1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics, 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: where we discussed the top political headlines with some of 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: today's best minds. And the US Appeals Court rejects Biden's 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: bid to revive his student debt plan. Randy wein Garden, 5 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: the president of the American Federation of Teachers, stops by 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: to tell us about the real motives behind the attacks 7 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: on public schools. Then we'll talk to Congressman Richie Torres 8 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: about a new era of younger Democratic Party leadership in 9 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: the House. But first we have the Daily Beast congressional 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: reporter Sam Brodie. Oh my god, welcome to Fast Politics. 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: Sam Brodie, it's great to be here. Thank you. We're 12 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: so excited to have you. So let's talk about what 13 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: is happening. Because this is a lame duck but filled 14 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: with drama. Talk to us about some of the drama. 15 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: There's all kinds of drama happening. This is a big 16 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: changing of the guard moments in Congress, and not just 17 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: because Republicans are going to switch into the House majority, 18 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 1: but yesterday Democrats elected a new leadership team basically for 19 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: the first time in twenty years, which is hugely significant, 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: and it was you know, kind of dramatic in a 21 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: sense because it's so important, but there was like no 22 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: drama to it whatsoever. Like Democrats absolutely lined up behind 23 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: their their new team of Hakim Jeffries, who was replacing 24 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: Nancy Pelosi's leader, and then Katherine Clark as the number 25 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: two and Pete Aguilar's the number three. The drama is 26 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: really happening on on the Republicans side right now, as 27 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy like furiously tries to cobble together two and 28 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: eighteen votes to become Speaker of the House. Which is 29 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: so funny that this is playing out this way because 30 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: it was sort of assumed that the drama was going 31 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: to be on the Democratic side after Pelosi left. There 32 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: were so many questions is to what the post Pelosi 33 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: era would look like. Who might step up? You know, 34 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: Hakeem Jeffries was considered the air apparent, but like there 35 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: were some other people in the mix. Whereas it was 36 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: like assumed on the Republican side that, Okay, Kevin McCarthy, 37 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: if you get some already, he's going to be in charge. 38 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: Not looking like a super sure bet right now, there's 39 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: a lot of people on the Republican side who are 40 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: at least saying right now that they're not going to 41 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: support him as speaker. So some Republicans in disarray, kund 42 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: of right now. So we'll talk to me about this, 43 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: because the sort of fascinating data point here with everything 44 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: you read is that McCarthy doesn't have the votes, but 45 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: there's no one else, and so McCarthy is going to 46 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 1: get it. That seems like a flawed logic discuss. Yeah, 47 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: you know, the thing about that kind of logic is 48 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: that there's no one else until there is someone else. 49 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 1: That's kind of the way these things tend to work out. 50 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: At the end of the day. It's it's going to 51 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: be about Kevin McCarthy and whether his conference wants him 52 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 1: to be in that position. And if he doesn't get 53 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: the votes, I mean, I think the people who oppose 54 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: him are viewing this as a referendum on him. If 55 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: he doesn't get the votes, something else is going going 56 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: to happen. And you know, we've seen leaders in the 57 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: past emerge this way where no one's really talking about 58 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: them and it ends up happening. I mean, when John 59 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,239 Speaker 1: Bayner left, Kevin McCarthy was also the heir apparent. Then 60 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: he sort of had some full back campaign because he 61 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: didn't get support, and Paul Ryan, who's sort of a 62 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: big figure, there isn't somebody like him with that kind 63 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: of stature now that Paul Ryan had then, But no 64 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: one was saying like, oh, Paul Ryan is definitely going 65 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: to be the speaker. But McCarthy bowed out and Paul 66 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: Ryan ended up being the speaker. So weird things can happen, 67 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: and it's really about whether these Conservatives trust Kevin McCarthy 68 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: to do this job. So let's talk about what you're 69 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: seeing otherwise in the leadership. For example, it seems like 70 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: there's sort of five people have already said or maybe 71 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,839 Speaker 1: more that they won't support McCarthy. How many votes does 72 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: McCarthy need to get to be speaker. He needs to eighteen, 73 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: and there are going to be two d and twenty 74 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: two Republicans. He can lose four. And there are at 75 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: least five people out there in the Republican side who 76 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: are saying they won't support McCarthy or are currently not 77 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: supporting McCarthy. But this is where things get really interesting, 78 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: because I think there are probably three maybe who are 79 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: just hard nos just not ever going to vote for 80 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy, that could be fine for him. Who are 81 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,919 Speaker 1: those people or are there backbenchers? None of us have 82 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: ever heard of a friend of the show, friend of 83 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: our show. Maybe at the two Beast, the gentleman from Florida, 84 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:28,119 Speaker 1: Matt Gates. He's going to be a no. No matter 85 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: what a couple other guys, I mean Andy Biggs, who 86 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: was the only one to actually run against McCarthy when 87 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: Republicans had their closed door nominating vote, He's going to 88 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: be a no. And then I think another backbencher or 89 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: two may just kind of do it to make a statement. 90 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: So that's where things are at. I think there's like 91 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: a larger group that are out right now not supporting him. 92 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: But this this may end up being kind of the 93 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: tough bargain, maybe the poison pill that Kevin McCarthy swallows, 94 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: because there are these hardliners in the Freedom Caucus who 95 00:04:57,720 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: you know, I think we'll vote for McCarthy, but they 96 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 1: want to extract some real stuff out of him. Basically, 97 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: they want to extract rules changes that will give them 98 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: a lot more power and give McCarthy a lot less 99 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: power if he's speaker. This rule I just want to 100 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: stop you is something where they can call him up 101 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: for election as speaker anytime they want, right basically, and 102 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: then there's just a number of other things that, if 103 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: they're adopted, would make Kevin McCarthy's life miserable. It gives 104 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: rank and file members a lot more power to shape 105 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: the legislative process and force legislative action on things that, 106 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: say Kevin McCarthy might really not want them to do. 107 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: It's sort of like this Fossian barbed where in order 108 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: to become Speaker, Kevin McCarthy is going to have to 109 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: make a deal that is going to make his job 110 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: as Speaker that much more difficult. And I think that's 111 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: something that maybe gets lost a little bit in this conversation. 112 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: Obviously it's important to watch whether Kevin McCarthy actually gets 113 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: the votes. But in order to get the votes, he's 114 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 1: going to start on you know, day one is speaker, 115 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: He's just going to start rolling the boulder up the 116 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: hill that day. I mean, that's really it. It's this 117 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: hard for him just to get to the starting block, 118 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: and these rule changes could make it really hard for 119 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: him to function as speaker. Thoughts, prayers. I just want 120 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: to get back to this idea for a second, because 121 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: I don't have a lot of love for for Kevin McCarthy. 122 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: Could you see a Steve Scullies being the sort of 123 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:23,119 Speaker 1: more consensus candidate or is there really no one who 124 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 1: is has emerged as a possible challenger. No one has 125 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: really emerged as a possible challenger, And I think the 126 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: school is actually just on paper, is more of a 127 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: consensus candidate, probably just in terms of the fundamentals. The 128 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: thing is is that McCarthy and Scullies have this rivalry 129 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: going back a long time, and they have their respective loyalists, 130 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: and people are just very My sense has been that 131 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: that Republicans are wary of backing Skollies as as the alternative, 132 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: just because that kind of dynamic has been so set 133 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: for a long time and they have their respective amps. 134 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 1: And I think the sense is that it would have 135 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 1: to be somebody who's not in the current leadership if 136 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: it does fall apart or or something like that, it 137 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: would have to be someone who has not been in 138 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: the mix and been courting votes and built up their 139 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: own base of support, because then it becomes personal for 140 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: people who would maybe not support McCarthy if if they 141 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: bring in schools, because then It just kind of kicks 142 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 1: up all this this sort of dust that's been percolating 143 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: on the Republican side, drama wise for the last few years. 144 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: So let's talk about what is going to happen in 145 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: the lame duck. I also do want to talk about 146 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: this cock the D Triple C Caucus chair, because that 147 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: is it now open. We saw that was Sean Patrick 148 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: Maloney's seat. Sean Patrick Maloney lost his seat in this 149 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: redistrict doing perhaps surprisingly, Now they're looking for the two 150 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: people have volunteered for the job. Talked to us about that. 151 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: That seems like a crazy story. Yeah, I think Democrats 152 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: right now are in a moment of reevaluating what the 153 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 1: D Triple C chair should look like. It was pretty 154 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: shocking that Sean Patrick Maloney lost, and I think stepping 155 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: back and looking at the rest of what happened in 156 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: New York, it's really, you know, not that shocking at all. 157 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: But party committee chairs are just not supposed to lose. 158 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: There were some things that happened during the campaign where 159 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: the D trips spent to protect Shown Patrick Maloney, and 160 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: that's an internally sensitive move because your job number one 161 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: is supposed to be protecting the rest of the members. 162 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: So all this stuff has has Democrats thinking about, Okay, 163 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: should the d triple C chair even be a member 164 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: at all? I mean, there's no inherent rule that it 165 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: that it has to be, it's just a convention that 166 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: it is. So at this moment right now, Democrats are 167 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,720 Speaker 1: sort of thinking about ways in which they could make 168 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: this job a little less fraught, maybe free this person 169 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,319 Speaker 1: up from I don't know, having to worry about are 170 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: they going to get reelected on top of trying to 171 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: you know, stay in the majority or take back the majority. 172 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: What I'm told from folks just checking in throughout the 173 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: week on this stuff is that it's unlikely that Dens 174 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: are going to do this kind of like wholesale reimagining 175 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: of the position. So it's probably still going to be 176 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: a member of Congress who does it. But people aren't 177 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: super satisfied with the current Shares or the current Shared 178 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: candidates who are out there. They both have a lot 179 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: of scandals as two people who put themselves out backbenchers 180 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: with lots of scandals. Right. Almira has had to run 181 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: competitive elections in the past, but not in a Laski cycles. 182 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: Tony cartin Is has never had to run a competitive 183 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: election against a Republican. Usually people want teatrip chairs to 184 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: have at least some knowledge at some point of how 185 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: to win a campaign against the Republican. So there's a 186 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: lot of satisfaction out there. And what I think is 187 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: kind of crazy about this is like, like Democrats could 188 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:46,559 Speaker 1: take back the House. They really could, especially if if 189 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,439 Speaker 1: Republicans are doing what they're planning on doing with the 190 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: Hunter Biden stuff, and you just look at the map. 191 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: I mean, there there's a good like if Democrats take 192 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: half of the seats that went for Biden and are 193 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: currently represented by Republicans, they'll they'll win the House. So 194 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: someone can step up and be the hero, you know, 195 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 1: But there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of 196 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: folks who are, you know, waving their hands in the 197 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:10,839 Speaker 1: ear and being like, oh, yeah, I'll do it. It's 198 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: a bit of a weird dynamic. There is this lame duck. 199 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,719 Speaker 1: Now it seems like defensive marriage is going to pass, right, 200 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: It's passed the Senate, but not the House yet. That's right, 201 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: It passed the Senate, which was really the hurdle, and 202 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: the real question in the House is how many votes 203 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: will it get how many Republicans will will vote for it? 204 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: I think that's like an interesting question for Congress nerds 205 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: and maybe a sense of where this House Republican Conference 206 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: might get up. But it's a foregone conclusion that it's 207 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: going to pass, and I think they're going to put 208 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: it on the floor next week. And then there's this 209 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: The quote was nobody wants to give Kevin McCarthy a 210 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: grenade with the pin pulled already about this debt ceiling issue. 211 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: Talk to us about the debt ceiling issue. Yeah, so 212 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: it's crazy that this is where things are at now. 213 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: A few years ago this wasn't the case. But you 214 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: have the leader, the presumptive leader of the House Republican 215 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: Conference basically saying we're willing to play politics with the 216 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: debt limit. I mean, nobody said that twenty years ago, 217 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: and like five years ago, it was just kind of 218 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 1: the cranks who said it, and you know, they had 219 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: enough power to make things happen. So the name of 220 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: the game here in the Lame Duck across the board 221 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: is like how much can Democrats get done to set 222 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: themselves up for success and give the Republican majority in 223 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: the House just fewer opportunities to I guess how can 224 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: I say that's elegantly like function up. I really don't know, 225 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: like function app is perfect. And one of the things 226 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: that Kevin McCarthy is is really gonna, I think probably 227 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: try to do is because it's still going to be 228 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: divided government, so the set of being democratic it limits 229 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: his options. But from the investigations to how they handle 230 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: government funding. They want to create problems for Joe Biden 231 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:55,200 Speaker 1: ahead of re election. But potentially the debt limit could 232 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 1: be one of those things. I think it's sometime early 233 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: next year, so I mean that lands right, that's the 234 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: need of that rolls right into the Republican Foxhall that 235 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: they could toss over to the White House if if 236 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 1: they choose. You know, but I think everything gets harder 237 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: right now because Republicans know that the clock is taking 238 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: on democratic control and if they're able to drive certain 239 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,079 Speaker 1: things out, that the clock will run out and January 240 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:21,439 Speaker 1: three Republicans will be in charge. There's already been an 241 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 1: incredible spate of letters written by Kevin McCarthy about all 242 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: of the things he planned to do when he gets 243 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: the job. He doesn't have yet. Can you talk to 244 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: us a little bit about that, because I every day 245 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: I see another letter from him. McCarthy is, if he 246 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:41,079 Speaker 1: gets to this position, aside from the rules changes, is 247 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 1: going to be pulled in about a million different directions. 248 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: And I think what will be called oversight by Republicans 249 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: is going to be a really important thing to watch 250 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,599 Speaker 1: because Republicans, the bills they passed are not going to 251 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: come law, and so oversight is the way that they 252 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: can toss red meat to the kind of more maga 253 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: members of their conference to keep them happy and to 254 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: keep them from revolting against Kevin McCarthy. Yet, McCarthy also 255 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: has some of these new members who just came in 256 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: and you might have heard some of them after the election. 257 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: For example, the guy who beat Sean Patrick Maloney, his 258 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: name is Mike Waller. He's elected, and he's like, you know, 259 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: I really you know, I'm paraphrasing, and but he he 260 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: really expressed no interest at like a Hunter Biden Benghazi 261 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: Committee or anything like that. He's like, people, you know, 262 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: people don't really want us to do that. So he's 263 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: going to be pulled in these different directions. So I 264 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 1: think viewing all these letters and Jim Jordan's has a 265 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 1: bunch of letters that have come out. He's going to 266 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 1: be the chair of the Arry Committee. Yes, I saw 267 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,199 Speaker 1: an amazing Jim Jordan letter today where he's going to 268 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:44,719 Speaker 1: investigate the investigators. He is without his jacket. I would hope. Right, 269 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: here's a really good example of why this is all 270 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: a little bit of kabuki theater. McCarthy sends out this 271 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 1: letter saying, January six Committee, keep your records. We're going 272 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 1: to take hold of those and we're going to show 273 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: the American people, and I think people who follow the 274 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: January Sifton you would say or support it was a 275 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: sure man, go ahead, take them, like, get all of 276 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: our stuff out there. We left some stuff on the 277 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:05,439 Speaker 1: cutting room floor. It would be great if you guys 278 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,679 Speaker 1: could air that. Continue to air that, because I'm sure 279 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: they're sitting on plenty of stuff that is going to 280 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: reflect a lot more poorly on on Trump and his 281 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: his backers than it is on the January six Committee. 282 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: I highly doubt that Kevin McCarthy is going to go 283 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: down that road. So it's important to view that stuff 284 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: through what is Kevin McCarthy's posturing and how is he 285 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 1: using oversight or oversight threats just as a way to 286 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: keep his his people in line. There is one thing 287 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: that came into mind that I do think is super 288 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: important to note in terms of like the lame duck, 289 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 1: and that's kind of in the investigations thing, which is, 290 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: I'm sure you're following the Ways of Means Trump tax stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 291 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: they have the taxes now, right, they have it now. 292 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: They also have a month before before the before the 293 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 1: Republicans take charge. So I think there's some really interesting 294 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: questions as to how does Riche Neil, the chairman of 295 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: the Ways and Means Committee, handle this. You know, Nancy 296 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: closey still you know, kind of she's technically still the 297 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 1: leader until until January three. I'm sure she's working closely 298 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: with Jeffries, but how do they decide to handle this? 299 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: And I think it's fair to say with with these records, 300 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: I mean, when Republicans take charge of that committee, they're gonna, 301 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: you know, that's going to be put in a foul 302 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: cabinet um in a very very quiet corner of the 303 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: Capital the file get the paper shredder or fire cabinet. 304 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: So I just want to just clearly just go this 305 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 1: for one second. So basically, all of Kevin McCarthy's grand 306 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: plans will endanger all of the seats the Republicans just one. 307 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 1: I think it's fair to say that, Yeah, the proof 308 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 1: is sort of in the pudding. These folks got elected 309 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: and they're saying, you know, we really are not really 310 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: good interested in doing any of this stuff. It's a 311 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: remarkable moment of you know, Republicans kind of catching the car. 312 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: They've got the House after all the expectations of a 313 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: huge red wave that didn't materialize, and their base is 314 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 1: really hungry for them to make a Hunter Biden Laptop committee, 315 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: and the people who just put them in the majority 316 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: are like, not so fast. This is a bad idea. 317 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: It would be one thing if there was a forty 318 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: seat Republican majority, like Republicans talked about, and you know, 319 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: folks like the guy would be tryn Patrick Mullaney would 320 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 1: kind of be irrelevant. Well, that's not what happened. They 321 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: have a four seat majority. I think because of what happened, 322 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: the voices on the Republican side who are wanting to 323 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 1: pump the brakes on all this Hunter Biden stuff and 324 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 1: impeaching you know, my orchists and teaching you know this 325 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 1: person and that person. Like the voices saying pump the 326 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: brakes are are going to be a lot more listened to. 327 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: I think by Kevin McCarthy. Fantastic, so interesting, Thank you 328 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: so much. Please come back, Sam, Yes, I will come 329 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: on anytime. That's always so. Randy wine Garden is the 330 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 1: president of the American Federation of Teacher Welcome too Fast Politics. 331 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: The most dangerous person in the world, Randy Weingarten, congratulations. 332 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: You know what I saw it. Initially, Molly, I was 333 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: amused because I'm like, oh my god, he must be 334 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: running for president. Like I have never heard Mike Pompeio 335 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: utter my name or a word about education, much less 336 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: teachers or math or science or literacy or whatever. So 337 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: I'm like, I guess he's trying to out Betsy Divoss here. Yes, 338 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,640 Speaker 1: what I really hated about it. Look, I don't really 339 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: care what he says about me, although in this moment 340 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 1: in time, because it signals things to extremists, you know, 341 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: it can be very dangerous. This is what I really 342 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 1: cared about. He called what teachers do filth. That's what 343 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: I really cared about. For everyone who doesn't totally know 344 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:04,479 Speaker 1: the situation, Mike pomp, a blowhard of the worst kind, 345 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,439 Speaker 1: has decided that he wants to run for president, and 346 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 1: one of the ways he's trying to get the base 347 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 1: excited is by attacking you, because you are the two 348 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: things Republicans hate, teachers unions, and this is a culture 349 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: war trope that they've gotten very excited about. And then 350 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 1: he followed up by saying, you're the most dangerous person 351 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,880 Speaker 1: in the world. The sort of Republican attack on an 352 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: education has sort of taken. It's been a multi pronged attempt. First, 353 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,240 Speaker 1: I want to talk to you about the book banning 354 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 1: and that element of it. You know that there are 355 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 1: things too dangerous to learn. That seems to me to 356 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: be a sort of interesting revival of a kind of 357 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,920 Speaker 1: nineteen fifties thing. I mean, are you surprised that that 358 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:51,919 Speaker 1: came down the pike or were you waiting for that? 359 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: Or has that always been there? So let me give 360 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:57,440 Speaker 1: you my thirty second to my minute analysis of this. 361 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 1: You know, you have the of arcs and the gazillionaires 362 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,400 Speaker 1: like the Koch brothers, the U Lines, the divorces. They've 363 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: always seen this amount of money that goes into education, 364 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: and they've tried to figure out how do they glom 365 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: onto it. You know, first they want to cut their taxes, 366 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,160 Speaker 1: but they really want to glom onto this money. They 367 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,919 Speaker 1: came up with vouchers and charters and all sorts of 368 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: other competition and things like that. But ninety semi percent 369 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: of parents still want to send your kids to public schools. 370 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: So you have that group of people. And remember Pompell 371 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 1: is very connected to the Koch brothers. But then on 372 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 1: top of it, this is the new part that the 373 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: combination of what happened in the aftermath of George Floyd's 374 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: murder and in the aftermath of COVID is what has 375 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 1: made the cultural wars into a high octane battle because people, 376 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: you know, at the beginning of co the parents who 377 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,679 Speaker 1: started watching what their kids were doing with teachers on zoom. 378 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: We were getting just tremendous love for teachers about how 379 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: engaged they were and what they were trying to do 380 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: and how much they were trying to do. And we 381 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,439 Speaker 1: kept you know, all sorts of places open for food 382 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: delivery and things like that, and you know, you saw 383 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: all that. But what happened between George Floyd's murder and 384 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: everyone seeing seven minutes of this guy being killed by 385 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:36,439 Speaker 1: a police officer and seeing that video, it created a 386 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: lot of empathy, and it created a lot of sense of, Oh, 387 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:44,640 Speaker 1: my god, racism is really going on in the country. 388 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 1: Put a pin in that for a second. And then 389 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: on top of that, all of the dislocation and the 390 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:54,880 Speaker 1: disruption because two or three years of people not being 391 00:20:54,920 --> 00:21:00,159 Speaker 1: in school or their calendars disrupted, their lives disrupted, and 392 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: the uncertainty created a lot of uncertainty. Those two things 393 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 1: were the recipe for chaos, vilification, and division. So what 394 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: has these cultural wars been now? Now? Think about them? 395 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: The cultural wars. Get rid of social emotional learning in schools, 396 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: get rid of the teaching forget about book banning for 397 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 1: a second, the teaching of Anne Frank and Ruby Bridges 398 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: and calling honest history critical race theory which no one knows. 399 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: And then what happened with trans kids? Fifty million dollars 400 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:39,919 Speaker 1: in the last election cycle to try to vilify trans 401 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 1: kids and it didn't work. Not working is the best 402 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:46,959 Speaker 1: part of that whole story. Yeah, exactly. But my point 403 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:54,399 Speaker 1: is there were seeds here that made it very seductive 404 00:21:54,640 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: for the Steve Bennins and the chaos disruptors, divide yours 405 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:06,440 Speaker 1: to say, let's exploit the anxiety. But also they were 406 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:10,120 Speaker 1: really really fearful, which is why you saw the attack 407 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,360 Speaker 1: and teaching honest history and why you see the attack 408 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:17,880 Speaker 1: on social emotional learning. They're really afraid that we were 409 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:22,119 Speaker 1: bringing people together and understanding that everybody has to be 410 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: seen and we really need to take on racism and 411 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: anti semitism and homophobia and Islamophobia, and that idea of 412 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: bringing people together and public schools doing it. They're really 413 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: really afraid of that. That's why I think that I 414 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:45,679 Speaker 1: am the most dangerous person to him, because that's what 415 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: public school should be doing, bring people together and helping 416 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: kids not only recover but thrive. As someone who has 417 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 1: school aged kids who went through the pandemic, there has 418 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:00,200 Speaker 1: definitely been learning loss. I mean, that's no what he 419 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 1: is arguing about that. In fact, the teachers have been 420 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: pretty open about that, the thing I always hoped would happen. 421 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: And I wonder why there isn't more openness to this. 422 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 1: This is just like me as a parent, is I 423 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: wonder why there isn't more openness to like doing a 424 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: thirteenth year of school for people because I do feel 425 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: like they missed a lot of like emotional learning, et cetera. 426 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 1: What happens when people start talking about a thirteen and 427 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: fourteenth year of high school as opposed to a dual 428 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 1: enrollment program is that everybody is leary about the concept 429 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: of leaving kids back or you know, holding people back 430 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 1: because of a pandemic. Having kids suffered enough and leaving 431 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: kids back is always viewed as a penalty as opposed 432 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:52,160 Speaker 1: to you know, this is good for someone. It's always 433 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 1: you know, even thinking about how the term is used. 434 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:57,359 Speaker 1: So that's why those of us in education talk about 435 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: accelerated learning. Of course, this pandemic of hurt kids and 436 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 1: hurt families and hurt the country. And if you're five 437 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: years old and all of a sudden you're not playing 438 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: with your friends for months and months at a time, 439 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: and you don't know one day from the next year, 440 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 1: got to wear masks and do not have to marry. 441 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,920 Speaker 1: And I think we were wrong by not being more 442 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,960 Speaker 1: open to saying, look, of course, this period of time 443 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: is terrible. What we were trying to do is educators 444 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,400 Speaker 1: were trying to do everything in their power to keep 445 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: kids up. I think what we have to do and 446 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: think about accelerated learning, think about high schools really differently, 447 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: meaning let's make sure there's pathways in high schools to 448 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: college and to career. Let's make sure that we can 449 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:50,159 Speaker 1: readily do dual enrollment programs and businesses be part of 450 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:54,240 Speaker 1: this in terms of how we help kids get certification 451 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:59,399 Speaker 1: or apprenticeship programs or things like that, so effectively having 452 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 1: a thirty year or fourteens here, but doing it in 453 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: a really different way, because I think the psychological issues 454 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,879 Speaker 1: right now are as important as almost anything else. We 455 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 1: have to help kids get their mojo back and their 456 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,840 Speaker 1: profidence back in a sense that they can be on 457 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 1: the path to you know, success, because think about, Look, 458 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: I'm old already. I'm I'm gonna be sixty five years 459 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 1: old this month. But think about the generation gen Z 460 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: and the other generations born in the nineties and the 461 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: two thousand's, they went through the two thousand and eight recession, 462 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 1: and they're going through this. That's a lot of pain 463 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 1: to go through at the start of one's life. So 464 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: that's why I'm I'm thinking, let's find real ways of 465 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: having pathways like career tech ed, like all the stuff 466 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: that's happening with chips do all the kind of tutoring 467 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,199 Speaker 1: that is going on right now. Let's help kids get 468 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,919 Speaker 1: their mojo back and really focus on mental health and 469 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: and disrupting isolation. There was a moment with the pandemic 470 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:07,359 Speaker 1: where I really thought that, um, it would bring us 471 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: all together, and a lot of historians sort of hoped 472 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 1: that it would be that. And instead, you know, the 473 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:17,400 Speaker 1: way the Great Depression did, there were sort of moments 474 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: of connection, and even the nine eighteen flu pandemic in 475 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: a certain way brought people together. But instead we've had 476 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: this very polarized sort of attack on these teachers, you know, 477 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 1: mad the right has been very mad at teachers for masking, 478 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 1: mad at teachers for not having in person school sooner. 479 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 1: And you know what I think is interesting is like, 480 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: you know that one year when the pandemic really started, 481 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 1: you know, there wasn't in person school. But as soon 482 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:45,479 Speaker 1: as we started to really learn about it and there 483 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: were vaccines, as soon as humanly possible, everyone got back 484 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,359 Speaker 1: into the classroom. Republicans tried to run on that in 485 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: this mid term, and they really weren't able to because 486 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: it just didn't catch fire the way they had hoped, 487 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: which I do think is probably a good sign about 488 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: the American people. I do too, And and look, let's 489 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: just be real. In school learning is a lot more 490 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: effective than being on zoom and being remote. And one 491 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 1: of the reasons it's more effective is that people I 492 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: don't want to sound like Barbara Stress and people people 493 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:25,199 Speaker 1: needing people, but people need people and kids need to 494 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: be in relation with one another. But as one of 495 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:32,360 Speaker 1: the people who from April, I mean, this is this 496 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 1: is what's so hard about living in this post true 497 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: society that we're in and where there doesn't seem to 498 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:45,959 Speaker 1: be any guardrails against the extremists disinforming or telling of lies. 499 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 1: But from April, my union was trying to figure out 500 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:55,280 Speaker 1: how to get people back into school in a safe way. 501 00:27:55,440 --> 00:28:00,199 Speaker 1: And I think what happened here was the politics and 502 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: Trump's political need to try to win reelection. He decided 503 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 1: the way he was going to win re election was 504 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 1: to first pretend that COVID didn't exist, and then he 505 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 1: completely mishandled the pandemic as he missandaled virtually everything else. 506 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 1: But what happened as a result is, you know, with 507 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: the exception of Fauci, he didn't really trust very many 508 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 1: other people who were speaking from that podium about what 509 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: was going on. So look at what happened. Andrew Cuomo 510 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 1: all of a sudden became the de facto president for 511 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: the moment. I think that the uncertainty about what was 512 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:46,520 Speaker 1: going on created anxiety, and the politics infected it in 513 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: a way that was just gross and made people more uncertain. 514 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 1: And look at it now, millions of people have died. 515 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: We now have three respiratory viruses. They're putting a lot 516 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: of people in the hospiti But nobody wants to talk 517 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: about any of this or take any kind of measures 518 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: because of, you know, the politics of COVID. I think 519 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: if Biden was the president when COVID first started, we 520 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: would have had a very different response, and I think 521 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 1: there was there would have been a real shot of 522 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:20,120 Speaker 1: bringing the country together. Oh yeah, I mean well, I 523 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: would also say that under Trump we lost a million people. 524 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: Most countries that are wealthy countries like US lost many 525 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,920 Speaker 1: many fewer. So I mean, you know, there was a 526 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: lot of malpractice governing Maul to practice as one would expect, 527 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: and the way in which Trump acted people were dispensable, 528 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: and the way in which they acted in terms of 529 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: the opening of schools. I mean, I just want to 530 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 1: put some facts out. As soon as the vaccines were available, 531 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 1: and we were very grateful. We are the fastest growing 532 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: healthcare union and we're the second largest teacher union and 533 00:29:55,840 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 1: the largest college union. So of my member as soon 534 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: as the vaccines were available, ultimately got the vaccines and 535 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 1: wanted to be in schools. Overwhelmingly of my members wanted 536 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,240 Speaker 1: to be in schools. They just wanted to be safe. 537 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: And if you look at Guiden's record in terms of 538 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: school opening, even during O Macron versus Trump's record, even 539 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 1: in the highest places, the highest incidents of O Macron 540 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 1: last January, eight percent of schools were open compared to 541 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 1: Trump schools. These school board meetings one of the things 542 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: that Steve Bannon has been well for the midterms more 543 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,959 Speaker 1: but also now they've encouraged their people to run for 544 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: school boards. You had a lot of pretty incredible, you know, 545 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: videos of people. There were people talking about that. You know, 546 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: there was this uh lie that a child had identified 547 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,719 Speaker 1: as a cat and that the teachers had put a 548 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 1: cat litter box in this classroom. Lat of Republican candidates 549 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: ran on this lie even though it's not true. Are 550 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: you seeing a downstream effect from the school board candidates 551 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 1: and explain yes, number one, you know, and we're still 552 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 1: getting all the results from all the school board elections 553 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:27,240 Speaker 1: in the main the pro public education candidates one, particularly 554 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 1: in blue areas and in a lot of purple areas. 555 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: In red areas, you saw kind of a mix, a 556 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: mix bad. But what is happening is that it is 557 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 1: creating an USA Today had a great article about this 558 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: yesterday or in the last couple of days. It is 559 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: really creating a huge chilling effect on teachers. So that's 560 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: story about the cat, the cats and litter. It was gross, 561 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: it was disgusting. It was a lie. The other thing 562 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: that's gross and disgusting and a lie is that teachers 563 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: are grooming kids or trying to convince kiss to change sexes. 564 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 1: It's gross, But it goes back to the point I 565 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,320 Speaker 1: was trying to make before, which is new need teachers 566 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: and kids to have a trusting connection with each other. 567 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: All of this is intended to break that bond and 568 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:24,680 Speaker 1: to undermine public schools, and that's what's so dangerous about it. Yeah, 569 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:27,640 Speaker 1: a guy like Pompeo, he know it's better. He's a 570 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:30,640 Speaker 1: West Point guy he gives the head of the CIA. 571 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 1: He knows what are the seeds of authoritarianism. It's this 572 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 1: deshumanization and it's this distrust and he is walking right 573 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:46,600 Speaker 1: into it intentionally because of his political aspirations. This is 574 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: so interesting. I hope you will come back. Thank you 575 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: so much, randywine Garden, of course, thank you. Congressman Richie 576 00:32:55,840 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: Torres represents New York's fifteenth congressional district. Welcome to Fast Politics, 577 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: Richie Torres. It's always an honor to be here. It's 578 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: always an honor to have you. Such an interesting time 579 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 1: to be a Democrat. You had some votes this morning. 580 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 1: Will you tell our listeners about what happened this morning. 581 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 1: So I'm proud to report that the House Democratic Caucus 582 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 1: has selected Keem Jeffreys, Congressman Keem Jeffreys from Brooklyn, as 583 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 1: the first person of color to lead House Democrats in 584 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 1: the history of the United States. Hopefully one day he 585 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 1: will become the first speaker of color in the United States. 586 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: So we've made history. He's going to be a powerful 587 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 1: bass and voice of the party. He's one of I 588 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,120 Speaker 1: would argue he's our best communicator, in our best spokesperson 589 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: and so it's exciting to be part of making history. 590 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 1: It's so interesting because I was thinking about it. I 591 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 1: was thinking in the House it's different, but in the 592 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 1: Senate there's still only two black senators. And you know, 593 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 1: just as imporant is the racial diversity is generational. Congress 594 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:01,440 Speaker 1: historically has been something of germtocracy. You know, the three 595 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:03,680 Speaker 1: leading Democrats in the House or at or above the 596 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 1: age of eighty, all but a few of the committee 597 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: chairs are at or above the age of seventy United 598 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:10,640 Speaker 1: age thirty five and essentially in embryon in the United States. 599 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:14,920 Speaker 1: Commm wait, there are three I'm sorry, there are three 600 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:19,080 Speaker 1: African American senators, which is extremely small, and there's only 601 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:21,719 Speaker 1: ever been twelve. I think it's like their twelve or 602 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:26,399 Speaker 1: thirteen throughout history, which is like crazily small. I want 603 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:29,399 Speaker 1: to talk to you about this sort of the way 604 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 1: that this went down, because it does seem very organized. 605 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:36,320 Speaker 1: Hakim and Catherine Clark is going to be the minority 606 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 1: with and Pete Aguilar, who's who said to be the 607 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:41,879 Speaker 1: chair of the caucus. The three of them essentially ran 608 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 1: as a team as a slate, and the three of 609 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,720 Speaker 1: them have been part at work cultivating relationships with members, 610 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 1: campaigning for members across the country, raising money for the party. 611 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: The three of them laid the ground world for you know. 612 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,720 Speaker 1: I mean it might it might seem like a four nation, 613 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:00,600 Speaker 1: but I feel like that ignores the mense amount of 614 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:02,839 Speaker 1: time and effort that each of them put into their 615 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:05,919 Speaker 1: campaign for leadership. Can you talk a little bit about 616 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 1: there's some anxiety on the progressive side that Representative Jeffreies 617 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: maybe won't play ball or you know, has his trained 618 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:17,200 Speaker 1: relationship with the progressive wing of the party. What do 619 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,480 Speaker 1: you think about that? And you're on the ground, so 620 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:23,120 Speaker 1: do you see that? Or Now, like every everyone has detractors, 621 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 1: But you'd be hardcrest to find a member who is 622 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:30,239 Speaker 1: more deeply and broadly respected within the caucus than had Peen. 623 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:33,480 Speaker 1: I mean he has. He appeals to a broadcross section 624 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 1: of the Democratic Caucus. He is a deep relationship with 625 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,000 Speaker 1: Mark Coo can is the co chair of the Progressive Caucus. 626 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: He commands respect from the new Dens, from the blue dogs, 627 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:46,320 Speaker 1: from the problem solvers. You know, he's respected across the board. 628 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: There's always going to be critics who will find faults 629 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: with everything, but if you examine Hakeem's record progressive by 630 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: any standard. I mean he was instrumental in passing the 631 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:59,800 Speaker 1: most consequential criminal justice reform legislation in recent history, and 632 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:03,200 Speaker 1: in the First Step Act giving second chances to those 633 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: who had criminal records at the federal So if you 634 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 1: look at his record rather than listen to critics in 635 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,320 Speaker 1: the peanut gallery, I think you would conclude that he 636 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:15,800 Speaker 1: is fundamentally progressive. He's pragmatic because his position requires it. 637 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,800 Speaker 1: What do you see in this lame duck? Now, it 638 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:23,400 Speaker 1: looks like today defense of marriage was voted through the Senate. 639 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 1: That seems like a pretty big deal. What else do 640 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:30,320 Speaker 1: you see happening now in these this last month, we 641 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: are set to pass the Respect for Marriage Act in 642 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:36,799 Speaker 1: the House, which would protect both the right to same 643 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 1: sex marriage and into racial and codify marriage equality. And 644 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 1: federal we're going to pass the National Defense Authorization Act. 645 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 1: The hope is that we can pass an omnibus, a 646 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:48,479 Speaker 1: budget that will fund the federal government. But McConnell wants 647 00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:51,920 Speaker 1: more money for the military. The Republicans always want more 648 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: funding for the military. And then there are Republicans who 649 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 1: are simply against passing an omnibus. Hold together. We simply 650 00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:58,920 Speaker 1: want to shut everything down. What do you think it's 651 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:01,560 Speaker 1: going to be. It's going to be this big changeover, 652 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:05,480 Speaker 1: right with this, even though Republicans have very small are 653 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 1: going to have a very small majority, They're still going 654 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:12,400 Speaker 1: to have the majority. But it's not clear whether the 655 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:16,120 Speaker 1: Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy has enough votes to become speaker, 656 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,879 Speaker 1: Like we might go to the floor without knowing whether 657 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:22,759 Speaker 1: he has the votes to become speaker. It's it's it's astonishing. 658 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:26,000 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, we often draw a false equivalence 659 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:29,239 Speaker 1: between the left and the right, or the far left 660 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:32,200 Speaker 1: and the far right right, but in truth, the Democratic 661 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:36,280 Speaker 1: Caucus is unified, whereas the Republican caucus has hostage. Takers 662 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: were willing to hold their own leader rants by rants. 663 00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: You know, we would never do to our leader what 664 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,800 Speaker 1: the far right is doing to Kevin McCarthy. It's amusing 665 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:47,960 Speaker 1: to watch. Yeah, I do have to say, Kevin McCarthy, 666 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:51,319 Speaker 1: this will be the second time Kevin McCarthy has been 667 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:53,800 Speaker 1: I mean, there may have actually been more times, but 668 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:57,680 Speaker 1: the most recent time with Paul Ryan, where he just 669 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 1: I feel like he doesn't want to make that mistake again, 670 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:02,759 Speaker 1: where he sort of gets to the finish line and 671 00:38:02,840 --> 00:38:04,880 Speaker 1: then it doesn't work. I could see him bringing it 672 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:07,239 Speaker 1: to the floor without actually knowing what he has the votes. 673 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:11,080 Speaker 1: The last time that has happened, it's probably the early century. 674 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:14,600 Speaker 1: It's sort of fascinating because when you talk to people 675 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 1: in the pundon class about why McCarthy is going to 676 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 1: be the speaker, and I'm and I'm thinking of people 677 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:25,359 Speaker 1: on the conservative leaning in the pundon class, they'll say, well, 678 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,520 Speaker 1: there's no one to challenge him. But I'm not sure 679 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: that's the kind of endorsement that gets your people's votes. 680 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: There's always someone waiting in line to go speakers that 681 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:38,239 Speaker 1: seems I'm persuasive to do right. And it's like the 682 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:42,120 Speaker 1: hostage takers in the Republican conference want to make an example. 683 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:44,200 Speaker 1: I want to send a message. I mean, these people 684 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,880 Speaker 1: are arsenals, and we have a diversity of an opinion 685 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 1: in the Democratic Caucus, but there's no one in our 686 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: caucus who's an arsenals, who's a hostage. There's no equivalent 687 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:56,080 Speaker 1: of a mac deans. Yeah, I don't know if you were. 688 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:58,920 Speaker 1: There was a really interesting opped this morning by someone 689 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:04,240 Speaker 1: who had worked in g OP leadership during the Clinton 690 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:08,320 Speaker 1: Monica stuff, and it was super interesting, and he talked 691 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 1: about this idea of like trying to find the scandal 692 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:16,560 Speaker 1: to pin on the Democratic can you know, candidate, politician, 693 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:19,480 Speaker 1: et cetera. And he talked in this piece about this 694 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:23,200 Speaker 1: idea that they're just convinced that Hunter Biden's laptop is 695 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:26,960 Speaker 1: going to bring down Joe Biden and that that actually 696 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:30,080 Speaker 1: voters really don't like that, but that that seems very 697 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:32,560 Speaker 1: much what they're committed to doing. I mean, what do 698 00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 1: you think about that? And like, you'll be in this 699 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 1: Congress when this happens, which should be really interesting and strange. 700 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:42,920 Speaker 1: The Republican Party, particularly the extremes of the Republican Party, 701 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:47,120 Speaker 1: are radically disconnected. For real, the mid term elections were 702 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:49,800 Speaker 1: clearly a rejection of extremism. You know, we're not for 703 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:53,920 Speaker 1: January six, We're not for the reversal, reverses weight, We're 704 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 1: not for the extremism of the Republican Party. You might 705 00:39:57,239 --> 00:40:00,680 Speaker 1: have had the makings of a traditional red weight elect Instead, 706 00:40:00,719 --> 00:40:03,759 Speaker 1: the Republicans were undone at the hands of their own extremism, 707 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:06,480 Speaker 1: and instead of allowing themselves to be chastened and humbled 708 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:08,719 Speaker 1: by the results, you have people like mc gates who 709 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:11,320 Speaker 1: are doubling down on their extremes. I predict the Republicans 710 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:13,520 Speaker 1: will self destruct and we will take back the House 711 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:15,359 Speaker 1: in two years. I was thinking about this a lot, 712 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,360 Speaker 1: this idea that like Trump has been responsible for the 713 00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:22,520 Speaker 1: loss of three elections now every swing state Trump candidate lost. 714 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,960 Speaker 1: But there seems to be no self reflection there. You 715 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:28,680 Speaker 1: get the sense that there is some measure frum fatigue. 716 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:30,920 Speaker 1: But you're right, the grip that Trump has on the 717 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:34,239 Speaker 1: Republican Party is not yet broken. And in fact, what 718 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:39,120 Speaker 1: I found telling, and Trump had dinner with vicious anti 719 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 1: semis and I mean Dick Fuentis is an avowed white 720 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:45,920 Speaker 1: supremisis and Kanye West. When he had dinner with them, 721 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:48,200 Speaker 1: there were very few Republicans who are willing to speak 722 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:50,839 Speaker 1: out against There were very few Republicans who were willing 723 00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:55,080 Speaker 1: to condemn Donald Trump for elevating probably the most anti 724 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:58,280 Speaker 1: Semitic voices in the United States. And so that speaks 725 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:00,839 Speaker 1: to the fear factor. That speaks to the continuing grip 726 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:03,320 Speaker 1: that Donald Trump has on the psyche of the Republican 727 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:05,800 Speaker 1: Party and the terror and the fear that he strikes 728 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:08,560 Speaker 1: in the hearts of Republicans. I know you're not a psychiatrist, 729 00:41:08,719 --> 00:41:11,400 Speaker 1: but do you think they're that it's just they're scared 730 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:15,440 Speaker 1: of the primary challenges and they hate male and the 731 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:18,719 Speaker 1: death threats, or do you think they really think there's 732 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:22,040 Speaker 1: no other way that they think that their base is 733 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,680 Speaker 1: really still very much belongs to Trump. I think it's 734 00:41:25,719 --> 00:41:28,640 Speaker 1: a combination of factors. You certainly have people who are 735 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: true believers, who are true adherents of trump Is, which 736 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:34,480 Speaker 1: has become a religion, and the Republican Party. There are 737 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 1: Republicans who do recognize that Trump is a liability, you know, 738 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:40,440 Speaker 1: his endorsement is the kiss of death, but who are 739 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,000 Speaker 1: too afraid to speak out against them. For the reasons 740 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:45,640 Speaker 1: that you just said, he remains popular among the base 741 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,160 Speaker 1: of the Republican Party, and he's heavily favored to become 742 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:50,680 Speaker 1: the Republican omnique, the only person who has a fighting 743 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:53,560 Speaker 1: chance of defeating him in a Republican primaries. Rond de Santist. 744 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:57,200 Speaker 1: But no one should underestimate Trump's control of the Republican Party, 745 00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:58,880 Speaker 1: and for what it's worth, I prefer him as the 746 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:03,400 Speaker 1: nominee because he's much more. But that he's so toxic. 747 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:07,759 Speaker 1: That is just like the things he does to America 748 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 1: are not worth it. You know, I fear round the 749 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:14,840 Speaker 1: Stantis because he's a more competent warm up shop. But 750 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:17,480 Speaker 1: he plays the same game, but he can do so 751 00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 1: while appearing competent and moderate at the same time. And 752 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:23,919 Speaker 1: there's a sense in which that is more insidious, more dangerous. Yeah, 753 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:26,840 Speaker 1: that makes sense. So I just want to talk to 754 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:29,920 Speaker 1: you about what your plan is now. My plan is 755 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:34,320 Speaker 1: to remain Congress, but unfortunately I'm gonna join the minority, 756 00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:37,160 Speaker 1: and so We're going to be part of the resistance 757 00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:40,720 Speaker 1: to the extremes and accesses of a House Republican majority. 758 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:43,200 Speaker 1: I have no doubt that the Republicans will attempt to 759 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:48,000 Speaker 1: wage frivolous impeachment proceedings, particularly against my Orkists, like he's 760 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:50,759 Speaker 1: the Cabinet secretary who has become the prime target of 761 00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:54,760 Speaker 1: the Republicans. I expect an endless dream of frivolous hearings 762 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:58,080 Speaker 1: about Hunter Biden. So it's going to be a painful 763 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:00,799 Speaker 1: two years, but look hopefully for fair to push back 764 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:03,759 Speaker 1: against the Republicans and fight for the American team. There 765 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:07,200 Speaker 1: will be Democrats on these committees, so the committees will 766 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:09,960 Speaker 1: remain by partisans, but the Republicans will control. Whether the 767 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 1: Republicans controlled the House by one seat or a hundred seat, 768 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:16,320 Speaker 1: the outcome is the same. The Republicans control the speaker, 769 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:19,399 Speaker 1: will control the speakership, and will control the committees. Will 770 00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:24,560 Speaker 1: they decide who go as on committees. Historically, the Republicans 771 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:27,759 Speaker 1: will determine the number of seats that the minority party 772 00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:30,040 Speaker 1: gets and then leaves it to the party to decide 773 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:32,239 Speaker 1: who gets to be a member of the committee. But 774 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:36,520 Speaker 1: there's an exception. McCarthy announced that he's going to remove 775 00:43:36,719 --> 00:43:41,120 Speaker 1: particular Democrats from particular committee. So he's targeting Adam Chef 776 00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:44,160 Speaker 1: on the Intelligence Committee, Eric swallll on the Intelligence Committee, 777 00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:46,840 Speaker 1: and Elano mare on the Foreign Affairs Committee, which to 778 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:49,759 Speaker 1: me is a dangerous game. Right, he's doing that as 779 00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:54,359 Speaker 1: reciprocity for Marjorie Taylor Green. Right, Okay, to me, it's 780 00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:58,880 Speaker 1: dangerous to remove people from committees simply because you disagree 781 00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:01,640 Speaker 1: with the boy, right, because when does that end? It 782 00:44:01,719 --> 00:44:04,839 Speaker 1: never stops. It's going to be an endless cycle over Talis. Yeah, 783 00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:07,799 Speaker 1: I mean, but you know, Marjorie Taylor Green didn't get 784 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:11,480 Speaker 1: removed from her committees because she was wacky. She got removed. 785 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:13,719 Speaker 1: In case of Marjorie Taylor Green, she you know, she 786 00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:18,040 Speaker 1: engaged in rhetoric that incited violence, potential to incite violence, 787 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 1: so there was unethical conduct. But you know, removing Adam 788 00:44:21,719 --> 00:44:25,480 Speaker 1: Schiff from the Intelligence Committee simply because you disagree with 789 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:31,479 Speaker 1: his views on the connection between Russia and Trump, that's ridiculous. Yeah, 790 00:44:31,719 --> 00:44:36,720 Speaker 1: McCarthy is, you know, is hostage to these more fringey Republicans. 791 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 1: But in the end he might be hosted by his 792 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:42,919 Speaker 1: own right. He is also very, very stupid, which will 793 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:46,360 Speaker 1: make this even more strange and interesting. I expect the 794 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:50,879 Speaker 1: Republicans to self destruct. The party has become unhinged, it's 795 00:44:50,920 --> 00:44:54,440 Speaker 1: become a cultural personality around Trump. It's becoming capable of governing. 796 00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:58,319 Speaker 1: Like the irony is that democratic control of the presidency, 797 00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:02,440 Speaker 1: the House, and the Senate actually led to more bipartisanship, 798 00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:05,080 Speaker 1: not but also the GOP based They don't want to 799 00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:08,080 Speaker 1: see that. The MATC. Gates is the Josh Holly's, the 800 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:10,719 Speaker 1: Ted Cruises of the world are content to be performers 801 00:45:11,120 --> 00:45:13,480 Speaker 1: and to grant stand in front of cameras and to 802 00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:16,719 Speaker 1: obstruct and oppose everything none of these people have the 803 00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:19,239 Speaker 1: slightest interesting doctor which really, like, you know, if you 804 00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:21,799 Speaker 1: have no interest in governing or legislating, then why become 805 00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:23,400 Speaker 1: a legislator. I mean, I feel like it's like with 806 00:45:23,560 --> 00:45:26,440 Speaker 1: Ted Cruz. They want to be a celebrity but not 807 00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:30,719 Speaker 1: necessarily a legislator. And my views, you can either be 808 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 1: a celebrity or a congress person, but in the end 809 00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:37,400 Speaker 1: you cannot be Richie Torres so interesting. Very thrilled to 810 00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:40,799 Speaker 1: have you keep us posted always never a dumb woman 811 00:45:40,840 --> 00:45:52,520 Speaker 1: in decent Yes, come back soon. Secondly, Molly jun Fast 812 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:58,160 Speaker 1: Jesse Cannon, I saw that you spent your day doing 813 00:45:58,200 --> 00:46:01,759 Speaker 1: what I did. The moment of Juckery has to be 814 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:07,280 Speaker 1: the three hour live stream that you and I both watched. 815 00:46:07,480 --> 00:46:09,480 Speaker 1: I did not watch three hours. I only watched like 816 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:13,320 Speaker 1: about forty minutes. No. I tapped out what he started 817 00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:16,920 Speaker 1: saying that colckwork Gards was really about the Jews. Everything 818 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,160 Speaker 1: is about the Jews. So for those of you who 819 00:46:19,200 --> 00:46:22,680 Speaker 1: are not extremely online, and also for my dad, Hi, dad, 820 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:26,040 Speaker 1: what we're talking about is a man called Alex Jones. 821 00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:29,560 Speaker 1: You know him for lying about the murders of children 822 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:34,920 Speaker 1: in Sandy Hook, Connecticut that Alex Jones had a live stream, 823 00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:39,640 Speaker 1: and on it was Kanye West now called Yea spelled 824 00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:45,440 Speaker 1: ye and Nick fuent as a white supremacist, and also 825 00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:48,840 Speaker 1: Ali Alexander, who is most famous for his involvement in 826 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:53,480 Speaker 1: the January six riots, and also Laura Loomer and the 827 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:57,279 Speaker 1: long Panel. It was long panel where Kanye said a 828 00:46:57,400 --> 00:47:01,680 Speaker 1: lot of really really, really really anti Semitic things about 829 00:47:01,719 --> 00:47:05,600 Speaker 1: the Jews. Was a lot of back and forth. Probably 830 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:09,800 Speaker 1: the most absurd part of the whole thing was that 831 00:47:09,880 --> 00:47:13,360 Speaker 1: Alex Jones was actually trying to tell Kanye that the 832 00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:16,480 Speaker 1: Jews weren't all bad. So, you know, one of my 833 00:47:16,520 --> 00:47:18,960 Speaker 1: favorite parts is when he said, come home, Kim, come 834 00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:23,680 Speaker 1: home to Christ. Kanye says, Hitler invented highways and microphones. 835 00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:27,760 Speaker 1: Kanye also said, I see good things about Hitler. Also, 836 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:32,640 Speaker 1: Kanye also said, as Jesse and I both watched it, Uh, 837 00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:36,399 Speaker 1: he said my website is the Bible. That was one 838 00:47:36,480 --> 00:47:38,920 Speaker 1: thing he said that didn't make much sense. And then 839 00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:41,520 Speaker 1: another thing he said is I love Jewish people, but 840 00:47:41,640 --> 00:47:45,799 Speaker 1: I also love Nazis. I like Hitler. He said, they 841 00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:48,880 Speaker 1: did good things. We've got to stop dissing the Nazis 842 00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:52,879 Speaker 1: all the time. To end it, he had Alie, Alexander 843 00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:56,160 Speaker 1: and Alex Jones tweet to his thirty two million followers 844 00:47:56,239 --> 00:47:59,919 Speaker 1: on Twitter tons of dumb things about January six prisoners. Yeah, 845 00:48:00,239 --> 00:48:03,480 Speaker 1: it's just unbelievable. So it is our moment of factory 846 00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:12,000 Speaker 1: and Jesus Christ. That's it. We didn't kill him. That's 847 00:48:12,080 --> 00:48:15,880 Speaker 1: it for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, 848 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:18,960 Speaker 1: Wednesday and Friday to your the best minds in politics 849 00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:22,080 Speaker 1: makes sense of all this chaos. If you enjoyed what 850 00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:24,799 Speaker 1: you've heard, please send it to a friend and keep 851 00:48:24,840 --> 00:48:27,920 Speaker 1: the conversation going. And again, thanks for listening.