Political Breakdown

On the eve of the 79th anniversary of the executive order that authorized the internment of Japanese-Americans, Congressman Mark Takano shares the story of his family's internment with Marisa and Scott. They also discuss how Takano was outed as gay during an early run for Congress, his legislative agenda to assist U.S. military veterans as chair of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and his thoughts on the recent attacks on Asian-Americans in California.

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New polling shows California Senator Dianne Feinstein's approval rating underwater for the first time. Scott and Marisa discuss the survey and their takeaways from former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. Then, San Jose Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren joins to share stories from her participation in all four impeachment proceedings in modern history, why she was drawn to working on immigration and what happened when she tried to list "Mother" as her ballot designation during her first run for Congress.

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Marisa and Scott discuss two new statewide polls on Governor Gavin Newsom's performance and the state's response to the pandemic. Then, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia joins to discuss his city's success in distributing vaccines, its "hero pay" legislation, why his family idolized Ronald Reagan, overcoming self-hate after coming out as gay and losing his mother and step-father to COVID-19 last year.

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With criticism mounting over California's reopening guidelines, unemployment insurance system and the stalemate in reopening public schools, Scott and Marisa analyze the political fallout for Governor Gavin Newsom. Then, Orange County Congresswoman Michelle Steel joins to discuss her journey from South Korea to America, how her mother's small business inspired her to run for political office, Orange County's resistance to COVID-19 orders and her vote against the second impeachment of President Trump.

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Dee Dee Myers, Director of Governor Gavin Newsom's Office of Business and Economic Development and the former White House Press Secretary for President Bill Clinton, talks to Marisa and Scott about the importance of the White House daily briefing, California's slow distribution of vaccines and the state's economic outlook -- before revisiting her showdown with Scott in San Francisco's 1991 mayoral election.

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In the second part of Political Breakdown's inauguration preview, Scott and Marisa discuss how the Biden Administration will impact policy and politics in the Golden State, with U.S. Senator-designate Alex Padilla, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, former state GOP chair Duf Sundheim and Rep. Anna Eshoo.

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In the first part of Political Breakdown's inauguration preview, Marisa and Scott discuss the latest safety precautions at the U.S. and California State Capitol buildings, the threat of extremist groups during Joe Biden's first term and how domestic extremism could affect Republican Party politics, with KQED's Katie Orr, USA Today national correspondent Will Carless and The Bulwark writer-at-large Tim Miller.

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Former California Senator Barbara Boxer joins Scott and Marisa to share her reaction to the insurrection at the Capitol last week, the harrowing experiences she's heard from former colleagues and her memories of being in the Senate on September 11th, 2001. Boxer also discusses the House impeachment of President Trump, what to expect from the Biden administration on climate change, the controversy over her registration to advise a Chinese surveillance firm and how she spends her days in the Coachella Valley. 

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Marisa and Scott discuss the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and the response of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Republicans in Congress. Then, political organizer Steve Phillips, founder of Democracy in Color, joins to talk about the connection between the coup attempt and the Democrats' Senate wins in Georgia and his upcoming book on how the Civil War continued beyond Appomattox. Phillips also discusses his first meeting with Stacey Abrams in 2011 and the reluctance of some national organizations to invest in candidates of color.

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As 2020 comes to a close, Marisa, Katie Orr and Guy Marzorati preview the year ahead in California politics, including the recall campaign against Governor Gavin Newsom and the role that Californians will have in shaping the agenda of the Biden administration. Plus, a look at the policy debates ahead in education, child care, criminal justice and voting.

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