Burn the Boats
193 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago -Burn the Boats is an award-winning podcast featuring intimate conversations with change-makers from every walk of life. Host Ken Harbaugh interviews politicians, authors, activists, and others about the most important issues of our time.
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Episodes
Dan Barkhuff: A Tribe to Compete with Trumpism
February 24, 2021 08:00 - 32 minutesDan Barkhuff, former Navy Seal and founder of Veterans for Responsible Leadership, talks about fighting Trumpism and the importance of belonging. Veterans for Responsible Leadership is an organization founded to help fight Trump and to serve as a tribe to compete with the white nationalism of Trumpism. In addition to founding VFRL, Dan Barkhuff is an ex-Navy SEAL, emergency medicine physician, and star of two viral videos from the Lincoln Project: “Betrayed” and “Conservative”. Find Dan on T...
Steve Schmidt: Fighting an Autocratic Coalition
February 10, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutesSteve Schmidt, longtime Republican political strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project, comes on Burn the Boats to talk about his work fighting Trump and Trumpism. Steve worked on the campaigns of President George W. Bush and John McCain. He served in the White House as a senior advisor to both President Bush and Vice President Cheney, and was largely responsible for the Supreme Court nominations of Justices Alito and Roberts. Steve formally left the Republican Party in 2018 and co-fou...
Mike Howard: Keeping America Secure from the CIA to Microsoft
January 27, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutesMike Howard, a veteran in the security and protection field, comes on Burn the Boats to talk about his 22 year career with the CIA and the years he spent as Chief Security Officer at Microsoft. Keep an eye out for Mike’s upcoming book on leadership, out later in 2021, titled “The Art of Ronin Leadership: Strategy, Execution, Sustained Success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rerun: Max Rose and Ali Soufan on White Supremacist Terrorism
January 13, 2021 08:00 - 45 minutesThis rerun from July 2020 features former congressman Max Rose and counterterrorism expert Ali Soufan talking about their work addressing the threat of transnational violent white supremacist groups in the United States and across the world. This episode aired long before the events of January 6th, but the conversation was prescient. If we want to stop threats like last week’s violent mob at the Capitol in the future, we need to listen to people like Max and Ali, who know the dangers of white...
Sen. Sherrod Brown: The Dignity of Work and Hope in Politics
January 06, 2021 08:00 - 17 minutesSenator Sherrod Brown of Ohio talks about the dignity of work, his Senate desk 88, and the role of both fear and hope in politics. A lifelong champion for working families, Senator Brown began his political career as the youngest member of the Ohio House of Representatives. He has served as a US Representative, as Ohio’s Secretary of State, and, since 2007, as a US Senator and one of the only Democrats in Ohio elected to statewide office. Learn more about Senator Brown’s legislative prioritie...
Doug Wilson: Celebrating 10 Years Without Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
December 23, 2020 08:00 - 38 minutesKen celebrates the 10th anniversary of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell with Doug Wilson, former Pentagon official who played a key role in the repeal. Doug Wilson is a former Pentagon official, campaign veteran, and foreign policy expert. As Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, he played a key role in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which was signed into law by President Obama on December 22, 2010. Learn more about Doug in profiles from Politico and the Washington Blade. Read his ...
Aida Salazar: Activist, Artist, Author
December 09, 2020 08:00 - 30 minutesAward-winning author Aida Salazar talks about writing difficult stories for children, raising a new generation of activists, and the intersections of art and activism. Learn more about Aida and her work - writing, art, activism, and more - at aidasalazar.com. Her most recent novel, Land of the Cranes, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jake Wood: A New Mission Closer to Home
November 25, 2020 08:00 - 34 minutesJake Wood, veteran and CEO of Team Rubicon, talks about his new memoir, the value of veterans serving in disaster relief, and the power of vulnerability in leaders. Learn more about Jake’s organization Team Rubicon and find them on Twitter at @TeamRubicon. Find Jake himself on Twitter at @JakeWoodTR. His memoir, Once A Warrior: How One Veteran Found a New Mission Closer to Home, is out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jacqueline Novogratz: Marshalling a Moral Revolution
November 11, 2020 08:00 - 37 minutesJacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO of Acumen, talks about the role of markets in working towards a better world and how the kind of work she does has changed in recent years as the rising generation demands sustainability, inclusion, equity, and justice. Jacqueline’s organization, Acumen, is a nonprofit impact investment fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of poverty. Learn more about Acumen on their website and find them on Twitter at @Acumen. Find Jacqueline o...
Rerun: Pete Buttigieg
November 04, 2020 08:00 - 45 minutesThe day after the election, we're airing a rerun on Burn the Boats. Listen to Ken's conversation with Pete Buttigieg from this summer - talking about patriotism, his hopes for the future of our country, and the need for America to rebuild trust. Pete Buttigieg is the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Learn more about his new PAC at wintheera.com and by watching his Twitter feed at @PeteButtigieg. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...
Voting Rights and the 2020 Election w/ Esosa Osa and Sylvia Albert
October 28, 2020 07:00 - 32 minutesJust days before the 2020 election, Ken passes the mic to guest host Esosa Osa, Research and Policy Director for Fair Fight Action. Esosa interviews Sylvia Albert from Common Cause about voting rights and next week's election. Sylvia Albert is the Director of Voting and Elections at Common Cause. Common Cause is a nonpartisan national organization focused on strengthening democracy through litigation, lobbying, and grassroots organizing. Find Common Cause on Twitter at @CommonCause and find S...
MJ Hegar: Campaign Like a Girl
October 21, 2020 07:00 - 29 minutesMJ Hegar, Democratic candidate for Senate in Texas, talks about her campaign, what drove her to run in the first place, and the prejudiced responses she sometimes gets to the Purple Heart on her license plate. MJ is an Air Force veteran, author of the memoir Shoot Like a Girl, and one of the only women to ever be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor. Learn more about MJ’s campaign for Texas’s Senate seat at https://mjfortexas.com/. Find her on Twitter at @MJHegar. Learn more abou...
Rep. Tim Ryan: Politics and Mindfulness
October 07, 2020 07:00 - 27 minutesRep. Tim Ryan talks politics - Trump, Ohio, and Tim’s current reelection campaign. He also talks about something he wishes all politicians would practice: mindfulness. Tim is a United States Congressman representing Ohio’s 13th district. Learn more about him and his platform at timryan.house.gov. Find him on Twitter at @RepTimRyan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rep. Cheri Bustos: Legislating by Listening
September 23, 2020 07:00 - 37 minutesRepresentative Cheri Bustos, congresswoman from Illinois and chair of the DCCC, talks about the values that women bring to leadership and about winning as a Democrat in a district that also voted for Trump. Learn more about Rep. Bustos’s legislative priorities on her website. Find her on Twitter at @RepCheri. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus: Sec. Leon Panetta and the Anniversary of 9/11
September 11, 2020 07:00 - 28 minutesIn this bonus episode of Burn the Boats, Sec. Leon Panetta talks about the ultimate tough decision: as Director of the CIA, Panetta oversaw the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, launching a raid into Pakistan based on uncertain intelligence. He talks about that decision, as well as the current presidential administration and the state of our political landscape. Secretary Leon Panetta is a lifelong public servant, having served in many different roles: US Congressman, Chief of Staff to P...
Anthony Scaramucci: Room on the Off Ramp
September 09, 2020 07:00 - 41 minutesAnthony Scaramucci talks about his brief tenure as the White House Communications Director and his recent decision to denounce Trump, as well as his journey from working class to Goldman Sachs and the White House. Find Anthony on Twitter at @scaramucci. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Swati Mylavarapu: Making Politics Accessible
August 26, 2020 07:00 - 38 minutesSwati Mylavarapu is a major voice in Silicon Valley who has turned her talents to politics and social change. Pete Buttigieg’s chief investment officer and founder of Incite.org and the Arena, Swati talks to Ken about campaign finance and about diving into politics as a relative outsider. Find Swati on Twitter at @Swatipedia. Incite.org is Swati’s values-based investment fund, made up of Incite Ventures LLC, Incite Labs, and Incite Politics - a three-pronged approach to creating social change...
Andrew Towne: Modern-Day Adventurer
August 12, 2020 07:00 - 35 minutesAndrew Towne, endurance athlete and principal with the Boston Consulting Group, has climbed the tallest mountain on every continent - including Mount Everest, and rowed the Drake Passage with the Discovery Channel series The Impossible Row. He talks about climbing Mount Everest and rowing the Drake Passage and about the smaller challenges he takes on to help make the world a better place. Watch Andrew and his crew row the Drake Passage on Discovery’s The Impossible Row. You can also learn abo...
Bonus: Gen. Stanley McChrystal on Confederate Symbols
August 05, 2020 07:00 - 15 minutesIn this bonus episode of Burn the Boats, Gen. Stanley McChrystal reflects on his formerly-beloved painting of Robert E. Lee and his perspective on Confederate symbols. The Atlantic op-ed that Ken reads from in this episode is titled “At 63, I Threw Away My Prized Portrait of Robert E. Lee”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pete Buttigieg: On Moving Forward
July 29, 2020 07:00 - 48 minutesPete Buttigieg, former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, talks about his campaign and the choice to end it, patriotism and hopes for the future of our country, and the need for America to rebuild trust. Learn more about Pete’s new PAC at wintheera.com and by watching his Twitter feed at @PeteButtigieg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Max Rose and Ali Soufan: Fighting White Supremacist Terrorism
July 15, 2020 07:30 - 45 minutesUS Representative Max Rose and counterterrorism expert Ali Soufan talk about the work they’re doing to address the threat of transnational violent white supremacist groups in the United States and across the world. Max is a Congressman representing New York’s 11th district, which includes all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn. Find him on Twitter at @RepMaxRose. A former FBI agent, Ali is now the Chairman and CEO of The Soufan Group, a global intelligence and security consultanc...
Sarah Longwell: How to Save the GOP
July 01, 2020 07:00 - 36 minutesSarah Longwell, publisher of the Bulwark and co-founder of Republicans for the Rule of Law, talks about being a staunchly “Never Trump” Republican and about what the future of her party looks like. Sarah is the publisher of the Bulwark, co-founder of Republicans for the Rule of Law, past board chair of the Log Cabin Republicans, and CEO of DC-based communications firm Longwell Partners. You can follow Sarah on Twitter at @SarahLongwell25. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...
Pride Month: Gina Ortiz Jones
June 24, 2020 07:30 - 27 minutesThis rerun in honor of Pride month features a conversation with Gina Ortiz Jones, Democratic candidate for Congress in Texas’s 23rd district, about the challenges of being a gay service member under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, as well as her difficult race to represent her district. Gina Ortiz Jones is an Air Force veteran, intelligence officer, and candidate for US Representative in Texas’s 23rd congressional district. Learn more on Gina's website and find her on Twitter at @GinaOrtizJones and on...
Fred Guttenberg: Father of Two
June 17, 2020 07:30 - 39 minutesFred Guttenberg, gun safety advocate whose daughter Jaime was killed at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, talks about how the loss of his daughter drives him, what changes must be made to ensure safer gun laws, and what draws Americans to firearms in the first place. Fred’s organization is called Orange Ribbons for Jaime and you can find them on Twitter at @Ribbons4Jaime . You can find Fred himself on Twitter at @fred_guttenberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...
Mansoor Shams: Muslim Marine
June 03, 2020 07:30 - 36 minutesMansoor Shams, founder of MuslimMarine.org, talks about both his good and bad experiences as a Muslim in the US Marine Corps, about patriotism in today’s America, and about making his life’s mission opening the minds of others. Mansoor is a veteran, speaker, leader, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. You can learn more about his work at MuslimMarine.org and follow him on Twitter at @MansoorTShams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Soledad O’Brien: Journalism’s ‘Tough Love’ Critic
May 20, 2020 07:30 - 42 minutesAward-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien talks about the current news landscape, what success means in journalism, and her flexibility and optimism in seizing new opportunities. Soledad is the CEO of Starfish Media Group and host of Matter of Fact, airing Sundays on the Hearst network. You can learn more about her work at soledadobrienproductions.com and follow her on Twitter at @SoledadOBrien. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amy McGrath: From the Marine Corps to the Campaign Trail
May 06, 2020 07:30 - 35 minutesAmy McGrath, candidate for the US Senate seat in Kentucky, talks about the state of the Senate under her opponent Mitch McConnell, about her experiences campaigning in such a high-profile race, and about how her days as a fighter pilot informed her approach to leadership and patriotism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joe Sanberg: Seeking Financial Security for All
April 22, 2020 07:30 - 25 minutesJoe Sanberg, progressive entrepreneur and investor in Los Angeles, talks about his work to end poverty, his personal connection to the cause, and about the role of both politics and faith in how Americans think about economics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Patrick Murphy: Constitutional Crisis and the US Military
April 08, 2020 07:30 - 31 minutesThe Honorable Patrick Murphy talks about the role of the military in American democracy, about his leadership in getting Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repealed, and about the challenge that servicemembers face when their oaths to the Constitution conflict with orders from the president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ryan Manion: Harnessing Grief to Do Good
March 25, 2020 07:30 - 33 minutesRyan Manion, president of the Travis Manion Foundation, talks about losing her brother to war, about her own PTSD diagnosis, and about harnessing her brother’s memory to do good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Voting Rights Special with Demos and the ACLU
March 11, 2020 07:30 - 36 minutesNaila Awan from Demos and Ben Guess from the ACLU of Ohio talk about the importance of full voting rights for all and the work they are each doing to achieve that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shannon Watts and Casey Weinstein: The Dangers of Fighting for Gun Safety
February 26, 2020 08:30 - 46 minutesShannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, and Casey Weinstein, state representative for Ohio’s District 37, talk about gun safety and the intimidation they have received for standing up for what they believe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Paul Rieckhoff: The Power of Righteous Anger
February 12, 2020 08:30 - 32 minutesPaul Rieckhoff, host of the Angry Americans podcast, talks about being an independent in today’s political climate, about the role of veterans in our country, and about anger as a political force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bill Kristol: The Crisis within the Republican Party
January 29, 2020 08:30 - 29 minutesBill Kristol, founder of The Weekly Standard and chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle under George H. W. Bush, talks about the current state of the Republican party, how it got there, and his bipartisan push for political decency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mary Beth Bruggeman: Inclusion, Leadership, and Service
January 15, 2020 08:30 - 36 minutesMary Beth Bruggeman, the president of The Mission Continues, talks about her experiences as a woman in the Marine Corps, about the responsibility of teaching military leadership in wartime, and about the work TMC does to harness the energy and skills of veterans to work on social issues in their communities. Learn more about The Mission Continues on their website, https://missioncontinues.org/. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus: Adam Frankel on Writing for Obama
January 01, 2020 08:30 - 9 minutesIn this bonus episode, Ken continues his conversation with Adam Frankel, talking about what it was like to write speeches for President Obama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Adam Frankel: Healing Family Trauma through Honesty
December 18, 2019 08:30 - 30 minutesAdam Frankel, former speechwriter for President Obama and author of a new memoir, The Survivors, talks about generational trauma - from his grandparents’ experiences in the Holocaust to his mother’s struggles with mental illness and a revelation about Adam’s own identity - and the importance of honesty in his family’s healing process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bonus: The Rights of American Samoans
December 12, 2019 15:55 - 19 minutesIn this bonus episode of Burn the Boats, Staff Sergeant Jeniffer Afualo-Robinson talks about losing her security clearance and, with it, a pathway to career advancement, just because she was born in American Samoa. Find Equally American at www.equalrightsnow.org to keep up with their fight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joe Sestak: Individual Rights and the Common Good
December 11, 2019 08:30 - 29 minutesJoe Sestak, retired 3-star Admiral in the US Navy and former candidate for president, talks about the similarities between the Navy and the campaign trail, about his daughter’s illness inspiring him to run for office, and about a pilot under his command who chose to defy his orders. This episode is sponsored by Storied Hats: high-quality baseball hats from sustainable materials, crafted in ethical facilities – and always without a logo. Listeners get free shipping and 15% off with the code BO...
Gina Ortiz Jones: Overcoming Barriers to Serve Her Country
December 04, 2019 08:30 - 27 minutesGina Ortiz Jones, veteran and Congressional candidate in Texas’s 23rd district, talks about the decision her mother made to immigrate to the US, the challenges of being an LGBT service member under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and her race to represent her district. Participate in Episode 4 with former Admiral Joe Sestak by leaving a voicemail at 216-245-5461 or sending a voice memo to [email protected]. Tell us about a person in your life who inspires you with their strength and r...
Mikie Sherrill: Challenging Authority and Reaching Across the Aisle
November 27, 2019 08:30 - 27 minutesMikie Sherrill, Representative for New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, discusses the challenges of pushing back against leadership and reaching across the aisle to do what is best for her district and the country. Follow Mikie on Twitter at @RepSherrill. Participate in Episode 3 of Burn the Boats with Gina Ortiz Jones by leaving a voicemail at 216-245-5461 or sending a voice memo to [email protected]. Tell us about a time when two parts of your identity seemed to be in ...
Michael Gerson: Faith, Friendship, and Empathy in Today’s Political Climate
November 20, 2019 10:00 - 40 minutesMichael Gerson was a presidential speechwriter for George W. Bush and is now a powerful voice of dissent in the Republican establishment. Michael talks to Ken about what led him down this path of dissent, about the role of faith in motivating his decision to speak out, and about where he thinks our country is headed. Michael is a syndicated op-ed columnist for the Washington Post and host of “In Principle” on PBS. He is the author of “Heroic Conservatism” and co-author of “City of Man: Relig...
Coming Soon!
October 29, 2019 19:10 - 2 minutesBurn the Boats is a podcast about big decisions, those we face when failure is not an option. Decisions like Alexander the Great made when he landed his troops on the shores of Persia and ordered his men to burn their boats. Listen as Ken Harbaugh interviews political leaders, influencers, and other history makers about the tough choices they've made, starting with columnist Michael Gerson on November 20. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices