1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,475 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. America 2 00:00:21,675 --> 00:00:25,795 Speaker 1: is not divided over the prosecution of Donald Trump. For 3 00:00:25,955 --> 00:00:30,875 Speaker 1: January sixth, a new Sober Responsible poll shows it is 4 00:00:31,075 --> 00:00:34,475 Speaker 1: in favor of it by a wide margin by eight 5 00:00:34,555 --> 00:00:38,435 Speaker 1: percentage points. America is not divided over whether he broke 6 00:00:38,475 --> 00:00:42,155 Speaker 1: the law in Georgia. A new Sober Responsible poll shows 7 00:00:42,275 --> 00:00:44,995 Speaker 1: it is convinced he broke the law in Georgia by 8 00:00:44,995 --> 00:00:48,235 Speaker 1: a wide margin by twenty three percented points. America is 9 00:00:48,275 --> 00:00:51,475 Speaker 1: not divided over whether the twenty twenty election was stolen. 10 00:00:51,835 --> 00:00:55,835 Speaker 1: Seven in ten say it was not. And Trump is 11 00:00:55,995 --> 00:00:59,115 Speaker 1: not getting greater support from his base because of his 12 00:00:59,155 --> 00:01:02,595 Speaker 1: three and a half indictments. A new Sober Responsible poll 13 00:01:02,675 --> 00:01:06,075 Speaker 1: shows he may in fact be losing a little of it. 14 00:01:06,915 --> 00:01:12,275 Speaker 1: And the effort to paint over these obvious, statistically proven 15 00:01:12,395 --> 00:01:17,235 Speaker 1: realities is the latest crime of both sidesism being committed 16 00:01:17,235 --> 00:01:22,235 Speaker 1: by the American media. Both sidism is afraid of stating 17 00:01:22,315 --> 00:01:27,235 Speaker 1: any truth that requires any assessment or evaluation or analysis, 18 00:01:27,315 --> 00:01:33,675 Speaker 1: or risks accusations of liberal bias. Both sidesism is afraid 19 00:01:33,755 --> 00:01:36,395 Speaker 1: of any choice that is not which is bigger a 20 00:01:37,355 --> 00:01:42,595 Speaker 1: the elephant or b the mouse. Both sidesism is fearful 21 00:01:42,955 --> 00:01:46,915 Speaker 1: and lazy and self interested, and it is dangerous, and 22 00:01:46,995 --> 00:01:51,275 Speaker 1: it is in play. And even those organizations that actually 23 00:01:51,315 --> 00:01:55,035 Speaker 1: produce the evidence that this nation is convinced Trump has 24 00:01:55,075 --> 00:01:58,635 Speaker 1: broken the law in Georgia, in Washington, in America, and 25 00:01:58,755 --> 00:02:01,915 Speaker 1: that Jack Smith and Fannie Willis are right to prosecute him, 26 00:02:02,075 --> 00:02:07,635 Speaker 1: even those very organizations are whispering the results for fear 27 00:02:07,915 --> 00:02:14,755 Speaker 1: of blowback, or worse, because blowback is just too much 28 00:02:15,275 --> 00:02:22,155 Speaker 1: trouble for the executives. The Associated Press has a new 29 00:02:22,275 --> 00:02:26,075 Speaker 1: pull out on the prosecutions of Trump, and it fulfills 30 00:02:26,155 --> 00:02:31,315 Speaker 1: the organization's sacred obligation to both sides ism by positioning 31 00:02:31,355 --> 00:02:35,315 Speaker 1: its results in the headlines in the links. As quote, 32 00:02:35,835 --> 00:02:41,435 Speaker 1: Americans are divided along party lines over Trump's actions in 33 00:02:41,675 --> 00:02:47,475 Speaker 1: election cases, they are not in Georgia. The question was 34 00:02:47,515 --> 00:02:51,155 Speaker 1: phrased thusly, what do you think of Trump's alleged attempt 35 00:02:51,155 --> 00:02:56,395 Speaker 1: to interfere in the twenty twenty Georgia vote? Count illegal, unethical, 36 00:02:56,435 --> 00:03:02,955 Speaker 1: but not illegal, or nothing wrong? Fifty one percent of 37 00:03:02,995 --> 00:03:07,595 Speaker 1: Americans say it is a legal Oh, only fifty one percent. 38 00:03:07,675 --> 00:03:13,515 Speaker 1: A divided nation, but wait, the combined vote for unethical 39 00:03:13,555 --> 00:03:17,835 Speaker 1: but not illegal, and nothing was wrong. The combined total 40 00:03:17,835 --> 00:03:21,235 Speaker 1: in those two categories is twenty eight percent. The rest 41 00:03:21,235 --> 00:03:23,995 Speaker 1: are undecided. That is not a split. That is not 42 00:03:24,075 --> 00:03:28,715 Speaker 1: a divided nation. That's fifty one to twenty eight same 43 00:03:28,835 --> 00:03:33,715 Speaker 1: question about January sixth illegal oh, only forty seven percent 44 00:03:33,755 --> 00:03:38,475 Speaker 1: say it was illegal a minority. The combined unethical or 45 00:03:38,555 --> 00:03:43,675 Speaker 1: nothing wrong total is thirty nine percent. Seven in ten 46 00:03:43,795 --> 00:03:47,995 Speaker 1: Americans say the twenty twenty election was not stolen from Trump. 47 00:03:48,395 --> 00:03:51,315 Speaker 1: That is also not an indication of a divided nation. 48 00:03:51,635 --> 00:03:54,475 Speaker 1: Fifty three percent say the Justice Department was right to 49 00:03:54,595 --> 00:03:58,835 Speaker 1: indict him. Why. That's barely more than half, though, once again, 50 00:03:58,875 --> 00:04:01,515 Speaker 1: half of the results are left out to make this 51 00:04:01,595 --> 00:04:04,955 Speaker 1: look like it is a debate. Fifty three percent say 52 00:04:04,955 --> 00:04:09,915 Speaker 1: the federal indictments are justified, only thirty percent thirty percent 53 00:04:10,755 --> 00:04:15,155 Speaker 1: say it is not. There are undecided people in the 54 00:04:15,235 --> 00:04:20,795 Speaker 1: Associated Press poll and in every one of these stats. 55 00:04:20,835 --> 00:04:24,515 Speaker 1: For the numbers just to actually be close, for this 56 00:04:24,675 --> 00:04:28,195 Speaker 1: nation to actually be what the AP headline claims, but 57 00:04:28,275 --> 00:04:33,155 Speaker 1: the AP poll refutes, all of the undecideds have to 58 00:04:33,315 --> 00:04:37,475 Speaker 1: break in Trump's favor. All that is to come in 59 00:04:37,515 --> 00:04:41,195 Speaker 1: the next weeks and months of continuing indictments and continuing 60 00:04:41,235 --> 00:04:46,555 Speaker 1: revelations and now co conspirators flipping, and the actual testimony beginning. 61 00:04:46,675 --> 00:04:49,635 Speaker 1: All of that that is to come would have to 62 00:04:49,755 --> 00:04:56,475 Speaker 1: somehow make Trump look better. It will not. America has 63 00:04:56,595 --> 00:05:01,995 Speaker 1: made up its mind on Trump guilty, venal deserving of prosecution. 64 00:05:02,275 --> 00:05:07,035 Speaker 1: The only ones saying otherwise are lying, and they are 65 00:05:07,155 --> 00:05:11,875 Speaker 1: Trump and his cult and they are the lazy, cowardly, 66 00:05:12,635 --> 00:05:18,035 Speaker 1: both sizest media. And it's not even true that Trump 67 00:05:18,075 --> 00:05:21,715 Speaker 1: is getting martyrdom brownie points from his own morals Dead crowd. 68 00:05:22,515 --> 00:05:26,635 Speaker 1: A poll from Temple University used an unusual method of 69 00:05:26,675 --> 00:05:30,195 Speaker 1: surveying whether the indictments really have been strengthening Trump's support 70 00:05:30,275 --> 00:05:33,315 Speaker 1: within his party, as he and every one of his 71 00:05:33,435 --> 00:05:37,435 Speaker 1: cultists keep claiming. Temple does not ask if you are 72 00:05:37,555 --> 00:05:43,035 Speaker 1: now likelier to do thing A because event B happened. 73 00:05:43,315 --> 00:05:46,475 Speaker 1: It asks you flatly if you are going to do 74 00:05:46,875 --> 00:05:51,315 Speaker 1: thing A, and then it asks you what you would 75 00:05:51,355 --> 00:05:56,035 Speaker 1: have done if event B had never happened. It is 76 00:05:56,115 --> 00:06:00,035 Speaker 1: called the counterfactual format, and there is considerable evidence that 77 00:06:00,075 --> 00:06:03,755 Speaker 1: it produces far less partisan answers or people giving the 78 00:06:03,835 --> 00:06:06,235 Speaker 1: answer they think is expected of them. And what it 79 00:06:06,355 --> 00:06:10,475 Speaker 1: shows is no gain for Trump because of the indictments 80 00:06:10,515 --> 00:06:15,155 Speaker 1: among Republicans, in fact, a slight loss. We are measuring 81 00:06:15,275 --> 00:06:19,075 Speaker 1: hair breadths, but the election will surely come down two 82 00:06:19,275 --> 00:06:23,875 Speaker 1: hair breadths again, so this counts. In the Temple poll, 83 00:06:24,475 --> 00:06:28,195 Speaker 1: just over sixty four percent of Republicans surveyed said that 84 00:06:28,355 --> 00:06:31,275 Speaker 1: after the indictments they are still likely to vote for 85 00:06:31,315 --> 00:06:35,555 Speaker 1: Trump in the primary, But just under sixty six percent 86 00:06:35,595 --> 00:06:38,235 Speaker 1: of the same group of Republicans said they would have 87 00:06:38,315 --> 00:06:40,875 Speaker 1: been more likely to vote for him if he had 88 00:06:40,915 --> 00:06:45,915 Speaker 1: not been indicted. America has made up its mind. Even 89 00:06:46,035 --> 00:06:50,435 Speaker 1: some Republicans are regaining theirs. You know what, two percent. 90 00:06:50,555 --> 00:06:53,195 Speaker 1: The difference in the Temple poll two percent of just 91 00:06:53,315 --> 00:06:58,555 Speaker 1: the registered Republicans amounts to in actual votes, eight hundred thousand. 92 00:07:00,155 --> 00:07:07,235 Speaker 1: The indictments cost Trump the support of eight hundred thousand Republicans. Hell, 93 00:07:07,435 --> 00:07:11,115 Speaker 1: even Ted Cruz said last night he's not endorsing Trump 94 00:07:11,155 --> 00:07:14,635 Speaker 1: in the primary. He used as his excuse the fact 95 00:07:14,635 --> 00:07:17,915 Speaker 1: that he's such a target in his Senate reelection race. 96 00:07:18,035 --> 00:07:20,875 Speaker 1: He says he can't afford to alienate a signal Dessantus 97 00:07:20,955 --> 00:07:27,155 Speaker 1: voter or a single Trump voter, Because, yeah, Ted, a 98 00:07:27,195 --> 00:07:31,555 Speaker 1: bunch of disgruntled Texas Trump voters are going to vote 99 00:07:32,395 --> 00:07:41,875 Speaker 1: against you. Uh huh, this is where we are. Mark 100 00:07:41,995 --> 00:07:45,355 Speaker 1: Meadows gets his hearing to move his part of the 101 00:07:45,435 --> 00:07:48,915 Speaker 1: case of the Trump nineteen into federal court. It will 102 00:07:48,915 --> 00:07:52,515 Speaker 1: be on August twenty eighth, two mondays from now, but 103 00:07:52,675 --> 00:07:56,355 Speaker 1: Trump's lawyers will be in Washington at the same hour 104 00:07:56,435 --> 00:08:00,555 Speaker 1: because August twenty eighth is also the Judge Tanya Chutkin hearing, 105 00:08:00,595 --> 00:08:02,755 Speaker 1: at which she is expected to set the date of 106 00:08:02,835 --> 00:08:07,155 Speaker 1: the start of Trump's January sixth. That would be Tanya Chutkin, 107 00:08:07,235 --> 00:08:09,475 Speaker 1: against whom death threats are beginning to pop up. In 108 00:08:09,475 --> 00:08:12,475 Speaker 1: one a woman leaves a voicemail calling her a quote 109 00:08:12,515 --> 00:08:18,835 Speaker 1: slave and Rice Street the Fulton County jail where Meadows 110 00:08:18,875 --> 00:08:21,275 Speaker 1: will still have to go to show up for processing 111 00:08:21,315 --> 00:08:24,555 Speaker 1: and fingerprinting, and a mug shot by Friday, the twenty fifth, 112 00:08:25,155 --> 00:08:29,635 Speaker 1: before his hearing Atlanta, where the grand jurors who indicted 113 00:08:29,715 --> 00:08:32,755 Speaker 1: him and Trump and seventeen others have been docked by 114 00:08:32,795 --> 00:08:37,875 Speaker 1: fascists and they are now getting death threats. And again, 115 00:08:38,075 --> 00:08:40,835 Speaker 1: meadows hearing is not next Monday, the twenty first, It's 116 00:08:40,875 --> 00:08:43,195 Speaker 1: the following one, the twenty eighth, Next Monday is the 117 00:08:43,195 --> 00:08:47,475 Speaker 1: Great Trump News Conference, at which he will reveal the 118 00:08:47,515 --> 00:08:52,475 Speaker 1: Great Harrington Declaration, and only Donald Trump could possibly get 119 00:08:52,475 --> 00:08:56,715 Speaker 1: indicted on thirteen separate counts of in essence trying to 120 00:08:56,835 --> 00:08:59,555 Speaker 1: defraud the voters of Georgia by lying about the election, 121 00:09:00,995 --> 00:09:03,475 Speaker 1: and follow that up by holding a news conference at 122 00:09:03,515 --> 00:09:05,755 Speaker 1: which he will try to is gape by presenting a 123 00:09:05,795 --> 00:09:08,515 Speaker 1: one hundred page report written in part by a crazy 124 00:09:08,555 --> 00:09:14,315 Speaker 1: eyed publicist, consisting entirely of again trying to defraud the 125 00:09:14,395 --> 00:09:19,275 Speaker 1: voters of Georgia by lying about the election. Frankly, one 126 00:09:19,275 --> 00:09:22,995 Speaker 1: of his countless ex attorneys, Ty Cobb, now says there's 127 00:09:23,035 --> 00:09:26,275 Speaker 1: a good chance that whatever document he produces ends up 128 00:09:26,915 --> 00:09:30,515 Speaker 1: as evidence against him, because it's likely to be fiction 129 00:09:30,955 --> 00:09:33,875 Speaker 1: and solely for the purpose of contaminating the jury pool. 130 00:09:35,235 --> 00:09:38,835 Speaker 1: Eleven am Trump Bedminster Golf Course in New Jersey. See 131 00:09:38,875 --> 00:09:42,555 Speaker 1: Trump try to get himself indicted on counts fourteen, fifteen, 132 00:09:42,555 --> 00:09:49,715 Speaker 1: and sixteen. If only Evana were there to stop him, 133 00:09:49,795 --> 00:09:54,555 Speaker 1: Actually she is. Maybe he communicated with her by those 134 00:09:54,675 --> 00:09:58,795 Speaker 1: unsent Twitter direct message drafts. This is the theory that 135 00:09:58,955 --> 00:10:03,995 Speaker 1: will not go away now. Politico notes that buried deep 136 00:10:04,035 --> 00:10:06,675 Speaker 1: in the unset field Court documents on Jack Smith getting 137 00:10:06,715 --> 00:10:11,155 Speaker 1: access to Trump's Twitter account. Quote. One thing prosecutors appeared 138 00:10:11,195 --> 00:10:17,115 Speaker 1: to pursue is who currently has the keys unquote. The 139 00:10:17,195 --> 00:10:20,075 Speaker 1: court docs show that as of February, the list included 140 00:10:20,235 --> 00:10:24,755 Speaker 1: Trump's representatives to the National Archives and Records Administration NARA. 141 00:10:25,995 --> 00:10:28,995 Speaker 1: Oh hell, this is where I came in. You might 142 00:10:29,115 --> 00:10:33,555 Speaker 1: recall that this entire dance of the dueling courtrooms began 143 00:10:34,315 --> 00:10:38,635 Speaker 1: because Trump and his liaisons would not listen when NARA 144 00:10:39,195 --> 00:10:41,835 Speaker 1: asked for all its stuff back from Mary a Lago 145 00:10:43,075 --> 00:10:46,795 Speaker 1: when Trump withdrew his troops from Washington in January twenty 146 00:10:46,835 --> 00:10:51,195 Speaker 1: twenty one. Those narrow liaisons were Mark Meadows not anymore 147 00:10:51,595 --> 00:10:54,995 Speaker 1: and a clown car, a former White House and DOJ 148 00:10:55,195 --> 00:10:59,475 Speaker 1: attorney Scott Gass, Michael Purpura, Stephen Engel, John Eisenberg, and 149 00:10:59,475 --> 00:11:02,035 Speaker 1: at least two names were probably not on the list 150 00:11:02,075 --> 00:11:08,275 Speaker 1: anymore either, Pat Philbin and Pat Patsy Beloney sip Baloney. 151 00:11:09,675 --> 00:11:12,315 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty two, as he made the fateful decision 152 00:11:12,355 --> 00:11:15,915 Speaker 1: not to give NARA its stuff back, Trump added two names. 153 00:11:16,035 --> 00:11:18,595 Speaker 1: And this is where access to the Twitter account might 154 00:11:18,635 --> 00:11:22,275 Speaker 1: actually turn out to be something of the spy novel genre. 155 00:11:22,995 --> 00:11:28,155 Speaker 1: The two new names were the propagandist John Solomon and 156 00:11:28,475 --> 00:11:36,115 Speaker 1: popeyed Factotem Cash Patel. I keep thinking, this Trump Twitter 157 00:11:36,275 --> 00:11:39,355 Speaker 1: DM story is going to get only bigger and bigger, 158 00:11:39,435 --> 00:11:41,075 Speaker 1: and if it doesn't get bigger right away, it will 159 00:11:41,075 --> 00:11:44,035 Speaker 1: get bigger later because there is going to be a 160 00:11:44,195 --> 00:11:47,235 Speaker 1: big leak of something we have no idea about, and 161 00:11:47,275 --> 00:11:48,915 Speaker 1: then there's going to be a big hearing in which 162 00:11:48,955 --> 00:11:53,195 Speaker 1: Trump lawyers try to get all of it excluded. So 163 00:11:53,475 --> 00:11:59,155 Speaker 1: Trump Twitter dms, leave space on your calendar for that, 164 00:12:00,875 --> 00:12:33,595 Speaker 1: Oh your calendar, Thank you, Nancy Faus. That reminds me 165 00:12:33,675 --> 00:12:36,235 Speaker 1: it is never too early to shop for the holidays. 166 00:12:36,235 --> 00:12:37,795 Speaker 1: And let me give you a heads up at a 167 00:12:37,915 --> 00:12:42,355 Speaker 1: head start on the hottest gift for Christmas twenty twenty three. Yes, 168 00:12:42,915 --> 00:12:48,875 Speaker 1: it's this beautiful official Donald Trump twenty twenty four court 169 00:12:48,915 --> 00:12:54,315 Speaker 1: appearance calendar, featuring not just wonderful photography of Trump himself 170 00:12:55,115 --> 00:12:59,995 Speaker 1: it's lifelike even if he isn't, but also photography of 171 00:13:00,035 --> 00:13:04,115 Speaker 1: all the prosecutors and the courthouses, and his fellow defendants 172 00:13:04,195 --> 00:13:08,555 Speaker 1: and the uned co conspirators. So your official Donald Trump 173 00:13:08,635 --> 00:13:10,995 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four court appearance calendar does, in fact go 174 00:13:11,075 --> 00:13:14,715 Speaker 1: all the way through December twenty twenty eight sixty months. 175 00:13:16,235 --> 00:13:19,755 Speaker 1: What would you pay for this gorgeous full color calendar? 176 00:13:19,875 --> 00:13:22,235 Speaker 1: And when I say full color, of course, I mean 177 00:13:22,235 --> 00:13:26,195 Speaker 1: it's all that cheap roustolium gold, so beloved by the 178 00:13:26,235 --> 00:13:30,515 Speaker 1: Maestro himself. Wait before you answer, Your official Donald Trump 179 00:13:30,595 --> 00:13:33,395 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four court appearance calendar also comes complete with 180 00:13:33,515 --> 00:13:36,795 Speaker 1: the dates of the twenty twenty four campaign, so you 181 00:13:36,835 --> 00:13:40,955 Speaker 1: can follow along as Trump hopscotches the world from the 182 00:13:41,035 --> 00:13:43,835 Speaker 1: planned start of the federal trial in Washington on Tuesday, 183 00:13:43,915 --> 00:13:47,875 Speaker 1: January second to the Iowa caucuses on Monday, January fifteenth. 184 00:13:47,915 --> 00:13:49,915 Speaker 1: And by the way, in the spirit of good fun, 185 00:13:50,395 --> 00:13:54,515 Speaker 1: our Trump playmate for January will be Ron DeSantis, good 186 00:13:54,595 --> 00:13:59,195 Speaker 1: naturedly holding up a ball and chain. Now look ahead, 187 00:13:59,235 --> 00:14:04,995 Speaker 1: turn the pages over to March. Damn thing will hold still? 188 00:14:05,155 --> 00:14:08,875 Speaker 1: What an exciting time March is the GOP caucuses in 189 00:14:08,955 --> 00:14:12,715 Speaker 1: Idaho on Saturday, March second. Then there's an extra large 190 00:14:12,715 --> 00:14:16,075 Speaker 1: calendar square from Monday, March fourth for the caucuses in 191 00:14:16,155 --> 00:14:19,635 Speaker 1: North Dakota and the start of Trump's trial in Georgia 192 00:14:19,675 --> 00:14:23,155 Speaker 1: that Fani willis just put in for thank goodness, the 193 00:14:23,195 --> 00:14:26,555 Speaker 1: Supreme Being Trump as his own plane and can be 194 00:14:26,595 --> 00:14:29,235 Speaker 1: in two places at once, but can he be in 195 00:14:29,315 --> 00:14:32,915 Speaker 1: fifteen places the next day? Because after Monday March fourth, 196 00:14:32,955 --> 00:14:36,795 Speaker 1: comes Tuesday, March fifth, Super Tuesday, and you'll need your 197 00:14:36,795 --> 00:14:39,395 Speaker 1: official Trump twenty twenty four court appearance calendar to keep 198 00:14:39,435 --> 00:14:43,475 Speaker 1: track of the Trump primaries in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, 199 00:14:43,475 --> 00:14:47,155 Speaker 1: Main Massa, tuss Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, u Ta, Vermont, 200 00:14:47,155 --> 00:14:53,035 Speaker 1: at and virgin Ya. Oh, and don't forget six more primaries, 201 00:14:53,075 --> 00:14:56,755 Speaker 1: including the Big Thriller in Florida on Tuesday, March nineteenth 202 00:14:56,875 --> 00:14:59,755 Speaker 1: and Louisiana on Saturday, March twenty third, and then back 203 00:14:59,795 --> 00:15:03,035 Speaker 1: home to fun City for Monday, March twenty fifth, and 204 00:15:03,115 --> 00:15:05,675 Speaker 1: the first day of the Stormy Day Niels hush money 205 00:15:05,675 --> 00:15:08,595 Speaker 1: trial in New York, New York. The town's so nice 206 00:15:08,635 --> 00:15:11,795 Speaker 1: they indicted him twice then, of course, in honor of 207 00:15:11,835 --> 00:15:14,515 Speaker 1: that case where Trump allegedly paid a woman to keep 208 00:15:14,595 --> 00:15:17,075 Speaker 1: quiet about what their sex life is like, we have 209 00:15:17,195 --> 00:15:22,235 Speaker 1: this amazing high definition photo of that woman, Millennia Trump. 210 00:15:23,115 --> 00:15:27,155 Speaker 1: But wait, there's more. The calendar page for May is 211 00:15:27,275 --> 00:15:30,715 Speaker 1: fun Fun Fun. Monday, May twentieth, the day judge Eileen 212 00:15:30,835 --> 00:15:34,635 Speaker 1: Cannon has selected to start the stolen documents case in Florida, 213 00:15:34,675 --> 00:15:37,955 Speaker 1: and then Tuesday May twenty, first Republican Primary Day in 214 00:15:38,035 --> 00:15:43,915 Speaker 1: Oregon and Mitch McConnell's Kentucky. And needless to say, there 215 00:15:44,195 --> 00:15:47,075 Speaker 1: is our pin up photo for May of that judge 216 00:15:47,075 --> 00:15:50,675 Speaker 1: that Trump appointed who has absolutely no business being on 217 00:15:50,715 --> 00:15:59,435 Speaker 1: the court, Brad Kavanaugh. Okay, you get the idea. Fannie 218 00:15:59,475 --> 00:16:01,755 Speaker 1: Willis has asked the judge to start the trial of 219 00:16:01,755 --> 00:16:05,995 Speaker 1: the Trump nineteen on March fourth. As she announced the 220 00:16:06,075 --> 00:16:08,715 Speaker 1: indictments Monday night, there was considerable doubt she could get 221 00:16:08,715 --> 00:16:11,515 Speaker 1: the thing started within her goal of six months. Hell, 222 00:16:12,315 --> 00:16:15,315 Speaker 1: the co defendants probably won't be done flipping on Trump 223 00:16:15,315 --> 00:16:20,075 Speaker 1: by March fourth. But for sheer crassness and borderline racism, 224 00:16:20,435 --> 00:16:24,075 Speaker 1: you have to hand it to Politico, the amoral access factory, 225 00:16:24,315 --> 00:16:27,315 Speaker 1: whose daily email playbook often leads the world in the 226 00:16:27,355 --> 00:16:31,755 Speaker 1: clankiest tone. Deaf notes its headline about whether the Fannie 227 00:16:31,755 --> 00:16:35,875 Speaker 1: Willis goal of March fourth is realistic was yesterday? Any 228 00:16:36,115 --> 00:16:41,275 Speaker 1: guesses be very very low in your estimations of what 229 00:16:41,315 --> 00:16:45,115 Speaker 1: they would be willing to do. Any guesses quote what 230 00:16:45,595 --> 00:16:56,435 Speaker 1: you talking about? Willis unquote, Politico did slightly redeem itself 231 00:16:56,555 --> 00:17:01,835 Speaker 1: from that by clarifying Trump's extra large conundrum. In Georgia, 232 00:17:02,035 --> 00:17:08,035 Speaker 1: the governor cannot pardon any buddy in Georgia. Nope, wors Yet, 233 00:17:08,035 --> 00:17:13,155 Speaker 1: nobody can pardon anybody until five years after that person 234 00:17:13,195 --> 00:17:16,875 Speaker 1: has completed his or her sentence, and that pardon would 235 00:17:16,915 --> 00:17:19,035 Speaker 1: have to come from the five members state Board of 236 00:17:19,075 --> 00:17:22,035 Speaker 1: Pardons and Paroles. So even in the event of a 237 00:17:22,115 --> 00:17:24,675 Speaker 1: lightning speed trial, Trump is not looking at a pardon 238 00:17:24,715 --> 00:17:27,715 Speaker 1: before late twenty twenty nine, and he will need more 239 00:17:27,755 --> 00:17:30,115 Speaker 1: than five more editions of the official Donald Trump Court 240 00:17:30,155 --> 00:17:33,715 Speaker 1: appearance calendar before he gets that pardon. As Politico writes, 241 00:17:34,675 --> 00:17:37,635 Speaker 1: one of the primary qualities the board looks for in 242 00:17:37,755 --> 00:17:42,195 Speaker 1: pardon applicants is someone who has taken responsibility for their 243 00:17:42,275 --> 00:17:48,235 Speaker 1: actions and has shown remorse for them unquote. Sorry Trump 244 00:17:48,355 --> 00:17:54,435 Speaker 1: being sorry you got caught don't count. Okay, time for 245 00:17:54,475 --> 00:18:03,755 Speaker 1: America's favorite new game show once again. Let's play trumple 246 00:18:10,195 --> 00:18:13,435 Speaker 1: thank you again, Nancy Faust, and ooh, we may have 247 00:18:13,475 --> 00:18:16,515 Speaker 1: a Trump pull winner. And remember these identities matter because 248 00:18:16,915 --> 00:18:19,995 Speaker 1: they all might still be indicted, or they might already 249 00:18:20,075 --> 00:18:26,995 Speaker 1: be cooperating. Just security has fingered Tom Fitten as Georgia 250 00:18:27,075 --> 00:18:30,635 Speaker 1: unindicted co conspirator number one. He is the guy who 251 00:18:30,715 --> 00:18:33,675 Speaker 1: discussed the draft of a speech claiming Trump was a 252 00:18:33,755 --> 00:18:37,115 Speaker 1: victim of voter fraud and had really won in twenty twenty. 253 00:18:37,155 --> 00:18:42,515 Speaker 1: Only the conversation with Trump was on Halloween, so four 254 00:18:42,595 --> 00:18:46,595 Speaker 1: days before the election and before anybody knew who won, 255 00:18:46,675 --> 00:18:51,395 Speaker 1: and before any votes could have been fraudulent. Reminiscent of 256 00:18:51,475 --> 00:18:54,275 Speaker 1: that Roger Stone video that surfaced last night, but more 257 00:18:54,315 --> 00:18:57,915 Speaker 1: meaningful than that video. Roger Stone dictating a fake elector 258 00:18:58,035 --> 00:19:01,555 Speaker 1: scheme before the election is infuriating, and it's a good 259 00:19:01,555 --> 00:19:03,835 Speaker 1: thing to show on television, but if Trump is not 260 00:19:03,955 --> 00:19:06,635 Speaker 1: in the room, it's no more meaningful than Rudy Giuliani 261 00:19:06,675 --> 00:19:10,235 Speaker 1: telling his mistress in twenty nineteen about the plan for 262 00:19:10,275 --> 00:19:13,195 Speaker 1: a phony claim of election fraud, or me telling you 263 00:19:13,275 --> 00:19:16,275 Speaker 1: that I thought Trump would try it four and a 264 00:19:16,315 --> 00:19:20,475 Speaker 1: half years before he actually did. Ryan Goodman at just 265 00:19:20,555 --> 00:19:25,115 Speaker 1: Security has Boris Epstein as number three, Bernie Carrick at 266 00:19:25,195 --> 00:19:28,155 Speaker 1: number five, and Phil Waldron at six, and the Washington 267 00:19:28,195 --> 00:19:33,235 Speaker 1: Post separately pursuing this agrees on those two Carrick and Waldron. 268 00:19:34,115 --> 00:19:39,795 Speaker 1: Goodman has false electors at nine through nineteen. I'll need names, sir, 269 00:19:40,115 --> 00:19:44,435 Speaker 1: I will need names. Goodman throws a wrench in at twenty, 270 00:19:44,475 --> 00:19:48,115 Speaker 1: where the COGNISCENTI think it's Patrick Byrne, but he thinks 271 00:19:48,115 --> 00:19:51,555 Speaker 1: it might just be Mike Flynn. After all the others 272 00:19:51,675 --> 00:19:53,995 Speaker 1: are not household names. Though, we have to give a 273 00:19:54,115 --> 00:19:58,715 Speaker 1: tip of the Trumpel Champeau to Goodman's possibilities for number 274 00:19:58,755 --> 00:20:05,355 Speaker 1: twenty seven to election fraud conspiracy Mavens Michael Posposewski or 275 00:20:07,195 --> 00:20:13,875 Speaker 1: Jovan Pulitzer Jovaan Pulleitzer, And you will be happy to 276 00:20:13,955 --> 00:20:19,835 Speaker 1: know that Jovan Pulleitzer is also known by his middle name. 277 00:20:20,355 --> 00:20:28,635 Speaker 1: He is. He is j. Hutton Pulleitzer to his friends, 278 00:20:28,675 --> 00:20:36,955 Speaker 1: of whom he has none certainly not after all. This 279 00:20:37,475 --> 00:20:40,115 Speaker 1: also of interest here. Not only has the state of 280 00:20:40,235 --> 00:20:44,035 Speaker 1: Kansas backed off its raid of the Marian Record newspaper 281 00:20:44,315 --> 00:20:47,675 Speaker 1: and given the paper all of its stuff back, but 282 00:20:47,795 --> 00:20:50,475 Speaker 1: the judge who signed the warrant for the corrupt police 283 00:20:50,555 --> 00:20:53,275 Speaker 1: chief to go in and trash the place has, it 284 00:20:53,355 --> 00:20:58,315 Speaker 1: turns out, a record of past DUIs, one of which 285 00:20:58,395 --> 00:21:02,515 Speaker 1: reportedly came while she was driving with a license that 286 00:21:02,595 --> 00:21:08,315 Speaker 1: had been suspended because of her first dui. So it's 287 00:21:08,355 --> 00:21:11,475 Speaker 1: all better. Now, Yeah, what did they do about the 288 00:21:11,475 --> 00:21:17,155 Speaker 1: publisher who died after the police raided her home? That's next. 289 00:21:17,195 --> 00:21:35,555 Speaker 1: This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Olberman. Time 290 00:21:35,595 --> 00:21:38,155 Speaker 1: now for the daily roundup of the miscreants, morons and 291 00:21:38,235 --> 00:21:46,355 Speaker 1: dunning Krueger effects specimens who constitute today's worst persons in 292 00:21:46,395 --> 00:21:51,795 Speaker 1: the world. The bronze governor Ron DeSantis. It is encouraging 293 00:21:51,835 --> 00:21:53,835 Speaker 1: to see that if you do bad things long enough, 294 00:21:53,835 --> 00:21:55,955 Speaker 1: they will catch up with you, and if you do 295 00:21:56,115 --> 00:21:59,075 Speaker 1: enough bad things long enough, they will consume you. The 296 00:21:59,155 --> 00:22:02,555 Speaker 1: latest jaw dropper from the Kingdom of Fascist Florida. And 297 00:22:02,595 --> 00:22:05,955 Speaker 1: I'm not saying this ranks with teaching kids that slavery 298 00:22:05,995 --> 00:22:11,035 Speaker 1: had the silver lining of promoting good blacksmithing training. But 299 00:22:11,115 --> 00:22:14,555 Speaker 1: it's bad. The Miami New Times reports it. Under a 300 00:22:14,595 --> 00:22:17,275 Speaker 1: new rule adopted last month by the Florida Board of 301 00:22:17,315 --> 00:22:23,795 Speaker 1: Indoctrination Education, parents will have to sign permission slips to 302 00:22:24,035 --> 00:22:29,595 Speaker 1: enable teachers to call their kids by anything other than 303 00:22:29,715 --> 00:22:33,395 Speaker 1: their legal first names. Now you can see where the 304 00:22:33,515 --> 00:22:36,875 Speaker 1: transphobes and the other sikos in Florida are going with this. 305 00:22:37,235 --> 00:22:40,595 Speaker 1: If a transitioning girl wants to be called Amy, and 306 00:22:40,635 --> 00:22:43,755 Speaker 1: her legal name is Andrew. Teachers will have to call 307 00:22:43,795 --> 00:22:49,235 Speaker 1: her Andrew unless the parents approve in writing. But as usual, 308 00:22:49,315 --> 00:22:55,075 Speaker 1: to fulfill their little theocratic fantasies, everybody else suffers. This 309 00:22:55,155 --> 00:22:57,835 Speaker 1: also means that if Thomas wants to be called Tommy, 310 00:22:58,475 --> 00:23:00,875 Speaker 1: parents have to submit a form saying the teachers can 311 00:23:00,915 --> 00:23:03,555 Speaker 1: call him Tommy. What the hell do they do if 312 00:23:03,595 --> 00:23:06,795 Speaker 1: he also wants to be called Tommy some days but 313 00:23:07,155 --> 00:23:12,115 Speaker 1: tom on others because he's a kid. This amendment is 314 00:23:12,155 --> 00:23:15,115 Speaker 1: to strengthen the rights of parents and safeguard their child's 315 00:23:15,195 --> 00:23:20,755 Speaker 1: educational record, said Board of Education spokesperson Gingerbread Tea Hag. 316 00:23:22,075 --> 00:23:26,875 Speaker 1: Gingerbread tea Hag. That's an unusual name. To ensure the 317 00:23:27,035 --> 00:23:31,835 Speaker 1: use of the child's legal name in school. The bronze 318 00:23:32,115 --> 00:23:37,915 Speaker 1: serial Canadian victim doctor Jordan Peterson at his publisher's Penguin Books. 319 00:23:38,555 --> 00:23:41,635 Speaker 1: The paperback edition of his latest whining about how bad 320 00:23:41,795 --> 00:23:46,635 Speaker 1: White men have it in This k Kuel World, contains 321 00:23:46,755 --> 00:23:50,155 Speaker 1: quotes from several reviewers, One of them, James Marriott of 322 00:23:50,235 --> 00:23:54,715 Speaker 1: the Times of London, describes Peterson's book as quote a 323 00:23:54,835 --> 00:23:59,915 Speaker 1: philosophy of the meaning of life, but Marriott wrote that 324 00:23:59,955 --> 00:24:03,755 Speaker 1: Peterson's philosophy of the meaning of life was quote bonkers. 325 00:24:04,315 --> 00:24:09,275 Speaker 1: They out the bonker's part. Marriott hated Peterson's book, so 326 00:24:09,355 --> 00:24:12,315 Speaker 1: they simply edited out the part he hated in his 327 00:24:12,475 --> 00:24:17,315 Speaker 1: review and put it on the jacket. Also about Penguin books, 328 00:24:18,075 --> 00:24:20,515 Speaker 1: these books are not made out of penguins, and they 329 00:24:20,515 --> 00:24:22,995 Speaker 1: are not produced by penguins. So we need to look 330 00:24:22,995 --> 00:24:26,715 Speaker 1: into the name too, don't we. But the winner Laura 331 00:24:26,915 --> 00:24:31,555 Speaker 1: Weyer the eighth Judicial District Magistrate judge who authorized the 332 00:24:31,555 --> 00:24:34,715 Speaker 1: Gestapo style raid on the offices of the Marion County 333 00:24:34,755 --> 00:24:38,915 Speaker 1: Record newspaper, which resulted in all of its electronics being seized, 334 00:24:39,235 --> 00:24:41,995 Speaker 1: and its investigations into the drunk driving record of a 335 00:24:42,035 --> 00:24:46,035 Speaker 1: local restaurateur and the allegations against the town police chief 336 00:24:46,115 --> 00:24:49,835 Speaker 1: being thwarted, and the paper's ninety eight year old publisher 337 00:24:50,075 --> 00:24:52,875 Speaker 1: being at home when they raided her home and then 338 00:24:52,915 --> 00:24:56,835 Speaker 1: she had a seizure and died first. Another judge in 339 00:24:56,915 --> 00:25:00,315 Speaker 1: Kansas ruled yesterday that the warrant that Judge Vyer approved 340 00:25:00,715 --> 00:25:06,435 Speaker 1: was invalid, probably illegal, and unwarranted, and that judge ordered 341 00:25:06,475 --> 00:25:09,995 Speaker 1: everything returned immediately to the Marion County Record, except of course, 342 00:25:09,995 --> 00:25:14,195 Speaker 1: for the publisher since she's dead. Then the Wichita Eagle 343 00:25:14,235 --> 00:25:18,075 Speaker 1: newspaper broke news that Judge Vyr has a little problem. 344 00:25:18,635 --> 00:25:21,355 Speaker 1: She has her own history of drunk driving, and that 345 00:25:21,435 --> 00:25:23,635 Speaker 1: there seems to have been a conspiracy to cover at 346 00:25:23,675 --> 00:25:26,035 Speaker 1: least part of it up. While she was still going 347 00:25:26,075 --> 00:25:28,195 Speaker 1: by the name Laura Allen and she was the lead 348 00:25:28,275 --> 00:25:32,475 Speaker 1: prosecutor in Morris County, Kansas, she was arrested for DUI 349 00:25:32,555 --> 00:25:36,075 Speaker 1: in January twenty twelve. She made a plea deal in 350 00:25:36,115 --> 00:25:38,795 Speaker 1: which she was supposed to go into a diversion program, 351 00:25:39,315 --> 00:25:42,035 Speaker 1: but then she stopped communicating with her lawyer and she 352 00:25:42,115 --> 00:25:45,075 Speaker 1: refused to get an alcohol and drug evaluation, according to 353 00:25:45,115 --> 00:25:49,515 Speaker 1: the paper, so her suspended license was suspended again. And 354 00:25:49,635 --> 00:25:54,355 Speaker 1: that's when in August twenty twelve, she was driving with 355 00:25:54,435 --> 00:25:58,635 Speaker 1: a suspended license and in another judge's car in a 356 00:25:58,635 --> 00:26:02,115 Speaker 1: different county in Kansas, when she rammed that car into 357 00:26:02,155 --> 00:26:05,595 Speaker 1: a school building next to the school football field at 358 00:26:05,635 --> 00:26:09,915 Speaker 1: Council Grove School. The first county apparently never knew about 359 00:26:09,955 --> 00:26:12,635 Speaker 1: the second DUI in the other county, so instead of 360 00:26:12,715 --> 00:26:17,475 Speaker 1: becoming a jail prisoner, Laura Byer became a judge and 361 00:26:17,675 --> 00:26:20,955 Speaker 1: single handedly overruled the first Amendment in this country and 362 00:26:21,075 --> 00:26:24,275 Speaker 1: led to the death of a ninety eight year old woman. Happily, 363 00:26:24,835 --> 00:26:28,515 Speaker 1: the Kansas State Board of Investigation is now taking over 364 00:26:28,595 --> 00:26:31,675 Speaker 1: the whole thing as a criminal case, and hopefully Police 365 00:26:31,755 --> 00:26:34,995 Speaker 1: Chief Gideon Cody winds up in prison and save a 366 00:26:35,115 --> 00:26:39,115 Speaker 1: cell for Judge Laura Er that is yre as in liar, 367 00:26:39,595 --> 00:26:45,555 Speaker 1: because she truly is two days worst person in the world. 368 00:26:56,755 --> 00:26:59,275 Speaker 1: Now a little earlier than usual to the number one 369 00:26:59,315 --> 00:27:01,875 Speaker 1: story on the Countdown and my favorite topic, me and 370 00:27:01,955 --> 00:27:04,315 Speaker 1: things I promised not to tell, and I wanted to 371 00:27:04,395 --> 00:27:09,435 Speaker 1: tell again the story of Meshu. I've mentioned this previously. 372 00:27:10,075 --> 00:27:13,395 Speaker 1: I never had a dog until twenty twelve. I was 373 00:27:13,475 --> 00:27:15,715 Speaker 1: allergic to dogs as a kid, and I still am 374 00:27:15,755 --> 00:27:19,635 Speaker 1: to the big fur dogs. I love them, but about 375 00:27:19,715 --> 00:27:21,995 Speaker 1: half an hour in a closed space with a fur 376 00:27:22,075 --> 00:27:26,595 Speaker 1: dog and I stopped breathing. Also, I was repeatedly warned 377 00:27:26,595 --> 00:27:30,635 Speaker 1: by my allergists over the decades that so called hypoallergenic 378 00:27:30,715 --> 00:27:34,595 Speaker 1: dogs weren't really a thing always and if you had 379 00:27:34,635 --> 00:27:37,195 Speaker 1: a minor reaction to the hair of a poodle or 380 00:27:37,195 --> 00:27:40,075 Speaker 1: a Westie or a Maltese, you were lucky. And if 381 00:27:40,115 --> 00:27:42,355 Speaker 1: you didn't and the dog had to go back. You 382 00:27:42,435 --> 00:27:48,235 Speaker 1: had heartbreak. I didn't, and I was blessed by the 383 00:27:48,275 --> 00:27:54,915 Speaker 1: opposite of heartbreak. And I rapidly realized, no dogs. I 384 00:27:54,995 --> 00:27:57,875 Speaker 1: have wasted the first fifty three years of my existence. 385 00:27:59,115 --> 00:28:03,355 Speaker 1: Then I was born again in dogs. So I've tried 386 00:28:03,395 --> 00:28:05,915 Speaker 1: to make up for the lack of dogs. My gal 387 00:28:06,075 --> 00:28:10,115 Speaker 1: Stevie and I. Yesterday we walked to the Animal Medical 388 00:28:10,115 --> 00:28:12,115 Speaker 1: Center here in New York for her rehab, where she 389 00:28:12,195 --> 00:28:16,555 Speaker 1: goes sometimes in an underwater treadmill to work on her 390 00:28:16,595 --> 00:28:20,675 Speaker 1: two floating kneecaps and her torn acl She couldn't walk 391 00:28:20,715 --> 00:28:23,035 Speaker 1: in April. Now we walk the forty five minutes over 392 00:28:23,075 --> 00:28:25,555 Speaker 1: to rehab. I'm not sure what she's rehabbing, but she 393 00:28:25,675 --> 00:28:29,595 Speaker 1: loves it. Rose, her sister, is nine. She and I 394 00:28:29,595 --> 00:28:31,875 Speaker 1: were out yesterday afternoon. She comes with me to my 395 00:28:31,915 --> 00:28:36,915 Speaker 1: physical therapists, and she is my physical therapist's therapy. I 396 00:28:36,955 --> 00:28:39,715 Speaker 1: had often looked into getting a third dog, and I 397 00:28:39,755 --> 00:28:42,955 Speaker 1: had gotten heavily involved in dog rescue work, and then 398 00:28:42,995 --> 00:28:47,795 Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen, those two streams crossed. I got a 399 00:28:47,795 --> 00:28:50,755 Speaker 1: call from my friend Sue Levitt. She runs the rescue 400 00:28:50,755 --> 00:28:54,195 Speaker 1: part of the American Maltese Association runs it for much 401 00:28:54,195 --> 00:28:57,155 Speaker 1: of the Northeast, and she said, we have something special 402 00:28:57,515 --> 00:28:59,475 Speaker 1: and challenging, and if you don't want to do it, 403 00:28:59,955 --> 00:29:03,155 Speaker 1: I understand. He's a three month old Maltese pop. He 404 00:29:03,195 --> 00:29:06,075 Speaker 1: has a terrible, terrible heart condition. They're not sure if 405 00:29:06,075 --> 00:29:09,035 Speaker 1: he's going to make it past ten months. Could you 406 00:29:09,115 --> 00:29:12,595 Speaker 1: take him? Could you take him over to his heart appointments. 407 00:29:12,835 --> 00:29:15,355 Speaker 1: We'll help pay for it, but could you just give 408 00:29:15,435 --> 00:29:17,875 Speaker 1: him a home and then we'll see what happens. I 409 00:29:17,955 --> 00:29:20,555 Speaker 1: thought about it for about five seconds. I said yes, 410 00:29:21,355 --> 00:29:26,075 Speaker 1: and soon Spaghetti was in my apartment trying to boss 411 00:29:26,195 --> 00:29:28,955 Speaker 1: around Stevie and Rose, and I knew he needed to 412 00:29:28,995 --> 00:29:35,715 Speaker 1: stay and he needed a new name. Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Getty, 413 00:29:37,195 --> 00:29:43,595 Speaker 1: Teddy Ted my dad's name perfect. I was so prepared 414 00:29:43,595 --> 00:29:47,235 Speaker 1: for the worst with Ted that it was July and 415 00:29:47,315 --> 00:29:50,755 Speaker 1: I didn't buy him any stuff for winter. Then I 416 00:29:50,755 --> 00:29:53,315 Speaker 1: took him to the Animal Medical Center here and the cardiologist, 417 00:29:53,355 --> 00:29:55,955 Speaker 1: Dennis Trafney said, he's got a heavy valve in his heart. 418 00:29:56,155 --> 00:30:00,515 Speaker 1: If we don't do anything, he's got five to seven 419 00:30:01,035 --> 00:30:08,355 Speaker 1: years wait years, but with medication that's seven to ten years. 420 00:30:08,355 --> 00:30:10,035 Speaker 1: But I can operate on him I can give him 421 00:30:10,275 --> 00:30:13,155 Speaker 1: probably a normal lifespan, and I'll thread this filament. See 422 00:30:13,155 --> 00:30:15,355 Speaker 1: I'm holding this up. I feed it in through his 423 00:30:15,475 --> 00:30:17,715 Speaker 1: jugular vein and then it goes into his heart. Then 424 00:30:17,755 --> 00:30:20,235 Speaker 1: we stop his heart electrically for like three seconds. We 425 00:30:20,315 --> 00:30:22,075 Speaker 1: push this button on the end of the filament and 426 00:30:22,075 --> 00:30:23,715 Speaker 1: at the other end of the filament, see the tiny 427 00:30:23,755 --> 00:30:26,595 Speaker 1: balloon and it pushes the valve open. And you just 428 00:30:26,675 --> 00:30:28,435 Speaker 1: keep doing it as long as he can stand it. 429 00:30:28,555 --> 00:30:31,595 Speaker 1: It's like knocking the rust off a hinge by just 430 00:30:31,675 --> 00:30:34,275 Speaker 1: continually opening the door again and again. And I said, 431 00:30:35,035 --> 00:30:39,395 Speaker 1: I don't see any filament, and doctor Trapney said sorry, 432 00:30:39,795 --> 00:30:41,875 Speaker 1: and he moved it in front of a black background, 433 00:30:41,915 --> 00:30:46,275 Speaker 1: and there it was. And I said, great, let's try it. 434 00:30:46,315 --> 00:30:48,795 Speaker 1: And then I said, why did they think he was 435 00:30:48,835 --> 00:30:50,715 Speaker 1: not going to make it past ten months when you 436 00:30:50,795 --> 00:30:53,635 Speaker 1: say that he would have had five to seven years anyway. 437 00:30:54,395 --> 00:30:56,595 Speaker 1: And the doctor said, well, if you're a vet, you 438 00:30:56,715 --> 00:31:00,595 Speaker 1: might see this condition once in your career. I operate 439 00:31:00,755 --> 00:31:06,635 Speaker 1: on it about three times a month. It went kind 440 00:31:06,635 --> 00:31:10,235 Speaker 1: of well. Ted just turned five. There is no other 441 00:31:10,235 --> 00:31:12,795 Speaker 1: way to describe Ted. He is a five year old 442 00:31:12,835 --> 00:31:18,315 Speaker 1: boy in a dog's body on walks Ted looks for 443 00:31:18,475 --> 00:31:22,435 Speaker 1: and flirts with all the human girls, especially if they 444 00:31:22,475 --> 00:31:28,235 Speaker 1: are sitting on blankets. He comes over, stretches out, rubs 445 00:31:28,315 --> 00:31:32,435 Speaker 1: up against them in a good way. Ted also barks 446 00:31:32,475 --> 00:31:34,955 Speaker 1: at all dogs bigger than him and then goes up 447 00:31:34,995 --> 00:31:38,035 Speaker 1: and tries to say hi to them. He has his enemies, 448 00:31:38,675 --> 00:31:42,555 Speaker 1: the printer, the plunger, the thunder, and most recently the 449 00:31:42,595 --> 00:31:46,355 Speaker 1: thunders relative of the rain. And there are at least 450 00:31:46,395 --> 00:31:50,835 Speaker 1: a dozen television commercials that Ted can't stand and knows 451 00:31:50,995 --> 00:31:56,315 Speaker 1: by the first sound he hears during them. The operation 452 00:31:56,515 --> 00:31:58,915 Speaker 1: went so well, in fact, that they were about an 453 00:31:58,915 --> 00:32:01,995 Speaker 1: hour late giving him back to me in twenty eighteen, because, 454 00:32:02,035 --> 00:32:04,435 Speaker 1: as the surgical residence said, he'd had to do all 455 00:32:04,475 --> 00:32:07,195 Speaker 1: the tests a second time because he was worried he 456 00:32:07,235 --> 00:32:09,635 Speaker 1: had screwed up the first set of tests because the 457 00:32:09,675 --> 00:32:14,675 Speaker 1: results were too good. If I could have gotten luckier 458 00:32:14,715 --> 00:32:19,235 Speaker 1: given the prognosis with which Ted arrived, I don't know how. 459 00:32:20,755 --> 00:32:27,915 Speaker 1: So when my friend Sue from Maltese Rescue called now 460 00:32:28,555 --> 00:32:32,075 Speaker 1: two years ago and said, I have a really, really 461 00:32:32,115 --> 00:32:34,875 Speaker 1: tough case, and I don't think there's a chance that 462 00:32:34,915 --> 00:32:37,435 Speaker 1: there is going to be an unexpectedly positive outcome like 463 00:32:37,475 --> 00:32:42,075 Speaker 1: we had with Ted. I listened very carefully. This was 464 00:32:42,115 --> 00:32:46,555 Speaker 1: another Maltese puppy, barely three months. The family he was 465 00:32:46,595 --> 00:32:49,275 Speaker 1: born into loved him, but there were two young kids there, 466 00:32:49,315 --> 00:32:51,675 Speaker 1: and frankly the mother thought they were too young to 467 00:32:51,715 --> 00:32:56,115 Speaker 1: watch this little dog die. His name was Mishu, it 468 00:32:56,235 --> 00:33:01,195 Speaker 1: was Polish for little bear, and he had tetrology of fellow. 469 00:33:02,035 --> 00:33:05,635 Speaker 1: If that sounds vaguely familiar in a human, it takes 470 00:33:05,715 --> 00:33:10,995 Speaker 1: surgery that can last twelve hours to correct. Jimmy Kimmel's 471 00:33:10,995 --> 00:33:14,475 Speaker 1: son had it. You may remember it from there. In dogs, 472 00:33:14,515 --> 00:33:18,475 Speaker 1: there have been some early experiments in surgery, very promising, 473 00:33:19,155 --> 00:33:23,715 Speaker 1: but almost exclusively for bigger dogs. If you've ever seen 474 00:33:23,715 --> 00:33:28,275 Speaker 1: the drawings of mc escher, where the same staircase looks 475 00:33:28,315 --> 00:33:30,995 Speaker 1: like it's going up and going down at the same time, 476 00:33:31,235 --> 00:33:34,155 Speaker 1: that is what a heart afflicted with tetrology of fallow 477 00:33:34,275 --> 00:33:37,235 Speaker 1: looks like. There are arteries going over the heart and 478 00:33:37,315 --> 00:33:41,035 Speaker 1: others that take the newly oxygenated blood out of the 479 00:33:41,075 --> 00:33:46,595 Speaker 1: heart in the wrong direction. In August twenty twenty one, 480 00:33:46,635 --> 00:33:50,635 Speaker 1: Mishu arrived here. It's easy to romanticize things like this, 481 00:33:50,795 --> 00:33:53,355 Speaker 1: but there was something magical about him from the first 482 00:33:53,475 --> 00:33:58,675 Speaker 1: day two years ago tomorrow. He was very, very sick. 483 00:33:59,035 --> 00:34:03,355 Speaker 1: His tongue and gums were purple. He wasn't getting enough oxygen, 484 00:34:04,795 --> 00:34:07,435 Speaker 1: was tiny. He was dwarfed by my other three dogs, 485 00:34:07,435 --> 00:34:09,715 Speaker 1: and yet he would start trouble with them. He would 486 00:34:09,795 --> 00:34:13,355 Speaker 1: silently charge Ted, or he'd go up and yap at Stevie, 487 00:34:13,435 --> 00:34:15,955 Speaker 1: and soon he'd get all three of them playing and fighting. 488 00:34:16,675 --> 00:34:19,035 Speaker 1: And that's all the strength he had. A minute, tops, 489 00:34:19,035 --> 00:34:21,555 Speaker 1: and he would have to sit down and watch the 490 00:34:21,675 --> 00:34:25,195 Speaker 1: chaos he had created. And he enjoyed doing that too, 491 00:34:26,675 --> 00:34:30,115 Speaker 1: and he loved it, and he loved them. If two 492 00:34:30,195 --> 00:34:33,035 Speaker 1: of the dogs were lying near each other, but not 493 00:34:33,475 --> 00:34:36,355 Speaker 1: next to each other, not together, Mishu would go and 494 00:34:36,395 --> 00:34:40,315 Speaker 1: lie exactly in the empty space between them, so his 495 00:34:40,475 --> 00:34:43,635 Speaker 1: head rested on one dog and his back paws on 496 00:34:43,675 --> 00:34:46,875 Speaker 1: the other. And soon they would respond to his presence 497 00:34:46,915 --> 00:34:51,275 Speaker 1: by arranging themselves cuddling together, with a space for him 498 00:34:51,275 --> 00:34:55,435 Speaker 1: in between. Once I was stretched out legs up on 499 00:34:55,555 --> 00:34:59,195 Speaker 1: my couch and the four of them climbed in, two 500 00:34:59,195 --> 00:35:01,475 Speaker 1: of them by my feet, two of them by my knees. 501 00:35:02,275 --> 00:35:04,475 Speaker 1: I called Mishu's name, and he turned up and looked 502 00:35:04,515 --> 00:35:07,835 Speaker 1: at me with a look of I have to say satisfaction, 503 00:35:08,955 --> 00:35:11,555 Speaker 1: and then the four of them almost simultaneously fell asleep. 504 00:35:11,595 --> 00:35:15,835 Speaker 1: There such a simple thing, and yet it easily remains 505 00:35:15,835 --> 00:35:20,115 Speaker 1: one of the most extraordinary and wonderful moments of my life. 506 00:35:20,195 --> 00:35:23,155 Speaker 1: And I prayed that night and not for the last time, 507 00:35:23,235 --> 00:35:25,795 Speaker 1: that if there was no miracle meant for Mishu, that 508 00:35:25,875 --> 00:35:28,795 Speaker 1: at least when he left us, it would be while 509 00:35:28,835 --> 00:35:32,515 Speaker 1: he was in my arms. And by the way, Mishu 510 00:35:32,635 --> 00:35:35,715 Speaker 1: was an athlete. He just was an athlete who had 511 00:35:35,755 --> 00:35:38,635 Speaker 1: no stamina. In the pen, I would keep him in 512 00:35:38,675 --> 00:35:40,995 Speaker 1: for his own safety. When I had to go out, 513 00:35:41,235 --> 00:35:43,795 Speaker 1: Mishu would get up on his hind legs and stand 514 00:35:44,555 --> 00:35:47,715 Speaker 1: or try to get out. And once he did get out, 515 00:35:48,115 --> 00:35:51,235 Speaker 1: he trotted confidently around my place. And he loved to 516 00:35:51,315 --> 00:35:55,035 Speaker 1: move and run and play, and then he'd have to stop. 517 00:35:56,475 --> 00:36:00,795 Speaker 1: Mishu also enjoyed food as much as any dog or 518 00:36:00,835 --> 00:36:05,155 Speaker 1: any human I have ever known. He gained nearly a 519 00:36:05,235 --> 00:36:07,475 Speaker 1: pound a month while he was with me. If you 520 00:36:07,555 --> 00:36:11,075 Speaker 1: approached him with a treat, he would literally punch the 521 00:36:11,115 --> 00:36:13,675 Speaker 1: air with one of his front legs, like an athlete 522 00:36:13,715 --> 00:36:17,195 Speaker 1: celebrating a success, and often with one front leg, and 523 00:36:17,235 --> 00:36:20,875 Speaker 1: then the other like they were exultant fists, and the 524 00:36:20,915 --> 00:36:24,355 Speaker 1: sheer joy of that never failed to make me smile 525 00:36:24,515 --> 00:36:27,995 Speaker 1: and laugh. Put him on his back next to you, 526 00:36:28,675 --> 00:36:31,035 Speaker 1: jab a finger at his paws, and you would be 527 00:36:31,115 --> 00:36:35,035 Speaker 1: in a boxing match with a four pound puppy who 528 00:36:35,155 --> 00:36:39,155 Speaker 1: loved to duke it out with you. You always knew 529 00:36:39,155 --> 00:36:41,435 Speaker 1: when the fight was over, though michhe would stop throwing 530 00:36:41,515 --> 00:36:45,395 Speaker 1: hands or pause and simply take his front paws and 531 00:36:45,515 --> 00:36:50,035 Speaker 1: grab your finger and hold it. He once did this 532 00:36:50,155 --> 00:36:54,475 Speaker 1: with me for a solid minute. I have never felt 533 00:36:54,515 --> 00:36:59,115 Speaker 1: more as if I were truly communicating with any dog. 534 00:37:00,635 --> 00:37:05,195 Speaker 1: He was an extraordinarily happy puppy, even then he felt 535 00:37:05,195 --> 00:37:09,795 Speaker 1: bad physically, and those were harrowing times. Mishi would be 536 00:37:09,835 --> 00:37:12,555 Speaker 1: sitting on my lap usually or walking on the floor, 537 00:37:12,595 --> 00:37:15,075 Speaker 1: just chilling with the other dogs, when he would suddenly 538 00:37:15,115 --> 00:37:19,355 Speaker 1: tense up, sometimes letting out a cry, and twice that 539 00:37:19,475 --> 00:37:22,275 Speaker 1: cry was like that of a young human boy, so 540 00:37:22,435 --> 00:37:26,555 Speaker 1: startling that the other dogs stopped and stared with what 541 00:37:26,635 --> 00:37:30,795 Speaker 1: could genuinely be described as a look of alarm. Most times, 542 00:37:30,835 --> 00:37:33,795 Speaker 1: the tensing was my cue to grab him and hold 543 00:37:33,875 --> 00:37:37,275 Speaker 1: him tight. That inability to get oxygen to all the 544 00:37:37,275 --> 00:37:40,115 Speaker 1: parts of his body would cause his body to contract 545 00:37:40,155 --> 00:37:43,115 Speaker 1: and writhe and if he was on any surface other 546 00:37:43,195 --> 00:37:46,675 Speaker 1: than the ground, it could literally propel him to the floor. 547 00:37:47,435 --> 00:37:52,355 Speaker 1: The contraction threw him around. The first time he did that, 548 00:37:52,395 --> 00:37:54,835 Speaker 1: my veterinarian was here and she said, you may have 549 00:37:54,875 --> 00:37:57,155 Speaker 1: to take him to the emergency room. She said it 550 00:37:57,195 --> 00:37:59,635 Speaker 1: was essentially what a dog does just before it faints, 551 00:38:00,835 --> 00:38:04,635 Speaker 1: and then within seconds it would stop. His body would relax, 552 00:38:04,875 --> 00:38:07,235 Speaker 1: and more or less by accident, I also discovered that 553 00:38:07,315 --> 00:38:10,115 Speaker 1: after one of these seizures he seemed to be soothed 554 00:38:10,555 --> 00:38:15,195 Speaker 1: if I carried him and walked him around, gently rocking 555 00:38:15,275 --> 00:38:18,675 Speaker 1: him in my arms and whistling at him or talking 556 00:38:18,715 --> 00:38:24,675 Speaker 1: to him as I walked, He and I solved a 557 00:38:24,755 --> 00:38:27,995 Speaker 1: lot of the world's problems in those little walks out 558 00:38:27,995 --> 00:38:30,555 Speaker 1: in the fresh air, on the balcony or just around 559 00:38:30,595 --> 00:38:34,035 Speaker 1: the house. He would often doze off, but just as 560 00:38:34,075 --> 00:38:36,515 Speaker 1: often would within minutes be ready to start playing again. 561 00:38:37,995 --> 00:38:40,915 Speaker 1: And so I had in my little flock of lovely dogs, 562 00:38:41,275 --> 00:38:45,435 Speaker 1: a sweet, wise, serene, playful puppy who liked to grasp 563 00:38:45,515 --> 00:38:49,355 Speaker 1: my fingers with his paws and loved everything about life, 564 00:38:50,475 --> 00:38:56,115 Speaker 1: and there was no escaping it. He was dying well, 565 00:38:56,715 --> 00:38:59,875 Speaker 1: I could not not try to find out if there 566 00:38:59,955 --> 00:39:03,995 Speaker 1: was something to be done to make his life longer, 567 00:39:04,315 --> 00:39:10,235 Speaker 1: or ease or happier. What we tried to do when 568 00:39:10,275 --> 00:39:13,955 Speaker 1: I resumed the story that began a year ago tomorrow 569 00:39:14,835 --> 00:39:20,995 Speaker 1: the story of Mishu next resuming now the story of 570 00:39:21,035 --> 00:39:24,595 Speaker 1: my Maltese puppy, Michu. His heart so bad that it 571 00:39:24,675 --> 00:39:28,675 Speaker 1: pumped oxygenated blood the wrong way and limited him to 572 00:39:28,795 --> 00:39:32,475 Speaker 1: brief bursts of energy, And how he never really knew 573 00:39:32,515 --> 00:39:34,435 Speaker 1: how sick he was, or that he had been dealt 574 00:39:34,475 --> 00:39:37,755 Speaker 1: such a bad, tragic hand, and how he just took 575 00:39:37,795 --> 00:39:42,355 Speaker 1: the life he was given and loved and was loved. 576 00:39:44,475 --> 00:39:47,995 Speaker 1: Of course, I knew what sadness this was, this special 577 00:39:48,075 --> 00:39:50,595 Speaker 1: soul trapped in a body that would betray him at 578 00:39:50,635 --> 00:39:53,795 Speaker 1: any time and fatally, so I had to at least 579 00:39:53,835 --> 00:39:57,155 Speaker 1: try to see if something could keep him here longer, 580 00:39:57,875 --> 00:40:01,835 Speaker 1: or at least make him feel better. We went to 581 00:40:01,875 --> 00:40:06,235 Speaker 1: see the city's top cardiologist for dogs, and there wasn't 582 00:40:06,315 --> 00:40:10,715 Speaker 1: anything to do. Although he thought keeping the cans of 583 00:40:10,795 --> 00:40:13,955 Speaker 1: a minute's worth of oxygen that you sometimes see football 584 00:40:13,955 --> 00:40:16,915 Speaker 1: players breathing from on the sidelines, he thought those might 585 00:40:16,995 --> 00:40:20,155 Speaker 1: help a little when he would have these little pre feints. 586 00:40:21,275 --> 00:40:24,075 Speaker 1: Soon I had dozens of those cans in a hall closet, 587 00:40:24,195 --> 00:40:28,115 Speaker 1: and I was discussing building him an oxygen tent. But 588 00:40:28,235 --> 00:40:31,795 Speaker 1: ultimately the problem wasn't his breathing. He was breathing fine, 589 00:40:31,875 --> 00:40:34,875 Speaker 1: He got all the oxygen he would normally need. It 590 00:40:34,995 --> 00:40:38,435 Speaker 1: was finding some way to get the oxygen pumped by 591 00:40:38,475 --> 00:40:43,955 Speaker 1: his fatally flawed heart, to carry the oxygen in the 592 00:40:43,995 --> 00:40:47,035 Speaker 1: blood around his body, and there was no way to 593 00:40:47,115 --> 00:40:52,315 Speaker 1: do that. The median age of survival for dogs suffering 594 00:40:52,315 --> 00:40:57,795 Speaker 1: from tetrology of fallow was just about two years. The 595 00:40:57,835 --> 00:41:00,555 Speaker 1: cardiologist brought up me Shue's case on a board of 596 00:41:00,595 --> 00:41:06,595 Speaker 1: international experts in canine cardiac care, and they read that unfortunately, 597 00:41:07,235 --> 00:41:11,315 Speaker 1: there was no chance he could survive any operation, let 598 00:41:11,355 --> 00:41:16,035 Speaker 1: alone experimental surgery for this devastating malformation. He could not 599 00:41:16,195 --> 00:41:20,875 Speaker 1: survive the anesthesia, let alone six, eight, ten, twelve hours 600 00:41:20,915 --> 00:41:26,795 Speaker 1: of surgery. Thus, the visits to the hospital turned out 601 00:41:26,835 --> 00:41:29,635 Speaker 1: to be more about letting people there who I knew, 602 00:41:29,795 --> 00:41:32,915 Speaker 1: meet him and hold him. And I can tell you 603 00:41:32,995 --> 00:41:37,195 Speaker 1: there was an extraordinary soothing quality to holding him. I 604 00:41:37,235 --> 00:41:39,995 Speaker 1: heard it from these people again and again, what a 605 00:41:40,035 --> 00:41:46,595 Speaker 1: special little soul, and he loved to be held. I 606 00:41:46,635 --> 00:41:48,475 Speaker 1: took him everywhere they would let me take him. He 607 00:41:48,515 --> 00:41:51,155 Speaker 1: was a regular at my weekly physical therapy for my 608 00:41:51,315 --> 00:41:55,195 Speaker 1: arthritic joints. My therapist adored him. She would just hold 609 00:41:55,275 --> 00:41:58,595 Speaker 1: him and tell him stories. Took him to the apple 610 00:41:58,675 --> 00:42:02,915 Speaker 1: store once that he did not like. He went for 611 00:42:02,995 --> 00:42:05,315 Speaker 1: walks with me and the other dogs, but always in 612 00:42:05,355 --> 00:42:07,715 Speaker 1: a bag draped over my shoulder. He did not have 613 00:42:07,795 --> 00:42:10,755 Speaker 1: the stamina to walk for very long, but he enjoyed 614 00:42:10,795 --> 00:42:13,955 Speaker 1: the outdoors. He enjoyed the park. He enjoyed the other dogs. 615 00:42:13,995 --> 00:42:16,155 Speaker 1: He enjoyed the people who would come up and say 616 00:42:16,155 --> 00:42:22,235 Speaker 1: hello to him. The inevitable finally came this time last year. 617 00:42:23,115 --> 00:42:29,675 Speaker 1: Throughout the last week, the little pre feints increased, but 618 00:42:29,795 --> 00:42:33,835 Speaker 1: Mishu's happiness did not decrease. Two days before the end, 619 00:42:34,515 --> 00:42:37,315 Speaker 1: I approached him with a treat and my camera phone rolling, 620 00:42:37,395 --> 00:42:40,275 Speaker 1: and sure enough he punched with the left, and he 621 00:42:40,315 --> 00:42:42,915 Speaker 1: punched with the right, and he ate the treat, and 622 00:42:42,955 --> 00:42:45,235 Speaker 1: he licked his purple lips. And when I surprised him 623 00:42:45,235 --> 00:42:50,835 Speaker 1: with a second treat, he did it all again. Sometime 624 00:42:50,875 --> 00:42:55,715 Speaker 1: a year ago, I was sound asleep. The dogs sleep 625 00:42:55,795 --> 00:43:01,835 Speaker 1: with me. And in my dreams somebody or something was 626 00:43:01,955 --> 00:43:07,475 Speaker 1: breathing in my ear. Well, of course it was Mishu. 627 00:43:07,995 --> 00:43:12,875 Speaker 1: He had figured out how to wake me. He had 628 00:43:12,915 --> 00:43:16,755 Speaker 1: to go to the bathroom. He knew enough to tell 629 00:43:16,795 --> 00:43:19,835 Speaker 1: me that he knew enough to wake me, to get 630 00:43:19,835 --> 00:43:23,075 Speaker 1: me to get him down, and he had to get 631 00:43:23,115 --> 00:43:30,595 Speaker 1: some water. On the afternoon of the twelfth of November, 632 00:43:30,675 --> 00:43:33,195 Speaker 1: a year ago, Saturday, I was holding Mishu in my 633 00:43:33,315 --> 00:43:35,755 Speaker 1: lap as I sat and looked at the peak foliage 634 00:43:35,795 --> 00:43:38,875 Speaker 1: in the park out the window. With no warning, he 635 00:43:38,955 --> 00:43:43,675 Speaker 1: suddenly let out that near human cry. The other dog's 636 00:43:43,835 --> 00:43:47,235 Speaker 1: frozey in place. I stood up and walked him around 637 00:43:47,275 --> 00:43:50,475 Speaker 1: the balcony again. I had to sit him down in 638 00:43:50,515 --> 00:43:52,395 Speaker 1: his pen for a second, and I was just picking 639 00:43:52,435 --> 00:43:54,475 Speaker 1: him back up when he tensed up, just like all 640 00:43:54,515 --> 00:44:00,435 Speaker 1: the other times. His body got rigid and twisted, and 641 00:44:00,515 --> 00:44:04,635 Speaker 1: he died. He died as I picked him back up. 642 00:44:07,635 --> 00:44:12,635 Speaker 1: The special little soul was gone. His body was getting 643 00:44:12,675 --> 00:44:16,475 Speaker 1: cold with stunning rapidity, and something inside me said, no, 644 00:44:16,595 --> 00:44:22,915 Speaker 1: not yet. I'm not ready. And I don't know why, 645 00:44:22,915 --> 00:44:26,995 Speaker 1: but I don't think he's ready. And with no training 646 00:44:27,075 --> 00:44:30,075 Speaker 1: and no earthly clue, what I was doing. I tried 647 00:44:30,155 --> 00:44:33,395 Speaker 1: CPR on him. You have to try, You have to try. 648 00:44:36,555 --> 00:44:38,595 Speaker 1: I had so little idea what I was doing that 649 00:44:38,715 --> 00:44:41,875 Speaker 1: after breathing air in and out of his lifeless body, 650 00:44:41,955 --> 00:44:43,915 Speaker 1: I moved my face away as if I was going 651 00:44:43,955 --> 00:44:46,875 Speaker 1: to spit out water before I had to remind myself, 652 00:44:46,915 --> 00:44:50,515 Speaker 1: no moron, that would be if he was drowning. I 653 00:44:50,595 --> 00:44:54,435 Speaker 1: must have done five or six breaths. When I heard 654 00:44:54,475 --> 00:44:58,235 Speaker 1: him exhale. I waited for it to stop or to 655 00:44:58,275 --> 00:45:02,835 Speaker 1: be a false alarm. It wasn't damned if this little 656 00:45:02,875 --> 00:45:05,875 Speaker 1: dog didn't somehow teach me how how to resuscitate him. 657 00:45:08,035 --> 00:45:13,275 Speaker 1: He was dead, and now he was back. I didn't 658 00:45:13,275 --> 00:45:15,795 Speaker 1: delude myself that this was going to last very long, 659 00:45:18,115 --> 00:45:20,395 Speaker 1: and the circumstances could not have been worse. It was 660 00:45:20,435 --> 00:45:23,395 Speaker 1: a rush hour on a Friday afternoon, and there was 661 00:45:23,435 --> 00:45:27,595 Speaker 1: a bottleneck and a bridge approach between Michu and I 662 00:45:27,795 --> 00:45:30,555 Speaker 1: and the hospital. And I had visions of being stuck 663 00:45:30,595 --> 00:45:33,755 Speaker 1: in traffic for half an hour or longer, and almost 664 00:45:33,795 --> 00:45:36,635 Speaker 1: nothing they could do for him if we somehow got 665 00:45:36,675 --> 00:45:41,475 Speaker 1: there in time. But you have to try, you have 666 00:45:41,715 --> 00:45:45,515 Speaker 1: to try. I loaded a bag full of those cans 667 00:45:45,555 --> 00:45:48,795 Speaker 1: of oxygen. I grabbed him. I got in the car. 668 00:45:48,995 --> 00:45:51,755 Speaker 1: The driver realized my distress and asked me what he 669 00:45:51,755 --> 00:45:54,075 Speaker 1: could do to help, and I said, don't run any lights, 670 00:45:54,395 --> 00:45:56,715 Speaker 1: but do not stop unless you have to. And when 671 00:45:56,755 --> 00:45:59,995 Speaker 1: you do stop, help me unwrap some of these plastic 672 00:46:00,115 --> 00:46:04,595 Speaker 1: wrapped oxygen cans. The oxygen cans are what are keeping 673 00:46:04,755 --> 00:46:11,195 Speaker 1: him alive. Normal trip twenty minutes. We made it in 674 00:46:11,475 --> 00:46:17,635 Speaker 1: eleven minutes. The streets parted for Mishu. At the animal 675 00:46:17,675 --> 00:46:21,835 Speaker 1: medical center, somehow I ran up the stairs. I handed 676 00:46:21,915 --> 00:46:24,875 Speaker 1: him off to the emergency room doctor, saying with an evenness, 677 00:46:24,915 --> 00:46:28,995 Speaker 1: I could not believe I was mustering. My dog is dying. 678 00:46:29,315 --> 00:46:33,955 Speaker 1: He has tetrology of fallow. She ran off with him 679 00:46:33,995 --> 00:46:36,395 Speaker 1: to an examining room, and a second doctor came out, 680 00:46:36,995 --> 00:46:40,635 Speaker 1: and I briefed her on everything, including Mishu's human like 681 00:46:40,715 --> 00:46:45,755 Speaker 1: cry and his unexpected resuscitation. And I told her he 682 00:46:45,875 --> 00:46:49,275 Speaker 1: had been seen by the chief cardiologist there, and she said, 683 00:46:50,195 --> 00:46:53,595 Speaker 1: doctor Fox, Doctor Fox is here, and now Mishu was 684 00:46:53,635 --> 00:46:57,035 Speaker 1: being worked on by the expert in the field. And 685 00:46:57,115 --> 00:47:00,715 Speaker 1: despite all of this good fortune, I knew, I knew 686 00:47:01,835 --> 00:47:07,635 Speaker 1: there was no hope. I had managed to text Sue 687 00:47:07,635 --> 00:47:10,955 Speaker 1: from the Maltese rescue who adored him, and she came 688 00:47:10,995 --> 00:47:14,835 Speaker 1: to the hospital, and three of the people from other 689 00:47:14,915 --> 00:47:18,795 Speaker 1: departments in the hospital who had met Mishu came down 690 00:47:18,995 --> 00:47:26,715 Speaker 1: to see him, not for my sake, for his. It 691 00:47:26,795 --> 00:47:30,955 Speaker 1: was heart bringing and heartwarming at the same time. And 692 00:47:31,115 --> 00:47:33,475 Speaker 1: when his doctor came to me and said, he is alive, 693 00:47:33,875 --> 00:47:36,435 Speaker 1: but if you take him out of the hospital, you'd 694 00:47:36,435 --> 00:47:38,595 Speaker 1: get about as far as the parking garage, and then 695 00:47:38,635 --> 00:47:40,555 Speaker 1: you'd have to bring him back because what you heard 696 00:47:40,555 --> 00:47:44,275 Speaker 1: when he cried out was a stroke. The oxygen deprivation 697 00:47:44,635 --> 00:47:46,555 Speaker 1: was finally too much for him. He had a stroke, 698 00:47:47,715 --> 00:47:50,795 Speaker 1: and he began to gently prepare me for the question 699 00:47:50,875 --> 00:47:56,715 Speaker 1: about letting him go, and I stopped him and I said, 700 00:47:56,755 --> 00:48:01,995 Speaker 1: I know we've all done everything we can, Mishu, especially 701 00:48:05,675 --> 00:48:12,755 Speaker 1: ready when you are. So they brought him back to me, 702 00:48:13,195 --> 00:48:15,995 Speaker 1: a little drip attached to his arm, and when the 703 00:48:16,035 --> 00:48:18,875 Speaker 1: toggle on the drip was thrown, the medication would end 704 00:48:18,915 --> 00:48:25,395 Speaker 1: his life. He was as warm and as soft as 705 00:48:25,595 --> 00:48:30,675 Speaker 1: ever in my arms, and yet I knew he was 706 00:48:30,675 --> 00:48:34,755 Speaker 1: no longer there. Sue held him for a while too, 707 00:48:36,195 --> 00:48:44,395 Speaker 1: and then everybody left me alone with him. I said, 708 00:48:46,955 --> 00:48:50,075 Speaker 1: what you would expect somebody to say in such a 709 00:48:50,115 --> 00:49:02,155 Speaker 1: circumstance about love and happiness. And then I heard myself 710 00:49:02,155 --> 00:49:06,035 Speaker 1: saying things about gratitude, gratitude to him for teaching me 711 00:49:06,475 --> 00:49:09,435 Speaker 1: that in the face of death, the point is to 712 00:49:09,515 --> 00:49:13,635 Speaker 1: know when to try and when to say enough, and 713 00:49:13,675 --> 00:49:15,635 Speaker 1: that he had taught me how to confront death and 714 00:49:15,715 --> 00:49:21,995 Speaker 1: crisis and urgency with evenness and practicality that I never 715 00:49:22,235 --> 00:49:26,555 Speaker 1: knew I had in any quantity whatsoever, And to be 716 00:49:26,715 --> 00:49:32,915 Speaker 1: able to say, I know you had a happy life, Michu, 717 00:49:34,115 --> 00:49:37,035 Speaker 1: and it seems like that, and not the fact that 718 00:49:37,075 --> 00:49:41,155 Speaker 1: you had a happy life but not a long one. 719 00:49:41,275 --> 00:49:47,275 Speaker 1: The happy life is all that mattered to you. The cardiologist, 720 00:49:47,555 --> 00:49:52,035 Speaker 1: doctor Fox and the tech came back into the room 721 00:49:53,515 --> 00:49:56,315 Speaker 1: at this point, and I said I was ready, and 722 00:49:56,475 --> 00:50:01,875 Speaker 1: they turned the toggle and left very quietly. And I 723 00:50:01,915 --> 00:50:04,475 Speaker 1: said to Michu, I know if there is a place 724 00:50:04,515 --> 00:50:07,235 Speaker 1: for you to go now, I am certain you will 725 00:50:07,235 --> 00:50:10,395 Speaker 1: be the first one they let in. I just hope 726 00:50:11,275 --> 00:50:14,555 Speaker 1: they will let me visit you there someday, and I 727 00:50:14,595 --> 00:50:22,275 Speaker 1: hope you will remember us. I said, good night's sweet 728 00:50:22,315 --> 00:50:25,875 Speaker 1: prints and flights of angels sing me to thy rest, 729 00:50:29,795 --> 00:50:35,955 Speaker 1: and he was gone again. As I had prayed when 730 00:50:35,995 --> 00:50:42,035 Speaker 1: he died. Mishu died in my arms, and he managed 731 00:50:42,235 --> 00:50:50,475 Speaker 1: somehow to do it twice. There are some postscripts. Mishu's 732 00:50:50,515 --> 00:50:54,515 Speaker 1: cardiologist very solemnly returned and respectfully said that of those 733 00:50:54,555 --> 00:50:58,275 Speaker 1: international experts who had reviewed his case and were deeply 734 00:50:58,315 --> 00:51:02,395 Speaker 1: saddened that they could not help him, only two out 735 00:51:02,435 --> 00:51:05,195 Speaker 1: of a couple of dozen had actually seen and been 736 00:51:05,235 --> 00:51:10,315 Speaker 1: able to study any small dog suffering from tetrology of fallow, 737 00:51:10,715 --> 00:51:14,515 Speaker 1: and Mishu might have one final blessing for them and 738 00:51:14,595 --> 00:51:17,595 Speaker 1: the rest of us if they could keep and study 739 00:51:17,635 --> 00:51:22,315 Speaker 1: his poor little malformed heart without hesitation. I said yes, 740 00:51:22,755 --> 00:51:27,355 Speaker 1: because in that instance I saw him positioning his head 741 00:51:27,835 --> 00:51:31,875 Speaker 1: on Stevie's head, and his back paws on Rose's backpaws, 742 00:51:32,235 --> 00:51:34,395 Speaker 1: so the three of them were cuddling together, and I knew, 743 00:51:34,395 --> 00:51:37,235 Speaker 1: as I had always known, this was a dog who 744 00:51:37,275 --> 00:51:43,235 Speaker 1: cared about and actually loved other dogs. So the hospital 745 00:51:43,275 --> 00:51:46,715 Speaker 1: wound up recalibrating some of the cameras they had that 746 00:51:46,755 --> 00:51:51,115 Speaker 1: they used to photograph the smallest teeth in the smallest dogs, 747 00:51:51,955 --> 00:51:55,635 Speaker 1: so they could get every imaginable image of Mishu's tiny 748 00:51:55,675 --> 00:52:00,955 Speaker 1: heart and maybe someday learn methods with which to fix 749 00:52:01,035 --> 00:52:08,075 Speaker 1: this nightmare in another dog, and Mishu is in the 750 00:52:08,155 --> 00:52:14,155 Speaker 1: veterinary textbooks. Now. As a second PostScript, Mishu's parents had 751 00:52:14,195 --> 00:52:19,235 Speaker 1: another litter late last year after he died, and their 752 00:52:19,315 --> 00:52:21,955 Speaker 1: human was kind enough to offer me either of the brothers. 753 00:52:21,955 --> 00:52:26,595 Speaker 1: Mishu would never know. Each was eerily reminiscent of him, 754 00:52:27,475 --> 00:52:33,915 Speaker 1: but healthy, completely healthy, so healthy that they were threats 755 00:52:33,995 --> 00:52:36,555 Speaker 1: to my other three dogs. I had each of them 756 00:52:36,595 --> 00:52:38,155 Speaker 1: live a week with us, and I would have been 757 00:52:38,155 --> 00:52:42,275 Speaker 1: fine with each other. They liked me fine, but each 758 00:52:42,315 --> 00:52:45,195 Speaker 1: of them first bit ted in the genitals, and then 759 00:52:45,235 --> 00:52:47,875 Speaker 1: Stevie in the genitals, and rose in the genitals, and 760 00:52:47,915 --> 00:52:51,355 Speaker 1: in one case me in the genitals. They were crazy, 761 00:52:52,235 --> 00:52:56,555 Speaker 1: fun but crazy. And the second one was not only 762 00:52:56,595 --> 00:53:00,955 Speaker 1: twice as large as other Maltese his age, he was 763 00:53:00,995 --> 00:53:04,395 Speaker 1: able to vault out of his pen like an Olympic gymnast. 764 00:53:06,915 --> 00:53:09,395 Speaker 1: So they went back and now have their own homes 765 00:53:10,155 --> 00:53:14,395 Speaker 1: where they are the only dogs in their own homes. 766 00:53:16,155 --> 00:53:20,955 Speaker 1: So the third PostScript, when Sue from Maltese Rescue reached 767 00:53:20,955 --> 00:53:24,755 Speaker 1: out again this past June and said, I've got another 768 00:53:24,795 --> 00:53:30,035 Speaker 1: special case, fifteen year old, perfect health but rotting teeth, 769 00:53:30,115 --> 00:53:34,235 Speaker 1: and he has dementia. His human got sick and didn't 770 00:53:34,235 --> 00:53:36,595 Speaker 1: really take care of him, and then she died, and 771 00:53:36,675 --> 00:53:38,315 Speaker 1: I don't know what to do. Who's going to adopt 772 00:53:38,355 --> 00:53:44,555 Speaker 1: a fifteen year old? I was able to raise my hand. 773 00:53:45,355 --> 00:53:49,315 Speaker 1: I had an open roster spot. The fifteen year old's 774 00:53:49,355 --> 00:53:52,995 Speaker 1: name is Minae. It's French for kitty. I can't imagine 775 00:53:52,995 --> 00:53:56,635 Speaker 1: what confusion that's caused him all these years. His human 776 00:53:56,635 --> 00:54:01,035 Speaker 1: had been a French teacher. He actually didn't have dementia, 777 00:54:01,115 --> 00:54:03,475 Speaker 1: or at least not very much dementia. It was those teeth. 778 00:54:04,875 --> 00:54:07,515 Speaker 1: His teeth was so bad, so rotten. Some of them 779 00:54:07,555 --> 00:54:09,875 Speaker 1: came out by just pulling on them with your fingers. 780 00:54:10,835 --> 00:54:13,595 Speaker 1: So we had them all taken out. And the next 781 00:54:13,675 --> 00:54:15,715 Speaker 1: day he woke up like he was seven years old, 782 00:54:15,795 --> 00:54:18,715 Speaker 1: looked around like how long have these other dogs been here? 783 00:54:19,755 --> 00:54:23,355 Speaker 1: Every day since then, he's gotten a little younger. He's 784 00:54:23,435 --> 00:54:28,475 Speaker 1: Benjamin Button and he's a living instruction. Look out for 785 00:54:28,595 --> 00:54:31,195 Speaker 1: your dog's teeth. Even if you think you know to 786 00:54:31,275 --> 00:54:39,515 Speaker 1: do that, do it more. The last PostScript, I got 787 00:54:39,595 --> 00:54:44,555 Speaker 1: the tattoo a month after me Shu died. His pensive, 788 00:54:44,795 --> 00:54:49,075 Speaker 1: half smiling little face looks up at me from near 789 00:54:49,115 --> 00:54:51,195 Speaker 1: the crook of my elbow, where he used to sit 790 00:54:52,075 --> 00:54:54,235 Speaker 1: when I would carry him around after one of those 791 00:54:55,035 --> 00:55:00,595 Speaker 1: pre feints. It is a remarkable likeness to me. It 792 00:55:00,715 --> 00:55:03,595 Speaker 1: means exactly what you would think. It means. It comforts 793 00:55:03,635 --> 00:55:11,355 Speaker 1: me lightly. It means me Shoe is always with me 794 00:55:15,355 --> 00:55:25,195 Speaker 1: and always will be with me. And now, as this 795 00:55:25,395 --> 00:55:32,235 Speaker 1: unwanted but not tragic anniversary approaches, Meshu will also, I hope, 796 00:55:33,755 --> 00:55:40,435 Speaker 1: always be with you. Countdown with Keith Olderman is a 797 00:55:40,475 --> 00:55:45,275 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 798 00:55:45,315 --> 00:55:49,875 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.