Shows / Bourbon in The Back Room
Bourbon in The Back Room
An inside look at politics with Senators Sheheen and Lourie. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the important, fun, and sometimes weird world of South Carolina Politics. Learn how the laws that impact your life every day get made and find a unique perspective on connections around the state!
Episodes
- Bourbon in The Back Room
The Future of SC Abortion Law, Thoughtful Conservatism, and Slanderous Primary Races - With Representative Micah Caskey
Vincent and Joel sit down with Representative Micah Caskey for a discussion on SC politics, his competitive primary race, and why republican primaries in SC…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
2022 Post Primary Breakdown - Winners, Losers, and a Look Toward General Elections - With Antjuan Seawright and Caitlin Byrd
Vincent and Joel sit down with prestigious political journalist Caitlin Byrd and Long time Friend, Journalist, Consultant, and Political Extraordinaire Antjuan…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
2022 Primary Elections Deep Dive! Predictions, Preparation, and Press - With Guest Politics Reporter Meg Kinnard
Vincent and Joel sit down with prestigious political reporter Meg Kinnard to get a nuanced and detailed look at the contentious 2022 primaries right around the…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Prioritizing Constituents, Voting for What's Right, and Running for Re-Election - With Congressman Tom Rice
Vincent and Joel sit down with Congressman Tom Rice - Lawyer, CPA, and Public Servant - for a discussion on SC politics, his competitive upcoming re-election…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Building Political Bridges, How State Government is Changing, and When to Retire - With Speaker of the House Jay Lucas
Vincent and Joel sit down with Speaker of the House Jay Lucas - esteemed legislator, lawyer, and Public Servant for a Riveting Post Sine Die Conversation. They…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Sine Die, The Budget Debate, and Legislators Come Down for a Drink - Live from Bourbon! - 50th Episode Celebration!
Sine Die and the end of session create a fervor of activity at the State's Capital! Vincent and Joel sit down and have a few drinks at Bourbon on Main Street…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Marijuana Canceled!? - End of Session, The Budget, and Hate Crimes - with Senator Marlon Kimpson
Joel and special Guest Host - reporter and Senior Editor Maayan Schechter - sit down with Senator Marlon Kimpson to talk about his family history in politics…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Hate Crime Legislation, Clemson Drag Show Controversy, a New Speaker of the House, and a New Freedom Caucus - With Representative Beth Bernstein
Vincent and Joel sit down with Representative Beth Bernstein - esteemed legislator, lawyer, and Public Servant. They discuss why SC still hasn't adopted hate…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Tuition, Teacher Pay, S.C. Panthers, and Why the Speaker of the House Resigned - with Representative Gary Simrill
Vincent and Joel sit down with Representative Gary Simrill - 30 year veteran of our states Legislature! They discuss his retirement from public office, How he…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
The Death Penalty, Medical Marijuana, and UofSC's Floundering Board - LIVE! at the Capital Rotary Club
Vincent and Joel sit down LIVE across from the statehouse at the Capital Rotary Club to discuss the topics everyone is talking about. The complicated new laws…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Senator Sandy Senn - Winning a Swing District, Thinking Outside Your Party, and a Look at Controversial Legislation
Vincent and Joel sit down with Senator Sandy Senn. They discuss her life, her career defending police officers, how to win a purple district as a Republican…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Senator Greg Gregory - Political Fearlessness, Rational Gun Laws, and Caring for Constituents
Vincent and Joel sit down with veteran Senator and political maverick, Greg Gregory from Lancaster. They discuss his life, his incredible career, how he's…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Congressional Majority Whip Jim Clyburn - Civil Rights, South Carolina Political Power, and the Roots of Jim Clyburn
Vincent and Joel sit down with the Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives - Jim Clyburn. They discuss his life, his deep involvement in…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Laurie Funderburk - Federal Appointments, SC Agriculture, and State Representation
Vincent and Joel sit down with State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency and former long time legislator to talk about South Carolina Agriculture…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Rep. Russell Ott - Rural Representation - Farming, Horse Betting, and School Funding
Vincent and Joel sit down with Representative Russel Ott and talk about what it's like being a farmer, how redistricting will impact his election, funding of…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Senator Sean Bennett - A Broken Tax System, The Death of the Bi-Partisanship , and Paying Teachers More
Vincent and Joel sit down with Senator Sean Bennett, veteran conservative Senator from the low country to hear an insider's perspective on some of this year's…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Ed McMullen - Ambassador to Switzerland, State Political Director for Donald Trump, Think-Tank Extraordinaire, and Breaking News on the Hamburglar
Vincent and Joel sit down with Ambassador Ed McMullen to discuss his career in conservative politics, how to work across party lines, what it was like working…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Representative Spencer Wetmore - Flipping a District, Working Across Party Lines, Being a New Legislator, and How to be an All-Star in the Legislature
Vincent and Joel sit down with Representative Elizabeth "Spencer" Wetmore - a Freshman Representative leading a new generation of South Carolina legislators…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
National Chairman Jaime Harrison - The Filibuster, Voting Rights, Statesmanship, and Where Our Country is Headed
Vincent and Joel sit down with Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Jaime Harrison, and discuss how Mr. Harrison got started in politics, the…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Senator Tom Davis - Legalizing Marijuana Update! The Senate Votes This Week
Vincent and Joel sit down with Senator Tom Davis - The Republican leading the charge to legalize medical marijuana in South Carolina. They discuss how Senator…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Will Folks - Political Insiders, FITSNews, Murdaugh Cases, and a First Look at New Details
Vincent and Joel sit down with Will Folks from FITSnews to get a behind the scenes look at what's going to happen this year at the State House and hear…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
President of the SC Senate Thomas Alexander - A Look Inside the Senate and The State of the State
Vincent and Joel sit down with President Alexander, the Nicest Guy in the Senate, to get a behind the scenes look at what's going to happen this year at the…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Brad Hutto - First Week of 2022 Session: Redistricting, CoNs, Marijuana, New Leaders, and What's Going On Behind the Scenes This Year.
Vincent and Joel sit down with Senator Brad Hutto to get a behind the scenes look at what's going to happen this year at the state house. They talk about…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 32 - Holiday Special: A Look Back at One Year of BITBR
This week Joel and Vincent break down current shakeups in leadership at the Statehouse, discuss why the alphabet matters in determining hierarchy at the…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 31 - Thanksgiving Special - How to Raise a Politician with the Mothers of Senators Sheheen and Lourie
Vincent and Joel sit down for an incredible Thanksgiving day special episode to interview their mothers about what it was like raising a politician and how…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 30 - Live Audience Debate With Columbia S.C. Mayoral Candidates! Tameika Isaac Devine and Daniel Rickenmann Go Head to Head and Discuss Columbia's Hot Button Issues
Vincent and Joel sit down with both Columbia City Council Members in the Runoff Election for Mayor - Daniel Rickenmann and Tameika Isaac Devine. These two…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 29 - Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter - Thirty Years in Politics, The State of Redistricting, and How a Democrat is the Vice Chair of the Most Powerful Committee in the House
Vincent and Joel sit down with Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a Legislator, Social Worker, and Passionate advocate. They talk about how to make a difference…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 28 - Governor Jim Hodges - The Fight for Political Dominance, S.C. Partisanship, and How to Win an Election as a Democrat in S.C.
Vincent and Joel sit down with Governor, Legislator, Lawyer, and Political Consultant, Jim Hodges. They talk about his time in office, his political races, how…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 27 - Mark Sanford - Trump Extremism, Planting a Flag, and Looking Back at S.C. Politics
Vincent and Joel sit down with Governor, Congressman, and Conservative Politician Mark Sanford. They talk about his time in office, his political races, how he…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 26 - Professor Patricia Sullivan - Sgt. Isaac Woodard and South Carolina's Role in the Civil Rights Movement
Vincent and Joel sit down with esteemed Historian and Professor Patricia Sullivan. She Specializes in modern United States history, with an emphasis on African…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 25 - Dr. Dave Woodard - Political History, Conservative Consulting, Who is Vinny?
Vincent and Joel sit down with esteemed Political Scientist, Dr. Dave Woodard from Clemson University. They talk about South Carolina's political history, the…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 24 - Senator Mia Mcleod - Running For Governor, Connecting to Small Towns, and How Politicians Have Left Us Behind
Vincent and Joel sit down with Gubernatorial Candidate, Senator Mia Mcleod. They talk about topics ranging from her gubernatorial campaign, to the state of…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 23 - House Majority Leader Gary Simrill - How Rep. Simrill Became a RINO, The Provisos That Keep Masks Off, and Key Republican Insights
Vincent and Joel sit down with House Majority Leader Gary Simrill for a look at how bills get passed and what caused the anti-mask mandate provisos in this…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 22 - Congressman Joe Cunningham - Running for Governor, Legalizing Marijuana, and Joe's Vision for a Better State
Vincent and Joel sit down with U.S. Representative Joe Cunningham for a look at his upcoming gubernatorial campaign and what matters to him in S.C. They talk…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 21 - Guest Host Maayan Schechter with Surprise Special Guests! - A Look Back With Senators Sheheen and Lourie
Guest Host Maayan Schechter takes the reigns in this exclusive interview with two Guests who know Senators Sheheen and Lourie better than anyone else. They…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 20 - Meg Kinnard - Political Reporting, Breaking Big Stories, How Media Has Changed and Politics With It
Vincent and Joel sit down with esteemed reporter for the Associated Press, Meg Kinnard, to talk about some of her biggest South Carolina stories and what its…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 19 - Rural Representation - Senator J. Thomas McElveen and Representative Richie Yow
Vincent and Joel sit down with Representative Richie Yow and Senator Thomas McElveen for a look at what matters to rural citizens of South Carolina. They talk…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 18 - Leon Lott - America's Sheriff - Gun Violence, Police Accountability, and Community Outreach
Vincent and Joel sit down with Sheriff Leon Lott for an inside scoop on whats happened this year with crime in South Carolina. Sheriff Lott speaks on…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 17 - Representative Kirkman Finlay - Land Conservation, The Gun Conversation, and Government Spending
Vincent and Joel sit down with Representative Kirkman Finlay for an inside scoop on whats happened this year behind the scenes in politics. Hear Rep. Finlay…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 16 - Antjuan Seawright - Democrats in Power, Old Political Friends, and How to Win an Election
Vincent and Joel sit down with prominent political strategist and columnist Antjuan Seawright for an inside scoop on whats happened this year behind the scenes…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 15 - Senator Katrina Shealy - Donkeys, Underfunded State Agencies, and The Republican Divide
Vincent and Joel sit down with Senator Katrina Shealy for an inside scoop on whats happened this year at the State House. Hear from Senator Shealy on whats…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 14 - Phil Bailey and Wes Donehue - Political Consulting, Hateful Politics, and How Politicians Spend your Donations
Vincent and Joel sit down with two top SC political consultants who help get politicians from all over the U.S. elected. Hear from insiders on the reality of…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 13 - Treasurer Curtis Loftis - Money, Elites, Power, and how S.C. Spends Your Taxes.
Vincent and Joel sit down with South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis. Hear about where South Carolina spends your money, how Treasurer Loftis views our…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 12 (part 2) - Bakari Sellers - Will He Run for Congress? - Civil Rights, Political Life, What's Up Next in S.C. Political Fights
Vincent and Joel sit down with attorney, political commentator, and politician - Bakari Sellers. Hear about the Bakari's next steps as a politician, whats in…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 12 (part 1) - Bakari Sellers - Will He Run for Congress? - Civil Rights, Political Life, What's Up Next in S.C. Political Fights
Vincent and Joel sit down with attorney, political commentator, and politician - Bakari Sellers. Hear about the Bakari's family life, his next steps as a…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 11 - Mayor of Columbia Stephen K. Benjamin - Bars Closing, Re-development, and How to Run a City
Vincent and Joel sit down with Mayor of Columbia, S.C., Stephen Benjamin to discuss what the Job entails, how to run a city, and whats in store for our state…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 10 - Attorney General Alan Wilson - Crime, Lawsuits, and an inside look at S.C. legal battles.
Vincent and Joel are back! They sit down with S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson to discuss what the Job entails, who runs S.C., and how the state handles legal…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 9 - Trump Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney On Trump’s Crazy But Rational Ideas, Why Nikki Haley Hasn't Talked to Him in a Decade, and If Lindsey Graham Would Commit a Crime to Keep His Seat
Vincent and Joel sit down with President Trump’s Chief of Staff - Mick Mulvaney - to discuss the dirty details of South Carolina and national politics. They…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 8 - Dick Harpootlian, Firing Squads, and Corruption in S.C. Government
Vincent and Joel sit down with Senator Dick Harpootlian to discuss his incredible history in South Carolina politics. They talk about his journey through the…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 7 - Do SC Democrats Have a Future? Darrell Jackson and Brad Hutto Give Their Perspective as State House Insiders!
Vincent and Joel sit down with old friends and former colleagues, Senator Darrell Jackson and Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto. Hear what they have to say…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 6 - Special Guest Republican Majority Leader Shane Massey, Will He Run in the Next Gubanatorial Race?
Joel and Vincent have Republican Majority Leader Shane Massey on to talk South Carolina's upcoming laws, the next gubernatorial race, and give an update on…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 5 - Monthly Update! Vincent and Joel Give an update on their lives, the S.C. State House, and changes that will impact S.C. citizens
Vincent and Joel give a brief update on whats happening in the State House and in their lives. Hear about what inspired them to start the podcast. Learn from…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 4 - New Age of Education - Pandemics, Public Schools, and The Department of Education with guest Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman
Joel and Vincent have state Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman on to talk South Carolina's public school response to corona virus, education reform…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 3 - S.C. Hate Crime Legislation, Women in Politics, and Bi-Partisanship in the House With Guest Rep. Beth Bernstein
Joel and Vincent have Representative Beth Bernstein on to talk current politics in the State House, new S.C. hate crime legislation, what it's like being a…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 2 - (Part 2) - Vincent and Joel - A deep dive into the technicalities of S.C. COVID-19 response with Tod Augsburger
Vincent and Joel look at South Carolina's response to Covid-19 from a more technical perspective with special guest and CEO of Lexington Medical center - Tod…
- Bourbon in The Back Room
Episode 2 - (Part 1) - Vincent and Joel talk COVID-19 Response with Reps. Todd Rutherford and Murrel Smith
Vincent and Joel discuss the current state of politics in South Carolina with Representatives Todd Rutherford and Murrel Smith. The four politicians hit on…
Bourbon in The Back RoomEpisode 1 - Joel, Vincent, and the Politics of Pot (Extended Pilot)
In their very first extended episode, former State Senators Vincent Sheheen and Joel Lourie kick off their deep dive into South Carolina politics with a look…