Against Nice Podcast

Government spending is out of control! And it seems it will never stop. As Ronald Reagan once said, "[A] government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!" We couldn't agree more, but it's much worse now than he could have imagined. And we talk about it on this podcast.

Adam Andrzejewski (ANGIE-EFF-SKI) is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of OpenTheBooks.com, the world's largest private database of government spending. Adam is an entrepreneur. Before founding OpenTheBooks, he co-founded HomePages Directories, a $20-million publishing company.

Government debt is out of control. Did you know that the United States was on track to pay off the national debt back in 2000-2001? You'll be surprised to find out from Adam just how bad it is. The federal debt alone is about $27 trillion. Congressional spending on Coronavirus relief is huge. But it's much worse than that. The effects of massive spending at the federal, state, and local levels is astounding. We talk about the overwhelming effect of government spending on all of us and ask if there is any way out of it.

What can we say about Pastor Ken Johnson? So much! He spent more than 25 years as the Chaplain for the Indianapolis Colts. He has had a public ministry speaking just about everywhere for years. He hosted a Christian matchmaking show for a while. But most of all, Ken is a husband, a father, and a man who impacts culture and helps change people's lives.

Ken and Jim have been friends for nearly three decades. They talk about the Black Lives Matter movement and the cultural upheaval taking place right now. What does it mean? What's the problem with the debate we're having? We're not communicating on a human level making the problem worse. Are we getting social justice or justice? And can we have hope for the future?

Ken Johnson is now pastor of New Heights Church in Indianapolis, IN. And he can be found at his website, www.KenJohnson.org. Check out his ministry. You'll be blessed.

We're celebrating Independence Day on the Against Nice Podcast. For most of us, this is the most challenging Independence Day ever. With the COVID-19 crisis and government shutting down the country, many are avoiding public celebrations. And with demonstrations where some are pulling down statues and questioning who we are as a people, this could be a sad day for many.

But this is a great country. And we have much to celebrate. Mark Twain said this:

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.

We discuss what we need to do to get things back to normal. We must assert our liberties again. We shouldn't be nice about the assault on our liberties. We must be patriots and stand up for the Constitution and the principles of the declaration.

This podcast was also broadcast on WYDE-AM and FM in Birmingham, Alabama.

Jim Banks is a Republican Congressman from Indiana. He has also just put his hat into the race for Republican Study Committee Chairman. Jim serves on the Armed Services and Education committees in Congress. Jim and Jim Pfaff have been friends for many years which makes this a fun and interesting discussion.

We discuss the problems which we are having with China. China is a long-term opponent of the US. And the COVID-19 crisis and recent events in Hong Kong have made things even worse. What should we do about this? Will China prevail? Can we provide a rational response?

We also discuss where Banks comes from and the road he took to Congress. It's a free-wheeling talk about early days where and how Jim and Jim met and how that relationship came together.

As a resource on China, Cong. Banks recommends the book The Hundred Year Marathon by Michael Pillsbury.

Victor Davis Hanson is one of the great American thinkers and educators. He is known in academic circles as one of the great classicists and military historians. He is a columnist and a regular guest on national media. Among the many things we discuss on this podcast, he answers the question, "Is there an historical example of a time when a country regained its liberties once lost?"

We discuss his perspective on on how we got to our current political climate. How did we get to the Trump phenomenon? What what effect has Trump had on the GOP? Will those changes be permanent in the future? Hanson gives a short primer on the recent history of Republican presidential politics and how that contributed to the rise of Trump.

Professor Hanson also shares some insights on how the COVID-19 response will affect the country in the future. How have American politicians taken advantage of this crisis? Have our rights been degraded beyond repair?

Victor Davis Hansen can be found at his blog at PJ Media, his personal website and on Twitter @VDHanson.

You all know Charlie Gasparino as a reporter and commentator on FoxBusiness. He's one of premiere reporters in New York with an extensive reach into Wall Street and the political community. His list of sources allows him to break stories leaving other reporters in the dust. Charlie joins Jim Pfaff on the Against Nice podcast today.

We spend some time talking about how COVID-19 has affected the economy. Charlie has insights into what will happen moving forward. Will we recover well? Has the Federal Reserve acted appropriately?

Charlie handicaps the 2020 elections. Has Trump lost ground? Will Biden find advantages after the economic downturn he wouldn't have had otherwise? Will Trump get a break moving into November? Is Biden too weak to mount a strong effort to take the White House.

You can join Charlie on FoxBusiness every day particularly with Neil Cavuto on Cavuto: Coast to Coast and Liz Claman's program The Claman Countdown.

David Brody has been a long-time Washington, DC and national reporter. He one of the top national experts on the effect of churches in culture and politics. He has reported for decades on key political trends among evangelicals and how those trends have affected public policy and national voting patterns.

The COVID-19 crisis has affected Christians in a serious way. We discussed the reaction of churches to forced closures during the shutdowns across the country. How will Christians react to all this moving forward?

We also discussed what evangelical turnout may be in the 2020 elections and what effect that will have for congressional races in November. Key leaders around the country are telling him this will be a "major threat" to those looking for help from the evangelical base. Will it cause trouble for Donald Trump or not? Can Republicans take back Congress?

David Brody is a long-time reporter with the Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) and he is also a Sr. Reporter with John Solomon's website Just the News. He also has a popular podcast called The Pod's Honest Truth.

Jason Jones is a movie producer, pro-life activist, a podcaster and an advocate for those less fortunate or in harms way around the world. He's based in his home state of Hawaii where he has been advocating for opening up the economy. He was recently arrested with others for merely expressing their First Amendment freedom.

We have an interesting discussion on Ayn Rand and Malcom X and how people like them grow up in hurtful situations and end up bringing great ideas and positive movements to society.

We talk about individualism v. the rights of the individual and the ultimate value of man.

And as a little teaser, he shares for the first time something the public doesn't yet know about Andrew Breitbart.

Jason can be found at www.movietomovement.com and at his podcast https://thejasonjonesshow.simplecast.com.

Col. Allen West once roamed the halls of Congress. He knew it was a mess. He's seen how the political system can go wrong. And during the COVID-19 crisis, he's asking some serious questions. What's really essential? Why do politicians get to say what's essential?

We discuss how politicians and bureaucrats can be held responsible for the decisions they have made which have harmed so many.

What about China? How can they be held responsible for their actions? Is China a friend or an enemy?

Allen West can be found at www.theoldschoolpatriot.com.

Troy Newman was prosecuted under the RICO racketeering law for exposing how Planned Parenthood takes aborted babies and sells their body parts. In the lawsuit, Planned Parenthood admitted they do this right on the stand. Troy shares this story with us.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Troy has been calling upon Christian churches to stand by their First Amendment religious rights. He's taking alot of heat for that. And he discusses this.

He is passionate about American liberty and the overreach of political leaders to shut down the country. Do our constitutional rights come from man or from God? Troy ponders this with Jim Pfaff.

Visit www.operationrescue.org to learn more about Troy and the work of Operation Rescue.