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Left Out Loud is a progressive political podcast breaking down the biggest stories shaping our democracy. From up-to-the-minute political news and midterm election coverage to in-depth interviews with grassroots Democratic candidates, the show spotlights the voices and movements fighting for real change. Smart, informed, and unapologetically loud, Left Out Loud pairs sharp analysis with humor and plain-spoken commentary, cutting through the noise to focus on what actually matters. If you care about elections, organizing, and the future of the Democratic Party—and you like your politics with a little personality—this is the podcast for you.
Ally: Hey, Seth.
Seth: Hey Ali.
Ally: I feel like we haven't talked about
the news in a really long time, right?
I mean, here, obviously we
talk about it every day, but.
It's been crazy.
Seth: Yeah.
And it's high.
Yeah, it's high.
It's high time that we, uh,
that we, uh, talk about the
news right here on the podcast.
Mm-hmm.
Ally: So, okay, let's
start off with K Patel.
So.
The Atlantic dropped this story on cash.
Right.
Basically accusing him of having
a drinking problem and saying that
he was MIA, I think they said that
they had to use a battering ram Yes.
Or something.
Seth: Yes.
Ally: To wake him up.
Um,
Seth: he was so stone cold, drunk,
Ally: so wasted.
They had to use a battering ram
to get him out of bed for his job.
And then, um.
Oh, and then he got locked
out of his computer, right?
He goes to work, he tries to log in.
He gets locked out one too many times,
so, you know, no access or access denied.
And immediately he jumps to,
oh my God, I've been fired.
Starts freaking out.
Allegedly, right?
All of all of the people
around him, um, witness this.
Meltdown because he thought, if I can't
get into my computer, I must be fired.
And like, that's not a person
with a very clear conscience.
You know what I mean?
Seth: Right.
Yeah.
I mean, we, we already know that,
you know, Patel has been right there
helping, you know, keep Trump's name
out of the files as much as possible.
Mm-hmm.
But now he's paranoid because
Christie Noma is gone.
Pam Bondy is gone.
Who's head is next on the chopping block.
And you know, if you're, especially
if you're a functioning alcoholic,
Ally: right?
Seth: Paranoia is just part of that.
Ally: Absolutely it's baked in.
So today he just recently, I think
within the last hour he did kind
of his first press conference, um,
since this Atlantic story broke.
Here's just a little clip of it.
I know you haven't seen it yet.
I have.
So I just, I have to have
your reaction to this video.
Let's hit play on that
VIDEO: today.
I do wanna give you an opportunity,
I'm sorry, sorry to respond directly
to the allegations in the Atlantic
article that your unexplained absences
created a national security risk.
And beyond that, can you say definitively
that you have not been intoxicated or
absent during your tenure as FBI Director?
I can say unequivocally that I
never listen to the Fake News
Mafia, and as when they get louder,
it just means I'm doing my job.
This FBI director has been
on the job twice as many days
as every director before me.
What that means is I've taken half.
As many days off as those before me,
what that means is I've taken a third
less vacation than those before me.
What that means is that this FBI
with this Department of Justice has
dropped the murder rate 20 points.
What that means is this FBI with
this Department of Justice has
captured eight of the top 10 most
wanted fugitives in the world, twice
as many as the Biden administration
did in its entire four years.
What that means is this.
FBI has seized enough fentanyl
off the streets to kill 178
million Americans, a 31% increase.
What that means is this FBI and
this DOJ has arrested 43% more
spies in 14 months in the entirety
of the Biden administration.
What that means is this.
FBI has seen a reduction in opioid
overdose deaths up to 20% alone.
What that means is that we have found.
6,300 child victims, 6,300
families have their kids back.
That is a 22% increase from
the Biden administration.
I'm on the job.
I'm the first one in,
I'm the last one out.
I'm like an everyday American
who loves his country, loves his
sport of hockey and champions.
My friends, when they raise a gold
medal and invite me in to celebrate.
I've never been intoxicated on the
job, and that is why we filed a $250
million defamation lawsuit and any
one of you that wants to participate.
Bring it on.
I'll see you in court.
Ally: I, I just, what does it mean?
Because he said it so many
times what that means.
Seth: So is the answer Yes.
I mean, he, uh, he, he, he
loved, he seemed to love to tout
like all the numbers, but you
didn't answer the question cash.
And you said, I mean, you can be at work.
Oh, clearly you're on the job.
The, the accusation is
you're on the job drinking.
Ally: And didn't we all see him
shotgun a beer at the Olympics?
I mean,
Seth: he did.
Ally: Was he on the job then
Seth: as much as he could
because only a, only a rookie
tries to shotgun a bottled beer.
Ally: Insane.
Insane.
Seth: Yeah.
Ally: So that's the first little
kind of clip that we've heard from
him since the Atlantic Story Drop.
I, I mean.
Um, he seems unhinged.
As usual.
Seth: As usual.
I mean, paranoid as usual, you know, uh,
again, just answer the question, buddy.
Answer the question.
Let your yes.
Be yes.
And your no be no.
Ally: It was a very direct question.
Seth: Yeah.
And so listing off, uh, all of
your accomplishments that no
one can verify in the moment?
No.
You're just listing off a bunch of.
Stats off a sheet that nobody can look at
Ally: and likely are
exaggerated or not true at all.
Seth: Yeah.
Ally: As we as often they are.
Right.
Seth: And, and, and I mean, you can do all
those things and be drinking on the job.
Ally: Right?
Seth: You could be,
Ally: because you're not a one man show.
Yeah.
You're not a one man show.
You're the head of the FBI.
You have an entire department
that reports into you.
I don't think Kash Patel is out
there finding lost children.
Call me crazy.
Seth: Doubt that
Ally: Don't think
Seth: so.
6,300, uh, victims.
He said he, that they found, I mean, it's
all just, you know, bravado and bluster.
And that's what you get from
this administration is just, uh,
we're, we're going to obfuscate.
We're not gonna ask que, we're
not gonna answer questions.
We're just gonna tell you all
the good stuff that we're doing
Ally: right.
Seth: And, you know, we may or may
not be doing it, but that's supposed
to be good enough when we just
completely don't answer the question.
And so, again, it just, it just
makes you look guilty, man.
Ally: It really does.
And allegedly, he has filed a $250
million lawsuit against the Atlantic.
Um, so stay tuned for discovery
'cause that's gonna be a blast.
Seth: Like, it is funny 'cause Trump
just lost his $10 billion lawsuit mm-hmm.
With the Wall Street Journal.
I mean cash, 250 mil,
that small potatoes, bro,
Ally: it's nothing.
Seth: Step up, step up.
That's
Ally: nothing
Seth: you should, if you don't have
a billion, buy the, buy the name.
I mean, what's the point?
Ally: What is the point?
Seth: Step it up, bro.
250 million is nothing,
Ally: nothing, nothing these days.
Nothing for this administration.
That's not even how they sue.
Seth: That's crazy, man.
And so, you know, I'm sorry, but
things, if people are lying, they,
they're not gonna come up with
a story about a battering ram.
Ally: Right?
So specific,
Seth: it's so,
Ally: it's so specific and wild.
Seth: It truly, you
cannot write this shit so.
You know, hey, look, the investigation's
gonna come out and now, you know,
during the process of a lawsuit, all
these details are gonna come out.
Mm-hmm.
All these sources are gonna come
forth and drop their information
and we'll see where the chips lie.
But you know, it just seems like the
beginning of the end of a yet another
failed member of this administration.
Ally: Yeah, I don't, I don't think
he's long for the Trump administration.
I think, um, I think he's, I think
his days are numbered for sure.
Especially the more unhinged he gets.
So let's talk about, let's switch
to Iran because also right before
we went to recording, um, Donald
Trump posted a truth on truth social.
This is the way he does policy these days.
Because you're so good at
reading Donald Trump's truths.
I thought I'd give you the opportunity
to go ahead and, and read this one
off, and then we'll talk about it.
Seth: Okay.
And we do it, we, we do it in the voice.
Yes,
Ally: yes.
Yeah.
Seth: Based on the fact that gov,
the government of Iran is seriously
fractured, not unexpectedly so, and upon
the request of Field ISTs Uni and Prime
Minister Shabazz Sharif of Pakistan, we
have been asked to hold our, our tech.
On the country of Iran until such time
as their leaders and representatives
can come up with a unified proposal.
I have therefore directed our
military to continue the blockade
and in all other respects.
Remain ready and able and will
therefore extend the ceasefire
until such time as their proposal
is submitted and discussions are
concluded one way or the other.
Uh, lots of words.
Uh.
Ally: So basically Taco Taco again?
Yeah.
Because the ceasefire is
supposed to be ending right now.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
We have no agreement.
Um, he, you know, he is always
threatening kind of fire in brimstone.
Mm-hmm.
When he doesn't get his peace agreement.
We don't have a peace agreement.
Iran is saying we're not even
going to discuss a peace agreement.
Not why not?
Under duress.
Right.
Not under threat.
So what can Trump do?
He can either.
Bomb them to smither Marines, which she
doesn't wanna do, or he puts out a policy
in the form of a truth post saying,
we're gonna, we're gonna, you know, we're
gonna continue to ceasefire, um, and,
and we're gonna continue these talks.
Seth: And it, and it's, and it's, I mean,
that's a whole lot of words to just say.
Iran's not meeting us in Islamabad.
Ally: Mm-hmm.
Seth: They're not there.
They're not meeting with jd,
with Jared, with Steve Woff.
They're not showing up.
Mm-hmm.
You're gonna, so your, your whole
call for a ceasefire with all
these people begging you to stop.
No, bro.
It's because they won't meet with you.
So you're extending a ceasefire agreement.
That, you know, you're basically
saying, I'm gonna extend it
because I have no choice.
But I don't want you to let, I don't want
you to know that I don't have a choice.
Ally: Like he's, he's talking
to himself at this point.
Yeah.
There are no, there's no one
communicating with him from Iran.
So he's just talking to himself when
he makes these truth social posts.
He's talking to no one.
He's talking it to like the
voices in his head, I guess.
I mean, he's really fucking stepped in it.
I, I don't think, you know, Iran is
in any rush to let him off the hook.
I think they want him to
suffer mass humiliation.
Seth: Yeah.
And they're willing to, they're
willing to hurt themselves in
order to hurt us because they
reside in the land of the oil.
They, they don't, they don't
have to worry about it.
They can use it for their own purposes.
Here in America, we sell the majority
of the oil that we, that we farm out.
So, you know, we, we, we.
We drilled baby drill,
but we sell baby cell.
Yeah.
They can keep all of theirs and be
sitting pretty while and, you know,
take their little hit while we suffer
here in America with everybody having to
buy their own car, drive their own car.
Very few of us take the train or the bust.
We're,
yeah,
Seth: we're, we're beholden to the
fossil fuel and they know that.
Ally: Yeah.
Yeah.
So heavily reliant.
Didn't have to be that way,
but that's where we are.
Um, and it feels to me like Trump
has just run out of options.
I don't know when, I don't know where
I, he's so painted into a corner.
I don't know how he ever gets out of this.
I really don't.
Seth: We are already hearing
multiple accounts of him being
kept outta the situation room.
Ally: Oh
Seth: God, he's so erratic.
Ally: Yeah.
And
Seth: staying up all night.
You know that, that, that tweet,
you know, you crazy bastards open
up the straight that same night they
kept him out of the situation room.
Ally: Right.
'
Seth: cause he was looking for the codes.
And now I've just heard another story.
Ally: Right.
That that's another alleged story.
Yeah.
So talk about that.
Seth: Yeah.
I mean, just the other night he wa
he, he was asking for the codes.
Ally: Yeah.
Seth: And I mean, to him, terrifying.
This is a real option on the table.
Yeah.
And you know everybody, you know,
we talk about the 25th Amendment and
it's real cute because it has to be.
It has to begin with his cabinet.
Cabinet, yes.
With his v vice president.
And they're all loyalists.
Mm-hmm.
There's not, there's not anybody
who's gonna look at this objectively
and think about the American people.
They're all loyal to Trump, and even
though they see all these names falling
by the wayside, somehow they're delusional
enough to think, oh, it won't be me.
So I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna
hold on to my power, but it's,
I mean, it's, at this point, I
mean, it's, it's so concerning.
Ally: It really is.
It's so
Seth: concerning
Ally: the fact that he is even asking,
um, to asking for the codes, asking to
potentially use nuclear weapons on Iran.
Um, and allegedly, you know, the most
senior military member in that room.
Was like absolutely not.
Like firmly put his foot down.
Yeah.
Walked out of the room.
Ashton, head down Concern.
That should concern all of us.
And again, I say allegedly, I don't
know that this has been verified.
This is all sort of leaked information,
but it doesn't surprise me because
we know during his first term.
He had an appetite to use nuclear weapons.
He's fascinated by them.
He doesn't understand why everybody
has 'em, and no one's used them.
Like what do you mean?
What do you mean you don't
understand why no one's used them?
Don't you know what happens
after you drop a nuke?
Sky's just completely out of his mind.
Seth: Yeah.
And when you're, when you are tweeting
all night and in the middle of the night
you say something like, open up the
fucking straight, you crazy bastards
as the president of the United States,
and I hear on that same night that they
had to remove you from the situation
room, doesn't really surprise me.
Sounds like, sounds like you
were cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs and
the adults had to remove you.
Ally: Well, yeah, it sounds like that's
Seth: embarrassing.
Ally: It's really embarrassing.
It's really, I mean, if we can't, if we
can't rely on a commander in chief right,
to be in the situation room, um, making
decisions, being strategically, you know,
in involved with military decisions,
you're not fit to serve, period.
I mean, at the end of the day, we've
all seen images and sometimes video of
former presidents in the situation room
overseeing the execution of a military.
You know, whether it's an invasion
or like, I think of Osama Bin Laden
when he was captured and killed.
I mean this, this has always been a thing
and the fact that he can't be trusted.
To be in the situation room because
he is so erratic and disruptive.
Where is the 25th Amendment?
He's not fit to serve.
We already know that.
But this is like
dangerously unfit to serve
Seth: and then just, it puts an even
bigger spotlight on the midterms.
I mean this, this is, this
administration is not gonna remove him.
Yeah.
The American people have to go to the
ballot box and we have to overdo it.
We gotta overdo it.
And obviously there, there are
reasons why, you know, they're
messing with, you know, our voting
rights and, you know, they're looking
at, uh, the voting rights bill.
They're looking to try
to change some things.
And, and we see why, because they're
desperate to hold onto power.
And this guy's losing it.
This guy's losing you.
Totally.
So we, so we gotta take the, we
gotta take the power out of J d's
hands out of this cabinet's hands.
And the American people are
gonna have to remove them.
Ally: Absolutely.
Um, let's talk Congress.
'cause a lot has happened there.
Seth: Oh,
Ally: yikes.
Since the last time we spoke.
So I guess the first domino to
fall technically, um, over the last
couple of weeks was Eric Swalwell.
Um.
Another sex scandal.
Seth: Yep.
Ally: This was wild how this broke.
You know, I think it was a couple
of creators that broke this story.
It was Mrs.
Frazzled and I can't remember, I
wanna say Cheyenne something was
the other creator, and they just had
women that have had bad experiences
with Eric Swalwell reach out to them.
Because they, you know, like Mrs.
Frazzled attended his, um, his launch,
like the, the very first meeting when he
launched his gubernatorial ra, uh, run,
and she was there because a lot of times
politicians now like to have these big
creators in the room with them because
they know when it, it gets shared out.
It just completely expands their reach.
And so she reshared her time
in that meeting and women
started reaching out to her.
Don't associate yourself with this guy.
You don't wanna get mixed up with this
guy, you know, because she's beloved.
She, she, she provides education
content first and foremost.
Um, you know.
She's incredible.
I've been following her for years, and
nobody wants to see Mrs. Frazzled get
hung up with a guy that is being accused
of just the most egregious acts on women.
I I, I'm glad he's gone.
Um, yeah.
You know, again.
These are all allegations, but we,
we have to believe victims in 2026.
And when there is that much
smoke, there is indeed a fire.
Seth: Yeah, and I mean, look, like
we, we talk about the Republican
party has a problem, uh, how they
disrespect women, how they are holding
onto, uh, the, their people who,
uh, commit these acts as well, but.
Look, uh, of the, you know, of
all the accusations, 40% over the
last couple of decades have been,
uh, have been against Democrats.
Ally: Yeah.
Seth: And so we have to, at this moment,
we have to look in introspectively.
I think it's, uh, even though the
timing sucks as far as we were looking
to forward to take retaking the
house, uh, even before the midterms,
and now that seems like it's.
Almost impossible.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, so even though the timing
timing sucks, we are going through
a purge of the Democrat party.
Yeah.
As you know, we've been
interviewing progressives because
we know that this is the time.
Yeah.
We know that these people exist, and
what just sucks is that you find out
that like people knew about Eric.
They knew about him and yet he was
allowed to rise through the ranks.
He was allowed to become a young star
of the DE of the Democrat Party to the
point where he was the lead candidate
for the governorship of California.
Ally: One
Seth: of
Ally: the most
Seth: open, he was gonna win.
I know if Guy was gonna win and all
this stuff would've come out later, that
would've been even more embarrassing.
So, oh, that would've
been, that's happening now.
Ally: That would've been disastrous.
But yeah, these, these sort of open
secrets where they're open on the
hill, people know, people talk about
it and whispered corners and cocktail
parties and at the bar and over dinner.
But no one challenges that behavior.
Um, or.
Leaks the behavior or checks on the women.
I mean, we just gotta do better.
And so I agree with you.
It is a purge.
We are, we are weeding our garden, right?
Metaphorically, we, and there's a
lot of Democrats that you know, have
not done anything nearly as egregious
as Eric Swalwell, but they're also
beholden to super pacs and foreign
interest money, and we see that.
In the way that they are voting,
especially around continuing this award
in Iran, um, and continuing to fund
Israel and their wars, and they just
have to go, but they just have to go.
I'm not afraid to say that as a Democrat,
I wish Republicans were equally as
accountable on their side of the
aisle, but typically that is not true.
But the same day that Eric
Swalwell resigned, um.
Tony Gonzalez finally resigned.
Yeah.
I think calls people have been
calling for that for what, a year?
Seth: Damn.
Near.
Yeah, over a year.
I mean, we're we're talking about a
staffer that he had a relationship
with, that he had an affair with.
'cause he was a married guy.
Right.
And so, uh, he sat in Congress.
For months and months and
months and voted on mini bills.
You know, he was there when the big,
beautiful bill got signed into law.
This was hanging over his head.
Then, I mean, for those who don't
know, his staffer killed herself.
Yeah.
Lit herself on fire.
Ally: It was ruled as a suicide, but let's
be honest, setting yourself on fire as
a woman as the way to go out the door.
Seth: Right.
Ally: Crazy.
Um,
Seth: and the texts that
have come out are, are awful.
Yeah.
I mean, this, this, this is
a, this dude was a psychopath
Ally: Yeah.
Seth: Who absolutely set her
on the road to self-harm.
Ally: Yeah.
Yeah.
And, and it's, you know, men with
power and this sense of entitlement
and, um, no accountability and
in the hands of the wrong men.
You know, you continue to see
these kind of things come out.
So I'm glad both of them are gone.
And now today, um, rep Sheila, uh,
Shelala McCormick from Florida resigned.
She is currently embroiled in.
Financial scandal.
So the House Ethics Committee was set
to consider whether to re recommend
she be expelled from Congress, um,
25 ethics violations related to
allegations that she stole federal
relief funds and used some of that
money to fund her political campaign.
Um, she's a criminal trial
also about these allegations
that is scheduled for February.
Of 2027, um, seemingly before the
ethics committee began discussing
whether or not to expel her, she
decided to resign thinking that that
expulsion could potentially have
a, an impact on her criminal trial.
Right?
Um, and this, it's just not a good
Seth: look.
Ally: It's just not a good look.
It's not a good look.
Um.
Seth: And the, the whole party's
gonna get dragged through the mud.
And at, at the, I mean, if I can
say these two things about, about
Swalwell and Sheila, like, at, at
least the damage was mitigated.
Mm-hmm.
And people understood
immediately what time it was.
Yeah.
And that's the, that's the only.
You know that that's the only solace that
I have in this moment is that we know
what to do even, even when we do bad.
We know to get the heck outta Dodge.
Republicans stay in, I mean,
Gonzalez stayed in forever.
We got Cory Mills.
Who has multiple allegations
against him, including sexual
misconduct with a staffer.
70. 70 per 77% of these
allegations are with staffers.
Ally: Mm-hmm.
Seth: You know, so we got this, we
had this awful culture in Congress
of people shitting where they eat.
Ally: Yeah.
And
Seth: you know, that, that completely adds
Ally: And, and, and, and really, um.
Exerting their power, right?
Because if you are, if you are chasing
after intern interns or staffers, there
is such a huge power imbalance there.
You know, you're an
elected representative.
These are interns.
They're just starting out in the, in
the work world in general, and, and
they're coming across a politician who
is powerful potentially on the path to
become the governor of California and.
I can't even imagine being a young woman,
you know, 22, 23 years old in the world of
DC and having someone that you obviously
admire enough to work for, right?
Yeah.
Um, then suddenly.
Turning that relationship into
something that feels more predatory.
Um, and you're right.
I'm glad that as Democrats when this
stuff happens, we almost always kind
of expect that they, they, they resign
or we put pressure on them to resign.
But it, it, it has to stop
getting to this point.
Somebody, A lot of people knew
what Eric s Swallow was doing.
It shouldn't have to reach, it
shouldn't have to leak at a national
level for us to hold each other
accountable within the party.
Right.
It, it's like we're, we're, we're
closing ranks around each other
and hiding all of these secrets.
Same thing with Sheila.
Somebody, some, somewhere new.
This was going on, right?
Yeah.
You have to.
To get to this level of alleged
fraud, someone somewhere new.
And so we just have to get better
at why are we waiting until these,
why are we waiting, number one,
until so much damage has been done,
um, to the reputation of, you know,
representatives and to the, to the.
Health and wellbeing of the
women that have been victimized.
In the case of Eric Swalwell, I really
hope that this is a wake up call.
I hope this is a watershed moment.
I hope that Democrats learn
to not keep secrets like this.
We have to hold each other accountable.
We're entrusting these people.
We're voting for you to not only represent
our best interests as your constituents,
but when you're at the federal level.
You gotta, you should be holding yourself
to the highest possible standard.
That's the expectation when
we go out and vote for you.
Seth: Yeah.
And you know, I will say that it is
encouraging to see people like Lauren
Boberg and Nancy Mace speaking out.
Mm-hmm.
Nancy Mace introduced, um, uh, it wasn't
a bill, but it was some sort of measure
to get Corey Mills out of office.
Yeah.
I mean, that's, that's a Republican
trying to get a Republican outta Congress.
We haven't seen that.
Maybe ever.
Mm-hmm.
So at least you know, this is starting
to be exposed and at least, you
know, I guess, I guess we just can't
expect anything from Republican men.
Yeah.
But at least some of the women.
Mm-hmm.
Like MTG, she was able to step,
she was able to step aside.
Now she's one of the biggest, uh,
critics of the Republican party.
Yeah.
Ally: Yeah.
Seth: And now Nancy Mace
holding themselves accountable.
Lauren Bobert, uh, speaking with a OC.
Trying to keep
Ally: same.
What do they all have in common?
I'm trying to decide what it is.
The
Seth: The ladies.
Ally: The ladies.
There it is there.
It's, I
Seth: mean, Melanie Stansberry
said it elect women.
They don't have, they don't
have these kinds of scandals.
Ally: Yeah.
I mean, you know, there is some financial
messiness here going on with Sheila, but.
By and large women in, in Congress,
women in politics are not caught up
in, uh, you know, the, the majority
of any of these types of scandals.
So, my God, can we get to a
place where we vote for women?
We just really need to.
Um,
Seth: I mean, and just, just now
that, uh, you know, Trump's labor
secretary, uh, Lori Chavez Deamer,
I mean, she has come under fire for.
Inappropriate relationship and
possibly drinking on the job.
So I guess, I guess you just gotta drink.
If you're part of
Ally: ation, that is a job requirement.
I'm pretty sure if you're
going to sell your soul.
For Donald Trump and, and have to
literally look at, at people and
lie for a living because that is
part of the job as well, right?
Is constant lying, constant
gaslighting, um, avoiding and evading
real questions from the press.
Um, and any accountability.
I guess you gotta numb.
It just comes with it.
Right?
Seth: And there needs to be legislation.
There needs to be new rules put in place.
Yeah.
The fact that there was a
slush fund for this kind of
congressional, oh, gross grossness.
You know, like to find out, like,
oh, it's, it's such an accepted
part of the culture there that
the
Ally: cost
Seth: of doing business, there's money set
aside because we know it's gonna happen.
That has got to completely change.
And again, more women just makes it
a lot more, you know, uh, the, the
lowers the chances that it'll happen.
Ally: And what workplace?
I, I'm trying to think of like.
What type of industry or business
would create a slush fund knowing
that their employees are going to
violate sexual harassment policies
to take care of the perpetrators and
not necessarily the victims or both?
I mean, the fact that that even exists.
We have, we have a systemic
problem in Congress.
We really need to purge these
people and there has to be such.
Massive backlash to anyone that operates
in this way, that moves through Congress.
You know, looking at at, at women
that are subservient to them or
subordinates to them as prey.
Like it just, I don't know, culture.
We need a culture shift.
Yeah.
In our politics,
Seth: and, and I think you
know it, I think it starts
with progressive candidates.
I think it starts with,
Ally: yeah, I
Seth: agree with women and
progressive candidates.
I mean, you don't see these
kinds of, of things happening
with progressive candidates.
You just don't, you don't
see these kinds of scandals.
Uh, well, they, they come in.
These are embarrassing
things for the American.
Ally: Yeah, absolutely.
And progressive candidates,
they're coming in untainted.
Right.
They're coming in sort of clean because
they're not getting Pac money, they're
not meeting with lobbyists before
they're, you know, before they even
get out there and run their campaigns
or get elected into their roles.
So there's just, there's just,
you're, you're, you're lessening
the chance that those people are
going to get involved in things
like that because they're completely
untainted going into those jobs.
Seth: If we're talking about, you know, j
just the, the, the hundreds of accusations
that we've seen over the last couple of
decades, fully understanding that less
than a third of women actually report
Ally: Yeah.
Seth: Their assault Then.
What is the true number?
And that should scare everybody.
Ally: It should scare everybody.
So I'm glad Eric is gone.
We'll see what happens in terms of
perhaps, um, accountability from a
criminal perspective and, uh, let
him be the first domino to fall.
If this is the norm on the hill,
like I, I hope that they all start
to come out with these stories so
we know who's who, and they can
be gone and they will be replaced.
With, um, just more decent people.
Seth: Yeah.
Yeah.
The, the midterms are vital.
Uh, this redistricting of, of Virginia is
vital, even more so now because it's with
losing swalwell and, and losing, uh, the
representative from, uh, from Florida.
Yeah.
It makes it almost impossible to take
the house before the midterms now.
And that's, and, and I hate to, you know.
That is the result, right?
Yeah.
Like we don't, like that's the
consequence, how it happened.
The consequence.
Yeah.
But that is the result.
Yeah.
And so I hate to think of it in
terms of a math thing, but again, and
the, the timing is just, is so bad.
Ally: It's hard.
Seth: It's so bad.
It's so bad that if
it's almost intentional.
You know,
Ally: I mean, and that's,
but I'm okay with it.
I'm still okay with it.
Yeah.
You know, we, we, we help, we do try
to hold ourselves to a higher standard.
Um, are we necessarily
living up to that standard?
Obviously not.
Um, but we're gonna always, at the end
of the day, I hope, do the right thing
in expelling people away from the party
that are engaging in this kind of shit.
Seth: Yeah.
Ally: Um,
Seth: we gotta shine a light on it
because it, it would, you know, it, it.
Me too began this whole
movement several years ago.
It was holding people in
Hollywood accountable.
Now we are holding our leadership
accountable as well, and that, and, and
only good things can come from that.
Ally: Agreed.
Right before we came on here, um, I was
looking at our old friend, Steve Konecky.
He was at the big board because Virginia
is having their redistricting vote today.
Today is the last date to that
last day to vote on redistricting.
The polls closed about an hour
and a half ago, so he was going
kind of district by district.
Um, before we hopped on here.
It was looking pretty good.
VIDEO: Yeah.
Ally: Obviously, you know, there's
red and blue counties like any state.
Um, but so far it's looking like a
majority of voters are voting yes on
this redistricting that's gonna gain
four seats for us in the midterms.
So this is reactive.
This is not us going out and trying to.
Change the game.
This is us responding to Republicans
that are redistricting in the middle of
a decade, which is unprecedented in an
attempt to steal or, or unduly influence
the outcome of the midterm elections.
And so, you know, we did
redistricting in California.
We did a vote on that,
um, that went through.
We're doing a vote in Virginia.
What was the other state where
we did a redistricting vote?
Seth: Um, I, believe me, it was Maryland
was trying to do it, but I don't think
it, I don't think it went through.
Ally: But you know, the, the, the
difference again between us and
the Republicans is we are allow,
we are putting it to a vote, right?
We're, this is led by.
This is led in, in the typical tradition
of democracy, citizens of Virginia.
Do you want to redistrict in the
middle of a decade to allow us
to have a more fair and balanced
midterm election from coast to coast?
Um, and they get the, they get
to make that ultimate choice.
Um, Republicans don't play it that way.
They just go ahead and
do the redistricting.
Voters don't really have a say.
Um.
I'm really hoping get Texas or Florida.
Florida.
Yeah.
It just doesn't, you know, so by tomorrow
or later tonight, hopefully we'll
know how that redistricting vote went.
I'm really like, fingers, toes,
everything i's crossed that,
uh, that we get a yes on this.
It's essential.
Seth: Yeah, it's essential.
'cause it, it will neutralize
whatever they do in Florida.
And, and once again, it's
important to show that the
Democrats are about democracy.
We're about the vote of the people, the
will of the people where Texas and Florida
are just saying, we're gonna do it.
Don't care what you think about it.
Uh, it's happening.
And, uh.
Hopefully people recognize the difference
because we're already seeing, um, uh,
seats flip in the State House in Florida.
You know, Trump lost Mar-a-Lago,
the Mar-a-Lago district, uh,
they've lost, uh, Boca Raton.
They've lost Miami.
So even so, Florida can continue
to do this to their citizens
unwarranted, but when they get
their chance to vote in November.
I get a feeling that Florida is in play
because they're seeing what happens and
they're saying, wait a second, they've
taken our right to vote away our Right.
Ally: Making our voice Yeah.
Seth: To determine what
happens in our state.
Exactly.
And all Americans are gonna
have a problem with that.
Ally: Absolutely.
Absolutely.
I mean, if you've silenced, um, democracy
in, in that way, and that's what that is.
Um.
It's not gonna sit well in this day and
age, and I really hope you're right.
I hope we see some, some
blue waves in places.
We would not typically
see them this November.
Um, but right now I'm just holding
my breath for this Virginia Battle.
Let's hope that it goes through.
That's gonna be, um, that's
gonna be huge for us.
We really need that for the midterms.
Seth: Yeah, I'm I and, and
I'm excited because Virginia,
just a couple of months ago.
Showed everybody the blue wave
that is happening over there.
Yeah.
I mean,
Ally: yeah, they
Seth: sure did.
It, it was a clean
sweep for the Democrats.
Uh, clearly the momentum is there.
Virginia was already kind of, you know,
waiting towards the blue side of the pool.
Uh, but now I really feel with this
administration and just how incompetent
it is and the promises not kept.
Mm-hmm.
With the elections that we're seeing.
'cause forget polls, right?
Yeah.
Anybody can come up with a poll.
The, the polls are what they
are, real elections are happening
and Democrats are winning.
So given the fact that we had a great
showing in Virginia just a couple
of months ago, I feel like this, uh,
this, this measure is going to pass.
And, um, and we're gonna
get 10 seats in Virginia.
And so.
Ally: I hope so.
I mean, Obama's out there, you
know, he did his own little video
encouraging people to go out and vote.
Yes.
Right.
So we're gonna find out hopefully tonight,
early tomorrow morning, we'll see.
Um, but really looking forward to that.
I think that's pretty much a, a wrap on
the biggest news stories that have been
happening, unless you have any other
Yeah, I mean, that's exhausting enough.
Um, we're gonna get back to interviews.
You know, we are.
Obviously our interests, what we
do is we pursue, um, grassroots.
Progressive candidates to, to
interview ahead of the primaries
and ahead of the midterm elections.
But one of the problems with
interviewing grassroots, progressive
candidates is they have very little
money to run their campaigns.
So their biggest currency is their time.
They're extraordinarily busy.
Mm-hmm.
They are out on the campaign trail.
They're canvassing constantly.
Any event, any any open door invitation
they get, they walk right through it.
So.
To the audience.
If you know of any progressive candidates
that would like an opportunity to be
platformed, um, send them our way.
Drop a comment, send a dm.
We'd love to connect with them.
That's, you know, that,
that's why we started this.
We wanna keep it going all the way
through to the midterms and, um.
Yeah, the hunt continues.
Seth: Yeah.
And that's, and that's again,
that's how we, that's how we purge.
Ally: Yeah.
Seth: We're, we're, we're purging
in a, in a non-violent way.
Exactly.
We are, we're, we're telling these,
these dudes to hit the road like we
are, we are bringing in progressive
candidates, people who are not tied.
To pack money to Israel to
foreign interests, period.
Yeah.
And, uh, and that's what we need
when we, when we get that, we're
gonna see a lot more people
voting for the will of the people.
And we're gonna see a lot
fewer of these scandals, these
embarrassing scandals mm-hmm.
That happen in America way too often.
We're looking for accountability and
the people that we are having in these
interviews are gonna be accountable.
They're real people, just like you and me.
Ally: Real people that, you know,
obviously never thought of themselves
as even being aspirational in terms
of politics, but they wanna meet
this moment and they wanna do the
right thing for their communities.
They're all so heavily involved in their
local communities and it's so refreshing
to see that from these candidates.
So bring them our way.
The more, if you know any.
In your state, in your area, please let
us, um, please connect us with them.
Love to have them on the show.
And, you know, we'll be getting back
to interviews I'm hoping next week.
Um,
Seth: yeah.
Tag, tag them in, tag 'em
on Substack, YouTube, ig.
We're everywhere.
Make sure that, that they know about us.
And that we know about them.
Ally: Yeah.
Seth: We would love to
reach out and, and talk.
Ally: And even if we can't get them on
the show, if you just know great people
and we're unable to connect with them,
we'll do the research and we can, we can
sort of platform them together, right?
Talk about some of the things that
they're doing in their local community.
And, and just bring awareness to
these really great candidates that
unfortunately don't have the coffers
to be on your television and on social
media 24 7 with paid advertising.
So, um, that's really.
What gives us a thrill, and if you could
just send 'em our way, we'd be grateful.
Um, but I think that's
the news for now, Seth.
Oh, do you feel better?
I don't know.
Seth: I may need to take a shot.
Ally: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Seth: Oh, we go.
Ally: All right, Seth,
I'll see you next time.
Thanks for
Seth: catching
Ally: up with me.
Seth: All right.
See you next time.
Ally: Love it.
Bye
Seth: bye.