1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:05,199 Speaker 1: I am thrilled this evening live from El Paso, Texas 2 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: Congressman Beto O'Rourke, great American patriot and important voice. I 3 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: think as people join us, you still hold the record 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:20,639 Speaker 1: for the most votes ever for a Democrat in the 5 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: state of Texas. 6 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,240 Speaker 2: I think that might be right. Certainly it was true 7 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 2: in twenty eighteen. The other distinction that I love from 8 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: the campaign and all the people who worked on it 9 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 2: was it was the first Democrat to win the five 10 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 2: major metro areas and surrounding counties in Texas since LBJ 11 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: did it in sixty four. So there was a real 12 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 2: resurgence in that campaign in not just Democratic party power, 13 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 2: but in people who had checked out of politics for 14 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 2: whatever reason, didn't feel like the institutions or the system 15 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 2: or the parties were working for them, who came out, 16 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 2: took a chance and got involved. And though we didn't 17 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 2: beat Ted Cruz, and I'm forever sorry for that, I 18 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 2: do think good things have continued to roll from that 19 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 2: campaign in twenty eighteen, not necessarily for me, but just 20 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 2: for Texas and what is possible politically. And we may 21 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 2: get into that in the conversation, but yeah, that was 22 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 2: a great campaign. 23 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: JB. Pritsker, the governor of Illinois, gave a very important speech, 24 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: I would argue the most effective response we have seen 25 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:38,119 Speaker 1: thus far from any elected Democrat anywhere in the country. 26 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: He did it from the Illinois State Legislature in Springfield, 27 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: Illinois that he talked about. The things that he talked 28 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: about I think were of important and obvious consequence. But 29 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: there is a line in Governor Pritzker's speech where he says, 30 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: I am not rising because of my ambitions, but rather 31 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,119 Speaker 1: because of my obligations. And what I want to say 32 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: to everybody as people are getting on and we're now 33 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: north of one thousand people with us and continuing to climb, 34 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: so we get ready to start the conversation, is that 35 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: you just heard better A. Rourke say that, Hey, I 36 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: lost that race to Ted Cruz and I'm sorry for that. 37 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: And let me just say there's no apology needed. What 38 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 1: you have for me is the deepest respect and admiration. 39 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: And what I want everybody on this call to understand 40 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: is the courage it takes to put your name on 41 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: that ballot and to stand in that arena, particularly in 42 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: a state where your opponent gets to run downhill with 43 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: no backpack, and you have to run uphill with a 44 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: heavy backpack. They get to do it on a nice 45 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: paved track. You have to do it on a dirt, 46 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: rocky mountain laiden path. And so when we talk about 47 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: the concept of being in the arena, the man and 48 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: now women obviously face marred by blood and sweat and tears, 49 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: but never with those timid souls. That's what we're talking about. 50 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: And so I think that everybody certainly on this when 51 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: we consider the state of the country right now. We're 52 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: all going to be called to play a role to 53 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: be citizens in the months ahead. And so what I 54 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: want to ask you first up is how do you 55 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: assess the situation? Is what is happening here as we 56 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: enter month two in the United States? How do you 57 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: process what you see with your eyes? Do you see 58 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: disconnects between what you see with your eyes and what 59 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: is now being reported to you on mainstream channels. And 60 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 1: let me just start there and just assess the situation 61 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: and your reaction to it, and also your emotional reaction 62 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: to it with regard to any sense of danger. 63 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 2: So over to you, since you invoked tr I want 64 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 2: to lay something else out that he said, he talked 65 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: about doing what you can with what you have where 66 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 2: you are. And it's one of my most favorite sentiments 67 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 2: ever uttered by an American leader and servant, because it 68 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 2: it reflects the power of people. It's not just the 69 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 2: person in the position of the presidency, though he may 70 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 2: claim to be a dictator or promise to be one, 71 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 2: as he did before the election, or act like a tyrant, 72 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 2: or act and behave so obsequiously with other tyrants like 73 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 2: Vladimir Putin. It's the people in a democracy that is 74 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 2: comprised of people from around the world who found a 75 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 2: home here in this country and contributed to and established 76 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 2: the greatness of America, the single most important country on 77 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 2: the face of the planet in the history of the world. 78 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 2: A force for good, a force for freedom. Imperfect as 79 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 2: all things under the sun are, but the best thing going, 80 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 2: if you ask me, and the best thing going because 81 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 2: it is the government of, by and for the people, 82 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 2: So Steve, the way I respond to this question is 83 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 2: to encourage all of us to think about what each 84 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 2: of us can do right now that there's real power 85 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 2: in each of us individually and even more so collectively. 86 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 2: Let me give you an example. We are maybe a 87 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 2: gas at the Republican members of Congress, so they're in 88 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 2: the majority and the Senate, who are essentially absolutely abnegating 89 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 2: their responsibility as a coequal branch of government. It could 90 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 2: be a you know, congressionally chartered agency like us AID. 91 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 2: I think it was created by Congress in nineteen ninety eight, 92 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 2: maybe originally through an executive order by Jfk in his administration, 93 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 2: But this belongs to Congress. You know. Musk and co 94 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 2: President dismantled that. And you don't hear a peep from them. 95 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 2: The president illegally impounding congressionally authorized and appropriated funds. You 96 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 2: don't hear anything from them. Members of Congress who said 97 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 2: the right thing three years ago when Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, 98 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 2: about the tens of thousands of innocent civilians and soldiers 99 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 2: for that matter, who have been killed, the billions of 100 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 2: dollars of damage, the threat that it poses not just 101 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 2: to Ukraine, but a free and democratic Europe and by 102 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 2: extension to the United States of America itself treaty bound 103 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 2: to defend our NATO partners, who are only a country's 104 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 2: throw away from Ukraine, from the invading armies of Russia. 105 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 2: They're saying nothing right now, as Trump tries to in 106 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 2: real time rewrite history to call Zelenski the dictator, to 107 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 2: blame Ukraine for starting the war, and then Democrats who 108 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 2: seem in disarray and confused and not coherent and not 109 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 2: compelling and not offering a clear strategic directive for all 110 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: of us to follow and to take. If it were 111 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 2: just up to them, I'd say, Okay, let's admit defeat. 112 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 2: But I just want to remind everybody it is up 113 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 2: to each and every single one of us. And there's 114 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 2: a way I think we can move these members of 115 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 2: Congress in that coequal brunch branch, a way that we 116 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 2: can give the lie to the idea that Trump is 117 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 2: all powerful, that Musk, with all his wealth and influence 118 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 2: and access, is bigger than any one of us can 119 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 2: possibly defeat, and that is by calling those members of 120 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 2: Congress to account. You've seen these viral clips of the 121 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 2: members of Congress who hold these town hall meetings thinking 122 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 2: it's going to be an easy ride as they explain 123 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 2: the triumph of the Musk Trump presidency, only to have 124 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 2: their constituents get in their face. Veterans who served honorably 125 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 2: in Afghanistan and Iraq came back with PTSD, were hired 126 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 2: by the VA and so called provisional positions summarily fired 127 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 2: by Doge and Elon Musk, who show up and say, 128 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,079 Speaker 2: what the fuck? I've served this country, put my life 129 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 2: on the line for you, then served again by trying 130 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: to take care of these veterans. You, mister member of Congress, 131 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 2: serve me and are accountable to all of us. What 132 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 2: are you going to do about it? Those Republican members 133 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 2: of Congress before those town halls, the only thing they 134 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 2: felt like they had to fear was Donald Trump. When 135 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 2: they show up to those town halls, they remember who 136 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 2: put them in power in the first place, the people 137 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 2: they serve, and the accountability that comes with it. They 138 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,680 Speaker 2: fear those constituents because they care about their re election. 139 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 2: By that same token, I want Democrats to show up 140 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:18,839 Speaker 2: in front of their constituents, and though they're afraid to 141 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,440 Speaker 2: in some cases because they say, look, I don't have 142 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 2: all the answers, I'm in the minority. What do you 143 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 2: expect me to do? I think, armed with the stories 144 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 2: and the emotional connection that they make with their constituents 145 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 2: face to face, eyeball to eyeball in that room or 146 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 2: auditorium that they gather in. I think that's going to 147 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,199 Speaker 2: buck them up. Give them the steel spine that they 148 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 2: need right now, and reinforce the idea that they should 149 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 2: not give an inch to Donald Trump. Do not let them, 150 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 2: Do not let them use democratic votes in the House 151 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 2: of Representatives to pass bad budget deals. Do not let 152 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,719 Speaker 2: them use Senate democratic votes to confirm nominees who are 153 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 2: absolutely incompetent and capable, and in some case traitorous to 154 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 2: the interests of the United States of America, to our 155 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 2: constitution and our democracy. So if you are so inclined 156 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 2: and you're watching us right now, the number at the 157 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 2: switchboard is two two two, two four, three, one six one. 158 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 2: I saw a tweet Steve from Lisa Murkowski, the Republican 159 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 2: senator from Alaska, who said that in the second week 160 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,559 Speaker 2: of the Trump administration, the switchboard was seeing all time 161 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 2: high numbers come of calls coming through. I think we 162 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,319 Speaker 2: can melt that thing down if we keep up the pressure. 163 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 2: And I've been a member of Congress, I serve for 164 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 2: three terms. You wonder whether your calls make a difference, 165 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 2: I will tell you from experience they do. We pay attention, 166 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 2: it gets our focus, and it changes our behavior. So 167 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 2: we have power, Steve, and I do feel like folks 168 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,560 Speaker 2: who are frustrated and wondering where the leadership was going 169 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 2: to come from are now finding that is within themselves 170 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 2: and the power that they have in this democracy. 171 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: Terrific. Thank you very much again. That number two O 172 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: two two two four, three one two six. I think 173 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:10,440 Speaker 1: three one two one will also get you to the 174 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:15,319 Speaker 1: Capitol switchboard and ask for your member of Congress or 175 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: any member of Congress. Remember and the immortal words of 176 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: cool hand Luke Paul Newman. Uh, what we're having here, 177 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: mister Musk, is a failure to communicate. These people that 178 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: are being treated like insects don't work for Elon Musk, 179 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: they work for us. And I find it outrageous and 180 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: I and I find it offensive. And so let's talk 181 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: about something you just said that I think is of 182 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: the utmost importance, and it's this reality in our society 183 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: that we are a bottom up society, not a top 184 00:11:55,400 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: down society. There is no cockpit of United States in 185 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: which Donald Trump sits with Elon and a couple of 186 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 1: young men pushing buttons. This is a giant, decentralized country 187 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:21,679 Speaker 1: with one hundred thousand elected governments. They all have lawyers. 188 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 1: Trump has the power in that he has the initiative, 189 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: but his poll numbers are cratering. And this will be 190 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 1: the month of the cratering, and next month will be 191 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 1: one of rising. As we move into the spring, I 192 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 1: anticipate that we will see scores of tens of thousands 193 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:50,679 Speaker 1: of people on the streets, if not more. The right 194 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: to dissent, the right to protest, is of the utmost 195 00:12:55,320 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: important to appreciate, your constitutional rights not come from Donald Trump. 196 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: They come from the American Constitution, which asserts they come 197 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: from a higher power. Let me say before I ask 198 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: you this next question. Going back to Teddy Roosevelt, it 199 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: could be argued that the twentieth century begins with a 200 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 1: horse and carriage ride on the occasion of the assassination 201 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: of William McKinley in Buffalo, New York, and the very 202 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: young Vice President forty one years old, is riding through 203 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 1: the night at full speed dangerously by horse and carriage. 204 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 1: The first member of the US Secret Service in history 205 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 1: to be killed in the line of duty is killed 206 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: on this midnight ride, and Teddy Roosevelt takes the oath 207 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:02,440 Speaker 1: of office Teddy Roosevelt because the first president to fly 208 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: in an airplane, his son, Teddy Roosevelt Junior, will be 209 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: the only general to land in the first wave on 210 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 1: d Day. He will be the oldest man in the 211 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: first wave, the only father to have a son who 212 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: lands in the first wave, a recipient of the Medal 213 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 1: of Honor. So, this American century that lifts out of 214 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: the ashes of the Second World War, civilization and these 215 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: ideals of human dignity and freedom to the forefront and 216 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: unleashes the greatest period of upward mobility and prosperity for 217 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 1: billions of people around the globe, lifts them into freedom, 218 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: not utopia, but progress. And it has been decided by 219 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: Donald Trump that it is to be smashed. I have 220 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 1: just got back from Berlin. I was a guest of 221 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: the CDU during the final rallies for Chancellor Mertz. The 222 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: grief of German parliamentarians, of German leadership for what Donald 223 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: Trump has done. The obliteration of our ideals and our 224 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: ideas from an American president is shocking. But America's ideals 225 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: don't belong to Trump. They belong to us. And we 226 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: have spread them around the world. And so what I 227 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: want to ask you, in this moment, when an American 228 00:15:56,760 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: president looks the American people in the eye and tells 229 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: them it is the Russians who are the victims, what 230 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: do we say to the American people who know that 231 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: that's a lie? How do we arm them to talk 232 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: to their neighbors and friends, Because it's no different than 233 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: saying that Poland invaded Germany on September first, nineteen thirty nine. 234 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, listen, this is why I read you, this is 235 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 2: why I watch you, This is why I think you're 236 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 2: such a great leader. Especially at this moment. You can 237 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 2: bring in the long view and set the historical precedent 238 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 2: for us and remind us what it is we are 239 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 2: made of. We are the people who threw off tyranny 240 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 2: to create this great experiment. We are the people who 241 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 2: ended the institution of slavery at the sacrifice of hundreds 242 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 2: of thousands of young men from every part of the 243 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 2: United States. We are the people who, in June of 244 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 2: forty four, landed on those beaches, Democrats, Republicans alike, every 245 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 2: single one of them, knowing that not every single one 246 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 2: of them would come back, and yet they were willing 247 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 2: to die to defeat fascism abroad to save democracy at home. 248 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 2: We are the people who had great cost and sacrifice, 249 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 2: including the lives of far too many, made civil rights 250 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,880 Speaker 2: and voting rights possible, creating the first multi racial democracy 251 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,880 Speaker 2: in American history. That is who we are. We are 252 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 2: not Donald Trump. We are not this incredibly corrupt and 253 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 2: cynical administration that seeks to turn its back completely on 254 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 2: this history of struggle and sacrifice and service that has 255 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 2: made us the greatest nation of all time. And certainly 256 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 2: to your point, we cannot be that country that turns 257 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 2: us back on the people of Ukraine, that turns us 258 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 2: back on the people of Europe, and frankly that turns 259 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 2: its back on the people of the United States of America. 260 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:08,440 Speaker 2: Because you've been really eloquent on this point, and I 261 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 2: think everyone needs to hear it. We're not supporting Ukraine 262 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 2: because we care about the people of Ukraine. I mean 263 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 2: we do, and I personally do. And they are my 264 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:22,439 Speaker 2: heroes for what they have done, including defying every single 265 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 2: prediction and the longest odds that they were up against 266 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 2: on the day that that invasion started almost three years ago. 267 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 2: To the day. I mean for that alone, I want 268 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 2: to have their backs, but we are supporting Ukraine so 269 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 2: that we don't have to have our allies in NATO 270 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:41,719 Speaker 2: fight the front lines in Poland, or in the Baltics 271 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 2: or deeper into Western Europe. We're supporting Ukraine so that 272 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 2: our sons and daughters are not fighting in those wars abroad, 273 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 2: or fighting on those wars on our shores when that 274 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 2: war comes home to us. Another analogy that you bring 275 00:18:56,040 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 2: to mind for me is Munich in nineteen three eight. 276 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 2: The parallels were absolutely chilling to me. That you have 277 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 2: a leader, the pre eminent leader of a Western democracy, 278 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,959 Speaker 2: suing for peace with a tyrant who is trying to 279 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 2: annex part of a neighboring country by force if necessary, 280 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 2: and you concede everything to that tyrant without allowing In 281 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 2: nineteen thirty eight it was Czechoslovakia, without allowing the party 282 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 2: affected to even come to the table. Trump is worse 283 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 2: than Nevil chamber I'd like to think Nevill Chamberlain actually 284 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 2: thought he was going to achieve peace. Trump is so 285 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 2: goddamn cynical. He knows that is not the case, but 286 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,920 Speaker 2: he does it nonetheless. Sacrificing everything that you've just mentioned, 287 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 2: everything that I just went through, all that history of 288 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 2: American sacrifice, struggle, and service, and everything that will come 289 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:56,360 Speaker 2: forward that will be precipitated by this cowardly, cynical abnegation 290 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 2: of everything that this country stands for. So look, if 291 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:03,720 Speaker 2: you're at home wondering, because you may have read the 292 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:08,119 Speaker 2: propaganda from Trump, that you know, we're spending five hundred billion, 293 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 2: which is not the amount of folks, but that's what 294 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 2: Trump has said we've spent in Ukraine, that we're getting 295 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 2: a lie to an ex comedian con man who's shaken 296 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,120 Speaker 2: down the United States of America, and we have nothing 297 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 2: to gain for it. The number is much lower. It 298 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 2: is a pittance. It is a fraction of the price 299 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 2: we would pay if we had to support our NATO 300 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:32,479 Speaker 2: allies on the front lines of a war with Russia's Putin. 301 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 2: It is infintesimally small against the sacrifice of American soldiers 302 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 2: and service members who would have to fight in a 303 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 2: hot war against the Russian Federation if we were to 304 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 2: have to, as we are pretty bound to do, come 305 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 2: to the aid of our allies, who will most certainly 306 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 2: be attacked if Putin is allowed to roll over Ukraine. 307 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 2: So this is the bargain of the century, on top 308 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 2: of the moral imperative to do the right thing as 309 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,919 Speaker 2: the world's leading light and the best last hope for 310 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,119 Speaker 2: mankind in Lincoln's words, So I mean, you say it 311 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 2: far better than I can. 312 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: You always not at all. 313 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 2: That's what we have to remember at this time. It's 314 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 2: what makes us so goddamn proud to be Americans. Let's 315 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 2: not lose it on this petty want to be tyrant 316 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 2: who's trying to make a deal with the real tyrant 317 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 2: in Russia. 318 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 1: Right now, I want to take this now into the 319 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 1: direction of tactical and what democratic leaders should do. We 320 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: have now almost three thousand people with us. We have 321 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,400 Speaker 1: a lot of people that are frustrated with the Democratic 322 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 1: Party's response and by the Democratic Party's response. Let's be 323 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: specific about that, meaning the response of congressional leaders. And 324 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:54,360 Speaker 1: so let's talk about a tough decision where we're blending 325 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 1: in history tonight. The beginning of World War Two, Winston 326 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 1: Church had a very very difficult decision to make when 327 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: the Nazis conquered France, and the decision was now that 328 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: the Nazis occupied France and that there was a vshi 329 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: French government that controlled the second largest navy in the world. 330 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:26,400 Speaker 1: What should be done about it? Now, Winston Churchill had 331 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 1: an audience of one in mind, which was the American president. 332 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: But what he did is not something that's talked much 333 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: about in the open between friends and partners and allies. 334 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:43,399 Speaker 1: But Winston Churchill sank the French fleet, and he killed 335 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: thousands of French soldiers. And the reason he did that, 336 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: more than any other reason, was to say, we'll do 337 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: anything to win. So in this moment, there's a question 338 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: for Democrats, and I'm gonna lay out hypothetical analogy of 339 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: all three thousand of us were crashed together on a 340 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 1: proverbial airplane in the Alaskan wilderness, and we walked out 341 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:22,680 Speaker 1: of that airplane all alive. We would be upset and 342 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:28,359 Speaker 1: disoriented and pissed off and scared, but we'd have to 343 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,159 Speaker 1: do something. And the very first thing we'd have to 344 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 1: do is light a fire. Now, for Democrats, right now, 345 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 1: it seems to me strategically there's an overwhelming national security imperative. 346 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:52,639 Speaker 1: I mean talking about defending government of buying for the people, 347 00:23:53,320 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 1: and that imperative is one Elon Musk stops immediately whatever 348 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:13,120 Speaker 1: it is that he is doing. Two he discloses everything 349 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: that he has done immediately and without delay to the 350 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: United States Congress. And number three that everything regarding empowerment 351 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: of federal monies returns to regular order immediately. When that happens, 352 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: we'll be happy to discuss anything you'd like to talk about. 353 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:51,200 Speaker 1: With regard to votes, you may need to fund the government. 354 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 1: So this is everybody, three thousand people. Now, this is 355 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: very important to understand, and this is hard to get 356 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:04,960 Speaker 1: your head around. Donald Trump needs the government funded to 357 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:10,159 Speaker 1: kill it. The leverage the Democrats have is to allow 358 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 1: it to be shut down to keep it from being killed, 359 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:21,160 Speaker 1: preserving it in a coma. But that means the stalemate 360 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: of a government shutdown will impact people and they will suffer. 361 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: But that suffering has been imposed on them not by 362 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: the people who are imposing on Donald Trump a red line, 363 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:44,920 Speaker 1: but by the man who knows no red line. So 364 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: we already have passed the line of no return. With 365 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: regard to are we going to suffer and endure calls 366 00:25:54,359 --> 00:26:00,679 Speaker 1: from this? We are. The question is how do you 367 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 1: make it stop? How do you make it stop? And 368 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: I see no other way and no other immediate point 369 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: of leverage before a Democratic House victory than right now 370 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 1: is to make Donald Trump stop. And this guy who 371 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: wrote the Art of the Deal, and the only thing 372 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,919 Speaker 1: you ever need to know about him is what's in 373 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 1: that book says forty years ago is preferred method of 374 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 1: communication and a negotiation is to walk into a room, 375 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,159 Speaker 1: put a finger in your chest, and tell you to 376 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: go fuck yourself. So this isn't a secret. He's been 377 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: doing it for fifty years. And I just am I 378 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:42,879 Speaker 1: right about this? Am I wrong about this? What is 379 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: the leverage place for Democrats who are not powerless in 380 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: this situation. Senators have the ability to block nominations and 381 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: put holds on them. Democrats have the ability to strangle 382 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,760 Speaker 1: the money. How do you see this? 383 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,400 Speaker 2: I think you're totally correct, and almost under any other scenario, 384 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 2: I probably disagree with you, but I think you're right 385 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:16,119 Speaker 2: because this is and perhaps this word gets used too often, 386 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 2: but this is existential. This is, as you say, Steve, 387 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 2: and I could not agree more strongly. This is about 388 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 2: the life and death of this great Republic, of the 389 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:30,159 Speaker 2: American democracy, of our constitution, of rule by law of 390 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 2: you know, it's not about the power that men have. 391 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 2: It's about the power of our laws, all of us 392 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 2: being treated equally under them. We're really about to lose. 393 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 2: To invoke the same line from Lincoln again, the last 394 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 2: best hope of Earth. That was really the last existential 395 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 2: crisis for American democracy. Can government, you know, of men? 396 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 2: Can it? Can it survive on this planet? Because I mean, 397 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 2: let's remember, in the whole of human history, this is 398 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:00,919 Speaker 2: a really rare fucking thing. You know, for the for 399 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 2: the most part, in almost every civilization, at every time, 400 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 2: it is tyrants, it is kings and queens, it is 401 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 2: it is emperors, it is dictators. It is very rarely 402 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:16,520 Speaker 2: the people who are able to govern themselves. I happen 403 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 2: to be reading right now, and I'll keep this brief. 404 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:23,000 Speaker 2: A military history of the Peloponnesian War. You know, I 405 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 2: believe it starts around four thirty one. I believe it 406 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 2: ends around four h three BC. And you have this 407 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 2: this alliance of democracies led by Athens, and you have 408 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:37,399 Speaker 2: an alliance of tyrannies led by Sparta, and the question 409 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 2: is really in doubt for the duration of the war, 410 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 2: and extraordinary brutal things happen across the entire you know, 411 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:51,240 Speaker 2: Greek islands and Greek mainland over the course of this. 412 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 2: But the question that is being called throughout that war 413 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 2: is whether you can have self government? And I feel, 414 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 2: you know, and then it and then it's extinguished essentially 415 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 2: because you spoiler alert the Athenians, the democracies. They lose 416 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 2: that war, and by and large it is gone until 417 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 2: it re emerges on the North American continent in full 418 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 2: force in the form that we see here today, as 419 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 2: in peril as it may be, it still exists, nonetheless, 420 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 2: and that's fucking amazing. But I've often wondered, because I'm 421 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 2: a student of history. I love ancient history, I love 422 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 2: Greek history, how is it that it arose at that time? 423 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 2: And how is it that it was lost for not 424 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 2: years or centuries, but millennia? And how can that focus 425 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 2: our attention right now on how precious and rare this 426 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 2: thing is that we have. And so my big wind 427 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 2: up to answer your question, I was in Congress, as 428 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 2: I mentioned, for three terms, and there were times where 429 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 2: Democrats were tempted to shut down the government. I remember 430 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 2: there was an omnibus spending bill and it was Steve 431 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 2: It's complete dog shit. It had all these things in 432 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 2: it I didn't support. I was running against Ted Cruz 433 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 2: at the time. I knew that he would light me 434 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 2: up for it. I knew that he had an easy 435 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 2: not vote on it, because he could give a shit 436 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 2: about governing and about the people's lives that he would affect. 437 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 2: But I knew because I ran on restoring funding to 438 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 2: the VA, making sure that veterans could see a behavioral 439 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 2: health care specialist, reducing the long wait times that we 440 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 2: were seeing, I knew that if we shut down the government, 441 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 2: I was going to screw over every single veteran who 442 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 2: had put his or her life on the line of 443 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 2: this country. And I could not be part of it. 444 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 2: You know, damn the politics of this. I just had 445 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 2: to do the right thing. So I've never been a 446 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 2: fan of shutdowns, always voted against him. But listen, you 447 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 2: are one hundred percent correct when the other side of 448 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,760 Speaker 2: this argument is that we might very well lose this 449 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 2: constitutional republic if we don't starve this want to be 450 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 2: tyrant of the resources he needs to kill it once 451 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 2: and for all. Then I think the choice is pretty 452 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 2: damn clear, and I think it's a perfect time just 453 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 2: to remind everybody that those representatives up there, if we 454 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 2: were to administer truth storem to them, the thing that 455 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,920 Speaker 2: they care about more than anything else is their reelection. 456 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 2: If they fear you, their constituent, their voter, more than 457 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 2: they fear Donald Trump or the politics of the moment, 458 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 2: they're going to respond to that. And I promise you 459 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 2: call them and it's two two two two four, three 460 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 2: one two one, or I think Steve said three one 461 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 2: two six. One of those numbers is going to work. 462 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 2: Maybe both three one. 463 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 1: Two one is the right number, three one two one. 464 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 2: So if you tell them you Steve said it better 465 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 2: than I could. But you want them to vote no 466 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:33,479 Speaker 2: on anything that Trump and the Republican majority want. They 467 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 2: have a one vote majority in the House. Let's go 468 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 2: see if they can keep that fractious majority together. And 469 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 2: in the Senate. Again, as Steve said, it's no on 470 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:48,000 Speaker 2: any nominee at any level. Do not allow him the 471 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 2: power that he wants to render all of us powerless 472 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 2: in our own democracy. And again, it's not just for 473 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 2: us those of us alive today. It's in honor to 474 00:31:57,200 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 2: those who never came home from the beaches on Normandy, 475 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 2: who fought for our freedom in the first place. Who 476 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 2: ended the institution of slaver slavery? And it's for every 477 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 2: generation that follows us. Imagine the kids one hundred years 478 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 2: from now reading about this time like I'm reading about 479 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 2: the Peloponnesian War and saying, who were these fuckers in 480 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:20,400 Speaker 2: twenty twenty five, who had the power at their disposal, 481 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 2: who had the world in their hands and let it 482 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 2: slip through their fingers. We cannot be those people. We 483 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 2: cannot be found wanting at this moment of truth. We 484 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 2: absolutely must come through and see. You've got kids. I've 485 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:37,600 Speaker 2: got kids. Their judgment is my conscience. That's what weighs 486 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 2: on me more than anything else. I need to be 487 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 2: able to tell them not just that I tried and 488 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 2: did my best, but that I tried, I did my best, 489 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 2: and we overcame this threat and were able to save 490 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 2: the Republic. I mean, it sounds grandiose, and it would 491 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 2: be at any other time, but it's the fucking truth. 492 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: At this moment, I want to I want to ask you. 493 00:32:56,080 --> 00:33:00,280 Speaker 1: I want to ask you one more question if I could, 494 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 1: which which is which is this? And I want to 495 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 1: bring it back on onto this history plane, which we 496 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 1: which we've woven all the way through and on the continuum. 497 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 1: So there is this moment in history that is a 498 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: before and after that is a hinge that changes everything 499 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 1: in its aftermath. And that's in UH November day when 500 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: the ship Arabella sails into was now the Provincetown harbor. 501 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 1: And aboard this are the pilgrims UH and the religious 502 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 1: seekers and UH the adventurers UH, people that were coming 503 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: to the new continent UH looking for riches, UH, looking 504 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:54,720 Speaker 1: for adventure. And so the ship is battered, but before 505 00:33:54,800 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 1: anybody gets off of it in this new world right, 506 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: they make an agreement between them, and that agreement ends 507 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 1: the feudal age, the Mayflower Compact, and it commits everybody 508 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:21,839 Speaker 1: to a concept of the common good that they appreciate. 509 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: They can't survive without this. And this is a deeply 510 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: linked beginning to this concept that's deeply American, of our 511 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: reaching for the city on the hill, trying to find 512 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:42,919 Speaker 1: that city on the hill, to get to that mountaintop 513 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:49,960 Speaker 1: that king, that king talks about. So all of these 514 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:57,040 Speaker 1: federal employees are being treated like insects by the world's 515 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:02,840 Speaker 1: richest man who has been and elected to no office, 516 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 1: confirmed to no office pointed to, no office that has 517 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:15,839 Speaker 1: been created by any congressional act. And he makes decrees 518 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:22,320 Speaker 1: in pronouncements that assaults their human dignity, that assault a 519 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 1: fundamental concept that I was raised with, which was that 520 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 1: everybody who works hard and plays by the rules, whether 521 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 1: they be the sanitation worker or the cop, the fireman, 522 00:35:38,719 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: the steel worker, the teacher, the astronaut, the billionaire inventor 523 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:48,719 Speaker 1: that in this great republic, they all have a role, 524 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:55,480 Speaker 1: but everybody gets treated with respect and dignity, and that 525 00:35:55,560 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 1: there's a fundamental relationship between your dignity in your work 526 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:12,319 Speaker 1: and your pursuit of happiness, which is elemental to the 527 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 1: construction of the country. And so the abuse and the 528 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:28,400 Speaker 1: cheering of the abuse, and the escalations of the dehumanizations 529 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 1: are deeply worrying to me. I know they are to you, 530 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 1: but just at a humanist level, How should people think 531 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:45,439 Speaker 1: about this moment where must is really foreshadowing? You want 532 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,799 Speaker 1: to talk about what the AI future is like? Everybody, 533 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:54,279 Speaker 1: this is what it's like in every company. It's brutalist. 534 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:58,799 Speaker 1: You're expendable, You're a pond, you're a serf, You're a 535 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:04,359 Speaker 1: fucking insect. And so the application of this that old 536 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 1: I think it was Reverend Nebor, and I'm sure pronouncing 537 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 1: correctly right. First they come for the government workers, and 538 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:19,680 Speaker 1: next they come for you and secticized, reduced to nothing, 539 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 1: And we will have a king, and the king will 540 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:30,480 Speaker 1: have his lords, and the lords will have their deals, 541 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:35,560 Speaker 1: and the serf shall never complain and always be kept 542 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: divided by the algorithm and enslaved by the chains of 543 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:50,360 Speaker 1: the stoked divisions that are purposeful, deliberate, strategic for the 544 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:57,800 Speaker 1: greatest act of taking in human history. 545 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:02,320 Speaker 2: There's almost nothing that I can add to what you said, 546 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 2: because I agree with it so strongly, and it was 547 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:09,800 Speaker 2: put so powerfully and so eloquently. That is exactly what's happening. 548 00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:12,320 Speaker 2: And I keep, I keep, you know you and I've 549 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,239 Speaker 2: talked a lot about history and invoked so many great 550 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:17,319 Speaker 2: moments in history and so many things that make me 551 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 2: so proud to be an American and really fuel the 552 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 2: fight that I feel right now, like, Hey, we are 553 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:29,080 Speaker 2: made of stronger stuff. This is who we are as Americans. 554 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:32,240 Speaker 2: We do not accept this stuff. We fight back against 555 00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:39,680 Speaker 2: it with everything that we have, peacefully, democratically, but ultimately victoriously. 556 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:43,279 Speaker 2: That's that's what we're made of this other side. The 557 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 2: richest man in the world, the guy who describes himself 558 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:50,400 Speaker 2: as a king, who promised us he would be a 559 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:55,040 Speaker 2: dictator on day one, who you know, thousand scrapes before 560 00:38:55,200 --> 00:39:00,400 Speaker 2: tyrants across the globe. They want us to feel like 561 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 2: their rise and accumulation of power and dominance over the 562 00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:07,560 Speaker 2: rest of us, as you described, is all but inevitable. 563 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,799 Speaker 2: Who am I to rise up against the richest, most 564 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 2: powerful man in the world. Who am I to go 565 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:17,640 Speaker 2: up against the inevitable Donald Trump who was resurrected from 566 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:23,799 Speaker 2: political ignomy after January sixth, who survived, you know, an 567 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:28,319 Speaker 2: assassin's bullet, Who was you know, ordained by God to 568 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:31,080 Speaker 2: come and save this country and make America great again 569 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:35,239 Speaker 2: and lay vengeance to his enemies? I mean the shit 570 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:38,400 Speaker 2: there invoking, Let's admit it, it's pretty powerful stuff. It 571 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:43,239 Speaker 2: can be really persuasive. And if your side is in disarray, 572 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:47,360 Speaker 2: with its tail between its legs, acting defeated, if you 573 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:51,840 Speaker 2: know your most public you know, you know advocates are 574 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 2: Chuck Schumer and no offense, But you know it can't 575 00:39:56,120 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 2: be Chuck Schumer. If no one's guiding the response to this, 576 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:07,960 Speaker 2: the resistance, the revolution, the peaceful revolution. You know, yeah, 577 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:10,040 Speaker 2: I can see how people can give in and be 578 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:13,440 Speaker 2: tempted to give up and to fall into despair. And 579 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 2: that's got to be the explanation, in part for why 580 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:22,040 Speaker 2: other democracies and republics in human history have fallen. I've 581 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 2: read some of what you've written on this about you know, 582 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:28,279 Speaker 2: you look at Germany from the nineteen twenties and the 583 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 2: nineteen thirties. I mean, it has something to do with 584 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,280 Speaker 2: the magnetism and the charisma and the power of Hitler 585 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:35,759 Speaker 2: and the movement that he led, but also had to 586 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:38,600 Speaker 2: do a lot with the weakness of that democracy and 587 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:42,440 Speaker 2: the weakness of the leaders who were up against Hitler 588 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:45,319 Speaker 2: at that moment. I mean, this is our moment right now. 589 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 2: We will be judged the same way that we judge 590 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:50,919 Speaker 2: those who had the chance back in nineteen thirty two 591 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:54,279 Speaker 2: to do the right thing, and for whatever political or 592 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 2: practical or personal excuse they gave, they just didn't. They 593 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:01,920 Speaker 2: just didn't. And we just can't be that because the 594 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:06,520 Speaker 2: future that you just described, I do believe is more 595 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:10,160 Speaker 2: likely than not if we are unsuccessful in fighting back. 596 00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:13,799 Speaker 2: And so for folks, who are you taking notes at home. 597 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:16,200 Speaker 2: I think Steve said it best. I think reach out 598 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:18,600 Speaker 2: to that member of Congress right now, hold them accountable. 599 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:22,400 Speaker 2: I'd urge you to also ask them, demand from them 600 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:24,160 Speaker 2: that they hold a town hall, that they meet you 601 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:26,360 Speaker 2: face to face, that they actually do their job. If 602 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:29,360 Speaker 2: we believe in democracy, it's more than voting in elections. 603 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:32,840 Speaker 2: It's a day in, day out working with our elected 604 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:35,960 Speaker 2: representatives to make them better. And as somebody who held 605 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,320 Speaker 2: a town hall every single month I was in Congress, man, 606 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:40,880 Speaker 2: it made me better. I went into those town halls 607 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:43,279 Speaker 2: with a pit of fear in my stomach because I 608 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:45,200 Speaker 2: was going to face my constituents. They're going to say, hey, Bets, 609 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:47,040 Speaker 2: so why did you vote for that thing? Where are 610 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 2: you on this thing? You promised us you were going 611 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 2: to do. Hey, somebody hasn't returned my call in your office. Goddamn. 612 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:55,400 Speaker 2: That would focus my attention, and I was reminded of 613 00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:57,759 Speaker 2: who it was I served. I urge you to do that. 614 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,000 Speaker 2: And to Steve's point, every House member who's a Democrat, 615 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:04,399 Speaker 2: do not help the Republicans fund this government, because, as 616 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,399 Speaker 2: he said, Donald Trump will use that funding to kill 617 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:10,480 Speaker 2: government of by and for the people. You call every 618 00:42:10,520 --> 00:42:13,960 Speaker 2: Senator and you urge them to vote no on any nomination, 619 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:17,560 Speaker 2: doesn't matter how big or how small, how qualified, how unqualified. 620 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:20,200 Speaker 2: I mean, honestly, most of them are so unqualified on 621 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:24,080 Speaker 2: merit alone, they should be denied. And then it is 622 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:27,880 Speaker 2: not too early, in fact, it's approaching too late to 623 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:31,560 Speaker 2: get ready for twenty twenty six if we are going 624 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:36,480 Speaker 2: to be able to regain power, and sometimes Steve, I 625 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:40,359 Speaker 2: feel like Democrats care more about being right than being 626 00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:43,360 Speaker 2: in power, while all that MAGA Republicans care about is 627 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:47,200 Speaker 2: power and nothing else. If we can focus single mindedly 628 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:50,320 Speaker 2: on power, as we should at this moment of truth, 629 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:53,799 Speaker 2: then getting organized for twenty twenty six happens. Now. It 630 00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:57,359 Speaker 2: is recruiting candidates, it's raising your hand to run, it's 631 00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:00,839 Speaker 2: joining organizations that are registring voters, saying in touch with them, 632 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:04,400 Speaker 2: turning them out. I mean, there may be a response 633 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:06,879 Speaker 2: like we saw in twenty eighteen. There may not. Let's 634 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:09,160 Speaker 2: not take any chances. Let's put in the work right 635 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:12,879 Speaker 2: now to get that done. And let me just end 636 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:15,040 Speaker 2: by saying this or last thing for me on this, 637 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:18,000 Speaker 2: I just want to say thank you to you for 638 00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:22,640 Speaker 2: showing the political courage as a former Republican at a 639 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:25,799 Speaker 2: time where it was not easy for you to say 640 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:28,040 Speaker 2: what you said, And maybe it was easy for you personally, 641 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:29,920 Speaker 2: but I think for most Americans that would not have 642 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:32,239 Speaker 2: been an easy thing, and most people working in politics. 643 00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:36,640 Speaker 2: It was just the very rare display of courage that 644 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:40,440 Speaker 2: we needed, and for waking so many people up to 645 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:43,279 Speaker 2: the challenge and the danger and the threat that we 646 00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:46,560 Speaker 2: face at this moment, and giving people hope. Lastly, giving 647 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:50,080 Speaker 2: people hope. You know, with that, I think all things 648 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:54,080 Speaker 2: are possible, and I feel Listen, I'm neither you nor 649 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:57,600 Speaker 2: I sugarcoated anything. I think we spoke in the starkest 650 00:43:57,719 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 2: terms about what's on the line right now. But I 651 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:03,239 Speaker 2: want to tell you, despite or because of all that, 652 00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:05,879 Speaker 2: I am as optimistic and as hopeful as I've ever 653 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:08,719 Speaker 2: been because I know we're Americans. I know we do 654 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:12,520 Speaker 2: great things. I know that we come together anything as possible. 655 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:15,799 Speaker 2: You have brought us together on this call tonight, the 656 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:17,799 Speaker 2: thousands of people who've joined us, and I know you'll 657 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:19,920 Speaker 2: continue to do it. It's just an honor to be 658 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:21,480 Speaker 2: in this fight with you, and thank you for having 659 00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:21,839 Speaker 2: me on. 660 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:25,279 Speaker 1: Well, thank you, Beto. I have one last story if 661 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:28,560 Speaker 1: I could that, I want to share with everybody a 662 00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:31,920 Speaker 1: couple of things. Administratively. I saw that during this that 663 00:44:32,080 --> 00:44:37,880 Speaker 1: Ron Fournier, the legendary Associated Press Washington Bureau chief, is on. 664 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:41,440 Speaker 1: I urge all of you to follow Ron Fournier. I 665 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:44,920 Speaker 1: saw Stephen besch Loss is on. Urge all of you 666 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:49,160 Speaker 1: to follow Stephen besch Loss on substack At, someone that 667 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:52,600 Speaker 1: I read on a daily basis and that I get 668 00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:56,000 Speaker 1: a lot out of. And there's some there's some great 669 00:44:56,080 --> 00:44:59,560 Speaker 1: voices out there. I want to share a story about 670 00:44:59,560 --> 00:45:05,439 Speaker 1: Elon with everybody. I had an experience last March when 671 00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:09,719 Speaker 1: I went to Auschwitz. I had been there for the 672 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:13,560 Speaker 1: first time in two thousand and five. I was part 673 00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:16,560 Speaker 1: of a delegation led by Vice President Cheney when I 674 00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:20,120 Speaker 1: was in the White House, and on that trip were 675 00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:25,040 Speaker 1: Holocaust survivors. Tom Lantos, a member of Congress and his wife, 676 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:28,520 Speaker 1: but also Eli Vizl was on that was on that trip, 677 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:35,520 Speaker 1: and it was a very powerful experience. And I returned 678 00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:41,440 Speaker 1: this March and I went around the place with the 679 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:47,920 Speaker 1: chief guide named Paul Siwiki, who was a Polish journalist 680 00:45:48,480 --> 00:45:53,040 Speaker 1: who left his job to be really the chief guide teacher, curator. 681 00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:58,160 Speaker 1: There will be a time in Paul's life where when 682 00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:03,640 Speaker 1: he is an old man, when he passes away, that 683 00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:07,440 Speaker 1: it will be said that he probably knew and was 684 00:46:07,480 --> 00:46:10,200 Speaker 1: one of the last living human beings to know as 685 00:46:10,239 --> 00:46:14,840 Speaker 1: many Holocaust survivors as he has known from his position. 686 00:46:15,040 --> 00:46:18,840 Speaker 1: So he is somebody who does incredibly important work in 687 00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:23,320 Speaker 1: the world who will never be a billionaire. So there's 688 00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:26,760 Speaker 1: something true about Auschwitz is that you can't ever really 689 00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:30,520 Speaker 1: say that you experienced Auschwitz, or that you've been to 690 00:46:30,560 --> 00:46:34,040 Speaker 1: Auschwitz once or twice or three times. Really, even the 691 00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:40,280 Speaker 1: survivors can't say they've been to Auschwitz because nobody survived 692 00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:45,520 Speaker 1: the walk down the steps, into the showers and then 693 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:52,319 Speaker 1: into the ovens. There are no pictures from side, but 694 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:56,319 Speaker 1: there are pictures taken from inside the ovens outside on 695 00:46:56,440 --> 00:46:59,480 Speaker 1: the lines, and you can see the ruins there. And 696 00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:04,080 Speaker 1: go to this corner of the camp and Paul says 697 00:47:04,239 --> 00:47:08,040 Speaker 1: to me, some people say that even a bird won't 698 00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:12,200 Speaker 1: fly over Witz. And he points out in the distance 699 00:47:12,239 --> 00:47:16,719 Speaker 1: and he says, there's a stork taking off, and it 700 00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:21,000 Speaker 1: was from the ponds where the ashes of a million 701 00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:25,080 Speaker 1: human beings were dumped. So it's not true that birds 702 00:47:25,120 --> 00:47:28,920 Speaker 1: don't fly at Auschwitz. The storks take off from the 703 00:47:28,960 --> 00:47:33,319 Speaker 1: pools that hold a million ashes. And so really the 704 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:37,640 Speaker 1: story of the Holocaust is a story about what comes 705 00:47:37,760 --> 00:47:42,440 Speaker 1: next and next and next and next, until the unleashing 706 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:50,400 Speaker 1: of the industrialized killing, this hyperrational murder. And so in 707 00:47:50,480 --> 00:47:55,280 Speaker 1: this quiet corner of Auschwitz, he points to these concrete 708 00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:58,520 Speaker 1: structures and he says to me, do you know what 709 00:47:58,560 --> 00:48:02,640 Speaker 1: those buildings are? And I said to him, it's a 710 00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:08,640 Speaker 1: wastewater treatment building. He says, very good. He goes, you know, 711 00:48:08,760 --> 00:48:15,040 Speaker 1: Auschwitz got opened to a late start, the killing, the 712 00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:19,920 Speaker 1: operation Reinhart camps, the original death camps from the Wansea 713 00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:23,719 Speaker 1: conference where the Holocaust is planned. He said, yes, the 714 00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:29,120 Speaker 1: SS had difficulty getting the permits to open the camp. 715 00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:32,799 Speaker 1: Did you know that the SS needed to have a 716 00:48:32,880 --> 00:48:39,319 Speaker 1: fire permit for the barracks And I didn't, and he said, 717 00:48:39,360 --> 00:48:42,680 Speaker 1: and they could not get the wastewater treatment permit. So 718 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:47,600 Speaker 1: when the architects of Auschwitz came to the German bureaucracy 719 00:48:47,680 --> 00:48:49,799 Speaker 1: with a plan for a prison in the middle of 720 00:48:49,840 --> 00:48:52,560 Speaker 1: the woods of conquered Poland for one hundred thousand people, 721 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:57,960 Speaker 1: the German bureaucrat didn't ask a question about what the 722 00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:02,200 Speaker 1: prison is for. His question was, well, where will you 723 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:05,919 Speaker 1: dump the wastewater? And the SS said in the river, 724 00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:11,640 Speaker 1: and the German bureaucrat said, no, good, nine five million 725 00:49:11,719 --> 00:49:17,040 Speaker 1: Germans down water, down river. And so it took two 726 00:49:17,080 --> 00:49:23,200 Speaker 1: attempts for the SSS to get the permit to open Auschwitz. 727 00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:27,960 Speaker 1: And Paul takes out his piece of paper and he says, ay, 728 00:49:28,120 --> 00:49:34,759 Speaker 1: he says, here's the permit. That's what open Auschwitz. A 729 00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:43,719 Speaker 1: stamp from a water bureaucrat dealing with the architect on 730 00:49:43,760 --> 00:49:48,279 Speaker 1: the planes for a prison for one hundred thousand that 731 00:49:48,840 --> 00:49:55,160 Speaker 1: killed a million. And so the man who interrogated out 732 00:49:55,200 --> 00:50:00,680 Speaker 1: off heikman in Israeli police captain he is a German 733 00:50:00,800 --> 00:50:03,920 Speaker 1: Jew who sat across room for hundreds of hours and 734 00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:06,319 Speaker 1: never talked about it. Twenty years after, the fast has 735 00:50:06,320 --> 00:50:10,680 Speaker 1: asked the question, what is your takeaway from the experience? 736 00:50:12,280 --> 00:50:16,440 Speaker 1: Did you have one? And he goes, yeah, because I have. 737 00:50:18,880 --> 00:50:26,200 Speaker 1: My takeaway is democracy is what keeps you safe. That 738 00:50:26,400 --> 00:50:31,279 Speaker 1: all around us are Aikmans, but they are latent into democracy, harmless, 739 00:50:32,160 --> 00:50:34,479 Speaker 1: but in a dictatorship of the left or the right, 740 00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:38,279 Speaker 1: they turned deadly. In an instant, and so what I 741 00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:42,640 Speaker 1: want to say to everybody on this tonight. The leader 742 00:50:42,680 --> 00:50:46,080 Speaker 1: of the Democratic Senate is not Chuck Schumer. He has 743 00:50:46,120 --> 00:50:51,359 Speaker 1: a title. It's Chris Murphy. Follow Chris Murphy. Call Chris 744 00:50:51,440 --> 00:50:55,840 Speaker 1: Murphy's office and say what can I do? Follow the leaders, 745 00:50:56,080 --> 00:51:00,880 Speaker 1: not the titles. Better A. Rourke is a leader. Follow him. 746 00:51:01,320 --> 00:51:03,560 Speaker 1: I'm ready hear more from Better of Rourk in the 747 00:51:03,800 --> 00:51:08,280 Speaker 1: months and years ahead. Is time a national crisis because 748 00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:11,440 Speaker 1: it's the believers in the idealists who are going to 749 00:51:11,560 --> 00:51:13,439 Speaker 1: lead us out of this mess. And Better of Rourk 750 00:51:13,520 --> 00:51:16,600 Speaker 1: is a great idealist, a great leader in this country. 751 00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:19,480 Speaker 1: It's been a real pleasure to be with you tonight, 752 00:51:19,520 --> 00:51:22,600 Speaker 1: Beto Congressman. Thank you in a four thousand of you, 753 00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:27,200 Speaker 1: patriotic Americans who could be doing anything right now, including 754 00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:30,920 Speaker 1: wollowing in despair, chose instead to be with us on 755 00:51:31,000 --> 00:51:36,560 Speaker 1: a screen participating in twenty first century civics. Remember this, 756 00:51:36,719 --> 00:51:40,680 Speaker 1: my friends, you are a defiant people. You are Americans. 757 00:51:40,760 --> 00:51:45,000 Speaker 1: Do not give into this, do not relent in your criticism. 758 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:51,440 Speaker 1: Pushback audios. I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning, and 759 00:51:51,480 --> 00:51:55,000 Speaker 1: I invite you to join subscribe on our substack on 760 00:51:55,040 --> 00:51:58,400 Speaker 1: our YouTube channel, follow us, Welcome to the community.