Start Me Up with Kimberley A. Johnson

Nick Knudsen returns! He's the Executive Director of DemCast USA--a grassroots organization created to help Democratic down-ballot candidates win. It's a great way to get involved and you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Topics: how anyone can help Democrats win--no matter your comfort level; why Dems have the advantage and how we can win; messaging does not only come from lead...

Freekbass is back! He's a funk artist based in Ohio and one of the nicest humans on the planet. We went back and forth over politics, music, and film/TV. Topics: The newest vaccine is now available in some areas; media is failing us; there's more to be hopeful about than we're led to believe; Freek gives a review of the new Elvis movie and much more! Advertising Inquiries: https://redc...

Allison Gill is the host of Mueller, She Wrote, and The Daily Beans podcasts. She's a veteran, Ph. D., and a former federal government executive, she’s a comedian, author, and staunch advocate for the resistance Topics: After we dance jigs and laugh at Sarah Palin's loss, we talk about the trouble Lindsey Graham is in and then we talk about the trouble Donald Trump is in and then we talk a...

Jennifer Taub is a Law Professor at Western New England University and the author of Big Dirty Money.  Her focus is on corporate governance, financial market regulation, and white-collar crime. Topics: Jennifer talks us through Trump's legal woes--and there are many. She shares possible outcomes and we discuss the prospect of what might happen if Trump is convicted. GOP is threatening Civil Wa...

Comedian Andy Kindler is my guest!  He played the character "Andy", a fellow sportswriter on the TV show Everybody Loves Raymond, was a regular guest on Late Show with David Letterman, contributor to The Daily Show, and has performed on HBO. Andy and I had fun. I laughed. A lot! We shared stories, talked a little about politics a lot about fun stuff--like the comics who inspired him, what...

David is BACK! It's been a while and we pick up where we left off. We talk about, and listen to, David's amazing new son Higher Ground and then we shoot the shit. I tell the story about when I had sex (I was in my 30s) with a young guy with a massive package. Also discussed... self-esteem, self-love, pets, a little bit of politics and a whole lotta fun. Advertising Inquiries: https://redci...

Brian Karem is a White House Columnist and his latest book is titled Free the Press: The Death of American Journalism and How to Revive It. He's a political analyst for CNN and hosts the "Just Ask The Question" podcast. Topics: Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg admitted to 15 felonies; Liz Cheney's future; everything hinges on the 2022 midterms and much more! Advertising Inquiries: https...

Andy Parker's life changed when his daughter, journalist Alison Parker, was shot and killed on live television in 2015. Google, Facebook, and YouTube allow the video of his daughter's murder to be posted, and they all profit from it because of monetization. He channeled his grief into action and became an outspoken advocate for common-sense gun legislation, traveling around the country dem...

We love Cliff and he's back with more biting political commentary. Topics: How mainstream media is failing us; the Mara-a-Lago plot thickens; How GOP fascism is helping Dems in the Nov midterms; the talk of civil war and the Cincinnati shooter! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jody and I do our thing--a mix of politics and fun conversation. We discussed all the good news for Democrats as well as her mom, Carol Burnett, on the last few shows of the Better Call Saul series. I adore Jody and so do listeners! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My mother Ann Werner's latest book, The Augurs, is the second in a series of dystopian thrillers. Book one, The Melt, was released in 2020 and it's about a deadly virus that wipes out most of the earth's population leaving the few that remain to start over and build anew.  We discuss Ann's book and then we talk politics and why there's good reason to believe Dems will expand th...

Joe Dempsey is an average American who can take complicated news stories and break them down into easy-to-understand sound bites. Joe breaks down one of his fascinating threads about an agreement made by Dems and the GOP in the early 1980s about election intimidation. That agreement expired in 2017 and we will see how it plays out in 2022. We also discussed David Hogg's messaging as well as th...

Simon Rosenberg was the lead strategist for the DCCC when Democrats flipped the House in 2018. He is the founder of New Democrat Network (NDN.org) and the New Policy Institute, a liberal think tank and advocacy group based in Washington DC. We discussed the many reasons Democrats have to be optimistic about the November midterms. Simon breaks it down with polling as well as facts and sources to ba...

ELGIN CHARLES, known the world over as the “Emperor of Hair”, has been the proprietor of his upscale beauty salon in the heart of Beverly Hills for more than 25 years. The San Antonio, TX native can best be described as a scholar and creative genius; due in part to rearing from both his father, a biochemist, and his mother, an award-winning blues singer. We talked about his fascinating life, the h...

Keri Blakinger is an investigative journalist and her memoir Corrections In Ink is a fascinating look at her life as a figure skate, addict, inmate, and journalist. She covers criminal justice and injustice for The Marshall Project. She's the organization's first formerly incarcerated reporter. We talked about her must-read book and some of the things she covered while reporting on the US...

I'm back from vacation and ready to start talking shoo with my writer friend Sarah Wood! Topics: We talk about the Garland/DoJ announcement that there will be no indictments this election season; there's lots of speculation about Gavin Newsome: Buttigieg is growing on Sarah; fun stuff like what we do to stay sane and more! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-O...

Marcus Flowers is a Democrat running to defeat Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia’s 14th District. Flowers has spent his entire career defending the United States. First – he served as an active duty member of the US Army, followed by more than 20 years as a contractor or official for the State Department and Department of Defense. Read more about him HERE. Topics: Marcus described the energy...

Today's show was recorded before the impromptu 1/6 hearing. Steph and I wonder what the hearing will focus on and then we talk about how Roe and SCOTUS are shaping the energy before the November midterms. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

D. Earl Stephens is the author of "Toxic Tales: A Caustic Collection of Donald J. Trump's Very Important Letters."  He's the former managing editor of Stars & Stripes, a Navy vet, and a prolific writer. Topics: We discuss the impact of all the SCOTUS decisions, the 1/6 committee, and the right-wing campaign of terror. Earl offers up a reason to be hopeful along with some soberi...

Chris Hahn is a progressive pundit and the host of the Aggressive Progressive.  He also hosts a syndicated radio show and works as a  political consultant and attorney based in New York. He has made numerous national television appearances on a variety of political, pop culture and public policy topics. Topics: Chris predicts what will happen in the November midterms; what hurt Democrats in 2020;...

Cliff Schecter is back! Topics: Cliff shares his takeaways from the 1/6 public hearings thus far; Boebert's going through some things, what will it take for Dems to win in November, and Cliff's brilliant advice to Dem leaders! All that and more! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

USA Today opinion columnist and former Justice Department prosecutor Michael J. Stern is back! Topis: the 1/6 hearings, Michael reminds us of his column where he speculates Garland might not be able to find an impartial jury; the Dem romanticization of Never-Trumpers; rising crime & homelessness in California is on the ballot, and then just a little about RHBH and the violent Dorit break-in. A...

Actress Kiersten Warren has worked in film and television. Films include Bicentennial Man, Independence Day, and Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and she's appeared in TV shows such as DesperateHousewises and Saved By The Bell. Topics: We caught up, had fun and talked about what it's like for women in the entertainment industry these days; her daughter is following in her parents&#3...

Sarah Wood is back again! We discussed gun violence and what we can expect from lawmakers moving forward. We then switched gears to talk about teen sex: what we learned when we were young and how some parents fear that sex education will convince their kids to engage too early. We also discussed sexual fluidity. Follow Sarah Wood on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahwoodwriter Follow VoteVets on T...

Steph and I are best friends. Today we talked about whatever came up. Some fun, some politics. It's always fun with Steph. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy