EP 13 Bridges on Bridges & Fauci's Odyssey

In this Episode of Politics is Personal, Leslie and Cole talk all things IMAX 70mm unhoused camps under 1-25. They talk with Senator Jeff Bridges about the Treasurer race and if Victor Marx's Govener race was funded without any secrets. Tune in Sunday August 2 To find out more!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to Politics is Personal with Leslie and Cole. I'm Leslie Harrod.

SPEAKER_02 0:04

And I'm Cole West. Hey Leslie.

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Hey, good to see you again.

SPEAKER_02 0:07

Good to see you.

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Well, we're excited about today's episode. We have a lot to talk about, including a meeting with perhaps the next treasurer, maybe even someone on the path of governor, my friend Senator Jeff Bridges.

SPEAKER_02 0:19

My friend, too.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Our friend.

SPEAKER_02 0:21

Our friend. We're going to talk about Victor Marx and some uh trouble with the Secretary of State's office on campaign finance violations, a little red-on-red crime, which is fun. Yeah. And uh the ever uh uh lasting and very problematic for Donald Trump, the Iran War. So uh come on back. So let's let's start with some national politics first. Um, well, Benjamin Netanyahu, as you know, was at the uh funeral of Lindsey Graham yesterday. Um and uh our president does not know how to deliver a eulogy. Uh uh, it was the most stunningly embarrassing thing. Every time I think Donald Trump can embarrass me more as as an American, um, we have that. But uh Netanyahu's presence at the funeral was interesting to me. Um and it it is increasingly becoming obvious that this war is one that Donald Trump cannot get out of. Yeah. Um Israel goaded into doing this. It was something that the intelligence community and and everyone has been telling presidents over the last 40 years, do not go to war with a country this large and with with the the history. I mean, look, this country goes back 5,000 years. So the the fact that he thought we were gonna lob a few bombs in there and overthrow the government was just naive. Trump obviously would love to make a deal on this war. Netanyahu will never let him make a deal. And Iran now has political power that it didn't have before, and that, you know, through the Strait of Hormuz. So if what is the end game for Donald Trump? And I think it's catastrophic for Republicans in this election.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Quite frankly, I think it it it's terrible. And when we think about Netanyahu, first I saw him right after uh Grantham had passed and he was on Meet the Press, which I thought was really shocking to have the person come on to talk about this uh U.S. senator being someone from uh not from the United States, right, who talked about how um he really uh respected and appreciated how much the basically how much the United States and now Trump also is supporting their efforts overseas. Now Trump was the guy who said that we weren't gonna take Americans into unnecessary wars overseas. We need to focus on home, and that's exactly the opposite of what's happening. So when we look at Netanyahu, when we look at what's happening over in the Middle East, when we look at Israel, I do think it's an almost an impossible situation for Trump to get out of because Netanyahu doesn't want him to. Right. And I feel like Trump is the one who bends at the knee to Netanyahu quite frequently because he loves a war, he loves a conflict, but it's odd. He loves to be admired by these other world leaders who kind of are dictators on them on for the most part, um, who are not beloved necessarily by their people, um, but who love to get into these types of wars. That's who he wants to make friendships with, that's who he aligns himself with, and I feel like it's it it's it's almost, I mean, it's it's just so interesting the obsession he has with these types of leaders.

SPEAKER_02 4:05

So you made a really good point and one that I don't think I had focused on before you said it, um, because Trump doesn't really bend the knee to anyone other than I I guess his his totalitarian friends, Kim Jong-un and and Vladimir Putin, uh-huh, and and you know, uh Premier uh Xi from China. But what is it about Benjamin Netanyahu that gets Trump to bend the knee and to be almost subservient to? It's a very interesting relationship to the United States.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

I find it so fascinating because you know, we're not gonna get into this, but with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which you know is very prominent here and plays a huge part in Colorado and national politics. Um, I hear from a lot of my Jewish friends who say, you know, we don't like that guy, Netanyahu. We don't agree with him, but we have to protect Israel. And so I find that to be such an interesting conversation because Netanyahu didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Trump seems to be wanting to protect him and to and to continue on with his war. That's not popular with Americans, and it doesn't seem popular with Jewish people globally. And so I don't know what it is, but for the fact that he is like Trump and that he listens to no one, he does what he wants, and he walks with a he he acts with a strong fist. I I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

Yeah, I i it's it's just it's just very weird, but it's it's so obvious to me. Seems to it should be obvious to Republicans, and some of the press I heard today, and this showed up in my feed, was that Trump Trump's people are supposedly telling down ballot Republicans, particularly the embattled House Republicans, that it's okay if you start to distance yourself from the Trump administration on maybe Iran, maybe on you know, some of the economic policies that the president has articulated or failed to articulate. Um I don't know how that's gonna work because in the end, we know that Republican politics today is about subservience and about loyalty to Donald Trump. And this this thing about you can distance yourself from the Trump is not if Trump from Trump is not a real thing in my book. Right. Because he'll strike out. He'll start attacking these people.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Well, maybe he thinks he can only steal an election for one person himself and will not be doing it for the rest of the party.

SPEAKER_02 6:12

But I mean, sort of steering it back to Colorado, we've got some Republicans here who have to definitely distance themselves from Donald Trump. Gabe Evans would probably be at the top of the list.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Good luck, Gabe.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

Yeah. But I I don't know how Colorado Republicans distance themselves from Donald Trump. I couldn't do it in 2018. Um, and I wasn't a big Trump supporter, but I don't know how Republicans are gonna distance them, distance themselves from this president.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Quite frankly, you get a lot of respect from me for doing that. Um, and so do other Republicans who walked out of the convention the first time with Donald Trump. But I think that the the the bigger challenge for Colorado Republicans is gonna be distancing themselves from Victor Marx right now. That's true. I mean the the insanity that keeps coming out of this person's mouth uh every time he's on TV. But recently, the most recent campaign finance violations I thought were pretty um egregious because you know what I would say is sometimes people might have campaign finance violations and they don't know, or it's like a a misreading of the rules, or it's a little bit gray. Um, or yes, maybe someone sent a check-in from a business account when it needs to be from a personal account, um, or they get refunded, right? There's people who definitely overgive and then are refunded, right? Um and so that happens all the time. And then you report it and you know you you you refund money. But Victor Marx took money from the same people way over campaign finance uh uh uh contribution limits multiple times and then has not, still to this day, has not refunded those dollars. And with how close the race with Barb Barb Kirkmeier, I think you could argue that that absolutely had an impact on the election. So I don't know what we do here with that. I mean, that would it, you know, it begs the question when we have a democracy, right, and we have, you know, one vote for one person, and that the vote really overrides almost anything else. What do you do in a situation where there definitely could have been a factor in which money changed the course of a very close election? You can't overturn the election.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

And let me just say that this exact point was raised by the person that filed this campaign finance complaint against Victor Marx. And it's notable that the complaint was filed not by a Democrat, not by somebody from the DSA or some far lefty. This was filed by um the person who served as vice chair of the Republican Party in Colorado under Dave Williams. Wow. And that the the argument that Darcy made in the interview that I watched of hers, and I agree completely with what she said, and that is, you know, the amount of money we're talking about that's the subject of these violations could have been a mailing. It could have provided, you know, some some text messages or or some direct communication with voters. Um I think the margin of victory was was such that a small thing like that could have made a difference.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

So what do you think should happen?

SPEAKER_02 9:10

Well, obviously, you know, I think he needs to return the money. He needs to abide by the law, he should be fined. Um but I, you know, I start to wonder, is this just sort of something that today's Republican Party feels like they need to do? And that is, you know, let's just sort of thumb our nose at what the rules are, you know, that that that the game is rigged for Democrats, and you know, that that this is a Jenna Griswold conspiracy and this is all out to that this is a this is some scheme to get Republicans. I think for them to say, yeah, you know, w there are campaign finance violations, but this is really sort of a non-issue, I think it's on brand for Victor Marx to just not respond to this and not deal with it in a straight-up fashion.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

I mean, can you imagine what the scenario is that set up, though, with this? I mean, quite frankly, we know as candidates that when you win, more money comes in afterwards, right? So would candidates then just say, you know, screw the contribution limits, let me just take this money in from my wealthy friends and then I'll return it after the primary is over, after I've won this race. I mean, that just seems like such a problem. And if we don't have an answer, which quite frankly, I don't think we do have in the law an answer that really will um right the ship necessarily, it it we've just opened up a Pandora's box now of folks saying I can take money when I want to and I'll return it when I want to, and I'll ignore any question about it. Um You also mentioned to me that he uh Victor Marx has said that he will not debate Phil Weiser, but for one time and without a moderator, which I heard without Kyle Clark. So what do you what's your take on that? Because I know you love when people uh run away from debates.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

Uh Kyle is really in Victor Marx's head. So so just just advertising, I'll speak right to the camera here. Um I volunteered to be the moderator of the Victor Marx Phil Weiser campaign. I'll just sort of plant that flag. How in the world do you have a debate without a moderator? Yeah. I mean, that's just insane. Yeah. Right? I mean, it just goes to show this man is not a serious candidate. Yeah. Um he doesn't, you know, we talked last week about how he doesn't want to do any media, he doesn't want to do a real debate. Um with campaign finance laws. So, I mean, none of these things Barb Kirkmeier would have been doing, honestly. Okay. So she'd be a real candidate, she'd be debating issues with Phil Weiser. She certainly would be complying with the law in terms of campaign finance laws. Would it be blaming her dog? Probably not blaming her dog. By the way, he still isn't named his running mate, so I think the dog is the dog may still be in the running for running mate. Wait. I don't know. So I'm really excited about wait, that's wild.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

So, well, in Boulder, a dog is a companion and so not a pet. And so I wonder if you can run uh your pet as your running mate, but who do you think in their right or wrong or wild mind would is gonna come on as as his LG? I mean, no one no one signed that you know that loyalty pledge.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

And so I do wonder like the unity compact.

SPEAKER_00 12:06

Like who who do you think is gonna be his LG?

SPEAKER_02 12:09

I s I saw a list the other day. I um Boebert. What's that? Well, Boebert. Why in the heck would she do that? Let's give Lauren Boebert a little credit. You know, I mean Lauren Boebert's gonna get re-elected to Congress, but you know, I don't I don't know who's gonna sign on to that ticket. Yeah. Um it it doesn't sound like a particularly fun assignment. I I maybe somebody out there needs a summer project. So, you know, riding around in a truck with Victor and his dog may may sound like something's interesting. But, you know, all kidding aside, um, the people of Colorado deserve a governor's race that's about serious issues um and presenting serious visions for our state. And Victor Marx is not a serious candidate, and it's just a sad thing for the Republican Party that this is the reality, that this man is the standard bearer of the Well, I would say the Republican Odyssey continues. Let's talk about the Odyssey. We know where I'm going with this one. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

So we have in my feed, there has been a bit of controversy over the Odyssey because here in Colorado and throughout the country, there were a few limited um places you can go to watch it in IMAX in the way that Christopher Nolan intended, which was on the special film, right? Um, and there were, I think, three or four places across the state. I'm not sure exactly how many, maybe a little bit more, but um some folks traveled all the way down to Colorado Springs and to go see it. But some of the folks right here in Denver were told it was IMAX on the special film, and then it quite frankly it wasn't. Um, and some got refunded, some didn't. I think I heard people were paying, you know, $35 for a ticket, which wow, uh I remember when tickets were a dollar, like you know. Um, and so it's been kind of wild. Um, but it looks like a great movie. I'm not gonna lie, I do want to see it when I have three hours, maybe when we're having uh heat alerts and they ask us to turn off our air conditioning, I'll go to the movies. But what what's your take on all this? Have you been seeing it?

SPEAKER_02 14:01

I haven't seen it yet. I was dying to see it the other night and I got sleepy. So it's a long movie, so I I I want to make sure that that I'm alert for the the whole thing, but I I am dying to see it. I um did you see any of that stuff in your feed about some of the the folks on the right triggered by people who were the cast members and and actors of color? I mean, how how insane I mean that is just so ridiculous.

SPEAKER_00 14:24

Well let's talk about it. I mean, there's Alan of Troy, right? They they were upset that it was that Casp uh cast a black woman for that role. Um I just think it's absurd to me that people think that folks in the Odyssey, first of all, fictional characters, but some based very much in reality, um, could not have been people of color when it was these nations, these these these gods, these people like fighting against each other. Like what makes you think they're all from, I don't know, Sweden? Like, I don't I don't quite get that, but people were so incensed, and I think most of them haven't even read the Odyssey. Probably not.

SPEAKER_03 14:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

Um, and so I just I just find that so fascinating. But I did see Christopher Nolan go on the view this week um and kind of talk about that. He brought on Ann Hathaway, um, and they had a conversation about just how they played out the roles and how they how they um how they chose how the characters were gonna portray themselves. Um, and the fact that you're getting this, I think, actually think quite frankly, Christopher Nolan is is a genius when it comes to filmmaking. Obviously, uh he's one of the greats, but I think it's part of they're leaning into the controversy, you know? It is part of the lore of the film now. Um people will go see it. I know this talks about boycotts, but quite frankly, it's moving people back into theaters, which we're having a huge problem with, um, but it is getting better. People are not going to theaters anymore. They're not watching stuff on the big screen. We're watching stuff alone so much now that we're missing those kind of communal moments of joy, of fear, of of of anything that we get when we go to places like the movies together. Uh, and so I'm glad that this film came out. Um, I hope people watch it. Um, I hope people continue to stand up for black women who get, you know, abused and degraded just for taking on these lead roles. Um, it should not happen. But I hope folks in in the studios, in industry, and folks who are who are trying to emulate Christopher Nolan will see that it's important to cast a diverse cast, um, and that in that people will come out and see it.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

It just blows me away that in the year 2026 we're having debates about what race somebody should be to be an appropriate actor for a particular role. It just seems pretty ridiculous and a sad reflection of where I and I would say this is not the majority of our country. This is a s a sad small minority. Um, but it is discouraging when we hear this kind of bigotry uh you know coming up. Uh in the context of what otherwise should be a really cool thing, and that's celebrating um a really cool thing. Uh speaking of people that have read the Odyssey, um our next guest is coming on next. I know it's a personal favorite of his, so um, thanks for the discussion today. A lot of stuff going on. Uh one thing we didn't get to talk about, but hopefully we'll talk about next week, and that's where's Mitch McConnell?

SPEAKER_00 17:06

Oh man.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

You know, and and Andy Bashir is now I think he's he's demanding proof of life.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

Well, hopefully we'll have we'll have something to talk about next week because quite frankly, I don't think that man is with us anymore.

SPEAKER_02 17:16

Yeah, I you know, he's not speaking to anybody. No, anyway. No, no. All right. So all right. Well we'll come on back. Our uh our guest, Jeff Bridges, will be with us next. Welcome back to Politics as Personal. We are so happy to have join us today our former colleague. You sounded like you really meant it too. I did so happy. I'm very excited. I'm really happy to be here. I'm very excited you're here. Uh state senator and Democratic nominee for state treasurer, Jeff Bridges. That's right. Welcome to Politics as Personal, Jeff. Thank you for having me. Yeah. I'm sorry. We're very informal here. We won't be calling you Senator. Uh you know, but uh I hope that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

I'll do to Reno if you're not in the whole president thing. That's fine. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:57

Mr. Senator, well, it's good to have you. I haven't seen you in a while.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

It's been a while. Yeah, yeah. You two are fantastic. I I I saw this podcast, I saw the two of you on it, and I'm like, oh, this is it makes so much sense, of course. Yeah, I'm happy to see it.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Well, you have to do that.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

And let me add actually the the fact that we can have a Democrat and a Republican on a show together. I I've I have worked with Cole. He's not an ish on the Republican side. He's independent, huh? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But he leads right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. To show Colorado that we can have these conversations across the aisle, across differences, and it doesn't have to be spirited. It doesn't have to be the sort of nastiness that we see out of Washington and that that I think we may see out of various races here in the state that we can disagree and still get along, I think, is really valuable. So thank you for the show in Colorado that.

SPEAKER_00 18:48

Thanks, I agree. And I, you know, we brought it because that's kind of how we were in the legislature too. While we would have very tough conversations and not always be on the same page, when we were, we actually got a lot more done. Yeah. Uh and that was a lot of fun. And so I think it's really important that folks understand that even if you have these major roles in in their lives, honestly, as elected officials who are making laws that impact people's everyday lives, that we're doing it in a way that's civil. And quite frankly, when I was leaving the legislature, that's not how it was. So how is it now with you being there?

SPEAKER_01 19:18

I mean, I I have said this. I I am really grateful that I work in the legislature because I have close friendships with people I disagree with so much. Right? I'm like, this person is wrong on so many things, and yet I like them so much as a person. Um, you know, I often say some of my best friends in the Senate are Republicans, and some of the folks I like the least are Democrats. Okay, name names. They're just right. Name names. My my my democratic friends are right on more things, um, correct on more things, than wow, you're just going right in there right now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like to tell them tell me who they are.

SPEAKER_00 19:49

Let's drop the tea.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

I don't think it's a uh secret.

SPEAKER_02 19:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, I think one of the hardest things sometimes for elected officials to do is is listen. Oh, is that it's hard to do? Yeah. Yeah. Good one. That's cool. Um but you know, we uh, you know, people are always waiting for us to sort of provide answers or provide positions on things. And I think we learn more and we understand more. And I think we get along better if we do more listening. So hopefully we'll we'll model that today. Um but I, you know, congratulations on being the nominee of the Democratic Party for State Treasurer.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Um there are probably a lot of people in Colorado that have no idea what the state treasurer does. So maybe can we level set there? Really? Because I do think it's a very important job, but one that's uh that's sometimes overlooked, and other than being a stepping stone to running for governor, and and maybe that's in your future, um, Mr. Bridges.

SPEAKER_01 20:46

Unsuccessfully the last couple of times. Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

Yeah, but uh, you know, what what does the state treasurer's office do and why do you want this job?

SPEAKER_01 20:53

I think the state treasurer's office can be the most impactful office in the state over the next four to eight years because the treasurer is essentially the chief investment officer for the state. So there's billions of dollars, anywhere um you know, between ten and twenty billion dollars that the treasurer oversees the investments of here in Colorado. And right now they are spread all over the country. They are in Wall Street, they're in Washington, they're in the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae helping folks in Florida, Texas, and Ohio, and all across the country own homes. We have a housing crisis in Colorado. We need to be investing Colorado dollars in Colorado to solve the challenges that we face here. It's time to move that money home and put it to work.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

So what does that look like?

SPEAKER_01 21:33

So if you look at uh, for instance, housing, at about 18% of the treasury pool. So the treasury pool is where the money goes between when you pay taxes and when we as a state send money out to schools or um send paychecks out to state employees, right? It's it's in the treasury pool. About 18% of that is invested in Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, mortgage backed securities. We have a housing crisis here, we reduce that. 18% and it doesn't mean we eliminate it. I mean, the number one job obviously is that those checks don't bounce when we send them out. And we need diversification, we need responsible stewardship of these dollars. But we can take a sizable chunk of that and put it to work here in Colorado in ways that that perhaps at seven or eight percent interest rates projects don't pencil, but if we can loan it out, it is still responsible, three to four percent interest rate. There's a lot of homes that will be built that can't be built right now. CHAFA has a billion-dollar fund they're putting together that will fill the gaps between some of those projects that either don't get one, two, three dollars, don't get enough, um, get Litec credits, but not enough, and that there's some amount that needs to be filled. Uh they're putting together a billion-dollar fund, and I think the state treasury can be the number one investor in that fund.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

So when we ran uh the low income or middle income. The middle income housing housing authority.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

Yes, by the way.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

We did that together and passed it. Yes, we did.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

It's the only middle income housing authority uh statewide, statewide housing authority in the country.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

In the country. In the country. So you really had a passion for it then as well. And I know for me, I was really looking at Northeast Denver and the ability for teachers and firefighters to be able to own a home in the communities that they serve. Um and so I wanted to see from your perspective as someone who's still in the legislature, well while you might be going on the other position, you know, you're changing floors. We'll see what November, you know, to talk about how that's going and then how does that tie into what you just said about, you know, the role of treasurer in where we invest our money, including in housing.

SPEAKER_01 23:31

Yeah, I think that middle income space, right? The nurses, teachers, firefighters, ensuring that we have the supply that we need to make housing affordable is a big piece of this. And a lot of it's a numbers game, right? This is like simple economic theory, supply and demand. If there's not enough supply, then prices are gonna be out of reach. If we can build that supply, prices come down. We've actually seen this in Denver. Um when you and I ran that bill, uh, first of all, interest rates were much lower, so um it was a sort of a different world at that point. But when we ran that bill, there was a a huge need for housing in the metro area across the state. There's still a need. We're still short in housing units, but there's been so much new inventory that has come onto the market here in Denver over the last year or two that we've actually started to see prices decline here in Denver. And that's the kind of thing that we will see more of uh across the state in the metro area if we can continue to to solve this lack of housing units, lack of homes uh that we need here in the state. So can I can I push back as a concern?

SPEAKER_02 24:33

Yeah, oh love to see this. And that is um is it the government's place? Is it a proper function of government to play in the housing market? Is this a private sector issue? Um clearly the government has some intersection with with development of housing, there's permitting and all those kinds of things. But at what point is the government going too far and shouldn't this be a private sector solution and shouldn't the government be providing incentives for the private sector to work this out?

SPEAKER_01 25:03

So, first of all, we do plan the housing market. That is just a fact. Okay. The low-income housing tax credits, federal policy, the government is involved in housing and is involved in the creation of housing. Fair enough, fair enough. So so the question then is not should the government be involved, the question is where's the line? Okay. And should the government only help folks who are really low income? Or when you look at a state like Colorado, that uh housing, both rental and ownership, is just out of reach for so many working class folks, for those nurses, teachers, and firefighters, is that a place where we have an obligation to step in? I think housing is a form of infrastructure. And anyone who is working in the state should be able to afford to live in the communities that they serve. And right now it is it's just not the case. We have these gaps, especially if you look in our rural resort communities. The folks who work there can't afford to live there, and this is even true for doctors, right? I was in uh Steamboat last summer um talking with uh some folks working in uh in medical care in Steamboat. The doctors on call couch surf because they can't afford to live close enough to the hospital to respond to an emergency. Like these are these are doctors that can't afford to live in these communities. So the the problem, you know, you think about the lifties, you think about nurses, you think about teachers, like the the challenges that we have in Colorado for housing are are such that I think it is the obligation of the state to to step in and try and help. And and what I'm talking about here is actually a market solution. I'm not talking about dictatorially saying build this, this, and this, and this is how much it will cost.

SPEAKER_00 26:37

I'm saying or even the state doing the building.

SPEAKER_01 26:39

Right, or or the state doing the building. This is not so in Chaffa backs uh a project, they're not the developer, they're not the private sector is. Yeah, exactly. And so they're providing lower cost capital uh in order to get these projects done. And a lot of this like the lower capital cost is gonna be more like what the capital cost was um pre-COVID. I mean, we've seen a huge increase in interest rates since then that's just put a lot of developments out of reach. Um they just can't pencil at seven to eight percent. But if we can create um that that funding source, we can create that capital uh at a discount, um, which is still benefiting the people of Colorado um in the Treasury, but it's also benefiting the people of Colorado through creating housing affordability, I think that's a win-win all around.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

And robust communities. I mean, when you again when you can live in the community that you're serving, even those doctors in steamboat, now we're not talking about building mega mansions. I know, I know.

SPEAKER_01 27:30

Literally we're talking about flying tears over the doctors in steamboat.

SPEAKER_00 27:34

I mean, but you know what, when you're in steamboat and you're a Denver, right, and you're going up to go do whatever and ski or something happens to you, you want to make sure there's a doctor there and you don't have to try to get all the way down to Denver to get your care. And then the people there deserve good care too, especially the workers, right? And so when I think about housing and kind of what we did with Middle Income Housing Authority, it was to incentivize this middle market um activity so that folks then we'd have low income, we'd have middle income, and then we would have that spectrum so that folks who were kind of in the middle had a place to live. But there is one other, there was one other movement that we did that you might not have loved, which was during um uh right, right, right after COVID, right, with all the recovery dollars. We did as a state build housing, um, especially in some of those rural communities. Um, particularly um my brother-in-law actually is a um uh snowplow driver um up off I-70. And having to come home wasn't an option. Having the state to pay for him to stay at a hotel wasn't a good option, especially for all season. And so there were there was housing developments that were built um modestly across Colorado through some of those recovery dollars. I'm pretty sure you voted yes on that bill. Um probably. But that was really the only exception to use those dollars, and it seems like those have really worked in those communities as well. And so while we're not trying to be Ford, right? Like we're not trying to do that. Um, I do think in Colorado, with it being you know one of the most expensive places to live, that we need to write size out of it. And I'm excited to hear about your thoughts about what the treasurer can do because quite frankly, it hasn't been done before.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

So that's actually the exciting piece of this. Yeah. If you look around the country, there are treasurers that are doing this kind of work. Uh, Nevada has a housing fund, Vermont has a housing fund. Um, you you're starting to see treasurers use the dollars in the treasury in this way. This isn't a totally radical idea. This is well-laid ground in other states that we can bring here to Colorado, uh, perfect, right? Put our Colorado uh spin on, and I think really create a blueprint for how the treasurer's office can make a real difference in the in the affordability uh of the state. So I I hope other people steal it.

SPEAKER_02 29:44

So I um I'm dying to talk to you about Democratic Party politics. Oh, I'm so excited to talk about it. Yeah, I but I I I and I I want to start this part of the conversation with a compliment to you because I think you and I worked a lot on uh issues because I always perceived you to be a pragmatic person, one who understood understood the business community, understood the way regulations impact the business community, and that we've got to sort of strike a fine balance. Um I I would put you in the category of pragmatic, sane Democrats who I think bring good sound public policy and work with people on the other side of the aisle. That, however, I'll take that goal. Yeah, that, however, is not the prevailing opinion of a lot of your colleagues right now in the state legislature. The Democrats are on the verge of a supermajority. It may not matter at all what the Republicans think, but I think those who are in statewide office, the governor, the treasurer, the secretary of state, the AG, have important roles here to provide some leadership. Um as if you will, as sort of a counterbalance. Jared Polis, I think, is has filled that role pretty effectively in terms of pushing back. Uh less they may disagree on that, but so so give us your take as the the uh I'm gonna call you the presumptive treasurer of of the state of Colorado.

SPEAKER_00 31:08

Grantham is gonna love that. Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

No offense, Kevin, but I think it's it's a it's a tough road for Kevin.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

But um, we win because we because we run through the tapes. So we're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02 31:18

But what do you think your role is gonna be as state treasurer to push back on something that you think is is too far left?

SPEAKER_01 31:26

First of all, I I really view my role as trying to think creatively about the financing mechanisms that we're using to solve problems for the people of Colorado, right? To bring some innovative models to bear that are that are responsible and proven, um, but to bring them to bear on making housing more affordable, bringing down the cost of utilities, I think is a place we can do a lot on, creating the infrastructure we need for good paying jobs, um, and and even supporting Colorado businesses, I think, is is a role that we can play in the treasurer's office. Um but when you look more broadly at the legislature, more than 90% of the bills we pass are bipartisan. Nobody talks about this. We we are a broadly bipartisan legislature and more than two-thirds. One Republican voted. At least one. But more than two-thirds.

SPEAKER_00 32:09

It was you.

SPEAKER_01 32:12

I mean, it was Kevin Priola for a while, and then he became a Democrat. So um but but more than two-thirds are supported by um a majority of folks in both parties. So we we have really bipartisan bills that take up most of our time, most of our energy, and then we fight on certain bills, and those are the ones that get the headlines, those are the ones that um are pointed to in segments like this, right? And and a lot of the hard work of actually just making a state that runs and making government work for people, that is done in collaboration with bipartisan sponsors or bipartisan support. And broadly speaking, I think that's the approach that most legislators take. I think the house uh is is a a different story, and I'm sure I'm really sad to say that because what are your tea leaves on the house? In the two years we all work together is some professionally some of the most fun that I've I've had at work. It was it was just delightful, we were doing good things. And in the Senate, it is still largely that way. There's a lot of camaraderie across the aisle, but we haven't had to use the rules uh of the Senate to force votes. We we find a way forward. And I think in many ways the Republicans in the Senate are more impactful from a policy perspective because they choose to take that approach. Um whereas in the House it just seems like it is just like fight, fight, fight, fight all the time. Um and I think that's a function both of folks that have been elected uh on the left and the right, in both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, there.

SPEAKER_00 33:38

So do you think the race for speaker is gonna be as contentious as I'm hearing it's gonna be?

SPEAKER_01 33:42

I don't think the race for speaker will be contentious, but I don't count votes in the House.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

Okay, okay, all right, all right. Well we'll see.

SPEAKER_02 33:49

So I I do want to ask you, um name your favorite Republican in the state senate that you work with right now. Um, and and and why they're your favorite Republican.

SPEAKER_01 34:00

Man, Cole, you're gonna get me in trouble on this one because all the other Republicans are gonna be like, why what what's wrong with me?

SPEAKER_00 34:06

Well, we'll bring them on the show to talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

You can give a little little podcast therapy. You can give some honorable mentions, but I mean who who stands out for you? I I spend most of my time between November and when we pass the budget sitting next to Barb Kirkmeyer. And there are things that I disagree with her on so strongly that we will just never see eye to eye on. And and yet, as a human being, as a person, um I I love Barb. Um it is uh I was really cheering for her in the Republican primary, in part because I think if she had been the nominee, I I don't think she would have won in November. I think the political wins are such that it just would have been an incredibly difficult uphill battle. And I think either um Michael or Phil would have presented a compelling case. But with Barb and Phil at the top, we would have had this competition of ideas. We would have been able to talk about what's the future of our state, what's it look like, how are we serving the people um of Colorado? I think it would have sharpened Phil and made him a better governor in a way that the the Marx uh competition just won't. Um he doesn't have the policy chops, and he's in part running on not having the policy chops. He's yeah, he's like, I don't I don't know anything about government, vote for me. And like that doesn't, it's not a compelling message to me. I know it's really compelling, though, to a lot of folks in the public right now, and I think this is maybe a deeper answer to your question about Democrats and Republicans and in the fights that we have right now. I think the people of this state, many of the same reasons uh motivated voters on both the left and the right this last election. And I think a lot of the reason that Marx won is a lot of the reason that Maylaw won. I think it is people sick of more of the same, it's people sick of incrementalism, it's people who can't afford their housing, can't afford uh groceries, they can't afford their utilities. And we need to be offering better solutions to those problems. And if we don't, then we're gonna continue to see extremists say when I was knocking doors 10 years ago running for the state house, uh, in a democratic primary, I talked to Democratic primary voters and they would say, I like Bernie. Trump's not bad. And I'd be like, You can't, that the those don't go together. But they really do, in the sense that both Bernie and Trump um are sticks of dynamite. They are not incrementalists, they are, we are gonna, you know, the system is rigged and we're gonna change it. Now, Trump is changing it so that it's more rigged, uh pretty transparently, yeah, exactly. Um but but they he at least was talking about the right things and and even in the election against Kamala. Trump was talking about the right things, even if his solutions didn't, even if he didn't have solutions and just made things worse. Right? And in Kamala was talking about democracy, and and I think a lot of folks said, well, if if the result of democracy is that I can't afford to live, uh then then I'm gonna vote for Trump.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

Then what are the alternatives? Then what are the alternatives?

SPEAKER_01 37:02

That's dangerous, and we need to we need to be better at our jobs in elected government to address that.

SPEAKER_00 37:07

Yeah. So we don't have a ton of time left, but we're going into summer, which is a kind of a quieter time, or we're in summer, quieter time for going into, huh? Like we've been we've been here. We've been here.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

We're there.

SPEAKER_00 37:19

True, 100 degrees. Um but we also have these two looks like competing or I would say left and right um batch of ballot measures that are specifically tax-related and table-related ballot measures. Um, what are your thoughts on those and what should folks be looking out for as this conversation evolves? And maybe we'll have you back on for a show about that.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

Oh man, I'd I'd love to do that. First on on Prop N, um, this came from a bill that I ran in the legislature, but I have always been the vehicle on this. The drivers have been teachers. This is a measure that comes from our education community. Uh Prop N will raise the table rationing limit by what it is that we spend on K-12 in order to invest more in K-12. And I think one compelling argument for that actually came out yesterday, U.S. News and World Report named Colorado, the number one state for education. Like, yeah, that's great. But we also fund K-12 worse than just about every other state, which means we have the highest education efficiency ratio in the country. Like you put a dollar into education in this state, and it will create results, and that is proven. And so I think that that will make the argument to voters that you can believe that that making this change, investing these dollars, will result in better outcomes, both for our kids and for our economy.

SPEAKER_00 38:37

Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Well, we can get into some of the other ballot measures next time. But it sounds like that is one that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 38:43

So my like political range of the same.

SPEAKER_00 38:46

So wait, should we vote no on the other ones, or what are you thinking?

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Uh what are the things that we're talking about?

SPEAKER_00 38:51

I mean, I am I will I will be having uh uh episode this week um on a different uh platform.

SPEAKER_02 38:58

Oh, she's cheating on the new. Michael Fields.

SPEAKER_00 39:00

And uh I know that you all know the work that he's been doing. You know, it it's not exactly cheating, it's just sharing a little bit of love because I definitely don't like him for a city like you.

SPEAKER_01 39:11

So nice. Um I I I'm a yes on on the graduate income tax, I signed that. Um and I'm a no on the keeping it flat. Yeah. I just think from a from a moral perspective, folks that make a million dollars or more a year should be paying a little more than folks who don't.

SPEAKER_02 39:28

So before we leave Tabor, yeah, um, and you know I I love me some Tabor, okay?

SPEAKER_01 39:33

I I know this is one of those places where you disagree. You're still a wonderful person, though.

SPEAKER_02 39:36

But the one of the things, you know, I've so I've had long conversations with with Phil Weiser, who I did support in the primary very publicly and very excited about about Phil being the nominee. Um and I I think Phil's view on Tabor Um is one I think that other Democrats are are would be wise to model, and that is Phil is fine keeping as part of Tabor going to the tax going to the voters to ask ask for tax increases. That's very popular, people like that. Um I think that's been the stumbling block for anyone who said we need to repeal Tabor. Um I think you know if you want to reform Tabor, that probably is a conversation worth having. But the fundamental core principle of Tabor, I think Phil Weiser is in favor of keeping. And do you share that view?

SPEAKER_01 40:22

I mean, I think Prop N is exactly what Bill Owens did with RefC. Yeah. Right? It's going to the voters, which is envisioned in Tabor and saying, we think that we can do more with these dollars. May we please keep them and use them for these purposes? And and that's exactly what Bill Owens did with RefC. Uh I'm I'm sure he doesn't support Prop N N because the Republican governor. Right, sorry, for for those I figure if they're listening to the remote. Some of the younger, younger listeners. So Bill Owens, Republican governor, led the charge on RefC. So the last time we raised that Tabor rationing limit, the charge was led by a Republican governor. We're doing it again. This time it's led by our teachers, by our schools. Uh, and and I think that's the right way forward. Tabor has so many things in it. Did you know that those questions about raising taxes have to be in all caps? So it looks like the ballot is shouting at you? That's part of Tabor. That is in the Constitution. I like Tabor. So there's a lot of bad visions. So all caps is always good for me.

SPEAKER_00 41:17

No wonder that's what the text messages look like.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

There you go. And there's a lot of pieces to it in in Prop N is is very narrowly tailored to address just that that rationing limit um tied to inflation plus population.

SPEAKER_00 41:30

So unfortunately, we are at time, but we know we could talk forever because we've been friends for like 20 years.

SPEAKER_01 41:35

I can't believe how many.

SPEAKER_00 41:36

I mean, it was from the roads from New Era, really. Yeah, as you came onto the board as a founding board member of the.

SPEAKER_01 41:44

No, no, you all were founding board members. I was late. We were the first. It was the first non-founding board member.

SPEAKER_00 41:49

Okay, okay, okay, okay. I'll take that.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

I'm not going to claim credit for something.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

But you you have been involved back then, and you are a Coloradan, and as you know, Colorado's birthday is this weekend. Happy birthday, Colorado! And the show comes out. 150. How do you say it? Questicentennial.

SPEAKER_01 42:07

Sequentennial. Sesquis sesquicentennial. Treat me up. Sesquicentennial.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

Susquicenten one of the fun things that we did um together was uh we did have a concert out in your district. Um and it wasn't the thing. I know we're Matt Lynn's, and um it was uh the the friend, a few bunch of other people, flow bats and everyone. And so um on this anniversary of Colorado, I want to know what you're doing for Colorado Day, and then I also want to know who your favorite Colorado band is.

SPEAKER_01 42:39

Oh Mr. Acorp.

SPEAKER_00 42:41

Um let's give a shout out to them.

SPEAKER_01 42:43

I mean, Nathaniel Rayliff is in my cell phone, so I'm going with the guy I can call. Also, an incredible artist.

SPEAKER_00 42:52

Um be your favorite song.

SPEAKER_01 42:55

Um so my um my uh uh activities on August 1st will be uh I'm gonna uh take my kid down to the Capitol. Uh-huh. And I have been selected, I've been given the honor of placing the final brick on the Lego model of the Senate chambers.

SPEAKER_00 43:11

Oh, cool. That'll be fun.

SPEAKER_01 43:13

And I will make a speech about how democracy is built one brick at a time. Um and uh I mean I love I actually this is maybe definitely beyond the scope of this show, but I loved Legos.

SPEAKER_03 43:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:24

And like it's how we it's how I unwind. Anne Marie will get out her paint by numbers and I'll get out a Lego and and um we'll watch a little Emily in Paris and unwind. Emily in Paris, too.

SPEAKER_00 43:33

Okay, all right. Well, thank you so much for being on. We really appreciate having you today.

SPEAKER_01 43:38

Thank you. Thanks for having me. Jeff, good to see you.

SPEAKER_02 43:40

Um see you're gonna be able to do that. Friends, come on back. There's a lot bugging us this week. Let's get into it. Welcome back. What a great conversation with Jeff Bridges and uh Leslie, let's uh let's talk about what's bugging us this week. Can I can I do first? Yeah, yeah, please. Um I was driving downtown today uh for this taping and And the amount of debris on the highway on any on I-25 is staggering to me. There's bumpers, there's like crashed out pieces of the car laying on the side of the road. Um did we just start lose our ability to clean up the highway and to make I just it's it's disgusting to me. Um and it's also a safety hazard. When you have a bumper sitting on the side of the road, that's an accident waiting to happen if it should, you know, get its way out out into a traffic lane. So what in the world's going on?

SPEAKER_00 44:33

So are you seeing it when you get like into Denver, or is it the entire metro area you're seeing?

SPEAKER_02 44:38

Uh you know, I mean, um it is kind of predominantly uh I live in Centennial, so I I I started seeing a lot of it once I crossed Yale. Yeah, you know, working my way through like by DU and and through the narrows there, but just a lot of frankly crap laying all over the side of the highway. Um and I just don't know what what the story is there.

SPEAKER_00 45:01

Yeah, so uh I can't tell you what the story is, but I know that the state needs to be more responsible in cleaning up those roads. Um, and quite frankly, you're right, it is it is really dangerous. Um, I love one thing I love about Colorado is how beautiful and clean our state is. Um, I remember back when I was a kid, there was a whole campaign to stop littering because people were just throwing their food out the windows and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 45:22

And now people just the n the Native American advertising campaign. Yes, yeah. You remember that one? Yeah, that was very effective.

SPEAKER_00 45:28

Yeah, and like just don't do it. Just don't do it, you know, and people aren't. And so that's great. So when I see this kind of stuff, it does make me wonder. And what I will say is I also had a similar incident when I was driving on I-70. It wasn't the bumpers and all of that, but it was actually um there were people coming out from underneath the bridge. And while I know that people What do you mean under the bridge? Look, I know people live kind of where the the overpass hangs and there's that, you know, kind of that little narrow area. Right. I know people live there, but or or hang out there. I've seen some people kind of in the junction between I-25 and I-70, um, or in a few other places too, because you can get there. But what I didn't realize until this week was that people were actually living underneath and underneath the bridge, like on like on the bridge, in the bridge. Okay, people are living in there. There's a whole community that can walk. No, there's actually there's space where the maintenance crew goes. There's tunnels under these bridges. And people are living in these tunnels. Um, and what we saw this week was CDOT was actually spending a considerable amount of money a year, maybe millions of dollars, um, to clean those out. And then I saw them. So I wonder if some of that stuff is the debris that we're seeing is coming from the encampments that are now not in downtown, but they are under these bridges. People are living in these tunnels. And um, I saw I saw the uh CDOT workers pulling out vacuum cleaners and I mean cooking uh equipment and all of that from in those tunnels. I think so. And I don't know what they're cooking, but they're cooking. All right. And apparently they clean it out, they put a notice on, clean it out, folks are back within a week, right? It just keeps going like that, and that's just the way that it goes under there. And in this, it's I guess communities that are living in these tunnels, it's extremely dangerous. I can't imagine what it must be like to live in a bridge like in a tunnel like that, um, or to have to live like that. But I do think that's part of the debris that we're seeing as it's coming down and getting into traffic, um, alongside of, of course, those bumpers and whatnot. But I was fascinated to hear about that. And and, you know, it just for me, the my takeaways it just bugs me that we can't do better by people and that we can't figure out a way to get people who are unhoused into safe homes. Um, that does not put everyone else at risk as well. Because quite frankly, I think someone living in a bridge under those panels in these tunnels cannot be safe. If they are cooking, could there be an explosion? Is someone who's just driving by, is something bad gonna happen to them? We don't know. Uh, and so I'm very concerned about that. And and it does bug me in many ways that if it's bugging you, and then also I think about dang, what must it be like to have to live in there?

SPEAKER_02 48:01

Right. Yeah. You know, I mean, we we used to sort of care, well, not sort of care. I think we used to care about what our parks look like. We used to care about what our highways look like, we used to care about what our our what our communities look like. And I I understand it's a tough summer from a water standpoint, and we don't have the lush parks that that we usually do. And I and I totally get that. Yeah, too. But it's the debris and the litter. Um, so I I guess, you know, I'm hoping we're gonna get some comments to this segment because I would really like to hear from the folks at CDOT or the folks from the city and county of Denver explain is this a lack of resources? Do we not have the manpower to go out and and clean up these areas and make them look better? Because look, it's a reflection of who we are as a community. People come to our city, um, and whether we like it or not, they make judgments about our city based on things like this and how we look and how and how we're treating the unhoused and and things like that. So um I'm just hoping we do a better job in terms of focusing on the appearance of our communities, the appearance of our city, because it it matters.

SPEAKER_00 49:11

Yeah, I agree. I agree. Well, let me tell you, what's bugging me is uh these Fauci hearings that we're having right now. And I find it really, really fascinating their obsession with Fauci. Uh and having him now come again to testify in front of Congress. This year he did um invoke his right to use the Fifth Amendment, um, particularly because he knows it's a witch hunt. And he's, you know, he has said that, you know, just the public embarrassment of the diaries and just the, you know, the the desire from Rand Paul to put him in behind bars, as Rand said, you know, makes him feel so much at risk that he's just not gonna say anything anymore. And he's been pretty upfront, I think, in the past. Uh, and so that really bothers me. But Cole, I was listening to Lauren Boebert on her favorite show, TMZ, now. She's on was on, yes, TMZ, uh, live.

SPEAKER_02 50:06

And as a as a team member or just as a subject of a story, or what?

SPEAKER_00 50:11

As just a subject to talk about it. Okay. And she was talking about Fauci and what she let slip, I thought was really fascinating. And I don't know why I didn't think about this, you know, um, because I don't listen to Lauren Brubert often, I'm not gonna lie, but um, I didn't think about the reason why they're so obsessed with Fauci is because they're trying to set up the fact that that election was stolen. And they're saying that COVID was really just some uh lie, really brought out, and it was um, and then the vaccine and all of that was just really kind of brought out to keep people home and to uh have more male ballots and to have an easier way to tamper with the election. And I'm sitting here like that makes sense because we know Trump continues to set up for his third term in office, um, as he even spoke about at the correspondence center. I don't know if you saw that.

SPEAKER_02 51:02

He says it's his fourth term.

SPEAKER_00 51:03

Fourth term, I'm sorry, excuse me, fourth term, because he was supposed to be president then.

SPEAKER_02 51:07

Yeah, well, that was stolen from him.

SPEAKER_00 51:09

So I thought that was wild. And I it's really it, I mean, it just bugs me how we are we continue to elevate these conversations that are complete BS from Trump. But if you actually start to look closer at it, all the arguments he's using right now, even in this war, really, being at being at war is a time when presidents can usually keep their seats and whatnot, or that you know. So I think that he is very much leading up to this conversation of him being president again or not needing an election or not being appropriate or not being safe or it being rigged, or is there some other pandemic that's gonna come in and stop an election? I mean, I'm very concerned about that, but I think that's why they're so obsessed with him.

SPEAKER_02 51:46

Something just clicked for me. Um, and that is we talked last week about Trump's crazy election interference speech. Yeah. But you know, he talked a lot about how China was interfering in our elections. So I'm thinking about this grand conspiracy that's in Lauren Boebert's head. Yeah. And if you sort of think logically, and you're like, so was this conspiracy hatched in a lab in China? Is this part of China's grand plan to interfere in American elections? Is that where the Republicans are going to go next and tie COVID in as part of this whole thing?

SPEAKER_00 52:19

Yeah. I mean, we got to pay closer attention. There's the very obvious red flags that I think we're all seeing, we're all watching, not all, but a lot of us. Um, and we can see through them. But then there's some of these more subtle undertones that I think are really helping him to build the conversation. It's giving the nuggets to his base to say that this is what we need to do and to go fight for this and fight for me and fight for this country. Um and I'm very concerned about it. So that's bug, that's what's bugging me this week.

SPEAKER_02 52:45

Um, a couple more thoughts about Fauci. First of all, um, why is it then when a when a a short guy is really successful, we're we're gonna attack him?

SPEAKER_00 52:56

Do you feel attacked, Cole?

SPEAKER_02 52:57

Uh you know, I just as a fellow short guy, yeah. Um but look, An Anthony Fauci was recognized by presidents of both parties as a public health expert for many, many years. Yeah. Um and you know, even in 2020 when COVID was first happening, um, there was no question that Anthony Fauci spoke with authority. President Trump had him to the White House many times for briefings. Um so it it's just interesting now that that somebody who's dedicated their their life to uh the cause of public health is now being uh uh propped up as the boogeyman.

SPEAKER_00 53:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:40

Uh and the the the uh the you know the the the architect of this grand conspiracy to steal the election from Donald Trump. It's just it's staggering to me. It makes makes me sad. Um I agree. I don't I don't you know maybe you can share with me the background on these diaries. Where did they come from? How did they get into this the hands of the of the US Senate? Uh listen what's the story behind that?

SPEAKER_00 54:06

First of all, the diaries are interesting because, you know, they they're not great. You know, I mean he really did uh I think he was happy to be in rooms with certain kind of people that he felt were celebrities. And you know, sometimes I have a little fangirl moment too, you know, and we don't say it out loud, but maybe we're right in our diary, and I think that was really Fauci's thing. I'm assuming they came about it with some raid or something, and you know, obviously had to turn over all materials that mentioned whatever, and obviously his diaries did. Um, and I'm sure that he complied a hundred percent, and that was a part of the con of what he complied with, and they didn't find anything damning, they found these diaries instead, and so that's what they wanted to question him on, I think today, and that's why it was released to the press ahead of time. And you know, they they don't look great, but who cares? You know, I mean, I don't know what's in your diary, Cole, but I don't think I ever want to know necessarily.

SPEAKER_02 54:54

Don't have one, not starting one.

SPEAKER_00 54:56

But but the bigger thing is, and and I agree, I mean, this, and so that's what's gonna take up the conversation, as opposed to, you know, again, what the real point is. Um, but I do think that the thing I will say is that what wasn't in his diary is the fact that this man must have an amazing, amazing like moral like constitution. He he went through some of the toughest times during COVID. Then he stayed as a public servant. He continues to come forth to Congress, he continues to say, you know, to have to defend himself and to stand up in front of the American people in whatever venue and defend himself. Sometimes it seems like without as much support as he should. Um, and that has got to be hard on anybody. I don't know why anybody else would want to take that position. I worry about if we are in a situation in which we're in another pandemic, what type of person will step up into that role because I think our best and brightest won't want to because of the cost to themselves and to their families and the personal attacks that they might have to withstand for the rest of their lives. I facci has had an amazing career and quite frankly should be honored, but instead he's being completely diminished as a human being, and I think that's sad to see.

SPEAKER_02 56:06

Um my last comment on this, and that is we're we're six years after COVID. Um, and it's sad that we're fighting about all this, what I would consider to be trivial political BS, okay, and political posturing. But we we've lost the main story here, and that is this was uh indeed a public health crisis and um hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people lost their lives because of complications associated with COVID. Yeah. Did the government do it perfectly? No. Um I mean, frankly, it was the first time, at least in my lifetime, that we've dealt with a public health crisis of that magnitude. Right. Um and I think it's it's completely legitimate to have a conversation about things that we learned about COVID, things that we did well, things that we didn't do well. Let's do that in a way that's that's collaborative, that's forward-looking, that's constructive, rather than doing uh uh blame the blame game, because that's not serving anybody's purpose other than folks getting on their soapbox trying to score political points.

SPEAKER_00 57:09

I completely agree with you. Well, I think that's all the time that we have uh again today, but it was so good to be with you. Um it's always a good conversation. Um but I just want to thank, of course, all of our viewers for watching, for listening, uh, for continuing to follow, share, like, and subscribe on all platforms. We could not be here without you. And of course, our amazing cast behind the scenes that works tirelessly to make sure that we have this beautiful set and that we have all the information coming to you weekly. So thanks to the team and thanks to you all.

SPEAKER_02 57:40

Thanks to you, Leslie. And remember, friends, politics is personal, so keep talking.

SPEAKER_00 57:47

Thank you so much for listening. Politics Personal is hosted by Leslie Harrod and Cole Wist. This episode was directed by Julie Jackson and edited by Jameson Johnson with special guests, Senator Jeff Bridges, produced by Leslie Harrod, Cole Whist, Ian Savari, and Julie Jackson, music by JKK. And follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and any site you get your podcast at politics personal with Leslie and Cole. Recorded at Denver Community Media, all right to vote.