The Wolves of K Street Podcast

Wolves of K Street Podcast #15: The Rise of Lee Atwater and Charlie Black

Brody and Luke introduce the final two members of the most success political and lobbying shop of the Ronald Reagan-era -- Black, Manafort, Stone & Atwater.
Charlie Black and Lee Atwater were two southern Republicans from the Carolinas.
What were they like?
Let’s hear it from Roger Ailes, the former Richard Nixon aide turned Fox News Chairman:
“Charlie’s the kind of guy who if he came home and found somebody making out with his wife on a rainy day," Ailes once said, "he’d break the guy’s umbrella and ask him to leave -- and he’d have him killed a year later."
What would Atwater do?
“Lee would blow the house up,” Ailes quipped.
Brody and Luke discuss how Black and Atwater rose from their middle-class roots in the Democratic South to the pinnacle of Republican politics as top strategists on Ronald Reagan’s 1980s presidential campaign.

Wolves of K Street Podcast #14: The Rise of Paul Manafort and Roger Stone

Brody and Luke dive into the making of Chapter 3 of The Wolves of K Street – the rise of Paul Manafort and Roger Stone.
We unpack the opening of the chapter at the funeral of Lee Atwater, an event that drew the glitterati of the Grand Old Party and demonstrated the importance their firm, Black, Manafort, Stone & Atwater.
We show how Paul Manafort and Roger Stone rose from their blue-collar roots in Connecticut, learned cut-throat campaign strategies at a young age and moved to Washington for their political educations.
Their paths to power then diverged.
Roger Stone mastered the art of dirty tricks while working on President Richard Nixon’s 1972 reelection (the same campaign that sparked the Watergate scandal), which later led to a humiliating fall from grace.
Meantime, Paul Manafort took an influential role in the White House for Nixon’s successor – only to face his own painful collapse.
Finally, we discuss the critical moment when Stone and Manafort realized their paths to political revival required an alliance with each other and a bold plan at the 1977 convention of the Young Republicans in Memphis, Tenn.

Wolves of K Street Podcast #13: Battling with Hostile Reporters

What’s it like for press secretaries working for Republicans in Washington who are constantly attacked by a hostile media? How do they get their message out when reporters are beating them of the head?
We talk with Jonathan Grella, former spokesman for “The Hammer” – Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas.
Grella tells us about being in the foxhole, sparring with reporters like John Bresnahan, Mike Allen and others while trying to defend and promote the infamous former Republican leader.
Anyone who deals with the press will benefit from Grella’s advice on dealing with beat reports, the “drive by” and a press corps that is trying to take your head off every day.

The Wolves of K Street Podcast #12: All the Worst Humans

“The scariest moment you will ever have in life is when the FBI knocks on your door and says they have some questions about your behavior.”
That’s Phil Elwood, a veteran of Washington's “dark arts” industry.
On this week’s edition, Elwood talks about helping Qatar kill the U.S.’s bid for the 2022 World Cup, partying with the son of Muammar Gaddafi (his client) in Las Vegas and hurrying his wife out of his apartment when the FBI came knocking as part the Mueller investigation.

The Wolves of K Street Podcast #11: How Populism Has Made It Difficult For Lobbyists

Lobbyists and trade association chiefs are supposed to have access to important policymakers in Washington, from key members of Congress to White House officials.
That's especially truewhen Republicans are in charge.
So what happens when you have a populist president in the White House who doesn't want to talk to lobbyists and trade associations?
Corey Rosenbusch, the president of The Fertilizer Institute, joins us on The Wolves of K Street podcast to talk about how his industry has succeeded even as the Trump White House tries to avoid engaging with lobbyists and trade associations.

Wolves of K Street Episode #10: The CEO as Chief Advocacy Officer

Donald Trump is forcing a fascinating change in corporate advocacy.
For decades, companies and industries relied on their Washington lobbyists and trade associations to lead their influence efforts.
But Trump doesn’t like talking to lobbyists and trade association chiefs.
Trump wants to skip the middleman and go right to the CEO.
That’s required CEOs to take on a new and sometimes uncomfortable role: Chief Advocacy Officer.
On this week’s edition of The Wolves of K Street Podcast, former Trump White House advisor Joe Grogan talks about Trump’s preference to talking directly to CEOs.
Grogan explains how the president’s direct outreach to CEOs – which often takes place after midnight on his cell phone – changes how the White House functions – and how the influence business works.

Wolves of K Street Episode #9: Is the GOP Becoming Friendly to Unions?

Donald Trump had the head of the Teamsters speak at the 2024 Republican Convention. He’s named some pro-labor officials to his administration. And an increasing number of Republicans in Congress are supporting pro-union legislation.
 
Is the Republican Party becoming more pro-union under Donald Trump?

Wolves of K Street Episode #8 -- Donald Trump as Chief Merger Reviewer

Donald Trump has fundamentally changed the way government power is held in Washington.
 
He's concentrated more authority in the White House than at any point since Watergate more than a half-century ago.
In this episode, we example how Trump plans to expand his grip in a new area – corporate mergers – by making himself a key decision-maker in the fight between Netflix and Paramount over ownership of Warner Bros.

Wolves of K Street Episode #7 -- Unintended Impact of Reforms

Congress is always trying to clean up Washington and fix the system. 
But every attempt at reform has created unintended consequences. 
In this episode, we discuss how efforts to get big money out of politics has hurt the Republican and Democratic parties, opened the door to the influence of billionaires -- and hurt our democracy.

Wolves of K Street Episode #6: Paul Manafort, Hunter Biden and the Rise of Foreign Lobbying

Paul Manafort, Hunter Biden and the rise of foreign lobbying. Brody and Luke Mullins interview New York Times reporter Ken Vogel about his new book, "Devil's Advocates."