1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics, 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: where we discussed the top political headlines with some of 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 1: today's best minds. And Clarence Thomas has been taking half 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: million dollars vacations paid for by donors he never disclosed. Shockingly, 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: there is gambling at this casino. Today's show is so good. 6 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: Congressman Robert Garcia talks about waiting through the rough waters 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: of today's Congress. Then we'll talk to doctor Yusef Salaam 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 1: of the Exonerated Five on his run for New York 9 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: City Council and his message to Donald Trump after his indictment. 10 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: But first we have the author of the Big Lie 11 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 1: Pod Save America's Dan fight Fer. Welcome to you Fast Politics, 12 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: Dan fight Fer, Well, thanks for having me very excited. 13 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: I do want to talk to you about a lot 14 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: of stuff, and I first want to start by talking 15 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: to you about this really stupid CNN poll that just 16 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 1: came out. Yes, first of all, just go sorry, which 17 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: stupid part of the poll are you interested in? I 18 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: think we should start with basically what this poll is. So, 19 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 1: there was a CNN poll which said a third of 20 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: Americans believe that Joe Biden deserves to be reelected. According 21 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: to a new CNN Paul, the majority of the party 22 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: would like to see someone else as the Democratic nominee 23 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: for president this year. Discuss Yes, so one, we should 24 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: take all polls this early in the election with like 25 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: seventeen shakers of salts, It doesn't tell you very much. 26 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: And I wouldn't worry about the numbers in this poll 27 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: the fifteen hundred people that were that answered their email. Yes. 28 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: One thing I am very confident of is when Joe 29 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: Biden announceds for re election, which I presume he will 30 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: do literally any day now, and then it becomes a 31 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: choice not between as Joe Biden would say, Joe Biden 32 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: and the Almighty, but Joe Biden in an alternative he 33 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: was just likely who's just arraigned in court two days ago. Yes, 34 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: I remember it well. Those numbers are going to change. 35 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: And the thing that I think is Democrats we should 36 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: pay attention to is there is some work to do 37 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: on our side with some of our voters to get 38 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: the enthusiasm up to the level we will need in 39 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: the good news of that is it is April of 40 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three. No single person is going to start 41 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: voting until October of twenty twenty four, when early one's 42 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 1: going to start a bunch of states, and so there's 43 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: plenty of time to do that. Barack Obama also was 44 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: at this point in the year before the election losing 45 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: to a generic Republican and was facing challenges. So it 46 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: doesn't tell us very much. But I think we know 47 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: there's work to do, but that work is very doable, 48 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: and you can very easily see a path to how 49 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: it gets done over a very long period of time. Obama, 50 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: if you look at US registered voters opinions of whether 51 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: incumbent presidents deserve to be reelected first midterm year, you 52 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: have Trump at thirty seven percent, Obama at thirty seven percent, 53 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: wa at sixty percent. It is a completely ridiculous metric. 54 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 1: But I also want to point out, like it is Thursday, 55 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,959 Speaker 1: so this is going to air on Friday. On Tuesday, 56 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: Democrats fucking swept the you know, they elected a judge 57 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: in Wisconsin, a state that Trump won in twenty sixteen 58 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 1: by eleven points. That's right, and which I think when 59 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: we talk about Trump and we think about twenty twenty four, 60 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: if Donald Trump is the nominee, is that Donald Trump 61 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: won won election in twenty and sixteen. He then lost 62 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: in twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen, twenty twenty two, 63 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: and now twenty twenty three. His party has filled at 64 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: every juncture with either him on the ballot or Trump 65 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: looming over the election. And if he is on the ballot, 66 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: he will enter that race as a very flawed nominee 67 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: who brings to bear a ton of baggage, not to 68 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: mention the very real possibility that he could be sitting 69 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: in a courtroom and they run up to that election 70 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: dealing with one of multiple crimes committed to multiple jurisdictions. Yeah, 71 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: my favorite thing right now is the few conservative thought leaders. 72 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: I feel like it's an oxymoron at this point, but 73 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: the few of them that are left, I actually I 74 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: have to say, like a little bit I feel I mean, 75 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: I don't feel for them because like they have enabled fascism, 76 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: but I also do a little bit feel for them 77 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: because they're like trying to make sense of it. You know, 78 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: they all they want is to Santists because at least 79 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: the Santists can you know, do Trumpism without Trump. But 80 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: like when Trump got indicted, they're like you've made Donald 81 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: Trump president, and I'm like, no, we've made him the nominee. 82 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 1: He's not going to be president. It will be interesting 83 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: to see, I think there when you look at the 84 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: poland it's easy just to say right now, Donald Trump's 85 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: going to be the nominee, and I still think he's 86 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: a strong favorite for it. We're only in the very 87 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: beginning stages of this, and we have other possible indictments 88 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: coming any day now, and you I do wonder sometimes 89 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: if there is a little bit of a water on 90 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: stone impact here where it's just like if all we 91 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: talk about are the various criminal prosecutions of the Republican 92 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: front runner over time, if a Republican candidate, another Republican 93 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: Canida gets traction, and that is a giant if based 94 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: on RNDA Santis's initial forays onto the national political stage. 95 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: But if another candidate does get it, there are enough 96 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: Republican voters concerned about electability who like Trump but are 97 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: to Santis curious or alternative curious, where we'll see what 98 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:34,119 Speaker 1: it means, but it's just what it just right now. 99 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,799 Speaker 1: It's very like my big thing for all of twenty 100 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 1: twenty three, twenty four is trying to bring just a 101 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: ton of humility to understanding how this is going to 102 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: play out because it's completely unprecedented. Yeah, I think that's 103 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: really smart. And I mean, if we've seen anything from 104 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: all of these elections is that the polls have always 105 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: been wrong, and you know, they just have been regularly wrong. 106 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: I think about Adam Fresh, who I had on this podcast, 107 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: and everyone was like, you're crazy, You're crazy. He can't win. 108 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 1: He can't win. He lost my five hundred votes, like, 109 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: so clearly that you know, we are definitely seeing that 110 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: there was just you know, and I do think there's 111 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 1: an opportunity for pollsters to change the way they pull. 112 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,359 Speaker 1: They're not doing that, but you know, I mean I 113 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: talked to a lot of posters, and no one really 114 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: knows how to solve stipulating that the polls were actually 115 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: quite accurate in twenty twenty two. Well they were and 116 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: they weren't, right. I mean, they'll tell you they were 117 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: accurate because they were. You know, if you take polls 118 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: and aggregate, but people don't do that. Yeah, I mean, 119 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:34,840 Speaker 1: there there are certainly wrong ones, but they were, like 120 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: the high quality media polling was much more accurate in 121 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two than it wasn't other elections. But that's 122 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: not because they change methodology to adjust for the errors 123 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty or twenty sixteen. It's that I think 124 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: the challenge we have in polling. I think a lot 125 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: of posters were saying, this is the group of people 126 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 1: were incapable of fully capturing are the Trump voters who 127 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: turn out in presidential election years only, And so you're 128 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: dealing with a offier electorate. That's an easier group to pull, 129 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,840 Speaker 1: it's the larger group. And so with that there's real Quipally, 130 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 1: we're trying to project something with a flawed measurement tool 131 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: that suggest that you know, everyone just takes a pause 132 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: on the hot takes. Right, No agreed, And I mean 133 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: the road to hell is paved with hot takes. I've 134 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: left many of them on that road, so I know. 135 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: And I mean when you're in the opinion space, I mean, 136 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: part of what we do is we try not to 137 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: sound too stupid. I wanted to ask you out of Wisconsin, 138 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: the one of the really strong messages was that here's 139 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: a state that's really a very split state. Right, but abortion, 140 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: the people in this state really want women to have 141 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: bodily autonomy. I was hoping you could just talk about 142 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: that for a minute. Yeah, when you look at Wisconsin 143 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: and prior to the dab position, I think most political 144 00:07:56,200 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: consultants would have incorrectly but definitely advised candidate to not 145 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: talk about abortion in a Wisconsin race, given the makeup 146 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: of that state, who the larger electorate profiles to be, 147 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: which is more Trump voters than likely Democratic voters. But 148 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: Dabbs changed everything. It brought to bear. It did two 149 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: things I think are incredibly important or at least incredibly impactful. 150 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: One is, even for the people who are insulated from 151 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: politics by economic, societal, privilege, race, whatever else, the Dabbs 152 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: decision affects them, they had an actual constitutional right taken 153 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 1: away from them. And so that engages people to level. 154 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,679 Speaker 1: People who would sit out in midterm or even an 155 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: off cycle election like this one, No, it matters to 156 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: them now. And the second thing it did is it 157 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: brought to bear the consequent the tangible, real world consequences 158 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: of electing extremist Republicans. And so you know, Salinda Lake 159 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,559 Speaker 1: had this quote in this really important Rebecca Traster piece 160 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 1: in the New York Times magazine this week that the country. 161 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: Based on her polling, the country is now fifteen points 162 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: more pro choice since DABS than it was before. So 163 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,839 Speaker 1: that is all over everything now, I think, and the 164 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: Democrats should aggressively run on bodily autonomy, the right to choose, 165 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:19,319 Speaker 1: codifying Roe v. Wade. Stopping these state laws will likely 166 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: happen in Wisconsin because of this race, and so we 167 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,199 Speaker 1: should be absolutely aggressive about it. The thing to think 168 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: about in Wisconsin, I think it's important is and I 169 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: don't think this changes how a portion plays, but the like, 170 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: think about this way, so huge turnout in that election, 171 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: huge turning. One point eight million people as of last 172 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: count voted in this judicial election. But think about it 173 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: this way, three point two million Wisconsin. I it's voted 174 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty right, so before like this is why 175 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: it's always hard to draw conclusions about what these things 176 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: mean the long term. It's just it's a smaller sample, 177 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 1: and Wisconsin's a state where Republicans benefit from higher turnout. 178 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: It's one of the rare states where that's the case, 179 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: and so the more people turn out, the closer it 180 00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: will get. But that should not change our approach to 181 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: abortion and how we talk about it. Yeah, I mean, 182 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: it's just such a sort of interesting moment. I wanted 183 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: to ask you when you think about Wisconsin, I mean, 184 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: you also have to realize that the Democratic State Party 185 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: is incredibly good in Wisconsin. I was wondering if you 186 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: could talk a little bit about that. We had Maxwell 187 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: Frost on this podcast just like this morning, and and 188 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: you know he you know, he's this incredible legislator, but 189 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: from a state with just a very with the state 190 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: party that need that is changing now hopefully, but I 191 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: was wondering if you talk about that. Yeah. Ben Wickler, 192 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: who was a friend of mine, who I've worked with 193 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 1: for years, is just an absolute political genius. He has 194 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: a dynamo. I don't know how he does all the 195 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,840 Speaker 1: things he does. He has built an incredible machine in Wisconsin. 196 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: And sometimes, if you know, like we joke all the 197 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: time of posin America, like we should just clone Ben 198 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: for all fifty states. And that's obviously not not not 199 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 1: as of yet, a very viable strategy. And it's hard 200 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: to go to every state party and be like, be 201 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:00,319 Speaker 1: like Ben Wickler in Wisconsin because Wisconsin has a history 202 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 1: of strong parties, it has a high civic engagement rates, 203 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 1: one of the highest turnal states in the country. So 204 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: it's hard to go to like Florida and say be like, 205 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: you know, a bigger state with lower civil civic engagements, 206 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: they'd be like that. But there is one lesson I 207 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: would say every single party chair should do that we 208 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,439 Speaker 1: should take from Ben Wickler, which is after twenty twenty, 209 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: what Ben Wickler did in the Wisconsin Democrats is they 210 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: went to their donors and said, I don't know how 211 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 1: much money you were planning on giving, but become a 212 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: recurring donor. Say instead of giving one hundred twenty bucks 213 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: a year, give ten bucks a month. And the reason 214 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: why that is so important, and Ben will tell you 215 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: it's why they're able to win elections like these is 216 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 1: money spent early is exponentially more impactful than money spent late. 217 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:45,319 Speaker 1: And so if you get one hundred and twenty dollars 218 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: over the course of a year, that is going to 219 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: help the party hire for the long term, invest in 220 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: infrastructure and technology and data in ways that are completely 221 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: not possible if you just give one hundred twenty bucks 222 00:11:57,679 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: in the last month. And because we have as a 223 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: party about this massive grassroots fundraising machine gives us a 224 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: huge advantage because our money is going to candidates. Their 225 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: money is going to superpacks and dark money groups. Right, 226 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:14,439 Speaker 1: But it's a boom bust cycle for us where it's 227 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: it makes it impossible for parties and candidates to plan 228 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: because what happens is something happens in the news like 229 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 1: the death of Ruth beider Kinsberg, and everyone gives money. Kats, 230 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: they're pissed, right, they're worried about everyone gets money or 231 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 1: everyone gives money at the end. But money at the 232 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: end can only really be spent on TV, which has 233 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: really diminishing returns at that point in the race now, right, 234 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: It just in general diminishing returns is more people move 235 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: away from linear television. So at what every democratic donor 236 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: who gives the parties and committees and organizations do is 237 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: become a recurring donor. You can give the same amount 238 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 1: of money you would give otherwise, just do it on 239 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,839 Speaker 1: a monthly basis so that our leadership can plan around it, 240 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: they can invest. And so that's what every state. That's 241 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: how if I was giving advice to state parties, that's 242 00:12:57,840 --> 00:12:59,719 Speaker 1: where I would spend my time and energy right now, 243 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 1: trying to build up a recurring sustainable donor base so 244 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: that the party can build real infrastructure. Is supposed to 245 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 1: just blowing all the money on TV at the end 246 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: and then starting from scratch the next day. I wanted 247 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 1: to ask you about Florida for another minute, because a 248 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: Nikki fit. I've had her on the podcast a bunch 249 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: of times, and you know, she didn't win as governor. Again. 250 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: There were a lot of issues, I think the statewide 251 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: issues that may have but I just was curious. She 252 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 1: has a very kind of I don't know. I found 253 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,319 Speaker 1: the way she looked at things a little bit exciting. Weed, 254 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 1: water and weapons was her slogan, and I wondered if 255 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 1: you thought, I mean again weapons what I mean? I 256 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,239 Speaker 1: don't know that. I can't speak too but I thought 257 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: the idea of weed and water, I thought that was 258 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 1: pretty interesting. I found her candidacy and the Democratic primary 259 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: for governor very interesting. About the way she tried to 260 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: embrace the legalization in marijuana was I think that's smart. 261 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: I think that's the future for the party, and I 262 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: think it would allow us to build some cross ideological coalitions. 263 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: Legalization Mari Wanta pulls incredibly well with a lot of 264 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 1: voters who we should be getting but are not currently getting, 265 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: and so I like, I think that is very smart. 266 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: Florida is such an interesting state because the party. This 267 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: is why it's so important that with her leadership, they 268 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:18,319 Speaker 1: can build a sustainable party infrastructure there is it's so expensive, 269 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: it is so hard to win because of the way 270 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: the demographics shift in that state. But it should be like, 271 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: there's an opportunity there for us, and what we need 272 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: to be able to do is build a party infrastructure 273 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: in Florida that allows the presidential campaign either in twenty 274 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 1: four or twenty eight wherever else, to make a decision 275 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: when the time comes to compete or not compete because 276 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: it just costs so much money, right, it is a 277 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: massive investment to spend a flori because there's so many 278 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 1: media markets and they're so expensive. But the work can 279 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 1: be done to bring it to the cusp of competitiveness 280 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: so the party can make a real decision, so they 281 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: cannon can make a real decision. But that's the work 282 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: that has to happen now. So I think it's exciting 283 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 1: that she has to embrace this job in that way. 284 00:14:57,840 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 1: And it's been a very long time since we've had 285 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 1: someone I think with that level of commitment and charisma, 286 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: and I think strategic thinking in that role in Florida. Yeah, 287 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 1: super interesting. I just want to get back to one 288 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: more thing you were talking about. We're almost at a time, 289 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: but you were talking about the things that Joe Biden 290 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: can do to excite the base. I want to ask 291 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: you about that. But I also I just wonder Biden 292 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: he keeps winning. Like I'm just saying this in general, 293 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: like people may not fundamentally like him, but he has 294 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: delivered so hard on these results. Oh absolutely absolutely, And 295 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: I don't take too much stock and these polls that 296 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: show lack of enthusiasm among Democrats, it's too early to 297 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: truly measure that. The only thing that I think is 298 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: important to watch is the victory in twenty twenty and 299 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 1: then the victor in twenty twenty two is driven in 300 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: large parts by huge turnout in support levels among younger voters. 301 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: That is the group that in approval ratings has soured 302 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: the most on Joe Biden. I don't think that's going 303 00:15:57,840 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: to stay true. But I think when it becomes Joe 304 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: Biden vers Donald Trump or Joe Biden, Broun de Santis 305 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: and we have more conversations about the completely insane, perverse 306 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: thing that Republicans are trying to do to target LGBTQ 307 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: youth in like this law and Kansas they just passed 308 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: to allow genital inspections of children before supporting events. I 309 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: think that that will change. But that's just like if 310 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: you're just doing like your punch list for the Biden campaign, 311 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: that's one thing you'll watch. I think, Look, Joe Biden 312 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: has been by winning in twenty twenty, he essentially saved 313 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: democracy and that is a historic achievement. He achieved more 314 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: than anyone thought was possible given the narrow majorities he has, 315 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: and then he delivered a victory in the twenty twenty 316 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: two interms. He expanded the Senate majority despite a sour economy, 317 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: lower approval ratings, and you would expect, and so I 318 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: think we should have great confidence in his ability to 319 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: do it. I think that the party is going to 320 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: get very fired up about him once this campaign engages, 321 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 1: and when it particularly, there will be two things on 322 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: amount would when Joe Biden's out there campaigning for himself, 323 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: when there are ads on the air and in the 324 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 1: Internet to help communicate his message, because it's so hard 325 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: to break through in this mainstream media vironmenticularly to the 326 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: voters we need, but also when the stakes of the 327 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: election become so high, because we see that when people 328 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 1: not just people like H and I who consume this 329 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,880 Speaker 1: stuff for a living or because we're maybe a little 330 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 1: bit off, but like regular people who do not think 331 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: about politics all day, starts seeing what this Republican Party 332 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: is doing, that's going to move numbers pretty quickly. Yeah, 333 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: I mean I definitely think that's true. I also wonder, 334 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 1: and again I have fought with many people, and many 335 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:34,439 Speaker 1: people I truly like like Sarah Longwell from The Bulwark 336 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: about this, but I really do believe Ron De Santis 337 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 1: is significantly more scary than Donald Trump because he's very skilled. 338 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 1: I've had this argument with many many people. It's really 339 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: a pick your poison, right, right, Well, like how you 340 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 1: view the threat when you're comparing Donald Trump and Ronda 341 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: Santis's president United States? Donald Trump could easily get us 342 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 1: into a third World war, like just double ass backwards 343 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:02,239 Speaker 1: into it, right, Absolutely, I think it's high it's more 344 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: highly likely that he would do that than to Santis. Right, 345 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,680 Speaker 1: But if you're thinking about like who could actually make 346 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,680 Speaker 1: real progress in reigning in our democratic freedoms and making 347 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 1: America American more of an authoritarian country. I think Ronda 348 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 1: Santis would be much more successful at that task than 349 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 1: Donald Trump, who has no real strategic sense or the 350 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,120 Speaker 1: attention span to do those sorts of things and sods. 351 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 1: What are you worry about? Right? Are you worried about 352 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 1: to basically doing the planet to nuclear war or doing 353 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:35,199 Speaker 1: America to authority. It's like, it's just pick which one 354 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: you were the main things. We've got to beat both 355 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,199 Speaker 1: of them, and we absolutely can do that. It's it's 356 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: just gonna take a lot of work. Yeah, I mean, 357 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 1: just incredible stuff. I really appreciate you joining me. I 358 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 1: hope you'll come back anytime. Congressman Robert Garcia represents California's 359 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 1: forty second district. Welcome to Fast Politics. Representative Garcia happy 360 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 1: to be here. Thank you. You came on My eight 361 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:06,400 Speaker 1: are in a pretty interesting way, can you guess, I mean, 362 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:13,360 Speaker 1: I don't know, beyond say, taking on George Santos, I'm 363 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:17,200 Speaker 1: not sure. Yes, Well, let's talk first about George Santos 364 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,360 Speaker 1: and though we can get to Beyonce. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 365 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously George Santos is a total fraud and 366 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: a liar, has no place to in Congress. And I 367 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 1: take a special offense just autistic, being you know, gay 368 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: and Latino myself and him being gay in Latino. It 369 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:34,200 Speaker 1: just bothers me so much how much he is to 370 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,440 Speaker 1: fount of the country and he's constituents, and it's really 371 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: sad to see. And I mean, we know nothing about him. 372 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 1: He's a complete fabrication, and it just Trump has created 373 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: this environment where someone like George Santos doesn't feel the 374 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 1: responsibility to resign, and so we you know, we poor 375 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:54,360 Speaker 1: put forward an expulsion resolution. It continues to gain support 376 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,440 Speaker 1: every week, and I'm really hopeful that at some point 377 00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: soon he'll he'll resigner. I think we're going to find 378 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 1: out pretty quickly through the traditional system that he's committed 379 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 1: massive crimes. And so I think that's you know, that's 380 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 1: where that said, and I don't expect him to be 381 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: in Congress much longer. It is incredible though, like if 382 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: you think about it, you know, they have like this 383 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: four vote the Republican speaker. It's a sign of where 384 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy is that he couldn't get it together to 385 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: expel Representative Santos. Can you talk a little bit about that? Yeah, 386 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, I think the problem is that Kevin 387 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 1: McCarthy really has no government coalition. His government coalition is extreme, 388 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 1: you know, Maga Trump loyalists and spattering over the folks 389 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: across the Caucasin. So the only way he can become 390 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,959 Speaker 1: Speaker was essentially to pass the keys over to folks 391 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 1: like Margor Tailor greeting George Santos, Yeah, because he didn't 392 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 1: have the votes, and so you know, he got them 393 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: on board, and god knows, he's put a Margor Tailer 394 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: Green on really a key committees, some of which I 395 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 1: sit on, which is horrific to sit on with her. Yeah. 396 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: Can you say more, because I think a lot of 397 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,640 Speaker 1: us are curious about what that's like. It's awful. I mean, 398 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,119 Speaker 1: if one is. You know, I'm on the Select Committee 399 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: on the pandemic, for example, a very serious committee. I 400 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: you know, my mom and stepdad passed away to pandemic 401 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: with a horrible experience of with mayor of my city 402 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 1: during the time. It is really rough. So I took 403 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 1: it very seriously. And to put someone like Marjorie Teeler Green, 404 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: who was literally a vaccine denier who literally has caused 405 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:25,400 Speaker 1: harm said probably serious step to families by her discrediting vaccinations. 406 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: Discrediting the pandemic is wrong. It's just so irresponsible. And 407 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 1: to see someone like her not just be on that committee, 408 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:34,639 Speaker 1: but I also serve with her on oversight and just 409 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: to have her lie and lie and try to pull 410 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:41,959 Speaker 1: stunts like she did visiting the the in directionists that 411 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: you know that attacked the Capitol and pulling those kinds 412 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: of kind of media stunts is what she does. And 413 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: sure her bass loves her, but she's an unserious person, 414 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,240 Speaker 1: have no business being in Congress, And her and George 415 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: Santos are two sides the same coin. Yeah, one of 416 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,199 Speaker 1: the things that I am delighted by it I want 417 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: to talk to you about is this idea that Republicans 418 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: really tried to target LGBTQ Americans in ways that are 419 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,399 Speaker 1: really beyond the pale. I don't think it's going to work. 420 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: I think that marriage equality. You guys codified marriage equality 421 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: in Congress. By the way, can you talk to us 422 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: about what that was like? Because that must have been 423 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 1: pretty exciting as a game member in Congress, and there's 424 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: not many. I mean there's ten in the Congress, in 425 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: the House, there's two in the Senate. It's a small group, 426 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,360 Speaker 1: and sover for us to see the support with particularly 427 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: within our own caucus, and with definitely with some Republicans, 428 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: a good group of them, I think it's really is hardening. 429 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,919 Speaker 1: But I also don't want to just make this about marriage. 430 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 1: I think marriage is something that's been litigated, moved beyond 431 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: gay marriage. The bigger issue right now, quite frankly, is 432 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:56,320 Speaker 1: this constant attack from the far right attacking trans people, 433 00:22:56,359 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: attacking gender identity, attacking books that they want to tell 434 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,479 Speaker 1: stories about, you know, gay people in our schools, and 435 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 1: so there is a radical attack happening. And I don't 436 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: put it past you know, any any Republican that made 437 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: now support the marriage. I mean, they welcome them, we're 438 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: happy about it. But that's just window dressing. I mean 439 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: the real fight is trying to move the community backwards 440 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 1: on almost every other type of right or protection, whether 441 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:26,679 Speaker 1: it's in schools, in the workplace, and certainly globally and 442 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: so bacheup we're focused on right now, and marriage I 443 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: think was one of a long time ago. So we're 444 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 1: continuing that fight. Yeah, I mean, no, marriage equality is 445 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: the bare minimum. But it strikes me as interesting that 446 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: they are at war. It doesn't strike me as interesting. 447 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: It's super disturbing that they're at war with their targeting LGBTQ, 448 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: and I think ultimately they're doing that through targeting trans people. 449 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: I want to ask you one of the things that 450 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 1: you've been working, you've been urging Mary Garland my orchids 451 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: to do more. Can you talk about that a little bit? Yeah, 452 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: I mean, I think we've been working. I mean there's 453 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: there's a couple a couple things here. I think. I 454 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,439 Speaker 1: think one is there's there's a group of us that 455 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:17,399 Speaker 1: are very focused on overall just the real kind of 456 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 1: danger that is beginning to develop on the right, the 457 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: extreme kind of this magabase that's happening. And it's no 458 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:28,200 Speaker 1: longer this loyal opposition. It's essentially crazed people. I mean, 459 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: folks that are obsessed with trans people that are obsessed 460 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 1: with attacking our institutions, are obsessed with attacking journalists that 461 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: have become quite dangerous. And I think that there gets 462 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: pretty clear. And it's not just me saying that people 463 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: in the military, it's people at DJ that we have 464 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: a serious domestic terrorism. We have a white supremacy issue 465 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: in this country, We have a dost of terrorist issue 466 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: in this country, and folks like Donald Trump and Marge 467 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,920 Speaker 1: Tiller we can continue to incite these folks. And we've 468 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,119 Speaker 1: seen attacks on individuals across this country, not just on 469 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,159 Speaker 1: social media, but really serious ones that are actually been 470 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: physical and nature, and January six of being kind of 471 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:07,680 Speaker 1: the the epitome of that. And so we're really working 472 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 1: and trying to encourage folks and especially our leaders and 473 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 1: our cabinet secretaries at our key agencies to really focus 474 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: on this issue of domestic terrorism, and during especially this 475 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,159 Speaker 1: time when you have Donald Trump trying to incite his 476 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: base of making sure that protections are in place for 477 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,880 Speaker 1: the public, for schools, for volks in our government, for 478 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,159 Speaker 1: the media. These are really serious issues. I've been hardened, 479 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,439 Speaker 1: I think lately We've had some conversations and some hearings 480 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 1: where it sounds like this is something that's being taken 481 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: care taken seriously, certainly by the Biden administration. It's just 482 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: unfortunate that we literally have a former president trying to 483 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 1: incite riots. Yeah, oh, now is this completely completely crazy? 484 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,199 Speaker 1: Do you feel safe in Congress. Do you feel like 485 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 1: Trump is sort of trying to do this again? I mean, 486 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:56,119 Speaker 1: what is your feelings? I mean, I feel safe personally. 487 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: I'm a member that I like to walk outside. I 488 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: don't take the tunnel hols like you know. I'm very 489 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,919 Speaker 1: open that way, and so I feel fine. But I 490 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: understand that it's not exactly a safe place for everybody. 491 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,840 Speaker 1: And I think also that there's a lot of folks 492 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: that feel unsafe. I hear it from my colleagues and 493 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 1: uh and that's a scary thing, I think for in 494 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: our seat of government to feel like they are being 495 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 1: targeted by an extreme uh force in this country and 496 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: and being incited by it former President's states. I mean, 497 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 1: I don't. I still know it's amazing, particularly rewitnessed what's 498 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: going on with Donald Trump right now. I mean, this 499 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: is the biggest con man ever in the history of 500 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:38,360 Speaker 1: our country. This person is a con man, a criminal, corrupt. 501 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 1: I mean, you he epitomizes all the worst things about 502 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:46,119 Speaker 1: about America, and yet he has this kind of rapid 503 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: group of supporters and internet, to a broader extension, the 504 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: Republicans in Congress that basically tell them that this is okay. 505 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: It's okay to inside violence, and it's okay to attack 506 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: our institutions, and it's okay to support kind of this 507 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,560 Speaker 1: kind of racist ideology in our country, and it's quite dangerous, 508 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: and so I feel safe. I think that we're not 509 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 1: living in safe times, and I think we've got to 510 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 1: be very careful in the months ahead, but particularly as 511 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:14,120 Speaker 1: we kind of keep more information about what these indictments 512 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: are exactly about, and what the Justice Department that ends 513 00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:19,400 Speaker 1: up doing and what happens at a Georgia. I think 514 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 1: it's really important that we are careful. Yeah, for sure, 515 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: you come from a group that Democrats have been trying 516 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: to win. Can you talk about a little bit about 517 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 1: how Democrats can win over Latino voters. Obviously, as a 518 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,199 Speaker 1: LGBTQ plus immigrant, of being the first that have been 519 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: elected to Congress, I feel like I've got a special 520 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: responsibility to be a voice, particularly within our own Latino community, 521 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 1: for you, for lgbt Q plus folks, and broadly speaking, 522 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,359 Speaker 1: as an immigrant, someone that came here to this country, 523 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:52,360 Speaker 1: and there's not a lot of immigrants actually served Congress. 524 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:54,120 Speaker 1: You know, we've been talking about immigration in the Forum 525 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 1: for decades. There hasn't been real immigration in form stance 526 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: the nineteen eighties. And I think one thing that's been 527 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 1: missing also is folks that have actually been to the system. 528 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,120 Speaker 1: And I was documented from US much of my life. 529 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 1: I stayed past my visa. I didn't become a US 530 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:14,120 Speaker 1: citizen till I mean almost my mid twenties, and so 531 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: I know what the experience is actually like and how 532 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: it works and the damage it does to families. And 533 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:24,439 Speaker 1: so I think that Democrats have not led on issues 534 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 1: around immigration. And yes, there's alignment with Latinos on education 535 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 1: and on healthcare, and I think broadly on taxes, but 536 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:36,920 Speaker 1: on immigration, I think Latinos feel left behind. I think 537 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: they feel disappointed. I think that's been that's widely I 538 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: think recognize, and to President Biden's credit, on day one, 539 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: he did propose an immigration it Form kind of framework. 540 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 1: We just don't have the numbers in the Congress. And 541 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: I think when we did have the opportunity that we 542 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 1: did have the numbers, we didn't take that, you know, 543 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 1: we didn't take that shot, you know, years ago, and 544 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 1: I think that was really unfortunate. I think the X 545 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: time that we're able to have the House back and 546 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 1: keep hold of the Senate and the presidency, which could 547 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 1: be in just a couple of years. Immigration reform has 548 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: got to be at the top of that list. It's 549 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 1: got to be tough. And I think that that the 550 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 1: sale community will not and if not in a place 551 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: where we're not going to demand that to be in 552 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: the top to the list. Yeah, no, I agree, And 553 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: I think the immigration situation in this country is so 554 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: incredibly and I can curse because we're not on cable 555 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: news here are fucked up. We are desperate for workers. 556 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: We are a country that is desperate for so desperate 557 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: for workers that some Republican governors are changing the child 558 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:44,600 Speaker 1: labor laws. Insane. Now, it's it's insane, And I agree 559 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:46,239 Speaker 1: with you, it is fucked up. And I think that 560 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: and what happened to the America that welcome people, that 561 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: looked at asylum seekers as folks that we could help. 562 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,240 Speaker 1: And you know what happened to a country that was 563 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 1: proud of its immigrant roots, that was built in large part, 564 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: huge contribution to this country has always been the immigrant 565 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 1: and experience, and now we're at this place where there's 566 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: just a demonization and attacks on immigrants constantly. I mean 567 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 1: fueled by by by Trump and some of these stream 568 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: is in the party, and it's really sad. I think 569 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 1: I think it speaks to where we are as our 570 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:22,720 Speaker 1: values as a country. You know, this idea that patriotism 571 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: is about individualism, or it's about taking care of oneself 572 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 1: and one's family only, and this you know, America first, 573 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: my family first. I think that is exactly the opposite 574 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: of what this country is about. This country is and 575 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 1: has tradition it's been about a patriotism that actually is 576 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: about helping people that actually helping people within our country 577 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: that come to our border around the world, and we've 578 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,600 Speaker 1: always had pride in that. And I think that, you know, 579 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 1: Democrats have to retake this idea of what true patriotism is. 580 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 1: And I think that immigrants are some of the most 581 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: patriotic people that actually are in the country. They have been, 582 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 1: particularly those that become citizens like myself and my family. 583 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 1: We fought for citizenship, we arened citizens ship, and so 584 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: we have a lot of work to do there. But 585 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: I think I think Democrats need to take the lead, 586 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 1: and I think that's something we have not seen on 587 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 1: this issue in some time. Yeah, I mean, that's the 588 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 1: thing I'm struck by it's not even like doing the 589 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:24,160 Speaker 1: right thing. Republicans are hurting the country because they're racist, 590 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: or at least when it comes to immigration. The American 591 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 1: economy needs people to work or will not grow. So 592 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 1: I mean, this is not even like about doing the 593 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: right thing. This is about self preservation. And that's the 594 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: interesting thing. I think the only way we're going to 595 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,240 Speaker 1: be any type of reform package is actually an acknowledgement 596 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: from Republicans that it's different the economy. And we're hearing 597 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: I'm hearing all the time from CEOs now and from 598 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 1: the business associations and chambers back home and across DC 599 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,520 Speaker 1: that you know, the worker shortage is real. There is 600 00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 1: real issues around around a labor the labor market. We 601 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 1: could fix these problems, and yet we're choosing not to. 602 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:07,520 Speaker 1: Immigration is the solution to bringing in new talent, to 603 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: refilling our labor pool, to bring in folks are willing 604 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 1: to work really hard for some of these jobs that 605 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: we can't find people to do in this country. Even 606 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:16,959 Speaker 1: you look at the shortages that are happening right now 607 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 1: around mercy, around healthcare, in the education space, it haggard culture. 608 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,040 Speaker 1: These are serious challenges that are only going to get 609 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: exponentially worse unless you're not address immigration. I think Republicans, 610 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: some especially of finally getting that. And so unfortunately, you know, 611 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: these some of these folks don't They don't care unless 612 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 1: it hurts their pocketbook. And I think, I think that 613 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:40,760 Speaker 1: it's going to start hurting their pocketbook, and it has 614 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: started to already, and so hopefully we'll see some season pristare. 615 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: I always thought before the pandemic that while Republicans will 616 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,479 Speaker 1: kill their own people and it will be bad for 617 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: their voters, right, I mean, it's bad to kill your voters, 618 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 1: you would think, But a lot of Republican voters were 619 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 1: not able to make the connection between anti vax and 620 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: dying of COVID. No, that's right, and I you know, 621 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 1: and that's that was really sad to see. I think 622 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: also the truth that you look you see are repeated 623 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,040 Speaker 1: in like, for example, just for a lot of as 624 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: we know, folks that vote for Trump and that are 625 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:17,320 Speaker 1: conservative with our Republicans are are some of the most 626 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:19,840 Speaker 1: lowest income people in some of our states that are 627 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 1: the most low income across the country, and they, you know, 628 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 1: they can't see that they're supporting folks that literally in 629 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 1: some cases despise poor people and surely do not support 630 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: low income volks. And so there's a huge disconnect there, 631 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 1: and that's why sometimes they worry. Yes, like Republican business 632 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:41,840 Speaker 1: leaders and yes, Republican kind of you know, traditional Republicans 633 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: understand the need for immigration, but I think the far 634 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:47,000 Speaker 1: you know that those that are on the far right, 635 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 1: particularly those from some of these communities that are very trumpy, 636 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: they're a lot of them are already living in poor communities. 637 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 1: That doesn't seem to botany that doesn't seem to impact 638 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 1: their voting decisions, and so I'm not sure that passing 639 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: Immigration of Form bill will either. And a lot of that, 640 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: as we know, it's a lot to do with race, 641 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: because there is an issue there of race and of 642 00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:08,800 Speaker 1: not the other end of concern about what, you know, 643 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:10,880 Speaker 1: immigrants are going to do this country, even though we 644 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:15,360 Speaker 1: literally helped build it. Come from California, California. It's about 645 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: to be fire season in California, but right now it's 646 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 1: atmospheric river season in California. Where is California on climate 647 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 1: and how unprepared are we? I feel like this sort 648 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: of devetails into our our conversation, like there's so much 649 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 1: climate denialism. I just I wonder if we're ever going 650 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: to get there. Now I wonder the same thing too. 651 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, I think any California obviously is a 652 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 1: model that relates to climate action. And I really support 653 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: our governor and really condemn the rest of the Republicans 654 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 1: across the country that are should take a que from 655 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,040 Speaker 1: what we're doing out here. I see them. We see 656 00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:54,200 Speaker 1: the impacts of the climate crisis in California obviously. I 657 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:57,920 Speaker 1: mean there are we are having huge shifts and temperature, 658 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 1: what's going on with with our drought, and then we'll 659 00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: have these storms that come in and so there's there's 660 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 1: definitely a change that's happening. That's that's fit they were 661 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: living through. But the bigger issue is the denialism that 662 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 1: happening across the country and within the House Caucus. I mean, 663 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 1: they're so focused on profits for big oil and profits 664 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:19,759 Speaker 1: for these huge you know groups that just want to 665 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:21,840 Speaker 1: you know, essentially destroy the rest of the country. They 666 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,400 Speaker 1: want to open up our preserved spaces, they want to 667 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:28,080 Speaker 1: get you know, drilled every piece of land that they're 668 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: able to. They have no interest in cleaning up their 669 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:33,319 Speaker 1: ships or cleaning up dirty diesel trucks, and so it's 670 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:36,320 Speaker 1: like they're not even concerned about the future for their kids. Now, fortunately, 671 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:39,799 Speaker 1: I'm very much like encouraged by the next generation. And 672 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 1: it just it seems like the sooner that you know, 673 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:46,720 Speaker 1: we cycle in all these young people that on all sides, 674 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 1: that care about climate, that really believe in this, and 675 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:51,640 Speaker 1: we're going to be better off asive country because the 676 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:54,359 Speaker 1: older folks and then in this country and are just 677 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 1: completely lost on this is ship. Yeah. Absolutely, thank you 678 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:01,800 Speaker 1: so much, Congressman. I hope you'll come back absolutely anytime. 679 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:07,279 Speaker 1: Doctor Yusuf Salam is a member of the Exonerated five 680 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:10,320 Speaker 1: at a candidate for city council in New York City. 681 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to Fast Politics, doctor Yusuf Salam. Thank you, thank 682 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:17,000 Speaker 1: you for having me first. Why don't you talk to 683 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:19,920 Speaker 1: us a little bit about what you're running for before 684 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:22,920 Speaker 1: we talk about anything else. Yeah. Absolutely, So I'm running 685 00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 1: for city council here in Central hallm for really the 686 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:30,799 Speaker 1: chance to lead our people and to resuscitate the very 687 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 1: soul that is dormant in Harlem. You know, I've been 688 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 1: told that there's a lack of leadership, there's a lack 689 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:40,799 Speaker 1: of support. And as I walk around the community, that's 690 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,640 Speaker 1: exactly what I see. I see that we are in 691 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 1: dire need for our tax dollars to do exactly what 692 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,160 Speaker 1: it says is supposed to do. You know, they say 693 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:52,839 Speaker 1: no taxation without representation, and we are not being represented 694 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:57,319 Speaker 1: at all in Harlem, and we need more support. And 695 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: I think that when I think about the condition we're in, 696 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,879 Speaker 1: we've been pushed into the margins of life and there's 697 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:09,680 Speaker 1: no one really bringing all voices, our concerns, our ideas 698 00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:12,239 Speaker 1: into the halls of power in a way that's meaningful 699 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:14,799 Speaker 1: for us. And so I'm running for city council in 700 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 1: Central Hallow to be that voice of the people whose 701 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: voices have been turned down, this desire to be heard. 702 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,799 Speaker 1: You come by this honestly. Can you explain to us 703 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 1: a little bit of your origin story? Yeah, you know, 704 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:33,400 Speaker 1: I love that. I love that term origin story. Thirty 705 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: four years ago, I was really run over by the 706 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:39,760 Speaker 1: spike wils of justice. Yeah. Really almost a death sentence, 707 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,360 Speaker 1: if you can imagine it, because two weeks after we 708 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 1: were accused of media mogul, a personality who in many 709 00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: ways was celebrated by a black community even though he's 710 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:52,680 Speaker 1: not black. Donald Trump takes out these full page ads 711 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 1: in New York City's newspapers, rushing to judge us, basically 712 00:37:57,080 --> 00:38:00,360 Speaker 1: calling for the death penalty to be reinstated for our case. 713 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 1: And what that did, essentially was it whispered into the 714 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:09,160 Speaker 1: darkest unclaves of society that you can do to us, 715 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: those who became known as the Central Park five. You 716 00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:15,000 Speaker 1: can do to us what you have done to admit too. 717 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 1: And if we survived, if we happen to go to 718 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:22,440 Speaker 1: prison and survive, then when we come home, we were 719 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:24,759 Speaker 1: supposed to be given a social death that we were 720 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:27,840 Speaker 1: never supposed to come out of. And that is the short, 721 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:30,799 Speaker 1: so to speak. Peace. But we were arrested for a 722 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,480 Speaker 1: crime we didn't commit almost thirty four years ago. The 723 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 1: crime was the rape of the Central Park jogger. We 724 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:39,680 Speaker 1: became known as the Central Park five. We were found 725 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 1: guilty in nineteen ninety and went to prison for a 726 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:45,720 Speaker 1: crime we didn't commit. All along, there was no DNA. 727 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 1: You were fifteen years old, so we were fourteen, fifteen, 728 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: and sixteen year old children. And what they did essentially 729 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:56,000 Speaker 1: after that ad was ran in New York City's newspapers. 730 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,080 Speaker 1: They also published our names, phonembers and addresses in New 731 00:38:59,160 --> 00:39:02,040 Speaker 1: York Cities newspap and so as you can imagine, people 732 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,440 Speaker 1: began to write us hate mail, write us death threats, 733 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: tell us that they were going to kill us. Even 734 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:10,919 Speaker 1: if we somehow miraculously survive twenty to thirty years from now, 735 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:14,160 Speaker 1: some people will never forget is the language that someone 736 00:39:14,239 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 1: sent us, you know. And it was a tragedy because 737 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: it made people believe that black and brown people were 738 00:39:23,239 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 1: actually criminals and were a cry. They looked at the 739 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,040 Speaker 1: color of our skin and not the content of our character, 740 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:32,719 Speaker 1: and they judged us by it. And when I tell you, 741 00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:35,600 Speaker 1: it was the most awful thing to go through, but 742 00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:40,319 Speaker 1: I realized that kind of evil, being presented with the 743 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:47,040 Speaker 1: negativity the idea of being born a mistake at the 744 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:51,840 Speaker 1: age of fifteen, caused me to become stronger, become wiser, 745 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:57,320 Speaker 1: start planning a way forward. Because right now I'm able 746 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: to stand in a manner that says I'm better and 747 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:05,319 Speaker 1: not bitter. But I'm better and not bitter because this 748 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:09,560 Speaker 1: circumstance actually made it possible for me to be here 749 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:13,120 Speaker 1: in front of you today. All of the lived experiences, 750 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:15,280 Speaker 1: the good and the bad. The fact that Donald Trump 751 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:18,960 Speaker 1: was there in front of my face thirty four years 752 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:21,600 Speaker 1: ago at fifteen, and now he became the President of 753 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:24,279 Speaker 1: the United States, and now he's back in front of 754 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:26,359 Speaker 1: the media. You know, these types of things. I think 755 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 1: I needed to be able to see, experience and then 756 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:35,319 Speaker 1: figure how am I going to survive? You had six 757 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:38,520 Speaker 1: and a half years of your life stolen from you. 758 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:44,200 Speaker 1: You managed to somehow find peace? Yes, can you talk 759 00:40:44,239 --> 00:40:47,279 Speaker 1: about that? Absolutely? A lot of the peace that I 760 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,759 Speaker 1: have can be attributed to a belief system. Knowing that 761 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:56,840 Speaker 1: whatever you are given in life, the challenges that you 762 00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:00,319 Speaker 1: have to come up against, is not more then you 763 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 1: can bear. And when you hold onto the faith of 764 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:06,719 Speaker 1: a mustard seed, you find out that you get the 765 00:41:06,719 --> 00:41:11,480 Speaker 1: opportunity to become very strong. That life, in fact is 766 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:14,319 Speaker 1: trying to make you into a diamond, and the only 767 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 1: way for that to happen is that you have to 768 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:19,920 Speaker 1: grow through pressure and then more pressure on top of that, 769 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:24,640 Speaker 1: in order for your very soul to be transformed into 770 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:29,320 Speaker 1: the very thing that is coveted. A life of value, 771 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:33,000 Speaker 1: a life that reflects the light in a way that's meaningful, 772 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:37,840 Speaker 1: my belief system is really everything. Yeah, so much went 773 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:41,560 Speaker 1: wrong with that case. I grew up in New York City. 774 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:46,120 Speaker 1: I was twelve years old when you guys were imprisoned 775 00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:48,719 Speaker 1: and your lives were taken away from you. So much 776 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:52,040 Speaker 1: went wrong? Are you I mean, do you think that 777 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:56,239 Speaker 1: there's been some fixing in the criminal justice system in 778 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:58,520 Speaker 1: New York or do you think that's the same good 779 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:01,680 Speaker 1: thing could still happen. I absolutely think the same thing 780 00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:03,719 Speaker 1: could happen. You know, as a matter of fact, when 781 00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:06,279 Speaker 1: you think about my case, you know, the Center Park 782 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:09,319 Speaker 1: Jogger case and the Center Park five as we were 783 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:12,440 Speaker 1: once known, we became the modern day stots broke boys. 784 00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:16,120 Speaker 1: And when you think about history and how history is taught, 785 00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:19,320 Speaker 1: or rather not taught, you know, there's a concerted effort 786 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:23,319 Speaker 1: to ensure that we stay asleep, that the giants that 787 00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:27,080 Speaker 1: we are, the fact that we are, our ancestors wildest dreams. 788 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:31,239 Speaker 1: There's a concerted effort for us to participate in the 789 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:35,200 Speaker 1: process of us being the oil in the machinery of 790 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 1: systemical oppression. Because my mother says, eight years ago, she 791 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:41,080 Speaker 1: said to me, when I was fifteen and she was 792 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:44,240 Speaker 1: at the precinct, they gave her a moment to speak 793 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:46,879 Speaker 1: to me, and in that moment, she gave me my 794 00:42:46,960 --> 00:42:51,040 Speaker 1: final instructions. She told me that they needed me to 795 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:54,040 Speaker 1: participate in whatever it is that they're trying to do. 796 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:59,680 Speaker 1: Do not participate, she said, refuse. And so those words 797 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:03,560 Speaker 1: guided me and continue to still guide me as I 798 00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:07,520 Speaker 1: move forward in life, understanding that I am the secret 799 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:11,359 Speaker 1: ingredient to the whole thing. You know, it is absolutely 800 00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:14,880 Speaker 1: on us, on us to be our best, to do 801 00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:19,920 Speaker 1: our best, to challenge ourselves so that we don't become 802 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:22,719 Speaker 1: the oil in the machinery. But I think that they 803 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:26,080 Speaker 1: want us to do that. I think that the more 804 00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:29,759 Speaker 1: we lack power. The fact that you know, when you 805 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:32,239 Speaker 1: think about Harlem and the Harlems of the world, people 806 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:35,320 Speaker 1: are leaving in droves. They're not really leaving in droves. 807 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:40,799 Speaker 1: They are making decisions because it's coming. It's becoming so expensive, 808 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:44,120 Speaker 1: and the cost of living has increased in such a 809 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:49,040 Speaker 1: way that the actual median income in the area has 810 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,520 Speaker 1: not risen to meet the cost of living, and so 811 00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:54,399 Speaker 1: a lot of people are in pushed out, being forced out. 812 00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:57,759 Speaker 1: In fact, and what happens to the power when people leave, 813 00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:02,040 Speaker 1: The power shifts. There never been one hundred percent participation 814 00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:06,200 Speaker 1: in the voting process. But imagine realizing that you were 815 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:09,880 Speaker 1: pushed into a margin of life that said you are 816 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:13,640 Speaker 1: going to be one of the disenfranchised. How many people, 817 00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:16,640 Speaker 1: how many black and brown bodies, how many poor people 818 00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:19,600 Speaker 1: have been pushed into that space. And I think when 819 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:22,680 Speaker 1: you think about it, you realize that if we have 820 00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:25,480 Speaker 1: been pushed into that space and we accepted, and then 821 00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:28,680 Speaker 1: we come out of that, we perhaps we'll never want 822 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:31,839 Speaker 1: to participate in the system. We perhaps want to just 823 00:44:32,480 --> 00:44:35,120 Speaker 1: go along to get a law. But what happens with 824 00:44:35,200 --> 00:44:39,719 Speaker 1: that is that our non participation is actually participating in 825 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:42,720 Speaker 1: the fact that we get nothing. We pay our money, 826 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:45,840 Speaker 1: they take our money and do with it what they want. Yeah, 827 00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:47,680 Speaker 1: do you think it was your faith that was able 828 00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:50,160 Speaker 1: to get you through the experience of being I mean, 829 00:44:50,320 --> 00:44:52,240 Speaker 1: I know a lot of people who have been to jail, 830 00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:55,759 Speaker 1: some of them more often than not. It is not 831 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:59,280 Speaker 1: It is not a good experience. I'm sure your experience 832 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:01,560 Speaker 1: was also not a good experience in many ways, but 833 00:45:01,600 --> 00:45:04,719 Speaker 1: you know you've learned and grown from it. Oh. Absolutely, 834 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:11,839 Speaker 1: my experience was horrible, horrific, The most unfortunate of unfortunate events. 835 00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:15,719 Speaker 1: I remember where we went to prison, not because we 836 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:19,200 Speaker 1: did a crime. We went to prison because they labeled 837 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:22,480 Speaker 1: us rapists. That is the worst go to prison for, 838 00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:25,919 Speaker 1: you know, to be branded as a rapist is only 839 00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:29,600 Speaker 1: trump by child molestation. And to hold onto my faith. 840 00:45:29,719 --> 00:45:33,440 Speaker 1: I realized that what was going on for me that 841 00:45:33,520 --> 00:45:36,440 Speaker 1: can really only talk about me, is that as I 842 00:45:36,600 --> 00:45:40,120 Speaker 1: prayed my way through it, God put a headge of 843 00:45:40,200 --> 00:45:44,120 Speaker 1: protection around me. That the that they were fanning in 844 00:45:44,239 --> 00:45:47,640 Speaker 1: order to burn us alive allowed us to come out 845 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:51,360 Speaker 1: of that as the biblical figures shadrack, me shock and 846 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:55,279 Speaker 1: a bindigo. And I think, as I related all, you know, 847 00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:58,760 Speaker 1: it's one thing when you're walking and marching and trying 848 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:00,920 Speaker 1: to get through hell, but the only thing to get 849 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:02,640 Speaker 1: through it is that you have to keep on going. 850 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:05,960 Speaker 1: And once you are on the other side, you get 851 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:09,160 Speaker 1: the opportunity to look back and say to yourself, Wow, 852 00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:12,880 Speaker 1: look at God. Because it is only by the grace 853 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:16,240 Speaker 1: of God that I survived that with my mind intact, 854 00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:20,000 Speaker 1: with my faculties intact, for me to be able to 855 00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:25,279 Speaker 1: mount this new opportunity in life in terms of my candidacy. 856 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:27,359 Speaker 1: Because I looked at it and said, you know what, 857 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:31,240 Speaker 1: we should resuscitate our lives. If you know that prayer 858 00:46:31,719 --> 00:46:34,760 Speaker 1: is you talking to God, you have to know also 859 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:38,600 Speaker 1: that meditation is listening for the answers. And so I 860 00:46:38,719 --> 00:46:42,319 Speaker 1: prayed often, and I meditated even more. I learned how 861 00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:45,160 Speaker 1: to meditate with my eyes wide open. I learned how 862 00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:48,400 Speaker 1: to walk and meditate. I learned how to talk and meditate. 863 00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:52,320 Speaker 1: And I think it became tremendous because I then became 864 00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:55,799 Speaker 1: a vessel, a vessel with which or through which I 865 00:46:55,880 --> 00:46:59,920 Speaker 1: get the opportunity to reflect the light. And we need 866 00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:02,080 Speaker 1: more light. We need so much more light in this 867 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:04,879 Speaker 1: world of darkness. Because when I think about what's going 868 00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:08,040 Speaker 1: on around the world, you know, in America or Prussian 869 00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:11,160 Speaker 1: looks like white supremacy, white mail dominance, but in the 870 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:14,080 Speaker 1: other parts of the world, oppression looks very different. And 871 00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:17,319 Speaker 1: what I realized as I traveled the world, my experience 872 00:47:17,400 --> 00:47:21,080 Speaker 1: has shown that you know what we are fighting against, 873 00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:23,439 Speaker 1: those people who are fighting on the side of right, 874 00:47:23,560 --> 00:47:26,440 Speaker 1: on a good side of history, for human rights. We 875 00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:31,240 Speaker 1: are fighting against spiritual wickedness in high and low places. Yeah, 876 00:47:31,280 --> 00:47:33,879 Speaker 1: it's funny because tonight is the first night to pass over, 877 00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 1: and I think of like the job of our city. 878 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:40,839 Speaker 1: And you know, I was in my early teens right 879 00:47:40,920 --> 00:47:44,120 Speaker 1: when you were in your early teens and you were 880 00:47:44,160 --> 00:47:46,360 Speaker 1: sent to jail for a crime you didn't commit. I 881 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,120 Speaker 1: don't know, it just it hits me on a very 882 00:47:48,160 --> 00:47:51,480 Speaker 1: emotional level talking to you. I mean, I'm sure people 883 00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:54,600 Speaker 1: have that with you a lot too. I mean, but 884 00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:57,640 Speaker 1: I want to ask you. Are you close with the 885 00:47:57,719 --> 00:48:02,799 Speaker 1: other members of the group of these honorated five. Yeah, 886 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:04,759 Speaker 1: we are very close as a matter of fact, on 887 00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:08,000 Speaker 1: the Sacred Brotherhood because of this, you know, when we 888 00:48:08,040 --> 00:48:11,399 Speaker 1: first went through this journey, and you know, in many 889 00:48:11,400 --> 00:48:13,919 Speaker 1: ways I thought that it perhaps was a collected journey 890 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:16,319 Speaker 1: or the journey that we went through together. But the 891 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:18,759 Speaker 1: truth of the matter is that we actually had very 892 00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:22,680 Speaker 1: individual experiences. You know, we weren't always in the same jail. 893 00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:26,400 Speaker 1: We definitely didn't have the same experience when it came 894 00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:28,600 Speaker 1: to prison. When you think about, you know, what I 895 00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:30,920 Speaker 1: had went through and what you know, my friend Corey 896 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:35,040 Speaker 1: Wise went through. Right, the juxtaposition is, oh my goodness, 897 00:48:35,239 --> 00:48:37,640 Speaker 1: you know when we watched when they see us, even 898 00:48:37,680 --> 00:48:40,240 Speaker 1: to Renee, I never forget this, she said. While Corey 899 00:48:40,320 --> 00:48:42,399 Speaker 1: was out of the room, we were preparing to watch 900 00:48:42,440 --> 00:48:45,000 Speaker 1: part four, and she said, you know, gentlemen, I want 901 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:47,480 Speaker 1: you to know that this part that you're about to 902 00:48:47,520 --> 00:48:50,759 Speaker 1: see is the tv ber version and to digest that 903 00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:53,880 Speaker 1: after having watched part one, two and three. You know, 904 00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:58,279 Speaker 1: the emotionality connected with our story being told and being 905 00:48:58,320 --> 00:49:02,640 Speaker 1: told right, being given new life through young actors and actresses, 906 00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:06,480 Speaker 1: very very impactful, very profile. You know. I think about 907 00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:10,600 Speaker 1: that all the time. And it's one thing to experience 908 00:49:10,680 --> 00:49:15,160 Speaker 1: something and you can look over at your comrades who 909 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:19,120 Speaker 1: are there with you, but it's another thing to get 910 00:49:19,160 --> 00:49:22,920 Speaker 1: their take on it, to be in conversation, to listen 911 00:49:22,960 --> 00:49:26,680 Speaker 1: to them as they have internalized and experienced it for 912 00:49:26,719 --> 00:49:29,799 Speaker 1: themselves as well. And I think, you know when they 913 00:49:29,800 --> 00:49:33,160 Speaker 1: see as gives us that opportunity because you're talking about 914 00:49:33,200 --> 00:49:38,600 Speaker 1: five stories, five individuals who are not just by themselves 915 00:49:38,600 --> 00:49:40,839 Speaker 1: but with their families as well, and what that meant 916 00:49:40,920 --> 00:49:44,120 Speaker 1: and what it looked like, and how systemically we were 917 00:49:44,200 --> 00:49:47,359 Speaker 1: torn apart, you know, even coming out of that not 918 00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:51,239 Speaker 1: knowing the actual journey that we all had gone through, 919 00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:53,799 Speaker 1: but then coming to a point where we were able 920 00:49:53,840 --> 00:49:57,759 Speaker 1: to tell our stories to movie producers and writers and 921 00:49:58,440 --> 00:50:01,000 Speaker 1: actors and actresses, and they were able to follow us 922 00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:04,920 Speaker 1: and begin to become and imbibe the very soul of 923 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:07,480 Speaker 1: us so that they can tell our story in a 924 00:50:08,160 --> 00:50:12,120 Speaker 1: super just an impactful way. Can you just talk for 925 00:50:12,160 --> 00:50:16,160 Speaker 1: a minute about your incredible ad? Absolutely, you know my a. 926 00:50:17,560 --> 00:50:21,240 Speaker 1: The ad a response of course that I had always 927 00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:23,879 Speaker 1: wanted to do, because when you think about what Donald 928 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:26,440 Speaker 1: Trump did in nineteen eighty nine, two weeks after we 929 00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:30,120 Speaker 1: were accused, he didn't give us the presumption of innocence. 930 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:35,520 Speaker 1: I chose rather, after he was indicted and brought up 931 00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:39,319 Speaker 1: on criminal charges, to afford him what he had not 932 00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:44,360 Speaker 1: afforded us, to be noble in the sight of oppression, 933 00:50:44,680 --> 00:50:47,080 Speaker 1: to be able to say, you know what, Yes, for me, 934 00:50:47,120 --> 00:50:50,480 Speaker 1: it was the criminal system of injustice, but perhaps one day, 935 00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:53,080 Speaker 1: maybe today, I give the opportunity to call it the 936 00:50:53,120 --> 00:50:56,960 Speaker 1: criminal justice system. And so the AD was a chance 937 00:50:57,080 --> 00:51:01,320 Speaker 1: to show the world, with him having a front seat, 938 00:51:02,719 --> 00:51:06,080 Speaker 1: that we're still here, we're still strong, that we are 939 00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:10,920 Speaker 1: gifted with the grace that God gave us, and we 940 00:51:10,960 --> 00:51:15,399 Speaker 1: will always be noble for that. And the encouragement that 941 00:51:15,480 --> 00:51:18,040 Speaker 1: we afforded him would be an encouragement to say, look, 942 00:51:18,200 --> 00:51:21,040 Speaker 1: I hope you're you hope that you get what you 943 00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:23,920 Speaker 1: didn't give us, and I hope if you're convicted, that 944 00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:28,720 Speaker 1: you are able to do the time in the same 945 00:51:29,160 --> 00:51:35,520 Speaker 1: nobility and graceful manner that we have. Yeah, graceful nobility 946 00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:38,640 Speaker 1: and graceful manner. That seems like a stretch, but yes, 947 00:51:38,760 --> 00:51:41,799 Speaker 1: let's go on for him. Yes, absolutely, because you know 948 00:51:41,840 --> 00:51:43,759 Speaker 1: the fact that he wasn't even handcuffed, the fact that 949 00:51:43,800 --> 00:51:46,280 Speaker 1: he wasn't in let you know, leg shackles or anything 950 00:51:46,320 --> 00:51:48,359 Speaker 1: like that. You know, a lot of that has been 951 00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:51,160 Speaker 1: mentioned by the media, of course, but it's the juxtaposition 952 00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:54,399 Speaker 1: of being in the same building net you know, back 953 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:57,600 Speaker 1: then the assenter Park five were brought into and arraigned 954 00:51:57,640 --> 00:52:00,399 Speaker 1: and we had to stay and we couldn't go home. 955 00:52:00,520 --> 00:52:02,759 Speaker 1: He was able to leave in his private plane, not 956 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:05,680 Speaker 1: even not even a yet. He left in a private 957 00:52:05,719 --> 00:52:08,839 Speaker 1: plane to go back to be able to talk to 958 00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:12,600 Speaker 1: his supporters and get more support. We didn't have any 959 00:52:12,640 --> 00:52:15,399 Speaker 1: of that. We had to talk to ourselves and talk 960 00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:18,839 Speaker 1: to God, and you know, finned off all of the 961 00:52:18,880 --> 00:52:22,160 Speaker 1: evil that was lurking and waiting for us behind those walls. 962 00:52:22,200 --> 00:52:24,239 Speaker 1: The place that most people know is the belly of 963 00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:28,160 Speaker 1: the beast, the challenge of it all. Yeah, I think 964 00:52:28,160 --> 00:52:31,480 Speaker 1: you're going to be our mayor at some point. Oh wow, 965 00:52:31,560 --> 00:52:34,799 Speaker 1: And I can't wait. I've decided. I was watching on 966 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:37,280 Speaker 1: television yesterday and I thought he's going to be our 967 00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:41,600 Speaker 1: mayor someday. I so appreciate you just coming on and 968 00:52:41,640 --> 00:52:47,680 Speaker 1: talking about your experience and also the incredible generosity of 969 00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:53,480 Speaker 1: spirit that you have after being so mistreated by as 970 00:52:53,480 --> 00:52:56,760 Speaker 1: a teenager. And I just I am just like blown 971 00:52:56,760 --> 00:52:59,480 Speaker 1: away by you, and I really appreciate you. Thank you, 972 00:52:59,560 --> 00:53:07,520 Speaker 1: Thank you. Appreciate this opportunity as well. Thank you as well. 973 00:53:08,600 --> 00:53:12,840 Speaker 1: Jesse Cannon. Marjorie Taylor Greden is using New York City 974 00:53:13,280 --> 00:53:16,719 Speaker 1: as a punching bag, the way that Republicans love to 975 00:53:16,840 --> 00:53:21,040 Speaker 1: use urban areas as punching bags. And yet again we 976 00:53:21,160 --> 00:53:25,520 Speaker 1: see it here. She comes to our city, she tweets 977 00:53:26,320 --> 00:53:30,000 Speaker 1: about how everyone is a drug addict who's falling over. 978 00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:34,759 Speaker 1: She tries to make chaos. She picks a fight with 979 00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:37,879 Speaker 1: our terrible mayor that we didn't care so much about, 980 00:53:38,400 --> 00:53:43,400 Speaker 1: and then she goes on Tucker Carlson to complain that 981 00:53:43,520 --> 00:53:47,880 Speaker 1: our city smells. You know, she was not invited here. Really, 982 00:53:48,400 --> 00:53:51,680 Speaker 1: I thought you said it, she was not, and this 983 00:53:51,840 --> 00:53:57,000 Speaker 1: is the lamest pandering going and for that she gets 984 00:53:57,040 --> 00:54:01,480 Speaker 1: a hearty fuck that guy. That's it for this episode 985 00:54:01,480 --> 00:54:05,080 Speaker 1: of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 986 00:54:05,280 --> 00:54:07,840 Speaker 1: to your the best minds in politics makes sense of 987 00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:11,560 Speaker 1: all this chaos. If you enjoyed what you've heard, please 988 00:54:11,640 --> 00:54:14,120 Speaker 1: send it to a friend and keep the conversation going. 989 00:54:14,480 --> 00:54:16,200 Speaker 1: And again, thanks for listening.