Politics in Washington

a little bit of background yourself. You're a West Point graduate, and you have your law degree from Temple, and you have a master's degree from University of Pennsylvania. You served in the Gulf War, Bronze Star recipient in the in the Gulf War, and spent obviously the requisite five years of active duty military service after after your graduation. Uh So, congratulations on those accomplishments. Let's talk about the Edward and

Kennedy Kennedy Institute for the US Senate. I actually had the pleasure in honor of moderating a conversation with Natan Sharansky there several years ago. That room is beautiful. I assume you have already physically been to the.

Senators on both sides of the aisle. There's a real effort there, it seems to me keep that Board of directors balanced.

Kennedy in his office. And so when I had the opportunity to join the board, I jumped at it because I think that that bipartisan nature, the bipartisanship that used to exist in this Senate. Oops, sorry about that that

used to exist in the Senate is uh? I hope you know, I hope Walking on no, no, no, But that Byparson used to exist in the Senate is you know, always always at risk of vanishing and disappearing, right, And so I think there needs to be a real focus on on making sure that that that that is not forgotten. And Bruce and the and the team at the at the Institute have done a nice job of putting some programming together in the past, and it's something aboard which

I think really is focused on that. You know, Senator Kennedy and my former boss, Senator Spector and Senator Hatch and others back in the day used to work hand and glove to get a lot of good things done. And and as you know, in the Senate with a fillbus or the sixty vote rule, the only way to get anything done is to do it in a bipartisan manner. You have to have support from Republicans, you have to

support from Democrats, and you have to come together. And and today that may not be super popular, whether it's Donald Trump or Joe Bidener, whomever's in the White House. Consensus and and and and passing you know, legislation. Uh is how this you know how the you remember the old school house rock. I'm just a bill on Capitol Hill. Well, you know, the world isn't done by eos. Normally, it's done by legislation, and the only way that gets done

is by Democrats and Republicans working together. And I think the Institute goes a long way and trying to advance that and keep that front and center in people's minds.

a dinner with Chris Sanuda on Saturday night. Obviously his brother, former Senator John Sanunu is on and then UH many many of the others I've interviewed along the way. UH and I had the chair of your board on here recently. It's it's a very different feel from the from the

Kennedy Library. They do the Profile Encourage Award every year, and whenever they give it to a Republican it's because the Republican is strayed from Republican orthodoxy, you know, you know Dick Cheney, who would be would be live, would from from the Kennedy Library. It's it's a very different feel, and.

My guest is David Irbin. I want to talk to you about being a commentator on CNN, and sure, you're in a minority position of CNN. I don't know how many my listeners will recognize you from CNN, but UH, to be really honest with you, but but we'll we'll talk about that. I also want to talk about what's going on with the Trump administration because uh, and and I've been critical of the Trump administration. I just think that they're maybe biting off a little bit more than

they can chew. I suspect you're going to disagree with me on some of this, but I think the royal of the stock market, there may be some areas where we agree on not that. Okay, I'm not a Republican, David Urban, Yeah, I'm a conservative. I'm a conservative and Uh, okay, good good place for me. Yeah, well that's it, you know. And I and I have a lot of friends on both sides of the aisle, and uh, as I say, we should have a good conversation, and I'm going to

get some of my listeners involved here as well. My guest is David Irban. He is the newest director at the Ted Senator Edward Kennedy uh Institute for the US Senate, a fabulous institutution out on Columbia Point, right next to

the JFK. Kennedy Library Kennedy Presidential Library. I would recommend that you make a day of it and visit both both locations because they are both wonderful, you know, wonderful institutions in our community, memorializing the political history of the twentieth century and with Senator Kennedy's case, into the twenty first century. We're back with David Urban. If you'd like to call and ask him anything about what it's like behind the scenes at CNN, You're more than welcome to

do that. We'll talk a little politics and talk some issues as well. Back on Night Side with David Urban. Coming back on Nightside.

people arguing and yelling at each other. I think constructive informative debate is helpful public in public discourse, in the public square. That much more on on many shows, you can tune in and get your your bias affirmed on whatever network you'd like. But I think CNN of the at least makes an effort right and trying to kind of be kind of down the middle on on on on these things. It gives myself and others, other conservative and Republicans and opportunity to go on there and make

the case. Judging by the by Twitter feed, I must. I don't think I do a very good job most of the time because a lot of the people don't seem convinced. But I try to be respectful and and present the other side. I'm hopeful at some point some people the message gets through, because I think it's important. It's important to here here from disparate views and and uh and kick it around. You know you you're you

pointed out earlier about President Kennedy. You know, President John F. Kennedy couldn't get elected in today's Republic, I mean today's Democratic Party, right it is. It's a different place. I mean,

if you look at talk about Joe Kennedy. I have great deal of respect for Joe Kennedy, and and he lost in Massachusetts because he wasn't liberal enough, you know, and and and you know there is if you look and you know, I am friends with Kim Ryan Democrat, Tim Ryan, who great congressman from you know, from Ohio with Kurston, Cinema of Joe Mansion, with a lot of common sense Democrats, and and you know, they're kind of leaving the party. They left the Senate, they're leaving the party.

They lose in primaries, and I'm fearful that that middle and both parties. You know, there's there's not many quote unquote moderate Northeast Republicans anymore like there used to be. John Hines and Ile Inspector and others, John Chafey, you know, just to name a few, dwindled away as well. And the party's kind of gone to there there there there, they're neutral corners to you know, fight for another round. But I think America served best by by that middle right.

And unfortunately, what we have every ten years a census, and then you have a redistricting process by which congressional seats are drawn safer and safer in America. So have the four hundred and thirty five members of Congress, you have roughly, you know, thirty thirty five seats that are competitive maybe out of four hundred and those in the Congress, then you are more afraid of losing in a primary

than you are in a general election. So that doesn't really help, you know, bipartisanship if you are if you're more afraid of losing in a primary than you are and signing onto legislation with a you know, with somebody in a different party, that may be a good piece of legislation, because you fear getting primaried. That's not good for America. So we have to figure that out. We have to figure out what we do and how we

address that. Because those congressmen then grow up to the senators, right, those those partisan congressmen grow up the centers, and they're tempered somewhat by the nature of their state. So you know, you get in these big states and may have you know, a little bit more of a blue tint to that, and the senators become purple because because they have to survive, I represent their their constituency.

in the primary. This twenty years of his experience in Congress. Uh And certainly there were times when Mike Capajuana was my friend, fire breathing liberal. I mean, you didn't want to get into an argument Mike Capawana because sharp as attack and and and very committed to his views. What I do on my show, David is I tried to have both sides. I'm competing every night from eight to midnight, not only again at CNN, but I'm competing against Fox. And there are a lot of people who like call it.

They like to sit in their silos, whether it's a Fox silence.

his you know, address to Congress the other night. Nobody probably watched it for the entire you know, hour and thirty minutes, but people consumed it and snippets here and there and so other than you and myself and maybe some of your listeners, right, maybe listen to the whole thing.

But most people today just get little sound bites and they make their decisions based upon snippets of what they see and hear, but not they don't consume, you know, five thousand word Nobody writes five thousand word articles anymore. Nobod writes big articles anymore. Anywhere. You don't see that newspapers are dying. And it's it's really interesting how I don't want to say democratized, but how democratized news has become.

And the interesting part is the velocity at which it travels. Right, And so when you know, you said you're a reporter for a very long time. You know, you used to be able to work on a story for a while. Now it's the the urge is to get it out quickly. You may not be one hundred percent correct, but to get it out quickly, to be first rather than invest. And it's just it's very interesting. I see this a

lot and you kind of have to. You have to be very careful when you consume and what you consume, and if you're not educated about it, you know, you see so much misinformation out there. I think that's a real challenge for for everybody, everybody is interested in the political process.

my ten to invite as many people as possible. I had an email exchange today with a guy up in New Hampshire who is very far right wing, and he was upset that I was a matter of fact, I can't find it real quickly. I should have had it in my hand available. But he was upset that I had told him not to say certain things. He would call up and say crazy things and I'd say, that's not true. Well, that's my opinion and say, well, you could have your opinion, you can't have your facts and

you don't have right to facts. And anyway, let's do this. We got to take a break for ninth third here, I want to open this conversation up to our audience and give them a chance to talk with you. I maybe will take one more or just a few minutes and talk about what's going on in Washington, d C. Obviously we've watched the stock market the last few days

really take a dive. I was appalled at what went on in the Oval office the other day with Zelinsky and I just so you could pull your thoughts together. I attribute that to some really bad staff work on behalf of the Trump staff. Those documents should have been signed, sealed, and delivered before Zolensky set foot in the White House, and I don't think that helped the president. So I just would love I know that you're a big supporter, and I want to get your point of view, and

I want my to incorporate the audience as well. My guest David Rban he's the managing director of a group called BGR, the BGR Group. I didn't look that up. Is that a financial organization political organization.

Republican Governors Association, who's one heck of a guy. Ed Rodgers another just outstanding individual working in the Reagan White House, and uh and Landy Griffin and they were all friends and started this firm. Uh, you know, many years ago, so still going strong.

take it break my guess. David Urban, Managing director of BGR Group in Washington, also the newest member of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, the newest member of the board of directors, very active in the Trump campaign, and also a CNN commentator. So he is an individual who has lots of contacts throughout the political system. If you want to ask a question, throw the numbers out six one, seven, four ten thirty six one seven, nine, three thirty. My name is Dan Ray.

This is Nightside, be Back talking politics with David Urban.

completely divident different administration. I think that the you know, they have the House and Senate actually kind of working together. You saw, you know, we have this continuing resolution to fund the government runs out of money, right, they kicked the can down the road. I think Republic has made a mistake. I think Republic has made a mistake in the last administration by not making not passing spending bills

during the Biden administration. If I were the Speaker, I would have I would have gotten these bills down and got them off the desk, cleared the cleared the plate for all these other all the other important thing issues they're dealing with, like debt ceiling and tax increases and the tax bill which is going to be coming up, and and a school of other things. And so unfortunately now they have to pass this continuing resolution to fund

the government for through it. You know, it expires and on the fourteenth, but they're going to they will pass this in the House and Senate, and they'll get it and move on. They have to re revisit at some point in the future. So I think that you know, the agenda that the president's undertaking is aggressive, but you know what's getting motion notices is really Elon Musk's doze

in them to reduce the size of government. Right, So, as you and your listeners may know, a lot of the people who have to implement these things, assistant secretaries, deputy assistant secretaries, under secretaries, they haven't not only have they not been named yet, but they're not even well they're not sworn in. They haven't been sworn in, or they haven't had their hearings that they A lot of

them haven't just been named. So a lot of these agencies are pretty hollow still so a lot of this thing is a lot of these things you're seeing are kind of headline grabbing, but they're going to take some time to get accomplished. So all the things that you're saying on you know, the funding cuts and reductions in personnel, they're going to be challenging courts. They may have to

have some legislative action to back them up. Some other people are gonna have to get in place to actually effectuate these because currently of acting you know, assistant secretaries and deputies and secretary who may may not be up for getting these things done. So I think moving with alacrity is uh is a good thing. I don't think, you know, on some things, I think it misfire clearly, and there's been some reports that that those folks have this reported things they have to go back and clean

it up. But I think the American people, I think the American people are excited about change. They want Listen, the government's too big. Whether you're Democrat or Republican, the government's just too big. It's too it's too unwieldy. It doesn't it's not responsive to people in you know, in Framingham. They're not you know, they you may think that the federal government's helpful, but it really is kind of MUCKs

up the work for a lot. You know. Being a Republican and in the true sense of the word right, you believe in limited government right in states, right, so that the local governments, whether it's in Braintree or Wellesley or Weston or Framingham or wherever where the Lesseners live, they should have first bite at the apple and sixing problems.

Then the state should be the next the next kind of level and find the federal government should be there for you know, safe skies and defense and clean air, clean water kind of things, and shouldn't be meddling in all these kind of really local issues. And what the Trump administration doing is trying to write that right size of government that's been bloated for for generations, right and trying to do it pretty quickly. So we'll see if

they're successful. I think the American people, if you look at the just kind of snapshot polls, I think they're pretty pretty pleased with that. But you know, you every day things change, right that the stock market's kind of taking a turn here because of tariffs, right, which are not something that the President campaigned on. Super aggressively. He mentioned that he's gonna he's gonna have tariffs and kind

of level the playing field with our economic competitors. But now you know, the market has not viewed that favorably. And we'll see if that's something that's can adjust. I think the President thinks that he can have some There might be some short term pain for longer term gain in terms of reshoring American manufacturing and right sizing some

of those things. That we'll see how the market reacts, and if it continues to react negatively, maybe the President and the administration to rethink some of those things.

cycles in transgender men. Yeah, I mean, I mean, okay, so that we can leave We could just leave that there, and let's let that. Let that simmer, and then the VA canceled a fifty six thousand dollars contract to water eight plants for five years.

are security rules. I understand that is indicative of them an efficiency, but but I think that it's better to deal on these specific concrete examples of absurdity because my suspicion is that's probably a coding error. To be really honest with you that, Yeah.

issues and examples. Because one of the things that I heard it on Musk say at a press conference was that, you know, the Department of Treasury issues you know checks without like a subject line. Right, there's no like the checks just squad the door. No one really knows why they're going, right, And so so so that part is I think they really need to kind of understand there should be you know, when it check goes out the door from the US government, people should really be able

to track it and know what's going on. Right. The fact that the Department of Defense can't pass it on and I don't know if you've your viewers or you have seen this in the last administration to sit down John Stewart did with then the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the number two persons at DoD where she kind of laughed at John Stewart because he was saying, you know, look, you guys are spending nine hundred billion dollars a year. You can't you don't know where your tanks are. And

she's like, oh, she kind of laughed it off. And and but that's serious. It's serious business. When when the government's spending that much money, they should be able to account for it. These are people listen when you know Robert Kennedy Junior. I listened to him a couple of lots during the debates, and he had pointed about interesting statistic that some there was some the number he'd reference to something like fifty six percent of Americans can't put

their hands on a thousand dollars tomorrow. If they woke up and needed a thousand bucks, they don't have it. And they're checking their savings account. They don't have a thousand dollars liquid to go take care of their lives. That statistic should be really, you know, troubling for for Americans, because when you when the government is taking so much of your money and your check engine comes on, it's

a crisis for your family. Maybe the government is getting too much, right, Maybe we should let people keep more of their paycheck. Maybe we should figure out how to right size the government so they're not so big. And I think that's what the Trump administration is trying to do. And whether they're doing it, you know, a little too aggressively, it'll all listen, the courts and the Congress, it'll come

out in the wash. I suspect that, as you said, a lot of these specific things, while they're small, right, they add up. And I suspect that, you know, there will be some reduction, but a lot of things will be restored because the courts won't let them go through or the Congress won't let them go through the cuts.

And how much of it actually got you know, on for the mission that it was.

And so unfortunately, what's happening in the current Doge movement is the only people you can really get rid of in the federal employment system are what are deemed probationary employees,

So people who are been hired recently. When I mean recently, it could be two or three years they've been hired, and so you could still terminate those people pretty easily, and that's what's happening, and unfortunately, some good people are being let go because that is the only way to call the herd and this huge federal workforce is to take these kind of measures which may not be you know, it's maybe a little more meat clean than scalpel, but

the way the current system is designed, you'd have to pass the legislation to reform the civil service system, which, as you know, is that is not going to happen. With sixty votes. You need sixty votes, right to get it done. You're not going to get it through going back to the Edward Kennedy Institute of Buy Partnership nature there. Right, You've got to get people who are all rolled in the same boat to agree that there are problems that any time you go to try to change a system

like that, that's that's that big. You're gonna have lots of pushback from afts, me and others who are you know, who have have you know, a vested interest in it, and so unfortunately Trump administration has left to do this with a meat clean rather than the scalpel.