The American Chronicles Podcast

On May 20, 2017 Republican Party of Texas Chairman Tom Mechler resigned, setting in motion a contest to replace him at the top of the Texas GOP. Among the candidates to announce is James Dickey, who currently serves as the Chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party, based in Austin. Dickey is a longtime activist in the GOP, having begun his political journey as a volunteer on a campaign in 1984. He has served as a precinct chair and as a delegate to both state and national conventions, and now seeks to direct the party as a whole. Dickey joined the show to discuss his candidacy, the challenges faced by the Texas GOP, and what grassroots conservative activists across Texas must do to ensure that Texas remains in Republican hands. (MY APOLOGIES FOR THE PROBLEMS WITH THE AUDIO - TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES) James Dickey Website James Dickey Facebook James Dickey Twitter

Texas Central Partners, LLC is a private company developing a new high-speed passenger rail system that if completed, will connect Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston using technology that will - according to their website - "provide a travel time of less than 90 minutes." The project is currently being proposed to various groups around the state (including members of the Harris County Republican Party) as Texas Central Partners works to finalize arrangements to begin the project. However, several questions have been raised with regard to the feasibility of the project and its potential impact on communities and land owners. Joining the show to discuss these issues are three people directly involved with the HCRP as activists, precinct chairs, Senate District Chairs and public policy analysts: Chris Carmona is a practicing attorney and is the current Co-Chair of the Young Republican National Federation. He has been a recent candidate for elected office, and has been a grassroots Republican activist for the last decade. Follow Chris Carmona on Twitter. Charles Blain is the executive director of Restore Justice USA, a criminal justice reform project of Empower Texans; he is also a regular contributor to The Hill. Follow Charles Blain on Twitter. Scott Bowen is a Chemical Engineer and a graduate of Texas A&M. He serves as Texas Senate District Chair for SD 11 and Precinct Chair of Precinct #0416 for the Harris County Republican Party and The Republican Party of Texas. Follow Scott Bowen on Twitter.

George T. Farrell is Chairman of BlakPAC, a political action committee primarily working to assist Black Conservatives qualify for office nationwide. The group also works to elect Black, Latino and Asian conservatives to office, opening and expanding the GOP to new voters and candidates. During the 2016 election, those efforts proved to be decisive, as BlakPAC engineered the largest single minority Get Out The Vote effort in Republican Party history, helping to give President Trump the margin of victory he needed to win the key battle ground states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina on Election Day, helping Republicans reclaim the White House. Farrell joined the show to discuss the foundation and origins of BlakPAC, some of the many accomplishments of the group, the lessons learned from the ground up in the grassroots and some of the upcoming challenges for 2017 and 2018 - including the special election in Georgia's 6th Congressional District to fill the seat vacated by HHS Secretary Tom Price. BlakPAC Website BlakPAC Twitter

David Balat is a professional healthcare executive and former hospital CEO who specializes in finance and business development. His consulting firm specialized in turning around struggling health care organizations, rescuing troubled businesses and growing them into thriving, profitable organizations. David was born and raised in Houston, to parents who moved to the United States from the suburbs of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in Israel. On March 9, 2017, he announced his candidacy for the 2018 Republican nomination to represent Texas' Seventh Congressional District. Balat joined the show to discuss his background and experience as a candidate for office, the efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, and his vision for confronting the challenges faced by Texas' Seventh Congressional District. David Balat Website David Balat Twitter

Elbert Guillory is a former member of the Louisiana State Senate, who represented District 24, including his native Opelousas, from May 2, 2009, until January 11, 2016, when his full term to which he was elected in 2011 ended. In 2013 Guillory gained national recognition when he switched parties, leaving the Democrats and joining the Republican Party. In becoming the Louisiana Senate’s first Republican of African-American descent since Reconstruction, he identified his former party as "the party of Jim Crow" and celebrated "the party of freedom and progress" represented by the Republicans. Guillory urged fellow African-Americans to join the GOP, a move he said was  "not only right for me, but for all of my brothers and sisters in the black community." Guillory joined the show to discuss current policy initiatives of the Republican Congress, the challenge of bringing a message of empowerment and independence to the new generation of young, determined and ambitious African Americans, and how citizen advocacy and action can lead to a brighter future for all Americans. Elbert Guillory Website Elbert Guillory's America Elbert Guillory Twitter Elbert Guillory Facebook

Brian S. Trascher is a New Orleans businessman who has helped to bridge the divide that often exists between business and politics. He is a Senior Partner at Gulf South Strategies, and the Principal of Laws and Sausage, LLC, where he offers corporate consulting and training through Citizen Advocacy Workshops. Brian's recently published book - “Laws and Sausage: You Never Want To See Either One Get Made!” is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and for Kindle. Brian joined the show to discuss the recent failure of the Republican Congress' attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare with the American Healthcare Act, and how citizen advocacy and action can impact legislation. Brian Trascher Website Brian Trascher Twitter

A Pasadena, Texas resident since 1949, Robert Talton has led a life built on service to his family, his community and his church. His professional career has taken him from serving his country in the United States Air Force Reserves at Ellington AFB to protecting the streets of Pasadena as a police officer, to service as a prosecutor, city attorney and municipal judge. He served with honor and distinction for 16 years in the Texas Legislature. Now this longtime community leader seeks to serve his city as Mayor of Pasadena. Talton joined the show to discuss his qualifications and plan for the city, and how his vision differs from that of city leaders of the recent past. Robert Talton Website

Former Colorado State Senator Ted Harvey served as the honorary chairman of the Stop Hillary PAC. He currently works with Committee to Defend the President to defend President Trump from leftist attacks and continue to rally grassroots support behind him. He joined the show to talk about the current status of President Trump's agenda, such as the nomination of Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court and what it may mean for potential nominations in the future. We discuss the challenges of working with Democrats intent on obstruction and meek Republicans fearful of bold action in Congress and the potential 2018 midterm outcomes. Ted also addresses the fake news dominating news cycles. Website: Committee to Defend the President Twitter: @Defend_Trump PLEASE give the show a great rating and review on iTunes, which helps people find us when they search for the show!

Leif Olson and Steve Kusner joined the show for a discussion on  Star Wars that touched briefly on the prequels (some useful and important bits, but largely negligible), the Expanded Universe (deleted by Disney, but containing much valuable information), the original trilogy (canon), and the most recently released films - Episode VII: The Force Awakens and the truly excellent Rogue One. Additionally, we speculate on the upcoming films - Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (set for release on December 15, 2017) and an as-yet unnamed standalone film featuring the exploits and adventures of young Han Solo. PLEASE give the show a great rating and review on iTunes, which helps people find us when they search for the show!

Amy Kremer was born and raised in Marietta, Georgia and is running to fill the seat left vacant in Georgia’s 6th District by longtime congressman Tom Price, who joined the Trump Administration as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Over the last nine years, Amy has been on the front lines of the grassroots battles for America as one of the founders of the modern-day Tea Party movement, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots and former Chairman of Tea Party Express, and was instrumental in helping to elect conservatives like Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Rand Paul. She joined the show to discuss her candidacy and vision for the office. Amy Kremer Website Amy Kremer Twitter PLEASE give the show a great rating and review on iTunes, which helps people find us when they search for the show!

Dr. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations spoke with members of the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston on February 16, 2017, offering a profound and timely examination of a world increasingly defined by disorder as a new administration takes office and as President Obama's foreign policy legacy is assessed and discussed. Dr. Haass also presented his new book, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order, a lucid and incisive analysis of our shifting landscape and the need for a new American foreign policy. This program includes excerpts of his remarks. *My apologies for the audio quality - placement of the microphone was less than optimal.* Website: World Affairs Council of Greater Houston Twitter: @WACHouston Website: Council on Foreign Relations Twitter: @RichardHaass

On Saturday, February 4, 2017, Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt sponsored a Precinct Chair Legislative Workshop for Harris County Precinct Chairs with updates from the Texas Senate from Bettencourt and Texas House Updates from State Representatives. HCRP Chair Paul Simpson talked about the work underway at the county level. Bettencourt addressed Property Tax Legislation, State Representative Dwayne Bohac discussed Tax Credit Scholarship Legislation, and Mike Schofield talked about Faithless Elector and Voter ID Legislation. Freshmen Representatives Valoree Swanson, Tom Oliverson, and Kevin Roberts talked about legislation on which they've been working. Clyde Bryan of The Executive Council, Robin and Jim Lennon of Kingwood TEA Party and Joseph McReynolds of Spring Branch Republicans reviewed grassroots efforts, and former mayoral candidate Bill King addressed issues of pension and debt reform for the city of Houston. The meeting was held at regular Harris County GOP hangout, Cafe Adobe - one of Houston's more popular Tex-Mex restaurants. (Note - the audio has been edited for brevity. The meeting lasted almost 2 hours, this program is only 1 hour in length.)

As America’s debt continues to grow, and American workers shoulder more of the burden of never ending fiscal irresponsibility, Americans For Fair Taxation - a US political advocacy group dedicated to fundamental tax code replacement - has led the way in advocacy and activism. As Chairman and President of Americans For Fair Taxation, Steven L. Hayes has dedicated a lifetime to finding and implementing alternatives to the income tax, and helps to lead the effort to shepherd legislation through the legislative process. He joined the show to discuss prospects for tax reform in the Trump administration and the pending inauguration. Americans For Fair Taxation Website: https://fairtax.org FairTax.org Twitter: @FairTaxOfficial

In celebration of a day long awaited - January 20, 2017 – the Harris County Republican Party held a watch party to observe and celebrate the Inauguration of President Donald J. Trump at Ninfa’s - a Houston institution for TexMex. I spoke with former Judge Clyde Leuchtag, County Chair Paul Simpson, and Houston Young Republican member and realtor Morad Fiki to get their thoughts on the events of the day and what they expect for the future. I also provide running commentary during the Inaugural Address as delivered by President Trump.

While education reform is seemingly a constant agenda item for the Texas Legislature, during this session it has taken on a new shape as School Choice. Republicans, led by Texas Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick, are taking on the challenge of expanding school choice to all. Two people working on the front lines to help implement school choice for Texas - Peggy Venable - the Senior Visiting Fellow at the Center for Education Freedom at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Aaron Smith – an Education Policy Analyst with the Reason Foundation – joined the show to discuss the reasoning behind school choice, the potential impact, and the path forward for Texas schools. Peggy Venable Twitter: @pvenable Aaron Smith Twitter: @AaronGarthSmith

Autry Pruitt is the author of Planes, Steak, and Water: Defending Donald J. Trump (available at BelieveDonald.com), and worked as a Trump Campaign surrogate during the election cycle. He is a board member of Americans for Fair Taxation (FairTax.org), and he hosts his own radio show on the Red State Radio Network. He joined the show to discuss his work on America’s tax structure, the long-term prospects of the Trump administration and how personal relationships, understanding and forgiveness will begin to restore America. Website: Autry Pruitt Twitter: @Autry

Rob Maness is a former candidate for the United States Senate from Louisiana, and a retired Colonel with a record of service to the nation of more than 32 years. He is currently the owner of Iron Liberty Group, and Chairman of GatorPAC, a group that works to educate political activists on effective ways to influence elected officials and get candidates elected. He joined the show to discuss his accomplishments, his views on the challenges facing the incoming Trump administration, and his ongoing efforts to effect positive change. Website: RobManess.com Twitter: @RobManess Website: GatorPAC.com Twitter: @RealGatorPAC

Former Colorado State Senator Ted Harvey was first elected in 2001 as Representative. He previously served in the Reagan administration, and served as the honorary chairman of the Stop Hillary PAC. He currently works with Committee to Defend the President to support President-Elect Donald Trump from leftist attacks and continue to rally grassroots support behind him. He joined the show to talk about the efforts to defeat Clinton and defend the President-Elect. Website: Committee to Defend the President Twitter: @StopHillaryPAC  

Every four years, after the General Election, the states convene a meeting of the members of the Electoral College to formally elect the President of the United States. Under normal circumstances, those Electors merely affirm the popular vote as determined by citizens. However, every so often, a “Faithless Elector” confronts the moral challenge of casting a vote for a candidate they view as unacceptable – placing the outcome of their vote in doubt. On this episode, Constitutional historian Carl Jarvis and Landon Estay, the Elector for Texas’ Congressional District 8 discuss the role of the Electoral College, and the challenge of keeping faith with the system. Carl Jarvis website "The United States of Dysfunction" by Carl Jarvis Landon Estay

Harris County Sheriff-Elect Ed Gonzalez served a total of 18 years in the Houston Police Department, and retired as a sergeant in 2009. He was then elected to represent District H on Houston City Council and served until 2015, when term limits ended his tenure. He takes office as Sheriff on January 1, 2017, but first, he joined the show to discuss his electoral win, the challenges he faces, and his hopes for the future of the largest Sheriff’s office in Texas. Ed Gonzalez campaign website Ed Gonzalez on Twitter