable discusses:
- What does the battle over the new pared down pandemic stimulus package tell us about what Biden's presidency may be like? 
- President-Elect Biden's cabinet in general, and his environmental choices in particular
- Prospects for progress next year. How can Biden govern and fix America with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the way?

Bina Venkataraman is the Editorial Page editor for 'the Boston Globe.'  She is an MIT lecturer, a fellow at New America and the director of Global Policy Initiatives at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.  Bina previously was a journalist for The New York Times and The Boston Globe, and served as senior adviser for climate change innovation in the Obama White House.  She is the author of "The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age."
Her Twitter handle is @binajv.

Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President-Elect Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.' He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles.
You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.

You can also watch this episode here on Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1RDGlPMNQqkGL

Or here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/659965870764678/videos/732202074084302