The Back Room with Andy Ostroy

Paul Begala is a political commentator, professor of public policy, NY Times bestselling author, and political strategist. He is a commentator for CNN, and he’s been a frequent guest on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. In the 1990’s he helped his friend John F. Kennedy, Jr. launch the political magazine George and wrote the “Capitol Hillbilly” column. He served in 1992 as a senior strategist for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign and as Counselor to the President in the White House, helping coordinate policy, politics, and media. Before working for Pres. Clinton, Paul worked on Capitol Hill and advised campaigns across America. In 2012 he played a crucial role in the Obama-Biden re-election campaign.

Is the blue tsunami coming? Will Democrats win back the House and Senate? Paul shares his predictions on the eve of the critical midterm elections.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
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Rep. Jason Crow represents Colorado’s 6th Congressional District and serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee, on which he is the Ranking Democrat of the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee. He’s a former Army Ranger and Bronze Star recipient who enlisted in the National Guard and worked construction to help pay his way through college.

It's just four days from the critical midterm elections. How much will Donald Trump and Republicans attempt to interfere? How prepared are democrats to fight off whatever drama and chaos ensues? Is a blue wave coming? Who will end up in control of Congress? How aggressively should democrats pursue accountability if they win the House and Senate? The Congressman and I discuss all this and more.

But first, Andy and The Back Room crew share their own thoughts on the midterms, Trump's obsession with men's asses, and discuss the week's winners and losers!

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

George Hahn is a humorist, satirist, social media sensation, host of The Week podcast and reader of No Mercy/No Malice, both on Prof G Media, and host of The George Hahn Show podcast.

George and I unpack Donald Trump's bizarre homoerotic behavior including his choice of YMCA as his theme song, his odd 2024 comments about golfer Arnold Palmer's penis, and his recent gushing over men's asses, hands, thighs and 'beautiful' faces. We also discuss the midterms and what lies ahead. Don't miss this one-of-a-kind chat!

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Norman Ornstein is an author, political scientist and emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He’s a contributing editor and writer for The Atlantic, contributor to The Contrarian, and cohost of the podcast Words Matter. His many books include The New York Times bestseller, It's Even Worse Than It Looks written with Tom Mann, and the NYT and WAPO best-seller One Nation After Trump: A Guide for the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate and the Not-Yet-Deported with E.J. Dionne and Tom Mann.

Is Trump planing to steal the midterms? Will there be chaos before, on, and/or after Election Day? Is a blue wave coming? Will Democrats win back the House and Senate? And if so, how aggressively should a Democrat-controlled Congress pursue holding Trump and his administration accountable for violating the law? Norm addresses these questions and more.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Rob Bonta is Attorney General of the State of California. He previously spent more than eight years serving in the State Assembly. Prior to that he worked as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco. He was sworn in on April 23, 2021, becoming the first person of Filipino descent to serve as California Attorney General.

AG Bonta and I discuss Trump, the midterms, and the efforts to protect democracy before, on, and after Election Day

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Alex Gibney is an award-winning filmmaker who's been called “the most important documentarian of our time” by Esquire Magazine. His work has been the recipient of an Academy Award, multiple Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, several Peabody Awards, DuPont-Columbia Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, Writers Guild Awards, and more. He is also the recipient of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the News & Documentary Emmys. His films include TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM, GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY & THE PRISON OF BELIEF, IN RESTLESS DREAMS: THE MUSIC OF PAUL SIMON, THE BIBI FILES, WISE GUYS: DAVID CHASE & THE SOPRANOS, and THE DARK MONEY GAME.

Most recently, his documentary KNIFE: THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF SALMAN RUSHDIE was released last month. And he joins me for a fascinating conversation about his terrific new film, the highly-anticipated and critically-acclaimed documentary MUSK, about the life and career of controversial trillionaire tech, space and automotive entrepreneur and political donor Elon Musk.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Garlin Gilchrist is Michigan's Lt Governor and is running for Secretary of State to succeed Jocelyn Benson who's running for governor. Prior to serving as Lt Governor he worked at Microsoft as a software engineer.

Join us for this important conversation about Michigan's efforts to protect the midterms, as well as Garlin's campaign for this critical position in the face of Donald Trump's assault on our elections process.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Frank Rich is a journalist, author, and television producer. A writer-at-large for New York magazine, he was previously chief drama critic and an OpEd columnist for the New York Times. He executive produced the long-running HBO series Succession, Veep as well as the limited series White House Plumbers and The Regime. He’s also EP’s the documentaries Six by Sondheim and Becoming Mike Nichols. His books include The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina and the memoir Ghost Light. He has been awarded 6 Emmys, 3 Peabody Awards, 3 Golden Globe Awards, and a Producer’s Guild Award. His journalism honors include the George Polk Award for Commentary and the Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism from Harvard University. He has twice been a Pulitzer Prize finalist. In 2015, he was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

Frank joins me for a compelling discussion of his latest New York magazine essay, "Trump's Shameless Collaborators", about the sycophants in Trump's cabinet and inner circle and the accountability they may one day soon be facing, especially if Democrats take back the House and Senate.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Dana Bash is CNN's chief political correspondent, anchor of “Inside Politics with Dana Bash” and co-anchor of CNN’s“State of the Union”. She is based in Washington, D.C., where she plays a key role in CNN’s political coverage, conducting high profile interviews with politicians and candidates, and regularly serves as a moderator for the network’s political debate and town hall specials. In 2024, Dana co-moderated CNN’s historic Presidential Debate between President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. She also serves as an anchor of CNN’s Election Night in America special coverage. She is the author of two books co-written with David Fischer: America’s Deadliest Election: The Cautionary Tale of the Most Violent Election in American History, and her new book, The Elections That Changed the World: Fifteen Pivotal Moments That Shaped How We Live, which is on sale now.

Dana and I discuss her terrific new book as well as the parallels it draws to today's politics. But first we take a look at the midterms, how these next three weeks may play out, and whether or not the much-anticipated blue wave is on the horizon..

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Kerry Kennedy is a human rights lawyer, activist, New York Times-bestselling author, and daughter of Ethel Skakel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. Kerry is the president of the Robert and Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, the organization Ethel founded in 1968 to continue Robert’s unfinished work, and served as chair for the Amnesty International USA Leadership Council for more than a decade. During her forty years working in human rights she has led hundreds of delegations and negotiated with leaders around the globe. She appears regularly on television and in the press, has written dozens of published op-eds, and is the author of the books Robert F. Kennedy: Ripple of Hope; Speak Truth to Power; and Being Catholic Now.

Kerry joins me for a conversation about her terrific new book "Ethel Kennedy: The Extraordinary Life and Bold Legacy", which is on sale now.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

James Henson teaches in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the founder and executive director of the Texas Politics Project, a hub of research and public affairs work that provides non-partisan resources for understanding Texas government and politics. He co-founded the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll, the longest running academic survey of Texas public opinion, in 2008 with Daron Shaw. His writing about Texas politics has appeared in every major Texas media outlet, as well as publications including The Washington Post, The Hill, Texas Monthly, and The Conversation.

Jim and I talk Texas politics: the Talarico v Paxton Senate race, the Abbott v Hinojosa governor's race, whether the state may finally be turning blue, and the midterms overall in terms of who’s likely to win control of the House and Senate.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

George Conway is an attorney, political activist, and legal and political commentator. He’s a founder of the Lincoln Project, and is a contributing writer to The Bulwark. He previously worked as a litigator for three decades at the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York City. He recently ran for Congress in New York’s 12th District in Manhattan.

George and I discuss all things Trump, the midterms, and whether the' inflection point' is finally here.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Cait Conley is a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native and the daughter of a postal worker and a construction worker. She applied to West Point the day after 9/11 and went on to serve in the Army, first as a military police officer and then in special operations leadership, deploying six times and earning three Bronze Stars. She concluded her active-duty career as Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, and then served as a senior executive at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Cait's back in The Back Room for an update on her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in NY’s 17th Congressional district, a critical battle against incumbent Republican Mike Lawler.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Nikki Fried is the Chair of the Florida Democratic Party. She served as Florida’s 12th Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services from 2019-2023. She is a lifelong Floridian, attorney and activist.

Nikki and I discuss her state's key House, Senate and governor's races as well as the midterms overall and Democrats' chances of winning both the House and Senate.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Marc Levin is an award-winning, independent filmmaker. He has made over 50 films, including documentaries, TV series, dramatic feature films and episodic television. He’s won four Emmys and four duPont-Columbia Awards, among other prominent accolades. Highlights include his dramatic hit SLAM; the groundbreaking docuseries Brick City; several films for HBO including Gang War: Bangin’ in Little Rock, Thug Life in DC; Class Divide and An American Bombing; and last year’s HARD HAT RIOT on PBS.

Marc joins me to discuss his terrific new film DAUGHTERS OF 9/11, which premiered on CBS on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and is now streaming on Paramount +. The film follows the gut-wrenching journey of two women, whose fathers were murdered that day, as they seek justice for the families while the government has yet to prosecute the mastermind of the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who remains in custody at Guantanamo.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Rick Wilson is co-founder and board member of The Lincoln Project. He’s a renowned political strategist, infamous award-winning ad-maker and podcast host, writer, speaker, and political commentator on MSNBC, CNN, ABC News, NPR, Real Time with Bill Maher, and various American and international news outlets. He’s a 30-year veteran of national Republican politics who got his start in the 1988 Presidential campaign of George Herbert Walker Bush, and has produced groundbreaking and award-winning political advertising and strategic counsel to winning political candidates, SuperPACS, state parties, the national campaign committees, and corporate, association, and government clients across the nation and around the world. Rick has authored two New York Times bestsellers – Everything Trump Touches Dies and Running Against The Devil – A Plot To Save America from Trump And Democrats From Themselves – and often writes for The Washington Post, Politico, Rolling Stone, The Hill, The Bulwark, and the London Spectator.

Are Donald Trump and the Republican Party imploding? Are we finally at the long-awaited inflection point? Is a blue tidal wave coming? Do Democrats finally have the right candidates and messaging? Are they going to win back the House AND Senate? Will Trump "run" again in '28? Will Don Jr. run? And if so, what will J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio and other potential candidates do? Rick addresses these critical questions and more.

But first, Andy and Matty discuss the breaking Supreme Court ruling on elections; Trump's media ban and new Iran threat; and AL Sen. Tommy Tuberville's "furry" fears, Plus, this week's Winners and Losers and Andy's rant on the ban.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

S.E. is a nationally syndicated columnist, author, podcaster and TV commentator. She hosts Off the Cupp, a podcast which focuses on mental health, and which features interviews with celebrities and newsmakers. She is a columnist at the New York Daily News and has also been published in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Washington Post and many other publications. She is currently a political commentator at CNN.

Is MAGA revolting? Are Congressional Republicans finally growing a pair? Is the inflection point finally here? Is Donald Trump's presidency imploding? Are Democrats winning back the working class? Is a blue tidal wave coming? Will Democrats take back the House and Senate? S.E. addresses these critical questions, as well as Trump's media ban, as we head towards November 3rd.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Dr. Zaldy Tan is Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and the Director of the Memory & Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. His aging and dementia research has been covered by The New York Times, Time, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribute, Reuters, ABC News, and NBC News. He regularly speaks at major national and international conferences and is the author of Age-Proof Your Mind and his new book, WHAT TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU ARE FORGETTING: How to Live and Thrive with Memory Loss, Alzheimer's, and Other Dementias

All of us in one way or another are profoundly effected by memory disorders. It could involve an aging parent, a spouse, a sibling or other relative, a friend or even ourselves. Dr. Tan helps us better understand the warning signs, the treatments, and what we can do to make our loved ones' lives more comfortable as they navigate these cognitive difficulties.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Tara Setmayer is co-founder of the bipartisan superpac The Seneca Project. She’s a former GOP Communications Director on Capitol Hill and most recently served as a Senior Advisor for The Lincoln Project. She’s a political writer and commentator who’s appeared on MSNOW, CNN and other news outlets, The View, and Real Time with Bill Maher. Her writing has been featured on CNN.com, Bloomberg, The Daily Beast, Cosmopolitan, and NBC.com. In November 2020 she left the Republican Party after Donald Trump refused to concede the election to Joe Biden.

At the start of this terrific conversation Tara pleads, "Please Dems don't blow it!". We discuss Donald Trump's epic chaos and failures, whether the MAGA fever's starting to break, the momentum Democrats have heading towards November, and the critical importance of the midterms.

But first, The Back Room crew discusses the interest rate hike, Republican Rep. Maria Salazar's new anti-Trump immigration ad, the new NY Times poll, and the GOP's panic and desperation over the poll's devastating numbers.

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Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel

Stephanie Grisham is the New York Times bestselling author of “I’ll Take Your Questions Now, What I Saw in the Trump White House.” During the Trump Administration she served as White House press secretary and director of communications for both the President and First Lady, Melania Trump. She is the only person in history who has held three senior roles at once, while representing both the east and west wings.

Stephanie shares her keen insights into Donald Trump's second-term behavior; the integrity of the midterm elections and the role of the courts; Natalie Harp; and more.

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Leave us a message: 845-307-7446
Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud
@ Radio Free Rhiniecliff
Design by Cricket Lengyel