1
00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:26,475
Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Democratic

2
00:00:26,515 --> 00:00:29,195
Speaker 1: Party leadership in the House and the Senate has to go,

3
00:00:30,155 --> 00:00:32,115
Speaker 1: and the leaders in the States have to get active

4
00:00:32,235 --> 00:00:34,755
Speaker 1: or they have to go. And the first you can

5
00:00:34,795 --> 00:00:39,715
Speaker 1: go is Gavin Newsom. You're out. I'll get to him.

6
00:00:39,715 --> 00:00:43,275
Speaker 1: In a moment. During a pit stop at the Indianapolis

7
00:00:43,315 --> 00:00:45,915
Speaker 1: five hundred car race in nineteen eighty one, some methanol

8
00:00:46,355 --> 00:00:50,275
Speaker 1: was sprayed into and on driver Rick Mears and his crew,

9
00:00:50,515 --> 00:00:55,755
Speaker 1: and suddenly there was literally an invisible fire. Methanol flame

10
00:00:55,795 --> 00:00:58,435
Speaker 1: does not produce smoke. It is virtually invisible in sunlight.

11
00:00:58,595 --> 00:01:01,315
Speaker 1: Rick Mears and his crew were on fire, and nobody

12
00:01:01,315 --> 00:01:07,595
Speaker 1: could see it, literally invisible fire. People thought, perhaps they

13
00:01:07,675 --> 00:01:12,115
Speaker 1: were kidding. Right now, this nation is on fire, also

14
00:01:12,235 --> 00:01:15,875
Speaker 1: an invisible fire, and Democratic leadership is saying, oh no,

15
00:01:15,955 --> 00:01:19,155
Speaker 1: it isn't because Akeem Jeffries and Gavin Newsom and the

16
00:01:19,155 --> 00:01:24,075
Speaker 1: others can't e fing see it, or because they personally

17
00:01:24,235 --> 00:01:29,475
Speaker 1: are not yet on fire yet yet, because Trump hasn't

18
00:01:29,475 --> 00:01:34,195
Speaker 1: gotten to them yet to set them on fire. Axio

19
00:01:34,315 --> 00:01:38,595
Speaker 1: supports that Jeffries, the Minority Whip Catherine Clark, and Caucus

20
00:01:38,675 --> 00:01:42,275
Speaker 1: Chair Pete Aguiar, the top three Democrats in the House

21
00:01:42,635 --> 00:01:45,235
Speaker 1: summoned a dozen rank and file members to what was

22
00:01:45,275 --> 00:01:48,555
Speaker 1: called a come to Jesus meeting about the disruptions during

23
00:01:48,595 --> 00:01:54,355
Speaker 1: Trump's I'm God Right speech last week. You're thinking Jeffries

24
00:01:54,395 --> 00:01:57,875
Speaker 1: and Clark and Aguiar should have been awarding the disruptors

25
00:01:58,155 --> 00:02:00,875
Speaker 1: medals of some kind, or maybe scolding them for not

26
00:02:01,075 --> 00:02:06,595
Speaker 1: disrupting enough. No, sir, leadership is quote unhappy that congressmen

27
00:02:06,675 --> 00:02:11,475
Speaker 1: and congresswomen who see the invisible fire consuming our nation

28
00:02:11,755 --> 00:02:16,755
Speaker 1: had the audacity to react to it, raps like Jasmine Crockett,

29
00:02:17,035 --> 00:02:21,115
Speaker 1: Maxwell Frost, Maxine Dexter of Oregon, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico.

30
00:02:21,355 --> 00:02:24,435
Speaker 1: You had a lot of nerve straying from our plan,

31
00:02:24,675 --> 00:02:28,315
Speaker 1: Jeffries told them, and reminded them of his dear colleague

32
00:02:28,395 --> 00:02:30,755
Speaker 1: letter he sent them before the speech, insisting on a

33
00:02:30,875 --> 00:02:35,195
Speaker 1: quote strong, determined and dignified democratic presence in the chamber,

34
00:02:35,715 --> 00:02:43,075
Speaker 1: and how they violated that by making themselves the story. Seriously,

35
00:02:44,155 --> 00:02:47,275
Speaker 1: if it came, Jeffries thinks, limiting protests, holding up those

36
00:02:47,275 --> 00:02:51,715
Speaker 1: pathetic little signs that they all had, and to what

37
00:02:51,835 --> 00:02:57,195
Speaker 1: was called quote outfit coordination and refusal to clap on quote.

38
00:02:57,195 --> 00:02:59,515
Speaker 1: If he thinks that was a sign of strength, or

39
00:02:59,555 --> 00:03:02,715
Speaker 1: that it was determined, or that it was somehow dignified,

40
00:03:03,195 --> 00:03:05,515
Speaker 1: he should be marched out of the House Chamber faster

41
00:03:05,595 --> 00:03:08,475
Speaker 1: than al Green was, and in fact, Jeffrey should be

42
00:03:08,475 --> 00:03:12,435
Speaker 1: marched out of the House Chamber by Democrats. They're not

43
00:03:12,475 --> 00:03:15,875
Speaker 1: being talked to like they are children. One Democrat leaked

44
00:03:15,915 --> 00:03:18,955
Speaker 1: to Axios for a story that made the protesters look

45
00:03:19,035 --> 00:03:22,875
Speaker 1: like children. We are helping them understand why their strategy

46
00:03:23,115 --> 00:03:28,195
Speaker 1: is a bad idea. Ah, I think I've just located

47
00:03:28,195 --> 00:03:30,715
Speaker 1: the source of the problem here. Their strategy is not

48
00:03:30,875 --> 00:03:35,075
Speaker 1: a bad idea, given that their strategy is, unlike the

49
00:03:35,075 --> 00:03:38,675
Speaker 1: one apparently dreamed up by a Keem Jeffreys, an actual strategy,

50
00:03:39,195 --> 00:03:41,435
Speaker 1: while the one dreamed up by a Keem Jeffries is

51
00:03:41,435 --> 00:03:44,955
Speaker 1: holding up signs the size of ping pong paddles and

52
00:03:44,995 --> 00:03:49,275
Speaker 1: not offending the dictator nor angering his Republican slave masters

53
00:03:49,275 --> 00:03:55,795
Speaker 1: in the House. It doesn't surprise me. Leadership is very upset.

54
00:03:55,995 --> 00:03:59,915
Speaker 1: They gave specific instructions not to do that, one anonymous

55
00:03:59,915 --> 00:04:03,755
Speaker 1: Democrats said, showing exactly the lack of courage Trump is

56
00:04:03,795 --> 00:04:07,715
Speaker 1: counting on. Trump will count on. Trump has always counted on.

57
00:04:08,835 --> 00:04:11,675
Speaker 1: Would they have ever done that to Nancy Pelosi? You

58
00:04:11,795 --> 00:04:14,155
Speaker 1: know the answer. Never. So you've got to put the

59
00:04:14,195 --> 00:04:17,995
Speaker 1: hammer down. Yes, put the hammer down. Put the hammer

60
00:04:18,035 --> 00:04:22,195
Speaker 1: down right on top of that anonymous Democrat's head. F

61
00:04:22,355 --> 00:04:28,435
Speaker 1: him or her, f them. The country is on fire

62
00:04:29,155 --> 00:04:33,955
Speaker 1: and Trump is doing his best, well, putin's best to

63
00:04:34,155 --> 00:04:37,795
Speaker 1: next set the world on fire. And the keen Jeffries

64
00:04:37,875 --> 00:04:40,235
Speaker 1: is worried about making sure his Democrats in the House

65
00:04:40,875 --> 00:04:46,035
Speaker 1: are absolutely consistent in doing absolutely nothing about it. Invisible

66
00:04:46,115 --> 00:04:50,355
Speaker 1: fire everywhere, and he has become a living meme. It's fine,

67
00:04:50,515 --> 00:04:56,035
Speaker 1: he says from the table, sipping his coffee. And by

68
00:04:56,035 --> 00:05:00,595
Speaker 1: the way, you invoke Nancy Pelosi to encourage this silent appeasement,

69
00:05:02,395 --> 00:05:06,115
Speaker 1: this obeying in advance. What did Nancy Pelosi do again?

70
00:05:06,195 --> 00:05:10,355
Speaker 1: After Trump's last State of the Union address in twenty twenty,

71
00:05:11,355 --> 00:05:14,995
Speaker 1: she tore up her copy of his speech on camera,

72
00:05:15,675 --> 00:05:20,275
Speaker 1: slowly and methodically. And do you remember that, or do

73
00:05:20,315 --> 00:05:25,515
Speaker 1: you remember the Democratic response speech that followed Trump's State

74
00:05:25,555 --> 00:05:28,675
Speaker 1: of the Union in twenty twenty, or who gave that

75
00:05:28,915 --> 00:05:35,915
Speaker 1: speech or what that speech was about. I understand that

76
00:05:35,995 --> 00:05:40,675
Speaker 1: democratic lawmakers are hamstrung. They don't know what to do

77
00:05:40,755 --> 00:05:46,555
Speaker 1: at the moment. Democracy seems to be a bad campaign basis.

78
00:05:49,235 --> 00:05:51,195
Speaker 1: They only have a few options at this point. They

79
00:05:51,195 --> 00:05:54,515
Speaker 1: could literally act outside of the law, I suppose, since

80
00:05:54,595 --> 00:05:58,035
Speaker 1: bribes by foreigners are no longer going to be investigated anywhere,

81
00:05:58,115 --> 00:06:01,275
Speaker 1: you could get foreign billionaires to buy Republicans to vote

82
00:06:01,315 --> 00:06:04,835
Speaker 1: to impeach Trump. I mean, it's one Republican, Michael, what

83
00:06:04,835 --> 00:06:09,355
Speaker 1: could it cost ten million dollars? You could go a

84
00:06:09,435 --> 00:06:12,315
Speaker 1: little bit more immediately and more direct. You could interrupt

85
00:06:12,835 --> 00:06:16,195
Speaker 1: fascist rallies like Trump's next verbal version of mind komp

86
00:06:16,395 --> 00:06:19,955
Speaker 1: with I don't know reasons to evacuate the area in

87
00:06:19,955 --> 00:06:26,635
Speaker 1: which the speech is being given. That's probably contraindicated Democratic leadership,

88
00:06:26,675 --> 00:06:29,595
Speaker 1: and Democrats could act symbolically and metaphorically and maybe get

89
00:06:29,595 --> 00:06:32,995
Speaker 1: themselves punished inside the house or maybe even arrested by

90
00:06:33,875 --> 00:06:36,915
Speaker 1: you know, getting up and leaving with Al Green when

91
00:06:36,915 --> 00:06:42,155
Speaker 1: he is escorted out, or going along with the progressives

92
00:06:42,155 --> 00:06:46,235
Speaker 1: who saying we shall overcome while this latest crazy Republican

93
00:06:46,275 --> 00:06:52,995
Speaker 1: speaker Mike Johnson read out Green's censure motion. Or if

94
00:06:52,995 --> 00:06:54,475
Speaker 1: they're not willing to do any of that, they can

95
00:06:54,515 --> 00:06:57,675
Speaker 1: do whatever the hell teme Jeffries thinks he's doing, and

96
00:06:57,755 --> 00:07:00,635
Speaker 1: I'm really not sure what holding up little paddles that

97
00:07:00,675 --> 00:07:03,115
Speaker 1: make them all look like wile e Coyote in the

98
00:07:03,195 --> 00:07:06,755
Speaker 1: road rudder cartoons with his signs reading help and that's

99
00:07:06,755 --> 00:07:10,475
Speaker 1: all folks does. But I believe the technical term for

100
00:07:10,555 --> 00:07:13,715
Speaker 1: what he's doing is I think this is the technical

101
00:07:13,795 --> 00:07:23,035
Speaker 1: term nothing. While the nation burns invisibly by the way,

102
00:07:23,075 --> 00:07:28,835
Speaker 1: Andy Ogles and insane man who represents Insane County is

103
00:07:28,915 --> 00:07:33,275
Speaker 1: pushing privileged motions to remove all the protesting Democrats from

104
00:07:33,275 --> 00:07:38,075
Speaker 1: their committee assignments. And you know, if the King Jeffries

105
00:07:38,155 --> 00:07:42,035
Speaker 1: votes for those resolutions, I would only be mildly surprised, because,

106
00:07:42,075 --> 00:07:46,275
Speaker 1: of course, ten Democrats in the House, elected as Democrats

107
00:07:46,555 --> 00:07:51,075
Speaker 1: by Democratic voters, they voted with the Republicans to censure

108
00:07:51,195 --> 00:07:55,395
Speaker 1: Al Green and they did this because, bluntly, these ten

109
00:07:55,475 --> 00:08:06,475
Speaker 1: Democrats are assholes. Amy Barra asshole, Ed Case asshole, Jim asshole,

110
00:08:07,235 --> 00:08:16,555
Speaker 1: Laura Gillen asshole, Jim Himes asshole, Chrissy Hulahan asshole, Marcy

111
00:08:16,715 --> 00:08:25,155
Speaker 1: Capture asshole, Jared Moskowitz asshole, Marie Glusen camp Perez asshole,

112
00:08:26,435 --> 00:08:31,755
Speaker 1: and Tom Swazi asshole. In fact, here's another asshole to

113
00:08:31,795 --> 00:08:36,635
Speaker 1: take home with you. Some of those are not actually surprises.

114
00:08:36,675 --> 00:08:38,995
Speaker 1: Swazi is nothing more than a weather vane, and a

115
00:08:39,235 --> 00:08:44,075
Speaker 1: mediocre one. Marie Perez too. It's a shame about Jared Moskowitz.

116
00:08:44,195 --> 00:08:46,995
Speaker 1: He's useful, he was great against Comer, He's funny, and

117
00:08:47,035 --> 00:08:49,995
Speaker 1: if he apologizes, I would say he gets a second chance.

118
00:08:50,235 --> 00:08:52,635
Speaker 1: It's a shame Marcy Capture wants to end her career

119
00:08:52,875 --> 00:08:59,035
Speaker 1: siding with Nazis. But there you go out, all of

120
00:08:59,075 --> 00:09:02,515
Speaker 1: them out. And if he doesn't figure out that the

121
00:09:02,515 --> 00:09:07,235
Speaker 1: country is on fire, Jeffreys out. Because what Jeffrey should

122
00:09:07,275 --> 00:09:09,675
Speaker 1: be doing is threatening to shut the goddamn House of

123
00:09:09,675 --> 00:09:13,235
Speaker 1: Representatives down. If any of those measures to throw those

124
00:09:13,275 --> 00:09:17,155
Speaker 1: dozen or so Democrats who sang off their committees passes,

125
00:09:17,475 --> 00:09:20,595
Speaker 1: walk out before the CR vote, let the Republicans destroy

126
00:09:20,635 --> 00:09:24,395
Speaker 1: themselves and Trump and the economy with no Democrats in

127
00:09:24,435 --> 00:09:27,395
Speaker 1: the House. Get yourself arrested. If need be a king,

128
00:09:27,955 --> 00:09:31,675
Speaker 1: do something. Christ at least hold that weekly news conference

129
00:09:31,715 --> 00:09:35,315
Speaker 1: every Sunday morning, just to steal the narrative away from Trump.

130
00:09:36,875 --> 00:09:40,835
Speaker 1: It's a meaningless press conference. It's a manipulation of the media.

131
00:09:40,995 --> 00:09:42,675
Speaker 1: At least you could do that are you good at

132
00:09:42,715 --> 00:09:49,395
Speaker 1: anything risk something risk as much as that old man

133
00:09:49,435 --> 00:09:52,715
Speaker 1: from Texas with the Caine risk and the members of

134
00:09:52,755 --> 00:09:57,795
Speaker 1: the Black Caucus who sang risked, I mean, goddamn it, Jeffreys.

135
00:09:58,395 --> 00:10:01,875
Speaker 1: Last month, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts suggested there was a

136
00:10:01,955 --> 00:10:05,995
Speaker 1: constitutional crisis and that the respond should be quote, maybe

137
00:10:06,035 --> 00:10:10,435
Speaker 1: a national strike. Saturday he held a town hall in Holliston,

138
00:10:10,515 --> 00:10:13,155
Speaker 1: mass and he brought it up again, a national strike.

139
00:10:13,395 --> 00:10:16,035
Speaker 1: We can't just sit back and let our democracy just

140
00:10:16,155 --> 00:10:21,115
Speaker 1: fall apart, says Congress from McGovern. I can imagine Jeffrey's

141
00:10:21,115 --> 00:10:24,115
Speaker 1: response to that. We're not letting it fall apart. We

142
00:10:24,155 --> 00:10:28,915
Speaker 1: have outfit coordination. We have our cute little auction house

143
00:10:28,955 --> 00:10:32,555
Speaker 1: bitter paddles with strong words written on them, but not

144
00:10:32,635 --> 00:10:41,555
Speaker 1: too strong. The inside, off the record response from the Democrats,

145
00:10:42,955 --> 00:10:46,075
Speaker 1: from the leadership, from the old wise men and women

146
00:10:46,115 --> 00:10:49,475
Speaker 1: of the party is that the Democrats just haven't coordinated

147
00:10:49,835 --> 00:10:53,275
Speaker 1: a strategy of response to all this yet still flat

148
00:10:53,315 --> 00:10:59,075
Speaker 1: footed after the election. The election was one hundred and

149
00:10:59,395 --> 00:11:03,835
Speaker 1: twenty six days ago. In that time, Trump has given

150
00:11:03,875 --> 00:11:07,035
Speaker 1: a line a budget veto to a white supremacist, and

151
00:11:07,075 --> 00:11:11,435
Speaker 1: he's given your personal info to a stoned narcissist. He's

152
00:11:11,515 --> 00:11:15,755
Speaker 1: dangled the prospect of war against Canada, Panama, Mexico and Denmark.

153
00:11:16,275 --> 00:11:20,875
Speaker 1: He has imperiled Ukraine and all of Europe. He has

154
00:11:20,915 --> 00:11:24,275
Speaker 1: followed Putin's instructions to the letter. He has begun the

155
00:11:24,315 --> 00:11:30,195
Speaker 1: process of staying in office past his expiration date. What

156
00:11:30,315 --> 00:11:32,715
Speaker 1: he has not yet broken, he has threatened to break.

157
00:11:33,795 --> 00:11:39,515
Speaker 1: The King Jeffreys has bought pickleball paddles and coordinated outfits

158
00:11:39,835 --> 00:11:46,195
Speaker 1: and yelled at the only Democrats actually merely doing something

159
00:11:46,515 --> 00:11:53,515
Speaker 1: symbolic out get him out of here and the others. Ordinarily,

160
00:11:53,915 --> 00:11:57,955
Speaker 1: you wait for the Vhy government to take shape after

161
00:11:58,595 --> 00:12:03,715
Speaker 1: the Hitler has defeated the France. The King Jeffries has

162
00:12:03,755 --> 00:12:11,715
Speaker 1: already surrendered. Al green for Democratic House leader, or or

163
00:12:12,275 --> 00:12:39,875
Speaker 1: bring back Nancy and start tearing shit again. By the way,

164
00:12:39,915 --> 00:12:42,115
Speaker 1: the answer to the trivia question was that the year

165
00:12:42,195 --> 00:12:45,675
Speaker 1: Nancy tore up the copy of Trump's speech was twenty twenty,

166
00:12:45,795 --> 00:12:49,715
Speaker 1: and the Democratic response was by Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan,

167
00:12:50,115 --> 00:12:52,995
Speaker 1: and it had an audience and I had to go

168
00:12:53,075 --> 00:12:58,235
Speaker 1: look it up. When you have nothing but symbolism, do

169
00:12:58,395 --> 00:13:04,675
Speaker 1: the symbolism. No to a Keem Jeffries, Yes to Nancy

170
00:13:04,915 --> 00:13:07,675
Speaker 1: Pelosi and no, not to Gavin Newsom as the new

171
00:13:07,715 --> 00:13:12,435
Speaker 1: face of the Democratic Party. Not at all. I'm not

172
00:13:12,595 --> 00:13:16,635
Speaker 1: as shocked as many were that he's suddenly uncertain about

173
00:13:16,835 --> 00:13:22,275
Speaker 1: transgendered scholastic athletes. The whole issue, all sides of it,

174
00:13:23,195 --> 00:13:30,515
Speaker 1: whereas it has taken on tragic and meaningful proportions, is

175
00:13:30,555 --> 00:13:34,435
Speaker 1: not in fact gigantic. There might be in this country

176
00:13:35,155 --> 00:13:40,115
Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty students high school college to whom

177
00:13:40,115 --> 00:13:43,235
Speaker 1: this applies. If the amount of time spent on this

178
00:13:43,395 --> 00:13:46,475
Speaker 1: issue were devoted to the amount of time that would

179
00:13:46,475 --> 00:13:50,915
Speaker 1: be required to resolve each of these situations inside the

180
00:13:51,035 --> 00:13:55,475
Speaker 1: league or the organization in which they are unfolding, they

181
00:13:55,515 --> 00:13:59,315
Speaker 1: could have been solved in about two weeks. Because it's

182
00:13:59,355 --> 00:14:03,435
Speaker 1: not about transgendered athletes, Gavin. It's not about whether or

183
00:14:03,435 --> 00:14:07,195
Speaker 1: not it's fair to the girls. They don't give a

184
00:14:07,275 --> 00:14:10,475
Speaker 1: damn about girls sports. They're going to eliminate them next month.

185
00:14:12,915 --> 00:14:15,675
Speaker 1: Gavin Newsom did not surprise me with that. He surprised

186
00:14:15,675 --> 00:14:18,235
Speaker 1: me with something else. He really didn't surprise me with anything,

187
00:14:19,995 --> 00:14:25,915
Speaker 1: because I met Kimberly Gilfoyle twenty years ago when she

188
00:14:25,995 --> 00:14:30,995
Speaker 1: was trying to get a show at MSNBC when Newsom

189
00:14:31,075 --> 00:14:35,955
Speaker 1: was still mayor of San Francisco and Kimberly Gilfoyle was

190
00:14:35,955 --> 00:14:39,075
Speaker 1: still Gavin Newsom's wife, and my only thoughts were, this

191
00:14:39,355 --> 00:14:45,475
Speaker 1: is his wife, that's who he married, this this idiot.

192
00:14:46,675 --> 00:14:48,795
Speaker 1: And the other thought was the dialogue from the movie

193
00:14:48,795 --> 00:14:52,355
Speaker 1: The Graduate when the old guy mister maguire at the

194
00:14:52,355 --> 00:14:58,115
Speaker 1: graduation party has that conversation that career advice with Dustin

195
00:14:58,155 --> 00:15:00,995
Speaker 1: Hoffman and he says, I want to say one word

196
00:15:00,995 --> 00:15:04,675
Speaker 1: to you, just one word, and Dustin Hoffman is Benjamin

197
00:15:04,795 --> 00:15:08,995
Speaker 1: says yes sir, and mister McGuire says, are you listening,

198
00:15:09,555 --> 00:15:14,315
Speaker 1: and Benjamin says, yes, yes I am, and mister McGuire

199
00:15:14,395 --> 00:15:23,595
Speaker 1: says plastics. Newsom has given me another one of those

200
00:15:23,675 --> 00:15:27,115
Speaker 1: first moments, not the Plastics moments, but you know, the

201
00:15:27,555 --> 00:15:34,475
Speaker 1: he married this idiot. Newsom did a podcast with Charlie

202
00:15:34,555 --> 00:15:39,795
Speaker 1: Kirk that's where the quote about transgendered athletes comes from,

203
00:15:39,835 --> 00:15:43,195
Speaker 1: and he agreed with Charlie Kirk that there's an issue

204
00:15:43,395 --> 00:15:49,795
Speaker 1: with transgendered athletes. He agreed with Charlie Kirk, racist, sexist, monstrous,

205
00:15:49,995 --> 00:15:54,635
Speaker 1: Charlie Kirk to what point to try to get the

206
00:15:54,715 --> 00:15:58,035
Speaker 1: vote from that vast middle out there, the middle between

207
00:15:58,115 --> 00:16:01,235
Speaker 1: what Gavin Nazis who want to kill all the non

208
00:16:01,355 --> 00:16:04,395
Speaker 1: Nazis and Nazis who merely want to imprison all the

209
00:16:04,475 --> 00:16:07,835
Speaker 1: nun on Nazis. Is that your wheelhouse for the nomination

210
00:16:07,955 --> 00:16:11,515
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty eight? And then it turned out, at

211
00:16:11,595 --> 00:16:15,915
Speaker 1: least according to Kirk, that the podcast was arranged by

212
00:16:16,035 --> 00:16:20,315
Speaker 1: Kim Gilfoyle. Kirk told the Fox station in La quote,

213
00:16:20,435 --> 00:16:22,355
Speaker 1: I got a phone call from Governor Knew some two

214
00:16:22,355 --> 00:16:26,355
Speaker 1: weeks ago. We connected through Kimberly Gilfoil. Obviously they have

215
00:16:26,435 --> 00:16:31,355
Speaker 1: a shared past. So not only are you still working

216
00:16:32,355 --> 00:16:41,995
Speaker 1: with Kirk, but you reached out via Kim Gilfoil because

217
00:16:42,435 --> 00:16:46,395
Speaker 1: Lara Trump was unavailable. Alina Hobo wouldn't take your call.

218
00:16:48,195 --> 00:16:51,195
Speaker 1: Kirk had another quote, this is another non surprise. This

219
00:16:51,235 --> 00:16:52,995
Speaker 1: is a guy who wants to be president more than

220
00:16:53,035 --> 00:16:56,835
Speaker 1: any other human being alive. Well that's not true. There's

221
00:16:56,835 --> 00:17:00,395
Speaker 1: still Trump. But Gavin, if Kirk's right, by advice to

222
00:17:00,435 --> 00:17:03,635
Speaker 1: you is this, get jd Vance to resign, Get Trump

223
00:17:03,675 --> 00:17:07,315
Speaker 1: to appoint you vice president. Because even today, even now,

224
00:17:07,515 --> 00:17:10,595
Speaker 1: to get the Democratic nomination for president, you have to

225
00:17:10,635 --> 00:17:17,955
Speaker 1: have a minimum of one scruple, just one. I mean,

226
00:17:17,995 --> 00:17:20,515
Speaker 1: here is where we are in this country. Josh Marshall's

227
00:17:20,555 --> 00:17:24,195
Speaker 1: site TPM has gotten an email from management at the

228
00:17:24,355 --> 00:17:29,715
Speaker 1: US African Development Foundation to the White House Presidential Personnel

229
00:17:29,795 --> 00:17:32,835
Speaker 1: Office about the appointment of the acting chair of the

230
00:17:32,875 --> 00:17:38,755
Speaker 1: Foundation's board. Seems like trivia, seems like legales, and it

231
00:17:38,955 --> 00:17:41,675
Speaker 1: in fact is the next thing they are going to

232
00:17:41,715 --> 00:17:44,835
Speaker 1: do to destroy the country. It gets around the reality

233
00:17:45,035 --> 00:17:48,115
Speaker 1: that in this case, Trump's choice could never get confirmed

234
00:17:48,115 --> 00:17:51,275
Speaker 1: by the Senate for this acting chair or full time

235
00:17:51,355 --> 00:17:56,235
Speaker 1: chair of the foundational board. So the Foundation's solution, memorialized

236
00:17:56,275 --> 00:18:00,115
Speaker 1: in an email to the White House Presidential Personnel Office,

237
00:18:00,915 --> 00:18:06,355
Speaker 1: is very simple, the Foundation solution and Trump end Senate

238
00:18:06,395 --> 00:18:11,635
Speaker 1: confirmation of presidential appointments. This email begins, quote, given the

239
00:18:11,675 --> 00:18:17,075
Speaker 1: president's inability to supervise the activities of the board less USADF,

240
00:18:17,395 --> 00:18:21,675
Speaker 1: he has inherent authority. Those are the keywords, inherent authority

241
00:18:21,755 --> 00:18:25,115
Speaker 1: to designate an acting chairman of the board, and it

242
00:18:25,275 --> 00:18:28,155
Speaker 1: ends quote. The President currently has no way of ensuring

243
00:18:28,195 --> 00:18:31,035
Speaker 1: the agency is running or complying with his executive order

244
00:18:31,235 --> 00:18:38,515
Speaker 1: unless he directs and temporary official using inherent authority under

245
00:18:38,675 --> 00:18:43,875
Speaker 1: Article two bingo, you heard me. The next Trump maneuver

246
00:18:43,955 --> 00:18:49,555
Speaker 1: will be that Senate approval of his appointments is unconstitutional

247
00:18:49,915 --> 00:18:57,235
Speaker 1: according to the inherent authority in Article two, President B

248
00:18:57,515 --> 00:19:05,955
Speaker 1: King advise and consent. This eliminate just restraints on Trump,

249
00:19:05,995 --> 00:19:10,915
Speaker 1: no also eliminate criticism of him and questions to him.

250
00:19:12,595 --> 00:19:15,955
Speaker 1: Eliminate the slightest protest by the outside world, whether it

251
00:19:16,035 --> 00:19:19,755
Speaker 1: is Al Green swinging his cane, or a Keem Jeffery

252
00:19:19,875 --> 00:19:22,555
Speaker 1: swinging his bat with the paddle ball attached to it

253
00:19:22,595 --> 00:19:26,835
Speaker 1: by string, or just some senator asking a question about

254
00:19:26,875 --> 00:19:29,515
Speaker 1: who this idiot is he wants to appoint to run

255
00:19:29,555 --> 00:19:35,595
Speaker 1: the board of the USADF. And that's another reason why

256
00:19:35,635 --> 00:19:38,795
Speaker 1: Al Green's mid speech protest was so essential. Trump long

257
00:19:38,835 --> 00:19:41,515
Speaker 1: ago figured out that the easiest way to avoid criticism

258
00:19:42,035 --> 00:19:45,315
Speaker 1: was to avoid critics. Keep the critics out out of

259
00:19:45,355 --> 00:19:47,515
Speaker 1: your rallies, out of your speeches, out of your cabinet,

260
00:19:47,555 --> 00:19:51,195
Speaker 1: out of your party, out of your sight. But there's

261
00:19:51,235 --> 00:19:54,555
Speaker 1: one hole in that wall. You can't keep them out

262
00:19:54,595 --> 00:20:00,795
Speaker 1: of your speeches. To Congress, Democrats at Trump's speeches, and

263
00:20:00,915 --> 00:20:04,275
Speaker 1: the media at Trump events are literally the last people

264
00:20:04,315 --> 00:20:07,795
Speaker 1: in this country, the last handful of people who pierce

265
00:20:08,235 --> 00:20:14,595
Speaker 1: Trump's bubble. In the slightest al Green voiced opposition and criticism,

266
00:20:14,715 --> 00:20:19,475
Speaker 1: and Trump almost imperceptibly has moved from being convinced he

267
00:20:19,555 --> 00:20:23,795
Speaker 1: has overwhelming support to convincing himself he has nothing but support,

268
00:20:23,915 --> 00:20:26,115
Speaker 1: to convincing himself that he has a complete mandate and

269
00:20:26,235 --> 00:20:30,195
Speaker 1: is already king, to never even hearing any more criticism,

270
00:20:30,395 --> 00:20:34,955
Speaker 1: to punishing the critics, to making critics and criticism of

271
00:20:35,075 --> 00:20:42,635
Speaker 1: him illegal. That is the path. That's why the individual

272
00:20:42,675 --> 00:20:45,315
Speaker 1: boycotts of his speech to Congress a week ago were

273
00:20:45,355 --> 00:20:49,715
Speaker 1: well intentioned but stupid. That's why even the little ping

274
00:20:49,835 --> 00:20:55,035
Speaker 1: pong ball paddles were better. That's why democratic leadership should

275
00:20:55,035 --> 00:20:57,515
Speaker 1: have walked out with al Green, not warned others never

276
00:20:57,555 --> 00:21:00,235
Speaker 1: to do anything again without written permission of a game Jeffreys.

277
00:21:01,635 --> 00:21:05,475
Speaker 1: Most of them are of at best dubious value as

278
00:21:05,515 --> 00:21:11,755
Speaker 1: elected congressmen and senators, utterly fungible, several buildings full of

279
00:21:11,835 --> 00:21:19,155
Speaker 1: Tom Swazis. But as the last Americans allowed to literally

280
00:21:19,395 --> 00:21:24,715
Speaker 1: speak truth to power. Their job is to interrupt Trump.

281
00:21:25,275 --> 00:21:29,555
Speaker 1: Their job is to interrupt his feedback loop. Their job

282
00:21:30,035 --> 00:21:33,635
Speaker 1: is to shake him and enrage him and provoke him.

283
00:21:33,835 --> 00:21:37,715
Speaker 1: Their job is to use their right to shout cat

284
00:21:37,795 --> 00:21:43,155
Speaker 1: calls from the Congressional Peanut Gallery until Trump eliminates the

285
00:21:43,235 --> 00:21:51,395
Speaker 1: Congressional Peanut Gallery by eliminating Congress. They have to do

286
00:21:51,435 --> 00:21:54,915
Speaker 1: this because when he eliminates Congress, all we will have

287
00:21:55,035 --> 00:21:59,555
Speaker 1: left is the media. And I know it's a surprise

288
00:21:59,635 --> 00:22:03,115
Speaker 1: to you that we still have media. I wouldn't have

289
00:22:03,195 --> 00:22:08,195
Speaker 1: noticed either. Funniest dog one thing. Trump announced he was

290
00:22:08,235 --> 00:22:10,755
Speaker 1: going to get tough on Russia and there'd be sanctions

291
00:22:10,755 --> 00:22:14,155
Speaker 1: on Russia, and he would pressure Russia to settle with Ukraine.

292
00:22:14,715 --> 00:22:18,515
Speaker 1: And then he cut off Ukraine's access to US satellite imagery.

293
00:22:18,995 --> 00:22:21,195
Speaker 1: And then the Russians doubled the amount of bombs they

294
00:22:21,235 --> 00:22:24,795
Speaker 1: were dropping onto Ukraine, and then the accuracy of those

295
00:22:24,875 --> 00:22:28,435
Speaker 1: drops suddenly doubled two as if they were getting locations

296
00:22:28,595 --> 00:22:32,475
Speaker 1: and other targeting information from American companies. And then NBC

297
00:22:32,595 --> 00:22:36,515
Speaker 1: reported yesterday that even if Zelensky signs a rare Earth

298
00:22:36,635 --> 00:22:39,635
Speaker 1: deal today, that does not mean Trump will restore American

299
00:22:39,675 --> 00:22:43,035
Speaker 1: aid to Ukraine. He wants Zelensky to move towards resigning

300
00:22:45,115 --> 00:22:47,755
Speaker 1: and holding elections. And yes, Trump's people have been caught

301
00:22:47,875 --> 00:22:50,195
Speaker 1: talking to the opposition parties in Ukraine. You know the

302
00:22:50,235 --> 00:22:54,915
Speaker 1: ones favored by Putin. Oh, and yes, he signs the

303
00:22:55,315 --> 00:22:59,235
Speaker 1: Rare Earths and Minerals deal and seeds all the territory

304
00:22:59,315 --> 00:23:04,195
Speaker 1: Russia wants. And after all that, the media is still

305
00:23:04,235 --> 00:23:06,915
Speaker 1: reporting Trump is going to get tough on Russia about Ukraine,

306
00:23:06,915 --> 00:23:09,235
Speaker 1: and there'll be sanctions on Russia. And he's pressuring Russia

307
00:23:09,275 --> 00:23:14,395
Speaker 1: because the media now sucks. The only people who have

308
00:23:14,435 --> 00:23:16,475
Speaker 1: not been muzzled or self muzzled are the ones who

309
00:23:16,475 --> 00:23:18,835
Speaker 1: are too stupid to do the job well in the

310
00:23:18,835 --> 00:23:23,955
Speaker 1: first place. And just when you are ready to give

311
00:23:24,035 --> 00:23:26,995
Speaker 1: up on these idiots, you remember, oh my god, they

312
00:23:26,995 --> 00:23:29,635
Speaker 1: are idiots, but they are our idiots, and they are

313
00:23:29,715 --> 00:23:33,755
Speaker 1: the only idiots we have left. And you remember that

314
00:23:33,835 --> 00:23:39,315
Speaker 1: Trump hates them more than we do, only he is

315
00:23:39,435 --> 00:23:45,435
Speaker 1: hunting them now. I got scoffing blowback from last Thursday's podcast,

316
00:23:45,515 --> 00:23:48,035
Speaker 1: especially the title Trump's plan to make it illegal to

317
00:23:48,155 --> 00:23:51,715
Speaker 1: criticize him and his hunta. And I'd like to apologize

318
00:23:51,715 --> 00:23:55,915
Speaker 1: for that title because it wasn't strong enough. The title

319
00:23:55,955 --> 00:23:58,275
Speaker 1: should have been Trump's plan to make it illegal to

320
00:23:58,355 --> 00:24:01,515
Speaker 1: criticize him and his hunta. And the media is collaborating

321
00:24:01,595 --> 00:24:06,715
Speaker 1: so fast it may happen before summer. President, since you must.

322
00:24:06,475 --> 00:24:10,315
Speaker 2: Talk about it yesterday, detail about if there happening.

323
00:24:11,315 --> 00:24:14,715
Speaker 1: Bob Moskins, cautious secretary of.

324
00:24:14,635 --> 00:24:16,555
Speaker 2: Movie, own secretary of no clash.

325
00:24:16,755 --> 00:24:17,355
Speaker 1: I was there.

326
00:24:17,515 --> 00:24:20,115
Speaker 2: You're just a trouble mecare and you're not supposed to

327
00:24:20,155 --> 00:24:22,795
Speaker 2: be asking that question because we're talking about the World Cup.

328
00:24:24,515 --> 00:24:27,555
Speaker 2: Gets along great with Marco and they both are fantastic.

329
00:24:27,675 --> 00:24:34,355
Speaker 2: You have there is no clash Presidents inc. I'm wonder's

330
00:24:34,915 --> 00:24:39,915
Speaker 2: NBC any of the questions of.

331
00:24:39,995 --> 00:24:44,555
Speaker 1: The World Cup to I can't imagine why Trump got

332
00:24:44,595 --> 00:24:47,515
Speaker 1: away with telling a reporter you're not supposed to ask

333
00:24:47,635 --> 00:24:51,475
Speaker 1: that question. Maybe it's because when he expelled the Associated

334
00:24:51,555 --> 00:24:54,755
Speaker 1: Press from the White House, not one other news organization,

335
00:24:54,915 --> 00:25:01,195
Speaker 1: not one did anything about it. Nobody did a thing,

336
00:25:01,275 --> 00:25:04,275
Speaker 1: even when simple self defense should have told the White

337
00:25:04,275 --> 00:25:08,195
Speaker 1: House car Respondence Association to walk out on Moss that day.

338
00:25:09,115 --> 00:25:12,075
Speaker 1: And maybe it's because when the White House Correspondence Association

339
00:25:12,195 --> 00:25:14,955
Speaker 1: did not walk out on Moss that day, Trump knew

340
00:25:14,995 --> 00:25:17,435
Speaker 1: he could take away its right to select the pool

341
00:25:17,515 --> 00:25:21,155
Speaker 1: reporters and they again would not walk out on Moss.

342
00:25:21,195 --> 00:25:23,435
Speaker 1: When he did that, he could threaten them with expulsion

343
00:25:23,475 --> 00:25:25,515
Speaker 1: from the White House the way you just heard him

344
00:25:25,595 --> 00:25:28,875
Speaker 1: do it to the NBC guide just there, without saying it,

345
00:25:29,195 --> 00:25:35,355
Speaker 1: just by implying it and knowing the White Correspondence Association

346
00:25:35,435 --> 00:25:38,715
Speaker 1: would do nothing. He also knew he could do that

347
00:25:38,875 --> 00:25:42,795
Speaker 1: to mister NBC reporter there because v she Joe Scarborough

348
00:25:43,395 --> 00:25:47,075
Speaker 1: and missus vsh Joe went to Mari Lago and begged

349
00:25:47,115 --> 00:25:50,195
Speaker 1: for what passes for their pathetic professional lives. And he

350
00:25:50,275 --> 00:25:52,555
Speaker 1: knew he could do that to NBC going forward, because

351
00:25:52,635 --> 00:25:56,075
Speaker 1: NBC immediately spun off MSNBC as fast as they could

352
00:25:56,115 --> 00:25:59,915
Speaker 1: file the business paperwork, and MSNBC then fired or demoted

353
00:25:59,995 --> 00:26:03,555
Speaker 1: all of its hosts of color, and Trump would never

354
00:26:03,875 --> 00:26:10,595
Speaker 1: have to explolicitly threatened NBC ever again. Okay, maybe you'd

355
00:26:10,635 --> 00:26:12,075
Speaker 1: have to threaten them again once.

356
00:26:12,635 --> 00:26:17,355
Speaker 2: Frankly, what Nicole Wallace said, I've never been a fan

357
00:26:17,435 --> 00:26:21,715
Speaker 2: of hers, and she's not very talented, but i'll tell

358
00:26:21,715 --> 00:26:23,715
Speaker 2: you what she said the other day about that young

359
00:26:23,835 --> 00:26:28,635
Speaker 2: man is disgraceful. She should be forced to resign, and

360
00:26:28,915 --> 00:26:31,955
Speaker 2: Rachel Mattow should be forced to resign. Nobody watches her anyway.

361
00:26:31,955 --> 00:26:34,235
Speaker 2: I don't know if it's not possible they pay her

362
00:26:34,235 --> 00:26:37,115
Speaker 2: as much money as I hear, but certainly she's lost

363
00:26:37,675 --> 00:26:39,075
Speaker 2: all credibility, both of them.

364
00:26:39,395 --> 00:26:41,795
Speaker 1: But would they said the other day they should be

365
00:26:41,875 --> 00:26:48,235
Speaker 1: forced to resign? Thank you again, Joe Scarborough. Joe Scarborough is,

366
00:26:48,955 --> 00:26:51,595
Speaker 1: as hl Mankin would have phrased, it not worth the

367
00:26:51,755 --> 00:26:57,795
Speaker 1: oil with which to fry him in hell. You know

368
00:26:57,915 --> 00:27:05,475
Speaker 1: my criticisms of Rachel Matdow ten million, Joe Scarborough's are

369
00:27:05,555 --> 00:27:10,915
Speaker 1: not worth one Rachel Maddow. I'm sure though, when push

370
00:27:10,995 --> 00:27:16,195
Speaker 1: comes to shove, NBC will defend her and Wallace and

371
00:27:16,315 --> 00:27:19,515
Speaker 1: its White House reporter or that guy who is probably

372
00:27:19,555 --> 00:27:22,875
Speaker 1: by now it's ex White House reporter and not the

373
00:27:23,035 --> 00:27:26,515
Speaker 1: shady ex congressman who has gone from Trump critic to

374
00:27:26,595 --> 00:27:30,315
Speaker 1: Trumps sanitizer, to would be Trump Vice president to never Trumper,

375
00:27:30,555 --> 00:27:34,035
Speaker 1: to welcome her of Trump insect overlords, and has done

376
00:27:34,075 --> 00:27:40,075
Speaker 1: all this in literally one decade. Laws against deep fakes

377
00:27:40,075 --> 00:27:43,515
Speaker 1: that can be converted into laws against anti Trump videos,

378
00:27:44,515 --> 00:27:48,635
Speaker 1: laws against campus protests nominally about the Middle East that

379
00:27:48,755 --> 00:27:53,515
Speaker 1: can be converted into laws against campus protests about him,

380
00:27:54,955 --> 00:27:59,275
Speaker 1: And the saddest part is none of these refined laws

381
00:27:59,395 --> 00:28:02,595
Speaker 1: directed at the media directed at protests may be necessary

382
00:28:03,235 --> 00:28:17,155
Speaker 1: because the media will have killed itself first. Quote. I

383
00:28:17,235 --> 00:28:20,835
Speaker 1: am a member of several Tesla owner forums where widespread

384
00:28:20,875 --> 00:28:24,875
Speaker 1: reports of similar attacks are being shared. Begins a post

385
00:28:24,995 --> 00:28:29,995
Speaker 1: at a Facebook site user named Mike Miller, who knows

386
00:28:30,035 --> 00:28:32,715
Speaker 1: if it's real, copying a letter he claims to have

387
00:28:32,795 --> 00:28:36,275
Speaker 1: sent to his California congressman garrim Mendi. Quote. Owners are

388
00:28:36,275 --> 00:28:41,515
Speaker 1: facing physical threats, vandalism, and intimidation simply because of their

389
00:28:42,115 --> 00:28:46,115
Speaker 1: vehicle choice. Reports in the media highlight incidents of Tesla

390
00:28:46,235 --> 00:28:50,315
Speaker 1: charging stations being burned, Tesla service centers being vandalized, and

391
00:28:50,435 --> 00:28:55,995
Speaker 1: Tesla vehicles being spray painted or otherwise damaged. Unfortunately, law

392
00:28:56,075 --> 00:29:02,035
Speaker 1: enforcement often has limited ability to hold perpetrators accountable. By

393
00:29:02,075 --> 00:29:05,675
Speaker 1: the way, certainly that's not because the inpetrators got away

394
00:29:05,715 --> 00:29:10,195
Speaker 1: in their Tesla vehicles. This is not just an issue

395
00:29:10,195 --> 00:29:12,595
Speaker 1: of property damage. It is an issue of safety and

396
00:29:12,675 --> 00:29:16,235
Speaker 1: targeted aggression. I urge you to consider legislative action that

397
00:29:16,315 --> 00:29:19,995
Speaker 1: would increase penalties for these acts, potentially classifying them as

398
00:29:20,195 --> 00:29:24,875
Speaker 1: hate crimes or enhancing legal consequences for individuals who engage

399
00:29:24,915 --> 00:29:36,155
Speaker 1: in such behavior. You heard him, hate crimes he wants

400
00:29:36,355 --> 00:29:39,515
Speaker 1: and again it could be a troll. Everybody who responded

401
00:29:39,555 --> 00:29:42,235
Speaker 1: to him was in atrol. Everybody who said, yes, let's

402
00:29:42,275 --> 00:29:46,155
Speaker 1: make it a hate crime. He wants any damage to

403
00:29:46,315 --> 00:29:53,275
Speaker 1: a Tesla vehicle or a facility, or especially Seibetwak prosecuted

404
00:29:53,435 --> 00:29:58,395
Speaker 1: as a hate crime. This is how far the madness

405
00:29:58,435 --> 00:30:02,395
Speaker 1: of America twenty twenty five has gone. Protections for transgendered

406
00:30:02,475 --> 00:30:06,955
Speaker 1: people erased and the debate over it endorsed by the

407
00:30:07,035 --> 00:30:10,035
Speaker 1: governor of California who claims to be a Democrat and

408
00:30:10,195 --> 00:30:17,675
Speaker 1: is still talking to that crazy woman Guilfoyle. Protections for

409
00:30:17,835 --> 00:30:21,995
Speaker 1: transgendered people erased, the history of violence against blacks erased

410
00:30:22,035 --> 00:30:29,915
Speaker 1: from government websites, libraries closed, history whitewashed, the interruption of

411
00:30:29,955 --> 00:30:34,355
Speaker 1: a presidential speech, which is a Republican invention, incidentally interrupting

412
00:30:34,395 --> 00:30:38,195
Speaker 1: a presidential speech bringing censure and possible removal from committees

413
00:30:38,635 --> 00:30:43,355
Speaker 1: and ten Democrats supporting it. But if somebody writes, f

414
00:30:43,475 --> 00:30:46,555
Speaker 1: you Musk with their finger on the dust on the

415
00:30:46,715 --> 00:30:53,035
Speaker 1: back of your cyber truck, that should be a hate crime. Problem,

416
00:30:53,035 --> 00:30:56,435
Speaker 1: of course, is what under hate crime statutes could you

417
00:30:56,715 --> 00:30:59,715
Speaker 1: charge Musk with when he blows up another one of

418
00:30:59,755 --> 00:31:05,635
Speaker 1: his own rockets like last week. Sadly we go from

419
00:31:05,715 --> 00:31:08,315
Speaker 1: the ridiculous to the sublime. The New York Times has

420
00:31:08,355 --> 00:31:11,555
Speaker 1: published a massive history of Sullivan, the Supreme Court case

421
00:31:11,635 --> 00:31:15,035
Speaker 1: with which it was involved that is the protection for

422
00:31:15,075 --> 00:31:19,435
Speaker 1: almost all journalistic investigations of and criticisms of elected officials

423
00:31:19,475 --> 00:31:22,875
Speaker 1: and prominent public figures. The essence of Sullivan is that

424
00:31:22,955 --> 00:31:25,995
Speaker 1: to be guilty of defamation or libel, a news organization

425
00:31:26,115 --> 00:31:28,715
Speaker 1: has to be proved to be guilty of actual malice,

426
00:31:29,195 --> 00:31:35,075
Speaker 1: knowingly printing falsehoods designed to damage a public or governmental figure.

427
00:31:36,755 --> 00:31:40,115
Speaker 1: After laudable but probably way too detailed history of the ruling,

428
00:31:40,355 --> 00:31:44,915
Speaker 1: the Times finally gets around the shattering conclusion paragraph nine

429
00:31:44,995 --> 00:31:47,995
Speaker 1: thousand or so, that there are already two Supreme Court

430
00:31:48,195 --> 00:31:51,475
Speaker 1: justices willing to hear a case that could repeal Sullivan,

431
00:31:52,235 --> 00:31:54,875
Speaker 1: Gorstch and Thomas, and all you need is two more

432
00:31:55,355 --> 00:31:59,515
Speaker 1: and Sullivan will be re litigated by an utterly compromised court,

433
00:31:59,835 --> 00:32:04,955
Speaker 1: a Supreme Court that is itself a constitutional crisis. Worse hill,

434
00:32:05,315 --> 00:32:08,475
Speaker 1: The Times peace concludes that the likeliest paintiff in such

435
00:32:08,475 --> 00:32:13,355
Speaker 1: a case would be Trump, that his frivolous lawsuits against

436
00:32:13,435 --> 00:32:17,675
Speaker 1: CNN and the ABC Stephanopoulos case about his quoting of

437
00:32:17,715 --> 00:32:20,755
Speaker 1: the word rape and the stupid CBS lawsuit about the

438
00:32:20,755 --> 00:32:23,835
Speaker 1: sixty minutes interview of Kamala Harris. Those are actually attempts

439
00:32:25,475 --> 00:32:29,675
Speaker 1: on Trump's behalf, or maybe by him, if he's sane

440
00:32:29,795 --> 00:32:32,555
Speaker 1: for an hour, to get one of his lawsuits in

441
00:32:32,595 --> 00:32:38,395
Speaker 1: front of his Supreme Court to overturn Sullivan, and again

442
00:32:39,075 --> 00:32:44,315
Speaker 1: not exactly being secretive about it. No stealth here. After

443
00:32:44,435 --> 00:32:47,435
Speaker 1: he lost his twenty twenty two defamation case against CNN,

444
00:32:47,755 --> 00:32:51,435
Speaker 1: Trump appealed last year, and his lawyers wrote, quote, Plaintiff

445
00:32:51,515 --> 00:32:55,555
Speaker 1: respectfully requests that the court revisit the actual malice standard

446
00:32:55,715 --> 00:33:01,595
Speaker 1: under New York Times v. Sullivan. New York Times v. Sullivan.

447
00:33:02,475 --> 00:33:05,195
Speaker 1: Maybe that means they're going to try to repeal New

448
00:33:05,275 --> 00:33:10,955
Speaker 1: York Times be Sullivan. No, it's not possible. If Sullivan disappeared,

449
00:33:11,955 --> 00:33:18,195
Speaker 1: How much of the already terrified American news media run

450
00:33:18,315 --> 00:33:24,755
Speaker 1: by shitthead billionaires would disappear with it? How shaky is

451
00:33:24,835 --> 00:33:28,595
Speaker 1: the ground on which Sullivan stands? Well, if you'd really

452
00:33:28,715 --> 00:33:31,795
Speaker 1: like to not sleep tonight. The Times notes that thirty

453
00:33:31,875 --> 00:33:34,155
Speaker 1: two years ago, an academic paper was written by an

454
00:33:34,155 --> 00:33:37,955
Speaker 1: assistant law professor at a Midwestern university which questioned the

455
00:33:38,075 --> 00:33:42,275
Speaker 1: broadness of Sullivan, which questioned, especially how much it limited

456
00:33:42,475 --> 00:33:46,915
Speaker 1: non governmental public figures from suing news outlets for damage,

457
00:33:48,115 --> 00:33:51,555
Speaker 1: how it could someday if left to its own devices,

458
00:33:51,915 --> 00:33:57,435
Speaker 1: tabloid eyes mainstream news, even though even thirty two years

459
00:33:57,475 --> 00:34:02,915
Speaker 1: ago that had long since happened. The assistant professor with

460
00:34:02,995 --> 00:34:06,035
Speaker 1: the nineteen ninety three doubts about Sullivan is still a

461
00:34:06,155 --> 00:34:10,315
Speaker 1: prominent legal figure in twenty twenty five. Her name is

462
00:34:12,555 --> 00:34:18,355
Speaker 1: Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. And unless she's changed her mind,

463
00:34:19,595 --> 00:34:28,395
Speaker 1: we're all in a boatload of trouble. Also of interest

464
00:34:28,435 --> 00:34:31,275
Speaker 1: here in speaking of which, Gavin Newsom embraces Charlie Kirk

465
00:34:31,395 --> 00:34:35,555
Speaker 1: and Stephen A. Smith. Sorry, that's President Stephen A. Smith.

466
00:34:36,035 --> 00:34:38,995
Speaker 1: Ask him he's reluctant to run, but ask him if

467
00:34:39,035 --> 00:34:43,995
Speaker 1: he's going to run and make the great sacrifice. Gavin

468
00:34:44,075 --> 00:34:48,715
Speaker 1: Newsom embraces Charlie Kirk and Stephen A. President Smith embraces

469
00:34:49,715 --> 00:34:53,955
Speaker 1: Candae Owens. And that sound you heard is not the

470
00:34:54,075 --> 00:34:58,715
Speaker 1: Overton window shifting. It's the Overton window being dropped by

471
00:34:58,755 --> 00:35:02,715
Speaker 1: the movers and shattering into a million pieces on the

472
00:35:02,875 --> 00:35:15,035
Speaker 1: effing floor. That's next. This is countdown. This is countdown,

473
00:35:15,275 --> 00:35:38,555
Speaker 1: with Keith Olberman still ahead on this edition of Countdown,

474
00:35:38,635 --> 00:35:42,875
Speaker 1: the newspaper The Columbus Dispatch notifies us that Thurber House,

475
00:35:43,395 --> 00:35:48,195
Speaker 1: the museum former Thurber family home, the literary nonprofit operation

476
00:35:48,315 --> 00:35:51,795
Speaker 1: supporting writers and perpetuating the work of America's most versatile

477
00:35:51,875 --> 00:35:55,875
Speaker 1: humorist and satirist, is in financial trouble needs two hundred

478
00:35:55,915 --> 00:35:58,075
Speaker 1: thousand to keep going, in large part because fewer and

479
00:35:58,155 --> 00:36:02,235
Speaker 1: fewer people know who James Thurber was. I have done

480
00:36:02,275 --> 00:36:04,395
Speaker 1: my best to keep him prominent. We had a brief

481
00:36:04,395 --> 00:36:06,835
Speaker 1: recive's urgents when I used to read his stories on TV.

482
00:36:07,635 --> 00:36:10,115
Speaker 1: But here I have failed him. I haven't done one

483
00:36:10,235 --> 00:36:13,635
Speaker 1: Thurber story since we switched to two podcasts a week.

484
00:36:14,075 --> 00:36:16,235
Speaker 1: So in hopes that you will help bring him front

485
00:36:16,315 --> 00:36:19,155
Speaker 1: of mind again, I will bring you today not just one,

486
00:36:19,195 --> 00:36:21,675
Speaker 1: but two Thurbers, and not just two Thurbers, but my

487
00:36:21,875 --> 00:36:25,875
Speaker 1: favorite Thurber and my late father's favorite Thurber story. Fitting

488
00:36:26,355 --> 00:36:28,715
Speaker 1: since this Thursday, it will have been fifteen years since

489
00:36:28,755 --> 00:36:31,115
Speaker 1: my father died, and I was reading it to him

490
00:36:31,195 --> 00:36:35,275
Speaker 1: when he died. Now, honestly, it went better than that.

491
00:36:35,475 --> 00:36:40,235
Speaker 1: Souths James Thurber forever first, believe it or not, There's

492
00:36:40,275 --> 00:36:43,155
Speaker 1: still more new idiots to talk about. The Roundup of

493
00:36:43,195 --> 00:36:46,595
Speaker 1: the miscrants, morons, and Dunning Kruger effects specimens who constitute

494
00:36:46,635 --> 00:36:51,875
Speaker 1: two Day's other worst persons in the world. And this

495
00:36:52,075 --> 00:36:55,395
Speaker 1: episode is dedicated to the new rule they are experimenting

496
00:36:55,435 --> 00:36:59,595
Speaker 1: with in baseball spring training, the automatic Balls and Strikes system,

497
00:36:59,915 --> 00:37:02,915
Speaker 1: in which a batter, catcher, or pitcher can appeal the

498
00:37:03,035 --> 00:37:06,715
Speaker 1: umpire's ball or strike call and you get a computerized

499
00:37:06,755 --> 00:37:10,035
Speaker 1: review in like fifteen seconds on the scoreboard. I like it.

500
00:37:10,155 --> 00:37:12,355
Speaker 1: It's terrific, but I think they may have to change

501
00:37:12,435 --> 00:37:16,075
Speaker 1: the name because it's already known by its acronym. It

502
00:37:16,275 --> 00:37:21,075
Speaker 1: is the ABS system, which, if you were mean spirited

503
00:37:21,675 --> 00:37:25,155
Speaker 1: and I am, you could alter your pronunciation of that

504
00:37:25,555 --> 00:37:32,395
Speaker 1: and simply call it a BS system. Fix the acronym anyway.

505
00:37:32,435 --> 00:37:36,155
Speaker 1: Here the nominees the Bronze Worse once again, Stephen A. Smith.

506
00:37:37,115 --> 00:37:41,035
Speaker 1: I hope he has learned that getting into politics means

507
00:37:41,075 --> 00:37:43,675
Speaker 1: more than putting your fingers to your lips pensively and

508
00:37:43,755 --> 00:37:47,475
Speaker 1: trying to look serious, but I don't think so. ESPN

509
00:37:47,595 --> 00:37:49,955
Speaker 1: is giving him, reportedly a five year, one hundred million

510
00:37:49,955 --> 00:37:52,275
Speaker 1: dollar new contract, and cool. I am all for the

511
00:37:52,355 --> 00:37:55,275
Speaker 1: talent having the money, and the owners not having the

512
00:37:55,315 --> 00:37:57,875
Speaker 1: money should have held out for one hundred and one million,

513
00:37:57,955 --> 00:38:01,115
Speaker 1: my friend. But part of this deal will allow Stephen

514
00:38:01,195 --> 00:38:05,435
Speaker 1: to talk even more politics in venues other than ESPN.

515
00:38:05,595 --> 00:38:08,315
Speaker 1: And I swear to you when I was at ESPN,

516
00:38:08,435 --> 00:38:11,475
Speaker 1: I insisted that I would not and should not be

517
00:38:11,555 --> 00:38:13,355
Speaker 1: allowed to do it. Nobody else should be allowed to

518
00:38:13,395 --> 00:38:16,995
Speaker 1: do politics in other venues while doing sports at ESPN.

519
00:38:17,355 --> 00:38:21,555
Speaker 1: Not don't, and I didn't. We did this at MSNBC

520
00:38:22,155 --> 00:38:25,875
Speaker 1: and on NBC Football Night in America years ago, ending

521
00:38:25,955 --> 00:38:29,075
Speaker 1: in two thousand and nine, twenty ten, And basically that

522
00:38:29,275 --> 00:38:31,795
Speaker 1: was the last time it didn't end in utter disaster.

523
00:38:32,395 --> 00:38:35,315
Speaker 1: Even before that, Rush Limbaugh tried it and it ended

524
00:38:35,355 --> 00:38:38,875
Speaker 1: in utter disaster. And it ended in utter disaster at ESPN.

525
00:38:39,955 --> 00:38:44,995
Speaker 1: This with Stephen a will end in tears, especially if

526
00:38:45,035 --> 00:38:48,795
Speaker 1: Steven lets himself get played like a two dollars banjo

527
00:38:49,035 --> 00:38:51,755
Speaker 1: every time he steps into the arena. This is him

528
00:38:51,835 --> 00:38:55,075
Speaker 1: about an interview guest on one of his podcasts quote,

529
00:38:55,435 --> 00:38:57,715
Speaker 1: and I'll spare you my impression of him. When that

530
00:38:57,915 --> 00:39:00,995
Speaker 1: young lady speaks, don't even think about challenging her intelligence.

531
00:39:01,035 --> 00:39:04,035
Speaker 1: Don't even think about challenging her ability to articulate her

532
00:39:04,075 --> 00:39:05,995
Speaker 1: point of view. You better know what the hell you're

533
00:39:06,035 --> 00:39:08,155
Speaker 1: talking about when you come at her. That's what I

534
00:39:08,235 --> 00:39:11,355
Speaker 1: take away just as much as anything else. You get

535
00:39:11,355 --> 00:39:13,915
Speaker 1: the idea that Stephen is paid by the word. I

536
00:39:13,995 --> 00:39:15,955
Speaker 1: can't wait until she and I sit face to face

537
00:39:16,035 --> 00:39:18,635
Speaker 1: one day and bolly back and forth about what we feel,

538
00:39:18,875 --> 00:39:21,835
Speaker 1: what we believe, what we stand for, and why. Because

539
00:39:21,875 --> 00:39:23,795
Speaker 1: I'm certainly different than her when it comes to some

540
00:39:23,915 --> 00:39:27,155
Speaker 1: political position She's taken and beyond, there is no doubt

541
00:39:27,195 --> 00:39:29,995
Speaker 1: about that. But I can't deny she's sharp as attack,

542
00:39:30,075 --> 00:39:31,875
Speaker 1: and you damn well better be if you're going to

543
00:39:31,915 --> 00:39:36,235
Speaker 1: come for her. Because ladies and gentlemen, this went on

544
00:39:36,315 --> 00:39:40,155
Speaker 1: for another seventeen days. Who is she is he talking about?

545
00:39:40,315 --> 00:39:44,675
Speaker 1: Who is the she in this equation? Candace Owens? Candace

546
00:39:44,755 --> 00:39:48,995
Speaker 1: Effing Owens, the woman that the fascist site The Daily

547
00:39:49,075 --> 00:39:52,355
Speaker 1: Wire fired because they said she was too anti Semitic

548
00:39:52,475 --> 00:39:56,915
Speaker 1: even for them. Candace Effing Owens, who ten years ago

549
00:39:57,075 --> 00:40:00,355
Speaker 1: was writing about quote the batshit crazy antics of the

550
00:40:00,395 --> 00:40:03,595
Speaker 1: Republican Tea Party, and then she discovered the real money

551
00:40:03,755 --> 00:40:08,435
Speaker 1: was being one off of the batshit crazy Republican Tea Party. Stephen,

552
00:40:08,955 --> 00:40:11,795
Speaker 1: if you want to cover politics or run for office,

553
00:40:11,955 --> 00:40:14,835
Speaker 1: pro tip, take some of that one hundred million dollars

554
00:40:15,115 --> 00:40:22,115
Speaker 1: and buy a guide dog the runner up or sir elong,

555
00:40:24,315 --> 00:40:26,875
Speaker 1: I'm just going to quote Politico about Musk. Here. Elon

556
00:40:26,955 --> 00:40:29,435
Speaker 1: Musk defended himself to a room full of House Republicans

557
00:40:29,755 --> 00:40:32,675
Speaker 1: saying that he can't bat a thousand all the time.

558
00:40:33,195 --> 00:40:35,795
Speaker 1: According to four people present for his remarks, Okay, I

559
00:40:35,875 --> 00:40:39,715
Speaker 1: realize Elon is an immigrant, possibly an immigrant who gained

560
00:40:39,715 --> 00:40:41,395
Speaker 1: the system and the laws and has no right to

561
00:40:41,475 --> 00:40:45,155
Speaker 1: be here. I don't know, and he probably was impaired

562
00:40:45,235 --> 00:40:48,435
Speaker 1: when he said that, so he doesn't exactly get you know,

563
00:40:48,635 --> 00:40:53,835
Speaker 1: America or American things like baseball. But let me revisit

564
00:40:53,915 --> 00:40:56,195
Speaker 1: that one phrase in there where he said he quote

565
00:40:56,235 --> 00:40:59,715
Speaker 1: can't bat a thousand all the time. In point of fact,

566
00:40:59,795 --> 00:41:03,315
Speaker 1: to bat a thousand, to have a baseball batting average

567
00:41:03,395 --> 00:41:06,955
Speaker 1: of a thousand that is one point zero zero zero.

568
00:41:07,315 --> 00:41:11,355
Speaker 1: That means you are batting one thousand all the time.

569
00:41:11,795 --> 00:41:15,035
Speaker 1: It means you did not make any outs, no mistakes,

570
00:41:15,155 --> 00:41:19,275
Speaker 1: nothing but hits. There are no degrees of batting a thousand.

571
00:41:19,755 --> 00:41:21,875
Speaker 1: If you don't bat a thousand all the time, you

572
00:41:21,995 --> 00:41:26,395
Speaker 1: are instead batting nine eighty nine or something. Because the

573
00:41:26,515 --> 00:41:30,955
Speaker 1: world divides into just two categories e long batting one

574
00:41:30,995 --> 00:41:35,795
Speaker 1: thousand and not batting a thousand and guess which category

575
00:41:35,915 --> 00:41:40,395
Speaker 1: you fall into, you torp. Also, Elon is not batting

576
00:41:40,475 --> 00:41:42,955
Speaker 1: nine eighty nine or something. He's batting about ninety one.

577
00:41:44,315 --> 00:41:47,075
Speaker 1: But our winner the worst the Prime Minister of New Zealand,

578
00:41:47,515 --> 00:41:53,035
Speaker 1: Christopher Luxon. Now New Zealand used to have a thoughtful, brilliant, brave, humane,

579
00:41:53,675 --> 00:41:58,715
Speaker 1: though sometimes unintelligible because of that accent, prime minister named

580
00:41:58,755 --> 00:42:02,875
Speaker 1: Jacinda Ardern. Now it has a bald right winger named Luxon.

581
00:42:04,235 --> 00:42:07,555
Speaker 1: New z Willand's senior envoy to the United Kingdom, former

582
00:42:07,595 --> 00:42:10,275
Speaker 1: head of their Labor Party, Phil Goff, got up an

583
00:42:10,355 --> 00:42:13,835
Speaker 1: event in London after Trump started his war crimes against

584
00:42:13,875 --> 00:42:17,515
Speaker 1: Zelenski and Ukraine, and mister Goff compared what Trump did

585
00:42:17,915 --> 00:42:20,595
Speaker 1: to what the British government and Prime Minister Nevil Chamberlain

586
00:42:20,635 --> 00:42:24,995
Speaker 1: and the then outsider Winston Churchill did after Chamberlain sold

587
00:42:25,035 --> 00:42:28,755
Speaker 1: out Czechoslovakia to Hitler at Munich in nineteen thirty eight.

588
00:42:29,395 --> 00:42:33,035
Speaker 1: Mister Goff said, quote, President Trump has restored the bust

589
00:42:33,115 --> 00:42:35,595
Speaker 1: of Churchill to the Oval Office, but do you think

590
00:42:35,635 --> 00:42:40,115
Speaker 1: he really understands history Goff then quoted Churchill to Chamberlain

591
00:42:40,195 --> 00:42:44,715
Speaker 1: and his government in Parliament after the infamous war starting

592
00:42:44,875 --> 00:42:48,635
Speaker 1: betrayal of Czechoslovakia, quote, you had the choice between war

593
00:42:48,835 --> 00:42:53,155
Speaker 1: and dishonor you chose dishonor yet you will have war.

594
00:42:54,355 --> 00:42:57,875
Speaker 1: New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, who turns eighty next

595
00:42:57,955 --> 00:43:01,595
Speaker 1: month and is the head of New Zealand, first immediately

596
00:43:01,755 --> 00:43:05,515
Speaker 1: fired mister Goff. His Prime Minister Luxem, who he did

597
00:43:05,555 --> 00:43:08,755
Speaker 1: not inform of the firing, backed him up. Why did

598
00:43:08,795 --> 00:43:12,235
Speaker 1: they fire Golf because diplomats are supposed to talk diplomatically.

599
00:43:15,195 --> 00:43:18,075
Speaker 1: It sounds like mister Luxan could be running the Democratic

600
00:43:18,155 --> 00:43:21,395
Speaker 1: Party in this country anyway. Before he became Prime Minister

601
00:43:21,475 --> 00:43:26,635
Speaker 1: of New Zealand, Luxon was on the Unilever Company executive ladder,

602
00:43:26,835 --> 00:43:29,835
Speaker 1: where he rose to the position of swear. I swear

603
00:43:29,915 --> 00:43:33,995
Speaker 1: this is true. He was director of the global deodorance

604
00:43:34,155 --> 00:43:39,035
Speaker 1: and grooming category. All right, which part of that sounds

605
00:43:39,115 --> 00:43:41,875
Speaker 1: the most embarrassing? And what do you do for the

606
00:43:41,995 --> 00:43:45,595
Speaker 1: company here? I'm in charge of grooming. What do you

607
00:43:45,715 --> 00:43:49,035
Speaker 1: do for the company here? I'm in charge of global deodorance.

608
00:43:51,395 --> 00:43:54,635
Speaker 1: All the deodorans in the world I know that's more

609
00:43:54,675 --> 00:43:57,995
Speaker 1: of an Australian accent. I apologize New Zealand. Now this

610
00:43:58,195 --> 00:44:02,835
Speaker 1: is bad enough. GoF is quoting Winston Churchill, is pointing

611
00:44:02,835 --> 00:44:05,355
Speaker 1: out reality and is doing what real political leaders they

612
00:44:05,355 --> 00:44:07,915
Speaker 1: are supposed to do, giving a middle finger to desk

613
00:44:07,915 --> 00:44:12,155
Speaker 1: spots like Donald Trump. And they fired him for making

614
00:44:12,355 --> 00:44:17,235
Speaker 1: New zealand diplomatic efforts look bad in England. But just

615
00:44:17,315 --> 00:44:19,155
Speaker 1: to add to this, he was fired for doing what

616
00:44:19,395 --> 00:44:22,755
Speaker 1: I did after the Trump ambush of Zelenski quoting Winston

617
00:44:22,835 --> 00:44:24,875
Speaker 1: Churchill and you had the choice between war and dishonor

618
00:44:24,955 --> 00:44:27,395
Speaker 1: you chose dishonor yet you will have war. So I'm

619
00:44:27,435 --> 00:44:32,715
Speaker 1: taking this personally. Bro New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher, you

620
00:44:32,875 --> 00:44:37,315
Speaker 1: need more global deodorance because your spit does two stink

621
00:44:38,075 --> 00:44:57,595
Speaker 1: lux on two days. Other worst person and Lord, as

622
00:44:57,635 --> 00:45:00,675
Speaker 1: I've mentioned many times, I read this story first aloud

623
00:45:00,795 --> 00:45:03,595
Speaker 1: in a class in college in nineteen seventy nine, and

624
00:45:03,635 --> 00:45:05,155
Speaker 1: a friend of mine came up to me and said,

625
00:45:05,155 --> 00:45:08,275
Speaker 1: you should forget that sportscasting thing. You should read Thurber

626
00:45:08,355 --> 00:45:11,315
Speaker 1: for a living, and I said, yeah, that'll ever happen.

627
00:45:12,595 --> 00:45:17,275
Speaker 1: This is, for some reason salvation for me. Catharsis, and

628
00:45:17,595 --> 00:45:20,315
Speaker 1: every other emotion that is appropriate after it has been

629
00:45:20,995 --> 00:45:27,955
Speaker 1: a long week. A Box to Hide In by James Thurber.

630
00:45:30,555 --> 00:45:34,875
Speaker 1: I waited till the large woman with the awful hat

631
00:45:35,795 --> 00:45:39,835
Speaker 1: took up her sack of groceries and went out, peering

632
00:45:40,235 --> 00:45:43,955
Speaker 1: at the tomatoes and the lettuce on her way. The

633
00:45:44,075 --> 00:45:48,315
Speaker 1: clerk asked me what mine was. Have you got a box,

634
00:45:48,795 --> 00:45:52,315
Speaker 1: I asked, A large box. I want a box to

635
00:45:53,115 --> 00:45:58,435
Speaker 1: hide in. You want a box, he asked, I want

636
00:45:58,475 --> 00:46:01,035
Speaker 1: a box to hide in. I said, what do you mean?

637
00:46:01,355 --> 00:46:04,315
Speaker 1: He said, you mean a big box. I said, I

638
00:46:04,435 --> 00:46:07,355
Speaker 1: meant a big box, big enough to hold me. I

639
00:46:07,435 --> 00:46:10,795
Speaker 1: haven't got any boxes, he said, only cottons that cans

640
00:46:10,875 --> 00:46:15,395
Speaker 1: come in. I tried several other groceries, and none of

641
00:46:15,475 --> 00:46:17,515
Speaker 1: them had a box big enough for me to hide in.

642
00:46:18,715 --> 00:46:21,875
Speaker 1: There was nothing for it but to face life out.

643
00:46:23,435 --> 00:46:26,915
Speaker 1: I didn't feel strong, and I'd had this overpowering desire

644
00:46:27,035 --> 00:46:33,155
Speaker 1: to hide in a box for a long time. Well,

645
00:46:33,275 --> 00:46:34,915
Speaker 1: what do you mean you want to hide in this box?

646
00:46:35,435 --> 00:46:40,235
Speaker 1: One grocer asked me. It's a form of escape. I

647
00:46:40,355 --> 00:46:44,595
Speaker 1: told him, hiding in a box. It circumscribes your worries

648
00:46:44,795 --> 00:46:49,355
Speaker 1: in the range of your anguish. You don't see people either.

649
00:46:50,635 --> 00:46:52,475
Speaker 1: How the hell do you eat when you're in this box,

650
00:46:52,995 --> 00:46:54,595
Speaker 1: asked the grocer. How don't the hell do you get

651
00:46:54,595 --> 00:46:57,875
Speaker 1: anything to eat? I said I had never been in

652
00:46:57,955 --> 00:47:00,035
Speaker 1: a box and didn't know, but that that would take

653
00:47:00,115 --> 00:47:03,995
Speaker 1: care of itself. Well, he said, finally, I haven't got

654
00:47:04,035 --> 00:47:07,715
Speaker 1: any boxes, only some pasteboard curtains that cans come in.

655
00:47:09,555 --> 00:47:13,515
Speaker 1: It was the same every place. I gave up when

656
00:47:13,515 --> 00:47:16,595
Speaker 1: it got dark and the groceries closed, and hid in

657
00:47:16,715 --> 00:47:19,875
Speaker 1: my room again. I turned out the light and lay

658
00:47:19,955 --> 00:47:23,235
Speaker 1: on the bed. You feel better when it gets dark.

659
00:47:24,555 --> 00:47:26,755
Speaker 1: I could have hit in a closet, I suppose, but

660
00:47:26,955 --> 00:47:32,315
Speaker 1: people are always opening doors. Somebody would find you in

661
00:47:32,395 --> 00:47:35,435
Speaker 1: a closet. They would be startled, and you'd have to

662
00:47:35,475 --> 00:47:38,915
Speaker 1: tell them why you're in the closet. Nobody pays attention

663
00:47:39,035 --> 00:47:41,955
Speaker 1: to a big box lying on the floor. You could

664
00:47:42,035 --> 00:47:46,395
Speaker 1: stay in it for days and nobody'd think to look

665
00:47:46,715 --> 00:47:53,515
Speaker 1: in it, not even the cleaning woman. My cleaning woman

666
00:47:53,635 --> 00:47:55,875
Speaker 1: came the next morning and woke me up, and I

667
00:47:56,035 --> 00:47:58,995
Speaker 1: was still feeling bad. I asked her if she knew

668
00:47:59,035 --> 00:48:01,955
Speaker 1: where I could get a large box. How big a

669
00:48:02,075 --> 00:48:05,915
Speaker 1: box you want? She asked, I want a box big

670
00:48:06,035 --> 00:48:09,155
Speaker 1: enough for me to get inside of, I said. She

671
00:48:09,315 --> 00:48:13,795
Speaker 1: looked at me with big dim eyes. There's something wrong

672
00:48:13,835 --> 00:48:17,915
Speaker 1: with her glands. She's awful, but she has a big heart,

673
00:48:17,995 --> 00:48:22,515
Speaker 1: which makes it worse. She's unbearable. Her husband is sick,

674
00:48:22,635 --> 00:48:25,075
Speaker 1: and her children are sick, and she is sick too.

675
00:48:25,515 --> 00:48:27,235
Speaker 1: I got to thinking how pleasant it would be if

676
00:48:27,235 --> 00:48:29,195
Speaker 1: I were in a box now and didn't have to

677
00:48:29,355 --> 00:48:31,315
Speaker 1: see her. I'd be in a box right there in

678
00:48:31,355 --> 00:48:33,555
Speaker 1: the room, and she wouldn't know. I wondered, if you

679
00:48:33,635 --> 00:48:37,515
Speaker 1: had a desire to bark or laugh when someone who

680
00:48:37,595 --> 00:48:42,795
Speaker 1: doesn't know walks by the box you were in, maybe

681
00:48:42,915 --> 00:48:44,955
Speaker 1: she would have a spell with her heart. If I

682
00:48:45,115 --> 00:48:49,435
Speaker 1: did that would die right there. The officers and the

683
00:48:49,515 --> 00:48:53,555
Speaker 1: elevator man and mister Grammage would find us funny. Dog gone,

684
00:48:53,635 --> 00:48:56,475
Speaker 1: thing happened at the building last night. The doorman would

685
00:48:56,475 --> 00:48:58,355
Speaker 1: say to his wife, I led in this woman to

686
00:48:58,435 --> 00:49:00,315
Speaker 1: clean up ten f and she never come out. See

687
00:49:00,875 --> 00:49:02,555
Speaker 1: she's never in there more in an hour, but she

688
00:49:02,675 --> 00:49:05,475
Speaker 1: never come out. See when got time for me to

689
00:49:05,555 --> 00:49:07,395
Speaker 1: go off duty? Why, I says to Credic, who was

690
00:49:07,435 --> 00:49:09,435
Speaker 1: on the elevator, I says, what the hell you suppose

691
00:49:09,475 --> 00:49:12,795
Speaker 1: happened to that woman cleans tenf. He says he didn't know.

692
00:49:13,315 --> 00:49:15,195
Speaker 1: He says he never seen her after he took her up.

693
00:49:15,675 --> 00:49:18,835
Speaker 1: So I spoke to mister Grammage about it. I'm sorry

694
00:49:18,955 --> 00:49:21,915
Speaker 1: to bother you, mister Grammage, I says, but there's something

695
00:49:21,955 --> 00:49:25,515
Speaker 1: funny about that woman cleans tenf. So I told him

696
00:49:25,875 --> 00:49:27,435
Speaker 1: so he said we better have a look, and we

697
00:49:27,515 --> 00:49:29,435
Speaker 1: all three goes up and knuts on the door and

698
00:49:29,515 --> 00:49:32,675
Speaker 1: rings the bells, seeing nobody answers, so he said we'd

699
00:49:32,715 --> 00:49:34,635
Speaker 1: have to walk in. So Crenic opened the door and

700
00:49:34,715 --> 00:49:38,235
Speaker 1: we walked in and here was this woman cleans the apartment,

701
00:49:38,995 --> 00:49:43,675
Speaker 1: dead as a herring on the floor, and the gentleman

702
00:49:43,755 --> 00:49:50,795
Speaker 1: that lives there was in a box. The cleaning woman

703
00:49:50,915 --> 00:49:53,995
Speaker 1: kept looking at me. It was hard to realize she

704
00:49:54,315 --> 00:50:01,635
Speaker 1: wasn't dead. It's a form of escape, I murmured, wat say.

705
00:50:02,795 --> 00:50:07,515
Speaker 1: She asked, Dully, you don't know of any large packing boxes,

706
00:50:07,555 --> 00:50:13,555
Speaker 1: do you? I asked, now, I don't. She said, I

707
00:50:13,635 --> 00:50:17,075
Speaker 1: haven't found one yet, But I still have this overpowering

708
00:50:17,315 --> 00:50:22,035
Speaker 1: urge to hide in a box. Maybe it will go away,

709
00:50:23,035 --> 00:50:26,675
Speaker 1: maybe I'll be all right, Maybe it will get worse.

710
00:50:28,315 --> 00:50:34,595
Speaker 1: It's hard to say. A Box to Hide In by

711
00:50:34,755 --> 00:50:40,675
Speaker 1: James Thurber, and I don't know when I went to

712
00:50:40,875 --> 00:50:45,155
Speaker 1: Sullivan became my father's favorite Thurber story. I suspect it

713
00:50:45,315 --> 00:50:47,395
Speaker 1: was in the hospital when I was reading to him

714
00:50:47,435 --> 00:50:49,635
Speaker 1: in the last six months of his life. I know

715
00:50:49,755 --> 00:50:51,875
Speaker 1: I read it to him at least half a dozen times,

716
00:50:51,955 --> 00:50:56,115
Speaker 1: the first five by his request. The last time he

717
00:50:56,555 --> 00:50:58,795
Speaker 1: did not request it, in fact, and this is the

718
00:50:58,875 --> 00:51:02,355
Speaker 1: most perverse kind of compliment I think any restriter has

719
00:51:02,435 --> 00:51:06,315
Speaker 1: ever received. I read this story to him. It was

720
00:51:06,395 --> 00:51:08,475
Speaker 1: the last thing that I read to him. In fact,

721
00:51:08,515 --> 00:51:10,475
Speaker 1: it was the last thing he did on earth, was

722
00:51:10,515 --> 00:51:14,235
Speaker 1: to listen to this story in a state of semi consciousness.

723
00:51:15,715 --> 00:51:17,915
Speaker 1: He waited till the end of it. He took one deep,

724
00:51:18,075 --> 00:51:23,155
Speaker 1: satisfied breath, and he died. I don't recommend this, but

725
00:51:23,275 --> 00:51:25,435
Speaker 1: I think it does speak to the quality of the writing.

726
00:51:26,155 --> 00:51:31,995
Speaker 1: I went to Sullivant by James Thurber. I was reminded

727
00:51:32,035 --> 00:51:34,395
Speaker 1: the other morning by what I don't remember, and it

728
00:51:34,475 --> 00:51:37,675
Speaker 1: doesn't matter, of a crisp September morning last year when

729
00:51:37,715 --> 00:51:40,155
Speaker 1: I went to the Grand Central to see a little

730
00:51:40,195 --> 00:51:43,315
Speaker 1: boy of ten get excitedly on a special coach that

731
00:51:43,475 --> 00:51:46,595
Speaker 1: was to take him to a boys' school somewhere north

732
00:51:46,635 --> 00:51:49,675
Speaker 1: of Boston. He had never been away to school before.

733
00:51:50,475 --> 00:51:54,115
Speaker 1: The coach was squirming with youngsters. You could tell after

734
00:51:54,195 --> 00:51:57,995
Speaker 1: a while the novitiates shining and tremulous and a little

735
00:51:58,035 --> 00:52:01,155
Speaker 1: awed from the more aloof boys who had been away

736
00:52:01,195 --> 00:52:05,355
Speaker 1: to school before. But they were very much alike at glance.

737
00:52:06,315 --> 00:52:08,355
Speaker 1: There was for me, in case you thought I was

738
00:52:08,435 --> 00:52:12,115
Speaker 1: leading up to that, no sharp feeling of old lost

739
00:52:12,275 --> 00:52:15,555
Speaker 1: years in the tense atmosphere of that coach. Because I

740
00:52:15,715 --> 00:52:17,395
Speaker 1: never went away to a private school when I was

741
00:52:17,435 --> 00:52:21,555
Speaker 1: a little boy. I went to Sullivant School in Columbus.

742
00:52:22,435 --> 00:52:24,395
Speaker 1: I thought about it as I walked back to my hotel.

743
00:52:25,515 --> 00:52:28,795
Speaker 1: Sullivant was an ordinary public school, and yet it was

744
00:52:28,915 --> 00:52:32,395
Speaker 1: not like any other I have ever known of. In

745
00:52:32,515 --> 00:52:35,875
Speaker 1: seeking an adjective to describe the Sullivant School of my

746
00:52:36,035 --> 00:52:38,915
Speaker 1: years nineteen hundred and nineteen hundred and eight, I can

747
00:52:39,035 --> 00:52:45,355
Speaker 1: only think of tough. Sullivant School was tough. The boys

748
00:52:45,435 --> 00:52:48,395
Speaker 1: of Sullivant came mostly from the region around Central Market,

749
00:52:48,515 --> 00:52:52,155
Speaker 1: a poorish district with many families of the laboring class.

750
00:52:53,035 --> 00:52:55,395
Speaker 1: The school district also included a number of homes of

751
00:52:55,435 --> 00:52:57,595
Speaker 1: the upper classes, because at the turn of the century

752
00:52:57,915 --> 00:53:01,435
Speaker 1: one or two old residential streets still lingered near the

753
00:53:01,555 --> 00:53:04,915
Speaker 1: shouting and rumbling of the market, reluctant to surrender under

754
00:53:04,915 --> 00:53:07,835
Speaker 1: their fine old houses to the encroaching rabble of commerce,

755
00:53:07,915 --> 00:53:12,395
Speaker 1: and become as a last. They now have more vulgar

756
00:53:12,755 --> 00:53:17,995
Speaker 1: business streets. I remember always first of all, the Celibant

757
00:53:18,155 --> 00:53:22,115
Speaker 1: baseball team. Most grammar school baseball teams are made up

758
00:53:22,155 --> 00:53:24,035
Speaker 1: of boys in the seventh and eighth grades, or they

759
00:53:24,075 --> 00:53:26,915
Speaker 1: were in my day, But with Sulibant it was different.

760
00:53:27,515 --> 00:53:30,275
Speaker 1: Several of its best players were in the fourth grade,

761
00:53:30,755 --> 00:53:34,035
Speaker 1: known to the teachers of the school as the terrible fourth.

762
00:53:35,075 --> 00:53:42,795
Speaker 1: In that grade you first encountered fractions and long division,

763
00:53:43,675 --> 00:53:49,475
Speaker 1: and many pupils lodged there for years, like logs in

764
00:53:49,595 --> 00:53:53,395
Speaker 1: a brook. Some of the more able baseball players have

765
00:53:53,475 --> 00:53:57,955
Speaker 1: been in the fourth grade for seven or eight years. Then, too,

766
00:53:58,035 --> 00:54:00,355
Speaker 1: there were a number of boys who had not been

767
00:54:00,435 --> 00:54:02,835
Speaker 1: in the class past the normal time, but were nevertheless

768
00:54:02,915 --> 00:54:07,275
Speaker 1: deep into their teams. They had avoided starting to school

769
00:54:07,715 --> 00:54:10,755
Speaker 1: by eluding the truant officer until they were ready to

770
00:54:10,835 --> 00:54:13,475
Speaker 1: go into long pants, but he always got them in

771
00:54:13,515 --> 00:54:16,555
Speaker 1: the end. One or two of these fourth graders were

772
00:54:16,635 --> 00:54:20,355
Speaker 1: seventeen or eighteen years old, but the dean of the

773
00:54:20,435 --> 00:54:24,195
Speaker 1: squad was a tall, husky young man of twenty two

774
00:54:24,995 --> 00:54:27,835
Speaker 1: who was in the fifth grade. The teachers of the

775
00:54:27,915 --> 00:54:29,995
Speaker 1: third and fourth had got tired of having him around

776
00:54:30,075 --> 00:54:32,195
Speaker 1: as the years rolled along and had pushed him on.

777
00:54:33,395 --> 00:54:36,875
Speaker 1: His name was Dana Wayeney, and he had a mustache.

778
00:54:38,715 --> 00:54:41,155
Speaker 1: Don't ask me why his parents allowed him to stay

779
00:54:41,195 --> 00:54:44,315
Speaker 1: in school so long. There were many mysteries at Sullivans

780
00:54:44,515 --> 00:54:47,035
Speaker 1: that were never cleared up. All I know is why

781
00:54:47,195 --> 00:54:49,995
Speaker 1: he kept on in school and didn't go to work.

782
00:54:50,795 --> 00:54:54,235
Speaker 1: He liked playing on the baseball team, and he had

783
00:54:54,275 --> 00:54:56,755
Speaker 1: a pretty easy time in class because the teachers had

784
00:54:56,795 --> 00:55:00,115
Speaker 1: given up asking him any questions at all years before.

785
00:55:01,595 --> 00:55:04,195
Speaker 1: The story was that he had answered but one question

786
00:55:04,315 --> 00:55:06,875
Speaker 1: in the seventeen years he had been going to classes

787
00:55:06,875 --> 00:55:10,635
Speaker 1: at Sullivant, and that was what is one use of

788
00:55:10,835 --> 00:55:17,115
Speaker 1: the comma? The kami, said Dana, embarrassedly, unsnarling his long

789
00:55:17,275 --> 00:55:19,875
Speaker 1: legs from beneath a desk much too low for him,

790
00:55:20,395 --> 00:55:24,355
Speaker 1: is used to shoot marbles with. Kami's was our word

791
00:55:24,435 --> 00:55:27,395
Speaker 1: for those cheap ten percent marbles in case, it wasn't yours.

792
00:55:28,875 --> 00:55:32,235
Speaker 1: The Sullivant School baseball team of nineteen hundred and five

793
00:55:32,875 --> 00:55:35,955
Speaker 1: defeated several high school teams in the city and claimed

794
00:55:35,995 --> 00:55:38,355
Speaker 1: the high school championship of the state, to which title

795
00:55:38,435 --> 00:55:41,995
Speaker 1: it had, of course, no technical right. I believe the

796
00:55:42,075 --> 00:55:45,395
Speaker 1: boys could have proved their moral right to the championship, however,

797
00:55:45,755 --> 00:55:47,595
Speaker 1: if they had been allowed to go out of town

798
00:55:47,795 --> 00:55:50,635
Speaker 1: and play all the teams they challenged, such as the

799
00:55:50,715 --> 00:55:54,595
Speaker 1: powerful Dayton and Toledo Nines. But their road season was

800
00:55:54,675 --> 00:55:58,795
Speaker 1: called off after a terrific fight that occurred during one

801
00:55:58,875 --> 00:56:04,955
Speaker 1: game at Mount Stirling or Picquah or Zenia, I can't

802
00:56:04,955 --> 00:56:09,595
Speaker 1: remember which. Our first baseman, Dana Whaney, crowned the umpire

803
00:56:09,675 --> 00:56:12,915
Speaker 1: with a bat during an altercation overcalled strike and the

804
00:56:12,995 --> 00:56:16,075
Speaker 1: fight was on. It took place in the fourth inning,

805
00:56:16,115 --> 00:56:18,355
Speaker 1: so of course the game was never finished. The battle

806
00:56:18,475 --> 00:56:21,075
Speaker 1: continued on down into the business section of the town

807
00:56:21,235 --> 00:56:25,035
Speaker 1: and raged for hours, with much destruction of property. But

808
00:56:25,275 --> 00:56:28,475
Speaker 1: since Sullivan was ahead of the time seventeen to nothing,

809
00:56:29,115 --> 00:56:31,195
Speaker 1: there could have been no doubt as to the outcome.

810
00:56:32,635 --> 00:56:36,155
Speaker 1: Nobody was killed. All of us boys were sure our

811
00:56:36,235 --> 00:56:39,235
Speaker 1: team could have beaten Ohio State university that year, but

812
00:56:39,275 --> 00:56:44,435
Speaker 1: they wouldn't play us. They were scared. Wayney was by

813
00:56:44,515 --> 00:56:46,995
Speaker 1: no means the biggest or toughest guy on the Grammar

814
00:56:47,035 --> 00:56:49,555
Speaker 1: School team. He was merely the oldest, being about a

815
00:56:49,715 --> 00:56:53,875
Speaker 1: year the senior of Floyd, the center fielder who could

816
00:56:53,955 --> 00:56:56,115
Speaker 1: jump five feet straight into the air without taking a

817
00:56:56,195 --> 00:57:00,835
Speaker 1: running start. Nobody knew, not even the Board of Education,

818
00:57:00,955 --> 00:57:05,195
Speaker 1: which once tried to find out whether Floyd was Floyd's

819
00:57:05,675 --> 00:57:11,115
Speaker 1: first name or his last name. He apparently only had one.

820
00:57:12,395 --> 00:57:15,515
Speaker 1: He didn't have any parents, and nobody, including himself, seemed

821
00:57:15,555 --> 00:57:18,755
Speaker 1: to know where he lived. When teachers insisted that he

822
00:57:18,875 --> 00:57:20,795
Speaker 1: must have another name to go with Floyd, he would

823
00:57:20,795 --> 00:57:25,115
Speaker 1: grow sullen and ominous, and they would cease questioning him

824
00:57:25,155 --> 00:57:28,915
Speaker 1: because he was a dangerous scholar in his schoolroom brawl,

825
00:57:29,035 --> 00:57:31,715
Speaker 1: as mister Harrigan, the janitor found out one morning when

826
00:57:31,755 --> 00:57:35,275
Speaker 1: he was called in by a screaming teacher. All our

827
00:57:35,395 --> 00:57:39,115
Speaker 1: teachers were women to get Floyd under control. After she

828
00:57:39,275 --> 00:57:42,395
Speaker 1: had tried to whip him and he had begun to

829
00:57:42,635 --> 00:57:48,155
Speaker 1: take the room apart, beginning with the desks. Floyd broke

830
00:57:48,195 --> 00:57:50,955
Speaker 1: into small pieces the switch she had used on him.

831
00:57:51,595 --> 00:57:55,035
Speaker 1: Some said he also ate it. I don't know, because

832
00:57:55,035 --> 00:57:57,235
Speaker 1: I was home sick of the time with mumps or something.

833
00:57:58,275 --> 00:58:02,115
Speaker 1: Harrigan was a burly, iron muscle janitor, a man come

834
00:58:02,155 --> 00:58:04,995
Speaker 1: from a long line of coal shovelers, but he was

835
00:58:05,075 --> 00:58:07,475
Speaker 1: no match for Floyd, who had to be sure the

836
00:58:07,515 --> 00:58:10,995
Speaker 1: considerable advantage of being more aroused than mister Harrigan. When

837
00:58:11,035 --> 00:58:14,355
Speaker 1: their fight started, Floyd had him down and was sitting

838
00:58:14,395 --> 00:58:16,395
Speaker 1: on his chest in no time, and Harrigan had to

839
00:58:16,435 --> 00:58:18,795
Speaker 1: promise to be good and to say that's what I

840
00:58:18,915 --> 00:58:24,275
Speaker 1: get ten times before Floyd would let him up. I

841
00:58:24,395 --> 00:58:27,555
Speaker 1: don't suppose I would ever have got through Sullivant School

842
00:58:27,595 --> 00:58:31,275
Speaker 1: alive if it hadn't been for Floyd. For some reason,

843
00:58:31,395 --> 00:58:35,555
Speaker 1: he appointed himself my protector, and I needed one. If

844
00:58:35,635 --> 00:58:38,155
Speaker 1: Floyd was known to be on your side, nobody in

845
00:58:38,235 --> 00:58:41,435
Speaker 1: the school would dare be after you and chase you home.

846
00:58:41,995 --> 00:58:44,235
Speaker 1: I was one of the ten or fifteen male pupils

847
00:58:44,315 --> 00:58:48,715
Speaker 1: in Sullivant School who always or almost always knew their lessons,

848
00:58:49,235 --> 00:58:52,115
Speaker 1: and I believe Floyd admired the mental prowess of a

849
00:58:52,195 --> 00:58:55,675
Speaker 1: youngster who knew how many continents there were and whether

850
00:58:55,795 --> 00:58:59,955
Speaker 1: or not the sun was inhabited Also, one time, when

851
00:58:59,995 --> 00:59:02,555
Speaker 1: it came to be my turn to read to the class.

852
00:59:02,595 --> 00:59:06,235
Speaker 1: We used to take turns reading American history aloud. I

853
00:59:06,355 --> 00:59:10,035
Speaker 1: came across the word ducane and knew how to pronounce it.

854
00:59:10,955 --> 00:59:15,275
Speaker 1: That charmed Floyd, who had been slouched in his seat

855
00:59:15,355 --> 00:59:18,755
Speaker 1: idly following the printed page of his worn and penciled textbook.

856
00:59:19,875 --> 00:59:22,995
Speaker 1: How you know that was ducane, boy, he asked me

857
00:59:23,115 --> 00:59:26,795
Speaker 1: after class. I don't know, I said, I just knew it.

858
00:59:27,795 --> 00:59:30,995
Speaker 1: He looked at me with round eyes. Oh that's something

859
00:59:31,195 --> 00:59:34,395
Speaker 1: he said. After that word got around that Floyd would

860
00:59:34,395 --> 00:59:36,795
Speaker 1: beat the tar out of anybody that messed around with me.

861
00:59:38,075 --> 00:59:40,155
Speaker 1: I wore glasses from the time I was eight, and

862
00:59:40,275 --> 00:59:42,395
Speaker 1: I knew my lessons, and both of those things were

863
00:59:42,435 --> 00:59:47,595
Speaker 1: considered pretty terrible at Sullivan. Floyd had one idiosyncrasy, though.

864
00:59:47,915 --> 00:59:51,715
Speaker 1: In the early nineteen hundreds, long, warm, furry gloves that

865
00:59:51,795 --> 00:59:55,475
Speaker 1: came almost to your elbows were popular with boys, and

866
00:59:55,675 --> 00:59:59,115
Speaker 1: Floyd had one of the biggest pears in school. He

867
00:59:59,315 --> 01:00:04,075
Speaker 1: wore them the year round. Dick Peterson was an either

868
01:00:04,315 --> 01:00:06,475
Speaker 1: greater figure on the baseball team and in the school

869
01:00:06,515 --> 01:00:09,075
Speaker 1: than Floyd was. He had a way in the classroom

870
01:00:09,115 --> 01:00:17,355
Speaker 1: of blurting out a long, deep, rolling be for no

871
01:00:17,595 --> 01:00:21,795
Speaker 1: reason at all. Once he licked three boys his own size,

872
01:00:21,875 --> 01:00:25,235
Speaker 1: single handed, really single handed, for he fought with his

873
01:00:25,395 --> 01:00:28,515
Speaker 1: right hand and held a mandolin in his left hand

874
01:00:28,555 --> 01:00:33,635
Speaker 1: all the time. It came out uninjured. Dick and Floyd

875
01:00:33,875 --> 01:00:36,635
Speaker 1: never met in mortal combats, so nobody ever knew which

876
01:00:36,675 --> 01:00:40,275
Speaker 1: one could beat, and the scholars were about evenly divided

877
01:00:40,315 --> 01:00:43,835
Speaker 1: in their opinions. Many a fight started among them after

878
01:00:43,915 --> 01:00:47,115
Speaker 1: school when the argument came up. I think school never

879
01:00:47,235 --> 01:00:50,635
Speaker 1: let out at Sullivan without at least one fight starting up,

880
01:00:50,675 --> 01:00:52,515
Speaker 1: and sometimes there were as many as five or six

881
01:00:52,675 --> 01:00:55,195
Speaker 1: raging between the corner of Oak and sixth Streets and

882
01:00:55,275 --> 01:00:58,035
Speaker 1: the corner of Rich and Fourth Streets, four blocks away.

883
01:00:59,955 --> 01:01:02,795
Speaker 1: Now and again, virtually the whole school turned out to

884
01:01:02,875 --> 01:01:05,955
Speaker 1: fight the Catholic boys of the Holy Cross Academy in

885
01:01:06,075 --> 01:01:10,275
Speaker 1: Fifth Street near town for no reason at all, in

886
01:01:10,395 --> 01:01:14,155
Speaker 1: winter with snowballs and ice balls, in other seasons with fists,

887
01:01:14,435 --> 01:01:20,195
Speaker 1: brick bats, and clubs. Dick Peterson was always in the van, yelling, singing,

888
01:01:20,715 --> 01:01:24,635
Speaker 1: being whirling all the way around when he swung with

889
01:01:24,715 --> 01:01:26,435
Speaker 1: his right or if he hadn't brought his mandle in

890
01:01:26,635 --> 01:01:30,475
Speaker 1: his left and missed. He made himself the pitcher on

891
01:01:30,555 --> 01:01:33,635
Speaker 1: the baseball team because he was the captain. He was

892
01:01:33,715 --> 01:01:36,435
Speaker 1: the captain because everybody else was afraid to challenge his

893
01:01:36,555 --> 01:01:41,315
Speaker 1: self election except Floyd. Floyd was too lazy to pitch,

894
01:01:41,355 --> 01:01:43,435
Speaker 1: and he didn't care who was captain because he didn't

895
01:01:43,435 --> 01:01:48,355
Speaker 1: fully uncomprehend what that meant. On one occasion, when Earl Baddock,

896
01:01:48,795 --> 01:01:52,155
Speaker 1: a steamfitter's son, had shut out Mound Street School for

897
01:01:52,315 --> 01:01:54,915
Speaker 1: six innings without a hit, Dick took him out of

898
01:01:54,995 --> 01:01:58,955
Speaker 1: the pitcher's box and went in himself. He was hit hard,

899
01:01:59,035 --> 01:02:00,795
Speaker 1: and the other team scored, but it didn't make much

900
01:02:00,795 --> 01:02:03,835
Speaker 1: difference because the margin of Sullivan's victory was so great.

901
01:02:04,755 --> 01:02:08,075
Speaker 1: The team didn't lose a game for five years to

902
01:02:08,155 --> 01:02:12,275
Speaker 1: another grammar school. When Dick Peterson was in the sixth grade,

903
01:02:12,635 --> 01:02:17,955
Speaker 1: he got into a saloon brawl and was killed. When

904
01:02:18,035 --> 01:02:21,315
Speaker 1: I go back to Columbus, I always walked past Sullivant School,

905
01:02:21,715 --> 01:02:23,755
Speaker 1: and I have never happened to get there when classes

906
01:02:23,795 --> 01:02:25,835
Speaker 1: were letting out, so I don't know what the pupils

907
01:02:25,875 --> 01:02:28,915
Speaker 1: are like. Now, I am sure there are no more

908
01:02:29,035 --> 01:02:34,835
Speaker 1: Dick Peterson's and no more Floyd's unless Floyd is still

909
01:02:34,955 --> 01:02:39,755
Speaker 1: going to school there. The playyard is still entirely bare

910
01:02:39,875 --> 01:02:42,755
Speaker 1: of grass and covered with gravel, and the sycamore still

911
01:02:42,835 --> 01:02:45,195
Speaker 1: line the curve between the schoolhouse fence and the Oak

912
01:02:45,235 --> 01:02:48,875
Speaker 1: Street car line. A street car line running past a

913
01:02:48,955 --> 01:02:51,675
Speaker 1: schoolhouse is a dangerous thing as a rule, but I

914
01:02:51,715 --> 01:02:54,435
Speaker 1: remember no one being injured while I was attending Sullivant.

915
01:02:55,115 --> 01:02:57,875
Speaker 1: I do remember, however, one person who came very near

916
01:02:58,075 --> 01:03:02,035
Speaker 1: being injured. He was a motorman on the Oak Street line,

917
01:03:02,755 --> 01:03:04,955
Speaker 1: and once when his car stopped at the owner of

918
01:03:05,075 --> 01:03:07,995
Speaker 1: six to let off passengers, he yelled at Cheudy Davidson,

919
01:03:08,275 --> 01:03:10,115
Speaker 1: who played third base on the ball team and was

920
01:03:10,115 --> 01:03:11,875
Speaker 1: a member of the Terrible Fourth, to get out of

921
01:03:11,955 --> 01:03:15,875
Speaker 1: the way. Chudy was fourteen years old, but huge for

922
01:03:16,035 --> 01:03:18,595
Speaker 1: his age, and he was standing on the tracks taking

923
01:03:18,635 --> 01:03:22,435
Speaker 1: a chew of tobacco. Come on down off of that

924
01:03:22,595 --> 01:03:26,155
Speaker 1: con I'll not get blocked off, said Shouty, and what

925
01:03:26,275 --> 01:03:28,875
Speaker 1: I can only describe as a sullivant tone of voice.

926
01:03:29,955 --> 01:03:33,675
Speaker 1: The motorman waited until Shooty moved slowly off the tracks,

927
01:03:34,435 --> 01:03:37,275
Speaker 1: then he went on about his business. I think it

928
01:03:37,395 --> 01:03:41,275
Speaker 1: was lucky for him that he did. There were boys

929
01:03:41,795 --> 01:03:48,315
Speaker 1: in those days. I went to Sullivant by James Thurber

930
01:04:02,595 --> 01:04:05,795
Speaker 1: Thurber House, Columbus, Ohio. I don't know. Maybe we can

931
01:04:05,875 --> 01:04:11,515
Speaker 1: put out another book, audio book of Thurber's stories. I

932
01:04:11,635 --> 01:04:16,035
Speaker 1: did one. It's available where audio books are available. I

933
01:04:16,035 --> 01:04:19,355
Speaker 1: don't think it's on iTunes. It's called the Thurber Audio Collection.

934
01:04:20,675 --> 01:04:22,755
Speaker 1: I don't think you can find it using my name,

935
01:04:22,835 --> 01:04:26,955
Speaker 1: but it's there. They get all the money anyway. I've

936
01:04:26,995 --> 01:04:28,795
Speaker 1: done all the damage I can do here more on

937
01:04:28,875 --> 01:04:31,115
Speaker 1: Thurber later as I think of it. Thanks for listening.

938
01:04:31,195 --> 01:04:35,355
Speaker 1: Brian Ray and John Phillip Shanelle, the musical directors have Countdown, arranged, produced,

939
01:04:35,395 --> 01:04:38,795
Speaker 1: and performed most of our music. Mister Shanelle handled orchestration

940
01:04:38,915 --> 01:04:42,035
Speaker 1: and keyboards. Mister Ray was on the guitars, bass and drums.

941
01:04:42,395 --> 01:04:45,795
Speaker 1: It was produced by Tko Brothers. Our satirical and pithy

942
01:04:45,915 --> 01:04:48,755
Speaker 1: musical comments are by the best baseball stadium organist ever,

943
01:04:48,995 --> 01:04:52,475
Speaker 1: Nancy Faust. The sports music is the Olderman theme from

944
01:04:52,715 --> 01:04:56,675
Speaker 1: ESPN two, written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc.

945
01:04:57,555 --> 01:05:00,755
Speaker 1: Other music arranged and performed by the group No Horns Allowed.

946
01:05:01,075 --> 01:05:03,795
Speaker 1: My announcer today was my friend Kenny Maine. Everything else

947
01:05:03,995 --> 01:05:07,835
Speaker 1: was as ever my fault. Kenny and I are not

948
01:05:07,995 --> 01:05:12,275
Speaker 1: running for president. That's countdown for today, Just four hundred

949
01:05:12,275 --> 01:05:15,675
Speaker 1: and thirteen days until the scheduled end of his lame duck,

950
01:05:15,795 --> 01:05:19,795
Speaker 1: lame brained term, unless Musk replaces him sooner or the

951
01:05:19,995 --> 01:05:24,435
Speaker 1: actual aerial tables due. The next scheduled countdown is Thursday.

952
01:05:24,635 --> 01:05:28,675
Speaker 1: As always, bulletins as the news warrants, remember impeach Trump.

953
01:05:29,195 --> 01:05:31,475
Speaker 1: It won't work now, it will win the Democrats the

954
01:05:31,515 --> 01:05:35,395
Speaker 1: midterms if there are midterms, and in the interim, put

955
01:05:35,435 --> 01:05:39,355
Speaker 1: your paddles away and get out your canes and keep

956
01:05:39,475 --> 01:05:44,075
Speaker 1: protesting until next time. I'm Keith Olverman. Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight,

957
01:05:44,395 --> 01:06:12,755
Speaker 1: and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production

958
01:06:13,035 --> 01:06:18,275
Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,

959
01:06:18,395 --> 01:06:21,755
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.