Joe Walsh

Rep. Mike Quigley

Nancy MacLean

Dean Baker

On this week's show:
– Joe Walsh, former Illinois Congressman (and former Republican)
– Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)
– Nancy MacLean, professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University
– Dean Baker, co-founder and senior economist, Center for Economic and Policy Research

Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).  

On this week's show: &ndash; Joe Walsh, former Illinois Congressman (and former Republican) &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://quigley.house.gov/">Rep. Mike Quigley</a>&nbsp;(D-IL) &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://sanford.duke.edu/profile/nancy-maclean/">Nancy MacLean</a>, professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://cepr.net/people/dean-baker/">Dean Baker</a>, co-founder and senior economist,&nbsp;<a href="https://cepr.net/">Center for Economic and Policy Research</a>
Catch &ldquo;The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath&rdquo; Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture). &nbsp;

Here are full episodes from "The Big Picture" with Edwin Eisendrath (Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT Chicago). Good conversations help us see the big picture. Edwin Eisendrath and his guests get specific about politics, government, campaigns, and the kind of country all this work is meant to build. Join us live every Saturday to be part of the conversation.  


Edwin served two terms in Chicago’s City Council before being appointed Midwest Region Director of HUD by President Bill Clinton. He was subsequently appointed Federal Receiver in charge of the takeover and turnaround of the Chicago Housing Authority. His last foray as a candidate came when he took on a crooked governor of his own party, but it was the U.S. attorney rather than the voters who sealed Rod Blagojevich’s fate.

Off the campaign trail, Edwin worked in higher education and as a consultant to universities here and around the world. He was working primarily in Saudi Arabia during the 2016 election cycle, but after Donald Trump’s victory, he knew he had to focus back home. He brought business and labor leaders together to rescue the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Reader. He ran the company as its CEO until both publications were saved.

Edwin continues his political, civic, and business engagement from his home in Chicago, where he and his wife, Jennifer, raised their three children. He and Jennifer can be seen walking their hound dog, Winston Churchill.

Here are full episodes from "The Big Picture" with Edwin Eisendrath (Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on <a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/">WCPT Chicago</a>). Good conversations help us see the big picture. Edwin Eisendrath and his guests get specific about politics, government, campaigns, and the kind of country all this work is meant to build. Join us live every Saturday to be part of the conversation.  
 Edwin served two terms in Chicago’s City Council before being appointed Midwest Region Director of HUD by President Bill Clinton. He was subsequently appointed Federal Receiver in charge of the takeover and turnaround of the Chicago Housing Authority. His last foray as a candidate came when he took on a crooked governor of his own party, but it was the U.S. attorney rather than the voters who sealed Rod Blagojevich’s fate.
Off the campaign trail, Edwin worked in higher education and as a consultant to universities here and around the world. He was working primarily in Saudi Arabia during the 2016 election cycle, but after Donald Trump’s victory, he knew he had to focus back home. He brought business and labor leaders together to rescue the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Reader. He ran the company as its CEO until both publications were saved.
Edwin continues his political, civic, and business engagement from his home in Chicago, where he and his wife, Jennifer, raised their three children. He and Jennifer can be seen walking their hound dog, Winston Churchill.

The Big Picture (Full Episodes)

Good conversations help us see the big picture. Edwin Eisendrath and his guests get specific about politics, government, campaigns, and the kind of country all this work is meant to build. Join us live every Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT Chicago to be part of the conversation.  

Edwin Eisendrath served two terms in Chicago’s City Council before being appointed Midwest Region Director of HUD by President Bill Clinton. He was subsequently appointed Federal Receiver in charge of the takeover and turnaround of the Chicago Housing Authority. His last foray as a candidate came when he took on a crooked governor of his own party, but it was the U.S. attorney rather than the voters who sealed Rod Blagojevich’s fate.
Off the campaign trail, Edwin has worked in higher education and as a consultant to universities here and around the world. He was working primarily in Saudi Arabia during the 2016 election cycle, but after Donald Trump’s victory, he knew he had to focus back home. He brought business and labor leaders together to rescue the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Reader. He ran the company as its CEO until both publications were saved.
Edwin continues his political, civic, and business engagement from his home in Chicago, where he and his wife, Jennifer, raised their three children. He and Jennifer can be seen walking their hound dog, Winston Churchill.

Good conversations help us see the big picture. Edwin Eisendrath and his guests get specific about politics, government, campaigns, and the kind of country all this work is meant to build. Join us live every Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on <a href="https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/">WCPT Chicago</a> to be part of the conversation.  
Edwin Eisendrath served two terms in Chicago’s City Council before being appointed Midwest Region Director of HUD by President Bill Clinton. He was subsequently appointed Federal Receiver in charge of the takeover and turnaround of the Chicago Housing Authority. His last foray as a candidate came when he took on a crooked governor of his own party, but it was the U.S. attorney rather than the voters who sealed Rod Blagojevich’s fate. Off the campaign trail, Edwin has worked in higher education and as a consultant to universities here and around the world. He was working primarily in Saudi Arabia during the 2016 election cycle, but after Donald Trump’s victory, he knew he had to focus back home. He brought business and labor leaders together to rescue the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Reader. He ran the company as its CEO until both publications were saved. Edwin continues his political, civic, and business engagement from his home in Chicago, where he and his wife, Jennifer, raised their three children. He and Jennifer can be seen walking their hound dog, Winston Churchill.

The Big Picture With Edwin Eisendrath

The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath June 7 2025

Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Andrea Pitzer,  journalist and author of One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps.

Pitzer defined the concentration camp as mass civilian detention "without any real trial. So if there was a trial," she explained, "it was just a show trial, or a big group, 100 people getting sentenced at once, something like that, done on the basis of race or ethnicity or religion or political party, rather than an actual crime that was committed. And it's almost always done to separate a targeted group from society, to remove them from society, and it's almost always also done to consolidate and build political power."

She highlighted the evolution of concentration camps from the 19th century to the Nazi era and warned of their resurgence in the United States under the Trump administration. Pitzer emphasized the importance of independent courts, legal aid, community activism and protests in combating this development. 

Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).   

And find “The Big Picture (Full Episodes)” podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

Edwin Eisendrath is joined by <a href="https://andreapitzer.com/">Andrea Pitzer</a>, &nbsp;journalist and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/andrea-pitzer/one-long-night/9780316303583/?lens=little-brown">One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps.</a>
Pitzer defined the concentration camp as mass civilian detention "without any real trial. So if there was a trial," she explained, "it was just a show trial, or a big group, 100 people getting sentenced at once, something like that, done on the basis of race or ethnicity or religion or political party, rather than an actual crime that was committed. And it's almost always done to separate a targeted group from society, to remove them from society, and it's almost always also done to consolidate and build political power."
She highlighted the evolution of concentration camps from the 19th century to the Nazi era and warned of their resurgence in the United States under the Trump administration. Pitzer emphasized the importance of independent courts, legal aid, community activism and protests in combating this development.&nbsp;
Catch &ldquo;The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath&rdquo; Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
And find &ldquo;The Big Picture (Full Episodes)&rdquo; podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0TDBhZmN53i7kDyHRzHZZx">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-picture-full-episodes/id1772709867">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1300-the-big-picture-full-epis-224645190/">iHeartRadio</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ6EYyFLbGw&amp;list=PLquOHBYhhrLOG8meVY1bvfD7TfAPGXMK2">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/43cb535f-a2df-4c89-aee0-e716694063b0/the-big-picture-full-episodes">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/The-Big-Picture-(Full-Episodes)-p4553846/">TuneIn</a>.

WCPT 820 Interview: Andrea Pitzer

Edwin Eisendrath is joined by David Nir, publisher of The Downballot.

Nir discussed the importance of local and state elections, highlighting the significant number of elected offices in the U.S. and their impact on democracy. He talked about the resurgence of interest in down-ballot races, citing Wisconsin's recent Supreme Court race as an example. He emphasized the role of independent media in providing unbiased information, contrasting it with the vulnerabilities of corporate media to co-optation. Nir also spoke about the challenges faced by the Democratic Party, including the need for generational change and the importance of endorsing primary winners. Additionally, he talked about the resources available in The Downballot Ultimate Data Guide.  

Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).   

And find “The Big Picture (Full Episodes)” podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

Edwin Eisendrath is joined by David Nir, publisher of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.the-downballot.com/">The Downballot</a>.
Nir discussed the importance of local and state elections, highlighting the significant number of elected offices in the U.S. and their impact on democracy. He talked about the resurgence of interest in down-ballot races, citing Wisconsin's recent Supreme Court race as an example.&nbsp;He emphasized the role of independent media in providing unbiased information, contrasting it with the vulnerabilities of corporate media to co-optation. Nir also spoke about the challenges faced by the Democratic Party, including the need for generational change and the importance of endorsing primary winners. Additionally, he talked about the resources available in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.the-downballot.com/p/data">The Downballot Ultimate Data Guide</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Catch &ldquo;The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath&rdquo; Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
And find &ldquo;The Big Picture (Full Episodes)&rdquo; podcast on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0TDBhZmN53i7kDyHRzHZZx">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-picture-full-episodes/id1772709867">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1300-the-big-picture-full-epis-224645190/">iHeartRadio</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ6EYyFLbGw&amp;list=PLquOHBYhhrLOG8meVY1bvfD7TfAPGXMK2">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/43cb535f-a2df-4c89-aee0-e716694063b0/the-big-picture-full-episodes">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/The-Big-Picture-(Full-Episodes)-p4553846/">TuneIn</a>.

WCPT 820 Interview: David Nir of The Downballot

Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.

Clayton talked about how North Carolina Republicans have, over the past 15 years, poisoned state politics with extreme partisanship. "I think it's really important to know that when Democrats had control of this state, the number one thing that they did was invest in public education. When Republicans took control of it in 2010 it became a 'we have got to deny and we have got to degrade public education in this state,' to the point where they have now given away billions of dollars over the next decade to private school vouchers, to take away money from public education in North Carolina. The teacher raises that the governor is fighting for in his budget right now is just trying to come back from where Republicans have lowered teacher pay so much over the last 10 years; we're just trying to give back teachers what the state used to do for them, actually. And I think it just goes to show . . . how much our state legislature is hurting communities with that."

Clayton also talked about the Republican-controlled state legislature's failure to pass a budget this year.  "The Republicans in the House cannot agree with the Republicans in the Senate on how much to cut, essentially, and we're at a place right now where [Governor] Josh Stein has asked for . . . a 10 percent raise on teacher pay in the state of North Carolina, and our state legislature is arguing whether or not to give them 3 [percent]." 

She added: "When you're a state legislator, the one job that you have is to pass a state budget. I mean, that's just basics of if. If you don't have a budget, you don't have a way to operate your business. And right now, Republicans, who are supposed to be best in business, are refusing to acknowledge the staple thing that we need to be able to move forward as a state."

The conversation touched on the impact of recent federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the prospect that North Carolina will no longer be able to provide SNAP assistance by 2028. "It won't be something that the state can provide because 1.4 million people are going to lose SNAP benefits from the federal government, and that would mean that the state legislature would have to fork over about $240 million a year to be able to keep SNAP up. That's the legislature that I just told you couldn't pass a budget. You think that they're going to be able to help people that are hungry right now in our state? Absolutely not." 

Clayton emphasized the importance of local engagement, citing a 50-county rural tour the party is undertaking this summer to connect with communities and elevate local issues. She also talked about the open U.S. Senate seat that recently opened when the Republican incumbent, Thom Tillis, declined to run for another term. 

Asked by Eisendrath why listeners should care about what's going on in North Carolina and why they should support the North Carolina Democratic Party, Clayton said:

"Because if North Carolina had not been a gerrymandered state, Hakeem Jeffries would be speaker of the House right now, and there would be a check on Donald Trump's agenda. We are paying the price right now for ignoring the state of North Carolina in 2020 and in 2022, and we do not anticipate for the national party and national apparatus to do that again to us, because North Carolina is the future of the South but also the future of the Democratic Party. And we need to make sure that we take back and that we repeal racial and partisan gerrymandering in the state by 2028, which we will do with our Supreme Court, and we're going to give four more United States House of Representative seats back to the Democrats, along with two Democratic senators that we're going to have both up in 2026 and in 2028. So we've got a lot of power left to give to the national level, and we're excited to do it." 

Catch “The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath” Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).   

And find “The Big Picture (Full Episodes)” podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

Edwin Eisendrath is joined by Anderson Clayton, chair of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncdp.org/leaders/ncdp/">North Carolina Democratic Party</a>.
Clayton talked about how North Carolina Republicans have, over the past 15 years, poisoned state politics with extreme partisanship. "I think it's really important to know that when Democrats had control of this state, the number one thing that they did was invest in public education. When Republicans took control of it in 2010 it became a 'we have got to deny and we have got to degrade public education in this state,' to the point where they have now given away billions of dollars over the next decade to private school vouchers, to take away money from public education in North Carolina. The teacher raises that the governor is fighting for in his budget right now is just trying to come back from where Republicans have lowered teacher pay so much over the last 10 years; we're just trying to give back teachers what the state used to do for them, actually. And I think it just goes to show . . . how much our state legislature is hurting communities with that."
Clayton also talked about the Republican-controlled state legislature's failure to pass a budget this year. &nbsp;"The Republicans in the House cannot agree with the Republicans in the Senate on how much to cut, essentially, and we're at a place right now where [Governor] Josh Stein has asked for . . . a 10 percent raise on teacher pay in the state of North Carolina, and our state legislature is arguing whether or not to give them 3 [percent]."&nbsp;
She added: "When you're a state legislator, the one job that you have is to pass a state budget. I mean, that's just basics of if. If you don't have a budget, you don't have a way to operate your business. And right now, Republicans, who are supposed to be best in business, are refusing to acknowledge the staple thing that we need to be able to move forward as a state."
The conversation touched on the impact of recent federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the prospect that North Carolina will no longer be able to provide SNAP assistance by 2028. "It won't be something that the state can provide because 1.4 million people are going to lose SNAP benefits from the federal government, and that would mean that the state legislature would have to fork over about $240 million a year to be able to keep SNAP up. That's the legislature that I just told you couldn't pass a budget. You think that they're going to be able to help people that are hungry right now in our state? Absolutely not."&nbsp;
Clayton emphasized the importance of local engagement, citing a 50-county rural tour the party is undertaking this summer to connect with communities and elevate local issues. She also talked about the open U.S. Senate seat that recently opened when the Republican incumbent, Thom Tillis, declined to run for another term.&nbsp;
Asked by Eisendrath why listeners should care about what's going on in North Carolina and why they should support the North Carolina Democratic Party, Clayton said:
"Because if North Carolina had not been a gerrymandered state, Hakeem Jeffries would be speaker of the House right now, and there would be a check on Donald Trump's agenda. We are paying the price right now for ignoring the state of North Carolina in 2020 and in 2022, and we do not anticipate for the national party and national apparatus to do that again to us, because North Carolina is the future of the South but also the future of the Democratic Party. And we need to make sure that we take back and that we repeal racial and partisan gerrymandering in the state by 2028, which we will do with our Supreme Court, and we're going to give four more United States House of Representative seats back to the Democrats, along with two Democratic senators that we're going to have both up in 2026 and in 2028. So we've got a lot of power left to give to the national level, and we're excited to do it."&nbsp;
Catch &ldquo;The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath&rdquo; Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/the-big-picture).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
And find &ldquo;The Big Picture (Full Episodes)&rdquo; podcast on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0TDBhZmN53i7kDyHRzHZZx">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-picture-full-episodes/id1772709867">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1300-the-big-picture-full-epis-224645190/">iHeartRadio</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ6EYyFLbGw&amp;list=PLquOHBYhhrLOG8meVY1bvfD7TfAPGXMK2">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/43cb535f-a2df-4c89-aee0-e716694063b0/the-big-picture-full-episodes">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/The-Big-Picture-(Full-Episodes)-p4553846/">TuneIn</a>.

The Big Picture with Edwin Eisendrath June 7 2025

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