The President's Daily Brief - October 5th, 2023: McCarthy's Successor, NATO's Ammo Alarm, and America's Healthcare Unrest

Episode Date: October 5, 2023

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A major upset in Congress as eight Republicans, led by Congressman Matt Gaetz, collaborate with Democrats to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the Speaker of the House position. As the GOP looks for a new leader, we dive deep into the political turbulence hitting Capitol Hill. As the Ukraine conflict intensifies, western militaries are sounding the alarm over a severe ammunition shortage. NATO and British officials are calling for ramped-up production to aid Ukraine. We'll break down what this means for the West. We shift our focus to the healthcare sector, where a staggering 75,000 professionals, including nurses and pharmacists, have taken to the streets, marking the largest healthcare strike in the U.S. in recent memory. And in our Back of the Brief segment, we discuss a controversial Swiss court decision where a writer was sentenced for derogatory remarks against a journalist, sparking a debate over free speech boundaries. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's Thursday, October 5th. Now, those of you in the know will recall that it was on October 5th in 1962 that the first James Bond film, Dr. No, premiered in London. That, of course, featured the most iconic of bonds, Sean Connery. The second most iconic of bonds would, of course, be Roger Moore. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed.

Up first on today's show, a seismic shake-up rocks the U.S. of Representatives. Eight Republicans team up with a unified Democratic caucus to remove Representative Kevin McCarthy from the speakership, with Republican Congressman Matt Gates spearheading the effort. Now, as the GOP seeks a new leader, two frontrunners have stepped forward. We'll dive headfirst into the latest turmoil on Capitol Hill. Here's hoping that the muck is deep enough that we don't injure ourselves. A little later in the program, Western militaries are facing. a dire ammunition shortage as the Ukraine conflict rages on. NATO and British officials have sounded the alarm urging increased production to aid Ukraine. Then, as strike fever sweeps the nation,

we'll take a look at the latest labor pains in the U.S. as over 75,000 healthcare professionals, including nurses and pharmacists, have initiated the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history. Lastly, in today's back of the brief segment, a Swiss writer is sentenced to 60 days in prison after calling a journalist a, quote, I said quote, fat lesbian. While some are cheering the decision, others are pointing to the threat that these kinds of punishments pose to free speech. But first, today's PDB spotlight. Well, alas, Kevin, we hardly knew you.

While the Speaker was on the playing field for a bit longer than Aaron Rogers, it wasn't by much. After only 269 days on the job, Congressman Kevin McCarthy's time as Speaker of the House came to a close, with 208 Democrats and eight of his own Republican colleagues voting him out. It's worth noting that the move to oust McCarthy was from within his own party. The Democrats, well, they just took advantage of the Republican disarray. For those keeping score, McCarthy's leadership is the third shortest tenure in government history. Only Theodore Pomeroy, you remember him, he served a single day in 1869, and Michael Kerr, who passed away after 258 days in 1876, had briefer stints. You're welcome. You can take those facts and enjoy them at a party and amaze your friends.

So the big question now is, who's up next? Two members have already placed their names in consideration, Steve Scalise from Louisiana and Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, but you can count on there being more. Now, under normal circumstances, Scalise would be the guy to beat. He's the Republican majority leader, essentially the number two in the Republican Party there in the House, which is often a springboard into the Speaker's seat. Plus, the man's got some serious resilience. You'll remember, he survived that brutal assassination attempt during a congressional baseball practice back in 2017. He's made his intentions clear, dialing up his GOP pals for support and vowing to, quote, mend the deep wounds that exist within our

conference. Okay, good luck with that. However, this is not your typical speaker's race. Scalise's close ties with McCarthy might just be a deal breaker for some. Enter Jim Jordan, a long time favored among conservatives. In fact, during the last Speaker's showdown, some conservative members even placed his name into nomination. Many think he could be the guy to bring together the different Republican factions. Uh, okay, did I already say, uh, yeah, good luck with that?

Well, good luck with that. But wait, there's more. Here's the wild card. Technically, anyone can be Speaker of the House. Yeah, that's right. I said anyone. according to the letter of the Constitution. They don't even have to be a member.

And guess whose name is being whispered? Mm-hmm. Former President Donald Trump. When asked about the possibility, Trump played a coy stating, quote, all I can say is, we will do whatever is best for the country,

the Republican Party, and the people. Okay. Now, the chances that Trump would agree to have his name put up for a vote to become Speaker of the House are about the same as the odds that Senator John Federman will be named best-dressed politician on Capitol Hill. But it does show the sort of disarray that the GOP is currently dealing with. Coming up after the break, two developing stories that might not have crossed your radar. First, as the Ukraine war continues, Western militaries are nearing a critical shortage of ammunition. NATO and British officials are raising alarms.

And in the U.S., over 75,000 Kaiser Permanente Healthcare professionals have gone on strike, marking the largest healthcare walkout in U.S. history. I'll be right back. You tell yourself, no one wants your college-era band teas, but on Deep Hop, people are searching for exactly what you've got. You once paid a small fortune for them at merch stands. Now, a teenager who calls them vintage will offer that same small fortune back. Sell them easily on D-pop.

Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. Who knew your questionable music taste would be a money-making machine? Your style can make you cash. Start selling on D-pop, where taste recognizes taste. Welcome back to the President's Daily Brief. As the war in Ukraine continues into its 20th month, there is growing concern over the West's dwindling weapon supplies. During a recent forum in Germany, Admiral Rob Bauer from the Netherlands, NATO's top military official,

gave a stark warning saying, quote, the bottom of the barrel is now visible. And to be honest with you, I had no idea that we were storing all the ammunition in a barrel. The Admiral revealed that while they've been able to keep supplying Ukraine with weapons and ammunition at a fairly steady pace, they've been drawing from half-full or even lesser stocked warehouses. Now, inventory is being drawn down to a point where resupply could be a future issue if production is not managed and resourced properly. Simply put, production can't keep up. While Western nations have been dipping into their weapons reserves, replenishing them at a sufficient rate has been a struggle. A report from the New York Times in March highlighted this issue. Factors like industry consolidation,

exhausted manufacturing lines, and supply chain hiccups have hindered the production of essential ammunition, such as artillery shells. This also brings about worries over restocking advanced weapons like missiles, counter-artillery radar, and other critical hardware necessary to successfully keep Ukraine not only in the fight, but capable of maintaining the advantage. How serious this problem actually is is, well, unclear. After Congress omitted funds to buy weapons for Ukraine in their last spending bill, some speculate Bauer's comments might be an attempt to amplify urgency for more aid. But if it's accurate, this situation prompts a crucial question for the U.S. and NATO.

What happens if another conflict surfaces and the U.S. or NATO end up needing those weapons? If there's any consolation here, Russia appears to be having the same problem, burning through ammunition just as quickly as Ukraine and the Western sponsors. This is why they're looking to outside sources like North Korea to bolster their stocks. Russia's dilemma is deeper and more problematic for Putin. He has far fewer options available to him when it comes to allies capable and willing to restock the Russian military shelves. Putin has turned to both North Korea and Iran for some assistance, while China has been overtly reluctant to pitch in.

All right, let's turn our attention back to the U.S., where labor challenges have dominated headlines in recent months. It seems like strikes are all the rage this year. Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest health care nonprofit, is facing an unprecedented labor challenge. Over 75,000 of its workers have walked off their jobs at hospitals and medical offices across five states. The heart of the dispute? Well, it's its staffing levels and wages. To put the size of the strike in perspective, it dwarfs the ongoing UAW worker strike against the top three auto manufacturers by nearly threefold. The epicenter of this labor action, it might not surprise you to know, is California, where 60,000 workers have joined the protest. Now, while Kaiser Permanente is a giant

in its industry, serving nearly 13 million patients and operating 39 hospitals with over 600 medical offices, this strike primarily involves EMTs, some nurses, pharmacists, and support staff. So if you're concerned about medical services, you can, to some degree, breathe the sigh of relief for now. Hospitals and ERs are still operational. Doctors and most registered nurses aren't part of the strike, at least yet. However, the company has hinted that patients might see some non-emergency and elective services rescheduled. While the current strike might only last a few days, union representatives hint at a potential escalation. If the two sides don't reach a deal soon, the unions stand prepared to intensify their actions, even hinting at another major walkout

in November. Now, there's no doubt that labor unions are feeling more emboldened. than in recent years past, President Biden has promoted himself as Union Joe, friend of all labor, and that posturing from the White House, while not the deciding factor in any strike action, certainly leaves big labor feeling as if they've got top cover and sympathy for increasingly aggressive behavior. All right, coming up in today's back of the brief, a commentator in Switzerland has received a 60-day jail sentence for hurling derogatory remarks at a journalist. The decision is being hailed as a win by LGBTQ plus advocates, but it's sparking a broader debate. Where do we draw the line on free speech in the West?

And is the phrase, quote, and I'm quoting, fat lesbian, worthy of two months in jail. I'll be right back. Welcome back. All right, in today's back of the brief, we have some Watch Your Mouth news from Switzerland. French Swiss commentator and polemicist Alan Bonnet, better known as Alain Soral, see how cosmopolitan I am, has landed on the wrong side of the law. What did he do? Well, he pushed the envelope, to say the least, in a social media video, labeling journalist Catherine Macherelle of the Tribune de Geneva. Yes, I am quite cosmopolitan again. He referred to her as, quote, and I'm quoting,

a fat lesbian and dubbed her unhinged. Now, the Swiss court, they didn't find that amusing, and they charged Soral with offenses from defamation to incitement of hatred, sentencing him to 60 days in prison. And the penalties don't stop there. Beyond some enforced time for reflection behind bars, Soral faces a hefty bill for legal fees and fines amounting to thousands of Swiss francs. Now, while some in the LGBTQ plus activist community are hailing the court's decision as a victory, Searle argues he's being penalized for voicing his opinion. His legal team is readying to defend him in the Swiss Federal Court and, if necessary, the European Court of Human Rights. For some context, this isn't Soral's first brush with controversy.

He was sentenced in France in 2019 for denying the Holocaust. cost. Yeah, that's a righteous, serious offense under French law. Clearly, Searle is a controversy magnet. But it does make you wonder, what would have happened if Searle had left his comment at just fat rather than drag in the sexuality issue? Would calling Macherelle fat have generated a similar conviction? The point is, the line between free speech and what some consider hate speech is a moving target. There's some hate speech that most sane people can agree on, but then there's a swath of turf that can be considered a minefield. Surall wandered into that minefield and got himself 60 days for saying what some folks consider hate speech and worthy of imprisonment, while others

consider his comments to be no more than opinion and protected by free speech doctrine. Let me know your thoughts on this subject. I'm serious. I'd like to know what you're thinking about this. I'm asking for what you think about the boundaries of free speech. Who decides what's fair play, even though you may not like it, and who decides what deserves prison time? Send your thoughts to PDB at thefirsttv.com. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Thursday, 5 October. If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us again at PDB at thefirsttv.com.

I'm Mike Baker. Until tomorrow, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.