October 23 2025
- He likes Chevrolet Stingray
- New book/audiobook
- Was a boy scout
- Build Back Better opposition
- Had death threats from people in his own party (Democrats)
- Explains reason for filibuster, senate majority requirement of 60 votes vs House simple majority model (hot cup of tea → cool down)
- Reconciliation (simple majority) vs Cloture (60 votes)
- ARP was going to add 1.9T to 2020 3.2T stimulus
- He refused to listen to the President - Democrat pressure was so high their death threats became serious - threats to his children and grandchildren - kayaks came to attack him, it was climate people - they were all organized and paid - you could sign up and get $15/hr
- Claims Ron Klein pushed Biden far left - Biden had a hard time dealing with his staff - that’s where his age hurt him, not so much that he was demented or old, etc
- Democrats want to remove the filibuster?
- Harry Reid wanted to do something like this
- Reverse happened to them with Supreme Court going 6-3 against them
- Manchin and Sinema voted against ending the filibuster
- Experience with Presidents
- Clinton and Trump were the most engaged in discussions with him
- Obama hurt the coal industry in Appalachia - in favor of renewables - Biden by contrast helped bring jobs back to those affected areas - Obama was more elusive (seemed to hold things close to the vest)
- Socialism in America
- Have to work to get benefits/money
- There needs to be a work requirement
- Bernie and Warren just want to give free tuition - they were not able to be convinced that people taking these loans need financial literacy
- Have to work to get benefits/money
- Term Limits are important
- Else its about fame and fortune now
- Favorite Senators (mostly he likes former governors because those guys had to help both sides because of their job)
- Responsibility vs fault (wrt shutdown)
- Republicans own presidency, house, senate - and government is shut down - unacceptable
- ACA fiasco
- Really poor people benefited - but the next income class was hit much worse
- Covid we increased subsidies - we can’t remove something once you give them a benefit
- Illegal immigration
- 2013 senate bill which had bipartisan support failed to enter House because far right scare tactics
- Turn yourself in and after examining your history - you likely stay - criminals get sent home
- 2013 senate bill which had bipartisan support failed to enter House because far right scare tactics
- 2 party system
- Current system is a duopoly - if you are independent, you can’t vote republican or democrat unless you register as that
- Independents are being disenfranchised - 45-50% are independents vs 23-24% registered democrats and 27-28% registered republicans
- Expectation vs Reality
- Obama - expected more inclusive vs not participating (lost filibuster for judicial system - helped erode a lot of checks and balances we had)
- Trump - expected deal making businessman vs suffered campaign against him, supported energy all-in policy
- Biden - expected to work more closely due to prior relationship (had good record of working with the opposition in the past) vs went too far left
- Trump - expected deal making (strong man approach working well in Middle East but we need diplomacy in West and not doing well on that)
- 2028
- Stephen A Smith (center person - really good!), Shapiro, Beshear, etc - Bernie/AOC rallies seem to be backfiring
- How close he came to running as President
- Begged Dem leadership to do a speed run primary - would have run if so but it didn’t happen
- 2028 - maybe?
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