The Lean to the Left Podcast

After nearly 850 episodes, I’ve made the difficult decision to bring the Lean to the Left podcast to a close, at least for the foreseeable future.

My wife, Jackie, passed away on August 15 after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Since then, I’ve found it difficult to give the podcast the focus and energy needed to produce the kind of program my guests and audience deserve.

At 83, and after producing just short of 850 episodes, I’ve decided it is time to step away and consider what comes next.

Please view this short video for more information about what might come next.

But, to everyone who has watched, listened, subscribed, shared our programs, appeared as a guest, or supported Lean to the Left over the years: thank you.

For now, this is Bob Gatty, signing off for Lean to the Left.

#LeanToTheLeft #BobGatty #PodcastFarewell

Largely due to Donald Trump's energy policies, electricity bills are climbing across the country. But according to conservative energy advocate David Jenkins, much of what Americans are being told about renewable energy in order to protect the fossil fuel industry simply doesn’t hold up.

In this episode of Lean to the Left, Jenkins, president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, challenges some of the most common myths surrounding solar, wind, fossil fuels, and the reliability of America’s power grid. He argues that renewable energy is no longer the expensive, unreliable alternative critics often portray—and that in many cases, it is now cheaper than coal and natural gas.

Jenkins also sharply criticizes Trump administration energy policies, including the cancellation of offshore wind projects and efforts to keep aging coal plants operating. He says those decisions can force utilities to rely on electricity that costs far more to produce, with the added expense ultimately landing on customers.

The discussion also explores:

Why wind and solar helped stabilize the Texas grid during extreme weather;

How battery storage has changed the renewable-energy equation;

Why some utility commissions may be protecting corporate profits instead of consumers;

How fossil-fuel interests help fuel misinformation about renewables and electric vehicles;

Why Jenkins believes conservation and responsible energy policy are fundamentally conservative values;

What consumers can do when utility rates keep rising.

Jenkins argues that the energy debate should not be about ideology.

“There is no red or blue or right or left energy. Energy’s just energy.”

And right now, he says, renewables often make the most economic sense.

Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship works on energy, conservation, public lands, and wildlife issues. Learn more at ConservativeStewards.org.

Chapters

00:00 Energy Bills and Renewables

01:28 Meet David Jenkins

01:36 Conservative Stewardship Roots

02:48 Myths About Reliability

05:07 Climate Change Reality Check

07:35 Trump Cancels Wind Projects

10:03 Coal Orders Raise Costs

13:31 Utility Commissions and Rate Hikes

15:27 Renewables Now Cheaper

17:32 Fossil Fuel Misinformation Machine

18:33 How Conservatives Fight Back

21:32 Get Involved and Closing Thoughts

Subscribe to Lean to the Left for conversations that challenge political spin and dig into the issues affecting our lives, our democracy, and our wallets.

America is deeply divided politically and economically, and the debate increasingly seems to come down to two choices: capitalism or socialism.

Chuck Marvin believes that’s the wrong choice.

Marvin, a longtime construction-industry consultant and author of America 5.0: The Principled Revolution Ending Division, joins Bob Gatty on Lean to the Left to explain his Prosperity Through Equality proposal—a plan he believes could appeal to both progressives and principled conservatives.

At the heart of Marvin’s contention is the belief that America’s economic system has been distorted by a complicated tax code filled with deductions, privileges and special treatment. His proposal would replace that with a single rate, eliminate deductions and special tax status, provide an income floor, establish universal healthcare, and require a balanced federal budget.

Marvin describes himself as a committed capitalist, but argues that the United States no longer operates under genuine free-market capitalism because government tax policies create economic winners and losers. He says the goal should not be equality of outcomes, but equality of opportunity and equal treatment under the law.

In this episode, Bob and Chuck discuss Marvin’s case for overhauling the tax system, his proposal for universal healthcare with no premiums, an $18,000 income floor, the impact of healthcare costs on entrepreneurs and small businesses, and why he believes both socialists and capitalists could find common ground in his approach.

Marvin also explains how his experiences in the military, living in South Korea, working with immigrant construction crews and building a successful national business shaped his thinking about inequality, opportunity and the sources of America’s divisions.

And while Marvin would like to see his ideas reach Washington, he acknowledges that entrenched political and special interests make that difficult. He believes meaningful change may ultimately depend on activists willing to push the issue from outside the political establishment.

📘 America 5.0: The Principled Revolution Ending Division is available on Amazon. Link: https://amzn.to/46beiFG

🌐 Learn more about Chuck Marvin’s work at ThePrincipledCapitalist.org.

What do you think? Is America’s problem capitalism itself—or the way the system has been structured? Let us know in the comments.

CHAPTERS:

00:54 Meet Chuck Marvin

02:36 Prosperity Through Equality

04:14 Tax Code Roots

06:22 Selling Both Sides

08:50 Healthcare And Income Floor

13:28 Nonprofit Distortions

16:59 Balanced Budget Revolution

21:24 Personal Journey To Tax Code

26:09 Book Profits And Where To Buy

27:52 Activists And Closing Thoughts

#ChuckMarvin #Capitalism #Socialism #TaxReform #LeanToTheLeft

Child abuse doesn't end when childhood does. A child abuse survivor, Sheryl Hauk knows that firsthand.

A retired educator, survivor of childhood sexual abuse and author of Piece by Piece: A Memoir of Survival, Resilience, and the Power of Creativity, Sheryl spent decades keeping her own trauma private. Today, she is using her experience to fight for stronger protections, greater accountability and better support for abused children.

In this powerful Lean to the Left conversation, Sheryl explains how childhood trauma can affect learning, relationships, physical and mental health, homelessness and a survivor's ability to function decades later.

She also argues that America is failing abused children by underfunding prevention, early intervention and Child Advocacy Centers—and by maintaining statutes of limitations that can prevent survivors from ever holding their abusers accountable.

Sheryl discusses her own extraordinary story, including the abuse she endured until age 18, how she finally stopped it, and why she eventually decided to speak publicly after years of silence.

We also discuss:

• Why many survivors do not disclose abuse until years or even decades later

• The fight to reform statutes of limitations

• How trauma can interfere with a child's ability to learn

• Why perpetrators are often people children already know and trust

• The critical role of Child Advocacy Centers

• The shortage of resources for abused children

• Why Sheryl believes prevention and early intervention make fiscal as well as moral sense

• How creativity and music helped her survive

• Her memoir, Piece by Piece, and the resources she now provides for other survivors

Sheryl's message is ultimately one of both urgency and hope: childhood trauma can have lifelong consequences, but timely intervention, support and accountability can change lives.

Learn more about Sheryl Hauk and her work at SherylHauk.com. Here's a link to her book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4qCNck0

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Sheryl Hauk

00:37 Survivor to Advocate

02:23 Hidden Trauma Costs

03:02 Prevention and Accountability

05:46 Statute Limits Fight

08:09 Trauma and Learning

09:47 Who Abuses Children

12:23 CAC Funding Crisis

15:03 Policy Priorities Debate

17:47 CACs and Recovery Support

20:18 How She Stopped It

23:33 Book and Resources

25:31 Closing Call to Action

Subscribe to Lean to the Left for conversations about politics, public policy, social justice and the issues shaping American life.

#ChildAbuse #ChildhoodTrauma #SherylHauk #ChildAdvocacy #SexualAbuseSurvivor #TraumaRecovery #LeanToTheLeft

Veterans are filing claims for benefits they earned — but some of those claims may be disappearing into what veteran advocate Steve Miller describes as a VA “black hole.”

Miller, a former member of the 82nd Airborne Division and president of Wellness for Veterans, says claims submitted through veterans service organizations are being transmitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs but are not always being entered into the VA system. He says the result is that veterans are left waiting, sometimes for months, without knowing what happened to their claims.

Miller says he learned about the problem from a VA representative and was told the system issue had been going on for at least four months. He also says veterans affected by the problem have not been notified.

That matters because these claims can determine access to disability compensation, medical care, and other benefits for veterans injured or made ill during their military service.

Miller has helped more than 800 veterans pursue service-connected benefits and says his work has helped secure more than $1.5 million annually for veterans — all without charging them for his assistance.

In this Lean to the Left interview, Miller explains what he believes is happening, why he says veterans are being left in limbo, and why he wants Congress and the VA to act.

Watch the full conversation and tell us what you think. Have you or someone you know experienced unexplained delays or missing VA claims?

Subscribe to Lean to the Left for independent interviews, political commentary, and conversations about the issues affecting Americans.

#Veterans #VeteransAffairs #VAClaims #VeteransBenefits #MilitaryVeterans #VA #LeanToTheLeft

CHAPTERS:

00:00 VA Claims Scandal Intro

00:45 Claims Lost in Limbo

01:53 Who Knows and Who Was Told

02:55 Why These Benefits Matter

03:58 Taking It to the Media

05:22 Politics and Accountability

06:12 Congressional Staff Should Help

07:12 Hotlines and No Resolution

07:37 Wellness for Veterans Mission

08:21 800 Vets Helped for Free

10:35 Beyond Claims Gear and Housing

11:16 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Mathew Toro is 32 years old—and says he is already preparing to run for president of the United States in 2036.

Toro says this is not a sudden ambition, but a 16-year effort he began planning in 2020, when he was just 26 years old.

He is building that effort around what he calls an “Economic Justice Revolution,” a proposal designed to return more corporate profits to the workers who helped create them.

But will Toro develop the experience, organization, and credibility required to become a serious presidential contender? And by 2036, will an America battered by economic inequality, corporate power, political division, and distrust be ready for the kind of revolution he proposes?

In this Lean to the Left interview, host Bob Gatty presses Toro about his background, qualifications, political philosophy, economic proposals, campaign strategy, education, foreign policy views, and the enormous challenge of building a credible national campaign.

Toro explains his proposal to require highly profitable corporations to return 36 percent of their net income above $1 billion to their employees. Using Apple as an example, he argues that workers could receive substantial annual payments representing what he calls the true value of their labor.

The discussion includes:

• Why Toro began planning his presidential run in 2020

• His experiences with homelessness and economic hardship

• Why he believes corporate greed and political corruption are connected

• His plan to build a grassroots campaign through social media

• Whether he would seek another elected office before running for president

• His support for universal preventive healthcare

• His views on labor unions and working-class power

• The current Democratic Party and political polarization

• How he would confront opposition from Congress and corporate interests

• What he still must accomplish before voters should consider him qualified

Toro acknowledges that he currently lacks the staff, funding, national organization, and political infrastructure required for a presidential campaign. But he insists the years ahead give him time to build a movement and establish credibility.

“I’m barely half the man I’ll be in 2036,” he says, describing that election year as “a date with American history.”

Will Mathew Toro be ready by then?

And after another decade of economic and political upheaval, will America be ready for him?

Watch the interview and decide for yourself.

Subscribe to Lean to the Left for interviews, political commentary, and independent reporting focused on democracy, economic fairness, government accountability, and the issues affecting working Americans.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Welcome and Setup

01:28 Meet Matthew Toro

01:46 Origins of His Mission

03:59 Homelessness and Solutions

05:55 Why Aim for 2036

08:37 Corruption and Bipartisanship

09:40 Economic Justice Plan Explained

13:18 Is It Socialism

14:59 Unions Healthcare Housing

16:31 Building a Real Campaign

18:10 Books and Fundraising Online

20:09 Democrats and Misinformation

23:13 Getting Congress Onboard

27:10 Foreign Policy and Trump

28:24 Background and Weaknesses

30:05 How Voters Should Judge

31:32 Closing Thoughts and Farewell

#MathewToro #Election2036 #EconomicJustice #WorkingClass #PresidentialElection #ProgressivePolitics #CorporateGreed #LaborRights #PoliticalInterview #LeanToTheLeft

Democrats must get tough to win Congress and defeat Donald Trump and his MAGA allies in the House and Senate, says longtime activist Patrick Reynolds.

Watch four killer ads he produced to hammer Trump and his MAGA allies in the key House and Senate races that could determine control of Congress.

The grandson of tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, Patrick became nationally known when he turned against the industry that made his family wealthy and spent decades fighting Big Tobacco -- largely because RJR's products caused his father's death.

Now, he's taken on a new political battle: helping Democrats regain control of Congress.

As leader of the Congress Majority PAC, Reynolds argues that Democrats must fight harder, sharpen their message, and directly confront Trump and the Republican Party as a whole—not simply rely on traditional candidate-versus-candidate advertising.

In this Lean to the Left interview, Reynolds explains what Democrats must do to win the critical House and Senate races that will determine control of Congress.

You will also see four killer political ads Reynolds produced for use in key races across the country. The ads target:

Donald Trump and his MAGA allies

Republican policies on climate change

The economy and cost of living

Disaffected voters who no longer feel loyal to the Democratic Party

Reynolds intends to place these hard-hitting, nationally relevant messages in the battleground races where they could make the greatest difference.

Can Democrats finally stop playing defense, get tough, and win back Congress?

Watch the interview, see the four ads, and share your reaction in the comments.

Subscribe to Lean to the Left for independent political commentary, interviews, and analysis.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Trump Party Cold Open

00:11 Meet Patrick Reynolds

01:39 Why Start a Super PAC

03:30 Vote Democrat Ad Strategy

05:23 Privilege and Family Fallout

07:28 Tobacco Legacy and Disinheritance

09:58 Introducing the Ad Lineup

10:43 Ad 1 Anti Trump Message

11:50 Ad 2 Climate Change and Big Oil

14:07 Ad 3 Economy and Cost of Living

16:02 Ad 4 Disaffected Democrats

17:27 Whats at Stake and Call to Action

21:11 Closing Thanks and Support

The political aftermath of Lindsey Graham’s death sees South Carolina politics suddenly thrown wide open—but the political consequences could extend far beyond one Senate seat.

In this special summer edition of Dixie Dems, Bob Gatty of South Carolina, Arthur Hill of North Carolina, and Robert Thompson of Georgia examine the fight to replace Graham, Donald Trump’s endorsement of Graham’s sister, and the Democrats hoping to capitalize on a rapidly changing political landscape.

The discussion also covers:

• Whether Democrats can pull off major upsets in South Carolina

• Republican efforts to restrict early and Sunday voting in North Carolina

• Growing election controversy and FBI involvement in Georgia

• The campaigns of Roy Cooper, Jon Ossoff, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Jermaine Johnson, John Vincent, and Dr. Annie Andrews

• Allegations involving voter-roll manipulation and so-called “ghost voters”

• Why voters throughout the South should check their registration before the midterms

Could Lindsey Graham’s death help trigger a political transformation in the South—or will Republicans tighten their grip on elections to protect their power?

Join the conversation in the comments.

Dixie Dems: The South has a voice—and it’s blue.

Subscribe to Lean to the Left for progressive news, interviews, and political commentary from across the South.

#DixieDems #LindseyGraham #SouthCarolinaPolitics #SouthernPolitics #Democrats #ElectionIntegrity #VoterSuppression #LeanToTheLeft

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Welcome to Dixie Dems

00:35 Graham Death Fallout

01:11 Trump Endorsement Talk

04:09 GOP Field Opens Up

05:18 North Carolina Race Update

07:56 Election Board Power Grab

10:17 Turnout and Registration Surge

11:09 Georgia Election Fiasco Claims

15:00 Ossoff Humor and Debate Talk

17:13 Georgia Senate Stakes

18:36 Downballot Races Spotlight

19:19 Voter Roll Purges Warning

20:49 Martha Zoller Backstory

22:29 South Carolina Fry vs Vincent

24:03 Haley Talk and Upset Scenarios

26:01 Ghost Voters Investigation

28:50 How to Volunteer and Wrap-Up

Since Donald Trump constantly claims U.S. elections are rigged, can South Carolina trust its voter rolls?

Following the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina is preparing for a special election that could have major consequences for the state—and for control of the U.S. Senate.

But before voters choose Graham’s successor, investigative journalist Alison Greene says South Carolina’s voter-registration records need close scrutiny.

In this interview with Lean to the Left host Bob Gatty, Greene explains why she has begun filing public-records requests for county voter rolls across South Carolina and why she is recruiting volunteers to help compare those records before the election. In several other states, including Texas and Florida, Greene has found that indeed elections have been rigged, due to voter roll tampering that largely benefited Republican candidates, not Democratic candidates. Will she find the same in South Carolina?

The discussion covers:

• How legally registered voters can disappear from voter rolls

• Why voters should verify their registration before Election Day

• Concerns about inaccurate, fraudulent, or “ghost” voter records

• How county-by-county comparisons can reveal suspicious changes

• Why the final 90 days before an election may be especially important

• What South Carolinians can do to help examine the records

• Why election transparency matters regardless of which candidate wins

Greene stresses that unusual voter-roll changes should be investigated, not automatically assumed to be illegal. Her goal is to identify potential problems early enough for election officials, campaigns, and affected voters to address them before ballots are cast.

Whether Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews wins or loses, South Carolinians deserve confidence that every eligible voter can participate and that the result reflects the will of the people.

To volunteer with Greene’s voter-roll research project, visit:

itsuptous.grassrootsspeak.com

This episode is part of the Lean to the Left Truth Under Attack series examining election integrity, investigative journalism, whistleblowers, and threats to democratic accountability.

Subscribe to Lean to the Left for independent political reporting, interviews, and progressive commentary.

#SouthCarolina #LindseyGraham #ElectionIntegrity #VoterRolls #AlisonGreene #AnnieAndrews #GhostVoters #VotingRights #TruthUnderAttack #LeanToTheLeft

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Special Election Stakes

01:09 Why Graham 2020 Looked Off

02:53 ES&S Machine Pattern

05:23 Shift to Voter Rolls

06:01 FOIA Plan for Counties

07:51 Voters Vanishing Example

10:42 How Roll Hacking Works

14:33 Ninety Day Danger Window

18:40 Volunteer Roles Needed

20:43 Ghost Voters and IDs

26:36 ERIC and Cross State Checks

28:33 Russian Fake ID Case

32:56 How to Help and Wrap Up

35:27 Truth Under Attack Outro

Why do Democrats so often lose the message war and allow Republicans to dominate the political conversation—even when Democrats and progressives have popular policies?

Legendary progressive strategist and activist David Fenton says Democrats are practicing what amounts to “unilateral disarmament” in today’s information war.

After more than 50 years helping movements win public support, he believes progressives must simplify their language, repeat compelling messages, reconnect with working people and build mass movements capable of defeating concentrated wealth and political corruption.

In this wide-ranging Lean to the Left interview, Fenton explains why good policies do not sell themselves—and why Democrats must stop relying on academic language, insider terminology and messages that ordinary voters do not understand.

Fenton discusses:

• Why Republicans have become better at framing political issues

• How simple language and repetition influence voters

• Why Democrats must speak to affordability and working-class concerns

• The danger of allowing specialized identity language to divide potential allies

• Why the central struggle is not simply left versus right—but top versus bottom

• How Democrats should connect climate change to higher costs and political corruption

• Why effective metaphors such as “Make Polluters Pay” can move public opinion

• How mass movements have changed America—and can do so again

• What today’s activists can learn from Abbie Hoffman, the antiwar movement and decades of progressive organizing

Fenton also shares hilarious stories from an extraordinary career that included the No Nukes concerts, the campaign to free Nelson Mandela, efforts to reform marijuana laws, environmental campaigns and work with activists, political leaders and cultural figures including his mentor, Abbie Hoffman, and Jane Fonda, Jesse Jackson, John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen.

His message is blunt: Democrats and progressives cannot win merely by being correct. They must learn how to communicate, reach a mass audience and give people a reason to join something bigger than themselves.

David Fenton is the author of The Activist’s Media Handbook, available here https://amzn.to/4gDYmSH, and host of The Fenton Forecast podcast.

Watch the full conversation, then tell us in the comments: What is the single biggest change Democrats should make in the way they communicate with voters?

Subscribe to Lean to the Left for independent progressive commentary, political analysis and conversations with the people documenting—and shaping—America at a crossroads.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Meet David Fenton

02:00 Dropping Out Into Activism

02:46 Underground Press Days

04:13 Abbie Hoffman Lessons

07:37 John Sinclair Freedom Concert

08:49 Ann Arbor Human Rights Party

10:53 High Times To Rolling Stone

11:52 No Nukes And Starting Fenton

13:05 Why Progressives Lose Media Wars

14:24 Framing And Simple Messages

17:20 Climate Language That Works

19:40 Woke Sectarianism Debate

20:40 Stop Divisive Messaging

22:00 Socialism Label Problem

22:30 Woke Pitfalls and Attacks

23:16 Plainspoken Progressives

25:58 Climate as Cost and Corruption

27:32 Senate Map and Party Future

29:04 AOC Versus Old Guard

30:37 Fixing Disinformation Platforms

33:58 Trump Costs and Vance Threat

37:24 Podcast Book and Farewell