Burn the Boats

Mansoor Shams, founder of MuslimMarine.org, talks about both his good and bad experiences as a Muslim in the US Marine Corps, about patriotism in today’s America, and about making his life’s mission opening the minds of others. Mansoor is a veteran, speaker, leader, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. You can learn more about his work at MuslimMarine.org and follow him on Twitter at...

Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien talks about the current news landscape, what success means in journalism, and her flexibility and optimism in seizing new opportunities. Soledad is the CEO of Starfish Media Group and host of Matter of Fact, airing Sundays on the Hearst network. You can learn more about her work at soledadobrienproductions.com and follow her on Twitter at @SoledadOBrien . L...

Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien talks about the current news landscape, what success means in journalism, and her flexibility and optimism in seizing new opportunities. Soledad is the CEO of Starfish Media Group and host of Matter of Fact, airing Sundays on the Hearst network. You can learn more about her work at soledadobrienproductions.com and follow her on Twitter at @SoledadOBrien. Le...

Amy McGrath, candidate for the US Senate seat in Kentucky, talks about the state of the Senate under her opponent Mitch McConnell, about her experiences campaigning in such a high-profile race, and about how her days as a fighter pilot informed her approach to leadership and patriotism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Sanberg, progressive entrepreneur and investor in Los Angeles, talks about his work to end poverty, his personal connection to the cause, and about the role of both politics and faith in how Americans think about economics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Honorable Patrick Murphy talks about the role of the military in American democracy, about his leadership in getting Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repealed, and about the challenge that servicemembers face when their oaths to the Constitution conflict with orders from the president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Manion, president of the Travis Manion Foundation, talks about losing her brother to war, about her own PTSD diagnosis, and about harnessing her brother’s memory to do good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naila Awan from Demos and Ben Guess from the ACLU of Ohio talk about the importance of full voting rights for all and the work they are each doing to achieve that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, and Casey Weinstein, state representative for Ohio’s District 37, talk about gun safety and the intimidation they have received for standing up for what they believe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Rieckhoff, host of the Angry Americans podcast, talks about being an independent in today’s political climate, about the role of veterans in our country, and about anger as a political force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Kristol, founder of The Weekly Standard and chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle under George H. W. Bush, talks about the current state of the Republican party, how it got there, and his bipartisan push for political decency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Beth Bruggeman, the president of The Mission Continues, talks about her experiences as a woman in the Marine Corps, about the responsibility of teaching military leadership in wartime, and about the work TMC does to harness the energy and skills of veterans to work on social issues in their communities. Learn more about The Mission Continues on their website, https://missioncontinues.org/. Le...

In this bonus episode, Ken continues his conversation with Adam Frankel, talking about what it was like to write speeches for President Obama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Frankel, former speechwriter for President Obama and author of a new memoir, The Survivors, talks about generational trauma - from his grandparents’ experiences in the Holocaust to his mother’s struggles with mental illness and a revelation about Adam’s own identity - and the importance of honesty in his family’s healing process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus episode of Burn the Boats, Staff Sergeant Jeniffer Afualo-Robinson talks about losing her security clearance and, with it, a pathway to career advancement, just because she was born in American Samoa. Find Equally American at www.equalrightsnow.org to keep up with their fight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Sestak, retired 3-star Admiral in the US Navy and former candidate for president, talks about the similarities between the Navy and the campaign trail, about his daughter’s illness inspiring him to run for office, and about a pilot under his command who chose to defy his orders. This episode is sponsored by Storied Hats: high-quality baseball hats from sustainable materials, crafted in ethical...

Gina Ortiz Jones, veteran and Congressional candidate in Texas’s 23rd district, talks about the decision her mother made to immigrate to the US, the challenges of being an LGBT service member under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and her race to represent her district. Participate in Episode 4 with former Admiral Joe Sestak by leaving a voicemail at 216-245-5461 or sending a voice memo to burntheboats@ever...

Mikie Sherrill, Representative for New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, discusses the challenges of pushing back against leadership and reaching across the aisle to do what is best for her district and the country. Follow Mikie on Twitter at @RepSherrill. Participate in Episode 3 of Burn the Boats with Gina Ortiz Jones by leaving a voicemail at 216-245-5461 or sending a voice memo to burntheb...

Michael Gerson was a presidential speechwriter for George W. Bush and is now a powerful voice of dissent in the Republican establishment. Michael talks to Ken about what led him down this path of dissent, about the role of faith in motivating his decision to speak out, and about where he thinks our country is headed.  Michael is a syndicated op-ed columnist for the Washington Post and host of “In...

Burn the Boats is a podcast about big decisions, those we face when failure is not an option. Decisions like Alexander the Great made when he landed his troops on the shores of Persia and ordered his men to burn their boats. Listen as Ken Harbaugh interviews political leaders, influencers, and other history makers about the tough choices they've made, starting with columnist Michael Gerson on Nove...