Lots of unity talk, but not much evidence of it in both major political parties as their big internal showdowns get closer. Loeffler, Collins, Warnock, Tomlinson, Riggs Amico, Ossoff, and Abrams are just a few of the names you’ll hear on what you might call an endorsement edition of the Political Breakfast. WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer is back with our highly-endorsed political strategists. Brian Robinson is a Republican strategist, communications consultant, and former deputy chief ...
Feb 14, 2020•44 min•Ep. 64
Policy-making comes to a screeching halt so that Georgia's legislature can figure out the state's money woes. Plus, President Trump promises to get involved in a Georgia senate race. Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE's Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt about these and other issues, including a look at Georgia's lucrative film tax credit, which got some scrutiny from lawmakers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 10, 2020•10 min•Ep. 63
As the Georgia legislative session rolls along, we look at Governor Kemp's proposed crackdown on gang-related activity, and his push for a Medicaid waiver expansion program. Also, a high-profile retirement in Gwinnett could be a sign of how the county's political base is changing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 07, 2020•26 min•Ep. 62
Governor Brian Kemp's pick for the U.S. Senate, Kelly Loeffler, gets some unwanted competition as Republican Doug Collins jumps into the race. Host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE political reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt about the drama surrounding the open Senate race, which now also includes prominent Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock. We also talk about gambling, adoption, and foster care proposals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 03, 2020•13 min•Ep. 61
It finally happened: a couple of high-profile potential Senate candidates decided to realize that potential—one right after the other. So, Georgia Republicans are again learning what happens when you’re the majority party: you fight internal battles. Meanwhile, Georgia Democrats are working with some Republicans in one of those fights. But right now, the toughest fights of all are over where the state budget axe will fall. It’s a giant buffet set for you on this edition of the Political Breakfas...
Jan 31, 2020•32 min•Ep. 60
Lawmakers are struggling with the reality of tough budget cuts to Education, Health, Agriculture and other state agencies. Politics Reporters Emma Hurt and Emil Moffatt and Health Reporter Sam Whitehead join host Lisa Rayam to bring insight and context to the numbers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 27, 2020•16 min•Ep. 59
The Democratic presidential candidates might be in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other cold places up north right now, but Georgia will be on their minds sooner than any of us might think. And after the presidential race leaves Georgia, the state will still be dealing with some difficult issues of health, life and death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 24, 2020•39 min•Ep. 58
Hearings at the Georgia State Capitol this week will tackle a tight budget to find ways to give teachers the full $5,000 pay raise promised by Governor Brian Kemp during his campaign in 2018. Education Reporter Martha Dalton and Politics Reporter Emma Hurt Join host Lisa Rayam this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 20, 2020•10 min•Ep. 57
We all expected 2020 to be crazy busy in politics from the start, and it’s certainly fulfilled that promise. So, let’s do the sensible thing, and jump right in with a new Political Breakfast! This edition is the first on our new weekly schedule--twice the heaping helpings from now on! We’ve got big stuff going on from the nation’s capital, to the State Capitol, to Atlanta’s City Hall and beyond. WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer, again welcomes our regulars, who are well rested--at least ...
Jan 17, 2020•39 min•Ep. 56
WABE reporters Emil Moffatt and Emma Hurt join host Lisa Rayam for a look ahead to the week in the Georgia General Assembly. They discuss the expected fight over a shrinking state budget and possible changes to Georgia’s lucrative film and television production tax credit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 13, 2020•11 min•Ep. 55
As the 2020 legislative session gets underway in Georgia, WABE has a new podcast to keep you in the know. “Gold Dome Scramble” is a pop-up podcast from "Political Breakfast." Every Monday morning, host Lisa Rayam talks with WABE reporters about the big issues that may become state law – from casino gambling to expanded gun rights. It’s your chance to learn about what’s happening in the Georgia legislative session. We’ll make it fun. We’ll make it informative. And we’ll keep it short. See omnystu...
Jan 09, 2020•4 min•Ep. 54
2020 will be a huge political year in Georgia, of course. Many of the upcoming big stories are obvious: impeachment; elections; and--at the state Capitol--a push to legalize gambling (in some form, at least) in Georgia. But there's a lot more ahead in 2020, and we get your ready for it with some inside information from our regulars on the Political Breakfast. Tharon Johnson is a Democratic strategist, public affairs and government consultant, and former national southern regional director for th...
Jan 03, 2020•34 min•Ep. 53
What a way to end 2019! An historic impeachment vote in the U.S. House; Georgia’s Senator-to-be continues meeting her new colleagues--and new questions about what kind of Senator she’ll be. And what could be a major turning point in the decades-long legal war over how all of us in Georgia use water. It's a holiday party edition of the Political Breakfast. WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer welcomes our two unimpeachable sources. Brian Robinson is a Republican strategist, communications con...
Dec 20, 2019•42 min•Ep. 52
Governor Brian Kemp has chosen Georgia's next U.S. Senator. But is this just the start, instead of the end, of the sharp elbows among Republicans? After all, some of them got into a Twitter war with each other over who wears jean shorts. Meanwhile, both major parties get their ballots together for the upcoming presidential primary, and the numbers keep flying in the debate over health care in the state. It's another full menu for the Political Breakfast. Joining WABE political contributor Denis ...
Dec 06, 2019•47 min•Ep. 51
In the political world, there used to be something called the Thanksgiving break. But there’s little evidence of that this year. Georgia Democrats push the national party for more resources in 2020; Georgia Republicans throw a few elbows in the maneuvering to succeed Senator Johnny Isakson. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s transit makeover continues to take shape. It’s another overstuffed buffet for the Political Breakfast! WABE political contributor Denis O'Hayer again welcomes our regulars: Democratic str...
Nov 22, 2019•49 min•Ep. 50
Political analysts say the big message from this week's elections in Kentucky and Virginia is that Republicans are losing support in the suburbs. How might that play out in Georgia during the 2020 Senate and Presidential races? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 08, 2019•56 min•Ep. 49
It’s still more than a year before the presidential election, but we’re less than three months away from the first caucuses in Iowa. And Georgia takes center stage in a month, with the next Democratic debate, and the rapidly-changing events in Washington and overseas could have a big effect on the plans for both major parties here. Meanwhile, a new look at what our region will look like in the next 30 years might change the decisions our political leaders make now. And speaking of decisions, wha...
Oct 18, 2019•49 min•Ep. 48
It’s football season now, but the real head-knocking is happening in politics--where some of the players are going after each other without helmets. Meanwhile, the state’s strict new abortion law ran into a block in Federal court, and it’s a blitz of candidates who want to succeed Johnny Isakson in the U.S. Senate. We’ve got great seats for you in this edition of the Political Breakfast. Brian Robinson is back; he's a Republican strategist, communications consultant, and former deputy chief of s...
Oct 04, 2019•49 min•Ep. 47
Got your resume up to date? Then you, too, can apply for the soon-to-be open job of U.S. Senator from Georgia! But President Trump might be reading that resume, and pass on his thoughts to the Governor who’ll make the decision. Meanwhile, the race for the other Georgia Senate seat got a high-profile new contestant. And the Atlanta school system has to figure out what next, after the superintendent’s contract was not renewed. So there's a whole smorgasbord in this serving of the Political Breakfa...
Sep 20, 2019•48 min•Ep. 46
2020 was already forecast to be a very windy political year in Georgia. Then Senator Johnny Isakson’s resignation announcement guaranteed it’ll be a category 5! There’s also a continuing storm over hazardous emissions at a Cobb County chemical plant. And it hasn’t exactly been calm at Atlanta’s City Hall, either. So much to dive into on this edition of the Political Breakfast. And we finally have both of our regulars on hand at the same time. Tharon Johnson is a Democratic strategist, public aff...
Sep 06, 2019•45 min•Ep. 45
Georgia's senior U.S. Senator, Republican Johnny Isakson, is speaking about his resignation, and what he wants to do before he leaves the Senate at the end of the year. Isakson made the announcement on Wednesday, August 28. The three-term Senator, who began his political career in 1974, cited increasing health problems as the reason for his resignation. Isakson suffers from Parkinson's Disease, and recently had a growth removed from his kidney. He spoke by phone on August 30 with Political Break...
Aug 31, 2019•8 min•Ep. 44
There’s something in the late summer air--and it’s got a lot of Georgia folks concerned, along with the people who ask for their votes. Speaking of voting, the timer is running on the state’s new elections system, even as a legal fight continues. Meanwhile, the legal battle lines are more clearly drawn in the showdown over the state’s new abortion laws. There's all that and more in this helping of the Political Breakfast! WABE political contributor Denis O’Hayer welcomes Republican strategist Br...
Aug 23, 2019•44 min•Ep. 44
It’s August, but the folks who run things in Georgia are not getting much of a vacation. They face some very serious questions: Does this state needs tougher gun laws? What to do about hazardous chemicals in the air near some Atlanta area neighborhoods? Should Governor Kemp finally expand the state’s Medicaid program for low-income Georgians? And how can lawmakers do all of this when the Governor is warning state agencies that funding cuts are coming? We get into all of that in this serving of t...
Aug 09, 2019•46 min•Ep. 43
Now that Robert Mueller has spoken to Congress about Russian interference in the last presidential election, what’s being done here in Georgia to ensure the security of the next one? And it’s not just the 2020 presidential contest that’s stirring things up around here; there are quite a few would-be members of Congress in both parties. And a former Georgia governor has been busy lately in his new job as Agriculture Secretary. Those are just a few of the items on the bill of fare for this Politic...
Jul 26, 2019•42 min•Ep. 42
While Georgia Republican Senator David Perdue builds his re-election war chest, another Georgia Democrat jumps into the race to challenge him. But is the party waiting and hoping for someone else? Meanwhile, the new child sex trafficking charges against Jeffrey Epstein in New York have brought new focus to Georgia’s efforts to fight sex trafficking. And, if Georgia and some other states win their lawsuit against Obamacare, do Republican leaders have a plan for what next for patients here? A lot ...
Jul 12, 2019•46 min•Ep. 41
While the Democratic presidential candidates debated in Miami, we’ll see if local Democrats need to focus on a different battle here, Meanwhile, Atlanta’s mayor unveiled an affordable housing plan, which critics argue isn’t very specific. And the Supreme Court blocked a census citizenship question, while Atlanta’s immigrant community waits to see if President Trump’s threatened raids will actually happen. All that and more is on the table for this Political Breakfast. WABE political contributor ...
Jun 28, 2019•44 min•Ep. 40
Could it be the presidential campaigns will actually treat Georgia as more than just a cash machine? Democratic candidates made all the right noises during their recent visits. But do they have the keys to winning the state? Meanwhile, the state’s Republican governor makes some key appointments by selecting African-American and Hispanic candidates--and Stacey Abrams goes to Hollywood. It’s a big and varied menu for this edition of the Political Breakfast, which also includes the possible role of...
Jun 14, 2019•42 min•Ep. 39
Georgia’s new abortion law is signed into law, but the fight may only be starting. Meanwhile, Georgia political types in both parties try to navigate the ongoing turbulence from the Russia probe and Robert Mueller’s invitation to Congress. And while Stacey Abrams ponders her next move, state ethics regulators move in on her, starting another battle. So let’s dig in to a Political Breakfast! Brian Robinson is a Republican strategist, communications consultant, and former deputy chief of staff to ...
May 31, 2019•42 min•Ep. 38
There are some political storms on Georgia’s summer radar: an indictment for the state’s insurance commissioner; a potential landmark fight over the new abortion law; and Democrats and Republicans are trying to figure out how to navigate all the 2020 turbulence and uncertainty. But you can fortify yourself with a nourishing Political Breakfast. Our regulars are back for this one. Brian Robinson is a Republican strategist, communications consultant, and former deputy chief of staff to former Gove...
May 17, 2019•40 min•Ep. 37
We’re just over a quarter of the way through 2019, but the mad scramble for 2020 is already on. With a single "no, thanks" from Stacey Abrams, Democrats are lining up to run for a Georgia seat in the U.S. Senate, while would-be members of the House are piling up in both parties. A retiring state Supreme Court justice opens the way for another high-profile battle, and a sitting state attorney general opens a probe into years of sex abuse by some members of Georgia's Catholic clergy. It's all in t...
May 03, 2019•44 min•Ep. 36
