America's Fractured Politics
This is a podcast for listeners who are passionate about politics, policy and the future of our nation. It is different-it not only describes the problems we face but offers real solutions.
I'm an attorney, a longtime Democratic activist and Capitol Hill staffer. I'm passionate about politics myself, and I hope you'll join me on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Episodes
52 episodes
A Conversation: Mark Mansour, Keith Bumgarner and Richard Gross
Join Keith, Richard and me for a lively discussion about a range of current issues, including Epstein, the Hegseth disaster, undeclared wars, corruption, tariffs, the ACA subsidies and the 2026 elections.
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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45:50
Hegseth's War on International Law
Pete Hegseth's war against alleged narco-terrorists took a new and dangerous turn when an order was given to kill two helpless passengers in a second strike on a boat in the Caribbean. In this episode, we take a deep dive into what happened, ho...
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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24:43
Mark Mansour and Marc Friedman: A Conversation About AI-the Good, the Bad and What Comes Next
Please join Marc Friedman and me as we discuss the present and the future of AI, the good and the bad, and how best we can regulate it to maximize the good an to mitigate the dangers.
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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29:25
The Alito Stay of the Texas Redistricting Case and the Bankruptcy of the Supreme Court
Samuel Alito's outrageous but predictable stay of an appeals court decision invalidating the infamous Texas redistricting map is yet another blot on this wretched Court's sorry record, especially in the area of voting rights. This podcast explo...
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Season 1
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Episode 49
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11:16
Trump is Sinking
While it is easy to discount the idea that Trump is becoming weaker, accumulating evidence suggests that he is. This episode is a deep dive into the cascading failures staring Trump in the face, and the implications of his steadily reduced auth...
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Season 1
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Episode 48
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13:55
The Battle to Save Voting Rights
What we can do together preserve voting rights from relentless attack by the Republicans.
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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15:32
The Deeper Meaning of the Epstein E-mails
This episode explores the impact of the Epstein e-mails, but also the broader meaning of what they contain.
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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18:16
Betrayal and Stupidity: The Wretched End of the Shutdown and the Path Forward
This from the heart essay about the end of the shutdown will infuriate and hopefully inspire. Please listen in and share. Thank you.
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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17:00
It is Time for Ranked Choice Voting
In this episode, we explore an idea whose time has come-ranked choice voting. Done right, it will produce better elections, better candidates and better government. Hear why.
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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8:17
Project 2025's Path of Destruction
This episode delves deeply into the mechanics of Project 2925 and outlines the damage it is doing to our government and our society.
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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10:18
Mark Mansour and Marc Friedman: A Discussion About America's Place in the World Under Trump
Join Marc Friedman and me as we dissect a broad range of foreign policy issues and assess the damage done by Donald Trump in nine interminable months. You won't want to miss this episode.
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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44:22
Trump's Vicious Shutdown
Donald Trump's shutdown is a declaration of war on Americans. Listen as I recount the abuses and their impact-on both blue and red states.
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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7:03
The Destruction of the East Wing and its Broader Meaning
The destruction of the East Wing of the White House is a monstrosity in and of itself. But it is more than that. It is the latest grotesque manifestation of the erratic and ruinous behavior of a dictator drunk with power. The remedies, though, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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16:17
Gerrymandering: The Curse of Democracy
Today's podcast exposes the Republican abuse of gerrymandering and how our votes-on a massive scale-can overcome their efforts to subvert democracy.
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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15:59
Mark Mansour and Brian Tanguay: A Conversation
Brian Tanguay joins Mark for a free wheeling conversation about the issues of the day. We address the shutdown, the economy, the weaponization of government and a number of other issues.
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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34:33
The Coming Health Care Catastrophe, Brought to Us by the Republican Party
The Republican stance on health care subsidies will come back to haunt them. In this podcast we unpack the origins and the potentially devastating impact of what the Republicans are proposing to do. The damage will fall in the main on the very ...
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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15:36
In Order To Effect Real Change We All Must Sacrifice
This episode addresses the urgent need for Americans to make real economic sacrifices if we are to seriously affect the behavior of this regime.
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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12:44
Mark Mansour and Marc Friedman: A Conversation
Join Mark and his guest Marc Friedman for a free-wheeling discussion of the issues of the day, political and legal.
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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42:35
The Democrats Must Use the Republican Playbook: Now
The Republicans since Newt Gingrich's rise in the early 1990s have used language as a means of demonizing Democrats and elevating a party that has no agenda except destruction. This episode explains what the Republicans did and why Democrats mu...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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11:35
The Republicans Are Terrified of 2026
The Republicans know only one way to win: cheat. This podcast examines the means by which they are doing it. The solution is to vote no matter how hard they try to keep you from doing it, and massive strikes in the event Trump and his cronies a...
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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14:24
Mark Mansour and Anthony Flaccavento: A Conversation
Join me as I discuss with author and activist Anthony Flaccavento the challenges of finding common ground between urban Democrats and rural voters, and what can be done about it.
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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24:05
Mark Mansour and Dan Schaefer: A Conversation
Dan Schaefer is a candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives. We spent some time talking about his race, the state of politics and policy both in Missouri and nationwide. I hope you'll join us for a wide ranging discussion.
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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43:43
A Democratic Strategy for the Looming Government Shutdown
The Democrats have a golden opportunity to hang the looming government shutdown around the Republicans' necks. Hear how Democrats should approach this effort from both strategic and policy perspectives.
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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14:25
Mark Mansour and J.W. Mansour: A Conversation
Join Mark and J.W. (Jeff) Mansour as we discuss the events of the day from the Charlie Kirk assassination, gun legislation, free and fair elections, ICE enforcement abuse, the Epstein situation and more.
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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43:08
Mark Mansour and Keith Bumgarner: A Personal Conversation About Keith's Journey Through the Nightmare of Sexual Abuse
Please join me and Keith for an intensely personal conversation about Keith's harrowing journey through sexual abuse (by women). This pernicious crisis affects far more men than we realize. In this podcast, Keith and I seek not only to tell his...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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31:33