Getting Hammered®

Vic and Mary Katharine talk about Graham Platner's latest scandal (content warning), who wants him gone and who wants him to stay, along with the rise of socialists throughout the nation in deep-blue House Districts. They also cover America 250, Mamdani's and Trump's opposing views of America, and the FIFA controversy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode of Getting Hammered comes in the form of a bunch of readings from our Founders throughout June of 1776. Check the feed through June as we learn about George Washington's travails, watch the Lee Resolution pass the Continental Congress, see delegations argue with their hometown politicians over how they should vote, and hear why Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the Declarati...

Mary Katharine Ham and Vic Matus discuss the ongoing-ish deal with Iran, and what all the actors are up to, the controversy at the Reflecting Pool, which is important to new one-issue fountain voters, Ro Khanna's wealth confiscation fantasies, the rise of the socialists in New York City, and the McD's apple pie, back on the menu! A sad goodbye to Georgia politico, tough lady, and damn good Dawg, r...

Mary Katharine Ham and Vic Matus discuss the Iran deal, what might be in it and what's not, and whether we are better off than before the war started. They talk UFC night at the White House, the charming Euros of the World Cup, Wemby, Brunson, and a touching tribute to Gene Shalit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is from John Adams' later autobiography, but is based on contemporaneous notes, so we'll count it. It gives a great, and frank, assessment of his and Jefferson's strengths and weaknesses, plus a digression on the power of oratory and the power of shutting up, which many public figures could learn from today. The gist is "talk less, write more," if I may borrow from "Hamilton." Learn more abou...

This bit of the journals of the Continental Congress from June 10, 1776 illustrates how some delegations were confused as to how to proceed on behalf of their colonies on the question of independence. They're trying to collect advice in time for the June 28 postponed decision on the Lee Resolution after the Declaration has been written. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

Mary Katharine Ham and Vic Matus talk about accusations against Graham Platner, whose name it turns out MK has known for a long time before he ran for Senate. Updates on the L.A. Mayor's race , disappointment for Spencer Pratt, and the wacky ways they count votes, plus good news for Steve Hilton in California governor race. U.S. pilots are rescued by a U.S. drone after being shot down by a Iranian...

Today in 1776, Gen. George Washington writes to John Hancock about perennial concerns— lack of pay, too-short enlistments of troops, and the lack of reliable battlefield information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia offers the resolution that eventually leads to the Declaration of Independence. Congress adopts the resolution with a plan to form committees to a) make foreign alliances as needed b) draft a declaration and c) wait three weeks to affirm the independence part of the resolution. The resolution, written in Lee's hand is short: Resolved, That these Unite...

Richard Henry Lee of Virginia writes from the Continental Congress to his friend, Landon Carter, a letter previewing the resolution he will eventually bring in Congress on June 7, which will then lead to the Declaration of Independence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I received by Mr. Church a few lines from you; I wish to hear from you every opportunity tho you say no more than that you are well. I feel concerndleast your cloaths should go to rags having nobody to take any care of you in your long absence, and then you have not with you a proper change for the Seasons. However you must do the best you can. I have a suit of homespun for you whenever you retur...

Mary Katharine Ham and Vic Matus discuss Jill Biden's book rollout, Graham Platner's many, many scandals, and the A250 concert that wasn't. There is some singing. You're welcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Adams buys an expensive folio on this day and enters his first letter, to his wife. He also buys one for his professional correspondence, and I think we can thank Abigail for her annoyances with John's correspondence for the fact we have as many of Adams' letters as we do! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dear sir Philadelphia June 1. 1776 Your favours of May 14. and 22d. are now before me. The first I shewed to Mr. Morris, as soon as I received it. The last contains Intelligence, from Hallifax of the Streights to which our Enemies are reduced, which I was very glad to learn. I am very happy to learn from you and some other of my Friends that Boston is securely fortified; but still I cannot be full...

Vic and Mary Katharine talk primary predictions (Cornyn vs. Paxton), a farewell to Thomas Massie and Stephen Colbert, the DNC's embarrassing autopsy, Memorial Day thoughts, along with recommended overseas American military cemeteries, and Vic has a beach read recommendation that is definitely at least PG-13. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vic and Mary Katharine talk about big victories on the parenting front at MK's home, foreign policy updates on Iran, China, Venezuela and Cuba, fully funtioning fountains, the war on NY pizza, and a new segment: Viruses With Vic! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vic and Mary Katharine valiantly fight technical difficulties (successfully!) of their own to tell you about the technical difficulties Virginia Democrats are facing on redistricting and the crashout they're having as a result. They update on SC, TN, FL, and AL before talking about the NYT's crazy Kristof column, Labor losses in Britain, Iran, and hantavirus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

Vic and MK dive into the news that Graham Platner is the presumptive Dem nominee for Senate in Maine, which means everyone who is left of center has to pretend Nazi tattoos mean nothing about a person. We talk updates on Iran, continuing surprising alliances, and a legal update on the Voting Rights Act. Finally, updates on the Palisades Fire, not at all caused by climate change. Learn more about y...

Joseph Ward is a cousin and aide-de-camp to Gen. Artemas Ward. He is a frequent correspondent of Adams, reporting what he's seeing on the military front in Boston. Adams is worried about the British, still sitting around the harbor, trying to take over Boston again now that the Army is mostly in New York City. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MK and Vic talk Mary Katharine's live experience of an attack on democracy and free speech and the subsequent press coverage, which veered very quickly away from another attempt on the president's life and into centering media and making other people the victims. Also, is it okay to take the wine? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Continental Army deals with all kinds of personnel problems and shortages. In this case, Washington is taking the step of explicitly requesting better pay for his aides, as he works them very hard and must trust them with so much. He is afraid the good ones will leave his employ to seek other options if he can't pay them adequately. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

A salty episode of Getting Hammered as Vic and Mary Katharine contemplate exporting the governance of Fairfax and Arlington to the rest of Virginia and what that means for the state and national politics. Also, a little bit of SPLC news and MK's kid destroyed another thing after a long dry spell! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vic Matus and Mary Katharine Ham talk about Iran, the blockade, the strategy, and the negotiation-athon. They also talk about Trump's AI post, backlash to it, and his fight with the Pope. Allegations against Swalwell continue to rise, but there's a reason they're all happening now. And Artemis II inspires us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My friend Sarah Isgur joins the podcast to talk about her new book, "Last Branch Standing," which is a very fun read about the Supreme Court, its history, the data on the current Court's decisions, and human stories of the Justices and their clerks and everyone's hijinx along the way. If you feel media coverage of the Court isn't giving you the big, real , complex picture— it often isn't— this is...

In this letter, Adams addresses all of the concerns and questions of Abigail's March 31 letter. He is glad to hear of her joy at the relative non-destruction of Boston and the fact that their house there stands. He ansers her concerns about Virginians and women's rights, though in a somewhat jokey tone. He has more serious thoughts on this account in other letters. Learn more about your ad choices...