Episode Details

The discussion begins with host David McLaughlin and co-host Tim Shiflett briefly mentioning the Super Bowl XLVII power outage, noting the event's evolution from a simple football game to a major cultural event.The focus shifts to politics and the hacking of the Bush family emails by a person named "Guccifer." The hosts express concern over the security lapse, especially regarding an ex-president with Secret Service protection. The most bizarre discovery from the hack was two nude self-portraits painted by former President George W. Bush—one in a shower and one in a bathtub—which Tim and David find completely unexpected, though they agree the art reflects an interesting layer of self-introspection. The host notes that the artwork would likely sell for a "tidy sum" due to Bush's fame, comparing it to drawings by famous non-artists like Frank Sinatra and Adolf Hitler. Other intercepted messages, including one from Bush 43 planning his father's eulogy and mentioning Bill Clinton ("Bubba"), are also discussed, with the hosts questioning the profound invasion of privacy and the national security implications of presidential-level communications being compromised.The conversation then moves to former Vice President Dick Cheney, who gave a speech at a Wyoming Republican dinner. Tim strongly criticizes Cheney's comments, particularly the claim that President Obama's national security appointments are "second-rate people" and that Chuck Hagel was chosen to provide political "cover" while Obama "gut[s]" the Defense Department. Tim dismisses this as a paranoid conspiracy theory, pointing out the hypocrisy of Cheney's criticism, especially since Republicans like Wyoming Senators Enzi and Barrasso (who were at the dinner) voted to confirm Obama's appointee John Kerry.Finally, the hosts discuss a poll naming Hillary Clinton the most popular politician, with a 61% favorability rating compared to a 34% unfavorability rating. Her numbers are significantly better than those of President Obama (51% favorable) and Republicans like Jeb Bush and Paul Ryan (both upside down). The hosts conclude that the 2016 presidential race is currently "frozen," as Clinton is in an unprecedented position of strength for a non-incumbent, with health concerns being the only foreseeable obstacle to her potential run.