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Nobody will hear from Congressman Adam Schiff, the income, the chairman of the House, intelligence Committee and the latest target Donald Trump's, ire. It will be not actually by the time you hear this yeah, who knows they could try. Couple give me three back we're also going to talk about the latest midterm results, because two thousand and eighteen is the election that never ends and we're going to talk about the race for speaker of the House first letter leave it will happening lover leave. It is on a much needed break, we'll be back after Thanksgiving for a run of shows in December, but there's a great episode up right now that you can download evergreen in our hearts tell me what about the world goes out there the world last week the world has retreated to a tour of the world's news with

roads, and then we dug deep with that extra from CSIS with North Korea's nuclear weapons program and how they're cheating on the non agreement we made with President Trump and then this week to talk to someone who monitors right wing extremists for a living, which sounds like a very hard dark job, and I'm excited to learn that that'll be an excellent ethical and also for Thanksgiving Dan, and I are going to answer all of your questions or some of your questions this afternoon and then of that episode will be up on Thursday. Okay ok, let's get to the news and the nearly two weeks since the election Democrats have now officially gained thirty seven seats in the house or likely to pick up about thirty eight when Ellis said and done, that's the best democratic midterm performance. Since the early 70s, we've also won the popular vote by seven point: seven percent and counting it could hit nine percent by the time. California is done

that would be the largest mid term margin by either party in over forty years. One particularly fun thing for us: Californians Democrats have now won six of the seven Republican held house districts in the state that voted for Hillary Clinton in twenty sixteen also known as the cricket. Seven, the original cricket, seven Orange County is now completely blue for the first time since the nineteen thirties. How about that guys and how Democrats get it done? Hey John! It's thanks to Julia for what? What I'm about to say? What do you call a

the dance party when they serve craft beer instead of club drugs a they called a brew? Rave, John, maybe that's what it was. Thank you Julia Julie. I thank you for that always appreciated. I think a few things are important about the the cook at seven one. We had great candidates right who are well matched the district Katie Porter Compelling story fought the big banks Cahill as well matched highly ruda as the early investment in, and that is a credit to the listeners of the show who were given money, the core in seven before any of them when their primaries its credit. New groups like swing, left credits, the triple c, an invisible yeah indivisible. Who like made this a priority, early

identified an opportunity and then went after it, and then you know I mean you also have to talk about like there was changing demographics in the state in these districts that I think helped us have a better chance of winning this time around. I also think it doesn't help any of these candidates that Kevin Mccarthy push some of them off a cliff by making them vote against Obamacare, all of them and President Trump right in prison. Trump Jim, through this tax bill that hurt people in California so as we can make a tax argument against a bunch of Republicans, which is a new feeling yeah every cent it's. I was surprised by that that every single one voted against a seer pill, because they're about twenty Republicans in the house who didn't and these people had to know they were in danger, but Kevin Mccarthy, the the new minority leader just push them all off the cliff at this you're right that the demographics of really changed a lot of these countries. But the other thing that's important. One of the reasons that that we won. These are a bunch of

It came out and voted for Democrats, and we this this time. We were in hardly routers district that last Sunday that was a and especially republican, district, anaerobic his district and when they had us knock on a bunch of doors, they said you know what they told the volunteers to go out and knocked or like look you're going to have lists with bunch republicans, don't be scared about that. As a reason for this for a reason- and a lot of them are going to want to vote for Harley Route which, by the way they were only able to do, expand the world of their their feel program, because so many people were voluntary, yeah we, let's at some distance and either more volunteers than residents in the destruction. I think you were Katie Health District and was there like thousands of people in line a lot of people talk about with around here slot. We were the first time which is great

and a lot of friends the partition up yeah, but so the demographics change with a lot more democratic voters in these. But look in most of the and a lot of these counties Republicans have a registration edge. They there's more registered Republicans and Democrats and Republicans didn't stay home. They came out to vote, but they voted for Democrats and you know that's something to it to keep in mind that we were able to persuade a lot of people which is important in before we move on there's also an outside shot. The Democrats may sweep all of the cricket seven races in the California Twenty First Democrat TJ is only two thousand ballots behind republican representative David Bella Dale and even though most networks called the race pretty much all of them called the race. A lot of the forecasters like five hundred and thirty seven Dave Wasserman. Those folks are now moving the race back to toss up there about thirty thousand ballots left with the next update expected on Wednesday. Amazing. Give me close.

It's going to be very, very close. It's certainly going to be closer than almost any of the polling that one was written off early. They thought that you know valid. Ao had a huge lead in all the polls and- and there was no shot there so very, very exciting, interesting about the tax cuts too, because obviously they didn't campaign on the tax cuts as much as they claimed they did, and certainly if they had one more of these

they would have been saying they want on a direct message, but it was a bad message everywhere they tried. It is especially bad in states. High tax states, like California, New York, Connecticut elsewhere, because this that ask lot was written to punish California. It was written to punish high tax states. It was a reward for states that obey their conservative ideology. So it's not surprising that Republicans were not on board all right. Let's talk about the other high profile, races that have now been called after coming close enough to demand a machine recount Andrew Gillum only picked up one vote in on Saturday, he conceded to run Desantis Florida Democratic, Senator Bill, Nelson conceded, his incredibly tight Senate race to outgoing republican governor Rick Scott on Sunday after the manual Rico

Shrunk Scotts lead from twelve thousand votes to about ten thousand votes, not enough to give him the win and then Stacey Abrams, who stood to become the nation's. First, black woman, governor acknowledged on Friday, that her opponent, Brian Kemp, would be quote certified as the victor ending her search to find enough votes to reduce temps, lead and force a runoff. She did say her speech was not a concession that quote democracy.

L, Georgia, in an interview on Sunday with Jake Tapper, she refused to say the camp was quote the legitimate governor elect only the legal governor Elect and she told CNN that the law as it stands says that he received an adequate number of votes to become the governor of Georgia, but we know sometimes the law does not do what it should and something being legal doesn't make it right. What do you guys think of I Stacey Abrams Non concession speech? I think governor says it was a great job. No, you know we talked about this in the run up to the election were saying that if this election is close and Brian Cappy exit out with the help of vote suppression in these sort of illegitimate tactics, it's gonna be a real test for Democrats in the media, and one of things that we disagreed with a little bit at the time was my view is that no one in politics is good. At talking about these kinds of situations, you pointed out that the media is often the biggest practitioner of once the election is over

pretend all the illegitimacy pretend all the problems, then they never happened for the sake of decorum in moving forward, but that even Democrats at time have a seated to that kind of politics and what was fascinating, as this was an example and one of the things I said, I have no idea what it sounds like when a Democrat doesn't play by that game, but this is what it sounds like it was. Rating, because it was something different. It was refusing to simply pretend all the things we said before the election weren't true just because it would be easier and smoother to just move.

Tell me: what do you think yeah winning doesn't make you right? You know I mean, and then that's one of the great frustrations in politics like I think sometimes people act like the fact that President Trump was accused of sexual assault by dozens of women is wiped away by winning an election. It is not. We will never forget and I think that's what was so great about Stacey Abrams speech. It was tough and he was honest and she was blunt about how angry she was and how she felt cheated and robbed in this process, and there was not some false call for unity, but instead she talked about the unfairness of the way Brian Kemp Randy's elections and pledged legal recourse and talked about how she was going to build an organization to fix it in the future. I mean, I think, like it was a remarkable speech, yeah she's, a great speaker, and so enormous speak all the time against you, so smart and so deliberate with her work

and she was the same way with Jake like she knows what she thinks and she's not going to. Let you corner her into saying something. She doesn't believe. You know Rich Lowry, the National Review said it showed a lack of grace because she wouldn't concede Jake asked her. Are you worried that you're undermining faith in democracy by Joanne Tapper? This is Jake Tapper yeah. By going this route, I will say I believe that her speech and the words that she chose very carefully were very different from what Donald Trump has done. What Marco Rubio has done with Rick Scott is done. I mean she first of all. She also said in that speech. I will pray for the success of Brian Kemp that he will indeed be a leader for all georgian. She said as the law stands. Of course he is. The legal governor of Georgia read that, but what she wanted to do in that speech is rightly call attention to the fact that a million citizens in that state in the state of Georgia

heard from the rolls tens of thousands of others had their votes. You know not counted because of some ridiculous signature program. That was, you know, judge by random poll workers right like there's all kinds into that a federal judge found was lacking right yeah I mean Ryan Camp is the legitimate winner of an illegitimate process yeah and it's a hard thing to talk about, because it would be in some sense, more cohesive, all to just accept it and move on, and you know the intellectuals in bone is that follow behind tromping clean up the kind of things that he say well said. Well, you know you all praise Martha make Sally when she conceded and yet now you're praising Stacey Abrams for refusing to do the same I think that that makes Sally did it's it's a trick of course, because the act of saying an election result is in some way tainted does undermined democracy. It's only something that under is democracy. When the allegation isn't true pretending, the problem doesn't exist for the sake of

unity or or or decorum, undermines democr, because you were ward, the abuses that led to it. So all this effort to say there's an equivalence between Donald Trump saying there were three million fakes boats and questions about vote suppression, russian interference in propaganda and Stacey. It was pointing out which is difference is is, as always, an effort to say, see, you're just as bad as we are you're just as bad as we are yes, her comments were careful, documented, specific, backed up by multiple judges, rulings and critically. The man she ran against over saw the election, and we know that Georgia had two hundred and fourteen polling places close down since two thousand and twelve Georgia had the second longest voting wait times of any state in twenty sixteen, and it got worse than two thousand and eighteen so either sucks at his job. Or he did this duh liberty deliberately in neighborhoods that lean democratic to help himself. When an election, I believe strongly that there's a lot of evidence

was the latter, including his effort to purge many many many african american voters from the rolls. Yes and I I will also say that she chose her words so carefully, and she also made sure that her argument about this wasn't entirely partisan. She said in her is right earlier this year in the republican state, legislative primary of Dan Gasaway under the direction of Secretary of State counties, issued flawed ballots and not for the first time and not just there, but in that instance the mistakes clearly altered the outcome representative gas. We republican in a heavily republican district, had to go to court to force a fair fight and he won in court. So she's trying to later case that this incompetent buffoon Brian Camp systematically tried to you, know disenfranchised people and didn't give them right to vote and she's to what she's trying to do is defend the right to vote, which is sacrosanct in this.

It is a constitutional right and she's right well draw attention to that. It should be a constitutional yeah yeah. I know that is currently in trying to the constitution, just not really being followed. All the know that the the Rich Lowry argument again Stacey Abrams, is how he sort of this is, I think, the summation of his point. Every indication is that stays Abrams lost, fair and square in an election where everybody knew the rules beforehand and they weren't unreasonable. That's the trick right, and they were unreadable. We disagree, we believe girls were unreasonable. We believe There is evidence that in a partisan way, he said about making sure that the election was tilted in his favor and in a close election. That means the result is tainted. It may mean He one according to the rules, but the rules aren't right and she hasn't. Obligation to say that- and you may disagree with this, but it is not the same as praising

Sally Ann is not the same. It would as what Donald Trump did or any of the insinuations that that's the case and she's out there saying don't recognize him as governor go protest in this should not doing any. Of that. You know she was. It was either was shot a lot of grace. How should complainers either so one way we can fight voter suppression in the future in Georgia, is by helping John Barrow win his runoff for Georgia Secretary of State on December. Fourth guys, why is this race so important because he will oversee the voting process? next time and he will get to decide whether we're going to invest in things that make it easier to vote to give people more access to voting. If we're gonna invest in more, you know, polling, location, you don't have four point five hour waiting times or not, and I think most people agree that Stacey Abrams probably would have won if that investment in the

and also I mean that the races Hill oversee now, the twenty twenty presidential race in Georgia, which could be much closer than any presidential race in Georgia, has been ever and or at least in my in the recent decades, and also the twenty twenty Senate race, Sonny Perdue. Opened in Georgia as well so extremely important if we have John Barren there, a Democrat who is pledging too, you know oversee elections in a non partisan, fair way, unlike Brian kept did when he was running for the office. Welcome Georgia to the special hall where we keep our swing states the attention, the visits, the tv ads, the ads, get it all

enjoy enjoy. It you'll be taking Missouri's place in that bond at home yeah. So you know, I think Pero is probably a little bit behind in that. But you know if he relies on Stacey Abrams Field Organization, which is probably the best field organization, the state's ever seen I mean she's restricted more votes than any other presidential contenders for the last couple of years. Then you know he definitely do it, so we want help John Barrow out there's a second runoff election in Mississippi. This is for the Us Senate, where Senator Cindy Hyde Smith, lead Democratic challenger, MIKE Espy, has narrowed significantly in recent days. Trump's a to hold two rallies in Mississippi in the days leading up to the November 27th run off to shore up support that should be

time, yeah v republican parties, all in the NRC there are and see. Is there and now the Democratic Party is in as good as well has been for a while they're gonna party, you know, put a bunch of money in there as well. Guys is MIKE, as we have a chance here. I do not know no submit the the results in the first round or Highsmith got forty one point: five percent SP got forty point six, but then a really french, awful Republican in Christmas, Daniel got sixteen point five sense of the combines, two Republicans got more than the Democrat SB. Normally you would look at a race like this and think. Oh man, President United States, going down to do to campaign events for a Senate seat in Mississippi. They must be in trouble. Then you have to remember. Oh wait. Our president does nothing between watch tv all day today on this favorite thing in the world to do is what you might well be golfing and Adams, and you know he doesn't care about using a time effectively and if the thing is he goes and then the republican wins by a point to get to say that he did. It was just blame, whoever you want them as nurse it. You can just

you just need the narcissistic answer, like the reason he's going so horny Republicans who are quoted in background on pieces. So we can't get this. They say that hide Smith. Lead is gone down in the last few days in part because of a true really bizarre comment. She made about how. If a supporter of hers invited her to a public lynching, she would sit in the front row. I don't get the joke. I don't get the reference. I don't know why the fuck! You would say that in Mississippi or anywhere else, but wow, and then she Wait. A second quote: unquote, joke where she said quote: maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult for liberal college students to vote ha ha ha so those

things combined. Have you know in a in the post couple? Other places have interviewed people. You know voters in Mississippi in there. If you were like you know, I thought about voting for, but now I'm not sure you know so that it's clear the race has narrowed a little bit that you know the tough part is. This is a state, the trump carried by eighteen points in twenty sixteen. So just so, we all know what that what what the hell is that were climbing, but on the on the side for hope here, african american voters make up thirty eight percent of the population Mississippi and democratic strategists estimate. That SP only needs about thirty percent of the white vote to win in that state. If african American turn out is high in votes in margins that they have in the past, so it's definitely possible doable. It's definitely possible Alabama. If you want to help John Barrow in Georgia, an MIKE Espey and Mississippi, you can go to votesaveamerica dot com. Slash donate, is still up, but save America still hear everyone going

and we are sort of collecting fundraising for the run offs and races that are still out there and recounts, which now is basically Georgia. Secretary of State and MIKE Espy so go to vote in America. Dot com, slash, donate any, not taking Stacey Abrams Lead and I'm going to be campaigning for her continuously forever, because this is Shin is not over that that the option yeah as Marco Rubio doing that too yeah. We can we talk, we have to talk to us. Sixty eight tweets. I think it's eight three sixty eight tweets and then he had the nerve after alleging that democratic lawyers were running down to Florida to steal the vote. To talk about his friend bill. Wilson and how they've never had a better relationship and they fortunately you've been accused. Just lawyer dealing the election dude repeated with no evidence, Marco Rubio or like Trump Sixty eight tweet. He was what do you want to? I don't understand it's like a he's like a zombie center. At this point, like I like

how you doing there, you don't seem to want to be there. This is the fight. You pick none of the things that are important to state of the country. None of the none of the big issues. This is it. This is where Marco Rubio missed an unbelievable. How do you not slip through a sewer, grate you're, so tiny Patrick, has brought you by parachute this black Friday through Cyber Monday parachute, is having its biggest and only of the year Cyber Monday, cyber Monday term term. Cyber Monday. You know cyber Monday talk about parachute The heat has been broken in my house for three days. So before my mom visited a couple weeks ago, Hannah went and got a whole bunch of awesome new parachute stuff. So now we have twice as much parachute stuff on our bed because we're freezing and we have no heat, but it's war, keep you warm, doesn't keep you warm. Well, don't miss this chance to upgrade your living situation with stupid

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actor and writers. The Coen brothers who followed the adventures of outlaws and settlers on the american frontier. The cast includes Liam Neeson Zoe Kazan, Tom waits, TIM Blake, Nelson James Franco and Tyne Daly, winner of best screenplay at Venice Film Festival, the ballad of Buster Scruggs from Netflix, the telegraph's Robbie Collin Says five stars altogether. Inspired the signature, eccentric humor in stars out sweet tang of the cones best five stars out of how many five, the guardians Peter Bradshaw, says. The ballad of Buster Scruggs is a whole area, beautifully made very enjoyable and rather disturbing anthology of stories from the old West, stunning is there a ne'er do well Bluegrass singer check it out. Tommy, ok, check out the ballad of Buster Scruggs. Netflix. So we haven't yet had a chance to talk about the big race for speaker of the house. The current minority leader Nancy Pelosi, who served as speaker from two thousand seven to twenty eleven tough, a tough race for Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, verses from your job. So she she for

this is a challenge. Her leadership change faces a challenge from democratic members like Seth, Moulton, TIM Ryan and a number of incoming democratic freshman from more moderate in republican leaning districts who pledge during their campaigns, not to support policy. So far, there is no house member who, actually declared that he or she would run against policy. Though Ohio's Marcia Fudge, a former chair of the congressional black caucus, said she's weighing around just so. You all know how this works. To be speaker, you need to first win a majority of house Democrats who vote in a private conference on November 27th by all accounts policy, he's going to win that vote. She has a majority for that in the conference, but then the full house votes on the floor for speaker on January third, and during that vote, Palosi can lose no more than about fifteen democratic votes. Since it's highly likely that no Republicans will vote for her so far, sixteen Democrats have signed a letter saying they oppose her and about sixty nine or uh.

Decided guys. What's the what's the argument being made by Seth Moulton, another House Democrats who oppose Poulos E, and is it a good one? I think the argument is sort of facit. I think, there's a generational argument that we just swept in this new group of young, dynamic, diverse, interesting lawmakers and that the leadership as currently constituted does not reflect that youth in diversity and excitement. I think, there's another argument, that polo see gets tide to Democrats in elections and thus hurts the party, and I think the sex Argument is not a very effective one because we just took back the house overwhelmingly right, so that's not the other piece of that is. I don't think we should let a bunch of Republicans determine our strategy they're going to attack whoever they decide to attack and they always will. I also think you know we need strong leadership. The next couple of years that you can argue that speakerphone, is one of the best speakers in history. I I do understand the desire for new leadership and I

I don't like find it offensive that people challenge other leaders for the positions in power I'd. You know, plus he certainly did fifteen years ago when she first became the minority whip. I guess with the time- and so I you know, but I also think like you need to put someone forward and say axe. Individual would do the job better than Nancy Pelosi and I've never heard that argument made and until you do, I think, plus you be the best speaker. Yeah love everything, so I do believe Nancy Pelosi is one of the greatest speakers in american history, and probably the best speaker of the house in half a century

if you were a man should be more recognized as such. That said, I felt it for the first time actually and I I'm a big defender and believe or Nancy Pelosi, but I felt it for the first time on election night watching her speak and it was like wait. A second we just ushered in a new Congress. We just heard in a ton of new representation, a diverse changing America represented in this new caucus that that is going to be elected, hold trump accountable and our person standing at the helm is something that's been around for a long time and, and it was the first time I actually felt some sympathy for the argument that says we need new leadership because we need new leadership, which is, I think, a lot of what the criticism amounts, who I'm also sympathetic to the argument that she has not allowed for younger leaders to rise up and to create a bench and so she's kind of being rewarded for her failure as a leader right, because there is no obvious successor to her. She gets to be speaker in part because she did not create the conditions for other people to rise up

it's sad, because there is no alternative right now. I am very interested in progressive members of the caucus pushing her pushing on things like pay as you go and getting those kinds of concessions, I'm interested in progressive leaders having important roles within the caucus, but right now the fact that she has agreed to say I will be a transitional leader does for me everything need her to do to assuage my concern about the fact that there does need to be new leadership and right now. What I want is for Democrats to come together, not in needy behind at the policy, but in unity of purpose. In beginning the work of holding hearings beginning the work of putting out a legislative agenda, and that doesn't mean just going along with what clothes he wants, but it does mean having this fight now getting concessions from the leadership as it exists right now and then make a decision to move forward together unless somebody steps up, but it doesn't seem like there will be yeah. I guess my view on this. Is it's fine? If you want to challenge, and

hello, see, but I don't think they have made a very good argument. I don't really know what the argument is like Tommy probably made it better than they have so far What they are. You know it's a little clumsy it's a little clumsy. Some of it is based like I think, if you want to make an argument- and you want to rally people to your argument- has to be based around. Is there an issue, the Nancy Pelosi it isn't with the party on right? Is there something specific that she's not doing like you sell? It is right that she is not allowed for a lot of the younger members to because party leadership. Again, this isn't just a critique of Nancy Polo see like Steny Hoyer's. Her number two he's: seventy nine Jim Clyburn's number three he's. Seventy eight they've been there for a long long time like you would really like if the number two three four were sort of part of this new generation of Democrats that were coming in, so it's not just pussy. But again all that said no one is challenging the fact that she is one of the most effective speakers we've ever had in the party. We would not have the affordable care act today. If it weren't for Nancy Polo, see she can

votes. Having. All of us have been in the White House and seeing this she can whip votes like no one else and at the end, not only out on on on the four wheel. Carrick specifically, I think there's been some people criticizing her because of the deferral character to go far now she's part of establishing the to go further. The house bill went further. The house bill had the public option. The house bill was a more liberal version. It was only in her incredibly sophisticated dealings with the Senate even after we lost a seat in the Senate that we managed to pass the affordable care act at all. She also passed the climate bill which the Senate never got done with stronger climate of the Democrats have ever passed. Yeah I mean there is some truth to this idea that Democrats assigned committee chairmanships based on longevity with. Makes if you're a young, dynamic member like a bed Rourke again, they

sitting around for thirty years until you have real power, not very compelling, so if you're, young and ambitious, maybe you seek another path. That said, I think you could adjust that. I also think it seems likely that policy would want to use this new, exciting, dynamic group of people and put them forward on issues like, for example, in two thousand and six Harry Reid, put out Barack Obama and made him the key voice on ethics and lobbying reform, because they knew Brock Obama could get press. They knew that Sunday shows we want to book him and it helped us drive the issue. So I think she will probably do that, and on that note we have to remember that two thousand and eighteen to twenty twenty is going to be much different than two thousand and sixteen to twenty eighteen and that it's not like Nancy Poulos, Ian Chuck Schumer will be the faces and voices of the Democratic Party out there on every issue, because we will have about four hundred and fifty six people running for president and the presidential candidates will be out there and

will be the one talking about the vision for the party and the future itself like that, and so you know, that'll be a whole nother conversation of like who seems new change progressive. You know among all those candidates, but that's the other thing too. That doesn't bother me as much about like when you were saying love it on election night. You know that she's giving that speech and, of course, like Nancy Pelosi, is the one you turned to one when the democratic side. They actually won't happen that often yeah over the next two years. We're and we're policy shines is being a tactician being a strategist figuring out how to legislate. That's what a speaker of the house should do and that's what she does very well. You know what I do. I I totally the transitional, the transitional speaker thing and she might be able to close this whole deal and and and and this whole fight by just actually saying alright on this day, or at least around the state. I will you know I'll see my speakership to someone else. It is one thing I don't totally get. Is the

anger at Seth Moulton, for you know, for criticizing. Plus you mean he's. I like Seth Moulton, I think, he's a good progressive. He was critical of Obama about Iraq and ISIS strategy, and I respect him for speaking out about that. He raised a ton of money to support veterans running for office. You know, like he's, been very forward leaning on this issue, but I don't know that we should question his motives there. I, like, I think, people in politics fight for power. That's what happened! All that I agree with that. I mean I think this is where it gets to. You know, but you're, not my primary reporters. Pundits a lot of people on Twitter Everyone is like. Let's get the Democrats in disarray, have landline? Let's show a party you like you said it is fine to challenge someone. If you challenge someone you're, probably a good strategy, and I don't know if I have that you mentioned great said you know yeah, but I

everyone has- and it's not I mean said milton- is the face of it right now, but there's a bunch of Democrats who were just elected to the house who we all love and right and fought for work for that, or I have also said they wouldn't vote for her because they said in the campaign right Abigail Spam Burger from Virginia. Who is great, you know, I don't think that sets criticism a plus the on going control was fair. No, I don't think TIM Ryan has been a particularly effective messenger on this issue for awhile, so yeah, If they want to win, they need to do better but yeah. I also right to try yeah completely and I will I've I've done exactly zero hand, wringing about the fact that we're having this fight right now this is when you have it. Democrats should be having a fight right now. The elections in one year and three hundred sixty to his it's. Ok, I guarantee you. We are not going to lose a single vote in November of twenty twenty because of the argument are having right now and if anything, having the argument now and having to fight now, I think is a very positive thing, though the fight is good. I just think it's

when you have the fight, and I believe this for Democrats as we go into two thousand and twenty. Ideally, the fights are about issues. It's about change, in leadership and stuff like that, and then we can all argue about that when it gets super personal. That's when that's when we have problems, yeah, ok, one more piece of house related news before we move on on Saturday, representative, Elect Alexandria, Ocasio Cortez said that she'll be supporting a new campaign to my primary challenges against incumbent Democrats in safe districts who aren't as progressive. What do we think of this good idea, bad idea, yeah, like I'm in fine with it? You know it's like first of all, saying you're going to do that, isn't the same is doing it. So I think people should wait to get mad until they're, actually a whole bunch of primary challenges running, but just talking about this is likely to achieve part of her goal, which is to push lawmakers to the left. And if you think, if you live in a liberal district and you have member who is too moderate for you the way Joe Crowley was, then this is fine. I'm not

worry about it was interesting 'cause. I first saw the way it was tweeted about two. Then I saw what it was, which is just again what a surprise. What would you get it right and the way it was tweeted about it sounded like a see, was going door to door in the capital in trying to throw people out get the out here. It's a sees town now you know, and I was like what and then you realize that she did a call with progressive saying this isn't about any one person. This is about. You know this about electing the kind of people. We believe this is like a completely reasonable thing to do. This is debate. We should have Democrats have retaken power now, but a lot The assumptions Democrats have made over the past decade led to are out of our party. Is there, but we want to have and not, prime These aren't bad if you're worried primary. It means you're worried about a democratic candidate having to defend the positions they've taken to the party itself, and I just I'm not worried about that. I also applaud her for being incredibly strategic about this right again. The key here is challengers primary challenges.

In safe blue districts she's not going around to some purple and red district and saying, let's possibly cost our selves the seat, because we want you know even that like if it again, if it's a primary based on issue, fine, we already have seen results of what's happened here in twenty eighteen. There were a number of primary challengers like her. They did this and I don't know we had the best democratic performance in a mid term since Watergate and we have a part. With everyone from Joe Mansion to Alexandria, Ocasio, Cortez and everyone is just fine incumbency ain't what it used to be either like. Let's not get too worried about the safety of these seats long term right, I mean what happens when a more progressive candidate challenges and incumbent Democrat in a safe Lucy is one of two things either the incumbent wins because the incumbent ends up being pushed to the left on some of these issues or the challenger wins and either way. Now we have a representative who might be for who might be out there fighting for Medicare for all fighting for a green new deal, fighting for all kinds of progressive issues, and maybe they might win some of those fights, maybe

We won't because a lot of the rest of the caucus still is in purple and red states where they have to be more conservative. That's the way politics works yeah. You know it's very strategic, one that I liked about it is, you know, Trump calls it a swap, and I think it was thing about is that a lot of the DC is kind of like a lazy river and amusement park. You know and they're, just like tubes flowed, and basically there are people that have been there forever and they're just lying there and they're just like pointing at the tomb again in this to just ride this river in a couple of circles and what's exciting, I love like seeing all we met on the trail, whether it was pretty cool hand or Katie Hill or Katie Porter. I'm seeing them like just taking pictures in the hall is very much like it's awesome, it's awesome and it's, but one of things it's exciting about it is I everyone is taking their job very seriously, but they're, not letting someone else tell them what the job is. You know, and I think one of the problems Democrats's have had is there's just this idea.

Like this is how things are done. This is the way my predecessor did it. This is the way I'm going to do it and what's exciting is in part, because Donald Trump became president in part, because the party and the authorities that were saying this is how it's done. We're so laid low. There's this Generation come in Washington and not just showing up, not just showing I've been trying to learn how things were done becoming. This is what I believe in this is why I'm here and I'm excited to do this- I'm excited, take it really seriously and taking it really seriously means actually act. On the things I said when I was on the campaign trail like. I actually believe that money in politics is a problem. I actually believe the Democratic Party will do better when more candidates Medicare for all these are the things I actually care about, so I'm going to actually start acting to make them happen starting on day one, and that is an incredibly good thing. Yeah get out of the lazy river when tom- and I were canvassing with Joe Biden for the HBO show, and we talked to Katie Porter. She was saying that she's like I know this is going to sound cheesy, but I want to go to Washington because I'm a nerd who cares about policy and want to write legislation about consumer protection

that's why I'm doing this? I really just want to go. Do that and we were like two of us. We love you last time I was in a lazy river as that water country and Portsmouth New Hampshire, ports and after is in high school and minor countries, has sent me my brother, my sister and my brother, through a tube at the life guard, and he tried to kick us out and the guy just walked around the lazy river falling us for like a mile love it. Who is the lifeguard in that scenario in Congress? They might going to bat the american people and were on duty, and you know what on time that, like I wasn't paying attention to life guard, was a you know, trying to get a date. You know getting a tan go to a PAC fundraiser, you know, but now let guard back on Judy back on duty. Ok, when we come back really, you are a great question I did. I asked I asked for it when we come back we'll be hearing from Congressman

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so special note special note: yeah! Look. We talk a lot about down my imaginary friends. Bands are doing this. I figured my medication. They clearly stop loving as well. Even though Spencer does not listen to any great media, podcasts find out all about this. After the fact from my true friends Eric. If you use the code Spencer, it will also work yet use type Spencer into the cash out five to goes to you. Five dollars goes to help. If I release the code is Spencer nor buds, because if you just answered he's. Not even in this country. Spencer, is on a trip to Thailand right now. He were making him a code and he doesn't give a shit Spencer cash cash app welcome back to the pod friend of the but and the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff,

congressman shift. Welcome back! Thank you. It's great to be with you congressman. We want to kick off with. I think, one of the most pressing issues of the day. You were recently assigned a nickname by Donald Trump. Do you think that it was disrespectful that he didn't refer to you as chairman Shit Yes, that that that is outrageous well, this is not the first nickname I've had from the press, and I've had several over the years an, but it was one of the more scatological. That's for sure, very. Done so your come He has oversight jurisdiction over our intelligence agencies, emerging threats, cyber security efforts. Obviously there is a lot of areas of inquiry to choose from when you guys start in January. What is your first priority as chair

I think we're gonna want to look at what has been done in the mall investigation, know what we were allowed to do, what our Senate counterparts mail to do, and what of the remaining issues that would expose the country to potential jeopardy if they go on investigated and well, I I think within the rubric of the Russia issues, one that has concerned, great deal is whether the Russians were laundering money through the Trump organization. Is that a form of leverage that the Russians who over the President, United States, so we're going to want to look at issues like that and figure out what needs to be done? the whole category of other non russian related issues that really deserve our attention. The president is making lots claims about how we can sleep well at night, because the North Koreans are no longer a threat. I don't see any signs Dakota Station, so we're going to want to do a deep dive in North Korea and find out just what are the North Koreans doing? Has the president accomplished any

for the north. The proceeding apace with its program and merely driving the benefit from some international legitimacy that the president has given them congressman Jeff. This time he tore up someone six, city recently that President Trump actually not sharing all the North Korea intelligence with members of Congress that he should be sharing. Is that accurate? I can't went to any particulars. But I can't say that it's certainly going to be vitally important for us to get good information to make sure there's no pressure being placed on the intelligence community to make sure also that the President is misleading the country when he makes claims about what the north you're doing or what the Iranians are doing over the Chinese are doing with the Russians. We need to be able to speak truth to power. That means the intelligence unit needs to be really independent and willing to do that, notwithstanding the taunts that they receive from the President,

also means that members of Congress are going to need to be able to call the administration and say your North Korea policy is not working. In fact, the same things are weakening on North Korea, North Korea, such no signs to doing anything you say they're doing and we need to use a different approach. So I can't go into the particulars of administration sharing, not sharing North Korea, but I can't say we're going to make sure that we get the best information or agencies have cars. When do you think there are witnesses in the Russia investigation who committed perjury when they testified before your committee, based on some of the reports we've seen that have come out since their testimony. We have very serious concerns about a number of witnesses and whether they were truthful with us. There have been a number of cases where information is been made public? That seems to be inconsistent with what they testified under oath? So yes- and we have asked Republicans to work with Us- to be able to share

information with the special counsel if isn't done, then we certainly will do that when we hold the gavel. It is our intention to make the public aware of the transcription make the transcripts public that will have the effect of making them available of the special counsel, but in some cases we would to celebrate the timetable and make sure the special counsel has the advantage of being able to not only evidence that we found but also determine whether perjury charges are warranted against anyone who testified before committee. What do you think that Democrats can do to stop Matthew Whitaker from ending the mall investigation if he decides to what? Even if he doesn't right to end it out right, but decides to interfere with it, slow it. How would you handle that from your new position? Well, you know first, the

course of action that the legislature has taken. You saw probably that the Senate has filed suit, seeking to challenge the appointment as unconstitutional and I think, there's several problems with the appointment. It does violate the constitutional requirement that that position be sent confirmed. But it also violates the secession statute which sets out in detail what the line of succession is supposed to be and doesn't make vision for filling it to using the vacancy act. I think it also violates the laws. Was the constitution, but in terms of ethics, to appoint someone to this position, who is spoken with great prejudice against them. All investigation talked about how you could secretly cripple. It is also an ethical, violates the ethics laws and to compel and recuse himself. I think we're going to have to expose any commitments that he made to the present

in taking the job on the refusal issue, we've already written to the chief ethics officer of the Justice Department to determine whether he is set an opinion of what that opinion holds, and if there hasn't been one. Why isn't there an opinion on this, because it seems the facts are quite overwhelming and would call for his immediate refusal. What do you think of congressman mother's idea to attach protection for molar, too, the year in government funding bill. We're certainly going to try to do that. You know the far simpler course would be, of course, for the Senate. To take up the legislation? That is already passed the Senate of this, your committee on a bipartisan basis, but we will certainly seek to use our leverage in the budget process to protect Bob Muller.

And for those republicans who have said this is a necessary and he shows no signs interfering, how they can of plausibly continue to make a claim after what occurs appointment is is beyond me, but we'll certainly see to use every bit of leverage that we have and as part of that leverage, if the administration does somehow restrict the molar investigation. Can you subpoena Muller to testify about his findings? We can subpoena him. I would hope, frankly, that if Whitaker takes any action to unethically constrain, the molar invest gay shun anything that Bob Muller believes is antithetical to the impartial administration of justice that I hope that Bob Marley would do something that he has thus far not been willing to do, and that is, I hope that he will speak out. He has, I think, enormous power in his in his position, and particularly given that he's been so

reticent to appear or speak out at all, it would be quite dramatic if he were to go for the country and say that the rule of law is being challenged, but short of that we do have the power to subpoena him to testify, and in fact, one point I continually made with the Justice Department over the last year as they were, providing hundreds of thousands of documents to the Republican majority. Anne knows no shortage of documents involving the molar investigation to the Republicans in Congress that they were setting a precedent that they're going to have to be prepared to live with, and that is, if they're going to do this with GOP majority than should the house change hands as it had

then they would have to be willing to entertain the same requests from a democratic majority. If there's any effort to interfere with Bob Muller right congressman, do you support Nancy Polacy for Speaker? do. I do. I think you know at a time when we have probably the most diverse caucus that we've ever had most diverse. Indeed in the history of the Congress and along every different line, but especially politically, and we have, I think, so far greatest challenge to our system of checks and balances in memory. We need RV tactician we need a best legislator. We need our best general and that's her I haven't seen anyone that has the same capability that she has an eye certain Don't want to engage in a big leadership fight after the voters entrusted us to.

Advanced health care and help people put bread on the table and make sure that we were a check on the use of authority by the executive. Don't think we want to get into a big leadership fight right now either now she has said that she would be. You know a transitional leader if she becomes speaker. Would you support her talking about plus we talking about a date when she would leave or she sort of relinquished the speakership after a year or two years or whatever it may be, so that sort of new leadership can kind of come into the party. No I'm We recommend that you know doing what she has done, which is to bring new people forward to get the bench ready and she has made an effort to tap. Very few people were in our caucus and elevate them to positions of leadership when she, maybe the

the member of the intelligence committee. I wasn't the senior most member or the next to see the most or even the next scene must, after that also. She has made an effort to to get the bench ready at same time. I can understand a reluctance to say: ok, this is the date certain, because the moment you do that you're lame duck, and that really limits your effectiveness. But I think it is important that she continued to elevate people within the caucus and get them prepared to lead. But I frankly, it like to have her enormously cape. The leadership at this time of incredible Congress in one last question: you know you mention Intelligence Committee obvious, have some very big shoes to fill. How soon into your tenure. Do you plan to over the White House and cook up allegations with political appointees, undermined intelligence agencies in the Department of Justice as one of the key key roles your your predecessor played, and we just want to make sure that,

that will continue. Well, I I think the only midnight run I'm gonna go to go on. Is that to Tommy's butt given the number vegan, I probably would have much there for me to eat. Well, I say that I better all right, that's good! That's better than jumping I do, and I I didn't mean to you. You taught me on that the burger joint yeah. Well, I have peanut butter, Jelly and toasts guys are neighbors here in LOS Angeles, that's fine too yeah. I voted for you congressman. You are welcome Once again, you put you over the. I appreciate that all you guys, I think our constituents, so anything you need from your congressman. You just let me know I have to say. Sadly, we moved last year and I'm just out of the district and now TED Lee was my congressman, who, to who is great too? I love to have lu, love. Tumblr. You are dead to me, Here's the thing we try to tell like it is this thing and honestly just between us, I'm glad it's. You.

Congressman thank you for joining us. We appreciate it and congratulations on your on your newfound power. Thank you great to be with you thanks to Congressman Adam Schiff, for joining us today and happy thanks thanks for the people at water country in Portsmouth, New MIKE, doesn't Jeremy used to change your theme song to say Hepatitis fun and that not nice. So I'm apologizing on his behalf for Jeremy, just under the bus. There is a lesson which is from to go to down that river. A two out when I was very Harpers ferry, move that you do the a to being God. I love that we were doing mostly just interviewing red state voters for the New York Times right, the lazy river by everyone, but I.