Khashoggi Killing, ‘Borrow and Spend’ Republicans, New Rule Targets Big Pharma

Mike and Jay open the show with discussion of the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi Arabian security personnel. Jay argues that while President Trump’s rhetoric has been typically Trumpian, in terms of substance his response has been measured and reasonable. Mike calls for strong action in response to the killing and argues that the Trump administration’s decision to go all in on friendship with the autocratic Saudi regime should be reconsidered. Then it’s a look at the federal budget deficit, which rose nearly 17 percent from last year, due in large part to sharp declines in corporate tax revenue following the GOP tax bill that passed in December of 2017. Mike says that this is no surprise, as economists on both the right and left said the cuts wouldn’t come close to paying for themselves. Jay argues that while this may be the case, growth is strong and we need to wait longer to see if the long term results of the cuts are positive. After that, the Guys take a look at a new rule proposed by the Trump administration that would require pharmaceutical companies to include price information in their drug ads. Mike applauds the move, though he doesn’t think it will lead to the sort of cost reductions the administration hopes for. Jay agrees, and argues that this is unnecessary government interference in the market.   Show Notes Who should be the first non-guy Politics Guy? Let us know (and tell us what you think about the current Politics Guys) by taking this short Politics Guys Hosts Survey. We appreciate your feedback! Listen to Mike being interviewed on the Thales’ Well podcast. He gets into his intellectual origins, Edmund Burke, John McCain, Donald Trump, and lots more. Check out Outvote, the app Mike mentioned on the show.   Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to politicsguys.com/support. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesThe Politics Guys on Facebook | XListener support helps make The Politics Guys possible. You can support us or change your level of support at patreon.com/politicsguys or politicsguys.com/support. On Venmo, we’re @PoliticsGuys.The Politics Guys is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.