Congress is a quirky place. The rules are arcane. The people are diverse. The power struggle is real. We take a brief, and sometimes ridiculous journey through history to examine the beating heart of our democracy to find out whether or not Congress has always been this fucked up. We call out some of the best and worst actors in the 117th Congress, why it’s impossible to get anything done these days and look back at some of the biggest assholes that ruined it for everyone else. (Hint: Newt Gingrich has a starring role.) We finish with the biggest hurdles we face in straightening out this whole mess and the one priority that supersedes all else.

Show Notes:

The text of H.R. 1: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1/text

NYT Kinzinger Profile: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/us/politics/adam-kinzinger-republicans-trump.html

Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy by Adam Jentleson: https://bookshop.org/a/23377/9781631497773

The Man Who Broke Politics Story by McKay Coppins: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/11/newt-gingrich-says-youre-welcome/570832/

NYT Op-Ed. Former Congressman Steve Israel: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/opinion/steve-israel-confessions-of-a-congressman.html

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If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

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Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic on Substack at unftr.substack.com to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list.

Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by adding this direct RSS link into your podcast app. Full instructions here.

Unf*cking the Republic is produced and engineered by Manny Faces Media, and written, hosted and distributed by Nunya Fuckin’ Bidness.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, ‘Unf*cking the Republic.’

Congress is a quirky place. The rules are arcane. The people are diverse. The power struggle is real. We take a brief, and sometimes ridiculous journey through history to examine the beating heart of our democracy to find out whether or not Congress has always been this fucked up. We call out some of the best and worst actors in the 117th Congress, why it’s impossible to get anything done these days and look back at some of the biggest assholes that ruined it for everyone else. (Hint: Newt Gingrich has a starring role.) We finish with the biggest hurdles we face in straightening out this whole mess and the one priority that supersedes all else.
Show Notes:
The text of H.R. 1: <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1/text">https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1/text</a>
NYT Kinzinger Profile: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/us/politics/adam-kinzinger-republicans-trump.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/us/politics/adam-kinzinger-republicans-trump.html</a>
Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy by Adam Jentleson: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/23377/9781631497773">https://bookshop.org/a/23377/9781631497773</a>
The Man Who Broke Politics Story by McKay Coppins: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/11/newt-gingrich-says-youre-welcome/570832/">https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/11/newt-gingrich-says-youre-welcome/570832/</a>
NYT Op-Ed. Former Congressman Steve Israel: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/opinion/steve-israel-confessions-of-a-congressman.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/opinion/steve-israel-confessions-of-a-congressman.html</a>
--
If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://unftr.com/rate">unftr.com/rate</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Unfucking-The-Republic-102319714930389">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/unftrpod">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unftrpod/">Instagram</a> at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/">unftr.com</a>.
Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at <a href="https://shop.unftr.com/">shop.unftr.com</a>.
Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic on Substack at <a href="https://unftr.substack.com/">unftr.substack.com</a> to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.
Visit our bookshop.org page at <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod">bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod</a> to find the full UNFTR book list.
Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by adding <a href="https://www.omnycontent.com/d/playlist/ed1c4567-4a2a-4d8b-862f-ab600003d530/e8f9d9b7-b747-4bb4-bc50-ac4f010d726b/7284a3af-86c1-4f6d-95e8-acf60013d632/podcast.rss">this direct RSS link</a> into your podcast app. <a href="https://help.wondery.com/en/articles/3359918-how-to-manually-add-an-rss-feed-to-popular-podcast-apps">Full instructions here</a>.
Unf*cking the Republic is produced and engineered by <a href="https://www.mannyfacesmedia.com/">Manny Faces Media</a>, and written, hosted and distributed by Nunya Fuckin’ Bidness.
Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, ‘Unf*cking the Republic.’

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is a series of audio essays on the grand American experiment lovingly curated and presented by a quasi-anonymous political writer. 

Each essay reflects on a singular topic that is generally misunderstood or purposely obfuscated by the so-called “powers that be.” As we know, history is written by the victors and can be perilously manufactured to favor destructive world views. These views become intractably ingrained in the public consciousness and pervert public policy, oftentimes with horrific results. 

As of this podcast’s founding, we find ourselves living in a true kakistocracy. The disconnect between what we believe and what is actually happening below the surface or in plain sight is where this podcast lives. 

Together we’ll upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on the left, right and center and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how exactly we arrived in bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended. #UNFTR

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is a series of audio essays on the grand American experiment lovingly curated and presented by a quasi-anonymous political writer. 
Each essay reflects on a singular topic that is generally misunderstood or purposely obfuscated by the so-called “powers that be.” As we know, history is written by the victors and can be perilously manufactured to favor destructive world views. These views become intractably ingrained in the public consciousness and pervert public policy, oftentimes with horrific results. 
As of this podcast’s founding, we find ourselves living in a true kakistocracy. The disconnect between what we believe and what is actually happening below the surface or in plain sight is where this podcast lives. 
Together we’ll upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on the left, right and center and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how exactly we arrived in bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended. #UNFTR

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