Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.
This week, From and Fuller discuss President Trump’s idea of having the United States take over the Gaza Strip and develop the region for waterfront development. Is this a strategy of distraction? Al and Craig also talk about Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to the IRS, Medicare, and Medicaid software payment systems.
This video podcast is approximately 22 minutes in length.
To listen to the audio podcast version, please use this link:
Background
While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.
The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.
Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”
Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors. He is the author of “New Democrats and the Return to Power.”
For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.
Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last eight years, where he now chairs the board of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and is a former board member of the Academy Art Museum and Benedictine. He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors and writes an e-newsletter available by clicking on DECADE SEVEN.
With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.
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They are hardly just peeking, a power-hungry cabal led by a diagnosed psychopath, convicted felon has joined forces with a Ketamine addicted oligarch nihilist who wants to “blow it all up” (and rape the treasury?). Are we headed for a catastrophe with no guardrails? Today funds for community health centers shut off.
While long, this newsletter details horrific actions happening now including manipulation of news and MAGA.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-6-2025
George Conway’s podcast with Tim Miller paints bleak picture where Congress remains complicit and courts who may condemn illegal actions will not be obeyed. He sees only hope as people taking to the streets. Yet, Pete Hegseth said he would obey 2nd Trump order for military to shoot civilians protesting (in legs this time?).
https://www.youtube.com/live/TjqSeb9GyeI
If others hopeful or see plausible better outcome, please speak up!