Hey, everybody. Got one today about an unfolding geopolitical crisis. You know, for a change.

Russia has been amassing troops along the Ukraine border because Vladimir Putin wants to establish the glory of the former Soviet Union.

Boring.

No, it's actually quite scary because Putin is an awful guy.

He has people killed and not infrequently.

You remember that after George W. Bush met the first time with Putin, W. said,

I looked into his eyes and I saw his soul. I once asked Joe Biden, this one, he was vice

president, whether he had looked into Putin's eyes. And Joe said, yes. And I asked,

what did you see?

And Biden said, his eyes.

My guest today is Max Bergman.

This is Max's second time joining us.

Max Bergman, of course.

Louis B. Mayer is right-hand at MGM during its heyday in the 30s, 40s, and 50s.

No, I got that wrong.

Max is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a nonpartisan, but let's face it,

liberal think tank in D.C., where he focuses on Europe, Russia, and U.S. security.

He served in the State Department during the Obama administration, and we, of course, discussed the tense and very dangerous situation in Ukraine.

Now, we recorded this on Thursday, January 27th, and we're dropping this on Sunday the 30th. But I make

the prediction during our conversation that Russia will not invade until after the Olympics.

And I think I make a pretty strong case. But we'll see. We'll see. But I do want to talk about Justice Breyer's

announcement this week and some of the awful stuff I've heard from the usual suspects. And

...