1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: Welcome in his Verdict with center Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: with you, and this is gonna be one of those 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: shows that's just going to be an. 4 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 2: Awful lot of fun. 5 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: A good friend of mine and a great friend in 6 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: the Senate of Senator Cruz has got a new book 7 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: out with maybe one of the best titles for twenty 8 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: twenty five, How to. 9 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 2: Test negative for Stupid. Senator. 10 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: You're in DC, and this is just gonna be one 11 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: of those shows which I hope everyone enjoys as much 12 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: as you and I do hanging out. 13 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 2: We're our next guests. 14 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 3: Well, I'm very glad to welcome to Verdict John Kennedy. 15 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 3: John is one of my dearest friends in the Senate. 16 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 3: He is someone I am really glad came to be 17 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 3: in the Senate. He is someone with a wicked sense 18 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 3: of humor. He is the most dangerous cross examiner in 19 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 3: the entire United States Senate and in fact, entire generations 20 00:00:54,760 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 3: of judicial nominees and nominees beat from administrator has studied 21 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 3: past John Kennedy cross examinations that they still have PTSD 22 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,119 Speaker 3: from the terror that he puts in them, and and 23 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 3: and and this man in addition to being brilliant as hell. 24 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 3: Is also as good a stand up comedian as I've 25 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 3: ever known. He's written a book. The title of the 26 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 3: book is how to Test Negative for Stupid and Why 27 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 3: Washington Never Will John Welcome to Verdict. I gotta say 28 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 3: your book sucks and it's not funny. 29 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 4: Well number one, the publisher, Ted would let me use 30 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 4: the title I wanted. I wanted to say always. I 31 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 4: wanted the title to be always be yourself unless you suck, 32 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 4: And they said, Harper Cohen said, no, that's not going 33 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 4: to work. I also got to tell one of my 34 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 4: best Ted cruise stores. Uh oh my Ted. Ted's people 35 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 4: invited me out you remember this. Yeah, he had a 36 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 4: huge fundraisers somewhere out there was some fancy place I 37 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 4: don't remember. I mean it was the room. I mean 38 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 4: it was really fanny rich. 39 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 3: People don't go to Motel six. 40 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 4: And I'm a Motel six guy. And anyway, I go 41 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 4: out there and Ted's people said, you remember, I said, 42 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 4: what do you want me to talk about? They said, 43 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,079 Speaker 4: make fun of Tid. I said okay, And I said, 44 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 4: these are all of his friends and they said, yeah, 45 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 4: he's some big, heavyweight people. Okay, we're talking mega rich. 46 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 4: So I started off and I said, y'all, no Ted, 47 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 4: y'all know Ted. Well. I said, let me tell you 48 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 4: what you have to understand about Ted Cruz. He is really, really, 49 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 4: really smart. But so was the unibomber. And therein lies 50 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 4: the problem. You can't leave him on supervised. And all 51 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 4: the Ted's contributors stood up and they're going, yeah, that's Tid, 52 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 4: that's their tid. It was great. 53 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 3: So John is not kidding at all. 54 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 4: It's really happy. 55 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 2: No, he's not. I was there. 56 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 3: I was a witness, and his entire lunch remarks were 57 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 3: basically a stand up comedy routine. 58 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 4: We had a great time. 59 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 3: And one of the things he did is he just 60 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 3: basically went through the sec and made fun of everybody. 61 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 3: So he started he said, how do you get in 62 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 3: Oklahoma and ou grad off your front porch? Pay the 63 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 3: man for the pizza? 64 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:29,399 Speaker 4: Remember that? 65 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 3: He said, what do you call a genius in Georgia? 66 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 3: A visitor? And then I'm sorry, Ben. He then said, 67 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 3: what does an old miss grad get on his act? Drool? 68 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 4: We had a great time. I got him on on Alabama. 69 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 4: I said, why did Alabama raise the drinking age to 70 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 4: thirty two to keep alcohol out of the high schools. 71 00:03:57,280 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 4: We being we had the best time. 72 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 3: And and he's told that Alabama joke at our Senate 73 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 3: Republican lunches. And Richard Shelby was chairman of the Appropriations Committee, 74 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 3: and I'm pretty sure he like pulled a billion dollars 75 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 3: out of Louisiana. 76 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 4: He cost me millions, man, let's cost me millions, but 77 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 4: it was worth every penny. 78 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 3: Well, look, John is what I said about his cross examination. 79 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 3: That is not an exaggeration. I mean it is a 80 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 3: beautiful look. And to be honest, he has done that. 81 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 3: He does that mostly to Democrat nominees, but he's done 82 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 3: that to Republicans also. And one of the things people 83 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 3: don't necessarily know. Before John was in the Senate, he 84 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 3: was a trial lawyer and he was a hell of 85 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 3: a trial lawyer. And he knows how to talk to 86 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 3: a jury. You know, John is a little bit He's 87 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 3: got a Southern accent and sometimes he puts it on 88 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 3: a little deep. But I sort of analogized John to like, 89 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 3: you know, you know, there's an old rule of never 90 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 3: play poker with someone named after a state, yep, yep, 91 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 3: And John good Room when the draw gets deep, amen, 92 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 3: and he'll be like, well, I don't know much about that. 93 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 4: You were about to get robbed. 94 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 3: It's like at a poker table when someone says, now, 95 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 3: remind me that does a straight beat a flush or 96 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 3: a flush beat a straight like hold on to your 97 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 3: wallet and run out of the door. And so so 98 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 3: when John begins cross examining, all is there is there 99 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 3: a cross examination you've done in the Senate that's your favorite? 100 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 4: Oh gosh that maybe I don't remember her name, Ted, 101 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 4: you'll remember because you beat the living hell out of her. 102 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 4: Two Uh, that couldn't name any provision of the constitution. 103 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 3: That okay, she was the one that didn't know Article five. 104 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 4: That's right. She's from Washington State. And she she after 105 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 4: it was over, she yelke her in something like yeah 106 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 4: she quit, and which was smart, I mean. 107 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 3: And then the one, okay, Article five is the provision 108 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 3: that it's it's the part of the constitution that lays 109 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 3: out how constitutional amendments happened. And he asked about Article 110 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 3: five and then and this was cruel, but but then 111 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 3: he asked, well, well how about our article two? And 112 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 3: she couldn't answer. And look, if you're not a lawyer. 113 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 3: That doesn't seem like a question that that Look the 114 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 3: way the Constitution set up. Article one sets up the Congress, 115 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 3: Article two sets up the executive and the president, and 116 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 3: Article three sets up the judiciary. If you cannot answer 117 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 3: what is Article two, you will flunk first year civil procedure, 118 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 3: constitutional law. 119 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 2: Like you, you're done. 120 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 4: Well, you know you're a smoke turkey man. You're dead 121 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:33,119 Speaker 4: is fried chicken? 122 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 3: And she had no idea. I'm pretty sure we play 123 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 3: that cross examination on this podcast. We've played a bunch 124 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 3: of years, and that really was By the way, this 125 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 3: woman was nominated to be what's called an Article three judge, 126 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 3: and I'm pretty certain she has no idea what Article 127 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 3: three is either. But it was devastating. But to be clear, look, 128 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 3: John doesn't just do that to Democrats. There was a 129 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 3: poor fellow who Trump nominated in the Court of Appeals 130 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 3: I remember. 131 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 4: And district court, Federal district court. 132 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 3: You're right, you're right. He had been on the Federal 133 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 3: Election Commission. 134 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 4: That's exactly right. Nice guy, a. 135 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 3: Nice guy, smart guy, but had no trial experience whatsoever. 136 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 3: And I will say John's cross examination was so devastating 137 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 3: that they withdrew the nomination like it literally at the 138 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 3: end of that cross, They're like, okay, yeah, he's not 139 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 3: going to be a judge. 140 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 4: Well he's a nice guy, but he just wasn't ready 141 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 4: to be a federal judge. And after it was over, 142 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 4: the president call. President called me. I was I had 143 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 4: phone back home, was in New Orleans. Phone rings, you 144 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 4: know the way it works, unknown normal, you go, Okay, 145 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 4: it's White House. I'm ready to take my kit, my 146 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 4: whip in here. So I pick up the phone and 147 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 4: crew and Trump says, who Kennedy? I watched your your 148 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 4: examination this guy? He said, who was this guy? I said, well, 149 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 4: he's your nominee. And he said he doesn't sound too 150 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 4: Did I interview him? And I said, no, mister President, 151 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 4: you're staffed. Did and he said, you know, he doesn't 152 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 4: seem very qualified. He said, what do you think. I said, well, 153 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 4: mister President, just because you've seen my cousin Vinny doesn't 154 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 4: qualify you to be on the federal bench. And he said, yeah, 155 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 4: you're right. He said, what do you think well to do? 156 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 4: And I said, well, let's put him out of his misery. 157 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 4: I don't want embarrassing and he the President withdrew the appointment. 158 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, no, it was. I have never seen a 159 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 3: cross examination take out a nominee, although what was it. 160 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 3: It was the Biden nominee, who was the Russian who 161 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 3: to graduated from a Russian university, And your line was 162 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:42,679 Speaker 3: should I call you comrade? 163 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 4: She was nominated for a Controller of the currency. She 164 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 4: was a former member of the Communist Party of Russia. 165 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 4: She had graduated from Moscow State University and her dissertation, 166 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 4: a copy of which she wouldn't give us, was on 167 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 4: Karl Marx. So real, Yeah, Ben, it was, and she was. 168 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 4: Her main argument for being Controller of the Currency, which 169 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 4: of course is so responsible all the state banks, was 170 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,599 Speaker 4: to get rid of all the banks and have everybody 171 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 4: nominate or a bank rather from the Federal Reserve. 172 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:21,839 Speaker 1: I want to take a moment and just talk to 173 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: you real quick about an incredible opportunity for you to 174 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:29,319 Speaker 1: continue to expand your mind and learn, no matter what 175 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 1: your age is. Senator Cruz and I were at the 176 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: memorial service for Charlie Kirk and one of the people 177 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 1: that spoke was the president of Hillsdale College, and he 178 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: talked about meeting with Charlie early on and how he said, 179 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: you're going to have to work hard, You're going to 180 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:47,199 Speaker 1: have to suffer, and you're going to have to continue 181 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: to learn. When he was so young, and he talked 182 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: about all of the classes that Charlie ended up taking 183 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: at Hillsdale, I immediately said, I want the listeners of 184 00:09:57,960 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: this show to be able to have the same opportunit 185 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: unity to do that. There are amazing classes history, economics, 186 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:07,359 Speaker 1: the great works of literature, the meaning of the US Constitution. 187 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: And if you didn't say these things in school, or 188 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: maybe you did, but you were, like, you know, just 189 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: trying to check the box and make the grade when 190 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: you're twenty, now is a great time for you to 191 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: go back and learn so much more. Hillsdale College is 192 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: offering more than forty free I want to say that again, 193 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: forty free online courses. That's right, more than forty free 194 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: online courses. You can learn about the works of C. S. Lewis, 195 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: the stories in the Book of Genesis, the meaning of 196 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: the US Constitution. I'm doing that when it's incredible, the 197 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:40,839 Speaker 1: rise and fall of the Roman Republic, or the history 198 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 1: of the ancient Christian Church. With Hidale College's free online courses. 199 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: Now I'm also looking at the Constitution one on one. 200 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: It's amazing. I refresh your course and you can see 201 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: and explore the design, the purpose of the Constitution, the 202 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: challenges it faced in the Civil War, and how it's 203 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: been undermined for more than a century by progressives and liberals. 204 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: This twelve lecture course is self paced, so you start 205 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: whenever you want to, and it is truly amazing. 206 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 2: So how do you do this? 207 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,839 Speaker 1: You can go right now to Hillsdale dot ed u 208 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: slash verdict to enroll. There is no cost and it's 209 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 1: easy to get started. That's Hillsdale dot ed u slash 210 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: verdict v E R D I c T to enroll 211 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,679 Speaker 1: for free and take any one of these classes. 212 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 2: Take advantage of it. It's free Hillsdale. 213 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: Dot edu slash v E R D I c T 214 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: verdict and go check out the amazing classes they have there. 215 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 2: All right, I got a question for both of you. 216 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:46,079 Speaker 4: Are you man? 217 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: Has there ever been a time that you guys are 218 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: both sitting there beating the hell out of someoney? 219 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 2: And do you ever look at each other and grin 220 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 2: like how does it work? 221 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 5: Like? 222 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 2: You go? 223 00:11:54,960 --> 00:12:00,680 Speaker 4: Then I ten goes first and and and he knocks 224 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:04,719 Speaker 4: them to Pluto and softens them up. And I talk 225 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 4: about it in my book. You know, I think, what 226 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 4: did I say about Tid? I said, I didn't call 227 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 4: him articulate, though he is. I said Ted could talk 228 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 4: a dog off a meat whack, and he could talk 229 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 4: the hide off a cow. And he knocks these witnesses 230 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 4: to Pluto, and then Josh Hotley, I think is ahead 231 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 4: of them. He goes next, and then I bat clean up. 232 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 3: There's a murderer's row. We have fun and it actually 233 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 3: starts with Mike Lee and from Mike John Kennedy, right, 234 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:39,680 Speaker 3: I mean, those are four questioners I actually feel for 235 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 3: a witness because that's and they're also different styles. So 236 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 3: I will say, Ben, one thing that that that you 237 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 3: may not not appreciate not being a lawyer, but but 238 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 3: John's and my legal careers are very very different. So 239 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 3: I'm an appellate lawyer and the vast majority of what 240 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 3: I've done is arguing a court of appeals and court 241 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 3: of appeals is is totally different, very different. So there's 242 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:02,680 Speaker 3: trial courts and courts of appeals. The court of appeals 243 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 3: is you're standing in front of judges, typically three judges 244 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 3: if it's the Supreme Court nine judges, and you are 245 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:13,839 Speaker 3: you write a brief that is in the Supreme Court. 246 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 3: It's a fifty page written argument, and then your argument 247 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 3: would usually be thirty minutes and most of it is 248 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 3: questioning from judges. So it's questioning about the law. You 249 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 3: got to be quick, you got to be able to dance. 250 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 3: I mean, being an appellate lawyer is a very precise, 251 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 3: it's a more it's a more academic skill. 252 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 4: It is very academic. A lot of law professors and 253 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 4: an intellectual discussion. That's what it is. 254 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 3: So a trial lawyer is what most people think of 255 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:43,319 Speaker 3: when you turn on the TV, when you think of 256 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 3: La law or Perry Mason. Like, like a trial lawyer, 257 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 3: you're you're in a court room, you're talking to jury room, 258 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 3: talking about jury. You have witnesses, like appellate lawyers don't 259 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 3: have witnesses. You have witnesses. You either have direct examination 260 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,839 Speaker 3: across it. And so trial lawyers tend to be better storytellers, 261 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 3: they tend to be more relatable. They're they're you know, 262 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 3: they're talking to you know, Aunt Bertha in the jury 263 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 3: pool instead of Anton and Scalia. I mean those are different. 264 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 3: You have different arguments scenario. And so the two best 265 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 3: trial lawyers on judiciary are are John Kennedy and Lindsey Graham. 266 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 3: Lindsey Graham is also an. 267 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 4: Is very good. He has a little trouble staying on 268 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 4: topics sometimes. I talk about Lindsay in the book I 269 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 4: Love Lindsay. He's one of my favorites. I said, one 270 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 4: of the reasons I M like Lindsey. How did I 271 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 4: put it? He's like Ted and I he plays out 272 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 4: of the pocket, and you don't know what you're going 273 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 4: to get. If you invite Lindsay to dinner, you may. 274 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 3: He's a great dinner companion. I mean, you will laugh. 275 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 4: Your way you say so. If you invite Lindsay to 276 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 4: dinner in your home, you may get an intellectual conversation. 277 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 4: On the other hand, he could get drunk and vomit 278 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 4: in the fish tank. And you don't know which you 279 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 4: have no idea or both the same evening. 280 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: What made you want to write this book? I mean 281 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 1: the titles hysterical, but but but when did you decide 282 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: you want to do this? And and what is it 283 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 1: that people are going to get if they go buy this? 284 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 4: Well, it was about a year ago. It's look, Ted's 285 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 4: written four or five, it's been it's a lot of work. 286 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 4: As you will know, this this book is not about 287 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 4: policy per se. It's it's a story book. I use 288 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 4: stories to make my points about policy. 289 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 3: And by the way, all good trial lawyers and all 290 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 3: good politicians or storytellers. I mean, if you can't tell 291 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 3: a story, you don't belong in this business. 292 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 4: That's right. Some of the stories I think you know 293 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 4: more than some frankly or funny. Some of them are bizarre. 294 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 4: They're all true. And I used the stories to make 295 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 4: three points. Number one, I want people to understand through 296 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 4: the stories what the Senate is really like behind the scenes. 297 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 3: And basically, think mean ger girls. It's it's not even 298 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 3: high school, it's a junior high. It's Caddy, their clicks, 299 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 3: their popular kids. They're the geeks. The jocks like. 300 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 4: It, Ted Dale, It's like high school, but nobody ever 301 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 4: gets out of the sophomore year. And and the second 302 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 4: reason I wrote the book, I wanted to help people 303 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 4: understand in in real time, why in Washington, normal is 304 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 4: just a setting on the clothes dryer. This place is 305 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 4: a different world. And the third reason I wrote it 306 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 4: was to try to make people understand that it doesn't 307 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 4: have to be this way if we have a return 308 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 4: to common sense. But but I also don't bubble wrap it. 309 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 4: The uh, the water in Washington, d C. Is not 310 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 4: going to clear up until you get the pigs out 311 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 4: of the creek. That's just the way it is. And 312 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 4: and look, some people like the book, some don't. I'm 313 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 4: really proud it's it's doing well. 314 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 3: All right, and so so I gave him some grief. 315 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 3: But it is a terrific book. It is fun. He's 316 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 3: telling very real stories. You look at the front. He 317 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 3: looks grumpy on the front. That picture you picked. 318 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 4: You, I didn't pick it. The publisher picked it. 319 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 3: You know, you look kind of like your your stomach's upset, 320 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 3: but you look like you're getting ready to rip someone 321 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 3: a new one. Is what it what it looks like. 322 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 3: And and and so let me encourage everyone who's who's 323 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 3: listening to this or watching this. Go to Amazon, go 324 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 3: to Barnes and Noble, buy the book. Buy one so 325 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:28,679 Speaker 3: so look, it's fixing to be November. It's Christmas season. 326 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:30,959 Speaker 3: Buy two or three books by a book to give it. 327 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 4: I love this guy. 328 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,480 Speaker 3: Give it to your mom. This is a great present, 329 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 3: you know, And actually you can give your family members 330 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 3: an autograph copy because see John's from Lousiana, so he 331 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,880 Speaker 3: can't can't can't actually sign his signatures. And just put 332 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 3: an X and it'll look it'll look real. 333 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 4: I rooped through them. Just put that X and you'll 334 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 4: it's my. 335 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 3: And by the way, if you have a liberal uncle, 336 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 3: buy this for him. It'll piss him off. It'll be 337 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 3: the best present you can put under the tree. 338 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 4: Well, I hope the book a lot of time on. 339 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 4: I hope it'll make people think. It may make you laugh, 340 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 4: it's the truth. It may make you day drink because 341 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 4: I don't sugarcoat it. And I talk about a lot 342 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 4: of different senators. I don't try to be mean, but 343 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 4: I talked I talk about Thune, I talk about President Trump, 344 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 4: I talk about President Biden, talk about Senator Grassley, I 345 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 4: talk about Chuck Schumer. I think Chuck got a little 346 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 4: mad at me because they I described him as imagine 347 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 4: a five year old and a Batman costume. I said, 348 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 4: that's on a sugar that's how Chuck is when he 349 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 4: gets excited. And I talked something about Mitch. I explained 350 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 4: that that Ted and I think we were together. We 351 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 4: saw Mitch smile once back in twenty seventeen. 352 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 2: But what once, just one time broke news. 353 00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 4: I I talk about the time I really almost got 354 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 4: in trouble on this. Mitch was not amused. But I 355 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 4: was asked to compare Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, and 356 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 4: I told the truth. I said, they have a lot 357 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 4: in common. Each is very smart, each is very tenacious, 358 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 4: and each of them could lose his place during sex. Well, 359 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 4: my office, Mitch was a majority leader then, And. 360 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 2: How did that go? By the way after, I'd love 361 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 2: to see that it. 362 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 4: Was a warmer. I was pretty sure was my office 363 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 4: was going to be moved to Richmond, as I recall. 364 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 4: But anyway, I had fun of writing it. 365 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 3: And to be clear that that's not the only joke. 366 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:51,360 Speaker 3: John Kennedy is told about his colleagues having sex. So 367 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 3: at my Donor retreat, then you will remember this. John 368 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,239 Speaker 3: stood up in front of everyone and he said, you know, 369 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:05,440 Speaker 3: Ted told me about his first sexual experience. I remember this, 370 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 3: and everyone starts looking at you, going, wait, where is 371 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 3: this going? He said, he was young, it was dark, 372 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,360 Speaker 3: he was scared, he was alone. 373 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 4: You have to think about that. The folks in the 374 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 4: Owens State took them about five seconds. They said, Okay, 375 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 4: we get it. We get it. 376 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 2: Well, we get it. 377 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 3: We're all there. I have to admit. I turned to 378 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 3: Heidi and I said, wait a second. I paid the 379 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 3: fly John here, like out of my campaign money. I 380 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:36,400 Speaker 3: paid his airline. 381 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 4: We had a good time. 382 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: That's what happens when you bring a small town Louisiana 383 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: boy back to the big leagues, you know, with all 384 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: the high flute and donors. I got to ask you 385 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: in your book, one of the cool things is you 386 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: talk about being a small town guy. 387 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 2: Is it, Jeffrey? Is that right Louisiana? Okay, gotcha? All right. 388 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: So I actually think there's something interesting that's happening in 389 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:02,679 Speaker 1: the country right now, and I want to get your 390 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: take on it. I think small town America had been 391 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: overlooked for so long, forgotten, referred to to flyover country. 392 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 2: I think there's a huge pendulum swinging. 393 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:17,159 Speaker 1: Right now in this country where rural America is mattering 394 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 1: now a lot more than it has in my lifetime. 395 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: Small town America is being listened to now and has 396 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:24,160 Speaker 1: a voice that they haven't had in a long time. 397 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: The mainstream media has lost a lot of their power 398 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 1: to influence and to try to act like only big 399 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:32,640 Speaker 1: cities matter and the rest of the country doesn't. 400 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 2: Are you seeing the same thing? And as you look. 401 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: Back at your career, your life, where you came from, 402 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,439 Speaker 1: are you do you see that there's I think a 403 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,479 Speaker 1: big glimmer of hope right now that small town America 404 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: is actually being listened to for once in Washington, d C. 405 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 4: Well, small town America is America. When I grew up 406 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 4: in Zachary, there's about three thousand. 407 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 3: People what part of the state of Zachary. 408 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:02,159 Speaker 4: Zachary's sort of just north of that route. The people 409 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 4: of Zachary when I grew up there, and it's still 410 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 4: the case, Tad. You know, these folks, they get up 411 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 4: every day, they go to work, They pay the law, 412 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 4: they pay the taxes, try to save a little money 413 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 4: for retirement, try to do the right thing by their kids. 414 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 4: They don't read their stytle every day. They don't have 415 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 4: time they're earning. 416 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 3: Zachary a pretty rural town. There's a lot of a 417 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:24,920 Speaker 3: lot of farm and egg or what would you do. 418 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 4: Some farm, some egg. But it's about thirty miles north 419 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 4: of bat Rouge, so you could call it a suburb, 420 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 4: but that sounds too affluent. But but but these are 421 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 4: real folks and they don't read their stytle every day, 422 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 4: but they get it. And I remember thinking during the 423 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 4: Biden administration, have these people ever been any place but California, Washington, 424 00:22:53,600 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 4: and New York. Yep, they they all in Washington. President people. 425 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 4: They all thought they were smarter and more virtuous than 426 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 4: everybody else. And their attitude towards rural America was, we're 427 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:10,479 Speaker 4: smarter than you, We're more virtuous than you. Shut up 428 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 4: and send us your money and all your freedom, and 429 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 4: we'll tell you how to to to live your life. 430 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 4: And I think that's the genesis a part of President 431 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 4: Trump's support. 432 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 3: I mean absolutely. 433 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 4: I mean Trump picked up on that early on. And 434 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,919 Speaker 4: even though he's a billionaire and even though he's a 435 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 4: New York developer, he doesn't talk down to people. 436 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, he. 437 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 4: Doesn't talk yet. 438 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 3: Know, he's very real. He communicates, He tells you exactly 439 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 3: what he thinks. You never know what he's gonna say, 440 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 3: because to say anything. He is funny as hell. He 441 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 3: actually didn't get credit for the sense of humor he has, 442 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 3: but he can say things that will just just be 443 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:50,400 Speaker 3: side splitting the fun. 444 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 4: I was with him about a week before his debate 445 00:23:54,560 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 4: with President Biden and Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and uh, 446 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 4: it was the two from CNN and by and I said, well, 447 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 4: what do you think, mister president? He said, Kennedy, I 448 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:10,440 Speaker 4: don't know. I got back Tapper, I got bashed, bashed, 449 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:12,960 Speaker 4: and I got Joe Biden. It's gonna be two and 450 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 4: a half to one. 451 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:15,879 Speaker 3: That's fun. 452 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 4: And I am laughing so hard. He's just two and 453 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:24,880 Speaker 4: a half to one. And then of course they had 454 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 4: the infamous debate and President Biden just crumpled. But there. 455 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 4: You know, I talk about President Trump in the book. 456 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,360 Speaker 4: I've got a different style from than him. Sure, I 457 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 4: told the president, so does everybody else. So does everybody else. 458 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:43,439 Speaker 4: I mean, it's clear that the president's unfiltered. He he 459 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,159 Speaker 4: grows anxious when he has an unexpressed thought. He just 460 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 4: he can't. I told him one time, he said, why 461 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 4: do you like my tweets? Kennedy? And I said, you know, 462 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,160 Speaker 4: mister president, I got to be diplomatic here. I said, 463 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:03,200 Speaker 4: tweeting a little bit less would not cause brain damage. 464 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 3: And he said, what you don't like my tweets. 465 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 2: I said, no, hold on what year did you tell 466 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 2: you it was? Because this could this could have been. 467 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 4: Professed in his first term, and okay, I will say 468 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 4: his second term is tweets. 469 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 3: I've gotten much more disciplines. Yes, there's a very different 470 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:21,680 Speaker 3: discipline than this first term. 471 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: He let it ripped, and he and and we added, 472 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: think you for your attention to this matter, like he's 473 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: cocleutely different man and for you. 474 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 4: But he didn't get it, and he didn't know whether 475 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 4: to be offended orway, and he said, what do you mean. 476 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,359 Speaker 4: I said, look, mister president, look at this way. I 477 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 4: like steak, but I don't like the eight steaks at 478 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 4: one time. And he said, you don't like my tweets. 479 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 4: I said, no, I didn't say that, And of course 480 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:46,959 Speaker 4: it made no difference. 481 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,159 Speaker 3: He just all right, now, let me ask growing up 482 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 3: you're growing up little town in Louisiana, did you always 483 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 3: know that you want to be a lawyer? 484 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 4: No? 485 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,879 Speaker 3: Did you have your parents lawyers and lawyers in the family. 486 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 4: I care my parents, uh, brilliant sized education to you, 487 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 4: just like yours. But when I wasn't studying, I cared 488 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 4: about two things. I cared about basketball, and I cared 489 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 4: about cheerleaders. 490 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 3: Are you ball playing? And did you play hoops? And 491 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:14,919 Speaker 3: I played hoops? What position? 492 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:16,479 Speaker 4: Forward? All right? 493 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 3: How's you jump shot? Ball? Handling? 494 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 4: What jump shot? Man? 495 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 5: Well? 496 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 3: You know I still play twice a week. I know 497 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 3: you do. 498 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 4: I've seen you come in the cloak room. He comes 499 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 4: in the cloak room to vote, and he's all worked 500 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:30,640 Speaker 4: up and sweaty and he's beating up on somebody. 501 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:35,400 Speaker 1: But uh, Cruise, Hender, I'm gonna advise you don't take 502 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: the bait when he asked you to play, because I've 503 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,359 Speaker 1: already had a broken bone. 504 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 3: Broken's fingers. 505 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 4: Cruise is a total ball, crooked, total ball. 506 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:45,639 Speaker 3: What I got to ask you? 507 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 5: Ben? 508 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 3: So you broke your pinky? Where exactly did you have 509 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 3: your pinky stuck? 510 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:51,879 Speaker 2: All right? You know, here's what I know. 511 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 1: When I broke my pinky, we were at one of 512 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: them high fluting houses, and I thought about calling Kennedy, say, 513 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 1: well you represent me. Yeah, you could have gotten me 514 00:26:58,560 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: a really good settlement. 515 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, was a tech billionaire's house that you broke your 516 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,480 Speaker 3: picky and you didn't even get tape on it. 517 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 2: I would nothing. I got. I powered through like a real. 518 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 4: A called me. We'd have gotten you a beach house. 519 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:12,120 Speaker 2: We could have I could have been. 520 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 4: I'd take it to the trial court. We might have 521 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 4: gotten you two beach houses. 522 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 5: Man. 523 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,880 Speaker 1: So for the last several weeks you've heard me talk 524 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 1: with Josh Sherard from Burnham about real stories of how 525 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,720 Speaker 1: people like you and I have used their burn A 526 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 1: launcher to protect themselves and their families. Now, Burna is 527 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 1: a handheld pistol that fires both kinetic rounds and chemical 528 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: irritants to separate you from an attacker. Josh is back 529 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: with me today to tell you a real story about 530 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 1: a burn A launcher that was used and how it 531 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: helped a woman protect herself from a home intruder. 532 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 5: So, a Chicago woman was recently the victim of a 533 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:51,880 Speaker 5: home invasion that occurred in broad daylight when several men 534 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 5: broke into her home while she was inside in the 535 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 5: middle of the day, and it was all caught on video. So, 536 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 5: while sitting in her kitchen, the homeowner began hearing range 537 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 5: noises coming from the front door, so she went to 538 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,200 Speaker 5: investigate and saw that intruders had made it inside her home, 539 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 5: at which point she yelled that she'd called police to 540 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 5: try and scare them off. Now. Fortunately in this case, 541 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 5: it worked and they promptly exited the house and the 542 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 5: victim and a neighbor actually chased the intruders down the 543 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 5: street while calling nine to one one. While on the 544 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 5: phone with nine to one one, dispatchers told the home 545 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,440 Speaker 5: owner that police were on their way. However, it ended 546 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 5: up taking police over four hours to reach the scene 547 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 5: due to an overwhelming backlog of emergency calls. It was 548 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:33,440 Speaker 5: only sheer luck in this case that she wasn't hurt 549 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:33,960 Speaker 5: or killed. 550 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 1: And this is where you asked the question, is Burna 551 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: something that could have been used in that situation for 552 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: home defense? And how could she have deployed it to 553 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: keep herself safe and deter those attackers. 554 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,560 Speaker 5: You know, absolutely in this case she lucked out and 555 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 5: she was able to call their bluff and they ran off. 556 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 5: But in many cases that's not going to happen. Any 557 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 5: kind of resistance has to be used to get those 558 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,920 Speaker 5: attackers out and to get you to safety. Burna Max 559 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 5: or kinetic rounds both what have allowed her the time 560 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 5: to get out and get somewhere safe. 561 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: It is really an incredible option. And I have a Burnham, 562 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: I have real handguns as well, But I always have 563 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: a Burnham and if you want to see what it 564 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: can do to protect you and your family or a 565 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:17,600 Speaker 1: loved one that you know needs this, go to burn 566 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 1: up b Why r in a dot com again, that's 567 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: burnum by RNA dot com, Burner dot com right now. 568 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: I know you got to run center soon, but I 569 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:32,200 Speaker 1: want to ask you one other question you want, and 570 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 1: it goes back to the book. When when you write 571 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:37,960 Speaker 1: this book and you sit down to do it, who 572 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,960 Speaker 1: did you envision reading it? Is there some bigger purpose 573 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: where you're like, I want to write this for the 574 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:43,440 Speaker 1: future generation? 575 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 2: Was part of it? 576 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: Just I want to just tell my story and how 577 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 1: I got to where I am today? 578 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 2: What was it? 579 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 4: Here's what I did. I shut down with a handheld 580 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 4: dictaphone at my kitchen table and I started dictating, and 581 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 4: I dictated. I dictated, I don't I don't know how 582 00:29:57,720 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 4: many hours, hundreds of hours, and then I had a 583 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 4: transcribed and then I put it together, and then I 584 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 4: had an editor come in who looked at it and 585 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 4: rearranged it. And then I just started editing. And I 586 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 4: was speaking to the same person that Ted and I 587 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 4: both speak to when we do interviews the average American, 588 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 4: and I tried to speak plainly. I don't try to 589 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 4: muddy the water to make it look deep. The American 590 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 4: people don't have time for that. And I wanted to 591 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 4: understand that if you get mad, I can't help it. 592 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 4: I have the right to remain silent, but God did 593 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 4: not give me the ability. And some people are gonna 594 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 4: like it and some don't. But that's what the American 595 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 4: people expect from their politicians today. And it's one of 596 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 4: the reasons that Senator Schumer, who Ted and I both 597 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:54,600 Speaker 4: know he's right now. He's got thirty percent approval rating, 598 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 4: he's got a sixty percent disapproval rating the other ten percent. 599 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 4: Paul's their video game to answer the pollster's call, and 600 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 4: and Chuck is polling. He's pulling right up there with 601 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 4: clubbing Baby Seals. That's I mean. 602 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 3: But to be fair, he's still above Chamydia. He's still. 603 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 4: He's still both. It's large, it's close. But because Chuck's 604 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 4: been here so long, Ted, you know, he's been here 605 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 4: so long, he sounds like Washington. 606 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 3: So I will say, it's interesting you and I have 607 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 3: a very similar process. It sounds like for writing a book, 608 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 3: because that's that's very much the books I've written, and 609 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,760 Speaker 3: some of it is it maybe being a lawyer and 610 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,560 Speaker 3: having written briefs that that that process of recording and 611 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 3: telling stories in my books, I just try to tell 612 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 3: stories because that's how people come. 613 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 4: I've read a couple of books. There's a differs between 614 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 4: you and me. Though I've written one book. Ted's written 615 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:53,160 Speaker 4: about a squillion. Okay, but but it's hard. I mean, 616 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 4: it is a painful process. 617 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 3: You know, all right, you're a kid. When does the 618 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 3: idea of being a lawyer? What was it that made 619 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 3: you say, hey, I can do that. I want to 620 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:03,840 Speaker 3: do that. 621 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:07,760 Speaker 4: My dad was from a depression family in Oklahoma. He 622 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 4: got a degree, works the way through college and patrol 623 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:12,400 Speaker 4: im engineering, came to losing end of the work in 624 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,960 Speaker 4: the wall fields, married my mom. I have three brothers. 625 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 4: From day one, they drilled into us education education, education, 626 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 4: and it wasn't where you're going to go to college, 627 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 4: it's or when you're going to go to college. It 628 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 4: was where And that was drilled in from day one. 629 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 4: And I enjoyed college, but I started thinking about law 630 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 4: school then, but I stalled and resedalled it as long 631 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,120 Speaker 4: as I could. I mean, I spent four years in college, 632 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 4: and then I went three years in law school and 633 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 4: then a clerk frog federal judge, and I tried to 634 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 4: get a Supreme Court clerkship. I didn't. You did. And 635 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 4: then I said, well, I'm not ready for the real world. 636 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 4: I'm going back to school. I went back and got 637 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 4: another the Law of Gride. Finally I had, you know, 638 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 4: I had to. I was out of money, you know, 639 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 4: and I wanted to eat and live indoors. So I 640 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 4: didn't want to live in a refrigerator box behind an 641 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 4: out back. So I had to go to work for 642 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 4: a living. 643 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:13,640 Speaker 3: And Ben, I know something that I know you don't know. 644 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 3: I know the name of his old law partner. 645 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 2: Who is that? 646 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:17,040 Speaker 4: Who's that? 647 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 3: So he would practice his name obviously as John Kennedy 648 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 3: and his partner was Jose Kenseko, and he'd walk in it. 649 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:26,960 Speaker 3: It'd be John Kennedy and Jose story. That's a they 650 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 3: would double take. 651 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,080 Speaker 4: One of my best friends. I was in a for Louisiana, 652 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 4: a big law fer six trading halliers, and one of 653 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,000 Speaker 4: my good friends was Jose Kenseka. And we'd go to meetings. 654 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 4: I'd say I'm John Kennedy. This is jose Kensekh. We're 655 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 4: here to see so and so, and they said, they 656 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 4: would say, you're here to see security. True story. 657 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:50,120 Speaker 3: All right, So when did you get when did you 658 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 3: get the idea in your head you wanted to run 659 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 3: for office? Was this something like as a kid, you 660 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 3: always want to. 661 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 4: I always thought about it, but I was practicing all 662 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:03,480 Speaker 4: earning a good living. Louisiana politics was rough. I mean 663 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 4: it was rough. He was under Governor Edwin the Edwards. 664 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 4: I wasn't part of his clique. 665 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 3: Who has my favorite political bumper sticker ever? 666 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:13,319 Speaker 2: Yep? 667 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 3: And you know exactly where I'm going? 668 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:15,360 Speaker 2: Do you know? 669 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:16,640 Speaker 3: Do you know this? Ben? I don't know if you 670 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,760 Speaker 3: know this, I do not. So Edwin Edwards is running 671 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 3: for governor against David Duke. Now, David Duke was the 672 00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:25,840 Speaker 3: former Grand Grand Wizard of the KKK. 673 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:27,280 Speaker 2: Grand Yeah grand words. 674 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 3: But Edwin Edwards was as corrupt, he was as crooked 675 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 3: as the dog's hind legs. See, I'm trying to do 676 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:36,080 Speaker 3: this to keep up with John pretty good ted and 677 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:38,320 Speaker 3: and everyone knew he was corrupt, and so Edwin. 678 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:42,080 Speaker 4: Edwards bumper sticker said, vote for the crook. 679 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,880 Speaker 3: It matters, that's right, And if you're running against a kleansman, 680 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 3: that was a winning slogan. And then you know what, 681 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:52,440 Speaker 3: he was indicted and convicted of embezzlement or fraud. 682 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:54,879 Speaker 4: When the economy was doing well at Luisiana. I mean, 683 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:58,360 Speaker 4: this was having a colorful governor was all fun and games. 684 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:02,640 Speaker 4: He was. He was a bit. He's very promiscuous. He 685 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:08,120 Speaker 4: used to say, uh, I give they make How did 686 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 4: he put it? When I give blood? They usually to 687 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 4: make Viagara? 688 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:12,840 Speaker 2: That was. 689 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:16,360 Speaker 4: I always thought that was a pretty good one. 690 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 2: And there's a bumper cigaph. 691 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 3: That's the line they would have used about strom Thurmon too. 692 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 3: You and I didn't serve with strom Thurman, but by 693 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 3: all accounts, that would have described him accurately. 694 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 4: And he was running for governor, I think his third time, 695 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 4: and he was way ahead of the polls. He was 696 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:33,359 Speaker 4: running against incumbent and the press asking us, they said 697 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:35,879 Speaker 4: he you're gonna win this race, and he said, put 698 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,400 Speaker 4: it this way. The only way I could lose this 699 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 4: race and the last week is if I'm caught in 700 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 4: bed with a live girl or a dead boy. And 701 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:50,240 Speaker 4: I thought that was pretty clever. But eventually his past 702 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:52,840 Speaker 4: caught up to him, and we elected a reform governor 703 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:56,600 Speaker 4: named Buddy Romer, and I'd supported him. He asked me 704 00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:58,840 Speaker 4: to leave him my practice come to Baton Rouge, and 705 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:04,280 Speaker 4: I liked it. I was just legal counsel, and I stayed. 706 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 4: And then I ran for office and got elected, and 707 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:08,799 Speaker 4: I ran for the Senate three times. It took me 708 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 4: three times to get here, and I thought they left 709 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:17,280 Speaker 4: me for dead for a few times. Politically, I switched 710 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,400 Speaker 4: parties because the Democrat I couldn't. I just couldn't be 711 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:22,759 Speaker 4: a Democrat anymore. And they all got mad at me, 712 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:25,720 Speaker 4: and they tried to hurt me. But the mistake they made, 713 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:29,919 Speaker 4: they're gonna let me live. They never should have letting 714 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,280 Speaker 4: me live it. So I wanted on the third time. 715 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:34,200 Speaker 4: And here we are having fun. 716 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:34,319 Speaker 5: All right. 717 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:37,240 Speaker 3: Biggest surprises when you get to the Senate. Biggest surprise 718 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 3: upside and biggest surprise downside. 719 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:46,239 Speaker 4: Biggest surprise upside. You probably saw this. I came in 720 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 4: wanting to gallop. You can't gallop in the Senate. You 721 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:55,319 Speaker 4: have to inch along, And at first that frustrated me. 722 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 4: It still does, but it's not altogether bad, because after 723 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 4: a while you were a senator's job is not just 724 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:08,239 Speaker 4: to advance good ideas, it's to kill bad ideas. And 725 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 4: sometimes killing the bad ideas is more important than advancing 726 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:18,279 Speaker 4: the good ideas. That has been my biggest transformation in 727 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:23,399 Speaker 4: the Senate. But it's frustrating Senator McConnell, who's your friend 728 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:27,920 Speaker 4: in mine? But Mitch was the majority leader, and I 729 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:33,439 Speaker 4: wasn't used to taking orders from another politician, and Mitch 730 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,280 Speaker 4: and I butted heads a few times. She butted heads 731 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,840 Speaker 4: with you. Mitch liked to run it from the top down, 732 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 4: and I thought, I remember you and I talked when 733 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 4: we passed President Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We 734 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:52,759 Speaker 4: passed it through reconciliation, and Ted was an advocate of 735 00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:57,240 Speaker 4: doing a second Billy, and it just took a majority 736 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 4: vote no Democrats, and I I'm ACKed. Hm and and 737 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 4: Mitch wouldn't do it, and we left so much good 738 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:06,920 Speaker 4: policy on the table. 739 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:10,080 Speaker 3: It remains the most politically indefensible decision I've ever seen. 740 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,439 Speaker 4: And I hope we don't do it under Trump's second term. 741 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 3: And actually John brought that up at lunch today, made 742 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 3: that argument, and it's clearly, look, it is our best 743 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 3: avenue to win victories and we should be focused on 744 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:27,600 Speaker 3: winning victories. Now that Ben said, we got a lot 745 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:29,080 Speaker 3: done in that one, big boy, it's. 746 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:31,600 Speaker 4: Sure, but we get a second body. 747 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:33,800 Speaker 3: At the end, exactly, and a third if we want. 748 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:36,399 Speaker 4: It, and why not take it? Why not take it? 749 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:38,840 Speaker 4: And we don't have to get we don't have to 750 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:43,759 Speaker 4: get Democratic votes because I'm I'm I'm you know, I 751 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 4: think I want to think the best of people, But 752 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:49,600 Speaker 4: I just think it's gonna be hard to negotiate anything 753 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:51,080 Speaker 4: with the Democrats from here on now. 754 00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:53,960 Speaker 3: They just hate Trump. They're so extreme right now. 755 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:58,120 Speaker 4: I'm just blinded by by their their passion center. 756 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:01,439 Speaker 1: I'm gonna I'm afraid of hitman from your staff's telling 757 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:02,839 Speaker 1: me we were supposed to wrap with you a few 758 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:03,359 Speaker 1: minutes ago. 759 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:04,839 Speaker 2: So I want to hold up the book again. 760 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 3: All right, So let me tell everyone again. Book is 761 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:13,080 Speaker 3: How to Test Negative for Stupid and Why Washington Never 762 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 3: Will It is by John Kennedy, not John F. Kennedy, 763 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 3: but John Kennedy, the great United States Senator. The book 764 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 3: is funny, it is interesting. It gives you stories behind 765 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,360 Speaker 3: the scenes of what's going on in the US. Senate 766 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:29,360 Speaker 3: John Kennedy rats out all his colleagues. He makes them embarrassed. 767 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:33,160 Speaker 3: He makes them curl up, curl up. Chuck Schumer curled 768 00:39:33,239 --> 00:39:35,200 Speaker 3: up in a ball in the closet and cried like 769 00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 3: a little girl. When when when John Kennedy wrote this book. 770 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:40,279 Speaker 3: So you need to go to Amazon and buy it. 771 00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:43,920 Speaker 3: And I will say as I said before, John Kennedy 772 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:48,720 Speaker 3: is easily one of my favorite colleagues. He is bunny, 773 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:51,919 Speaker 3: is funny as hell, and he is smart as hell. 774 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:54,800 Speaker 3: A lot of people don't realize this man is dangerous 775 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:57,880 Speaker 3: and has you know he's an Oxford educated lawyer and 776 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:01,799 Speaker 3: and with a Southern accent, particular Yankees underestimating and be like, 777 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:03,480 Speaker 3: all right, he's got a Southern accident. He can't be 778 00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:04,120 Speaker 3: all that bright. 779 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,239 Speaker 4: You can't accuse me of being self aware, not being 780 00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:11,880 Speaker 4: self aware. I'm fully aware that my voice scares small children, 781 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:15,360 Speaker 4: it sets off car arms, but it's my voice. But 782 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:17,320 Speaker 4: thank you for having me ed, Thank you, Ben. 783 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:21,480 Speaker 3: And I'm gonna close. I'm gonna close with my favorite kennedyism, 784 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:27,359 Speaker 3: which was in a judiciary committee hearing. John Kennedy leaned 785 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:32,560 Speaker 3: forward into the microphone and he said, Christmas tree ornaments 786 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 3: and Jeffrey Epstein two things you know didn't hang themselves. 787 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:39,800 Speaker 2: I love it. 788 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:42,239 Speaker 3: I was sitting there going, wait, this is at an 789 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:46,080 Speaker 3: open hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Did he really 790 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:46,800 Speaker 3: say that. 791 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:48,000 Speaker 2: It was I did? 792 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 4: It was true. I'd read that joke somewhere. It seemed 793 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:55,000 Speaker 4: like a good idea at the time. Thank you, guys. 794 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 1: Buy the book wherever you can how to test negative 795 00:40:58,160 --> 00:40:58,920 Speaker 1: for stupid. 796 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:00,720 Speaker 2: Get it on Amazon, don't forget. 797 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:04,040 Speaker 1: You can get this podcast Monday, Wednesday, Friday, wherever you 798 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:06,239 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. Share it on social media. Sent her 799 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:07,480 Speaker 1: cruise and I will see you back here in a 800 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:09,640 Speaker 1: couple of days. And grab the book right after this 801 00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:10,120 Speaker 1: as well.