CSPAN2 — The Michael Smerconish Program
20260825 070700 UTC
1121 transcript segments
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[00:01:47] TOGETHER. NOW. >> HERE'S MICHAEL SMERCONISH.
[00:01:50] >> HI, GANG. SOME VERY REVEALING POLL RESULTS. THAT'S WHERE
[00:01:54] CORNYN.COM. ON THE SUBJECT OF THE NATIONAL DEBT, JUST OVER THE
[00:01:57] LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. CHECK THIS OUT. ON FRIDAY. ON FRIDAY, I
[00:02:00] ASKED YOU A QUESTION THAT I
[00:02:04] LIFTED ALMOST WORD FOR WORD FROM A PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION. WOULD
[00:02:08] YOU ACCEPT BOTH HIGHER TAXES ON
[00:02:12] YOURSELF AND REDUCED SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE BENEFITS
[00:02:15] IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE $40
[00:02:17] TRILLION NATIONAL DEBT, NOT
[00:02:21] EXACTLY A RHETORICAL DEVICE. I PULLED IT FROM SIMPSON-BOWLES 16
[00:02:24] YEARS AGO. 2010 ALAN SIMPSON,
[00:02:27] ERSKINE BOWLES. THEY PUT A PLAN IN FRONT OF 18 COMMISSIONERS
[00:02:31] THAT ACTUALLY LOWERED TAX RATES
[00:02:34] ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THREE BRACKETS, WIPED OUT THE
[00:02:38] DEDUCTIONS THAT MANY OF US LOVE. THE MORTGAGE INTEREST DEDUCTION, THE CHARITABLE DEDUCTION, THE
[00:02:42] BRAKE ON OUR HEALTH INSURANCE, SO THAT ON NET, IT ACTUALLY
[00:02:45] RAISED REVENUE. IT RAISED THE RETIREMENT AGE, IT TRIMMED THE
[00:02:49] COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. IT
[00:02:50] CAPPED SPENDING DEFENSE
[00:02:53] INCLUDED. EVERYTHING HURT A LITTLE. AND THE PAIN WAS SPREAD
[00:02:57] EVENLY. THEY NEEDED 14 OF 18 COMMISSION VOTES IN ORDER TO
[00:03:01] SEND IT TO THE UNITED STATES
[00:03:02] CONGRESS. THEY GOT ONLY 11, AND
[00:03:05] SIMPSON-BOWLES FAILED. SO I PUT
[00:03:09] THAT SAME BARGAIN TO ALL OF YOU,
[00:03:12] 35,393 VOTED, AND 78% SAID, NO,
[00:03:18] NO, I WOULDN'T TAKE THAT DEAL. I WILL NOT ACCEPT BOTH HIGHER
[00:03:22] TAXES ON MYSELF AND REDUCED
[00:03:24] SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE
[00:03:26] BENEFITS IN ORDER TO ADDRESS A
[00:03:28] $40 TRILLION DEBT OKAY. NOW, ON
[00:03:32] SATURDAY, I DELIVER AN OPENING COMMENTARY ON CNN, TEN MINUTES
[00:03:35] LONG, GOT A LOT OF CLICKS. HOW
[00:03:36] DO I KNOW THAT? BECAUSE IT'S STILL POSTED ON THEIR HOME PAGE.
[00:03:40] AND THAT'S ALL DRIVEN BY
[00:03:43] ALGORITHMS. AND I ASKED SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT
[00:03:46] DIFFERENT, WHICH IS MORE TO BLAME FOR THE $40 TRILLION
[00:03:48] NATIONAL DEBT TAXING TOO LITTLE,
[00:03:52] OR SPENDING TOO MUCH. THIS TIME,
[00:03:58] 55,349 VOTES WERE CAST, AND TWO
[00:04:03] THIRDS 66.41% SAID IT'S SPENDING
[00:04:05] TOO MUCH. SO ON FRIDAY, YOU TOLD
[00:04:08] ME YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT HIGHER TAXES, AND YOU'LL NOT ACCEPT SMALLER BENEFITS. AND
[00:04:12] THEN ON SATURDAY, YOU TOLD ME
[00:04:14] THAT THE PROBLEM IS WE SPEND TOO
[00:04:16] MUCH. OKAY, SO WHICH SPENDING?
[00:04:18] BECAUSE HERE'S THE ISSUE WITH REGARD TO THE FEDERAL BUDGET,
[00:04:22] SOCIAL SECURITY IS 22% OF IT.
[00:04:26] MEDICARE IS 15 OTHER HEALTH
[00:04:29] PROGRAMS, 13. INTEREST ON THE DEBT, ANOTHER 15. THAT'S ROUGHLY
[00:04:33] TWO THIRDS OF EVERYTHING THE GOVERNMENT SPENDS. AND IT'S
[00:04:36] PRECISELY THE TWO THIRDS THAT
[00:04:38] YOU HAD TOLD ME 24 HOURS
[00:04:41] EARLIER. YOU WOULD NOT TOUCH. SO
[00:04:43] TWO THIRDS OF YOU NAME THE
[00:04:46] CULPRIT, AND TWO THIRDS OF THE
[00:04:47] BUDGET IS THE CULPRIT KIND OF DEPRESSING, BECAUSE TO ME, IT'S
[00:04:51] ANOTHER REASON WHY PROBABLY NOTHING GETS DONE IN THIS
[00:04:55] REGARD. MORE OF YOU ARE WILLING TO POINT A FINGER THAN TO PICK
[00:04:58] UP A CHECK. AND I'M NOT SAYING IT TO SCOLD ANYBODY. I SAY IT
[00:05:02] BECAUSE IT MAY BE THE MOST HONEST MEASUREMENT OF THIS
[00:05:06] ENTIRE PROGRAM PROBLEM THAT I'VE EVER SEEN. AND I COLLECTED IT
[00:05:10] FROM OUR OWN AUDIENCE. YESTERDAY'S POLL RESULTED FROM
[00:05:13] RO KHANNA .COM A LOT LESS VOTING. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER
[00:05:15] IT'S JUST TO STOMACH TURNING TO
[00:05:18] FOLLOW THIS CASE, MUCH LESS
[00:05:20] RENDER AN OPINION ON IT. BUT I ASKED, WAS LINDSAY CLANCY TOO
[00:05:24] SICK TO BE GUILTY OF MURDER? WAS
[00:05:28] LINDSAY CLANCY TOO SICK TO BE GUILTY OF MURDER? 23,000 AND
[00:05:31] CHANGE VOTED IN. 54% OF US.
[00:05:36] BECAUSE I'M IN THAT CATEGORY. SAID YES. ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO
[00:05:39] THIS. HERE'S THE MONDAY POLL QUESTION. AND IT'S NO
[00:05:43] COINCIDENCE. WHY I'M ASKING,
[00:05:46] SHOULD CAMERAS BE ALLOWED IN
[00:05:48] EVERY GOVERNMENT PROCEEDING, THE
[00:05:51] PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO ATTEND THE
[00:05:54] SMERCONISH SUNSHINE RULE IS THE
[00:05:56] POLL QUESTION OF THE DAY. I WAS MOTIVATED TO DO IT FOR TWO
[00:06:00] REASONS. LET ME TELL YOU. THE FIRST, THERE'S AN EDITORIAL THAT
[00:06:03] RAN IN THE WASHINGTON POST THAT
[00:06:04] I LINKED TO TODAY IN THIS RO
[00:06:07] KHANNA .COM DAILY NEWSLETTER
[00:06:10] HEADLINED THE SAD DECLINE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN TOWN HALL, AND
[00:06:14] THE GIST OF THE EDITORIAL IS TO SAY THAT THIS IS THE AUGUST
[00:06:17] RECESS. WE'RE. WE'RE IN THE AUGUST CONGRESSIONAL RECESS
[00:06:20] RIGHT NOW. THAT USED TO BE A TIME WHEN SCORES OF LAWMAKERS,
[00:06:24] AS THE WASHINGTON POST POINTS OUT, FREED OF THEIR DUTIES IN
[00:06:27] DC, WOULD TOUR THEIR DISTRICTS
[00:06:29] AND ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH
[00:06:32] CONSTITUENTS. BUT THOSE DAYS ARE
[00:06:34] OVER. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY SAY DURING THIS YEAR'S RECESS, ONLY
[00:06:38] 42 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REMEMBER
[00:06:40] 435 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, ONLY 42
[00:06:43] MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, 35
[00:06:45] DEMOCRATS, SEVEN REPUBLICANS SCHEDULED AT LEAST ONE IN-PERSON
[00:06:49] TOWN HALL, ACCORDING TO LEDERER STORMS TRACKER. A DECADE AGO,
[00:06:52] THAT NUMBER WAS MORE THAN 170,
[00:06:56] SO MEMBERS ARE NOT HOLDING THE IN-PERSON TOWN HALLS THAT THEY
[00:07:00] USED TO. THE PANDEMIC.
[00:07:03] CORONAVIRUS STARTED THIS TREND BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T HAVE THEM
[00:07:07] NOW, DUE TO POLARIZATION. AND, FRANKLY, THE STATIC THAT A LOT
[00:07:10] OF MEMBERS HAVE TO PUT UP WITH WHEN THEY DO HOLD THESE TOWN HALLS, THEY DON'T WANT TO DO
[00:07:13] IT. THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS OVER
[00:07:16] POLITICAL VIOLENCE, AND I'M NOT
[00:07:18] MINIMIZING THAT. THE POST SAYS THE DECLINE OF A CENTURIES OLD
[00:07:22] TRADITION IS A WARNING SIGN ABOUT THE VIGOR OF
[00:07:25] REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. SOCIAL MEDIA REGULARLY SERVES VOTERS SHORT VIDEO CLIPS OF
[00:07:29] POLITICIANS, OFTEN OUT OF
[00:07:32] CONTEXT. BUT THAT'S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR DIRECT
[00:07:36] CONVERSATION. AND I AGREE, A
[00:07:37] WELL FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY
[00:07:41] DEPENDS ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND THAT SORT. I THINK, COMES FROM
[00:07:44] BEING ABLE TO QUESTION YOUR
[00:07:49] REPRESENTATIVES AND TO WATCH THEM WORK. AND IF THEY WON'T
[00:07:51] COME TO US ANYMORE, ALL THE MORE
[00:07:53] REASON THAT WE HAVE CAMERA
[00:07:56] ACCESS TO GET TO THEM. WHICH
[00:08:00] BRINGS ME TO TODAY'S POLL QUESTION. SHOULD CAMERAS BE ALLOWED IN EVERY GOVERNMENT
[00:08:02] PROCEEDING, THE PUBLIC HAS A LEGAL RIGHT TO ATTEND. THE
[00:08:06] QUESTION I'M ASKING IS NO COINCIDENCE. NO ACCIDENT,
[00:08:10] BECAUSE TODAY, TOMORROW,
[00:08:12] WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY ON C-SPAN,
[00:08:15] TWO, YOU CAN WATCH THIS PROGRAM
[00:08:18] LIVE. AS IN THIS MINUTE. DC CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT IT
[00:08:22] CAUSED A LITTLE CONSTERNATION MOMENTS AGO, BECAUSE I LITERALLY
[00:08:26] WENT TO MOM'S HOUSE LAST NIGHT. TRUTH, AND TURNED ON HER
[00:08:30] TELEVISION TO C-SPAN, AND I
[00:08:33] SAID, MOM, WHEN YOU GO TO BED
[00:08:37] TONIGHT, DON'T TURN OFF THE TV.
[00:08:39] YOU CAN REDUCE THE VOLUME.
[00:08:41] DON'T TURN OFF THE TV. >> JUST SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT. >> JUST SO WHEN YOU WAKE.
[00:08:46] >> UP, RIGHT. >> IT WILL BE THERE. BECAUSE I
[00:08:50] WAS SO NERVOUS, RIGHT? I'M REALLY PLAYING FOR AN AUDIENCE OF ONE TODAY.
[00:08:53] >> GOOD MORNING. >> YES. AND SO MINUTES AGO, WE
[00:08:56] FOUND OUT. NO, IT'S NOT C-SPAN.
[00:08:58] IT'S C-SPAN 2. AND THE ONLY
[00:09:01] THOUGHT I HAD WAS MOM'S TV IS ALREADY SET.
[00:09:05] >> BUT WE GOT IT. NO PROBLEM. >> SO I CALLED MOM.
[00:09:09] >> FULLY CAPABLE. >> TK WAS MY WITNESS. YEP. I
[00:09:11] SAID, MOM, PULL OUT THAT REMOTE.
[00:09:13] GRAB YOUR READING GLASSES AND GO
[00:09:18] DOWN ONE CHANNEL. >> AND HERE WE ARE. AND IT
[00:09:21] WORKED. YAY! >> LISTEN, I LOVE C-SPAN. I,
[00:09:24] I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ON C-SPAN IN THE PAST, UH, WITH
[00:09:27] SOME OF MY BOOK LAUNCHES, SOME
[00:09:30] INTERVIEWS THAT I'VE DONE WHEN
[00:09:33] STEVE SCULLY, OUR COLLEAGUE, WAS
[00:09:35] A HOST ON C-SPAN. UH, I LOVE THE
[00:09:39] IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY,
[00:09:40] I LOVE THE IDEA THAT THEY HAVE
[00:09:43] CALL LINES FOR REPUBLICANS AND
[00:09:47] DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS.
[00:09:51] IT'S LIKE LARRY KING, YOU KNOW, INDEPENDENT LINE. >> HELLO, HELLO. >> AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE. >> IS YOUR. >> IS YOUR BROTHER AN
[00:09:55] INDEPENDENT? >> BECAUSE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE MEDIA OUTLETS, THEY
[00:09:59] JUST DON'T, THEY DON'T RESPECT INDEPENDENTS. NOTWITHSTANDING THAT THERE ARE MORE
[00:10:02] INDEPENDENTS, ACCORDING TO GALLUP, THAN THERE ARE REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS. SO, OF
[00:10:06] COURSE, C-SPAN OUGHT TO HAVE A LINE FOR THE 45% WHO SAY, I'M AN
[00:10:10] I. I'M NOT A D, AND I'M NOT AN
[00:10:13] R I ALSO GIVE CREDIT TO BRIAN
[00:10:17] LAMB, WHO LAUNCHED C-SPAN IN 1979 AND RAN IT FOR NEARLY HALF
[00:10:20] A CENTURY. HE'S GOT AN INTERESTING BACKSTORY. HE WAS A
[00:10:23] A NAVY OFFICER ASSIGNED TO THE PENTAGON'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS SHOP
[00:10:27] DURING THE WAR. HE WAS IN THE
[00:10:30] BUILDING, HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING, RELATIVE TO VIETNAM AND
[00:10:34] THAT ERA, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO SELL US ON THE VALUE OF BEING
[00:10:37] THERE, BUT THEY LIED US INTO IT AND LIED TO US DURING THE WAR.
[00:10:40] IT JUST SO HAPPENED I WAS IN THE
[00:10:46] PENTAGON AT THE TIME, HELPING THEM LIE. AND THEN HE SAID, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME, THIS
[00:10:48] IS BRIAN LAMB WAS REDUCING THE
[00:10:51] POWER OF THE THREE NETWORKS SO THAT WE HAD MORE OPPORTUNITIES
[00:10:55] TO SEE MORE SIDES OF MORE ISSUES. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE
[00:10:58] FOUNDING, NOT A BUSINESS PLAN,
[00:10:59] NOT A NICHE PLAY, BUT A GUY WHO
[00:11:03] STOOD INSIDE THE MACHINERY OF OFFICIAL WASHINGTON AND
[00:11:07] RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO JUST SHOW PEOPLE WHAT WAS
[00:11:10] GOING ON IN THEIR GOVERNMENT. AND THIS IS FUNNY, THEY LAUNCH
[00:11:14] IN MARCH OF 1979 WITH JUST FOUR
[00:11:18] EMPLOYEES, AND THE VERY FIRST MEMBER WHO WAS PUT ON
[00:11:22] TELEVISION, THE VERY FIRST MEMBER OF CONGRESS, WAS A YOUNG
[00:11:25] CONGRESSMAN FROM TENNESSEE BY
[00:11:29] THE NAME OF AL GORE, WHO SAID, AT THAT TIME, TELEVISION WILL
[00:11:32] CHANGE THIS INSTITUTION. MR.
[00:11:35] SPEAKER, JUST AS IT HAS CHANGED
[00:11:37] THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. BUT THE GOOD WILL FAR OUTWEIGH THE BAD.
[00:11:40] AND AND I AGREE WITH HIM. I AGREE WITH HIM. I'LL TELL YOU
[00:11:44] SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT C-SPAN THAT I THINK IS, IS IMPORTANT AND REVELATORY. SOME PEOPLE THINK
[00:11:48] THAT IT'S PUBLIC TELEVISION. IT
[00:11:52] ISN'T. IT'S FUNDED BY THE
[00:11:54] CABLE INDUSTRY. OUT OF YOUR BILL
[00:11:56] AT SEVEN AND A QUARTER CENTS PER
[00:12:00] SUBSCRIBER PER MONTH, THAT'S $0.87 PER YEAR. IF MY DATA IS
[00:12:02] ACCURATE. AND FOR COMPARISON
[00:12:04] PURPOSES, THAT $0.87 STACKS UP
[00:12:07] AGAINST $2.50 PER SUBSCRIBER FOR
[00:12:11] FOX OR CNN, ABOUT $1.30 PER
[00:12:15] MONTH. SO THEY'RE VASTLY
[00:12:18] UNDERFUNDED FOR THE VERY IMPORTANT FUNCTION THAT I THINK
[00:12:21] THEY PROVIDE. WHEN YOU CUT THE CORD, YOU DIDN'T STOP PAYING FOR
[00:12:24] YOUR CABLE NEWS BECAUSE THOSE
[00:12:28] CHANNELS ARE ON EVERY STREAMING BUNDLE, BECAUSE THEY CAN AFFORD
[00:12:30] TO FIGHT FOR IT. SO, YEAH, SHOUT
[00:12:35] OUT PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT, FULL EMBRACE OF C-SPAN AND
[00:12:38] C-SPAN 2, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING. AND THERE
[00:12:41] HAVE BEEN ANY NUMBER OF MOMENTS OVER THE YEARS WHERE IT'S LIKE,
[00:12:44] THANK GOD THEY HAD THEIR CAMERAS
[00:12:46] THERE. IF YOU GO DOWN THE C-SPAN
[00:12:50] MEMORY LANE, AT LEAST MINE, IT
[00:12:51] WOULD BEGIN IN THE, UH, THE MID
[00:12:54] 80s WITH THE WHOLE GINGRICH AND
[00:12:59] TIP O'NEILL KERFUFFLE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MID
[00:13:03] 80s? NEWT GINGRICH, WHO WAS THEN A BACKBENCH REPUBLICAN
[00:13:07] CONGRESSMAN AND A HANDFUL OF HIS ALLIES, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE
[00:13:11] CAMERAS IN THE HOUSE AREN'T RUN BY C-SPAN. THEY ARE RUN BY THE
[00:13:13] HOUSE UNDER THE SPEAKER'S CONTROL, AND THEY WERE LOCKED ON
[00:13:17] ONE THING. WHOEVER'S HOLDING THE
[00:13:19] MICROPHONE SO GINGRICH AND HIS GROUP, THEY STARTED USING
[00:13:23] SPECIAL ORDERS. THAT'S FLOOR TIME. AFTER THE DAY'S BUSINESS
[00:13:26] IS DONE AND EVERYBODY HAS GONE
[00:13:29] HOME, AND THEY WOULD DELIVER
[00:13:31] THESE BLISTERING SPEECHES WHEN NOBODY WAS THERE. BUT YOU WOULD HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THEY WERE
[00:13:35] SPEAKING TO AN EMPTY ROOM. AND THEN TIP O'NEILL HAD ENOUGH, AND
[00:13:39] ORDERS THE HOUSE CAMERAS TO PAN
[00:13:42] THE CHAMBER, AND AMERICA THEN
[00:13:44] WATCHED A MAN DENOUNCE HIS COLLEAGUES TO 400 EMPTY SEATS,
[00:13:48] AND THE GUY AT THE MICROPHONE
[00:13:50] HAPPENED TO BE BOB WALKER OF
[00:13:53] PENNSYLVANIA, WHO WAS A GINGRICH
[00:13:54] ALLY. AND THAT TOUCHED OFF A WHOLE KERFUFFLE BETWEEN THE TWO.
[00:13:58] THE PAPER BAG INCIDENT. >> INCIDENT. THAT WAS JIM
[00:14:02] NUSSLE, WHO WALKED TO THE WELL
[00:14:03] OF THE CONGRESS WITH A PAPER BAG OVER HIS HEAD, BECAUSE HE SAID
[00:14:07] THAT IT HAD GOTTEN EMBARRASSING TO BE A MEMBER OF CONGRESS. THEN HE TOOK IT OFF AND SAID IT WAS
[00:14:10] TIME TO BRING HONOR BACK TO THE INSTITUTION. ANOTHER ITEM THAT
[00:14:14] STANDS OUT IN MY MIND, BOB
[00:14:17] LIVINGSTON. IN THE CLINTON YEARS, WHEN HE SAYS THAT THEY'RE
[00:14:20] DEBATING THE IMPEACHMENT OF BILL CLINTON, THE MAN ABOUT TO BECOME
[00:14:24] SPEAKER, STANDS UP, TELLS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
[00:14:26] TO RESIGN. DEMOCRATS SAY YOU RESIGN. LIVINGSTON LIVE ON HIS
[00:14:30] FEET WITHOUT WARNING TO ANYBODY.
[00:14:31] SAYS, OKAY, I NEED TO SET AN EXAMPLE THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON
[00:14:35] WILL FOLLOW. I WILL NOT STAND
[00:14:39] FOR SPEAKER. THE CAMERAS GO DARK. THE. THE JOHN LEWIS
[00:14:43] EPISODE IN 2016, WE TALKED ABOUT
[00:14:46] EXTENSIVELY IN 2023. IN 2023, IN
[00:14:50] JANUARY, WHEN THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH ALL THOSE BALLOTS TO ELECT A SPEAKER. AND I, I SAID
[00:14:53] AT THE TIME, HOW REFRESHING IT
[00:14:55] IS THAT WE CAN SEE THE ENTIRE
[00:14:58] BREADTH OF THE CONGRESS DO YOU
[00:15:02] REMEMBER WHEN MIKE ROGERS OF ALABAMA LUNGED AT MATT GAETZ,
[00:15:05] AND WE GOT TO SEE IT? DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN ALEXANDRIA
[00:15:08] OCASIO-CORTEZ WAS IN CONVERSATION WITH PAUL GOSAR?
[00:15:12] NOTWITHSTANDING THAT THE HOUSE
[00:15:13] HAD CENSURED HIM OVER A VIDEO
[00:15:16] DEPICTING VIOLENCE AGAINST HER?
[00:15:18] LIKE, WE GOT TO SEE IT ALL. I
[00:15:21] ALWAYS WANT TO SEE MORE. THAT
[00:15:24] HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY MY RULE OF
[00:15:28] THUMB IS, WHEREVER, THEORETICALLY, YOU CAN WALK IN
[00:15:32] AND PULL UP A CHAIR AND WATCH
[00:15:34] THE NATION'S BUSINESS BEING CONDUCTED, THERE OUGHT TO BE A
[00:15:37] CAMERA, OR AT LEAST THE RIGHT
[00:15:40] FOR A CAMERA TO BE THERE. YOUR
[00:15:44] SCHOOL BOARD, WHEN THEY DECIDE WHAT YOUR KIDS READ, WRITE YOUR ZONING HEARING, WHERE THEY DECIDE WHAT'S GOING TO GET
[00:15:48] BUILT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOUR CITY COUNCIL, YOUR COUNTY
[00:15:51] COMMISSION, YOUR COURTROOM, THE
[00:15:56] CONGRESS, FOR SURE. ONE THAT'S ALWAYS BOTHERED ME IS THE
[00:15:59] SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED
[00:16:03] STATES. IT HAS ALWAYS BOTHERED ME. AND, YOU KNOW, ARLEN
[00:16:05] SPECTER, FOR WHOM I WORKED IN,
[00:16:07] REGARDED AS A MENTOR, WAS ALWAYS
[00:16:09] THE CHAMPION ON THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN HE WAS THE CHAIR OF THE
[00:16:13] SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. HE WOULD ASK SUPREME COURT NOMINEES
[00:16:16] HOW THEY FELT ABOUT CAMERAS IN THE COURTROOM, AND LIKE TO A PERSON, TO A MAN, TO A WOMAN.
[00:16:20] OH, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. AND THEN THEY GET ON THE BENCH AND
[00:16:23] EVERYBODY FORGETS WHAT THEY SAID
[00:16:24] IN THEIR IN THEIR TESTIMONY. IT
[00:16:27] USED TO BE WE, WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THAT, THAT AUDIO FEED. NOW WE GET THE AUDIO FEED AND THE
[00:16:31] CABLE OUTLETS, THEY ALL SCRAMBLE
[00:16:33] TO TRY AND MATCH THE VOICE WITH,
[00:16:35] YOU KNOW, THE CHYRONS. IT'S RIDICULOUS. THERE'S SOME
[00:16:39] DOWNSIDES HERE. I'LL PLAY FAIR.
[00:16:42] I'LL PLAY FAIR. SARAH. SARAH
[00:16:47] ISGUR IS IS BRILLIANT. SARAH ISGUR IS A LEGAL ANALYST.
[00:16:51] SCOTUSBLOG DISPATCH, ABC NEWS.
[00:16:52] SHE WAS A GUEST ON THIS PROGRAM
[00:16:55] IN IN APRIL BECAUSE SHE
[00:16:57] PUBLISHED A BOOK CALLED LAST
[00:17:00] BRANCH STANDING. OKAY, THE SMERCONISH RULE IS WHEREVER YOU
[00:17:03] CAN PULL UP A CHAIR AND WATCH YOUR GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS NOT
[00:17:07] EVERYWHERE. I'M NOT GOING TO PUT YOU IN A JURY ROOM. OBVIOUSLY,
[00:17:11] BUT IF YOU'VE GOT A RIGHT TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE SLEEP OUT AND GO
[00:17:15] TO THE SUPREME COURT BECAUSE YOU'RE A FIRST IN LINE, THEN THERE OUGHT TO BE A CAMERA
[00:17:18] THERE. SO THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY
[00:17:22] THESIS. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE, THE COUNTERWEIGHT IN THE
[00:17:25] FORM OF SARAH ISGUR ON THIS
[00:17:28] PROGRAM. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
[00:17:29] ROLL IT. OKAY. NOW, OUR AREA OF DISAGREEMENT, THE LATE, GREAT
[00:17:32] ARLEN SPECTER, WHO WAS A MENTOR TO ME AND FOR WHOM I WORKED,
[00:17:37] MADE IT HIS HABIT IN THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARINGS. AT
[00:17:40] SOME TIMES AS THE CHAIR, TO ALWAYS ASK THE PROSPECTIVE
[00:17:43] MEMBER OF THE SUPREME COURT HOW THEY FELT ABOUT CAMERAS. AND MY
[00:17:47] RECOLLECTION IS, AND I'M PRETTY SECURE IN THIS, THAT EVERYBODY
[00:17:50] WOULD PAY LIP SERVICE TO THE IDEA OF CAMERAS IN COURTROOMS
[00:17:54] AND IN THE SUPREME COURT AS WELL. AND THEN THEY'D GET ON THE BENCH. AND, OF COURSE, YOU'D
[00:17:57] NEVER HEAR FROM THEM AGAIN ON THAT ISSUE. YOU HAVE AN INTEREST. I'M FOR THEM. I'M,
[00:18:01] I'M, I'M, I'M OF THE OPINION, SARAH, THAT ANYWHERE I, AS A
[00:18:05] CITIZEN CAN GO AND WATCH MY
[00:18:07] GOVERNMENT FUNCTION. MAYBE IT'S MY LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. MAYBE IT'S THE CONGRESS. I
[00:18:11] DON'T LIKE THAT ONE SHOT. THAT C-SPAN IS LIMITED TO. AND I FEEL
[00:18:15] THE SAME WAY ABOUT THE COURT. LIKE, I'VE GOT A RIGHT TO BE
[00:18:17] THERE. IF I GO SLEEP OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE, I COULD HAVE BEEN
[00:18:20] THERE FOR BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP. WHY CAN'T I WATCH?
[00:18:23] WHY DO I HAVE TO RELY ON THAT
[00:18:25] AUDIO? I MEAN, AT LEAST THANK GOD THE AUDIO IS IN REAL TIME
[00:18:28] NOW. BUT YOU, YOU'VE GOT A THEORY AS TO WHY IT WOULD BE A
[00:18:30] BAD THING FOR THE COURT IF THERE WERE CAMERAS. I READ IT IN THE
[00:18:34] BOOK. TELL EVERYBODY ELSE WHAT IT IS
[00:18:38] >> I HAVE THE UNPOPULAR OPINION HERE. I GET IT, BUT I THINK TOO
[00:18:42] MUCH TRANSPARENCY IS A BAD THING FOR MANY OF OUR GOVERNMENT
[00:18:46] ENTITIES. I THINK CAMERAS HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE FOR CONGRESS, BY
[00:18:49] THE WAY. YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE HEARINGS TO ACTUALLY GET TO
[00:18:52] THE BOTTOM OF ANYTHING. THEY HAVE HEARINGS TO MAKE VIRAL
[00:18:55] INSTAGRAM REELS. THEY DON'T HAVE DEBATES ON THE SENATE FLOOR.
[00:18:57] THEY TALK ON THE SENATE FLOOR SO THEY CAN GET THE VIDEO, AND NO ONE'S ACTUALLY THERE LISTENING
[00:19:01] TO THEM. AND WE HAVE CHANGED WHO WE PICK FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
[00:19:05] BASED ON THEIR ABILITY TO BE ON
[00:19:09] CAMERA. IT'S VERY HARD FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY COMPROMISE AND LOG
[00:19:11] ROLL, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY COMPROMISE IN PUBLIC. YOU KNOW, SOMEONE POINTED OUT A BIG
[00:19:15] DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION SUCCEEDING IN THE
[00:19:19] FRENCH REVOLUTION FAILING, WAS THAT THEY WROTE THE CONSTITUTION
[00:19:22] IN SECRET. THEY SHUT THE WINDOWS
[00:19:24] IN INDEPENDENCE HALL AND JUST BOILED IN THAT ROOM, WHEREAS THE
[00:19:28] FRENCH REVOLUTION WAS ALL CONDUCTED IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE.
[00:19:30] AND THE BOOS AND CHEERS LED TO THE SORT OF MOB VIOLENCE, THE
[00:19:34] VERY THING THE FOUNDERS WERE AFRAID OF. SO WHEN IT COMES TO
[00:19:37] THE SUPREME COURT, I WANT NERDS IN THE SUPREME COURT. I DON'T
[00:19:41] WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOOD ON CAMERA, AND I DON'T WANT PRESIDENTS PICKING PEOPLE WHO
[00:19:45] ARE GOOD ON CAMERA, WHO LOOK GOOD ON CAMERA. I WANT THIS TO
[00:19:48] BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE TRY NEW
[00:19:52] IDEAS, TALK ABOUT SERIOUS THINGS, AND AREN'T WORRIED
[00:19:54] ABOUT THE NIGHTLY NEWS OR THE
[00:19:57] INSTAGRAM SOUNDBITE. >> OKAY, WE'RE BACK IN REAL
[00:20:01] TIME. C-SPAN 2 IS SIMULCASTING MY PROGRAM THIS WEEK, AND I
[00:20:05] THOUGHT, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO AIR FOR OUR
[00:20:09] AUDIENCE. AGAIN, YOU'VE HEARD
[00:20:11] ME ON THIS BEFORE, AND THEIR AUDIENCE AND TALK ABOUT CAMERAS.
[00:20:15] TALK ABOUT THE BENEFIT OF C-SPAN
[00:20:17] AND C-SPAN. TWO, AND TELEVISING
[00:20:21] THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS. NOW,
[00:20:25] SARAH ISGUR IS BRILLIANT, AND SHE MAKES A GREAT POINT. LIKE,
[00:20:27] YOU KNOW, DO THEY REALLY ADD
[00:20:30] VALUE WHEN THERE ARE CAMERAS EVERYWHERE? I MAINTAIN THAT THEY DO. I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING
[00:20:34] ABOUT HER CONSTITUTIONAL
[00:20:36] CONVENTION. I DON'T THINK IT'S A COUNTEREXAMPLE TO MY RULE,
[00:20:40] BECAUSE IT'S COVERED BY MY
[00:20:41] RULE. NOBODY SHOULD WALK INTO INDEPENDENCE HALL OR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WALK INTO
[00:20:45] INDEPENDENCE HALL. THEY POSTED A
[00:20:49] A CENTURY. MY RULE HAS NEVER
[00:20:52] BEEN CAMERAS EVERYWHERE. IT'S CAMERAS ANYWHERE. THE PUBLIC
[00:20:55] ALREADY HAS A RIGHT TO SIT. YOU CAN'T WALK INTO A JURY ROOM.
[00:20:59] I'M NOT LOOKING TO SEND A
[00:21:00] C-SPAN CAMERA OR KORTE TV CAMERA
[00:21:03] INTO THE JURY ROOM, BUT I LIKE
[00:21:04] IT IN THE COURTROOM. WHEN THAT
[00:21:09] CLANCY TRIAL RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN'T WALK INTO A SECURITY BRIEFING IN THE WHITE HOUSE. I'M NOT GOING TO SEND A CAMERA
[00:21:13] IN THERE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, A JUDGE'S CONFERENCE ROOM. NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TALKING
[00:21:17] ABOUT, THOUGH. THE ROOMS THAT WERE NEVER OPEN, I'M NOT
[00:21:20] SEEKING OPEN. SHE SAID SHE LOVES
[00:21:25] LIVE AUDIO. I JUST DON'T WANT CAMERAS. THE SUPREME COURT HAS
[00:21:29] GIVEN US LIVE AUDIO SINCE 2020.
[00:21:31] SO SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN THE
[00:21:34] THEORY OF MARGINAL HARM. IF A
[00:21:35] JUSTICE CAN BE. IF A JUSTICE CAN
[00:21:38] BE HEARD LIVE BY THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, AND THE INSTITUTION HAS
[00:21:42] NOT COLLAPSED, I DON'T THINK THE INSTITUTION IS GOING TO COLLAPSE. IF ALL OF A SUDDEN WE
[00:21:45] SEE YOUR FACE AT THE SAME TIME.
[00:21:49] SHE SAID THAT THE CAMERAS CHANGE WHO WE PICK. BUT SHE ALSO TOLD
[00:21:52] ME THAT SAMUEL ALITO IS THE
[00:21:55] NERD'S NERD, AND NOBODY THINKS HE GOT THE JOB FOR HIS
[00:21:58] TELEVISION PRESENCE. THE ONE
[00:22:00] PROCEEDING THAT SHE'D KEEP ON CAMERA IS THE CONFIRMATION
[00:22:04] HEARING, WHICH IS THE EXACT STAGE WHERE A TELEGENIC FILTER
[00:22:08] WOULD OPERATE. SO I DON'T THINK
[00:22:12] THAT THAT MITIGATES WHAT I'M SAYING. AND THEN THERE'S THIS.
[00:22:15] I THOUGHT THIS WAS REALLY OF INTEREST, BECAUSE I DID A DEEP
[00:22:18] DIVE OVER THE WEEKEND, WANTING
[00:22:20] TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WHOLE
[00:22:23] TRANSPARENCY ISSUE, THE BIGGEST
[00:22:25] STUDY EVER DONE, 91 STATE
[00:22:28] LEGISLATIVE CHAMBERS. THIS WAS
[00:22:31] 1987 TO 2022, PUBLISHED IN THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE
[00:22:35] REVIEW, AND I FOUND IT IN THE
[00:22:38] THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, BECAUSE THEY PRINTED WHAT I'M
[00:22:41] ABOUT TO TELL YOU, FOUND NO
[00:22:44] SYSTEMIC EFFECT FROM ADDING GAVEL TO GAVEL CAMERAS, NOT ON
[00:22:47] POLARIZATION, NOT ON PRODUCTIVITY. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDED. THE CONCERNS, QUOTE,
[00:22:51] MAY BE OVERSTATED. SO LET ME
[00:22:56] JUST READ FROM THE THE ABSTRACT,
[00:22:58] AND THEN I'LL GET OFF IT. AS
[00:23:01] ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CITIZENS STRUGGLE TO UNDERSTAND THE INCREASINGLY POLARIZED POLITICAL
[00:23:05] LANDSCAPE IN THE UNITED STATES, SOME HAVE POINTED TO THE
[00:23:08] INTRODUCTION OF GAVEL TO GAVEL
[00:23:12] CAMERA COVERAGE IN LEGISLATIVE
[00:23:13] BODIES AS DRIVING THE DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY OF THESE
[00:23:17] INSTITUTIONS. ADVOCATES OF INCREASED TRANSPARENCY SUGGEST
[00:23:20] CAMERAS EMPOWER VOTERS PRODUCING
[00:23:23] MORE MODERATE BEHAVIOR AMONG
[00:23:25] LEGISLATORS, WHEREAS OPPONENTS SUGGEST CAMERAS ENCOURAGE
[00:23:28] PARTISANSHIP AND DYSFUNCTION. PREVIOUS RESEARCH OFFERS MIXED
[00:23:32] CONCLUSIONS, IN PART BECAUSE OF A FOCUS ON NATIONAL
[00:23:35] LEGISLATURES, WHERE THE
[00:23:37] INTRODUCTION OF CAMERAS OCCUR
[00:23:40] ONLY ONCE USING AN ORIGINAL DATA SET OF THE ADOPTION OF GAVEL TO
[00:23:44] GAVEL COVERAGE IN STATE
[00:23:46] LEGISLATIVE CHAMBERS, WE EXAMINE WHETHER CAMERAS ARE ASSOCIATED
[00:23:49] WITH A RANGE OF CHAMBER AND INDIVIDUAL LEVEL OUTCOMES. STAY
[00:23:52] AWAKE FOR THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS
[00:23:54] THE TAKEAWAY. THE FINDINGS
[00:23:57] SUGGEST THERE ARE NO SYSTEMIC
[00:24:00] IMPACTS FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF GAVEL TO GAVEL COVERAGE.
[00:24:03] NORMATIVE CONCERNS ABOUT CAMERAS IN LEGISLATURES MAY BE
[00:24:06] OVERSTATED AND IMPORTANT FINDING, GIVEN THEIR
[00:24:09] PROLIFERATION IN PUBLIC PROCEEDINGS SINCE THE COVID 19
[00:24:13] PANDEMIC, THE PANDEMIC OCCURS, MORE ACCESS IS GIVEN BECAUSE
[00:24:16] PEOPLE CAN'T GO TO THOSE
[00:24:19] MEETINGS AND THAT PEER REVIEWED
[00:24:21] RESEARCH SAYS IT HAD NO
[00:24:24] DEMONSTRABLE IMPACT ON
[00:24:26] PARTISANSHIP AND BAD BEHAVIOR.
[00:24:29] THAT'S THE TAKEAWAY. SO YOUR POLL QUESTION
[00:24:32] TODAY@SMERCONISH.COM, YOU KNOW HOW I'M VOTING. SHOULD CAMERAS
[00:24:36] BE ALLOWED IN EVERY GOVERNMENTAL PROCEEDING? THE PUBLIC HAS A
[00:24:38] RIGHT TO ATTEND. YOU DON'T HAVE
[00:24:40] A RIGHT TO A JURY ROOM, BUT YOU
[00:24:43] CAN WALK INTO THAT COURTROOM. SO
[00:24:46] WHY SHOULDN'T A CAMERA BE THERE
[00:24:50] IN YOUR STEAD? GO
[00:24:52] VOTE@SMOKENADO.COM. HERE IS OUR INDEPENDENT LINE. IT'S THE ONLY
[00:24:56] LINE WE GOT ( 855) 486-1776.
[00:25:00] CALL ME RIGHT NOW. LET'S TALK
[00:25:03] ABOUT TRANSPARENCY. 124.
[00:25:08] >> CONSIDER THESE APPROACHES TO
[00:25:11] TRANSPARENCY AND CAMERAS WHERE THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS IS BEING
[00:25:14] DONE ON JUNE 18th. AS IN THIS JUNE, THE SENATE JUDICIARY
[00:25:17] COMMITTEE ADVANCED TWO BILLS BY
[00:25:19] VOICE VOTE, MEANING WITHOUT A
[00:25:22] WORD OF RECORDED OPPOSITION, THE
[00:25:25] SUNSHINE IN THE COURTROOM ACT.
[00:25:28] THIS WAS FROM SENATORS GRASSLEY AND KLOBUCHAR, WHICH WOULD LET
[00:25:32] ANY FEDERAL JUDGE DECIDE FOR HIMSELF WHETHER TO ALLOW A
[00:25:36] CAMERA. BUT FOR ME, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE
[00:25:39] IT TO THE DISCRETION OF FEDERAL JUDGES. I WANT I WANT THE
[00:25:42] DEFAULT TO BE THAT THERE CAN BE A CAMERA EVERYWHERE. I'VE TOLD
[00:25:46] THIS STORY BEFORE, WHEN I WAS JUST STARTING MY LEGAL PRACTICE,
[00:25:50] THERE WAS A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN THE
[00:25:53] EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, AND I WAS JUST
[00:25:57] BEGINNING MY CAREER AS A TRIAL
[00:26:00] LAWYER, AND I HAD I WON'T, I WON'T GET INTO ALL THE FACTS OF
[00:26:03] IT TODAY, BUT I HAD A VERY UNUSUAL CASE, AND IT CAUGHT THE
[00:26:06] EYE OF COURT TV, BECAUSE THEY
[00:26:10] HAD RUNNERS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING
[00:26:12] AT FILINGS, LOOKING FOR INTERESTING CASES. AND I WALKED
[00:26:16] INTO A PRETRIAL CONFERENCE ONE
[00:26:17] DAY, AND THE HONORABLE BUDD
[00:26:20] DUBOIS, JAN E DUBOIS SAID, HEY, GUESS WHAT? WE'RE GOING TO
[00:26:23] TELEVISE THIS TRIAL ON COURT TV. I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK. YOU
[00:26:26] KNOW, I'VE, I'VE NOT MET TOO MANY CAMERAS THAT I DON'T LIKE,
[00:26:30] BUT I WAS NERVOUS BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE MY FIRST TRIAL.
[00:26:33] IT WAS GOING TO BE ON TV ANYWAY. THAT WAS A PILOT PROGRAM. THE
[00:26:37] CASE SETTLED THE CASE PROBABLY SETTLED BECAUSE THERE WAS GOING TO BE A CAMERA IN THAT
[00:26:41] COURTROOM. THE CAMERAS IN
[00:26:44] COURTROOM ACT FROM DURBIN AND GRASSLEY, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE
[00:26:47] THE SUPREME COURT TO TELEVISE OPEN SESSIONS UNLESS A MAJORITY
[00:26:51] OF THE JUSTICES VOTED. THAT COVERAGE WOULD VIOLATE A
[00:26:54] PARTY'S DUE PROCESS RIGHTS. IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE,
[00:26:57] GRASSLEY'S LINE DENIAL OF
[00:26:59] ACCESS SHOULDN'T BE THE DEFAULT.
[00:27:03] SO BOTH BILLS NOW SIT ON THE
[00:27:05] SENATE CALENDAR. AND THEN HERE'S ANOTHER APPROACH. IN
[00:27:08] UTAH, THE JUDGE IN THE CHARLIE
[00:27:10] KIRK MURDER CASE REFUSED TO BAN
[00:27:13] CAMERAS WRITING THAT COVERAGE
[00:27:16] PROVIDES A MEANS TO FACILITATE THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT OF ACCESS TO
[00:27:19] COURT PROCEEDINGS FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT PHYSICALLY OCCUPY THE
[00:27:22] LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE IN A COURTROOM. HE GOT IT EXACTLY
[00:27:26] RIGHT. I, JACK, YOU'RE IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ON
[00:27:30] TRANSPARENCY AND CAMERAS. WHAT
[00:27:31] DID YOU WANT TO SAY?
[00:27:35] >> WELL, I'VE BEEN ON LOCAL BOARDS AND COUNCILS, MICHAEL,
[00:27:38] AND WE HAD A CASE WHERE THE
[00:27:41] LOCAL TV HAD TO SHOW UP, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THAT NINE PANEL
[00:27:44] SCHOOL BOARD, THEY WERE
[00:27:47] TERRIFIED TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS FOR THE OBVIOUS
[00:27:51] REASONS. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST REGULAR FOLK SCHOOL BOARD
[00:27:55] MEMBERS. THEY WERE AFRAID, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WOULD BE TAKEN
[00:27:57] OUT OF CONTEXT OR THAT THAT SAY
[00:28:00] SOMETHING WRONG. MAYBE OVER TIME, THEY'D GET MORE
[00:28:03] COMFORTABLE WITH IT. BUT WHAT
[00:28:08] HAPPENS IS BOARDS AND COUNCILS,
[00:28:09] LOCAL POLITICS, JUST EVERYBODY
[00:28:12] CLAMS UP, IT'S SIMPLY NOT AS
[00:28:18] EFFECTIVE AS SHINING A LIGHT, AS IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE.
[00:28:20] >> LISTEN, THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES IN THE PAST THAT HAVE
[00:28:23] NOT GONE WELL FOR MY ARGUMENT ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, NOT JUST IN
[00:28:27] THE COURTROOM, BUT IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND IN TALK
[00:28:31] RADIO STUDIOS. UM, THE OJ TRIAL,
[00:28:35] I MEAN, THE OJ TRIAL WAS I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, TC CAN
[00:28:39] FACT CHECK ME ON THIS. IT WAS
[00:28:41] THE LONGEST CRIMINAL TRIAL IN
[00:28:44] THE HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. WHEN
[00:28:47] THAT CASE TRIED. AND, OF COURSE, EVERYBODY LOOKED AT THAT AND SAID, OH, YOU KNOW, CAMERAS ARE
[00:28:51] A DISASTER. NO CAMERAS. YOU'RE SHAKING YOUR HEAD. IS IT STILL THE CASE?
[00:28:55] >> YES. NO, IT WAS. >> AT THE TIME, SURPASSING THE
[00:28:58] RECORD PREVIOUSLY SET BY THE CHARLES MANSON TRIAL. WOW. HOW
[00:29:02] ABOUT THAT? >> OKAY. >> UH, LET'S SEE, AND I WILL
[00:29:05] FIND OUT IF IT HAS BEEN SURPASSED SINCE THEN. BUT SPANNING ROUGHLY 8 TO 9 MONTHS
[00:29:09] OF COURT PROCEEDINGS FROM JANUARY 20th 4th TO OCTOBER 3rd, 1995.
[00:29:12] >> I DON'T BLAME CAMERAS FOR THAT. I BLAME, I BLAME JUDGE ITO
[00:29:16] FOR THAT. RIGHT. JUDGE JUDGE
[00:29:17] ITO, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY RAN THE
[00:29:20] DREAM TEAM, JOHNNIE COCHRAN AND COMPANY. THEY RAN ROUGHSHOD OVER
[00:29:23] HIM. IF ITO HAD PROVIDED
[00:29:27] GUARDRAILS, THEN THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN EXHIBIT A. BUT I GET
[00:29:30] YOUR POINT. ON A ON A LOCAL LEVEL, MAYBE IT'S INTIMIDATING
[00:29:33] FOR PEOPLE. PATRICK FLEMING ISLAND, FLORIDA. WHAT DID YOU
[00:29:36] MOST WANT TO SAY
[00:29:37] >> I WOULD HAVE AGREED WITH YOU PRIOR TO THE TRUMP
[00:29:41] ADMINISTRATION. AND I SEE PAM
[00:29:43] BONDI FOR A GREAT EXAMPLE, IS
[00:29:45] HER TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF CONGRESS WAS ALL FOR ONE MAN. IT
[00:29:48] WAS ALL ABOUT TV. NOTHING GOT
[00:29:51] DONE. UH, AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE WAY WITH ALL OF HIS PEOPLE. THEY HAVE GUYS THAT
[00:29:55] CAN'T SAY, UH, WHAT, WHAT THE
[00:29:56] TRUTH, BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING
[00:29:59] VIDEOED FOR TRUMP. UM, I ALSO
[00:30:02] HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO'S A JUDGE,
[00:30:05] AND TO LISTEN TO IT IS ONE THING, BUT TO SEE IT JUST
[00:30:09] INVOKES THE CRAZIES, AND THE CRAZIES ARE OUT THERE, WHETHER
[00:30:13] WE LIKE IT OR NOT. >> YOU SEE HOW THIS IS GOING? IT'S AGAINST.
[00:30:15] >> THE LAW. BUT THEY'RE THERE.
[00:30:17] >> I'M CURIOUS, I'M CURIOUS. I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER THESE
[00:30:21] CALLERS ARE INDICATIVE OF THE, UH, THE VOGT. LET'S JUST SEE WHERE WE ARE.
[00:30:25] >> HAVEN'T HAD SUCH A LOPSIDED ONE IN A WHILE. >> OKAY. WELL, TO, TO HEAR THESE
[00:30:28] CALLERS TELL IT, PEOPLE ARE IN OPPOSITION TO WHAT I'M SAYING. >> AND WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHOULD
[00:30:32] CAMERAS BE ALLOWED IN EVERY GOVERNMENT PROCEEDING, THE
[00:30:34] PUBLIC HAS A LEGAL RIGHT TO
[00:30:38] ATTEND 17,629 VOTES SO FAR.
[00:30:40] HEAVY VOTING SO FAR RUNNING 92.
[00:30:45] >> 92. 92%. SAYING. >> DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? >> YEAH. >> YES. >> THEY AGREE WITH ME.
[00:30:49] >> CORRECT.
[00:30:51] >> OKAY. 92% OF MORE THAN 17,000 WHO HAVE VOTED ARE SEEING IT THE
[00:30:54] SAME WAY I DO, PATRICK, BUT NOT YOU.
[00:30:58] >> NO I LISTEN TO THE SUPREME
[00:31:04] COURT ON AUDIO. I LOVE AUDIO,
[00:31:07] BUT THE VIDEO STUFF IS, IS IT
[00:31:10] JUST CHANGES THE ANSWERS FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE
[00:31:13] BEING VIDEOED THERE'S NO
[00:31:16] COMPROMISE. YOU CAN'T BE SEEN
[00:31:18] TALKING TO THE OTHER SIDE. YOU CAN. BUT IF YOU TALK TO THE
[00:31:22] OTHER SIDE IN THE BACK ROOM, FINE. AND I LOVE TO LISTEN TO
[00:31:25] IT. I LIKE TO LISTEN TO, TO SMART PEOPLE TALK, BUT WHEN THEY
[00:31:28] START, THESE SMART PEOPLE START
[00:31:32] MODIFYING THEIR ANSWERS BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING VIDEOED. IT
[00:31:35] DOESN'T HELP US. >> SEE, I THINK THAT FIRST CALLER. THANK YOU, SIR. I
[00:31:39] APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE. I THINK THAT FIRST CALLER, I
[00:31:42] DON'T IF THERE WERE RECORDINGS PROVIDED AT THAT LOCAL SCHOOL
[00:31:45] BOARD, IF THERE WERE RECORDINGS
[00:31:47] PROVIDED AT THAT LOCAL ZONING
[00:31:50] HEARING, I THINK THEY'D STILL
[00:31:53] FEEL MUDDLED. THEY'D STILL FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE AS
[00:31:55] OPEN AS IF THERE WAS JUST NO RECORD WHATSOEVER. I, I HEAR
[00:31:59] YOUR ARGUMENT. I FIND IT
[00:32:02] UNPERSUASIVE. WHERE ARE THE 92%
[00:32:05] OF THE 17,000 ON MY CALL BOARD? CALL ME. HOWEVER, YOU LOOK AT
[00:32:08] THIS ISSUE, SHOULD THERE BE
[00:32:11] TRANSPARENCY EVERYWHERE, WHEREVER YOU COULD WALK IN OFF
[00:32:14] THE STREET AND WATCH THE
[00:32:16] PEOPLE'S BUSINESS BEING DONE? SHOULD THERE BE A CAMERA? I'M AT
[00:32:20] EIGHT, FIVE, FIVE, FOUR, EIGHT,
[00:32:22] SIX, ONE S
[00:32:27] >> GANG, WE'RE APPROACHING 20,000 VOTES@SMERCONISH.COM. THAT'S WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO
[00:32:31] CAST YOUR BALLOT. SHOULD CAMERAS BE ALLOWED IN EVERY GOVERNMENT
[00:32:35] PROCEEDING, THE PUBLIC HAS A LEGAL RIGHT TO ATTEND. PAUL, YOU'RE IN NEW YORK. QUICK
[00:32:39] COMMENT FROM YOU.
[00:32:41] >> I DISAGREE WITH THE LAST
[00:32:43] CALLER AND HIS NOTION THAT WHEN A PERSON IS TESTIFYING ON VIDEO
[00:32:47] OR AUDIO, THAT THE ANSWER IS
[00:32:48] CHANGING. IN MY OPINION, IT
[00:32:51] DOESN'T MATTER IF A PERSON IS
[00:32:53] TESTIFYING OR TAKING PART IN AN OPEN COURT OR ANYTHING LIKE
[00:32:56] THAT, THE ANSWER IS GOING TO BE CONSISTENT NO MATTER WHAT.
[00:32:59] THERE'S NO REASON WHY IN 2026,
[00:33:01] WE'RE STILL RELYING ON AUDIO
[00:33:04] HEARINGS OVER IN THE SUPREME COURT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT SHOULD BE VIDEO.
[00:33:07] >> ABSOLUTELY. OF COURSE IT SHOULD BE. ROBERT, YOU'RE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. WHAT DID YOU
[00:33:10] MOST WANT TO SAY?
[00:33:13] >> I AGREE WITH YOUR PREMISES
[00:33:16] THAT CAMERAS SHOULD BE IN ANY,
[00:33:22] FORUM, BECAUSE WHY SHOULD ANYONE
[00:33:25] SIT IN LINE IN THE HEAT OR COLD
[00:33:29] OR ANY OTHER KIND OF WEATHER,
[00:33:31] WHEN THE CAMERA CAN GIVE US
[00:33:36] >> WHAT ABOUT THE. WHAT ABOUT THE DISABLED? WHAT ABOUT THE
[00:33:39] DISABLED? WHAT ABOUT THE ELDERLY? WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO CAN'T, WHO CAN'T TRAVEL IN
[00:33:43] ORDER TO GET. NO, I'M. I'M MAKING I'M MAKING YOUR POINT.
[00:33:46] THIS IS ANITA. ANITA'S IN
[00:33:47] VIRGINIA. YOUR TURN. GO, ANITA.
[00:33:51] >> I BELIEVE THAT CAMERAS SHOULD BE ALLOWED EVERYWHERE THAT THE
[00:33:54] PUBLIC IS ALLOWED, SPECIFICALLY IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. I
[00:33:57] WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW THE BREAD IS MADE. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE
[00:34:01] WHEN THEY SELL THEIR CONSCIENCE
[00:34:03] TO LOBBYISTS. I WANT TO HEAR THOSE ARGUMENTS ON THE FLOOR.
[00:34:07] WHICH CAMERA. >> SHOULD I, SHOULD I CHANGE MY
[00:34:10] HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE TO THE SOFTER, GENTLER. HOW THE BREAD IS MADE?
[00:34:14] >> IT'S SO FUNNY THAT YOU SAY THAT, BECAUSE I. AS SOON AS ANITA SAID THAT, I WAS LIKE,
[00:34:17] WAIT A MINUTE, I REALLY LIKE THAT. >> YEAH, ANITA.
[00:34:20] >> WE MIGHT CHANGE. >> MAYBE THAT'LL LINGER.
[00:34:22] >> YEAH. THANK YOU. ANITA
[00:34:27] >> WELCOME. >> BEEPING IN CONNECTICUT. I HOPE I DID RIGHT BY YOUR NAME. WHAT DID YOU MOST WANT TO SAY ON
[00:34:30] THIS ISSUE
[00:34:44] >> UP AND STAND AND SPEAK, SAY ANYTHING. IT'S DIFFERENT THAN
[00:34:48] SITTING DOWN AND MUMBLING AND CAMERAS MAKE THINGS WORSE. I
[00:34:51] DON'T KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO DO
[00:34:54] WITH A COURT RULING IN OHIO OR MONTANA, AND I LIVE IN
[00:34:57] CONNECTICUT. I DON'T GIVE
[00:35:00] >> ABOUT THE. HOW ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED
[00:35:03] STATES? I WOULD THINK THAT YOU'D CARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. WE'LL COME BACK IN JUST A
[00:35:07] MOMENT AND SAY HELLO TO OUR
[00:35:10] 12424.
[00:35:14] >> EARLIER, I WAS SPEAKING OF MY AFFINITY FOR C-SPAN, AND
[00:35:17] THERE'S A STORY THAT I WANTED TO WAIT FOR A FRIEND TO COME AND
[00:35:21] HELP TELL. IT'S DECEMBER 16th,
[00:35:24] 2024, AND TWO BROTHERS ARE ON
[00:35:28] WASHINGTON JOURNAL ON C-SPAN, HOSTED BY MY FRIEND AND
[00:35:32] COLLEAGUE, STEVE SCULLY. THEY ARE THE WOODHOUSE BROTHERS. GO
[00:35:36] AHEAD, STEVE, TAKE THE STAGE AND SET IT UP. >> MICHAEL, GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
[00:35:40] SO, BRAD AND DALLAS WOODHOUSE,
[00:35:44] THEY'RE ON THE SET ON THE
[00:35:46] WASHINGTON AFTER THANKSGIVING, BEFORE CHRISTMAS, AND THE FIRST
[00:35:50] CALLER ON THE SCREEN SAID, JOY FROM RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA.
[00:35:53] HER NAME WAS JOYCE. I KNOW YOU HAVE THE AUDIO. YOU CAN PLAY IT
[00:35:57] WHENEVER. >> ROLL IT. >> LET'S GO TO JOY. NO. GO TO
[00:36:00] JOY IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA. GOOD. HEY, SOMEBODY FROM DOWN
[00:36:04] SOUTH. >> WELL, YOU'RE RIGHT, I'M FROM DOWN SOUTH.
[00:36:07] >> OH, GOD. IT'S MOM.
[00:36:08] >> AND I'M YOUR MOTHER. AND I,
[00:36:12] I DISAGREE THAT ALL FAMILIES ARE LIKE OURS. I DON'T KNOW MANY
[00:36:16] FAMILIES THAT ARE FIGHTING AT THANKSGIVING.
[00:36:20] >> IS THIS. IS THIS REALLY >> MY MOM.
[00:36:22] >> YEAH. I WAS VERY GLAD THAT
[00:36:24] THIS THANKSGIVING WAS THE YEAR THAT YOU TWO WERE SUPPOSED TO GO
[00:36:27] TO YOUR IN-LAWS, AND I WAS. AND
[00:36:30] I'M HOPING YOU'LL HAVE SOME OF
[00:36:32] THIS CHRISTMAS.
[00:36:36] >> COME ON, STEVE, THAT IS THE GREATEST. I KNOW. IT WENT VIRAL,
[00:36:39] LIKE, 10 MILLION PLUS VIEWS, RIGHT?
[00:36:43] >> IT WAS A CLASSIC MOMENT. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, MORE THAN 10 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE VIEWED THAT.
[00:36:46] IT'S ONE OF THE MOST WATCHED CLIPS IN THE C-SPAN VIDEO LIBRARY, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS
[00:36:50] FABULOUS FOR ALL OF US WHO USE IT AND WHO HAVE SEEN ITS GROWTH
[00:36:53] OVER THE YEARS. BUT WHAT MADE
[00:36:55] THAT SO TERRIFIC, MICHAEL, IS IT
[00:36:58] WAS TOTALLY ORGANIC. IT WAS NOT PLANNED IN ANY WAY. SHE JUST WAS
[00:37:02] WATCHING. LIKE, YOUR MOM IS WATCHING RIGHT NOW. SO IF WE GET A CALL FROM BUCKS COUNTY,
[00:37:06] PENNSYLVANIA, AND WE KNOW IT MAY BE YOUR MOM, BUT IN THIS CASE, IT WAS THEIR MOM SAYING, YOU
[00:37:10] KNOW, JUST BASICALLY KNOCK IT
[00:37:12] OFF. AND AS YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN A VERY BIG FAMILY. SO WE'VE
[00:37:15] GOT DONALD TRUMP IN THE FAMILY, AND WE'VE GOT BERNIE SANDERS IN
[00:37:18] THE FAMILY. SO I COULD APPRECIATE HER CALL THE NEXT YEAR. BY THE WAY, WE TOOK HER TO
[00:37:21] THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER. UH, SHE'S AN AMAZING
[00:37:24] LADY, STILL ALIVE. BRAD AND DALLAS ARE STILL IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH ME.
[00:37:28] >> SO I, I LOVE THE FORUM, AND
[00:37:32] I'M A BELIEVER IN THE IDEA OF THE TRANSPARENCY THAT, THAT FLOWS FROM C-SPAN. WE HAVE A
[00:37:35] POLL QUESTION TODAY ON IT. KIND OF INTERESTING, BECAUSE THE POLL QUESTION, WHICH IS DRAWING A
[00:37:39] HEAVY VOTE, IS OVERWHELMINGLY IN
[00:37:42] SUPPORT OF THE IDEA OF CAMERAS EVERYWHERE. CALLERS, NOT SO
[00:37:46] MUCH. SO A BIT OF A DIVIDE. YOUR THOUGHTS?
[00:37:49] >> I WANT TO KNOW WHO THE 8% ARE. BECAUSE, LOOK, I AGREE. I MEAN, TRANSPARENCY IS SO
[00:37:53] IMPORTANT. BUT I WILL GIVE YOU ONE LITTLE TIDBIT, BECAUSE EVERY
[00:37:56] YEAR THAT I WAS THERE, BRIAN LAMB. AND LATER, SUSAN SWAIN
[00:37:59] SENDING A LETTER TO CHIEF
[00:38:01] JUSTICE REHNQUIST AND LATER CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS TO
[00:38:05] OPEN UP THE SUPREME COURT TO CAMERAS. AND YOU MADE A GOOD
[00:38:07] POINT. EARLIER, ARLEN SPECTER, ALWAYS ASKING THE QUESTION. AND
[00:38:10] THE NOMINEES. YES, WE'LL TAKE IT UNDER ADVISEMENT. OF COURSE, IT
[00:38:13] HAS NEVER HAPPENED, BUT WE NOW
[00:38:16] HAVE LIVE AUDIO RELEASE OF THE SUPREME COURT ORAL ARGUMENTS,
[00:38:20] WHICH IS A HUGE STEP COMPARED TO THE END OF THE WEEK RELEASE OF
[00:38:23] THE AUDIO. AND WE REALLY PUSHED
[00:38:25] DURING BUSH V GORE IN 2000 TO
[00:38:28] HAVE CAMERAS INSIDE THE COURT, REHNQUIST SAID. NO, MAKING SOME
[00:38:31] INROADS. IT'S THE LAST BASTION OF WHERE CAMERAS ARE NOT ALLOWED
[00:38:35] AT THE MOMENT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE IN
[00:38:37] THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT MY GUESS IS
[00:38:40] AT SOME POINT IT WILL HAPPEN. >> SO I AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS
[00:38:43] THAT SAM FEIST CONTINUES TO PUSH
[00:38:45] THE CURRENT SUPREME COURT FOR EXACTLY THAT ISSUE. HEY, HOW
[00:38:49] ABOUT THE EDUCATE THE REST OF US
[00:38:52] WHEN WE'RE WATCHING THAT SHOT
[00:38:54] IN THE CONGRESS? IT'S A ONE CAMERA SHOT AND IT'S LIMITED. AM
[00:38:58] I RIGHT IN HOW I DESCRIBE IT?
[00:39:01] >> YOU MEAN SPECIAL ORDERS OR. >> I MEAN, I MEAN THE, THE GAVEL
[00:39:04] TO GAVEL, THE BUSINESS OF THE CONGRESS.
[00:39:07] >> WHAT'S MORE THAN ONE CAMERA? I MEAN, THEY HAVE MULTIPLE CAMERAS THAT ARE RUN BY THE
[00:39:11] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN BRIAN LAMB FIRST
[00:39:13] STARTED C-SPAN, OF COURSE, C-SPAN IS THE HOUSE BECAUSE THEY
[00:39:17] AGREED TO IT FIRST AND LATER, 1986, C-SPAN 2, BECAME THE
[00:39:21] SENATE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE ASKED FOR WITH TIP
[00:39:24] O'NEILL AT THE TIME IS TO ALLOW
[00:39:27] C-SPAN TO CONTROL THOSE CAMERAS. RIGHT. AND O'NEILL MADE THE POINT. YOU KNOW, A MEMBER OF
[00:39:30] CONGRESS MAY BE PICKING THEIR NOSE OR DOING SOMETHING. SO WE WANT TO CONTROL THE CAMERAS.
[00:39:34] THAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT I'M SURE SAM FEIST WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CHANGE IN TERMS OF
[00:39:38] CAMERAS IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. THAT'S GOING TO BE A
[00:39:42] MUCH MORE DIFFICULT BATTLE FOR FOR C-SPAN TO DEAL WITH, BECAUSE
[00:39:45] THAT'S THE LAST CONTROL THAT THEY HAVE, WHICH IS THOSE CAMERAS. DURING THE SPECIAL
[00:39:49] ORDERS. YOU MADE THE POINT. TIP
[00:39:51] O'NEILL, 1985. YOU KNOW, HE WAS TICKED OFF AT WHO WOULD SOON
[00:39:55] BECOME SPEAKER, NEWT GINGRICH, BECAUSE HE USED SPECIAL ORDERS
[00:39:59] AS HIS VERSION OF THE INTERNET. BACK IN THE MID 1980s TO GET
[00:40:01] THEIR MESSAGE OUT TO THOSE VOTERS. SO IT'S MORE THAN ONE
[00:40:05] CAMERA. BUT YES, CONTROLLED BY THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE GALLERIES.
[00:40:09] >> AND THE DIFFERENCE WE ALL GOT TO SEE IN JANUARY OF 2023, WITH
[00:40:13] KEVIN MCCARTHY'S 15 BALLOTS AND
[00:40:15] WHAT WENT ON WITH MATT GAETZ.
[00:40:17] AND, AND I THINK PEOPLE THEN SAW THE DIFFERENCE IN, OH, WE
[00:40:20] TYPICALLY DON'T GET TO SEE
[00:40:23] WHAT'S GOING ON AMONG THE MEMBERS. >> AND YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THE
[00:40:26] CONGRESS HAD NOT BEEN SWORN IN
[00:40:28] YET. AND SO IN ORDER TO COVER THE PROCEEDINGS, C-SPAN PUT THE
[00:40:32] CAMERAS IN THERE, AND IT MADE IT FAR MORE INTERESTING. AND YOU WENT THROUGH THE LITANY OF
[00:40:36] THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN, INCLUDING AOC AND MATT GAETZ AND
[00:40:39] THE REST, WHICH MADE IT INTRIGUING AND FASCINATING. AND,
[00:40:42] OF COURSE, BACK IN 2016, WE USED
[00:40:44] CELL PHONES TO, UH, TO, TO COVER
[00:40:47] WHAT WAS HAPPENING DURING THE,
[00:40:49] UH, THE JOHN LEWIS, UH, DEBATE. >> RIGHT. UM, FINALLY, MY
[00:40:52] FRIEND, WHEN WILL WE BE TOGETHER
[00:40:57] IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA? AND HOW,
[00:40:58] HOW, AND HOW CAN PEOPLE JOIN US?
[00:41:01] >> WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN ERIE, I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE
[00:41:05] NOVEMBER THE 12th. UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A THINK TANK
[00:41:07] IN MY HOMETOWN, THE JEFFERSON
[00:41:09] EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY. AND WE HAVE YOUR COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND, HUGH
[00:41:12] HEWITT, TEEING UP THE PROGRAM IN SEPTEMBER. WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO
[00:41:16] YOU MIGHT KNOW, MICHELLE OBAMA COMING IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, I
[00:41:19] WAS ABLE TO BRING IN PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, AND THEN WE BRING
[00:41:22] YOU IN NOVEMBER. AND, UH, SO
[00:41:25] I'M OKAY, BUT WE'RE. >> NOT WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO SELL ANY. WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO
[00:41:28] SELL. HUGH HEWITT AND MICHELLE OBAMA TICKETS. THEY'LL DO JUST
[00:41:31] FINE. LET'S SELL SOME
[00:41:35] SMERCONISH TICKETS. >> STEVE SCULLY J S ERIE.ORG. >> SAY IT AGAIN.
[00:41:38] >> S ERIE.ORG. JES ERIE.ORG.
[00:41:41] WELL, IT WILL SELL OUT, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. >> IT WAS, IT WAS FABULOUS THE
[00:41:44] LAST TIME I WAS THERE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING IT AGAIN. THANK YOU. STEVE SCULLY.
[00:41:48] I WANTED TO TAKE THAT WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH YOU.
[00:41:51] >> THANK YOU MICHAEL. >> THANK YOU, SIR. BRENDA,
[00:41:53] YOU'RE IN ILLINOIS. QUICKLY, ON THE SUBJECT OF CAMERAS EVERYWHERE, WHAT DID YOU MOST
[00:41:57] WANT TO SAY
[00:42:01] >> YES, WE NEED CAMERAS IN EVERY
[00:42:03] PART OF OUR GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY IN THAT WHITE HOUSE.
[00:42:06] AND CURRENT RESIDENT NEEDS
[00:42:10] >> OKAY. BUT WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE. NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE A
[00:42:12] RIGHT TO WALK INTO THE OVAL OFFICE. REMEMBER, I'M
[00:42:16] ADVOCATING THIS IS A DIFFERENT ISSUE AND A VERY INTERESTING
[00:42:18] ISSUE. OKAY. I'M SAYING A CAMERA, WHEREVER, AS THE
[00:42:21] CITIZEN, YOU CAN WALK IN, MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE THAT
[00:42:25] CONVERSATION. I DON'T KNOW >> YES, IT'S OUR HOUSE.
[00:42:28] CORRECT. THAT CLOWNS IN THERE WRECKING THAT PLACE. >> THE ONLY.
[00:42:32] >> NO IDEA HOW HE'S GOING TO PAY FOR IT. >> THE ONLY THE ONLY CITIZEN I
[00:42:36] THAT I THAT I KNOW WHO GETS TO WALK IN ANYWHERE IS THE, UH, IS,
[00:42:39] IS NATALIE HARP. ALL RIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET'S,
[00:42:43] LET'S TAKE A LOOK. SHOULD
[00:42:45] CAMERAS BE ALLOWED IN EVERY GOVERNMENT PROCEEDING, THE
[00:42:48] PUBLIC HAS A LEGAL RIGHT TO KNOW
[00:42:50] AT THIS MINUTE, 19,603 YOU GO TO
[00:42:55] SMERCONISH.COM TO CAST YOUR
[00:42:57] BALLOT. IT IS 92.09% WHO ARE
[00:43:02] VOTING YES. WHEN I COME BACK,
[00:43:05] SETH BODNAR FROM TO POTUS ON
[00:43:08] SIRIUS XM, CHANNEL 124. >> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT
[00:43:12] REGULAR LISTENERS OF THE PROGRAM, THE PROGRAM ON SIRIUS
[00:43:15] XM, POTUS, CHANNEL 124, WOULD
[00:43:16] REALLY GET A KICK OUT OF LOOKING
[00:43:20] AT C-SPAN 2 AND SEEING US. NO QUESTION. AND THE BACK OF THE
[00:43:23] HOUSE, I'M. I'M FOREVER TELLING
[00:43:27] PEOPLE THAT DAILY ON YOUTUBE. WE POST GOOD CONTENT, BUT THAT'S
[00:43:30] ONLY A PORTION OF THE PROGRAM.
[00:43:32] YOU CAN WATCH US IN TOTAL RIGHT
[00:43:35] NOW. AND HERE IN OUR STUDIO,
[00:43:37] WE'VE GOT OUR CABLE OUTLETS AND
[00:43:39] THE BBC, AND IN OUR LOBBY, WE
[00:43:42] HAVE C-SPAN TWO. >> YES WE DO.
[00:43:46] >> C-SPAN 2. >> SO I JUST SAW IT ZOOMING IN ON SO YOU COULD SEE THE WHOLE
[00:43:49] STUDIO. IT WAS SO COOL. >> WELL, WE HAD TO, WE HAD TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT FOR
[00:43:52] COMMERCIAL BREAKS. LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO FEED TO C-SPAN 2
[00:43:56] FOR THEM TO SHOW. SO PJ AND THE BOYS DID A GREAT JOB IN CUTTING
[00:44:00] A LOT OF VIDEO OF THE BACK OF THE HOUSE. WE HAVE A VERY COOL
[00:44:04] STUDIO, AND WE'RE EAGER TO SHOW
[00:44:06] IT OFF. BUT THE TOTALITY OF THE EXPERIENCE IS FUN.
[00:44:09] >> IT'S WORTH CHECKING OUT, LET'S JUST PUT IT THAT WAY. >> AND MAY I SAY, FOR THE
[00:44:13] BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO ARE C-SPAN FANS AND NOT TYPICALLY HERE.
[00:44:17] >> WELL. >> WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? >> NO.
[00:44:19] >> WELCOME BE. YOU'VE GOT TO VOGT@SMERCONISH.COM AND THE
[00:44:22] DAILY POLL QUESTION. AND WHILE
[00:44:24] YOU'RE THERE, PLEASE CONSIDER
[00:44:27] REGISTERING FOR THE FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, BECAUSE YOU'RE A
[00:44:31] POLITICAL JUNKIE, OR YOU WOULDN'T BE WATCHING C-SPAN,
[00:44:34] AND YOU'LL LOVE IT BECAUSE WE
[00:44:35] ARE AS WELL. OKAY, THIS IS
[00:44:39] GLYNIS IN RICHMOND. ON THE
[00:44:40] QUESTION OF ONE PARTY IS
[00:44:43] DEFICIENT. THERE'S A STRONG, INDEPENDENT. WHAT SHOULD RESULT?
[00:44:46] YOUR ANSWER IS WHAT.?
[00:44:49] >> MY ANSWER
[00:45:04] DEMOCRATS NOT WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP THIS COUNTRY. AND
[00:45:06] INDEPENDENTS SEEM TO BE THE SEEM
[00:45:11] EXCITING TO ME BECAUSE THEY ARE.
[00:45:24] CONGENIALITY. >> GLYNIS. I WOULD, I WOULD, AND I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THIS TO YOU
[00:45:27] JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE AN I, I'M NOT. LOOK, I'M AN INDEPENDENT.
[00:45:31] I'M AN INDEPENDENT. SO THAT MY CARDS ARE ON THE TABLE. I, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT, THAT SOME OF
[00:45:34] YOU MIGHT NOT BE COMPLETELY FAMILIAR. NOT ONLY AM I AN
[00:45:37] INDEPENDENT. I'M THE LEAD PLAINTIFF RIGHT NOW IN
[00:45:40] LITIGATION THAT'S PENDING IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF
[00:45:43] PENNSYLVANIA TO OPEN OUR CLOSED PRIMARIES, BECAUSE PENNSYLVANIA,
[00:45:47] NEW YORK AND FLORIDA ARE THE BIG
[00:45:49] THREE CLOSED PRIMARY STATES. SO
[00:45:54] I'M TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE JUST BECAUSE
[00:45:58] THEY'RE THE INDEPENDENT. YOU
[00:45:58] KNOW WHAT THAT IS? THAT'S AS BAD
[00:46:02] AS PULLING A BIG PARTY LEVER JUST FOR THE REPUBLICANS OR THE
[00:46:05] DEMOCRATS. BUT I AM SAYING, IF YOU'VE GOT A CANDIDATE LIKE
[00:46:08] SETH BODNER OR TODD ACHILLES,
[00:46:12] I'M IMPRESSED WITH HIM AS WELL. AND THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF
[00:46:14] OTHERS WHO ARE RUNNING. AT LEAST
[00:46:17] GIVE THEM SOME CONSIDERATION. DON'T JUST SUIT UP IN YOUR
[00:46:21] USUAL PARTIZAN JERSEY. I FEEL YOU'RE IN FLORIDA. WHAT DID YOU
[00:46:23] MOST WANT TO SAY?
[00:46:29] >> TALK TO YOU. I'VE BEEN A FAN FOR YEARS. THANK YOU. THIS
[00:46:32] SUBJECT, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN WAITING. I'VE BEEN WAITING SINCE
[00:46:35] ROSS PEROT FOR SOMEBODY TO UNIFY
[00:46:41] THAT INDEPENDENT FACTION. I THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN WAY
[00:46:44] BEFORE THIS. I'M REALLY HOPEFUL, YOU KNOW, BY THE WAY, GUYS LIKE YOU AND BILL MAHER
[00:46:48] GIVE ME HOPE AS AN INDEPENDENT
[00:46:51] THAT WE HAVEN'T LOST THE FIGHT, THAT WE CAN STILL PULL THIS OFF SOMEHOW. >> I LIKE BEING PUT IN THAT
[00:46:55] CATEGORY. I'M HAPPY THAT YOU WOULD MENTION ME IN THE SAME
[00:46:59] BREATH AS BILL IN THIS REGARD. I MEAN, HE PAID ME THE HIGHEST
[00:47:01] HONOR WHEN HE SAID TO ME, AFTER ONE OF MY APPEARANCES ON HIS
[00:47:05] PROGRAM, HE SAID TO ME, YOU HAVE
[00:47:09] NO TEAM. I HAVE NO TEAM, SAID BILL MAHER TO ME, I UNDERSTOOD
[00:47:12] EXACTLY WHAT THE POINT IS THAT HE WAS, THAT HE WAS MAKING. BOB,
[00:47:16] YOU'RE IN NEW JERSEY. I KNOW WHAT YOU TOLD ADJARA WHO
[00:47:19] SCREENED YOUR CALL, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT MEANS. GO AHEAD
[00:47:22] AND TAKE THE FLOOR
[00:47:25] >> I APPRECIATE IT. >> UM, WELCOME.
[00:47:27] >> UH, LET I SAID THE
[00:47:30] CHALLENGER, BECAUSE THE FINAL
[00:47:33] SUMMATION OF WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE O RING. THEY KNEW BEFORE
[00:47:37] THEY FIRED THAT OFF AT A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE, THAT O RING
[00:47:41] WOULDN'T CLOSE. RIGHT. AND THEY
[00:47:42] DID IT ANYWAY, BECAUSE THE TV,
[00:47:45] THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ARE THE SAME
[00:47:48] WAY. THEY VILIFY EACH OTHER.
[00:47:51] MEANWHILE, IN THE MIDDLE,
[00:47:53] NOTHING GETS DONE. AND DEMOCRATS
[00:47:55] WON'T CHANGE PARTIES. WE GOT TO
[00:47:59] KEEP THEM GUESSING BY PICKING
[00:48:02] THE BEST PERSON WE THINK. FORGET ABOUT THE LABEL. PICK THE PERSON.
[00:48:06] >> I'M ALL FOR THAT. >> WE'LL DISRUPT THIS. >> I'M. I'M ALL FOR. I'M ALL
[00:48:09] FOR THAT. I AM ABSOLUTELY ALL FOR THAT. VIRGIL, YOU'RE IN
[00:48:12] DALLAS, TEXAS, THINKING, WHAT
[00:48:16] TODAY? >> I'VE ALWAYS ADMIRED YOU.
[00:48:19] THANK YOU. THAT YOUNG MAN A
[00:48:22] REAL, TRUE AMERICAN. YEP. HE
[00:48:26] SAID A MOUTHFUL YES, HE SAID A
[00:48:29] MOUTHFUL WHEN HE SAID WHEN THEY
[00:48:30] WERE OVER IN THE WAR, THAT THEY
[00:48:34] DIDN'T ASK FOR WHAT POLITICAL
[00:48:36] PERSUASION YOU WERE ABOUT. BUT
[00:48:38] WE'RE AMERICANS, AND YOU KNOW
[00:48:42] SOMETHING? I DONATED TO HIM ON,
[00:48:45] ON THE ON THE LINE. HE'S A REAL
[00:48:49] AMERICAN. YES, I >> LOVE IT.
[00:48:53] >> 51 YEARS OLD. >> I LOVE WELL, YOU'RE A YOUNG GUY. DON'T, DON'T SAY IT LIKE
[00:48:56] IT'S SOMETHING OLD.
[00:49:04] >> BUT HE IS THE REAL DEAL. >> HE IS THE REAL DEAL. HE THE
[00:49:06] GUY. THE GUY IS THE REAL DEAL.
[00:49:08] AND, AND LIKE, THANK GOD THAT
[00:49:11] PEOPLE WITH HIS CREDENTIALS ARE WILLING TO RUN FOR PUBLIC
[00:49:14] OFFICE. HIS WEB ADDRESS IS SETH
[00:49:17] FROM MONTANA.COM. SETH FOR MONTANA.COM. VIRGIL. THANK YOU,
[00:49:20] SIR. I APPRECIATE THE COMPLIMENT. I APPRECIATE YOU DIALING THE PHONE AS WELL. WE'LL
[00:49:23] COME BACK AND TAKE MORE OF YOUR TELEPHONE CALLS ON THIS. OH, BY
[00:49:26] THE WAY, AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR,
[00:49:31] SIR CHARLES BARKLEY DROPS BY FOR
[00:49:31] A VISIT. LOOK
[00:49:41] >> .COM. SHOULD CAMERAS BE ALLOWED IN EVERY GOVERNMENT PROCEEDING. THE PUBLIC HAS A
[00:49:45] LEGAL RIGHT TO ATTEND. THAT'S THE POLL QUESTION OF THE DAY.
[00:49:48] EVERY DAY, THERE'S A DIFFERENT POLL QUESTION POSTED. IT'S RO
[00:49:51] KHANNA .COM. THIS ONE IS RUNNING
[00:49:55] 92.1% TO 7.9%. DOUG, GREETINGS
[00:50:00] TO YOU IN DENVER, COLORADO. TELL
[00:50:02] ME ONE THING YOU WANTED TO SAY
[00:50:06] >> BOGNER MADE ME WANT TO RUN THROUGH A BRICK WALL. I LOVE
[00:50:08] THAT GUY, MAN. HE HE FIRED ME UP, LIKE, MORE THAN I'VE HEARD
[00:50:12] ANYBODY FIRE ME UP SINCE, LIKE, THE OBAMA ERA. YOU KNOW WHAT I
[00:50:15] MEAN? IT'S AWESOME. LIKE, REALLY AWESOME. SOMEBODY WHO
[00:50:18] FELT THAT, LIKE, ALIENATED BY BOTH PARTIES TO HAVE A DUDE LIKE
[00:50:22] THAT. I JUST REALLY HOPE WE CAN GET A RANK AND FILE BEHIND HIM.
[00:50:26] IT'S NUANCE IS WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO. IT ISN'T A LOT OF IT ANYMORE.
[00:50:28] >> I, I, I MET HIM, I, I SHOULD, I SHOULD PUT MORE CARDS ON THE
[00:50:31] TABLE BECAUSE I AM BIASED IN
[00:50:34] THIS REGARD. I MET HIM IN WEST
[00:50:36] VIRGINIA AT A GATHERING THAT WAS ORGANIZED BY JOE MANCHIN AND HIS
[00:50:40] DAUGHTER, HEATHER MANCHIN. JOE, FROM THE GREAT STATE OF WEST
[00:50:43] VIRGINIA. AND HE BROUGHT IN A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT
[00:50:46] CANDIDATES. I WAS THERE TO INTERVIEW THE MANSIONS FOR CNN
[00:50:49] ABOUT THIS EFFORT. AND THE
[00:50:52] MANSIONS ARE BEHIND BACKING A
[00:50:54] HANDFUL OF INDEPENDENTS LIKE BODNER, ON THE THEORY THAT IF
[00:50:57] YOU JUST HAD A COUPLE OF JOE
[00:50:59] MANCHIN IN THE SENATE, AND SETH
[00:51:02] CORRECTED ME WHEN I SAID, YOU KNOW, POWER WOULD BE VESTED THERE, HE DIDN'T LIKE MY USE OF
[00:51:06] THE WORD POWER. THAT'S OKAY. THE
[00:51:07] POINT IS, WE DILUTE THE FRINGES,
[00:51:10] AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEKING TO DO. DILUTE THE FAR LEFT, DILUTE
[00:51:13] THE FAR RIGHT, AND GIVE A VOICE TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SOMEWHERE
[00:51:16] IN THE MIDDLE. THIS IS STEVE STEVES IN THE GREAT STATE OF
[00:51:20] TEXAS. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO
[00:51:21] OFFER, STEVE? HI
[00:51:24] >> HELLO. UM, I WANT TO HELP
[00:51:27] UNIFY INDEPENDENTS. A DOCUMENT
[00:51:30] CALLED INDEPENDENT VOTERS BILL
[00:51:32] OF RIGHTS. UM, ADDS COHESION AND
[00:51:37] A SENSE OF IDENTITY TO
[00:51:39] INDEPENDENT VOTERS. UM, I'VE
[00:51:42] BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THE ALASKA
[00:51:43] SYSTEM, BUT I THINK THAT WE, AS
[00:51:47] INDEPENDENTS NEED THAT, UH, THAT
[00:51:50] BOOST AND TO SEE WHAT THE MAJOR
[00:51:52] PARTIES HAVE DONE TO OUR VOTING
[00:51:58] RIGHTS, UH. >> WELL, I, I ENCOURAGE YOU, STEVE, TO POST IT ON MY FACEBOOK
[00:52:02] PAGE, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF
[00:52:06] ROBUST CONVERSATIONS ON MY
[00:52:07] FACEBOOK PAGE, NOT THE LEAST OF
[00:52:10] WHICH DEAL WITH INDEPENDENT THINKING. THIS IS GEORGE IN SAINT LOUIS. HE WANTS TO PAY ME
[00:52:13] A COMPLIMENT. GEORGE, NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR YOUR COMPLIMENT
[00:52:16] OTHER THAN ME. WHAT IS IT?
[00:52:20] >> WELL, I HAVE TO TELL YOU,
[00:52:21] MICHAEL. I LISTENED TO YOU ON
[00:52:24] CNN ALL THE TIME. AND I SO
[00:52:27] APPRECIATE YOUR SHOW. AND I GET
[00:52:31] DISILLUSIONED BY PEOPLE CALLING UP AND SAYING, YOU'RE SUCH A
[00:52:32] TRUMP MAN WHEN ALL YOU'RE DOING IS PRESENTING THE FACTS. YOU
[00:52:37] HAVE PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES. COME ON, YOU PRESENT THE FACTS AND
[00:52:40] LET OTHER. LET PEOPLE CHOOSE THE WAY THEY WANT TO CHOOSE. I THINK
[00:52:43] IT'S TERRIFIC. I THINK YOU'RE TERRIFIC. I'M GLAD YOU'RE ON
[00:52:47] C-SPAN. THIS IS A TREAT FOR ME. YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THIS ONE
[00:52:51] MORE THING, PLEASE. WE STILL
[00:52:53] LIVE IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN
[00:52:55] THE WORLD. SURE. OKAY. AND
[00:52:57] WHAT'S SO NICE ABOUT OUR SYSTEM
[00:52:59] IS THAT IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMEBODY, YOU CAN ELECT THEM
[00:53:03] OUT. THE NEXT, NEXT, GO AROUND.
[00:53:05] AND I TELL IF YOU KNOW HIM OR
[00:53:11] INTERVIEWED HIM, BUT. HE DID. >> YES.
[00:53:14] >> KIND OF THAT WE NEED IN
[00:53:17] POLITICS, BECAUSE HE WAS, HE'S
[00:53:19] IN THE MIDDLE AND HE'S A BRIGHT GUY.
[00:53:22] >> HE WAS AHEAD OF HIS TIME
[00:53:26] RELATIVE TO PRESIDENT BIDEN, IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID AND
[00:53:28] ALL THE DEMOCRATS COALESCED
[00:53:32] AROUND HIM, AGAINST HIM, IS WHAT I MEANT TO SAY. IT'S FUNNY. IT'S FUNNY THAT GEORGE. THANK
[00:53:35] YOU, GEORGE, THAT GEORGE MAKES REFERENCE TO PEOPLE WHO CALL AND SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE,
[00:53:38] YOU'RE TOO CLOSE TO TRUMP.
[00:53:41] YOU'RE THERE TO HELP TRUMP. FOR EVERY PERSON WHO SAYS THAT, FOR
[00:53:44] EVERY PERSON WHO SAYS THAT AND TC CAN ATTEST TO THIS, THERE'S
[00:53:48] SOMEBODY ELSE WHO SEES ME ENTIRELY AT THE OTHER END OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM. >> OH FOR SURE.
[00:53:52] >> SO THEY CANCEL. THEY CANCEL EACH OTHER. THEY CANCEL EACH
[00:53:55] OTHER OUT, IS THE POINT. UH, AND
[00:53:57] IF I'M OFFENDING BOTH ENDS OF
[00:54:01] THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, THEN IT'S A GOOD DAY AT THE OFFICE.
[00:54:03] BACK WITH MORE
[00:54:14] MODERATES WATCHING ALL SIDES. >> BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES
[00:54:17] SENATE FROM MONTANA, AND HE IS RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT. THIS
[00:54:20] IS CHRIS. CHRIS IS IN OHIO. HI,
[00:54:21] CHRIS. WHAT DID YOU MOST WANT TO
[00:54:24] SAY >> YOUR SHOW. I REMEMBER A FEW
[00:54:28] YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WERE KIND OF
[00:54:30] TOUTING, UM, THE INDEPENDENCE THAT WOULD MAYBE RUN AGAINST,
[00:54:34] UH, IN 2020 AND, UM, OR 2024, I
[00:54:38] DON'T REMEMBER. >> COULD, COULD, COULD BE BOTH.
[00:54:40] IT COULD BE, COULD BE BOTH. IT PROBABLY WAS BOTH.
[00:54:44] >> RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. BUT THERE WAS, THERE WAS A MOVEMENT
[00:54:47] AND, UM, PEOPLE, PEOPLE WERE
[00:54:50] LIKE JUMPING THE FENCE. LIKE THERE WAS TALK ABOUT CHRIS
[00:54:52] CHRISTIE AS RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT. AND, UM, I THINK
[00:54:55] THE ONLY WAY THE INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT'S GOING TO REALLY
[00:54:59] CATCH HOLD IS IF PEOPLE ARE TRUE
[00:55:02] INDEPENDENTS, THEY WEREN'T
[00:55:03] ESTABLISHED AS A DEMOCRAT OR A
[00:55:06] REPUBLICAN PRIOR. AND THEY COME INTO THE FIELD THAT WAY.
[00:55:10] >> SO I DON'T WANT SOMEBODY FOR
[00:55:12] EXPEDIENCE. IF THAT'S YOUR POINT, RIGHT? I'LL STICK WITH
[00:55:16] THE CHRIS CHRISTIE EXAMPLE. I DON'T WANT I DON'T WANT CHRIS CHRISTIE, WHO'S, WHO'S HAPPY AS
[00:55:20] A REPUBLICAN ONE DAY AND THEN
[00:55:21] DECIDES, OH, I COULD ACTUALLY
[00:55:24] GET ELECTED IF I HAD THAT LABEL. I'M NOT FOR THAT. I'M NOT FOR
[00:55:28] THAT. IT'S OKAY. IT'S OKAY WITH
[00:55:30] ME. IF AT ONE TIME YOU WERE IN
[00:55:33] THE DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN PARTY, BECAUSE, HELL, FOR 30
[00:55:36] YEARS, I WAS NOT ONLY A
[00:55:38] REPUBLICAN, BUT A VERY ACTIVE REPUBLICAN, AND SERVED IN THE
[00:55:42] BUSH ADMINISTRATION. BUT, BUT I GET YOUR POINT. WE DON'T WANT
[00:55:45] SOMEBODY TO USE US. AND I DON'T THINK THAT SETH BODNAR IS, IS
[00:55:49] USING THE INDEPENDENT MOVEMENT. >> RIGHT. YEAH. AND I HAVE A
[00:55:53] QUICK QUESTION AS WELL. OKAY. SO
[00:55:57] WHAT HAPPENS IN A PRESIDENTIAL SETTING WHEN THE ELECTION COMES
[00:55:59] THROUGH? AND THERE'S, I'M JUST
[00:56:03] RANDOMLY SAYING 33% REPUBLICAN,
[00:56:05] 33% DEMOCRAT, 33% INDEPENDENT IN
[00:56:07] A STATE. WHAT HAPPENS TO, UM,
[00:56:13] THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, WHAT HAPPENS IN THOSE STATES? >> WELL, I, I THINK, OKAY, I
[00:56:17] THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS,
[00:56:19] HEY, MICHAEL, IF, IF NOBODY GETS
[00:56:21] TO 270 AND NOW IT GETS THROWN TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
[00:56:25] AND WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION
[00:56:26] IN THE LAST COUPLE OF CYCLES,
[00:56:30] NOT SO MUCH IN THE MOST RECENT ONE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY GETS ONE VOTE. WHAT
[00:56:33] HAPPENS TO THE INDEPENDENT? WELL, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE
[00:56:35] ENOUGH INDEPENDENTS IN THE
[00:56:38] FORESEEABLE FUTURE TO COMMAND THAT VOTE. I WOULD HOPE THAT
[00:56:42] THOSE STATES THAT PARDON ME, THAT THOSE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATIONS WOULD FOLLOW THE
[00:56:46] WILL OF, OF HOW THEIR PARTICULAR STATE TURNED OUT. THAT'S THE
[00:56:50] THAT'S THE BEST THAT I CAN, I CAN OFFER YOU. AND I LOVE IT, CHRIS. WHEN PEOPLE HOLD ME
[00:56:53] ACCOUNTABLE BY CALLING AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, YOU CALLED AND, AND
[00:56:57] YOU SAID THIS AT LEAST AT LEAST
[00:56:59] ON THIS ISSUE. I'VE, I'VE BEEN CONSISTENT. SUSAN, YOU'RE IN
[00:57:02] FLORIDA. WHAT DID YOU MOST WANT
[00:57:04] TO SAY
[00:57:11] >> I, I HAVE NEVER HEARD YOU
[00:57:12] BEFORE. I, I THINK YOU'RE
[00:57:15] MARVELOUS. UM, I WAS, DEMOCRAT
[00:57:22] AFTER TRUMP'S FIRST TERM. UM,
[00:57:24] USUALLY VOTED FOR THE MAN THINK.
[00:57:31] >> YOUR TONGUE, YOUR TONGUE TIED. YOU'RE SO, YOU'RE SO
[00:57:33] EXCITED TO BE HERE. YOUR TONGUE TIED. IT'S AMAZING.
[00:57:37] >> I. YOU GOT IT. YOU GOT IT.
[00:57:40] >> YOU'RE VERY KIND. THANK YOU.
[00:57:42] >> I THINK WE UM, I THOUGHT FOR
[00:57:46] QUITE A WHILE THAT WE OUGHT TO
[00:57:49] DO AWAY WITH PARTIES PARTIES ARE.
[00:57:52] >> I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, I'M SUPPOSED TO BE. AT THIS POINT, I
[00:57:55] SHOULD GO TO MY TALK RADIO PLAYBOOK AND QUOTE GEORGE
[00:57:59] WASHINGTON, BECAUSE HE FELT THE SAME WAY THAT THAT YOU FELT. THANK YOU. SUSAN. I'M GOING TO
[00:58:02] KEEP MOVING. I'M TRYING TO SQUEEZE SOME PEOPLE IN HERE BEFORE THE TOP OF THE HOUR.
[00:58:06] PETER, YOU'RE IN THE LEHIGH
[00:58:11] VALLEY HIGH. >> HIGH. I GUESS I'M COMING FROM A MUCH MORE CYNICAL POSITION,
[00:58:14] BUT I I'M SURE YOU'LL REMEMBER
[00:58:17] THE POLITICAL ODDITY A FEW YEARS AGO, WHERE THE DNC WAS
[00:58:20] SUPPORTING MAGA CANDIDATES IN PRIMARIES, HOPING TO PICK THEIR
[00:58:24] PREFERRED OPPONENTS. AND I'M SURPRISED THE REPUBLICANS ARE
[00:58:27] NOT DOING THAT. FINANCIAL SUPPORTING. OF DSA CANDIDATES.
[00:58:31] >> WELL, THERE IS SOME OF THAT GOING ON. AND, YOU KNOW, BY THE
[00:58:34] WAY, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE,
[00:58:36] THERE'S NOTHING NEW ABOUT BOOSTING AN OPPONENT THAT YOU
[00:58:40] THINK WOULD BE EASIER TO DEFEAT. YOU'RE CALLING FROM ALLENTOWN,
[00:58:44] PENNSYLVANIA. SO YOU AND I ARE A
[00:58:46] COUPLE OF PENNSYLVANIANS, AND I
[00:58:48] REMEMBER WELL AS JOSH SHAPIRO RIGHT NOW IS RUNNING FOR
[00:58:52] REELECTION. I REMEMBER THE LAST
[00:58:55] CYCLE WHEN HE KNEW HE COULD DEFEAT DOUG MASTRIANO. AND SO
[00:58:58] RAN A PARTICULAR. EXACTLY RIGHT.
[00:59:00] RAN A COMMERCIAL TO BOOST MASTRIANO. AND YOUR POINT IS,
[00:59:04] I'M. I'M COMING UP SHORT. I KNOW THAT THERE'S AN EXAMPLE
[00:59:07] THAT I OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO RATTLE OFF FOR YOU ABOUT A DSA
[00:59:11] CANDIDATE WHO WAS SUPPORTED BY
[00:59:14] REPUBLICANS FOR EXACTLY THE SAME REASON IT TAKES PLACE. IT'S,
[00:59:17] IT'S, IT'S PART AND PARCEL. >> ANGIE DICKSON IN FLORIDA
[00:59:20] WOULD BE A PERFECT, YOU KNOW. >> OH, EXACTLY. YEAH, THAT'S A
[00:59:23] GREAT EXAMPLE. YEAH. PETER. THANK YOU FOR PETER. PETER, WHEN YOU HANG UP, AS I'M LOOKING AT
[00:59:27] THE CLOCK, IT'S A LITTLE EARLY,
[00:59:29] BUT ARE YOU THINKING YOCCO'S FOR
[00:59:33] LUNCH? >> NO, NOT TODAY, NOT YET. IT'S A GREAT PLACE.
[00:59:37] >> IT IS A GREAT PLACE. I CAN NEVER GO THROUGH THE LINE
[00:59:39] WITHOUT GOING BACK. NO MATTER. >> HOW YOU ORDER DOUBLE.
[00:59:43] >> BOGEY. I SAY I'M GOING TO GET SIX PIEROGI AND THREE HOT DOGS. AND IT'S NEVER ENOUGH.
[00:59:47] NEVER ENOUGH. AND BY THE WAY, I DON'T. I DON'T EAT THREE HOT DOGS. >> YOU DON'T?
[00:59:51] >> WELL, I DO THERE. >> OH. OH. >> I MEAN. >> LIKE, IF YOU GOT. >> TO ME FOR LUNCH, WHAT DO YOU WANT?
[00:59:55] >> I JUST GOT IT. >> SWALLOW IT, I WOULD SAY I. >> LIKE IT'S NOT THAT EARLY FOR
[00:59:59] LUNCH. GREAT TIME FOR LUNCH. >> IT'S A GREAT TIME FOR FOR
[01:00:02] YOCCO'S. HELLO, KATHY. YOU'RE IN CHICAGO. IT IS YOUR TURN.
[01:00:05] WHAT? SPEAKING OF HOT DOGS. CHICAGO. WHAT DID YOU MOST WANT
[01:00:09] TO SAY? >> THAT IS. THAT IS CORRECT. I
[01:00:12] JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALERTING US TO C-SPAN 2, BECAUSE
[01:00:16] I'M WATCHING YOU AS I'M SPEAKING TO YOU. AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW, IS THIS GOING TO BE
[01:00:20] JUST FOR THIS WEEK, OR ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS?
[01:00:23] >> JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR A LITTLE, JUST FOR A LITTLE FUN AT
[01:00:27] THE END OF SUMMER, CONGRESS IS
[01:00:31] IN RECESS. THEY SAID TO ME, HEY, WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THE SHOW. I,
[01:00:34] I WILL TELL YOU, I, I WAS
[01:00:38] RATTLED BECAUSE BEFORE COMING ON AIR, I REALIZED IT WAS C-SPAN 2,
[01:00:42] AND I WAS NERVOUS ONLY BECAUSE
[01:00:45] LAST NIGHT I DROVE TO MY MOTHER'S HOUSE, NOT EXACTLY
[01:00:48] AROUND THE CORNER, AND TURNED ON
[01:00:53] HER TV FOR C-SPAN SO THAT SHE COULD WATCH WITHOUT WAKING UP
[01:00:56] AND BEING WORRIED ABOUT WHAT CHANNEL, BECAUSE SHE'D,
[01:00:59] FRANKLY, BE AT FOX. OR MAYBE SHE'D BE AT CNN. SHE WATCHES
[01:01:03] CNN WHEN I'M ON CNN. OTHERWISE SHE WATCH. AND ALL I COULD THINK
[01:01:06] OF WAS, OH MY GOD, MOM ISN'T
[01:01:08] GOING TO KNOW. IT'S C-SPAN TWO. BUT I WAS ABLE TO TALK HER
[01:01:12] THROUGH IT. AND THE WORLD IS FINE. THE WORLD IS FINE. SO
[01:01:16] THANK YOU, KATHY
[01:01:18] >> WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO YOU ON, ON, ON MY
[01:01:21] PHONE, I HEARD YOU SAYING THAT.
[01:01:23] SO I WENT OVER TO THE TV. I ASKED FOR C-SPAN 2, AND I WAS
[01:01:27] LIKE, HOLY COW, THERE HE IS.
[01:01:31] AND, AND SO I WAS JUST HOPING YOU. >> WERE FUNNY.
[01:01:34] >> THIS COULD BE LIKE A FOREVER. >> YOU ARE VERY FUNNY. >> OH.
[01:01:37] >> YEAH, I CAN ONLY, I CAN ONLY SAY THIS. KEEP AN EYE ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL BECAUSE EVERY
[01:01:41] DAY WE'RE POSTING GREAT STUFF
[01:01:42] ON, ON, ON YOUTUBE, BUT I, I