Politically Speaking

Conservative writer Jonah Goldberg is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. He joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies to talk about his new book Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics is Destroying American Democracy.

Goldberg is a syndicated columnist and a senior editor for National Review. He was intimately involved in the start of National Review Online, one of the most enduring political sites devoted to conservative politics.

Goldberg was in St. Louis this week for a Show-Me Institute event at Washington University Law School.

Former U.S. Sen. Jim Talent joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies on the latest episode of Politically Speaking. The Republican served in various federal and state capacities for more than 20 years.

While Talent is no longer a candidate himself, he is leading the charge against a constitutional amendment known as Clean Missouri.

Talent is a St. Louis County native who has served in the Missouri House, the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. He lost to U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2006. While many Missouri Republicans have wanted Talent to run again for statewide office since then, he has stayed out of the electoral fray — and instead became an expert on defense and national security policy.

You can listen to a past episode of Politically Speaking with Clean Missouri proponents by clicking here.

St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies detail Friday's Missouri Press Association Forum. It featured U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill and Attorney General Josh Hawley.

The journoduo also took a closer look at the state auditor's contest between incumbent Democrat Nicole Galloway and Republican Saundra McDowell.

Cort VanOstran joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies to talk about his Democratic bid in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District.

VanOstran is squaring off against Republican Congresswoman Ann Wagner, a Ballwin Republican who has represented the 2nd Congressional District since 2013. The district includes parts of St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson counties.

Brendan Kelly, the Democratic candidate in the 12th Congressional District, talked extensively with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his decision to enter the highly-competitive congressional contest.

Kelly is squaring off against Congressman Mike Bost, who became one of the first Republicans to represent the 12th District in generations. The Bost-Kelly contest is expected to be one of the most competitive congressional races in the nation this year.

This week's episode of Politically Speaking takes a look at next week's special session of the Missouri General Assembly. Gov. Mike Parson called lawmakers back to work to pass bills aimed at expanding STEM education and drug courts.

It comes as Missouri's election season is in full swing. One of the items that voters will decide on later this year is a gas tax increase. St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin joins Jason Rosenbaum to break down the issue.

Sen. Bob Onder joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to talk about Gov. Mike Parson’s transition in the state’s chief executive office — and what the legislature could deal with in 2019.

The Lake Saint Louis Republican represents a portion of St. Charles County. He’s running for re-election against Democrat Patrice Billings.

Because Mike Kehoe became lieutenant governor, Onder will serve as the floor leader during next week’s special session. Parson wants the legislature to revamp two bills he vetoed dealing with STEM education and expanding drug courts.

St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann round of some of the week’s biggest developments in the 2018 elections.

One of the topics Rosenbaum and Lippmann take a look at this week is President Donald Trump’s aluminum and steel tariffs — and how they may affect Missouri’s U.S. Senate contest.

And in our weekly election analysis feature, Lippmann and Rosenbaum take a closer look at Proposition B — which would raise Missouri’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2023. This push to raise the wage floor took hold recently in St. Louis and Kansas City — and may have a good chance of passing statewide if organized opposition doesn’t emerged before November.

Brian Williams joins St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann to talk about his big win in the 14th Senatorial District Democratic primary.

Williams will represent the central and north St. Louis-based district once the legislature reconvenes in 2019. The 14th District includes municipalities such as Clayton, University City, Ferguson, Hazelwood, Northwoods and Bridgeton.

Williams is a Ferguson native who worked many years for Congressman Lacy Clay, D-University City. Among other things, Williams was responsible for communicating with local and state legislative officials on issues that Clay was working on — such as moving the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to north St. Louis.

Libertarian Nick Kasoff joins Politically Speaking to talk about his bid for St. Louis County executive.

Kasoff is one of four candidates running in the Nov. 6 election. They include incumbent Democratic County Executive Steve Stenger, GOP challenger Paul Berry III and Constitution Party nominee Andrew Ostrowski.