James and Al are joined by foreign affairs and Russian expert Stephen Kotkin for a deep dive into the history of the Soviet Union, how Putin is running the country in its aftermath, and the current state of the war in Ukraine.  What role do the United States and the European powers have in repulsing their aggression?  Will Ukraine hold firm?  And how does the conflict impact the world?



Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon.  Make sure to include your city, we love to hear where you’re from!



Get More From This Week’s Guests




Stephen Kotkin:

Princeton | Hoover Institution | Author 



Additional Reading On Russia Mentioned By Stephen:



Carnegie Endowment In Washington


Michael Kofman- CNA & Twitter



Rob Lee- Foreign Policy Institute & Twitter




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159: A history lesson with Stephen Kotkin

Master political strategist James Carville and revered journalist Al Hunt convenes a war room each week to discuss the battle for the soul of the nation!  Join them as they gather the sharpest minds from across the country to see who has the most compelling case for the American people on the issues that matter most.

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James and Al dive into Congress’ handling of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and analyze the politically transformative effects of Dobbs on the Republican party.  Then they welcome legal expert Fred Wertheimer to discuss the progression of Trump’s first criminal trial, how the charges can be proven, and developments in the other legal challenges confronting him.  They also are joined by political strategist Billy Ray to explore how identity politics have moved Democrats away from effective messaging, the changes the party needs to make, and why appealing to the center will lead to generational wins.



Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon.  Make sure to include your city, we love to hear where you’re from!



Watch James Carville Explains on YouTube Playlist



James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack



Get More From This Week’s Guests:



Fred Wertheimer:

Twitter | Just Security | Wertheimer Lipton | Democracy 21



Billy Ray:

Twitter | Common Defense | IMDB 



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245: Convicting Trump & Finding The Center with Fred Wertheimer & Billy Ray

James and Al decry Islamophobia and welcome MN Senator Tina Smith to discuss foreign relations and the Dobbs decision’s role in our politics.  Following anti-abortion revanchism under the Comstock Act and extreme restrictions in red states, they analyze how to fight back by enacting legislation to secure women’s rights, the policies that will energize young voters, and what it will take to win state and national elections.  They also strategize about how to overcome pro-Putin Republicans in the House to get support to Ukraine, secure an Israel-Hamas cease fire, and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. 



Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon.  Make sure to include your city, we love to hear where you’re from!



Watch James Carville Explains on YouTube Playlist



James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack



Get More From This Week’s Guest:



Senator Tina Smith:

Senate.gov | Website | Twitter | MN.gov



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244: Supreme Allied Commander for The War On Women - Senator Tina Smith

James and Al critique coastal elitism, explore how the Israel-Gaza war ends, and welcome Justice Breyer to discuss the role of the Supreme Court and its judges.  They compare textualism and pragmatism using Justice Scalia as a foil, weigh the factors that go into reading the Constitution, debate politics’ place on the bench, review the ethics governing the court, and look at why public approval of the judicial branch is plummeting.  In their conversation they also break down the language of the 2nd Amendment, explain how history is the ultimate arbiter of past decisions, and call on us to listen to one another to find compromise where we can.



Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon.  Make sure to include your city, we love to hear where you’re from!



Watch James Carville Explains on YouTube Playlist



James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack



Get More From This Week’s Guest:



Justice Stephen Breyer:

SupremeCourt.gov | Oyez | Harvard | Author of “Reading The Constitution” & Other Books



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243: The Court & The Constitution with Justice Stephen Breyer

James and Al take Rep. Jim Jordan to task for continuing to spew lies about the 2020 election and review the status of Trump’s many trials, their possible outcomes, and their effect on the race.  They also debate what NBC’s firing of Ronna McDaniel says about the state of network journalism, and weigh how RFK Jr. affects the election after his vice presidential pick.  Author and sports journalist John Feinstein joins them to discuss March Madness, the business of sports, Pete Rose’s fall from grace, all time sports greats, the best city for sports, and more. 



Short note on audio quality: 

Due to unforeseen technical issues we had to record this episode on Zoom without our professional microphones and audio interfaces! 

Please excuse the slightly diminished audio quality. 



Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon.  Make sure to include your city, we love to hear where you’re from!



Watch James Carville Explains on YouTube Playlist



James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack



Get More From This Week’s Guests



John Feinstein:

Twitter | WaPo | Author



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242: March Madness with John Feinstein

James and Al tear into the Orban government and analyze Trump’s influence on the Ohio Senate race before welcoming Admiral James Stavridis to discuss the global military landscape.  They explore strategies for success in the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas conflicts, game out an effective response to threats against Taiwan, and look at how war fighting will evolve in the future.  Then, they are joined by Dr. Cornelia Griggs for a reflection on the state of our healthcare system, current pandemic preparedness, and the COVID response on its 4th anniversary.



Email your questions to James and Al at politicswarroom@gmail.com or tweet them to @politicon.  Make sure to include your city, we love to hear where you’re from!



Watch James Carville Explains on YouTube Playlist



James Carville & Al Hunt have launched the Politics War Room Substack



Get More From This Week’s Guests



Admiral James Stavridis:

Twitter | Website | Carlyle Group | Author of “2054” & Other Books



Dr. Cornelia Griggs:

Twitter | Threads | Website | MA General Hospital | Author of “The Sky Is Falling”



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159: A history lesson with Stephen Kotkin

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