The Fifth Column - Analysis, Commentary, Sedition

(Recorded on Thursday December 14th 2017) with/ Jeffrey Blehar (@EsotericCD) of Decision Desk HQ and The Political Beats podcast. We talk the recent Alabama Senate election and the FCC's controversial decision to rescind Obama-era net neutrality rules.

(Recorded, November 2017) An expansive exchange with renowned social commentator and linguist, John McWhorter. McWhorter is a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He's the author of twenty books including "Words on the Move" (2017), "Talk Back, Talking Black" (2017), and "Losing the Race" (2000). Also Referenced:“Antiracism: Our Flawed New Religion” (2015 - The Daily Beast)“How to Listen to Donald Trump Every Day for Years” (2017 - The New York Times)"Tragically Unfit to Be President" (2017 - The New York Times)      

- Matt Lauer - Seducing Kevin Spacey - James O’keefe - Fake Headlines, Faker Stats - Dumbest News Day Ever - Britain First, Murder Allegations - Trashing Bob Woodward - Some Idiot.... ABORTED 

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai drops in to explain why he's returning the Internet to the dark ages of... 2015.  PLUS: - Draymond vs. Mark Cuban  - The AOL-Time Warner instant messaging juggernaut - Janet Jackson's wardrobe and Stephen Colbert's c***holster And why won't the FCC just let Slim Shady be?

Recorded: Thursday, November 8, 2017. We chat with Rob Mariani, former opinion editor for the Daily Caller, about Milo's first (and last) weekly column -- and how to handle radioactive things without getting burned. Plus: questioning Moynihan's sexuality; a very gay historical debate; the intellectual dead end of "just trolling" politics. (Columnist Interruptus)

Recorded on Thursday, November 8th, 2017 Trump takes a long 'grueling' trip to the Far East, maybe tempers the crazy and manages to get cooked in the elections stateside. PLUS:- Aubrey and Kojo- The Meek Mill Guide to Criminal Justice Reform- 10 Lbs of Gelatin- Moynihan Got it For *Cheap* CORRECTION: "Dreams & Nightmares" was definitely a studio album and not a mixtape.

Recorded on Thursday, Novemer 2nd, 2017 With Special Guests:  Josh Zepps - Host, #WeThePeople LIVE (@WTP_Live, @joshzepps)

Recorded on Thursday, October 26th, 2017 Moynihan and Kmele are on Assignment -- Welch takes the reins. With Special Guests:  Nancy Rommelmann - Journalist, Author of "To The Bridge"  Bill Schulz - Host of Compound Media's "Mornin'!!!! w/ Bill Schulz" 

Recorded on Thursday, October 19th, 2017 "The opposite of a way with words" - How Chad Saved Moynihan’s Life (and Why We're Huge in Canada)- Former President Bush and John McCain Have Strong Words for Trump - Totalitarianism, Populism and Economic Uncertainty- US Troops in Africa, Calling Up Gold Star Parents- The Opposite of a Way With Words- When 'Everything' is 'Some of the Things'- Morbid Premonitions, A Non-Fatal Stroke- When Louis (Farrakhan) Met Richard (Spencer)    

Recorded on Thursday, October 12th, 2017 The Harvey Weinstein Controversy1) What To Do With “Shitty Media Men?2) Why won't Hillary and Barack say anything? Tillerson, Corker and World War III1) The Worst of All Possible Worlds2) Death by Non-Proliferation Trumps Assault on the Media1) "When the President says it in public..."2) How We Got Lucky With Trump PLUS:Google, Twitter, and a Tangible ThreatMatt's Mom Bought Him a Mug.Kmele Says Completely Unacceptable Things (almost every dispatch)

Recorded on Thursday, October 5th, 20171) First Amendment Controversies 2) Meditations on the Las Vegas and the Second Amendment 3) An Homage to Catalonia (particularly on the subject of secession, with additional remarks on Kurdistan)   PLUS: Kmele Heads to ComicCon, Bumps into TNC Moynihan vs Melba

Guest: Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor-in-Chief @ Reason Recorded: Wednesday, September 27th, 2017. Another wide-ranging, intellectually-stimulating, and very well-lubricated dispatch. We begin with an almost respectable (but undeniably illuminating) discussion of Donald Trump's "Revolutionary Tax Framework" -- (his words). Proceeding from there to the re-re-re-failure of Republican maneuvering to "Repeal and Replace" Obamacare. Then we really pour on the gas: From "Taking a Knee" to "Title IV" Banning Uber to prevent rape is ... beyond stupid. Mark Warner's crusade to stop Russia from using Facebook (and hollow out the First Amendment). PLUS:  Should you ever use "cyber" as a prefix? What's the origin of "hang 10"? #firebettsy Gender differences. (Sweep the leg.)

Recorded on Thursday, September 21, 2017 President Trump's remarks at the UN parley were (hilarious? /meh? /dangerous? ) and unmistakably confused. We crack open cans of Portland's finest sangria while discussing this and other matters of profound consequence. Cargo shorts are irredeemably awful, but should a UN human rights commission formally designate them Nazi paraphernalia? Is Mark Zuckerberg's plan to save democracy credible? How hot would your step-granddaughter have to be before you wouldn't, not, totally date her? Also: - Meditations on the St. Louis and Police Shootings- Something about the Manafort warrant and wiretaps- and "some idiot wrote this..." and it's so awful that you should find the time to read it.

Recorded on Thursday September 14, 2017 Guest: David Weigel, political reporter for The Washington Post and author of the prog-rock history "The Show That Never Ends."    Matt's recovering from surgery, Moynihan's upright & sober, and Kmele's getting domesticated. Also: -Bernie Sanders is pushing a new health care plan (and he's got a dirty little anti-immigration secret). -Trump's immigration reversal, and his infatuation with those generals. -The best thing about Hillary's new book.

Recorded 9/8/2017 Moynihan’s back from Russia and has the drinking stories to prove it. Normally reasonable journalos lose their goddamn minds over Betsy DeVos’ intention to bring back due process on college campuses. Matt Welch on DACA: “Call it amnesty, and do it anyway” (WaPo) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/09/08/yes-daca-is-amnesty-lets-just-call-it-that-and-then-lets-make-it-happen/?utm_term=.d7cee531cf3a Kmele takes Anthony Fisher to task for calling President Trump’s brand “cruelty” in a DACA-related article Fisher wrote for The Week. But you gotta hear BOTH SIDES (link: https://theweek.com/articles/722742/trumps-daca-suspension-proves-brand-isnt-winning--cruelty) Absorbing Ta-Nehisi Coates latest epistle “Donald Trump is the First White President” (The Atlantic) https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/10/the-first-white-president-ta-nehisi-coates/537909/ Matt claps back at "comic" Andy Kindler. A rare morning recording. Sober*, salty, caffeinated.