Podcast
Bourbon in The Back Room
Hosted by Vincent Sheheen and Joel Lourie · EN
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!
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Special Guest - US Senator Mark Kelly
1w ago00:57:34Tap to summarizeVincent and Joel sit down with Senior US Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona to talk about his path to politics, his family, his link to Top Gun the movie, flying jets, combat missions, aeronautical engineering, becoming an astronaut, his incredible journey to representing his constituents, his compelling vision for the future of the United States, and so much more!Get your latest Statehouse update and hear firsthand the rationale behind some of the legislature's most controversial bills. Join Senators Sheheen and Lourie in this week's episode where they take a deeper look at upcoming legislation and lawmakers' actions in S.C. Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →Sine Die Day 2026! Legislators Come Down for a Drink!
1w ago01:30:39Tap to summarizeSine 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 Tin Roof across from the Capitol Building. As Senators and Representatives finish up session, they walk across the street, join in on the drinks, and answer some pressing questions for South Carolina's most informational insider political podcast - Bourbon in the Back Room! Hear insider legislators and staffers talk about how the sausage gets made. Get your latest Statehouse update and hear firsthand the rationale behind some of the General Assembly's controversial bills - and the topic on the top of everyone's mind, re-drawing districts mid election cycle!Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →South Carolina's Attorney General Race - Guest, Candidate David Pascoe
2w ago00:47:03Tap to summarizeJoel sits down with David Pascoe, candidate for South Carolina Attorney General, to discuss his background, history in politics, family, aspirations for the State of South Carolina, and why he wants to be Attorney General. Hear about Pascoe's history as a prosecutor, solicitor, investigating corruption - the intersection of politics and criminal prosecution - money laundering, campaign finance rules, and so much more! Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →Statewide Politics Heat Up With Summer on the Way - Guests Andrew Shue and Gubernatorial Candidate Billy Webster
Apr 2701:10:08Tap to summarizeIn Bourbon Briefs hear about the legislative updates on mandatory liquor liability insurance, efforts at extreme abortion bans, continued charter school controversy, the race for SC Attorney General, the Scout Plant, judicial reform, the SC Republican Gubernatorial Debate, and a breadth of political updates! Vincent and Joel sit down with Guest Andrew Shue to talk about he and his co-founders' new civic engagement project - The South Carolina Forum - The South Carolina Forum | Our future. One table. Everyone gets a seat. Then they talk to Billy Webster, new Democratic gubernatorial candidate, to hear about his background, his life in politics, growing up around Governor Dick Riley, his plans for South Carolina, and so much more!Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →Statewide Politics and Building South Carolina to Support its Citizens - Guest Representative and Gubernatorial Jermaine Johnson
Apr 1700:51:48Tap to summarizeJoel sits down with representative and democratic gubernatorial candidate Jermaine Johnson to discuss a breadth of developments happening in SC politics and what to expect from our next year of policy at the Capital. Hear about South Carolina's push to fix a deficiency of teachers - including joining a multi-state teacher compact - legislators' attempt at a pay raise, the increasingly controversial SC Attorney General Race, homeschool students using public dollars, bringing politics back to helping regular people, and so much more!Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →Special Guest Ambassador Rahm Emanuel - Rebuilding Government for its People
Apr 700:24:22Tap to summarizeHear about Rahm Emanuel's time as a White House Chief of Staff and as mayor of Chicago and his tenure as ambassador to Japan. Learn about his current perspective on the United States trajectory, his presidential aspirations, and how to solve problems in Government. Listen to Rahm Emanuel talk about how we drive politics back to the middle, build Government that serves the people it's made for, creates political messaging for the middle class, fighting corruption and insider trading, and so much more!Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →LIVE! From the College of Charleston with Guest, Mayor of Charleston, William Cogswell Jr.
Mar 1800:52:18Tap to summarizeVincent and Joel sit down in front of a live audience of College of Charleston students to discuss the city of Charleston, the future of one of South Carolina's most important cities, and how to lead in the modern political climate. Hear the mayor discuss his family, his business, his history of public service, the shift of State Government to obtuse partisanship, and what it takes to lead a City like Charleston! Learn about the issues facing Charlestonians, affordable housing, the port, the differences between Charleston and other major cities, and so much more!Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →School Voucher Controversy and the Future of S.C. - Guest Representative Hamilton R. Grant
Mar 1000:57:41Tap to summarizeVincent and Joel sit down with Representative Hamilton Grant and discuss his background in South Carolina, time at S.C. State and experience in the Marching Band, being the youngest elected board member at S.C. State University, his priorities as an elected official, procedural intricacies at the S.C. Statehouse, School Vouchers, and so much more! In Bourbon Briefs hear the Senators discuss updates on the Supreme Court judicial race, School Voucher's continued controversy, NIL policy discussions and transparency, solicitor impeachments, and more! Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →Upcoming Legislation, College Sports, and Medical Marijuana - Guest, Senator Tom Davis
Feb 2500:58:57Tap to summarizeThe Senators sit down with a leader in the State Senate, Tom Davis, one of the original guests on BITBR, to celebrate his 18th year in the Senate! Hear them discuss his already storied history of public service, the hottest topics in State politics, and get a true insider's take on what's coming up in South Carolina policy. In Bourbon Briefs, Vincent and Joel discuss the proposed increase in teacher wages, NIL changes, the changes in the way we view education, Representatives' efforts to impeach the Richland County Solicitor, Lottery vending machines, immigration changes for local governments, Pamela Evette's endorsement by Gov. Henry McMaster, and so much more!Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →LIVE! From the Leadership Columbia Class of 2026 - Guest Scott Keogh, President of Scout Motors USA
Feb 1601:01:56Tap to summarizeHear Vincent and Joel discuss the cutting edge of business development in South Carolina in front of a new class of business leadership in our State's capital with Guest, president of SCOUT MOTORS USA, Scott Keogh. Hear about Scott's background, family, and the business of cars. Listen to recent updates on the debate over South Carolina data centers and their potential drain on state resources, SCOUT motors future in South Carolina, national political updates, statewide political races, and so much more!Support the showKeep up to Date with BITBR: Twitter.com/BITBRpodcastFacebook.com/BITBRpodcasthttps://bourboninthebackroom.buzzsprout.com
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