Podcast 154

Updating top stories for the week ahead. Former VA head Shinseki says he didn’t know about incompetence, corruption and coverups at the VA and so the President didn’t know either. Yet as many as 18 detailed reports have been placed on Shinseki’s desk – maybe the President’s too – since 2008. Was White House Press Secretary Jay Carney’s resignation announced the same day as Shinseki’s to draw eyes and ears away from the ‘When and What did you know’ question? The White House announces it has negotiated the release of a US soldier held since 2009 by Taliban, but he is referred to as a ‘Prisoner of War’. Is he? Did the US pay too high a price for the release of Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl? And what were the circumstances of his capture. Why was Secretary Hagel’s announcement of his release treated with stony silence by the troops in Afghanistan? This was political convention weekend in Rochester (republicans) and Duluth (democrats). While the democrats came out of their convention unified, the same might not be said of the Republicans. Looking ahead to primary season, one wonders what possesses the brains of Republican insiders. El Nino, Oprah and George Clooney. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul.

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Podcast 151

President Obama has been personally ‘stung’ by his foreign policy critics and makes a series of speeches and appearances to ‘address’ those critics directly. Is this a wise political move? What are the top issues in the 2014 election cycle? Do they have anything to do with foreign policy. Are the president’s critics warmongers? Does the criticism have to do with the president’s decision making process and consensus approach to reacting to Syria, Libya, Ukraine and terrorists? When is it appropriate to question the White House conduct of Foreign Policy? If the people of the United States are focused inward, can the president’s economic policies be blamed? What about the rest of the world — becoming concerned about over-capacity and deflation? These are the issues that ought to be on the front burner in the foreign policy debate few people have indicated interest in. Sponsored by Baklund R & D.

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Podcast 150

The White House outs a CIA Station Chief scuttling President Obama’s effort to defend his foreign policy, provoking yet more questions about his competency. Live from the deck on a beautiful late spring night, The Bob Davis Podcasts updates the stories that matter for your midweek. Concerned about the VA not treating vets from Afghanistan and Iraq? Your blood will really boil when you find out how many highly paid VA employees are working for unions, rather than the vets they’re supposed to be helping, and the taxpayers are footing the bill. Terrorists at GITMO get better medical treatment from military doctors than those waiting in line at the post office, er Amtrak, uh … the VA. The media treats right-wing success in the EU election as the return of Fascism to Europe. What’s the correct perspective? Cheaper Gas prices are heralded as yet another “cure” to a US economy crushed by bad economic and monetary policy. Oh, this podcast also features the sound of wind in the trees and June bugs. Sponsored by Plan Vision.

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