The Speaker sells his soul, but has his gavel, the RNC weighs having a Trump-backed chairperson,

and New Hampshire Dems get bumped from leading the calendar.

It's their party, and they'll cry if they want to, on the political junkie.

You like Ike, I like, like, like, everybody likes I for president.

Add light to you, and think to me, I don't care how you quoted.

Come on and vote for Kennedy, vote for Kennedy, and we'll come on top.

Vote for Richard Nixon and Henry Cabot Loss, because they're the ones to lead the USA.

Thanks for joining us and welcome to episode 398 of the political junkie.

I'm Ken Ruden.

First of all, apologies for my disappearing act the past few weeks.

I had a cold from hell in December, sick as a dog,

and it was obvious that I couldn't put together a show since I no longer had a voice, as you can hear.

Thanks for joining us, and welcome to episode 398 of the political junkie.

I'm Ken Rudin. It was not fun, but all is well. Anyway,

we're only a week or so into the new year, and already there are major happenings in Senate

races that are up in 2024. On Thursday, Nebraska GOP Governor Jim Pillon appointed his predecessor, Pete Ricketts, to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Senator Ben Sasse, who's now president of the University of Florida.

Ricketts will serve until a November 2024 special election. But this is a good time to focus on the California Senate race. Diane Feinstein, the

oldest member of the Senate at 89 and the most senior Democrat, is presumed a likely retiree,

given all the discussion there's been about her apparent cognitive decline. But Democrats are not

waiting for an announcement. Katie Porter, representing

the 47th CD, a coastal district south of Los Angeles, got in the race on Tuesday.

I'm Katie Porter. Change can be electrifying and exhilarating, but change can also be disruptive

...