1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: Michael, I really don't want to hear anything more about peduncles. 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 2: I've heard enough about them for the day. 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: I don't need you to display one or anything like 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: that here, regardless to whether you're wearing that pink shirt 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: or not, and it is pink not red. 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 3: Was he referring to democrats, I'm not sure, but in fact, 7 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 3: I will say that Michael is actually wearing a white 8 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 3: shirt today, unlike his normal pink shirt that you would 9 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 3: wear normal. 10 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 2: This is the standard uniform right here. 11 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 3: Right, But you do have that pink one that you 12 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 3: claimed it is red, but no, it's pink. 13 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 2: I showed you in the order form that it's red, 14 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 2: so o good to know. 15 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, but it's still pink. 16 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 5: Let me tell you something that I think should make 17 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 5: your blood boil, and I mean that literally. I want 18 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 5: your blood pressure to spike just enough that you pick 19 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 5: up the phone, you call your congressman, you call your senators, 20 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 5: and you make their staffers morning deeply unpleasant. Yes, not 21 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 5: not by being rude or anything. Maybe it unpleasants the 22 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 5: right word uncomfortable. I want you to make them very 23 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 5: uncomfortable or busy. They don't like being busy. Yeah, that's right, 24 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 5: that's right. They they don't. Well, usually what happens when 25 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 5: they get busy, dragon is they will they'll hand the 26 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 5: phone job over to an intern. You know, some some 27 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 5: you know rug rat whose mommy or daddy's contributed you know, 28 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 5: several thousands of dollars in the campaign, So they'll put 29 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 5: them on the phones when they start getting these phone calls. 30 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 5: When Cohen, when when the government shuts down, you usually 31 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 5: hear a lot about the military and how it's not 32 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 5: right that we don't pay the military while they're putting 33 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 5: their lives on the line or they're doing, you know, 34 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 5: the jobs that Americans won't do, which is actually go 35 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 5: out and defend the nation. But that's somewhat of a 36 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 5: meaningless comparison because so many people, so many families in 37 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 5: this country don't have a direct connection to the military. 38 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 5: I forgure what the percentage is, but I think it's 39 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 5: blow ten percent. Don't owe me to that, but I 40 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 5: think it's blow ten percent. So it's not something that 41 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 5: we can visualize, it's not something that we feel, and 42 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 5: it's not something necessarily that the cabal, whether it's the 43 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 5: cables or it's talk radio or its newspapers or websites 44 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 5: or its ex formally known as Twitter or any of 45 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 5: the social media platforms. 46 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 2: They don't really convey it in a. 47 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 5: Way that makes you think to yourself, Oh, that's just 48 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 5: not that's just not right, you know, And if you 49 00:02:52,960 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 5: don't know, you should that. I am a antagonist about the 50 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 5: Transportation Security Administration. I don't think that we should have 51 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,519 Speaker 5: ever approved, under the Homeland Security Act of two thousand 52 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 5: and two the creation of what is now called the 53 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 5: Transportation Security Administration. I've always believed, and I believe to 54 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 5: this day, that the airlines, and to some degree maybe 55 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 5: in conjunction with the airports, have the most vested interest 56 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 5: in baking certain that a plane takes off on time, 57 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 5: makes it to its destination, and arrives on time, and 58 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 5: lands safely. Because the airlines are paying for that equipment, 59 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 5: they have the liability of all those passengers on board, 60 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 5: the crew, everything, all if they're transporting cargo on a 61 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 5: commercial flight, all of that stuff, that's a huge liability. 62 00:03:55,720 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 5: So they are most incentivized to make certain that the 63 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 5: passengers are not armed and that there's no there are 64 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 5: no bombs on board. And yet we get people through 65 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 5: security as if as efficiently and effectively as possible. Speed 66 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 5: and safety alt tied together. Well, here we are in 67 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 5: the middle of another government funding crisis again again, and 68 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 5: well we're having this conversation about whether the Department of 69 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 5: Homeland Security is going to stay funded while border agents 70 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 5: and TSA agents and air traffic controllers are staring at 71 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 5: their bank accounts wondering if the is a math going 72 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 5: to work around this month, members of Congress are getting 73 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 5: paid one hundred and seventy four thousand dollars a year 74 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 5: just in salary. That's not in the benefits the benefits package, 75 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 5: you'll almost double that. But one hundred and seventy four 76 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 5: thousand dollars a year, fourteen five hundred dollars a month, 77 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 5: every single month, shut down or nose down, crisis are 78 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 5: no crisis budget or no budget. And here's the part 79 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 5: that kills me and cry Frank, here's the part that 80 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 5: I want to kill you. This isn't an accident, it's 81 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 5: not an oversight, it's not even a bug in the system. 82 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 5: It is the system. Congress wrote these rules, Congress funded 83 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 5: the rules, Congress enforces the rules, and Congress with a 84 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 5: straight face and apparently zero shame whatsoever, decided that they're 85 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 5: going to get paid no matter what now to be fair, 86 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 5: And I'm only going to be fair for exactly one sentence, 87 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 5: So savor the one sentence. About one hundred and seventy 88 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 5: members out of five hundred and thirty five during last 89 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 5: year's thirty seven days shutdown, which was the longest in 90 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 5: American history, voluntarily withheld their own paychecks. They made a 91 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 5: show of solidarity. Well, good for them. Can we get 92 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 5: a golf clip? 93 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: Thank you? 94 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 5: That's about what it's worth. But here's what Senator Reuben 95 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:15,280 Speaker 5: Diego of Arizona, a Democrat, mind you, so give him 96 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 5: some partial credit for at least honesty. Here's what he 97 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 5: called the entire thing a gimmick. And he points out 98 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 5: rightly so and says, quote, most of these senators are 99 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 5: millionaires to begin with, right, and all these Congressmen that 100 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 5: are complaining about it, they already got paid for the 101 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 5: whole month. So it's all just one big gimmick. Close quote. 102 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 5: And he's right. And he doesn't even realize how devastating 103 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 5: that admission is. He just told you, as he said 104 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 5: that on CNN, that the noble gestures of his almost 105 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 5: two hundred colleagues is pure theater, kabuki theater, a performance 106 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 5: for your benefit while the real money keeps flowing. 107 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 2: And six members. 108 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 5: Six members now five and thirty five confirmed to ABC 109 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 5: News they just took their paychecks, all of which are Democrats. 110 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 5: One of them, Congressman Derrick Gray, told an ABC affiliate. Now, 111 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 5: I want you to hear this carefully. 112 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 2: Quote. 113 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,239 Speaker 5: No, I don't believe in silly political gestures. The law 114 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 5: is that Congress gets paid. It's in the constitution. 115 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: Close quote. 116 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 5: So he thinks it's silly political gestures. That's what Congressman 117 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 5: Gray calls solidarity with federal workers who can't make rent 118 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 5: a silly political gesture. 119 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 2: You know what I call it. 120 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 5: I call it the most honest thing a member of 121 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 5: Congress has said in years. 122 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 2: But at least he's not pretending. At least he's telling. 123 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 5: You exactly what the rest of them think while they 124 00:07:55,320 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 5: perform their virtuous paycheck withholding pageant for the cameras. Now, 125 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 5: somebody actually tried to fix this soon, Sir John Kennedy 126 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 5: of Louisiana. And I don't care whatever you think of 127 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 5: the man. He showed up. He introduced two bills last year. 128 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 5: One was called the No shut Down Paychecks to Politicians Act, 129 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 5: and one called the Withholding Member Pay during Shutdowns Act. Now, 130 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,559 Speaker 5: the second one is essentially what I've been talking about 131 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 5: this so far. Escrow accounts, no release of their payment 132 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 5: until the government reopens constitutional, Despite what mister Congressman Gray says, 133 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 5: that is constitutional because it defers their pay, it does 134 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 5: not cut their pay. Senator to Kennedy said this, I 135 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 5: don't see missing paychecks or empty dinner plates as leveraging 136 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 5: or bargaining chips my bills. Congress feels the same pain 137 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 5: as the folks were failing to pay our troops, air 138 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 5: traffic controllers, and federal work. It's beautiful, It's exactly right. 139 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 5: So what happened, Rand Paul blocked it, the Democrats blocked it, 140 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 5: gone dead and buried, and then the shutdown dried down 141 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 5: for thirty seven days, as I said, the longest in 142 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 5: American history. Well, Congress cashed their checks and pointed fingers 143 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 5: at each other. Now, go back for just a moment 144 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 5: to my example about the military and Eve. While I'm 145 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 5: even doing this story, we don't see the military. We 146 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 5: don't see the effects of the military not getting paid. 147 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 5: We don't see the husband and the wife, either one 148 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 5: maybe both in the military, yelling and screaming and mad 149 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 5: and upset and crying and everything else, because we got 150 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 5: to go to the bank and try to get a 151 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 5: loan until we can get paid, and then you know, 152 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 5: we're gonna to pay the interest, and you know, what 153 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 5: are we gonna do? We gotta pay for child Garet. 154 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 5: We don't see any of that, and so it's outside 155 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 5: out of mind now, you TSA. You've seen it every 156 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 5: single day on the news. You've seen it in Denver, 157 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 5: You've seen it in Los Angeles, You've seen it in 158 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 5: New York. You've seen it all over the country. What 159 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 5: have you seen? Every little pissant reporter has run out 160 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 5: to their airport and shown the lines that have been created, 161 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 5: sometimes four hours long, just to get your rectal exam 162 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,839 Speaker 5: so you can board an aeroplane. So now we see it, 163 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 5: and we see the effects of it, and now people 164 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 5: are starting to get pissed off about it. So let 165 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 5: me give you the picture. And it's full glorious bipartisan hypocrisy. 166 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 5: You had Senate Majority Leader John Thun on the floor 167 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 5: saying that Democrats were quote keeping the government shut down 168 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 5: because they're scared, scared of a primary from the left, 169 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 5: scared of losing fundraiser fundraising dollars. Close quote. Now he's 170 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 5: probably right. And then you had Democrats blocking every building. 171 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 5: Might have paid the federal workers, saying they wanted to 172 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 5: negotiate healthcare subsidies at the same time. And so they're 173 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:11,439 Speaker 5: using federal workers' paychecks as the bargaining ship that they 174 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 5: had just accused Republicans of using. Meanwhile, the canitors who 175 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 5: cleaned the federal buildings, the ones who are contracted out 176 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 5: to a company so Congress doesn't have to think about them, 177 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 5: They don't even get back pay. Ever, they just lose 178 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 5: the income God. The Capitol police protecting the very people 179 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 5: causing the shut down, working without pay. Tsaent screening your 180 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,439 Speaker 5: bag so you can get home for the holidays, spring break 181 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 5: working without pay, Air traffic controllers keeping your plane from 182 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 5: falling out, the skuy working without pay. It happens at 183 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 5: one time or another. Maybe not all ones, but at 184 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 5: some time they've all gone without a paycheck. But Chuck Schumer, 185 00:11:55,280 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 5: he got paid. Speaker Mike Johnson, he got paid. Johnson 186 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 5: had the decency to ask for a deferral Mitch McConnell, 187 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 5: the emeritus King of the do Nothing Senate, paid every 188 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 5: member of the Senate Appropriations Committee that people specifically charged 189 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 5: by the Constitution with the power of the purse paid, paid, paid. 190 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 5: So here's what I want you to know. Here's the question. 191 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 5: I want every one of my listeners to ask their 192 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 5: members of Congress. You can do it by phone, by email, 193 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 5: by showing up their town hall, by standing in the 194 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 5: front row. One simple question, why won't you pass a 195 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 5: law making deferral of your pay until the government opens. 196 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 2: A permanent law, not a. 197 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 5: Gesture, not a voluntary withholding that you can reverse whenever 198 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 5: it gets inconvenient, but a law, a permanent, automatic, mandatory 199 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 5: escro mechanism that kicks in a moment the government shuts 200 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 5: down and then does not release a single congressional paycheck, 201 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 5: including to their staffers, until every federal employee is back 202 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 5: at work and back on the payroll. 203 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:10,959 Speaker 2: Now, I'll give you the phone numbers in just a minute. 204 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 5: But the answers you're going to get, I promise you 205 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 5: this is some variation of the twenty seventh Amendment. Oh, 206 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 5: they're going to fight the US Constitution. Constitutional scholars in 207 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 5: four thousand dollars suits are going to earnestly explain to 208 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:32,479 Speaker 5: you that, well, it's complicated, Michael, that varying compensation is problematic, 209 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 5: That they'd love to do something, but their hands are tied. 210 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 5: That's blogoney, that's lawyers Belooney served up cold. 211 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 2: Here's why. 212 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 5: Because the twenty thirteen No Bunch, No Pay Act proved 213 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:54,679 Speaker 5: the ESCRO mechanism is constitutional. Because simsor Kennedy's bill last 214 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 5: year was specifically drafted to survive any challenge under the 215 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 5: twenty seventh Amendment. Legal scholars at institutions that these people 216 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 5: fundraise off of have blessed that approach. The twenty seventh 217 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 5: Amendment argument is not a constitutional principle. They're using it 218 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 5: as a shield, a convenient shield pulled out whatever accountablit. 219 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 5: You know, they pulled out whenever any accountability gets too close. 220 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 5: So you want to know the real reason this never passes, 221 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 5: the real reason stripped of all the constitutional bull craft 222 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 5: and the bipartisan blame shifting and the gimmick dismissal, it's 223 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 5: really simple. That would mean Congress would have to hold 224 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 5: itself accountable. There's I don't think ever been a legislative 225 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 5: body in the history of democratic governance that enthusiastically voted 226 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:47,359 Speaker 5: to punish itself. 227 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 2: That's it. That's the entire answer. That's the Entirenci loot 228 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 2: right there. 229 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 5: Every Republic, every parliament, every legislature, probably since Athens, has 230 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 5: understood that self regulation is an oxymorl You cannot trust 231 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 5: the arsonists to pass a fire safety code. So here's 232 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 5: my proposal. And I mean this seriously. I'm not trying 233 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 5: to do radio bit here. I'm serious about this. The 234 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 5: next time you're in a town hall, the next time 235 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 5: you get a mailor from your congressman bragging about what 236 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 5: a champion of the working family they are, the next 237 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 5: time they show up in your local news talking about 238 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 5: fiscal responsibility and the dignity of American workers, ask them 239 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 5: by name on camera in you can a simple question. 240 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 5: I'll read it slowly. I've got it written down because 241 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 5: I don't want that. This is the question I want 242 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 5: you to call and ask the little rug rat, the 243 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 5: little in turn, or maybe you'll get looking and get 244 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 5: a chief of staff, or maybe you know, maybe you've 245 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 5: given enough money, but you could actually ask to speak 246 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 5: to the congressman of the senator of themselves and you'll 247 00:15:55,320 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 5: get to do that. Are you ready Senator Hickenlooper or 248 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 5: Senator Bennett or congresswomen to get or any of them? 249 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 5: Will you co sponsor legislation requiring congressional pay to be 250 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 5: held in escrow during any government shutdown until all federal 251 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 5: employees are back on payroll? And then, what's what they say? 252 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 5: Watch them squirm, Watch them reach for the Constitution like 253 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 5: it's a life preserver. 254 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 3: You want to read that again one more time, just 255 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 3: for the people in the back. 256 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 5: Will you co sponsor legislation requiring congressional pay to be 257 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 5: held in escrow during any government shutdown until all federal 258 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 5: employees are backed on payroll. Oh, they'll squirm, And the 259 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 5: first thing they'll do is they'll screen the twenty seventh Amendment. 260 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 5: The twenty seventh Amendment does not apply. You're not your 261 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 5: neither increasing nor decreasing their pay. You're just not depositing 262 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 5: their check. You're holding the pay what they're entitled to 263 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 5: in escrow. So they can't use it for lunch money. 264 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,159 Speaker 5: They can't use it for gas money. They can't use 265 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 5: it till you go have a fancy stake at Charlie's. 266 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,919 Speaker 5: They can't do any of that, they'll have to use 267 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 5: their credit cards and then maybe end up not being 268 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 5: to pay off the credit card that month. But of 269 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:29,719 Speaker 5: course most of them are a millionaires, so we'll make 270 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 5: any difference. But at least call them out on it, 271 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 5: call them out on it, or do this. How about 272 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 5: you just call them the telephone number for the US 273 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 5: House of Representatives to zero two two two five thirty 274 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 5: one twenty one to zero two two two five thirty 275 00:17:55,200 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 5: one twenty one. Simply ask for your congressman's office switchboards. 276 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,159 Speaker 5: Very efficient, very effective. They'll transfer you immediate. Now you 277 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 5: may get voicemail when you get to the congressman's office. 278 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 5: Leave your name, your number, and ask the question. That's 279 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 5: for the Congress, that's for the House of Representatives. It's 280 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 5: essentially the same for the Senate. To zero two two 281 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:22,959 Speaker 5: two four three one two one, So the prefix is 282 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 5: two two five for the House, two two four for 283 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 5: the Senate. Both numbers are three one two one three 284 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 5: one two one. House to zero two two two five 285 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:39,680 Speaker 5: three one two one. Senate to zero two two two 286 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 5: four three one two one. I'm not doing this because 287 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 5: I like TSA. I'm not doing this for any other 288 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 5: reason that I despise the hypocrisy. Oh it's the Democrats 289 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 5: doing it. Oh it's the Republicans do it. They're all 290 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,639 Speaker 5: doing it. They're all doing it. And I think government 291 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,400 Speaker 5: shut downs are a joke to begin with, an absolute 292 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 5: utter joke. Doesn't make any difference. Make that phone call 293 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 5: today anything, call and text me, and or text me 294 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 5: and tell me exactly what they had to say. 295 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 2: Can't wait to hear that, Michael. 296 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 6: What is the entourage bill for each senator or congress person? 297 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 6: It seems like they have a staff, have at least 298 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 6: twenty deep, and who buys their lunches, who chauffeurs them around? 299 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 6: Who's paying for all those bills? So what is the 300 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 6: actual bill per senator or congressman when it comes to 301 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 6: living expenses and their salaries for the helpers? 302 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 5: Well, you're conflating several things. One, they don't. We don't 303 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 5: pay any living expenses. A campaign might pay for some 304 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,119 Speaker 5: living expenses, but that's going to raise all sorts of 305 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 5: ethical concerns and concerns with fun. You know, I'm not 306 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:52,199 Speaker 5: going to give to a candidate if I know that 307 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 5: candidate is using that money to pay for his apartment. 308 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 5: Ain't going to happen. And in so far as staffers 309 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:03,120 Speaker 5: are concerned, they they're like any other worker. They buy 310 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 5: their own lunches unless they can find somebody to buy 311 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 5: lunch for them. And then they have to be careful 312 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 5: about that because that runs up against certain lobbying laws. 313 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 5: They got to be careful. If you know, if somebody 314 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,919 Speaker 5: comes in and you know, I go to see some congressmen, 315 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 5: and now if it's a friend of mine and I 316 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:20,919 Speaker 5: can show there's a long standing relationship between me and 317 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,479 Speaker 5: Billy Bob, who's the chief of staff. Yeah, I can 318 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:25,239 Speaker 5: buy the chief staff lunch any day I want to. 319 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 5: Your real question is what's the total cost for a 320 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,679 Speaker 5: United States Senator or a member of Congress to use 321 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 5: House of Representatives for their DC office, for all of 322 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 5: their offices back in their state or in their district, 323 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 5: whether they're a Congressman or senator. What's the number of 324 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:55,479 Speaker 5: staffers that are on in the in their offices. And 325 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 5: then don't forget that every member of Congress, House and 326 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:05,919 Speaker 5: Senate is then appointed to different committees, subcommittees, sub sub subcommittees, 327 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 5: and they all have staffers and they all have worker bees. 328 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 2: So the total. 329 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 5: You've got Google the Go, look cup what the annual 330 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,920 Speaker 5: appropriation is for the United States Congress and then text 331 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 5: me and tell. 332 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 2: Me what it is. The Nuestra America convoy. Have you 333 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 2: heard of this? 334 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 5: Code Pink sponsored flights to Cuba and Code Pink was 335 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 5: joined by Ezra Hersey. 336 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 2: You know who Ezra Hersy is. 337 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 5: That Congresswoman Elon Omar's daughter, and then twitch streamer Hassan 338 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 5: Piker and a delegation from the Democrat Socialists of America. 339 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 5: Also along for the ride former UK Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, 340 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 5: former Pademus leader Pablo Iglesias, and Irish rap group Kneecap, 341 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 5: and then figures like Owen Jones and Ryan Grimm. They 342 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 5: were found staying at the Grand Hotel Bistro Melia Collection, 343 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,639 Speaker 5: where rooms in Havana run from about one hundred and 344 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 5: thirty to five hundred twenty dollars per night. Now, I 345 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 5: know that may not seem like a lot compared to 346 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 5: say Midtown Manhattan or the Upper East Side, but for 347 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 5: Havana that's five stars. Then they traveled in air conditioned 348 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 5: buses and attended official governmental meetings in the capitol. Kneecap. 349 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 5: I don't have a clue. Who do you know who 350 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 5: Kneecap is Dragon some Irish rap group. 351 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:40,439 Speaker 2: I don't know. 352 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 5: They played a concert in the capital city while the 353 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 5: rest of the nation of eleven million people were in 354 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 5: the middle of a major blackout, And in a viral 355 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 5: video which you can find online, a furious Cuban filmed 356 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:58,360 Speaker 5: himself going into a hotel in Havana where the cold 357 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 5: peak leftists were purportedly staying, and there was electricity because 358 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,199 Speaker 5: of a generator, all while a nationwide blackout was going on. 359 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 5: Now Piker's excuse and White's garbage. Piker defended the move 360 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,159 Speaker 5: of social media, saying that US law required them to 361 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:16,360 Speaker 5: stay at the ritzy hotels. 362 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 2: The claim received pretty. 363 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 5: Swift pushback because US law only prevents Americans from staying 364 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:30,320 Speaker 5: at venues that are owned by the Cuban government or 365 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:34,160 Speaker 5: a Cuban government official. In other words, you can stay 366 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 5: at a forty dollars cost of particular. Nobody made you 367 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:42,439 Speaker 5: book the pimphouse, Hassan, but that's what you did. The 368 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 5: convoy was organized by Marellia Castro, daughter of former President 369 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 5: Roy Old Castro, through a nonprofit called Progressive International. So yeah, 370 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 5: they flew to a communist country organized by a Castro 371 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 5: to meet with Communist party officials. You see, meeting communist 372 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 5: leaders is not an exaggeration. Now, The convoy that went 373 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 5: down there includes groups identified by the State Department as 374 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 5: vectors of Chinese influence like nevill Roy, Themes People's Forum 375 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,919 Speaker 5: and his wife Jody Evans, Code Pink and then Piker 376 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 5: recently went on a Beijing sponsor propaganda trip before this one. 377 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:27,959 Speaker 5: Cuba is just the sequel to his travels. Mike Gonzalez, 378 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 5: a Cuban exile forced to leave his homeland at the 379 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 5: age of twelve, has accused Code Pink of treating the 380 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 5: dictatorship like an ideological theme park. They're out there just 381 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 5: traveling around in the air conditioned buses, staying in a 382 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 5: ritzy hotel, has air conditioning, power, hot water, everything you need. 383 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 5: So let me break down what I'm calling the Champagne 384 00:24:54,400 --> 00:25:00,440 Speaker 5: Socialist spring Break of twenty twenty six, the Champagne's Socialist 385 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:05,879 Speaker 5: spring break. So you got Code Pink, you got this 386 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 5: Twitch streamer progressive, you got elon Omar's daughter and a 387 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 5: merry band of self described revolutionaries that flew to Cuba 388 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 5: this past weekend to protest our sanctions and to show 389 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:21,199 Speaker 5: solidarity with the oppressed Cuban people. Now, how did they 390 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 5: show that solidarity by checking into the five star Grand 391 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 5: Hotel where the rooms I said run between one hundred 392 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 5: and thirty and five twenty a night while the rest 393 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 5: of Cuba sat in the dark, a total island wide blackout, 394 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:40,640 Speaker 5: eleven million people, no electricity. But those brave little comrades, 395 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 5: they were sipping the hitos with functioning air conditioning. They 396 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 5: had spotless, perfect Wi Fi because the hotel has a generator. 397 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:56,160 Speaker 5: And then that Cuban filmed himself standing outside that hotel. Well, 398 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 5: his whole neighborhood was pitch black, just staring at up 399 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 5: with the glowing windows. That video is going viralent it 400 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:11,400 Speaker 5: should now. As Piker, the influencer who pulls in millions 401 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:16,720 Speaker 5: on Twitch complaining about American capitalism, tried to get ahead 402 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 5: of this story, he told his followers that American law 403 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 5: requires me to stay in the five star hotel. 404 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 2: Now not making up, that was his defense. 405 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:27,640 Speaker 5: American law requires me to stay to stay in the 406 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 5: equivalent of the four seasons. 407 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 2: The problem is it's not true at all. 408 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 5: US law prohibits Americans from staying in Cuban government owned properties. 409 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 5: I could not find one federal statute mandating, you know, 410 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,920 Speaker 5: a thread count of eight hundred or you know, you 411 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 5: can only stay in places where there's turn down service. 412 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:55,480 Speaker 5: They could have stayed in a family run cassa, you know, 413 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:59,440 Speaker 5: for thirty thirty dollars US dollars a night, and that 414 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,879 Speaker 5: would have actually put money back in the Cuban family's pocket. 415 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 5: But that really wasn't the point of the trip, was it. 416 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:10,280 Speaker 5: Because remember the trip was organized by Marilla Castro, the 417 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 5: daughter of Raoul Castro and the niece of Fidel Castro, 418 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:20,200 Speaker 5: and they did it through something called Progressive International. Oh, 419 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 5: they delivered some eight I'm sure they took some can 420 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 5: goods down. They may have taken a little some pieces 421 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,199 Speaker 5: of electronics or something down. And then they sat down 422 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 5: with the Communist Party officials and they had a concert 423 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:36,399 Speaker 5: and they live streamed their revolution content to one point 424 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 5: six million Instagram followers. No, not in Cuba, in the US, well, 425 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:48,920 Speaker 5: I suppose technically worldwide. But here's the thing about Marxism 426 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 5: that these American cheerleaders from Marxism never quite understand. It 427 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 5: has always worked exactly this way. There have always been 428 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:05,919 Speaker 5: two classes in every communist country. The true believers that 429 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 5: they have the doctors, they've got the vacation homes, and 430 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 5: they've got the generators, and then there's everybody else freezing 431 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:18,680 Speaker 5: in the dark. The party faithful have always eaten well. 432 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:25,680 Speaker 5: The revolutionary tourist class, they've always gotten a nice hotel room. 433 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 5: But these people aren't naive idealists who just happened to 434 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:35,159 Speaker 5: stumble in this hypocrisy. They're demonstrating, I believe, with perfect clarity, 435 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 5: exactly how Marxism actually operates in practice. There are the 436 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 5: people who run the revolution, and they are the people 437 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 5: the revolution is run on. He keebans outside in the blackout, 438 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,959 Speaker 5: Those are the people the revolution is run on. Code 439 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:59,240 Speaker 5: Pink isra hearsy elon Omar's daughter. They're auditioning for the 440 00:28:59,320 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 5: other row. 441 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: Mike, are you sure that that phone number is actually 442 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: correct to zero two two two four three one two one. 443 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 1: It's an automated system, and I think it's broken. Maybe 444 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: there's a different number, because every time I ask to 445 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: be connected to Senator Howdy Doty, I get connected to 446 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: Senator higgin Looper's office. 447 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 5: Yeah, maybe maybe there's a typo somewhere in my notes 448 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 5: must must be a typo. I deeply apologize, but hey, 449 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 5: talk to him, might as well talk to Hickenloper. I 450 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 5: kind of miss not knowing who these staffers are because oftentimes, 451 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 5: you how, people will say that dogs look like the 452 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 5: owners and vice versa. 453 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 2: Sure, yeah, well, staffers. 454 00:29:55,760 --> 00:30:01,400 Speaker 5: Oftentimes kind of reflect their bosses, and so I'd just 455 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,959 Speaker 5: like to, like you think about Michael Bennett, who just 456 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 5: can't enunciate and get anything out without sounding drunk. 457 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 2: And then you got who was that? Okay? Is that him? No? 458 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 4: No, no, it's a cartoon character. Oh I hear it now? Yeah, 459 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 4: now I hear it's South Park right, okay? Yes, Senator, 460 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 4: may I help you? Or hicken Looper? 461 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 5: You know, the last time that hicken Looper and I 462 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:40,360 Speaker 5: had had an exchange was two thousand and eight. 463 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 2: It's been that long ago. 464 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 5: The Democrat National Convention is being held here, or I 465 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 5: take it back, Maybe. 466 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 2: It was the same year. What are you every how old? 467 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 2: Was that year or not? 468 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 5: Maybe was later? They held a debate at DU They 469 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,959 Speaker 5: were having a debate. So we're doing a remote from 470 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 5: the debate. I go out, I forget he was with me. 471 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 5: I don't think it was eroded, but if it was, 472 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 5: oh my gosh, it was even a worse trip than 473 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 5: I thought it was. 474 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 2: So I go out and hick. 475 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 5: And Looper is working the booths and he comes up 476 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 5: to our booth, looks at it, and goes right by, 477 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 5: doesn't stop, and I watch him go down several other booths, 478 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 5: talking to other radio stations and TV stations. So I 479 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 5: tell I told, like Loubi or Hoover is working force 480 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 5: at the time. I said, give me a remote mic, 481 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 5: give me a mic. And so I start following Hickenlooper 482 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 5: down the radio row and he finally gets to the 483 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 5: end of the row and he starts this little impromptu 484 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 5: press conference and I stick my I stick the microphone. 485 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 2: Into the middle. I'm leaning in. I got the microphone 486 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 2: in there. 487 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 5: And then he finishes and says, that's all, guys, and 488 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 5: this everybody else disperses. I walk right up to it. 489 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:02,959 Speaker 5: Microphone's still in this space. Governor, you said you were 490 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 5: going to stop at the booth, and you didn't do it. 491 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 5: I have questions for you, But my first question is 492 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 5: why did you ignore the six point thirty k k 493 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 5: hell booth? Why didn't you stop there in there, and 494 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 5: he takes his arm, swings around. He's holding his sunglasses. Hey, 495 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 5: you hold your sunglasses folded in your fingers. He's holding 496 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 5: his sunglasses like that. He turns around to turn away 497 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,840 Speaker 5: from me and walk off, and he hits the microphone 498 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 5: that I'm holding, knocks his sunglasses to the ground, and 499 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:43,960 Speaker 5: he comes up, reaches down, and he comes up in 500 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 5: my face, face to face. 501 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 2: Don't you ever hit me again? 502 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 5: And I kept my cool, and I said, well, Governor fell, 503 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 5: do you respect You're the one that swung around, and 504 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 5: you're the one that knocked the glasses out by swinging 505 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 5: around and hitting the microphone. And now the security detail 506 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:05,720 Speaker 5: is starting to move in because I'm not backing off this, 507 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 5: sob I don't care. I've dealt with presidents before. You're 508 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 5: a governor. I don't give a rats ask do you 509 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 5: want to have an argument right here? Because I still 510 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 5: I'm still holding the I'm still holding the microphone, and 511 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 5: I'm just checking over to make sure over the booth 512 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 5: that they've still got the microphone on, because I want 513 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 5: to pick up every single word he says. He finally 514 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 5: realizes the microphone's on, turns around and walks off. That 515 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 5: was my last experience with John Hickenlooper, and hope you 516 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 5: know and if you know what my first experience was 517 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 5: with him when he was mayor and I was the undersecretary. 518 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:50,400 Speaker 5: We had awarded a fire management grant to Denver and 519 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 5: maybe a couple of million dollars or something, and so 520 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 5: obviously the White House wanted to me to come in 521 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:56,960 Speaker 5: and do a photo op and do all of that. 522 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 5: We had to negotiate appearance because he didn't really want 523 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 5: into anything other than just accept the check. You didn't 524 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 5: have to say anything about the administration. What a jerk, 525 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:08,400 Speaker 5: What a jerk.