1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Alone Media Welcome back to It could Happen Here? 2 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 2: A podcast about Tim Walls, And in this episode, Garrison 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 2: and I are going balls to the Walls. Are you 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 2: happy with that? Garrison? 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 3: What's skivitying your Biden? 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 2: What does that even mean? 7 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 3: All right, let's get going some fucking. 8 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 2: Ging z bullshit Garrison, because I won't take part in it. 9 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm excited to hear about how Walls is either 10 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 3: great or terrible or probably a mix of both. 11 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's I mean, he's a politician and a pretty 12 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 2: successful one, so it's definitely got to be a mix 13 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 2: of both. For jd Vance, I figured the most relevant 14 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 2: thing to do is to talk about, like what does 15 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 2: he actually believe and where does he come from in 16 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: the right, because people had gotten pieces of that, but 17 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: I feel like unless you put it all together, it's 18 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 2: not as useful. So I hope we did that with Walls. 19 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: He's not a guy where if there's anything sinister for 20 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 2: you to know, So I think the useful thing is 21 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 2: kind of going through his whole political biography and just 22 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 2: kind of talking about like what is this guy done 23 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 2: in his public life? Right? That's kind of what I 24 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 2: wanted to do here. So that people actually know, you know, 25 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 2: whether or not you are making your mind up about 26 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 2: whether or not to vote. You're voting for harm reduction, 27 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 2: you're anti electoral. Here's this guy who may or may 28 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 2: not wind up being the vice president, and here's what 29 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: he's actually done in the past when he's had any 30 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 2: kind of power. It's worth noting that kind of at 31 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 2: this point here Walls is maybe the most popular politician 32 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 2: at his level in the country. This has happened very suddenly, 33 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 2: but he's got something like can a plus sixteen net 34 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 2: favorability among moderates, which is insane. 35 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a lot. 36 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's wild. 37 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 3: As someone who's looked at a lot of the favorability 38 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 3: ratings the past six months, Yeah, that is astonishingly high, 39 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 3: especially got pared to where we were like two months 40 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 3: ago with Skibbity Biden, which was. 41 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, very low, quite dire. He's incredibly popular with the 42 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 2: normies because basically every everyone in the country has positive 43 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: memories of a guy like Tim Walls, like whether it 44 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 2: was like your favorite social studies teacher or your dad. 45 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 2: There is like a kind of rotund, balding, very mechanically 46 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 2: capable man, probably somewhere in your life that you have 47 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: fond memories of and walls dredges those up. 48 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 3: We are of a very Freudian country. 49 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 2: Yes, for an idea of how like rapidly people have 50 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 2: gone from not really knowing who this guy is to 51 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 2: loving him. On August eighth, a Ugov survey should him 52 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 2: with a net favorability rating of plus eleven, which was 53 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,119 Speaker 2: up from plus one, and a survey conducted in late 54 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 2: July in the same timeframe, jad Vance has seen his 55 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 2: approval ratings steadily drop. 56 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, isn't he like at like negative points? 57 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 2: Oh? Yes, yes, yes, by any stretch of the imagination, 58 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: at negative points. And if you're just kind of looking 59 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 2: at Tim's life, which we're not really getting into because 60 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 2: we have limited time here and it's not the most 61 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 2: important thing I thought we could be talking about. But 62 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 2: he has a long history of doing decent things in 63 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 2: his personal life kind of most notably in the early nineties, 64 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 2: like ninety three to ninety four, he sponsored the Gay 65 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 2: and Lesbian Alliance at his high school. And his reasoning 66 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 2: was that, you know, he was a soldier in the 67 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 2: National Guard and the football coach at that point, and 68 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 2: he decided you know him sponsoring the club in particular 69 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 2: would have the biggest impact, and I honestly I think 70 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 2: that's the kind of thing that might have saved lives. Yep, 71 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 2: good thing to have done. Anyway, this isn't an episode 72 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 2: about his life and background. We're not going to litigate. 73 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 2: We're not going to always any time litigating the attacks 74 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 2: on his military career, which seemed to confusingly say that 75 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 2: after extending his time in the Guard by four years 76 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 2: to participate in Operation during Freedom, he owed his soldiers 77 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 2: staying on even longer to fight in Iraq. I could 78 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 2: make the point that no grunt in any US war 79 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 2: ever found themselves in the shit and said, boy, I 80 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 2: wish the commands Sergeant major was here. But given that 81 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 2: JD Vance was played onto stage at the RNC to 82 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 2: a song with the refrain we got to get out 83 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: of Iraq and take our country back, I just don't 84 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 2: think these attacks are worth acknowledging it. All right, the 85 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 2: right has already acknowledged that was a stupid war to 86 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 2: fight in walls decided not to fight in it. Good 87 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 2: for him now when it comes to the current war 88 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: that is on everyone's minds or one of the wars 89 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 2: that's on everyone's minds. Walls is fine on Ukraine, but 90 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 2: when it comes to the war that he's not fine 91 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 2: on the genocide in Gaza. Walls is in no way 92 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 2: that I can find really better than Kamala Harris. But 93 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: he did take a stand against the Iraq war back 94 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 2: when that mattered, which is I guess a little bit 95 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: of a point, but again doesn't really matter today and 96 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 2: in any case, we're far afield from the subject, which 97 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 2: is what has Tim done in politics. So Tim's political career, 98 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 2: he came late in life to that. He was a 99 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: social studies teacher. For a couple of decades he was 100 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:38,119 Speaker 2: a coach. He lived in Nebraska, then moved to Minnesota, 101 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 2: and in two thousand and six, after retiring from the 102 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 2: guard he was elected to Minnesota's first congressional district. Now 103 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 2: this was a tough campaign. His opponent in this race 104 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 2: was a six term Republican incumbent, Gil Gutneckt. 105 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 3: Wait wait wait wait, good Neckt. 106 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 2: Good Neckt. I'm guessing his family were knights, and it 107 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 2: was used to be like good Knight or something like that, 108 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 2: like gut k n Eca. But I don't know enough 109 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 2: about ancient German to tell you if that's really where 110 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 2: his last name came from. Yeah, yeah, But Walls came 111 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 2: in that he kind of goes against this guy who 112 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 2: had promised not to run for another term and then decided, actually, 113 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 2: I don't want to give up power. Not a thing 114 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 2: that's ever happened again. And Walls kind of came in 115 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 2: both when this guy had violated his promise to not 116 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 2: run again and near the peak of disillusionment and exhaustion 117 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 2: with neo cons Right, this is kind of the twilight 118 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 2: of the Bush years. Even conservative Americans are pretty fucking 119 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 2: tired of the Republican Party right this second, and Walls 120 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 2: exhibited a notable ability to connect with rural Americans who 121 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 2: mostly voted red. He did so with basically no funding 122 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,840 Speaker 2: or larger national operation behind him. From a write up 123 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 2: in the New York Times, he had no money, no nothing, 124 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 2: said Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota, who that cycle worked 125 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 2: on House Democrats recruitment team under their campaign chief Rama Manual. 126 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 2: He had a grassroots campaign that he had put together 127 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:00,159 Speaker 2: that I just knew was going to be Dynahite. So 128 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 2: I went back and I told Rom Emmanuel this guy's 129 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 2: going to win. He's great, and rom looked at me 130 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 2: like I was crazy. Walls was a dark horse candidate 131 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: and would claim around that time that his whole inspiration 132 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 2: for getting into politics was when he tried to take 133 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 2: two students to a rally for President George Bush and 134 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 2: they were kicked out because one student had a John 135 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,919 Speaker 2: Kerry button. Now I found a blog by the Republican 136 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 2: staffer who kicked them out where he admits he made 137 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 2: a dumb call. He was kind of trying to be 138 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 2: a dick. He had seen Walls out protesting against Bush 139 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 2: like the day before, and he knew he was going 140 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 2: to kick them out of the rally, but he made 141 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 2: them stand in line for a long time before he 142 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 2: kicked them out, and he was like, I shouldn't have 143 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 2: done that. But his angle was that Walls wanted to 144 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 2: get denied and kicked out so that he could make 145 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 2: a big deal about it and use it as a 146 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,679 Speaker 2: line on the campaign trail. That's probably what happened. 147 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 3: Regardless, This is a very funny little domino leading to 148 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 3: big domino. 149 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 2: Everyone likes Walls who tends to meet him. Joe Biden, 150 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 2: for the last year or two has seems been trying 151 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 2: to get him to do Morbons with Walls just because 152 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 2: he put Biden in a good mood. I think that's 153 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,799 Speaker 2: a big reason why Kamala picked him. He just seems 154 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 2: to be a very likable guy. But he's very okay 155 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 2: with lying to get what he needs. I mean, he's 156 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 2: a politician. 157 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 3: He's a politician. 158 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 2: Another good example of this would be his duy. Right 159 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 2: when he was thirty one, he got a duy, and 160 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: he is at times claimed basically that's why I decided 161 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 2: to like, I stopped drinking, I changed my life, I moved, 162 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 2: you know, I got my shit together. But his campaign 163 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 2: manager made a statement recently, Oh, he wasn't drunk. He 164 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 2: just couldn't hear the cop. I don't know who to trust, 165 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: politician or cop in this case, but the CoP's attitude 166 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 2: is like, well, I would be fine if he had 167 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 2: just like fixed his shit up. But he definitely was drunk. 168 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 2: And I don't have any trouble believing that a man 169 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: in rural Nebraska, a football coach in rural Nebraska, drove 170 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 2: drunk once. 171 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 3: Right, No, that is not the most surprising thing in 172 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:47,679 Speaker 3: the world. 173 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 2: So I think he's a guy who's certainly he's not 174 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 2: naive political actor, right, He's not one of these guys 175 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 2: who's so so good and pure that he's not willing 176 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 2: to like fudge in order to make shit work for him. 177 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 2: And that's probably what he did at this Bush event 178 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 2: right now. That said, it would be hard to overstate 179 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 2: what a difficult task he picked for himself and trying 180 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 2: to unseat Gutneck. At the time that Walls ran, Minnesota's 181 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 2: first district had been held by one other Democrat in 182 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 2: the last hundred years, so he was the second Democrat 183 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 2: in a century to win in that district, and as 184 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 2: soon as he left, by the way, a Republican took 185 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: back over. During his six terms in Congress, he was 186 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 2: one of the more interesting legislators in the country. Walls 187 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 2: was a risk taker, supporting liberal votes on major issues 188 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 2: even when he was politically vulnerable. He opposed Republican legislation 189 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 2: to make doctors vulnerable to criminal penalties for performing abortions. 190 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,679 Speaker 2: He supported a climate cap and trade bill on greenhouse 191 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 2: gas emissions that failed, and this really pissed some folks off. 192 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 2: He supported the Affordable Care Act, and kind of one 193 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 2: of the more notable things about him is there's stories 194 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 2: of when he was running for reelection, he would do 195 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 2: town halls in southern Minnesota and he would get attacked 196 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 2: by these red voters who had supported him early on 197 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 2: for backing the Affordable Care Act, and rather than like 198 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 2: backing off, he would lean into it and argue with 199 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 2: them and try to convince them. And you know, his 200 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:10,559 Speaker 2: numbers with conservative rural Republicans got worse and worse every 201 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 2: cycle basically, so you could argue how good he was, 202 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 2: but it is worth something to me that he didn't 203 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 2: back off, he didn't do the well this might, you know, 204 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 2: fuck up my chances of re election. Like he's never 205 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 2: really been that kind of guy. There's things that he 206 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 2: believes and he will just kind of like jam his 207 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 2: flag into the mud over them. That said, Tim was 208 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 2: a pragmatist. He voted for a resolution calling for the 209 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 2: withdrawal of US forces from Iraq within ninety days, but 210 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 2: when that failed, he voted in favor of continuing funding 211 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 2: for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tim also received 212 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 2: an a from the NRA during much of his time 213 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 2: in office, voting against gun control based on what seemed 214 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 2: to be a natural inclination to firearms and hunting. Walls 215 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 2: may have been the best shot in the Minnesota National 216 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 2: Guard during the time when he was there. He's apparently 217 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 2: a very good shot. He is an avid and skilled 218 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 2: turkey hunter, and if you talk to people who want 219 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 2: game in the US, turkey is one of the more 220 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,839 Speaker 2: difficult game to hunt. He developed a reputation as a 221 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 2: guy who wouldn't apologize for voting with Liberals, but who 222 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 2: would go across the aisle when it mattered. During his 223 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 2: time on the Veterans Affairs Committee, which he ultimately chaired, 224 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,079 Speaker 2: he voted with Republicans to make it easier for the 225 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 2: VIE to fire employees, even with union opposition, and he 226 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 2: also pushed through changes to improve GI Bill college access 227 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 2: for veterans post nine to eleven. One of the things 228 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 2: I find interesting about his record is that in twenty eighteen, 229 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 2: he voted against most of his party opposing an overhaul 230 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 2: of the VA healthcare system. He agreed everyone agrees that 231 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 2: the system needed to be overhauled, but he argued the 232 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 2: proposal in place would force the VIA to cannibalize itself, 233 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 2: basically starving the organization to try and fix it, and 234 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 2: his attitude was, well, it needs to get fixed. I'm 235 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 2: not going to vote for a change that might be 236 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 2: worse than what we currently have. While chairing this committee, 237 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 2: Walls made strong connections to Nancy Pelosi, who like basically 238 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 2: everyone really came to like Walls, and she's going to 239 00:10:58,240 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 2: be one of the people who's one of the strongest 240 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 2: voice is for picking him as VP. And we will 241 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 2: be back to talk about more of that. But first, Garrison, 242 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 2: you know who else loves Nancy Pelosi? 243 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 3: Probably these products and services. If they come from San Francisco. 244 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 2: They're based in the Bay Area. She will break their 245 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:27,959 Speaker 2: kneecaps if they don't like her enough. Ah, and we're back. 246 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 2: So one of the big shifts for Tim during his 247 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 2: time in Congress was away from the NRA. This started 248 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 2: after in twenty seventeen, after the Las Vegas mass shooting, 249 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 2: and then after the Parkland mass shooting, and then in 250 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 2: February of twenty eighteen, he writes an op ed supporting 251 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 2: what he calls common sense gun reform and donates the 252 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 2: NRA contributions to his campaign that cycle to some sort 253 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 2: of I think gun control cause. Walls's common sense gun 254 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 2: regulations include an assault weapons ban, and he's currently in 255 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 2: line with the Democratic Party on that, if you were curious. 256 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 2: That same year, twenty eighteen, he launched his campaign for 257 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 2: governor of Minnesota. By this point, Walls had bled much 258 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 2: of his ability to win rural red votes. It is 259 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 2: accurate to say he was only really good at this 260 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:14,599 Speaker 2: during his early years in Congress. His margins grew a 261 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 2: lot narrower over time, and once he hit the governor's office, 262 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 2: his support was largely in the cities. Now it's one 263 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 2: of those things where I think there's been debate, like 264 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 2: some people have arguable he's not maybe not the best 265 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 2: VP pick because he actually isn't all that good at 266 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 2: getting these red rural votes. But I just don't see 267 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 2: that as where the elections coming down to. Walls has 268 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 2: great favorables with like suburban white people and particularly suburban 269 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 2: like moderates, and that is like one of the most 270 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 2: important demographics to win. So I don't believe the fact 271 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 2: that he's he's kind of bled his support with rural 272 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 2: conservatives is really necessarily a mark against him in an 273 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 2: electoral sense. One thing I do appreciate about Walls is 274 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 2: how direct he is to people. I dislike. He decides 275 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 2: in twenty eighteen to run for governor, and during that run, 276 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:03,080 Speaker 2: he has a meeting with a bunch of business leaders 277 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 2: at a luxury hotel. The president of a machining company 278 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 2: asks if Walls felt corporate taxes hurt workers, and Walls replied, 279 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 2: we're not taxing people, We're taxing corporations. And I want 280 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 2: to quote from a CNBC write up for Jeff Baker, 281 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 2: it was a bit of an O shit moment. That's 282 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:20,679 Speaker 2: not what I wanted to hear, said Baker, president of 283 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 2: McFarland truck Lines. There's a lot of stories like that. 284 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 2: He's been very willing to tax the wealthy and to 285 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 2: tax corporations to pay for things like children's lunches. This 286 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 2: is a consistent Walls move and it's something that he 287 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 2: absolutely is unapologetic about, and I think that's fine. Minnesota 288 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 2: currently taxes corporate income at nine point eight percent, the 289 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 2: highest rate in the nation. Walls did not back down 290 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 2: on this during his time in office. In fact, that 291 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 2: CNBC report found that quote Walls's policy battles have a 292 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 2: common theme. Walls supported either higher taxes on the rich 293 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 2: or businesses, and corporate leaders fought back. One of their 294 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 2: fights was over a one percent ser tax on passive 295 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 2: investment income over a million dollars. Another was a tax 296 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 2: on the wealthy Walls signed into law that limits standard 297 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 2: and itemized deductions for households with gross incomes over two 298 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 2: hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Due to Republican control of 299 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 2: the legislature, Walls's first term was not hugely eventful up 300 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 2: until the COVID nineteen pandemic. This is because Republicans retained 301 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 2: control of the state legislature and were able to stop 302 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 2: much of his plan perform. We did get to see 303 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 2: more of the politician Tim Walls during COVID when he 304 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 2: stood up against Republican resistance or common sense pandemic safety regulations. 305 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 2: He earned a lot of hate from the right for 306 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 2: some of the more extreme COVID restrictions in the country, 307 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 2: which were put in place in Minnesota. In particular, Walls 308 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 2: threatened citizens with up to ninety days in jail during 309 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 2: the shelter in place period and threatened twenty five thousand 310 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 2: dollars fines for meeting in public. Minnesota instituted a COVID 311 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 2: hotline where people could inform on their neighbors if they 312 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 2: saw rules being broken. And I get why the right 313 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 2: is uncomfortable with this. I'm not fully comfortable with this 314 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 2: kind of stuff either, But given what was going on 315 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 2: at the time, I'm not going to slam the man 316 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 2: for trying to save lives in a very uncertain and 317 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 2: desperate situation. You know, it beats the nothing that a 318 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 2: lot of state governors did, so I guess that's kind 319 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 2: of where I stand on that shit. Not long after 320 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 2: the pandemic lockdown started, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis. 321 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 2: Walls mobilized the National Guard after three days of riots, 322 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 2: earning praise from President Trump on June first, who said 323 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 2: what they did in Minneapolis was incredible. They went in 324 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 2: and dominated, and it happened quickly. And this is you know, 325 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 2: the National Guard do a lot of very violent shit 326 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 2: coming into crackdown on these protests. I know a lot 327 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 2: of people who were the ones cracked down upon. It's 328 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 2: one of those things where, yeah, he's a governor, you know, 329 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 2: I think pretty much any governor in this situation would 330 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 2: have sent in the National Guard in that sort of situation. 331 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 3: Especially after the burning of the Third Precinct. 332 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 2: Especially after the prison got burnt, which doesn't excuse it. 333 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 2: It's just like, well, yeah, he's not He's not an anarchist, 334 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 2: right like, he's not your communist like revolutionary hero. He 335 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 2: is the governor of Minniso. So I'm just really not 336 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 2: surprised that this happened. It's, you know, a pretty normal 337 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 2: thing for a guy in his position to have done. Yeah. Now, 338 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 2: like every other dim in creation. During the height of 339 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 2: the uprising, Walls voice support for a wide host of 340 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 2: police accountability reforms. He even voiced some degree of support 341 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 2: for Indian qualified immunity, but this did not last long, 342 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 2: and as the backlash against police reforms swelled up after 343 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 2: the election, Walls joined many ims and pulling back and 344 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 2: even quashing moves for greater police accountability. When he ran 345 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 2: for reelection, he did so as a tough on crime, 346 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 2: law enforcement friendly democrat. Right many such cases. Now, he 347 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 2: did push through some accountability measures. He used fifteen million 348 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 2: in COVID funds to pay for grants for community violence prevention. 349 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 2: He pushed through some requirements to increase data sharing from 350 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 2: the Police Licensing Board. He pushed through a demand for 351 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 2: state law enforcement to share footage of police killings with 352 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 2: the family of the victim within five days. These are, 353 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 2: I think we can all say, minor accountability moves, very 354 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 2: very minor, very minor, he said. Of these moves, they 355 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 2: build trust in police, they build trust in the systems, 356 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 2: They build trust among communities, and they provide the community 357 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 2: with some basic closure and understanding for families. Nothing builds 358 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 2: trust like a video of your cousin getting shot in 359 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 2: the back. 360 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 3: Yeah. If the biggest accountability thing is that you get 361 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 3: first look at the murder video. 362 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 2: I don't know, Okay, I like, yes, I do think 363 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,439 Speaker 2: you probably have to legislate that, because otherwise police just 364 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:34,399 Speaker 2: won't give it up at all. But like, yeah, I 365 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 2: wouldn't hang my hat on that. 366 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 3: It is ignoring the main issue at play, Yeah, which 367 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 3: is the fact that we have murder right videos. It's like, 368 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:44,360 Speaker 3: come on now. 369 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 2: There were some bigger reforms, including limitations on no knock warrants, 370 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 2: although again not like a ban or anything, but it 371 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 2: lacked a lot of the stuff that activists in the 372 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 2: state had pushed forward, including limits on police stops of motorists, 373 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 2: and Walls had agreed that there needs to be more 374 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 2: movement in this direction, particularly after the murder of Philando Castile. 375 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 2: It also left out and asked for end to the 376 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 2: statute of limitations for wrongful death cases against officers. Walls 377 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 2: had personally voiced support for a ban on officers with 378 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 2: white supremacist gang affiliations, but this was also left out. Ultimately, 379 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 2: State Rep. John Thompson said to Walls at the time, 380 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 2: you have the power to do something, and all I've 381 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 2: been getting from your office is lip service. And I 382 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 2: mean that we don't need a news conference from you, governor. 383 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 2: We need a leader. So you're not gonna get a 384 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 2: lot of police reform under Tim Walls. That's just a 385 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 2: pretty consistent reality of the guy that said he can 386 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 2: be forced to do some things if you scare him enough. 387 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:43,120 Speaker 2: So you know, keep that in mind. I guess first, 388 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 2: keep in mind these ads, and then we'll talk about 389 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 2: the environment and stuff, which is a happier story for Walls. 390 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,119 Speaker 2: We're back. So Walls ran for re election under the 391 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:05,199 Speaker 2: slogan one Minnesota, and he managed another solid victory. Up 392 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 2: to this point, you would say he'd been a pretty 393 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,640 Speaker 2: standard dim governor in a swing state. But something happened 394 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 2: in the twenty twenty two midterms that changed the course 395 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 2: of Walls's career in maybe the nation, the Democrats won 396 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 2: a slim majority in the state legislature. As David Schultz, 397 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 2: a political science professor at Hamlin University, told CNN, Walls's 398 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 2: message immediately jerked away from one Minnesota to damn the 399 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 2: torpedoes and fuck the Republicans quote. That agenda included codified 400 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 2: protections for abortion access, restored voting rights for felons who've 401 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 2: completed their sentences, driver's licenses for people regardless of their 402 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 2: legal status, a state child tax credit, free public college 403 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,639 Speaker 2: for families making less than eighty thousand annually, protections for 404 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 2: gender affirming care, a paid family and medical leave program. 405 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 2: Walls signed legislation to move the state towards achieving one 406 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 2: hundred percent clean energy by twenty forty and to establish 407 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 2: a universal free school meal program that provides breakfast and lunch. 408 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,879 Speaker 2: And that is a real solid spate of shit for 409 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 2: a governor to get done. And all of this is 410 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 2: about in a year, right, Like most of the shit 411 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 2: that Walls has gotten done as governor has been very 412 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,400 Speaker 2: recently because the Dims had just taken back control, right, 413 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 2: and it's very narrow control. Amy Koch, a Republican and 414 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 2: former Minnesota Senate majority leader, said Walls definitely had not 415 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 2: governed like a moderate, and, unlike other governors with trifecta control, 416 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:27,399 Speaker 2: had not emphasized in making deals with Republicans. Everything that 417 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 2: went forward was signed. She said, I'm not sure what 418 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:31,239 Speaker 2: that says about him, but it definitely puts a dent 419 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:33,679 Speaker 2: in his argument that he's just this moderate Democrat from 420 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,680 Speaker 2: the Midwest. And this is why progressives, many of them, 421 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 2: are excited about Walls, is that when he actually had 422 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 2: the opportunity, he was willing to say, fuck the Republicans, 423 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:45,159 Speaker 2: let's get some shit done. I don't care that we 424 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 2: only have one vote right now. Walls has stated that, 425 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 2: in his opinion, political capital exists to be spent improving 426 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 2: people's lives, and this is an area where you can 427 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 2: say that he's put his money where his mouth is, right. 428 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 2: This is how he actually governed now, it's worth noting. Obviously, 429 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,719 Speaker 2: he also promised to burn political capital on major police reform, 430 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 2: and he gave that up. So you know, the fact 431 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 2: that he says he's going to do something like any politician, 432 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 2: not a guarantee it's going to happen. 433 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:12,199 Speaker 3: Well, and some of one of the more kind of 434 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 3: upsetting things but not surprising things is now that Kamala 435 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 3: has basically secured the nomination, she has ruled back many 436 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 3: of the progressive policies that she ran on in twenty 437 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 3: twenty when those seemed to be more popular. Right, you know, 438 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 3: that's not necessarily Walls, that is that that's Kambala. But 439 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,919 Speaker 3: but they're running on the same ticket. And again, like, 440 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 3: it's not surprising that she's not advocating for medica for 441 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 3: all now that she is the actual nominee, right, but 442 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 3: it still is, you know, disappointing for people who are like, hey, 443 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 3: her actual policies four years ago were actually relatively progressive, 444 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 3: and now they are slightly more kind of in line 445 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 3: with like the mainstream Democratic Party views on you know, 446 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 3: most of these issues. 447 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:48,399 Speaker 2: Right. And again one of the reasons, maybe for a 448 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 2: little bit of hope, is that Walls has not really 449 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 2: been that guy during his time with the executive power, right, 450 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 2: and kind of the area where he's been best maybe 451 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:00,440 Speaker 2: actually is climate change. Right, This is the thing Dim 452 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 2: seemed to like to compromise on the most. And Tim's 453 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 2: history here is interesting to me, particularly because he's got. 454 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 2: He doesn't have a perfect record, but it's genuinely pretty positive. 455 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 2: His major achievement was a policy passed in twenty twenty 456 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 2: three that required Minnesota to have a carbon free electric 457 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 2: grid by twenty forty. Now this is the kind of 458 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,640 Speaker 2: legislation that could just be virtue signaling, but Walls didn't 459 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,720 Speaker 2: just say yep, we'll get it done by twenty forty 460 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 2: when I won't be the fucking governor anymore. He backed 461 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,360 Speaker 2: it up by approving a historic amount of state spending 462 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 2: on energy. The legislation included rebates on climate friendly technology 463 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 2: like air source heat pumps and electric vehicles, as well 464 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 2: as spending to improve home insulation and one hundred million 465 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 2: dollars for city extreme weather preparedness. Walls also signed a 466 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 2: bill to cut red tape for wind in solar farms 467 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,880 Speaker 2: and transmission lines, and the speed up permitting for infrastructure 468 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 2: needed to replace colon gas plants. So it was not 469 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 2: just a yeah, we'll definitely do this. It was a well, 470 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 2: there's certain things that need to happen for this to 471 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 2: be possible, and I am going to work to make 472 00:22:57,480 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 2: it easier to do those things. I'm going to make 473 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 2: sure that we're passing legislation that makes it easier to 474 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 2: do those things, and that that shows me someone who 475 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 2: sees this as important as not just a thing that's 476 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 2: virtue signaling, but as we need to figure out what 477 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,679 Speaker 2: the actual concrete steps are to make this doable, and 478 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 2: that's something that gives me a little bit of hope. 479 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 2: The more questionable side of his environmental history is the 480 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:22,120 Speaker 2: Inbridge Line three pipeline, which he and state regulators approved 481 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty. This angered a lot of local environmental 482 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 2: groups and several indigenous tribes in the area. The pipeline 483 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 2: was argued to be necessary because the old one was 484 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 2: corroding and a spill risk, and of course, when the 485 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:38,200 Speaker 2: new pipeline was constructed, workers punctured multiple aquifers. This seems 486 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 2: to have been a case of Walls being the politician 487 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,680 Speaker 2: that he is. Trade unions supported the project because jobs, 488 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 2: and it's also worth noting this is twenty twenty, so 489 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 2: the dims do not have a majority in the legislature, 490 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 2: and there's just a lot less of a stick available 491 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 2: to Walls at this point. So you know, maybe he 492 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 2: would have ruled differently, or maybe he would have acted differently, 493 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:58,680 Speaker 2: you know, have been in a more friendly situation. 494 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. I reported on this back in twenty twenty one. Yeah, 495 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:05,359 Speaker 3: we did a two part series on Stop Line three 496 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 3: where I traveled to the pipeline. Yeah, like it's not surprising, 497 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 3: especially with pressure from trade unions to approve this pipeline. 498 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,479 Speaker 3: From what I've seen, he did not have much to 499 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 3: do with the police crackdown on protesters. I've seen that alleged, 500 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:23,120 Speaker 3: and I'm not finding much to back that up. There's 501 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 3: a lot of like county sheriffs and other task forces 502 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 3: working directly with the pipeline company, Like you know, Walls 503 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 3: never used National Guard against these people. I don't see 504 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:36,120 Speaker 3: much from him being personally involved in suppressing these protests 505 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 3: beyond the fact that he's the governor, Like he's the 506 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:41,120 Speaker 3: top guy in charge. He could shut that all down 507 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 3: if but he also doesn't need to be like actively 508 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 3: involved for that to happen, right. Police will do it themselves, right, 509 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 3: And that seems to be mostly what took place. 510 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:52,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, that seems fair to say. 511 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:55,120 Speaker 3: And most of the extreme charges that Stop Line three 512 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:58,120 Speaker 3: protesters were getting, like a felony theft for locking down 513 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:02,919 Speaker 3: onto construction equipment mostly have since all been dismissed in 514 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:05,320 Speaker 3: the courts or at least taken down to a lower 515 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:06,679 Speaker 3: and more appropriate charge. 516 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. So again, like with everything about this guy, he's 517 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 2: not perfect. He's not without some fucked up things in 518 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 2: his background. He's a politician, but on ballots a better 519 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 2: history on environmental stuff than most governors in the country. 520 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:24,359 Speaker 2: I should also note here under Walls, Minnesota passed the 521 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 2: nation's most comprehensive ban on PFAS chemicals, a category of 522 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 2: industrial compounds that do not break down and run off 523 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 2: and have been associated with a bunch of cancers and 524 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 2: other health risks. It is a ban that rolls out 525 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 2: over an eight year timeframe, so you know, maybe it's 526 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 2: not like who knows how well it will actually get executed, 527 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 2: but literally no other state has passed a ban this strong. 528 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 2: So I'm putting it in the ups for Walls category. Now, 529 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 2: that is kind of what I had to say. I 530 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 2: didn't want to end talking a little bit more about Palestine, 531 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,919 Speaker 2: because again, Walls has a very mixed record here at best. 532 00:25:57,640 --> 00:25:59,919 Speaker 2: While he was in the House, he received APAX in 533 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 2: endorsement and spoke at the group's twenty ten conference, where 534 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 2: he said this Israel is our truest and closest ally 535 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 2: in the region, with a commitment to values of personal 536 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 2: freedoms and liberties, surrounded by a pretty tough neighborhood. You know, 537 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 2: I might quibble with me most of that. Well, except 538 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 2: for with our closest ally in the region. That's kind 539 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 2: of hard to argue with. After October seventh, he ordered 540 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 2: state flags flown at half staff and condemned the Hamas attacks. 541 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 2: In early March, he began endorsing calls for a permanent 542 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 2: working ceasefire, a few days after Harris called for a 543 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 2: six week ceasefire. He's made statements about how the uncommitted 544 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 2: protesters should be listened to, same thing about college protesters. 545 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 2: But he's not backing an embargo, right, He's not you know, 546 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:48,160 Speaker 2: pushing any kind of like stick to actually force Netnahu's 547 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 2: hand in any way. You would not say he's the 548 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 2: worst democrat on Gaza, but he's not, you know, particularly 549 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:56,359 Speaker 2: good either. 550 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:58,879 Speaker 3: He didn't lie about volunteering with the IDEA. 551 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 2: He did not lie about volunteering with the IDF as 552 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 2: a teenager. That's that's one thing we can say. 553 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 3: But unfortunately the bar is quite low these days. 554 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, so you know that's Tim Walls, a political biography. 555 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 2: I hope you now can walk away being like, Okay, 556 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 2: that's that's more or less who Tim Walls is. 557 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 3: I do. I do feel it's important to end with 558 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 3: one more kind of anecdote about Tim Walls that I 559 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 3: learned this morning, Okay, is that on I believe his 560 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 3: first date with his with his soon to be wife, 561 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 3: when he was teaching geography, he took her to see 562 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 3: the movie Falling Down, the nineteen ninety three Michael Douglas masterpiece, 563 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 3: incredibly based, which I feel like every single politician should 564 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 3: be forced to watch. 565 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 2: I would make it a mandatory part of graduation. You know, 566 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 2: that was that was an important movie for me. 567 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 3: It is a pretty funny first date movie. It's not 568 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 3: the worst, you know, It's not like it's not like 569 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 3: American Psychoach, which is also a great movie, but you 570 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 3: know it is. It is a curee his first pick. 571 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 3: But I think it is important that whoever is sitting 572 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 3: in the White House is familiar with Falling Down. Yeahs, 573 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 3: as it kind of displays American male violence. 574 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 2: It predicted a kind of guy who was just starting 575 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 2: to like yeah, creep, up into public consciousness when the 576 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 2: movie came out, and who now commits a mass shooting 577 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:20,159 Speaker 2: every four weeks. 578 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:24,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, so I think that is a very funny anecdote. 579 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 2: Watch Falling Down, folks. It's a great date movie, you know, 580 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 2: maybe double Parrot with Event Horizon and really really gets 581 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:35,000 Speaker 2: an act in Christ. All right, Garrey, that's the end 582 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:36,640 Speaker 2: of the episode. How are you feeling pretty good? 583 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 3: Pretty good? Honestly, well, you know, not great. You know, 584 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,959 Speaker 3: actually the whole situation politically in the country is kind 585 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 3: of a nightmare. 586 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 2: It's fine, it's fine. 587 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 3: Somehow, I feel slightly better than I did two months ago. 588 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 2: I'm gonna tell you, this is the best it's been 589 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 2: in a while, and maybe maybe the best in all 590 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 2: ever be again. 591 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,480 Speaker 3: Which also just points to how low the bar is 592 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 3: at the moment. 593 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's fine. Look, best case scenario, Matt Walsh 594 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 2: is mad. It is a little further than mad. We'll see, 595 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 2: we'll see if we can get like a welfare check 596 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 2: over at his house. Anyway, that's the end of the episode. 597 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 2: Good night and good luck. 598 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 3: Carl Walls. 599 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: It could happen here as a production of cool Zone Media. 600 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from Cool Zone Media. Visit our website 601 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: cool zonemedia dot com, or check us out on the 602 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts, 603 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,320 Speaker 1: you can find sources for It could happen here, Updated 604 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: monthly at cool zonemedia dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.