Pantsuit Politics

We’ve been talking about the #metoo movement at length. As the year draws to a close, we’re thinking more about what gender equality could really mean. We discuss the Republican tax plan, evangelicals and the President, and ways that our everyday conversations can promote greater equality between men and women. Thanks to our patrons; we hope you'll consider supporting Pantsuit Politics by making a monthly contribution at Patreon and by leaving a positive review in the Apple Podcast Player for Pantsuit Politics and The Nuanced Life. Thanks to today's sponsors: StoryWorth,ThirdLove, and ModCloth.  The Republican tax plan brings many changes to the tax code and we talk through the changes to deductions, credits, and rates. Beth liked the Rattner charts on Morning Joe - Final GOP plan still benefits wealthy the most: Rattner charts. She also saw an interesting musical analogy. We also discussed the drive for profit v. profit maximization and a similar question asked in the documentary The Corporation.  There was an incendiary story about the CDC and banned words - we tackle the story and the real story, which didn't make us feel a little bit better. Jenn Hatmaker is back in the political news with a profile in Politico. We discuss that and the broader conversation regarding evangelicals post-Roy Moore's campaign and this excellent article on the subject.  Sarah compliments Rex Tillerson and Beth compliments Senator Joe Manchin.  In our main segment, we discuss how to talk about gender issues and gender equality without reverting to defensiveness. We tackle mansplaining, emotional labor, and how to move the conversation forward.  Outside of politics, Sarah is thinking about the holidays and Beth has launched her new coaching business!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore in Alabama’s special senate election. We reflect on that race, complaints about bias in the Mueller investigation, and the tragic suicide of a Kentucky lawmaker.  Thanks so much to our patrons, who make our work possible. If you'd like to support Pantsuit Politics, please visit our Patreon page. We also truly appreciate today's sponsors, ModCloth and Virtue Labs.  We discuss the turnout and results of the Alabama special election, in which Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore. We have different perspectives about the role that race and gender played in this race and what the race means long-term.  The House Judiciary Committee believes that the Mueller investigation into Russian election interference is being tainted by partisan bias. We discuss what it would mean to adopt this theory.  We'll discuss net neutrality and the tax bill in greater depth next week. We wanted to acknowledge the tragedy of Kentucky state Representative Dan Johnson's death. We reflect on the relationship between this incident and the #metoo movement.  We end with listener feedback from Kerry and Erin on our Jerusalem discussion.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dictionary.com has made “complicit” the 2017 Word of the Year. We consider our collective responsibility and Lindy West’s powerful statement that the opposite of complicity isn’t apology; it’s fixing what you broke.  Thanks to our patrons; we hope you'll consider supporting Pantsuit Politics by making a monthly contribution at Patreon and by leaving a positive review in the Apple Podcast Player for Pantsuit Politics and The Nuanced Life. Thanks to today's sponsors: Away, Lola, and ModCloth.  The President has made mountains of three media errors over the last week. We discuss his relationship with media and our consumption of news.  Republicans have passed a two-week stop gap measure to keep the government funded. The next deadline is December 22. We are not optimistic that all end-of-year challenges can be met in the next two weeks.  Sarah compliments Senator Tim Scott for his honesty about disagreements within the Republican party. Beth compliments Bill Scher for his measured approach in the debate over the future of the DNC.  In our main segment, we discuss the decision by Dictionary.com to make "complicit" the word of the year. In our wide-ranging conversation, we reference Lindy West's powerful op-ed on complicity, Richard Shelby's surprising appearance on State of the Union, Nikki Haley's comments on Roy Moore, and a recent Frank Luntz focus group in Alabama.  We end, as always, by talking about what's on our minds outside of politics. Beth appreciates Spotify supporting her cover song habit. Sarah is reading and watching new shows.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A quick ask! We need reviews for The Nuanced Life to help us get recognized by iTunes! So, if you're enjoying the show, stop on over and give us a review. We discuss President Trump declaring Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel, as well as the resignations of John Conyers and Al Franken. We talk about the concerns about false accusations in light of the #metoo movement and Jenny's awesome video she shared with us on consent. We send our love to California and consider how often we offer sympathy and a "yes, but you choose..." along with it.Thanks so much to ModCloth for sponsoring today's podcast. If you'd like to check out the Pantsuit Politics gift guide, visit our website, and if you'd like to support our work, please visit our Patreon page. In our feedback portion of the show, we reconsider the way we often talk about Baby Boomers in light of feedback from Juanita. We also discuss the wonderful feedback we received regarding the necessity of restraining children in special education settings.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Flynn has entered a guilty plea and is cooperating with the Mueller investigation, and the Senate took a big step toward tax cuts. With very few days left in the legislative year, we’re considering how our national priorities measure up to our professed love of children. Thanks to Crane & Canopy, Away, Zola, and ModCloth for sponsoring today's episode. Thanks as always to our patrons; if you would like to support Pantsuit Politics, please visit our Patreon page. We were thrilled to appear on KCRW's One Year Later with Jennifer Rubin this week and hope you'll check out that conversation along with our new podcast, The Nuanced Life. Michael Flynn entered a guilty plea to lying to the FBI. Legal experts seem to agree that this relatively minor offense must mean he has valuable information to offer to the Mueller investigation. They disagree about what, if anything, it means about criminal acts by other Trump transition team officials. Here is the double jeopardy/pardon theory Sarah discussed, as well as Jared Kushner's financial interest in Israel. Beth reflects on whether you can vote for the candidate's policy and not character (aka we talk about Roy Moore again).The Senate passed a version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and we share what we don't mind and what we hate about it. We also discuss growth and this episode of Freakonomics. We discuss the process and meaning of the vote. Meanwhile, the government still needs to be funded.  And, CVS and Aetnahave announced plans to merge. In our main segment, we talk about how our national priorities square with our expressed love for children through the prism of three topics: the funding of the Children's Health Insurance Program,  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oscar Wilde said, “everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power.” Sex and power continue to dominate the headlines, and we’re still processing that along with our increasingly tenuous relationship with the truth. Thanks so much to ModCloth and VirtueLabs for sponsoring today's podcast. If you'd like to check out the Pantsuit Politics gift guide, visit our website, and if you'd like to support our work, please visit our Patreon page. In a wide-ranging discussion, we talk about the state of the news-- the revelations regarding Matt Lauer and Garrison Keillor, Republican efforts to cut taxes, North Korea, and the continued tweet-drowning presidency of Donald Trump. We also share listener feedback on our most recent #metoo conversation.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The tsunami of sexual harassment and assault allegations continues and is causing cultural and political reflection. Today we continue our ongoing discussion of politics, partisanship, and the #metoo movement.  Thank you for everyone supporting our work on Patreon. We also appreciate our sponsors for today's podcast: Credible.com, Away, and ThirdLove. We hope you'll check out our new podcast, The Nuanced Life.  Congress has a very long to-do list through the end of the year. It's important to keep in mind that in addition to plans for tax cuts, Congress needs to fund the government before year-end and deal with DACA.  The attack on a mosque in the Sinai peninsula this weekend was the deadliest in modern Egypt's history. This region is under assault from ISIS and highlights the complexity of the war on terror and the deficiencies in our understanding of Islam and Africa.  Richard Cordray's resignation as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has sparked a Marbury vs. Madison style showdown over the authority to name a replacement. We worry about the long-term consequences of more Trump administration personnel drama.  The FCC has announced plans to re-classify broadband services as information services, which could effectively end net neutrality. We describe the debate over net neutrality and discuss our interest in having Congress step in to make long-term decisions about the internet's future.  In our main segment we talk about the #MeToo movement and the difficult cultural inflection point that we're living. Drawing on Rebecca Traister's commentary, we talk... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Thanksgiving! We are taking a pause from politics this week and sharing the first episode of The Nuanced Life, our new podcast focused on bringing the principles we've learned through our political dialogue to non-political topics. Thanks so much to our patrons, who make Pantsuit Politics and The Nuanced Life possible. To support our work, please visit our Patreon page. Thanks to ModCloth for sponsoring today's episode. We hope that you'll enjoy The Nuanced Life enough to subscribe, rate, and review it. You can find The Nuanced Life on the web, Instagram, and Facebook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The opioid epidemic impacts all of us in increasingly significant ways. Today, we’re discussing the impact of President Trump’s decision to declare this a public health emergency. It's Thanksgiving, and we're so grateful to everyone who makes Pantsuit Politics possible. We couldn't do the podcast without the support of our patrons, our advertising agency, and our sponsors. Thanks to today's sponsors: BeFrugal.com and ModCloth. If you're interested in advertising on Pantsuit Politics, please reach out to Midroll. We're also so excited to launch our new podcast, The Nuanced Life, this week. Thank you for helping us out by listening, rating, subscribing, and reviewing it on the Apple Podcast Player! If you'd like Pantsuit Politics to speak at your university, business, or organization, please let Beth know. We begin with an update on Republican efforts to cut some people's and companies' taxes. Some of the provisions in the Senate bill are truly mind-boggling. Next, we discuss the recent military coup in Zimbabwe. We talk about Robert Mugabe's rise to power, the World Health Organization's decision to revoke his appointment as a global health ambassador, the events leading up to the coup--including a military official's trip to China, and his response to being placed under house arrest. The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee seems uneasy about how power might transition in this nation. To compliment the other side, Sarah compliments Senator Lisa Murkowski for her insistence on a healthcare stabilization plan in relation to the tax cut bill. Beth appreciates Brian Baird, who is joining forces with a former state GOP... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Somehow, we’re still debating the Alabama senate race to fill Jeff Sessions’s seat. We’re here with additional thoughts on Doug Jones, Roy Moore, and tax cuts, plus a later-recorded segment on Al Franken and George Bush...because 2017. Thanks so much to everyone supporting our work on Patreon. If you'd like to bring some nuance to your neighborhood in 2018, please reach out to beth@pantsuitpoliticsshow.com. We also appreciate ModCloth's sponsorship of today's podcast. Please stick around for the post-roll and help us by completing this quick survey.  We begin by talking about Doug Jones, Roy Moore's Democratic opponent. We share what we know about his background and policy positions.  Although we hate the circumstances, we're encouraged by a bicameral, bipartisan effort to reform the process of dealing with sexual harassment in Congress. More transparency and accountability are clearly needed.  Republicans continue to try to find ways to keep their tax cuts within the $1.5 trillion reconciliation box. Although there are some good things in this bill, we think the plan is mostly absurd and that tax policy and healthcare policy should be set through regular order. We discuss feedback on tax policy from listeners Peggy and Lou.  After we recorded, we learned about the Al Franken and George H.W. Bush sexual harassment stories. We recorded an extra block to provide our thoughts.       Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.