Podcast appearances and mentions of ron fein

Ralph welcomes international security expert Paul Rogers to discuss the US-Israeli war on Iran. Then, Ralph speaks to constitutional law experts Bruce Fein and John Bonifaz about their upcoming impeachment symposium.Paul Rogers is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies in the Department of Peace Studies and International Relations at Bradford University, and an Honorary Fellow at the Joint Service Command and Staff College. He is open Democracy's international security correspondent.I think if you look at the war overall, then essentially of the three (I use the term as a crude term) participants, the one that is basically doing most badly is the United States, followed by Israel, followed least by Iran. Relatively speaking, the Iranians (particularly the Revolutionary Guard Corps) are closer to where they wanted to be, which is not true of the United States and certainly isn't true to a very large extent of the Israelis as well. In other words, the war is going badly. for the people who are determined to try and defeat Iran.Paul RogersPeople tend to think Iran is on its own against these huge odds. Well, it isn't. In many ways, certainly Russia and certainly China have a real interest in what is happening. But as far as China is concerned, they will not help directly. They will not, in other words, as far as we know, arm Iran without payment. They will see them as a reasonable customer. I think (more widely than we realize) as far as you get away from D.C., then I think you see the world in a rather different way, particularly across the global south it is certainly seen in a different way…And I would come back to a point which I think is a fair point made earlier—essentially, the Iranian Republican Revolutionary Guard Corps has been working towards this time for decades. And they will not be easily dislodged. It could happen eventually, but I think it's highly unlikely.Paul RogersJohn Bonifaz is a constitutional attorney and the co-founder and president of Free Speech For People. Mr. Bonifaz previously served as the executive director and general counsel of the National Voting Rights Institute, and as the legal director of Voter Action. He is the author of Warrior-King: The Case For Impeaching George W. Bush and the co-author (with Ron Fein and Ben Clements) of The Constitution Demands It: The Case For The Impeachment of Donald Trump.Threatening to execute members of Congress is unique to Trump. Kidnapping people off the streets and sending them to foreign torture prisons is unique to Trump. Freezing public funds that have been duly appropriated by the United States Congress and not distributing those funds is unique to Trump. Attacking the United States judiciary, refusing to comply with multiple court orders issued by federal courts across the country is unique to Trump. Engaging in these murders on the high seas…these paramilitary attacks on people in the Pacific and in the Caribbean is unique to Trump. Now, it's true that there have been other violations of the War Powers Clause…But the scale of the War Powers violations today is unique to Trump. And this current new, illegal, and unconstitutional war against Iran is threatening the entire world. And so I think that whether they be Democrats or Republicans or Independents, they have to wake up and recognize they have a duty here.John BonifazBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.Ralph, me and John have been trying to impeach Presidents—Democrat, Republican—for decades for these illegalities. The idea that we picked out Trump is absurd. Look at my history. Half of my life has been devoted to getting Presidents impeached and removed from office…So the idea that this is partisan, at least among us, is factually absurd.Bruce FeinI think we need to be even more candid about the nature of the crimes. This is not just illegal wars under the Constitution. He is committing the crime of aggression, the same crime that we sentence Nazis to death at Nuremberg for committing aggression against Poland, against Denmark, against Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, etc.Bruce FeinThis is what is defined as a dictator by any ordinary use of the English language. We need to get away from “authoritarian,” “Oh, he's pushing the envelope.” This is what dictators do. He stated, “I can do anything I want.” And he does it. He kills people. He deports them without due process. He spies on them. He suppresses free speech by using the government to penalize anyone who says anything that's critical, detracts from Mr. Trump. I mean, it is impossible to conceive of the framers thinking anyone like Donald Trump, given his words and his actions, would remain in office more than a fortnight if Congress was doing its duty.Bruce FeinNews 4/3/26* This week, the Trump administration backed down and allowed the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin to pass through the American blockade and deliver a shipment of 730,000 barrels of oil to Cuba. The AP writes, the shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to feed Cuba's daily energy demand for nine or 10 days. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío commented on the situation, “The arrival of an oil tanker to a country has likely never generated so much news as the Russian one to Cuba…It's a sign of the brutal siege Cubans endure with heroism and stoicism. It's a demonstration of the criminal cruelty of imperialism against a nation that refuses to be dominated.” Trump's public statements on the matter however loom ominously over the island nation. On Sunday night, Trump told reporters “Cuba's finished…whether or not they get a boat of oil, it's not going to matter.”* In more news of Trump backing down, or “chickening out” as the saying goes, the Wall Street Journal reports that Trump is telling his inner circle that he is willing to end the military operation in Iran without reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he wants the U.S. to stick to its original 4-6 week timeline and focus on “hobbling Iran's navy and its missile stocks…while pressuring Tehran diplomatically.” This report adds that if this fails, Trump plans to “press allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the lead on reopening the strait.” This aligns with Trump's recent statements on Truth Social, telling allies like the UK to “Go get your own oil!” With all of this said, Trump has sent the USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region, is weighing the deployment of another 10,000 ground troops, and is considering a “complex and risky mission to seize the regime's uranium,” all while calling the war an “excursion” and “a lovely stay.”* Meanwhile, 25 Senate Democrats have signed a letter by Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia requesting that Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican Chairman of the Armed Services Committee launch a bipartisan probe – complete with hearings and a report – into the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School for girls in Minab, Iran at the beginning of the war. This letter notes that the majority of those killed were girls between ages seven and 12. Moreover, this letter implies that the Pentagon chose this target based on wildly outdated intelligence, raising grave questions about the competence of the military apparatus. While several high-ranking Democrats signed this letter, including Dick Durbin and Cory Booker, along with progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's name is nowhere to be found.* Elsewhere in the region, the Israeli Knesset has passed a new law effectively proscribing the death penalty exclusively to Palestinians. Human Rights Watch states “the bill imposes the death penalty for the deliberate killing of a person with the intention of negating the existence of the State of Israel.'” HRW adds that the new law “mandates execution by hanging, restricts access to legal counsel and visits from family members, limits external oversight, and grants immunity to those involved in carrying out executions.” In a piece calling for the immediate repeal of this law, Erika Guevara-Rosas of Amnesty International writes “By authorizing military courts, which have a conviction rate of over 99% for Palestinian defendants and which are notorious for disregarding due process and fair trial safeguards, to impose effectively mandatory death sentences and ordering the execution within just 90 days of the final ruling, Israel is brazenly granting itself carte blanche to execute Palestinians while stripping away the most basic fair-trial safeguards.” In an interview with CNN, Mustafa Barghouti said this law “confirms very serious fascist tendencies in Israel” and “consolidates further the system of apartheid.”* Anti-Palestinian extremism continues to grow within the United States as well. Al Jazeera reports that last week, domestic law enforcement “foiled a plot against prominent Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani in New York City.” Kiswani is the founder of Within Our Lifetime, a pro-Palestine and anti-Zionist group active in the City. The suspect, apprehended by the FBI in an undercover operation, has been identified as a New Jersey man named Andrew Heifler, a young man affiliated with an offshoot of the far-right Jewish Defense League (JDL), described as an extremist group with a history of violent attacks targeting Arab American activists during the 1970s and 1980s. Heifler was reportedly planning to target Kiswani's home with Molotov cocktails. Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the plot, saying “We will not tolerate violent extremism in our city. No one should face violence for their political beliefs or their advocacy…Our city must meet hate with solidarity, and meet fear with an unshakable commitment to justice and to one another.” Kiswani vowed that she “will not stop speaking up for the people of Palestine.”* Also in New York, Congresswoman and possible 2028 presidential candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a private meeting with the powerful local branch of the Democratic Socialists of America. During this meeting AOC was asked whether she would support the imposition of an arms embargo on Israel. According to City and State NY, AOC affirmed that she would and stated that “The Israeli government should be able to finance their own weapons if they seek to arm themselves.” Pressed on whether she would vote against so-called defensive capabilities – namely the Iron Dome – Rep. Ocasio-Cortez definitively answered “yes.” This marks an evolution of her position; AOC previously voted “present” on a bill to provide $1 billion in funding for the Iron Dome in 2021. Many read this as an acknowledgment from AOC that the politics of this issue have shifted, particularly on the Left, and in order to shore up her progressive support she needs to stake out a bold position now.* Turning to the international progressive movement, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has led Spain in a Leftward direction since 2018 despite the rise of the European Right is convening a summit of progressive forces in Barcelona slated for April 17th and 18th. Sánchez, who has chaired the Socialist International since 2022, emphasized that the Right has “for years woven a network of alliances to propagate their national populist discourses adapted to each country,” and stressed that the Left must do the same to remain politically viable, per El País. Notable attendees include Brazilian President Lula, outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. There have been many attempts to unite the international Left, with mixed results, but it is never too late to try.* In our final story on the international Left, the New Democratic Party of Canada – the country's third largest and most progressive major party – has selected former journalist and activist Avi Lewis as their new leader, the BBC reports. This story notes that Lewis' elevation comes in the context of the NDP suffering a steep decline in recent years, going from the main opposition party in 2011, to holding just six seats in Canada's House of Commons today. Lewis – grandson of one of the party's founding members and son of Stephen Lewis, who led the Ontario NDP and served as the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations – ran on a platform designed to revive the struggling party by “prioritising worker rights in the age of artificial intelligence, ending new oil and gas pipelines and projects, and exploring state-owned, non-profit grocery stores.” Despite his illustrious lineage, Lewis holds no seat in parliament and therefore cannot participate in official debates. The NDP faces an uphill climb not only back to power but even to relevance. According to this story, “a quarter of past voters…see the party as ‘irrelevant'...and 40% say its best days are behind it.”* In Los Angeles, a shocking new poll shows City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who entered the race at the last possible moment, in a commanding lead. In this poll, Raman drew 33% support, with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass trailing at 17%, statistically tied with another insurgent progressive candidate, Rae Huang. Other candidates – tech executive Adam Miller and former reality television personality and registered Republican Spencer Pratt – round out the field with 13% and 12% respectively. This poll appears to be an outlier. Other recent polls have shown Bass at 20% to Raman's 9%, and Bass at 25% with Raman at 17%. But, if this poll is accurate, it would be a stunning testament to the success of Raman's campaign thus far and a massive warning signal to Bass. If the Mayor slips any further, she could find herself locked out of the general election by Los Angeles' top-two “jungle primary” structure. This from the LA Times.* Finally, we turn to the world of professional sports. This week, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar introduced the Home Team Act, which, if passed, would require the owners of major league sports teams to allow local communities the option to buy a team before unilaterally relocating across state lines or to a different metro area. This announcement sent ripples through the sports world, with many fans excited by the prospect of keeping their home teams at home. ABC7 Chicago notes that “Sanders specifically mentioned the Bears' threat to leave Chicago,” while the San Diego Union-Tribune believes this bill could keep the Padres in San Diego despite multiple offers to sell. San Diego has been particularly sensitive to this threat since the Chargers left for LA in 2017. In the press conference announcing this bill, Bernie unsubtly displayed the jerseys of the Brooklyn Dodgers, his hometown team, which famously relocated to Los Angeles ahead of the 1958 baseball season.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

“Upper Beta Great Alcove Very Happy” by Ron Fein Manawaker Patreon: https://patreon.com/manawaker/ Manawaker store: https://payhip.com/Manawaker Manawaker Discord: https://discord.gg/zjzA2pY9f9 More info / Contact CB Droege: https://cbdroege.taplink.ws The Flash Fiction Podcast Theme Song is by Kevin McCleod The Producer, Editor, and Narrator of the podcast is CB Droege Bio for this weeks author: Ron Fein is a Boston-area public interest lawyer who, in his copious free time, writes science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and comedy. His work appears in Nature, Factor Four, Daily Science Fiction, Nonprofit Quarterly, MetaStellar, NoSleep Podcast, Mystery Tribune, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and has been translated into Croatian and Romanian. Find him at ronfein.com, on Mastodon @ronfein@masto.ai, and on BlueSky @ronfein.bsky.social.

"Upper Beta Great Alcove Very Happy" by Ron FeinManawaker Patreon: https://patreon.com/manawaker/Manawaker store: https://payhip.com/ManawakerManawaker Discord: https://discord.gg/zjzA2pY9f9More info / Contact CB Droege: https://cbdroege.taplink.wsThe Flash Fiction Podcast Theme Song is by Kevin McCleodThe Producer, Editor, and Narrator of the podcast is CB DroegeBio for this weeks author: Ron Fein is a Boston-area public interest lawyer who, in his copious free time, writes science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, and comedy. His work appears in Nature, Factor Four, Daily Science Fiction, Nonprofit Quarterly, MetaStellar, NoSleep Podcast, Mystery Tribune, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and has been translated into Croatian and Romanian. Find him at ronfein.com, on Mastodon @ronfein@masto.ai, and on BlueSky @ronfein.bsky.social.

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Guests: Ryan Reilly, Paul Butler, Harry Litman, Ron Fein, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Maria Hinojosa, Alencia Johnson, Tim MillerTonight: The push to take Trump off the ballot fails in Michigan—what it means for the election and what it says about the institutional guardrails in our country. Then, the numbers are in and the MAGA Congress is on course to make history as the least productive House in decades. Plus, the Biden administration's big push in Mexico on immigration. 

In Part 2, we hear how Janet got a job cocktail waitressing at The Mab, that infamous old punk club on Broadway near Vesuvio. Mab owner Ness Aquino hired her for that and she dug it. She had been to many shows in LA when she lived there and loved the scene. She lived in the Basque Hotel at 15 Romolo, made good money, and stuff was cheap back in the late '70s. Janet describes herself as a lightweight, which meant she couldn't really hang out as late as most people around her. Eventually, she wanted to do more than cocktail, so she got a job bartending at Coffee Gallery on Grant … on the 6 a.m. shift, no less. The manager of Vesuvio saw her opening Coffee Gallery one day and asked her to open for them instead. This was 1979. In addition to her 6 a.m. shift at Vesuvio, Janet worked a few other jobs. Then she started working more at Vesuvio and liking it more and more. Early morning patrons, many of them merchant seamen, often comprised the “Dawn Patrol,” guys coming in from nearby SROs that didn't have heat. Cocktailing was hard, and it got old fast, so she switched back to bartending. As we learned in Part 1, the Feins had taken over at Vesuvio around 1967 or 1968, and they brought in Shawn O'Shaughnessy around that time to establish the aesthetic of the place. Janet tells us that the place feels mostly the same today, though they've added stuff here and there over the years. At this point in the conversation, we take a sidebar to talk about Ron Fein's aesthetic and discipline. His intention was always to keep the joint looking and feeling more or less consistent, employing a discipline not to chase trends to that end. Ron's son and daughter eventually became more involved. But seeing an opportunity and acting on it, Janet and her family have co-owned Vesuvio with Fein family since 1997. She invokes the saying, “Sweep the floor to own the store.” Janet has also been Vesuvio's principal manager since '97. The conversation shifts to talk of the pandemic, which she says was “almost an extinction event” for the bar. But Janet believes that Vesuvio was small enough to get control over the situation. She's quick to point to federal, state, and even local help, describing it as “invaluable.” It was The City's government that came through in letting them operate outside in the alley. And that leads us to Whacky Wednesdays (a bit of a tease of next week's episodes … stay tuned). Janet says the shows have been so much fun, but she of course wishes they had more space in Jack Kerouac Alley. They really helped to raise spirits during early days of the pandemic. In 2021, not much else was going on by way of live events. But more of that in Part 3 next week. We end Part 2 with my asking Janet what it means to her to be part of a San Francisco institution like Vesuvio. Listen in for her answer, which I loved. And check back Tuesday for Part 3, when we'll meet longtime Vesuvio bartender and Whacky Wednesdays creator Joanna Lioce. Photography by Jeff Hunt

This episode is six years overdue. That's because Storied: SF got started in a booth upstairs at one of our favorite spots in all The City: Vesuvio Café. In Part 1, we sit down in that same booth where it all began in 2017 to chat with Vesuvio co-owner Janet Clyde. We begin with a talk about what a great place for bars San Francisco is. Janet brings up touristic spots we love, as I had joined my wife for Irish coffees at the Buena Vista just before our recording in North Beach. Then Janet begins to lay out the history of Vesuvio. The location was originally an Italian bookstore called Cavalli Books, which moved first to the current City Lights spot, and then over to Stockton Street. Then, probably in the 1930s or early '40s, a woman known as Mrs. Mannetti opened Vesuvio as a restaurant. In 1948, Henry Lenoir bought the place from her and turned it into a bar. Lenoir was a Swiss/French bon vivant. He ran it as Vesuvio through the end of the 40s and into the 50s. But by the early '60s, with the Korean War, the place changed as society changed, and Henri wasn't feeling this generational shift at all. He sold the place to Ron Fein, who brought on Leo Riegler to run the bar. Riegler had run Coffee Gallery on Grant, which served beer and wine only. He was an Austrian bon vivant, and he came to Vesuvio and overhauled the bar. Ron Fein hired Shawn O'Shaughnessy to give the place the look and feel we're all familiar with to this day. O'Shaughnessy was inspired by Japanese art, aliens, and other worlds. Janet talks about the “I'm itching to get away from Portland, Oregon” sign, which hangs over the entrance to Vesuvio and which O'Shaughnessy derived from a postcard. We then shift the conversation a little to talk about Vesuvio and the Beat Movement. The bookstore across the alley became City Lights in 1954 when Lawrence Ferlinghetti took over. And that brought writers into the bar. Before that, according to Janet, Vesuvio was a Bohemian hang, really a cross-section of San Francisco. People who worked at the nearby Pacific Exchange (later known as the Pacific Stock Exchange), insurance salespeople, advertisers ... Janet describes the place as “suits and ties having a really good time …” When she arrived, in the late 1970s, the area was home to punk clubs, strip joints, bars, restaurants. Janet had hitchhiked from LA with the intention of landing in Seattle. She was born in Missouri but raised near Cape Canaveral, Florida. She left her family there and moved to LA but never really dug it much. A trip north in 1978 changed her life forever. Check back Thursday for Part 2 with Janet Clyde. For more on the history of Vesuvio, read this article on Found SF. This podcast was recorded at Vesuvio Café in North Beach in October 2023. Photography by Jeff Hunt

The assumption of most lawyers — or Americans — who know the word "SuperPAC" is that the Supreme Court has declared that the First Amendment protects SuperPACs. In this episode, you'll learn why that assumption is flat-out false, and about the fight to end SuperPAC money in America's democracy.

With primaries set to start in spring of 2024, an upcoming presidential election, and a number of federal & state indictments against former President Trump, including the January 6th indictment, section 3 of the 14th amendment has taken center stage. It reads "no person who has taken an oath as an officer of the United States can hold office if they “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof”. So, will Section 3 of the 14th Amendment actually impact the presidential election and eliminate Donald Trump from the running?   In this episode, host Craig Williams is joined by guest Ron Fein, the Legal Director for Free Speech For People. as they spotlight Section 3 and what this could mean for the upcoming presidential election. Mentioned in this Episode: The Sweep and Force of Section 3 by William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen The Constitution Prohibits Trump From Ever Being President Again by J. Michael Luttig and Laurence H. Tribe  Conservative Case Emerges to Disqualify Trump for Role on Jan. 6 by Adam Liptak The 14Point3 Campaign Trump is Disqualified

With primaries set to start in spring of 2024, an upcoming presidential election, and a number of federal & state indictments against former President Trump, including the January 6th indictment, section 3 of the 14th amendment has taken center stage. It reads "no person who has taken an oath as an officer of the United States can hold office if they “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof”. So, will Section 3 of the 14th Amendment actually impact the presidential election and eliminate Donald Trump from the running?   In this episode, host Craig Williams is joined by guest Ron Fein, the Legal Director for Free Speech For People. as they spotlight Section 3 and what this could mean for the upcoming presidential election. Mentioned in this Episode: The Sweep and Force of Section 3 by William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen The Constitution Prohibits Trump From Ever Being President Again by J. Michael Luttig and Laurence H. Tribe  Conservative Case Emerges to Disqualify Trump for Role on Jan. 6 by Adam Liptak The 14Point3 Campaign Trump is Disqualified

Nicolle Wallace discusses updates out of Fulton County after the ex-president pleaded not guilty to DA Fani Willis's racketeering and conspiracy charges, Georgia's Republican governor dismissing calls to remove Willis, what we learned from Mark Meadows' testimony in that case, sentences handed down for Proud Boys in their seditious conspiracy trial, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's overdue disclosure of financial relationship with right-wing billionaire, and more. Joined by: David Cay Johnston, Tim Heaphy, Glenn Kirschner, Donny Deutsch, Greg Bluestein, Ryan Reilly, Chris Whipple, Miles Taylor, Mary McCord, Brian Fallon, Dahlia Lithwick, Ron Fein, and Aisha Mills

In this episode, Lessig speaks to Ron Fein, the Legal Director for Free Speech For People. The two discuss a major legal mistake made by the courts, which, if corrected, would allow states to regulate SuperPACs. They discuss efforts by Free Speech For People and Equal Citizens to bring to light this mistake. If you are interested in learning more about the $50,000 video contest, visit www.equalcitizens.us

Guests: Ilya Yablokov, Ron Fein, Jeff Stein, Dr. Julie MoritaThe White House announces massive new aid as bombs fall in Kyiv during a visit from the U.N. Secretary General. Tonight: The ominous signals from Russia as we approach a dangerous crossroads in Ukraine. Then, what we know about the other members of Congress allegedly implicated by Marjorie Taylor Greene, as the January 6th committee seeks interviews with more Republican members. Plus, Mitt Romney enters the debate over student loan cancellation with bribery allegations—and that's a good thing.

Guests: Jason Blazakis, Luke Broadwater, Ron Fein, Symone Sanders, Corbin TrentAs Russia begins a new assault on Eastern Ukraine, new sanctions—and more weapons from the United States. But is America considering every option to help end the suffering. Then, the lawsuit to kick Marjorie Taylor Greene off the ballot will go forward, and the lawyer who will cross examine the Congresswoman joins us live. And did a Michigan lawmaker just give Democrats a blueprint for beating back right-wing culture war attacks?  

Facing Defeat, Russia Mobilizes for the Decisive Offensive in Eastern Ukraine | The Lawyer Leading the Fight to Take Insurrectionist Members of Congress Off the Ballots | The Consequences of the Failure to Convict the Wolverine Watchmen Who Plotted to Kidnap and Kill Governor Whitmer backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

In 2021, Seattle will use its Clean Campaigns Act for the first time, which includes ban on political donations from foreign-owned corporations. To discuss how these reforms will impact local elections, Democracy Nerd is joined by Cindy Black from Fix Democracy First and Ron Fein from Free Speech For People.

My guest today is John Bonifaz, the Co-Founder and President of Free Speech For People. He previously served as the Executive Director and then General Counsel of the National Voting Rights Institute, an organization he founded in 1994, and also served as the Legal Director of Voter Action, a national election integrity organization. John joins me to have a discussion about the hot topic of impeachment. We go through the arguments in the book Bonifaz co-wrote with Ron Fein and Ben Clements, THE CONSTITUTION DEMANDS IT: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump. Follow John and FSFP: John Bonifaz Free Speech for People The Impeachment Project Impeach Donald Trump Now

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Contrary to a popular misconception, super PACs were not created by the Supreme Court’s controversial decision in Citizens United. They were actually born out of a federal court of appeals decision in the case of SpeechNow.org v. FEC-- a case that was never reviewed by the Supreme Court. Ron Fein is the Legal Director at Free Speech for People, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that aims to reduce the role and influence of big money and corporate interests in elections. Ron and Free Speech for People, on behalf of a bipartisan coalition of members of congress, have a lawsuit pending before the Supreme Court now that would overturn SpeechNow. Ron joins the money in Politics podcast to talk about how super PACs were created, and ultimately, how they can be ended.

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Donald Trump often claims that some folks have been trying to impeach him since the day he was sworn in. He's right. Stewart speaks with one of those folks, Ron Fein, of Free Speech for People. Ron's organization has gone beyond calling for Trump's removal from office--it has actually drafted six different Articles of Impeachment.

Donald Trump often claims that some people have been trying to impeach him since the day he was sworn in.  He's right.   Stewart speaks with Ron Fein, of Free Speech for People, whose organization has drafted six different Articles of Impeachment Your Weekly Constitutional is hosted by Constitutional Law Professor Stewart Harris. Stewart teaches Constitutional Law at the Appalachian School of Law (ASL) in Grundy, Virginia. In 2011, Professor Harris created a public radio show, Your Weekly Constitutional, which is produced at WETS-FM, the NPR affiliate in Johnson City, Tennessee, and syndicated nationally.  YWC is underwritten by the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at Montpelier, the historic home of the Father of the Constitution, James Madison.  

This week, in the wake of the Mueller Report's release—at least in its redacted form—we revisit the issue of impeachment and the many questions surrounding it with constitutional lawyer Ron Fein, author of the book ““The Constitution Demands It—the Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump.”

Rob Fein is the legal director for FreeSpeechforPeople.org. He is a constitutional lawyer who previously served as Assistant Regional Counsel in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he received the National Gold Medal for exceptional service. He is the Co-Author of The Constitution Demands It: The case for impeachment of Donald Trump.

Rob Fein is the legal director for FreeSpeechforPeople.org. He is a constitutional lawyer who previously served as Assistant Regional Counsel in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he received the National Gold Medal for exceptional service. He is the Co-Author of The Constitution Demands It: The case for impeachment of Donald Trump.

With Hurricane Florence rapidly approaching, Donald Trump took to Twitter to lie about the death toll in Puerto Rico. He says that 3,000 people didn't die in the storms, but that some died of old age after the storm hit. He's lying. Plain and simple. Guest host Peter Ogburn discusses why gutting FEMA has put Americans in grave danger and why Republicans are completely OK with it. Plus, what is the Waffle House Index? We explain. We talk to Ron Fein, author of The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump, Kira Lerner from Thinkprogress and Hanna Trudo from National Journal

Ron Fein is a constitutional lawyer and the legal director for Free Speech for People, a nonprofit founded in the wake of the Citizens United ruling, and he lays out eight charges in a book he co-authored called “The Constitution Demands It—the Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump." In our wide-ranging discussion, we talk about what the framers intended with impeachment, and about how, while each of Trump's transgressions may not precisely rise to the level of criminal infractions, they add up to a tyrannical abuse of power that the Founding Fathers very much warned us against. https://www.impeachmentproject.org/ Then, in the wake of the news of the planned Seattle school strike, Washington's Paramount Duty co-founder and president Summer Stinson joins us to talk about how we wound up here, and what might be a way forward. Links: Sign up to volunteer with the Kim Schrier campaign here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/p/0vxE708gzECUM5CaFu7rLw2 Calendar of volunteer events for Carolyn Long: https://www.electlong.com/calendar/ Lisa Brown volunteer opportunities: https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-8635854529547597056

Scott interviews Ron Fein, a former EPA attorney, constitutional lawyer and the director of Free Speech For People, who wrote an entire book entitled, “The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump” which came out just last week containing eight reasons with legal arguments, for Congress to impeach President Trump, but only two of those have to do with Special Counsel Mueller. Disclosure: We use Amazon affiliate links. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dworkinreport/support

After a final update on the day's news for the week, Nicole Sandler welcomes Ron Fein of Free Speech for People to the show. Fein and two of his colleagues at Free Speech for People are the authors of the new book, "The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump."

Almost from the day he was elected, certainly from the day her took office, people have been talking about the impeachment of Donald Trump. His basic failure to divest his business holdings, his refusal to abide by ethical norms, nepotism, cronyism, his odd and still not fully known relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin, and his disregard for the intelligence community, have all stoked the fires. But are there legitimate grounds for impeachment, as laid out by the constitution? What kind of constitutional crisis might be precipitated by such efforts, and how do we define, political vs. legal impeachment and would that even matter? After all, so much of what our founders did was designed as a bulwark against the corruption that we see playing out each and every day at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. To try and put all of this rhetoric in context is constitutional scholar Ron Fein, the co-author of The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump. My conversation with Ron Fein:

Is there a case for the impeachment of Donald Trump? Constitutional attorney Ron Fein says not only is there a case, but also that the case exists regardless of what happens with the special counsel investigation. The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump (Melville House, 2018), co-authored by Fein and two of his legal colleagues at Free Speech for People, articulates the grounds for at least eight articles of impeachment, most of which are unrelated to the allegations of a election conspiracy with Russian officials. They argue Trump has violated the Constitution by accepting payments from foreign governments through his Washington, DC hotel, using government agencies to pushing political enemies, undermining a free press and abusing the power to pardon. The book argues that political considerations for 2018 and 2020 should be set aside, and that the impeachment process should begin immediately strictly on constitutional grounds. Bill Scher is a Contributing Editor for POLITICO Magazine. He has provided political commentary on CNN, NPR and MSNBC. He has been published in The New York Times, The New Republic, and The New York Daily News among other publications. He is author of Wait! Don’t Move to Canada, published by Rodale in 2006. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a case for the impeachment of Donald Trump? Constitutional attorney Ron Fein says not only is there a case, but also that the case exists regardless of what happens with the special counsel investigation. The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump (Melville House, 2018), co-authored by Fein and two of his legal colleagues at Free Speech for People, articulates the grounds for at least eight articles of impeachment, most of which are unrelated to the allegations of a election conspiracy with Russian officials. They argue Trump has violated the Constitution by accepting payments from foreign governments through his Washington, DC hotel, using government agencies to pushing political enemies, undermining a free press and abusing the power to pardon. The book argues that political considerations for 2018 and 2020 should be set aside, and that the impeachment process should begin immediately strictly on constitutional grounds. Bill Scher is a Contributing Editor for POLITICO Magazine. He has provided political commentary on CNN, NPR and MSNBC. He has been published in The New York Times, The New Republic, and The New York Daily News among other publications. He is author of Wait! Don’t Move to Canada, published by Rodale in 2006. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a case for the impeachment of Donald Trump? Constitutional attorney Ron Fein says not only is there a case, but also that the case exists regardless of what happens with the special counsel investigation. The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump (Melville House,... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a case for the impeachment of Donald Trump? Constitutional attorney Ron Fein says not only is there a case, but also that the case exists regardless of what happens with the special counsel investigation. The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump (Melville House, 2018), co-authored by Fein and two of his legal colleagues at Free Speech for People, articulates the grounds for at least eight articles of impeachment, most of which are unrelated to the allegations of a election conspiracy with Russian officials. They argue Trump has violated the Constitution by accepting payments from foreign governments through his Washington, DC hotel, using government agencies to pushing political enemies, undermining a free press and abusing the power to pardon. The book argues that political considerations for 2018 and 2020 should be set aside, and that the impeachment process should begin immediately strictly on constitutional grounds. Bill Scher is a Contributing Editor for POLITICO Magazine. He has provided political commentary on CNN, NPR and MSNBC. He has been published in The New York Times, The New Republic, and The New York Daily News among other publications. He is author of Wait! Don’t Move to Canada, published by Rodale in 2006. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a case for the impeachment of Donald Trump? Constitutional attorney Ron Fein says not only is there a case, but also that the case exists regardless of what happens with the special counsel investigation. The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump (Melville House, 2018), co-authored by Fein and two of his legal colleagues at Free Speech for People, articulates the grounds for at least eight articles of impeachment, most of which are unrelated to the allegations of a election conspiracy with Russian officials. They argue Trump has violated the Constitution by accepting payments from foreign governments through his Washington, DC hotel, using government agencies to pushing political enemies, undermining a free press and abusing the power to pardon. The book argues that political considerations for 2018 and 2020 should be set aside, and that the impeachment process should begin immediately strictly on constitutional grounds. Bill Scher is a Contributing Editor for POLITICO Magazine. He has provided political commentary on CNN, NPR and MSNBC. He has been published in The New York Times, The New Republic, and The New York Daily News among other publications. He is author of Wait! Don’t Move to Canada, published by Rodale in 2006. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly and Sophy talk to John Bonifaz, Co-Founder and President of Free Speech For People, and Co-Author of The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump. In the book, Bonifaz, and co-authors, Ron Fein and Ben Clements, lay out the grounds for impeaching Trump now, and explain why we should not wait for the results of the investigation being conducted by Robert Mueller.

Kelly and Sophy talk to John Bonifaz, Co-Founder and President of Free Speech For People, and Co-Author of The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump. In the book, Bonifaz, and co-authors, Ron Fein and Ben Clements, lay out the grounds for impeaching Trump now, and explain why we should not wait for the results of the investigation being conducted by Robert Mueller.

On this episode of A Day in the House, State Rep Michael Day is joined by Ron Fein and Jasmine Gomez of Free Speech for People, an organization that works to renew our democracy and our United States Constitution for we the people, not big money and corporate interests. Rep. Day talks to them about their organization, the effect that corporate influence has on our democratic process and the steps that can be taken to fix the system.

Bill Press welcomes John Bonifaz, Ron Fein, Joe Cirincione, & Marianne LeVine to discuss Donald Trump's defense of Michael Flynn, the campaign to impeach the president, Trump's bumbling press conference with Netanyahu, & the Oprah tape that helped take down Labor nominee Andrew Puzder - all the big highlights from this Thursday edition of the Bill Press Show!

Citizens United is perhaps the most-criticized Supreme Court decision in recent memory. But what's all the fuss about? We'll speak with two leading critics of Citizens United, John Bonifaz and Ron Fein of Free Speech for People, who began their efforts to overturn the decision on the very day it was announced. Please note: this episode was originally broadcast as part of the WETS fall fundraiser in 2014, so you'll hear a reference or two to donations. The episode is also a bit shorter than most, since several fundraising announcements have been removed from the podcast version. But never fear: you can always donate at www.wets.org.