November 14, 2024 • 40 mins
U.S. Representative Seth Moulton from Massachusetts received backlash over his post-election comments saying the Democratic Party is focusing too much on identity politics. Moulton expressed concerns he has with his daughters’ playing sports against trans athletes, a concern he says a majority of voters can relate to. Moulton said the backlash he received proves his point that “we can’t even have these discussions as a party.” Congressman Seth Moulton joined us to address his comments!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:30):
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Speaker 3 (00:58):
Slash podcast It's Night Side with Dan Ray w b
Z Costin's video.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Delighted to welcome Congressman Seth Moulton, Congress and Moulton Democrat
from Massachusetts, now in his sixth term in office. Seth Moulton,
Welcome back to Nightside. How are you, sir.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I'm good, always good to be with you, Dan. Thanks
for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
My pleasure. For those of you who do not live
in Congressman's district, He's a graduate of Harvard. While at Harvard,
I was a member of the ROTC and served several
tours in Iraq and Afghanistan when the fighting was the toughest,
and has been now in Congress, as they said, beginning
his sixth term, and has always sort of marched to
(01:43):
the beat of a different drummer, I would say, and
I made some comments a week or so ago, but
I think if anyone knows Seth Moulton's background, he ran
against an incumbent Democrat, John Tierney and defeated him, which
did not sit well with the the powers that be
in Massachusetts, and then at one point had suggested that
(02:06):
maybe it might have been time for Nancy Pelosi to
surrender the speakership. That did make did not make him
a big fan of in the Speaker's office. And as
I say, last week or so ago, in the wake
of the election results, said that his party needed to
maybe reprioritize some of the items that they were talking about.
(02:30):
You you got some pushback, But let's talk about the
general situation of the Democratic Party. Democratic Party had some
This was a tough election across the country amongst a
lot of voting groups that oftentimes support Democrats. What what
generally does the party have to do here to correct
(02:50):
its course?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
In your opinion, well, I mean think I think fundamentally
we're clearly out of touch with the majority of Americas.
I mean, that's kind of the definition of getting wiped
out in an election like we did. And you know,
there are a couple of diagnoses there. But first of all,
we just got to start by looking ourselves in the
mirror saying, okay, we got to make some changes here.
(03:13):
And I personally think that one of those fundamental changes
is we've got to listen to more Americans rather than
preaching to them. We can be a very preachy party.
You know, we know what's right, and if you don't
agree with us one hundred percent absolutely our position, then
not only are you wrong, but you're almost a bad person.
(03:35):
At least that's the impression that I think a lot
of people get. I've talked to a lot of voters
who say, yeah, okay, you can talk me through the policies.
I agree your economic policy probably makes more sense. Trump's
going to raise inflation. I agree your border policy is
more bipartisan and more humane. But we don't trust you
on these things because you just don't seem to be
(03:56):
able to relate to us.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
I think that is going with exactly what happened to me.
It was it was stunning that Donald Trump, with all
of his baggage, was able to not only win the
Republican nomination, but then be re elected president for the
first time since Grover Cleveland turned that trick back. And
I think the eighteen nineties, what where do they have?
(04:23):
Where do they have to go? You know, there's there
are differences between the parties. Are there are differences on
the economy, There are differences on war and peace. There
are differences, and a lot of those ticket, big ticket
items are very big important items. But it seems as
if the Republicans and the Democrats were focused on some
of the more cultural issues. Maybe with it with it,
(04:47):
with the difference is more definitive, but it worked to
the Republican's advantage. I assume you would agree with that.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
I do.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I do. I said the day after, the morning after
the election, when we got on the morning call with
my team and they asked my opinion, I said, this
felt like a cultural election, like there's a cultural mispatch,
and like it or not, Americans said, you know, we
feel like the Republicans are a better fit. And in
many times, in many cases they said that despite this
(05:18):
fact that Trump was not a great candidate, I mean,
which of course is an understatement, these convict the criminal.
I mean, this is the other thing I have to say, Dan,
is that when you're running against the party that's kind
of going through a civil war, you know, between the
Trump folks and the traditional Republicans, and they've got this
guy at the top of the ticket who's who's literally
(05:42):
been convicted in the court of law. The Democrats should
have been able to clean up. I mean, this should
have been easy for Democrats.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And yet the Democrats rather the Republicans, countered on that.
And I'd be interested in your reaction. They basically turned
the prosecutions of Trump, I think, to their advantage, arguing
that this was law fear and that Donald Trump hadn't
done anything wrong, but the Democrats were trying to destroy
(06:08):
him legally. Was it a mistake for that many jurisdictions.
It almost looked like appiling on penalty to many people
in this country. I think am I missing something there?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
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(06:43):
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Speaker 3 (06:51):
Well, no, you're not missing anything about the attack. I mean,
it's the ultimate and hypocrisy because Trump, of course has
literally promised to go after his political enemies using the
legal system, something that is so fundamentally Unamerican. I don't
think there's a president in history who said that he
will go after his political opponents with the legal system.
(07:11):
That's what they do in Banana Republics, you know, that's
what they do in China, but Soviet Union, so I mean,
I think Democrats unfortunately just sort of dismissed this attack
as ridiculous. But it worked. And in some cases with
other issues, we just didn't even respond to the attacks,
you know, we just said, oh, that's you know, beneath us,
(07:32):
or that's not what people care about. But people were
paying attention. And you've got to give it to the
Republicans and to Trump and his team for running a
very effective campaign.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
He also made it. In fairness, Trump and his team
didn't win any much in Massachusetts. Really. There were a
couple of legislative races, but obviously all the members of
the delegation who stood, the nine members who stood for
re election over into office, including yourself. But he made
(08:04):
he made some in roads, and some of the other candidates,
the Senate candidate against Senator Warren did better this time
than the Senate candidate did a few years ago. Is
that something to be concerned about? From that the party
should be looking at and saying, if this is going
(08:24):
on in Massachusetts, it may be going on in states
I don't know, like a Minnesota where maybe the Republicans
could could get a real a toe hold in some
states that they're they're kind of off the board right now.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Absolutely absolutely we should look at that as the party nationally,
but frankly the Massachusetts Democratic Party should look at that
right here at home. I saw statistic, and don't quote
me on this, I think I've got it right, but
that Trump increased his Vogue share in Massachusetts more than
(09:04):
in any other state in the Union extept one. So
he went up like eight points or something like that.
Maybe I don't have it exactly right, but the point
is he gained a lot of ground in Massachusetts. Not
enough to put him over the top, for sure, but
we really got to pay attention to that and say, cheez,
are we losing touch? Because it certainly feels to me
(09:24):
like we are, And yet a lot of Democrats are
just unwilling to have that discussion. I've sat through a
couple meetings now where Democrats literally are just going around saying, hey,
wasn't that bad. You know, Harris didn't do that great,
but we did better in the House or whatever. I mean.
Trying to spin this as a win is really stretching
the imagination, and it just shows how some Democrats are
(09:48):
just unwilling to face reality and recognize that we need
to make some changes.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
My guest is Congressman Seth Moulton the sixth Congressional District
here in Massachusetts. Will continue our conversation with Congressman Moulton.
He will be with us until about nine twenty eight
and I want to talk to him a little bit
about the conversations that now are going on within the
leadership of the Democratic Party and maybe it's time for
some of a shakeup of leadership. I'd like to touch
(10:15):
upon some of that when we get back. Seth Moulton's
thank you very much for being with us. We'll be
back in about three minutes.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World,
Nice Side Studios. I'm WBSY News Radio.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
We are fortunate to be joined by Congressman Seth Moulton
of Massachusetts, the sixth Congressional District. You talked earlier this
month as a dad about your daughters on an athletic field.
I think everyone knows what you said, and you spoke
as a dad. Which of two girls? Were you surprised
(10:50):
by the invective that was directed at you by members
of your party. I think you referred to it almost
as a purity test.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I mean, in some ways, then I wasn't surprised, because
this is exactly the point I was trying to make.
It's that you can't just speak authentically about certain things
as a Democratic party because they're considered off limits. And
the big problem for us is that these are things
that other people are talking about, including Trump and millions
of dollars worth of ads in this election. So you know,
(11:24):
he was attacking trans people and we couldn't even talk
about it and have a reasonable response and just say,
you know, here's a reasonable policy or whatever it is.
And that's silence. I think it's politically stupid. It allows
the other side to set the terms of the debate,
(11:46):
and it ultimately hurts some of the people that the
Democrats are actually trying to stand up for. So that's
the problem. I was using this as an example of
the cancel culture that's become rampant in society these days,
in college campuses and within the Democratic Party, the fact
that we can't even debate certain issues. So I guess
(12:08):
maybe I was surprised that they went so far. Some
of the crazy things people have said on the Internet
and in interviews about me is certainly extreme, but in
some ways I wasn't surprised at all that I was
going to get some backlass.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Well, a lot of the keyboard warriors, they will say
stuff on the Internet that they wouldn't dare say to
someone face to face, but they have the anonymity and
the protection of the Internet, so they can they can
do what whatever they want. You know, if I look
back in my lifetime, the two most successful Democratic presidents
that I can think of, well, Bill Clinton, who had
(12:46):
his own problems, but he was smart enough, very smart
and worked with Republicans on the economy, worked with Nuke Ankridge.
And President Obama, who used to, you know, emphasize that
we're not the red state, the blue states. Where the
United States of America, you know that term you've served
under him. And President Obama deported a lot of people
(13:09):
who should not have been here and was called by
some people actually the deporter in chief. So I look
at those two examples and I think, how far, how
far has the Democratic Party gone? Would Bill Clinton or
Barack Obama be tolerated within some wings of the far
progressive wing of the Democratic Party. So how do you think,
(13:33):
you know, policies that Bill Clinton espoused, that the Barack
Obama espoused would be perceived by would be welcomed, are
not welcomed by a lot of Democrats on the front, honestly.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Honestly, Dan, I'm not sure they wouldn't be canceled as well.
I mean, remember, Barack Obama came into office opposed to
gay marriage, something that I'm very proud to support, and
we led the nation in Massachusetts is saying, you know,
it's none of our business as a government who you
want to love, and so you know, in frankly, I
don't know that they would feel you know, they would
(14:08):
have gotten I guess the point is they would have
gotten some of the same backlash too. And someone like
John F. Kennedy, I mean, my gosh, if you look
at some of his policies, a lot of people in
my party would have just called them a Republican.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Yeah, and maybe a right wing Republican tiboot. I mean,
I remember, I was young enough to remember the big
issues of the Kennedy Nixon campaign. I'm sure you as
a historian remember, but you weren't born at that point.
With the islands of Cumoya and matt Sue, two islands
off the coast of China, and whether or not then
the Red Chinese were able to stay there, or whether
(14:41):
the nationalist Chinese the Taiwanese could take those islands back.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
So look, you know, in some ways, we've come a
long way as a party, and that's progress that we
should be proud of. But the problem is that we've
preached tolerance for so long, We've worked so hard at
tolerance that we've actually become intolerant. And you can't win
elections if you don't represent the majority of Americans. It
just doesn't work.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Yeah, and you don't have to compromise your principles in
order to represent the majority of Americans.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
In my opinion, that's right. I mean, I wasn't even
telling us to change our policy thing about this, Dan,
I was just saying, let's have a debate about it,
you know, let's just be willing to talk about it.
And it's kind of shocking that that is so difficult
for us right now. But look, that's why I'm forcing
the conversation. And I got to tell you there are
a lot of Democrats who are hearing this, you know, sure,
(15:33):
there are a lot of independents, even Republicans who've reached
out to me and said, yeah, you know, that's that's
why we didn't vote for you, or that's the problem.
But mostly I've been hearing from fellow Democrats who said, yes, Seth,
this is what we need to do. We just need
to be willing to take on these tough issues, to
have a debate, to understand what we need to change,
to come up with a winning strategy, because we clearly
didn't have one last week. So the reaction has been
(15:57):
very positive across the board by a large even though
there's these loud voices on the internet from the extremes.
And I've also had some really good conversations with leadership.
You mentioned democratic leadership. I had a long conversation with
the Keem Jefferies several days ago, and look, he agrees
with me, we have to have these tough conversations, and
(16:17):
I think he's going to be part of helping to
lead that.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Well, I would. You've been there a while and at
some point I suspect you're going to find yourself in leadership.
I think that I think you're on a on a
path that's going to be good for the Democratic Party,
the Republicans. I'm sure you saw some of the cabinet
choices that President Obama rather President Trump has just announced,
(16:43):
including Matt Gates, which to me is a I have
no idea what's going on with that one.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
He's just insane. He's just insane, Mackie, they're nominating him
to be the chief law enforcement officer in the country.
I mean, he's under ethic investigations, sexual misconduct. Uh, he
literally trafficking girls. Uh, he has been under criminal investigation.
I mean, it's just it's it's just unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (17:12):
It's like, uh, well, the string that the thing that
the only theory that I kind of that I can
think is that, uh that Gates has agreed to be
sort of a sacrificial lamb, and that all the focus
is going to be on Gates and some of the
other The focus would be so intense on Gates that
(17:33):
some of the other nominees will will.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Not be in the line of fire, if you get
my drift. I don't know if you think that's reasonable
or not, but I think maybe, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
I was a veteran's fundraiser tonight and in Washington, and
there's a lot of concern a lot of people asking
questions about the nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hexas,
and and and in some ways that's that's exactly right.
In fact, that's what I told some people, is that
a few ago it looked like he might not make
it through very thin resume a history of politicizing the military,
(18:05):
which is another just very Unamerican thing to do. And
yet no one's talking about him right now because all
the focuses on Gates. So you might be right. I
think one of the things about Donald Trump is, you know,
I have a lot of problems with his basic principles
and values, as I know many other Americans do too.
(18:26):
But he's not inty it. He's calculating, and he's a
pretty savvy politician, so there's usually some rhyme and reason
behind what he's doing.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Where do you think it goes from here? I assume
you're not about to back off and basically go along
with the crowd. Do you think there's a place for
you to stay in the in the Democratic Party and
become a voice, even a more effective voice for the
party nationally. I'm not suggesting that you're going to run
for president or do anything like that right away. But
(18:57):
I'm just wondering that this is not discouraged you. Knowing
you as I think I do, it probably has encouraged you.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Well, that's exactly right. You know, Marines aren't that good
at retreating to them. And I have no intention of
backing off, backing off from my fundamental point here, which is,
we got to be willing to have debates. We got
to be willing to talk about these things. We've got
to be willing to fix ourselves. That's what we need
to start doing in a Democratic party. And if we
(19:24):
do that, we've got a bright future. And I think
that we can make a case to Americans that we
do have better plans for the economy because Trump's tariffs
and tax cuts for the rich are going to raise
prices for everyday Americans at the grocery store. We do
have a better plan for the border, because remember Democrats
worked with Republicans in the Senate to come up with
a bi partisan border deal, and Trump thank it because
(19:46):
he said he wanted to make it a political issue
for the election. He's playing politics with the border. We
actually want to fix it. I know that that's not
our reputation, but My point is we have the ingredients
to be successful, but if we're going to do it,
we got to and a lot more time listening to
Americans instead of talking down to them. We got to
spend more time out, you know, hearing from Americans all
(20:07):
across the country and saying what can we do for you?
Not how can you conform to the Democratic Party?
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Well, again, I thank you for the time tonight. We've
followed it pretty closely. As they say, I think that
you're on the right side here, that you need to
have different voices in the party and all those voices
need to be heard so that the American people understand
(20:35):
that there's a bigger tent the Republicans. For a long time,
we're accused of having too small a tent, And believe
it or not, I think the Republicans now have increased
their tent, or at least increased the number of people
in their tent, under the leadership of a president who
is pretty pretty controversial president.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
And we'll yeah, see that's right. They're ten is bigger
than ours right now, and that's what we got to fix.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
So yeah, I mean, I.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
The only thing I want to tell you what I
said about the election, and I want to be honest
with you, I'm very happy that it was a decisive result,
because I was really fearful that we were going to
go through another twenty twenty if it was a two
seventy two to two sixty six, you know, electoral college split.
And I'm hoping that that it gets that it quiets
(21:21):
down the next few months because I never want to
go through another post twenty twenty election again in my lifetime.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
So it was absolutely terrible for the country, and you're
absolutely right that it was just terrible for the country.
I mean, the reality is that if Trump had just
barely last lost in this election, he was going to
pull those Shenanigans again again, something that's not happened, you know.
That's that's that's not the tradition in America. The tradition
(21:51):
is the peaceful transfer of power. And regardless of what
the result is next time, whether it's close or decisive,
or whether it's a Republican Ormocrat on top, we've got
to remember our fundamental values as democracy that the voters
have to say and it's not up to the president
or anyone else to change, you know, to try to
(22:13):
try to change their minds or change the results. Those
are some of the fundamental American values that I think
we're losing touch with and we have over the last
few years. And you know, part of part of the
Democratic Party's future and leadership for the country is reminding
folks what America is all about. We're not going to
do that if we have a narrow tent, uh, with
(22:35):
certain views that we're just forcing everyone else to conform to,
rather than listening to Americans and hearing what the issues
are that matter to them and how we can make
a difference to improve their lives.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
So that's what I want to ask you one of
the question. I'm going longer than I than I said,
but I'll just give me one more minute here. I
have a belief, I have a theory. Uh, And I'd
love to know if you think if you think I'm crazy,
tell me I'm crazy. If you were one of the
early Democrats who, after the horrible debate that President Biden
had with President Elect Trump in late June, who said
(23:11):
it was time for a change, you were out early
on that, and it took a while, but he eventually
decided to surrender the nomination and allow Vice President Harris
to run. Do you have any thought or idea as
to why the Democrats within the White House would have
allowed Joe Biden to be put in that situation in
(23:33):
late June. I believe there's a story here, and that
there were people in the White House who knew that
Joe Biden had lost a lot off his fastball, and
that you remember he held that He released that videotape
one morning I think it was early in June or
late in May, in which he basically it was only
(23:53):
about a thirty second tape. He kind of looked like
Clint Eastwood and said, Donald, I know you want to
have a debate, Well make my day. Do you remember that?
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I don't remember that, but I mean, look, it's I mean,
this is a terrible decision on the part of President
or his team or some combination of too to hold
out so long. It was a mistake. And I love
Joe Biden, He's been a political mentor me.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
But wasn't it a mistake to have not only waited
so long, but then to throw him out there on
whatever it was June twenty sixth or whatever after and
do as badly as he did it. I just think
there's a story there that that that eventually is going
to be told. And I don't know if you, I
don't think you you you buy what I'm what I'm
(24:41):
suggesting that I think that there was a there was
finally a panic within the White House and they decided
he's got to go, and that was the way that
I think they showed him the door.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Could be wrong, Yeah, I don't know, I mean, because
what I remember is that I was privately pleading with
the White House, you know, the people I knew who
were close, like right around the inner circle to the President,
that you've got to ask him to step aside, and
there was no response. And it was only after that
that I went public. I think I was the third
in the in the Congress, House or Senate to come
(25:12):
out and publicly say he's got to step aside, and
then it was yet another week before he did.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
So.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
It didn't feel like he was being pushed from the inside.
It felt like he was being pulled from the outside
from those of us in Congress, but not to step aside.
So I don't know exactly what happened, but there's no
question it was very difficult for Harris to run an
incredibly short campaign, and it must have been the shortest
presidential campaign in history. And that's not an easy thing
(25:38):
to do. And guess what, it didn't work.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
Lets you go back to probably eighteen twenty or eighteen
twenty four, they didn't have them quite that that length.
And Seth Molton, thank you very much. Again. I hope
you get a profile and Carriage award from the Kennedy Library.
But don't hold your breath.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Okay, okay, than for having men.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Congressman Seth Molten from Massachusetts. We're going to go to
news and I'd love to know what you think. Do
you think he did the right thing? Uh, for himself,
for his party, for his country. That's my question. Six
one seven, two, five four to ten thirty six one seven,
nine thirty. Back on night Side, let's talk a little politics.
(26:19):
Beginning at ten o'clock. I want to talk about some
of the cabinet nominations that the President has made. Some
of them I think are really good. Uh, there's a
couple at least one that I don't understand, but we'll
talk about that beginning at ten. Coming back on night Side.
Right after this, It's night Side on.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
Go right at the phone calls. Let me go to
Tom and Brockton. Tom, welcome back. How are you sir?
Speaker 7 (26:48):
Welcome Hey, thank you for taking my call.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Can you hear me? Okay, I can hear you? Just
find Yeah.
Speaker 7 (26:58):
You know, at the beginning of the interview that you
had with Seth I was totally on board with him
with what he said that the Democrats, this party of
twenty twenty four, they're trying to fit a square peg
into a round hole in my opinion. Now, the other
(27:20):
thing that bothered me with what he said, though, is
that he talked about Trump going after his political enemies. Well,
what do the Democrats do in New York State? They
went after their political enemy. Donald Trump had not been
alleged to have committed a crime while he was president.
Leticia James as well as Alvin Bragg both sat on
(27:45):
the campaign trails. Not so much brag, but there is
video of him saying that he would investigate the Trump organization.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Well, and what, by the way, you're right on Letitia
James as well. I mean, let's see what let's see
what Donald Trump did does going forward. Uh, he was
he was, he faced he faced criminal indictment in Georgia,
as well as in two federal courtes. The federal courts
are going to go away. Uh And I would think
(28:13):
that if I think the Georgia case will implode of itself.
But again, my my goal was to find out what
Moulton was was thinking.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
I understand that, you know so, and.
Speaker 7 (28:26):
The the the other thing that he brought up that
politicizing the military, well, what did Joe Biden do politicizing
the military? I mean, some of his appointments were ridiculous.
And the other thing with regardless of some of the.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
Other policies, and some of the policies too absolutely.
Speaker 7 (28:47):
And the other thing is that with the terrorists, Yes, well,
if Trump gets into a trade war with China, it
is going to hurt the American consumer. There's no question
about it. And there's a reason for that. And I
would like to say that to mister Moulton's face, is
that because we had a president named Bill Clinton and
(29:08):
a Senator named John Forbes Kerry who said, you know,
China becomes a trading partner with us, they're less likely
to build up their military and they're more than likely
going to become a democracy. It didn't happen. Those are
the smart people that tell people like me, well, Tom,
(29:31):
you just don't know what's good for you. You know,
you're not as educated as I am.
Speaker 5 (29:38):
Also the Democrat Party.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
You're channeling John Kerry here. Look at how this whole
thing with the Jpark thing has worked out with Iran.
I mean, Iran now is a much more dangerous enemy,
if not to us, although that argument could be made,
much more dangerous enemy to the state of Israel. You know,
it's funny, they they they I did three people the other
(30:02):
day who are planning an assassination of Donald Trump. That
story seems to have disappeared from the major American news media.
Speaker 7 (30:11):
I will not name the other station, but there's a
station and that basically is on the low end of
the FM dial. That the week about a week after
the Supreme Court decision was made that Trump could not
be prosecuted for presidential immunity whatever, you know what I'm
talking about.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
It was let me just let me just say this
real quickly too. It was a much more nuanced decision
than that. I mean, as long as it was within
his his his actions as president, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
Right, well.
Speaker 7 (30:49):
One woman called in from Cambridge where else, and said
that you know, the only thing I think we can
do with Donald Trump is we're going to have to JFKM.
And the two hosts sat there and laughed about it,
you know, and poo pooed it. And what happened. A
week later?
Speaker 5 (31:04):
Trump got shot. So you know, I'm sorry that.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
And then two months after that, there was a guy
waiting in the bushes so on side on the golf
club so and he actually might represented if he hadn't
been detected, he would have been probably fifty yards away
from Trump.
Speaker 7 (31:25):
If Trump with an AK with open sites, I used
to own one. Okay, with open sites, you can hit
a human being very easily.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Yeah, you could pick. You could pick, you know, whether
he wanted to hit the ear or the eye or whatever.
I mean, it's you know, Tom is always great. Great
to hear your voice. Your connection is much better than
the last connection we had when you were calling from
the Philippines.
Speaker 5 (31:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (31:50):
I apologize that for your listeners not Wi Fi there.
But hey, here here's here's the good news, Dan. My
fiance got approved for her fiance.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
Excellent, excellent, Well, congratulations to both you and to her.
Thank you, Tom. We're talking about great good night. I'm
gonna take a very quick break. If you'd like to
join the conversation, I get one lot. Well that just filled.
If you like to join the conversation, I got one
line at six one seven. We are going to talk
politics for the rest of the night, but I also
want to talk at some point, particularly after the ten
(32:26):
o'clock hour, about this spate of nominations that President elect
Trump has now announced. There's some very interesting nominations there,
some that might be criticized, some you might like. We'll
talk about that. It's been an interesting week. We never
got a chance to talk about it last night, so
(32:46):
that's what we will do when we get back. Right
after this very quick break on Nightside.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on w b Z the news radio.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
Okay, back we go, are gonna go to Glenn and Brighton.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Glenn.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
Appreciate you holding on your next one night saga right ahead, Shirt.
Speaker 8 (33:05):
Yeah, I'm hoping sometime you could have him back so.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
It can take you can take calls for him.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Yeah, I will, and I think he will. I proposed
the injury. I wanted to give him a chance so
he had been you know, uh so I thought unfairly
criticized to to deal with me as in an interview
that would would give him an opportunity to express his
you know, his situ his his positions. And I think
(33:32):
he I think he positioned himself pretty clearly.
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (33:37):
In fact, he's my favorite Democrat. If they were all
like him, might still be a Democrat. Well, because he's
got objectivity. Now, I don't agree with him about the
things he said about Trump, but I'm a Trump for
having I agree with Tom on that. But I remember
Seth Moulton, even though he was against the Iraq War,
he enlisted and went anyway, and that carries a lot
(33:59):
of weight with me.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah, he was he was a guy coming He was
a guy coming out of Harvard. And by the way,
uh the new secretary, or the nominee for Secretary of
Defense is also a combat veteran, uh and and a
highly decorated combat veteran. And I think that I don't
(34:21):
have any problem with that nomination. I do have some
problem with the Matt Gates nomination, but we'll get into
that later.
Speaker 5 (34:27):
Oh, I disagree with you there, but that's all right.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
But no, I I just think that look, if if
if Trump wanted to nominate an attorney general who would
have been a tough attorney general. You got and you
wanted to have somebody who had media background. What's wrong
with Trey Goudy?
Speaker 7 (34:48):
You know?
Speaker 4 (34:49):
I mean, uh, Trey Goudi would have been uh, you know,
former prosecutor himself. I don't know that Matt Gates has
that that level of experience. Never mind and the among
the baggage, I don't think Age is going to be
confirmed to be really honest with you.
Speaker 8 (35:04):
I mean, well, what I'm gonna say is I heard
some of that exchange with Sais Molten and the people
that were they were targeting him, and he couldn't even
say I don't like when he said, I don't like
a biological boy. He's who says that he's a girl
playing on a woman's sport. They were like, sir, you're
(35:26):
not being very respectful to the transgender community. I mean
they they really were this rude and disrespectful to him.
Speaker 9 (35:35):
Arrogant.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
Yeah. Again, I think that the average person is going
to look at that and say, I don't think that
I didn't perceive what Molten was saying was critical of
people in their lives who happen to be transgender. I
don't think that. I don't think that that boys may
(36:00):
you know to genuinely males should be competing on girls teams.
I don't.
Speaker 8 (36:06):
Yeah, because of the upper body strength advantage. That minute
boys have you got it?
Speaker 4 (36:11):
You got it? All right, Glenn. We'll try to get
you next time, I promise.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
Okay, all right, and I hope I can call him.
Speaker 8 (36:17):
I even called you in a while.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
That's okay, you can call him all night eleven o'clock hour.
You know everybody's got a hall pass. Okay, thanks, buddy,
doctor man. Thanks have a good way. Let me keep
rolling here. Bill is in Whaland, Massachusetts. Bill, you next
on Nightsager, right ahead.
Speaker 9 (36:33):
Sorry, I'm not I'm not going to speak very long.
I've been Nord has been very impressed by Congress from Moulton,
his service to our country and his whole story and
how he has challenged some of the the old guard
Democrats old guard. But I really took offense to his comments,
(36:57):
uh basically saying that I don't want his little girls
run over on a playing field by a male or
a formerly male athlete, and he I think, first of all,
I disappointed he didn't take any calls. I'm not an
Internet complainer. I don't hide behind my keyboard. But I
think he failed to recognize that his comments were not
(37:20):
just disrespectful, but painting trans young men, or for that matter,
trans women who wanted to compete on a male team
as bullies, as intentionally running over little girls.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Well, how I didn't. I'm gonna I just feel if
you could. I don't think he was suggesting intentionally. There
have been some incidents around the country, and some here
in Massachusetts. There was a girl a year ago, and
you may have seen the story. If you did, great,
If you didn't, let me just explain it quickly. Who
was playing field hockey and she took a shot. You
(37:58):
know field hockey as not ice hockey, obviously, I'm sure
you know what it is. They have a hard wooden ball,
same same principle, and a male for trans mail whatever
whichever you know term you're comfortable with. I took a
shot and this girl took it right in the mouth
and she lost several teeth. And this was a h
(38:24):
a strong person who who fired that shot. And there
have been other instances. I think that's what he was
referring to look.
Speaker 9 (38:34):
I'm sorry, I'm gonna I want to interrupt you because
he was not he was he was painting trans trans
people as people who are going to run over little girls.
How would he feel if his little girls happened to
be very tall or overweight? Should they not be allowed
to participate in sports because they might run over an opponent?
(38:56):
It basically paints trans people do he paints trans people well,
in a very broad brush, just like gay people were
painted with broad brush back in the fifties. It just
isn't necessary. Excuse me, excuse me.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
Let me interrupt you just for a second if I could,
since I was just give me one second. You made
a point, you know, for example, in Pop Warner football
boys pop Warner football, there are weight classifications, so there
is there are some kids who are by the age
of thirteen or one hundred and fifty pounds or whatever,
and they have considerations for that. I coached little boys
(39:31):
and girls when they were playing kindergarten in first grade soccer,
and there was never a problem. But by time kids
get to high school or junior high school, they can
be a significant difference in their strength.
Speaker 9 (39:43):
Go ahead, but that's not something you have to blame
on trans people, and that's what he was doing. He
was speaking specifically trans people. Of course, you know in
boxing they have different weight classes and wrestling different weight classes.
That's not what he was saying. He was targeting trans
people as being ineligible basically to participate on a team
(40:08):
with his little girls.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
And I think girls happen to be young.
Speaker 9 (40:12):
Right, finish my sentence.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
Well you interrupted me. Go ahead, we get a minute left.
Speaker 5 (40:18):
Go ahead, Okay.
Speaker 9 (40:20):
What I think he needs to do is understand that
trans people come in all shapes and sizes, just like
little girls come in all shapes and sizes. But by
making a statement which I'm looking at, he was basically
demonizing them, saying that they're going to run over little girls.
And I know plenty of bullies that are men, bullies
that are women. And there are plenty of softball teams
(40:43):
now that are integrated. If you can't stand the heat,
then don't play. If you're going to get hit in
the mouth with the ball, it could have been hit
by a very strong woman too.
Speaker 4 (40:54):
So go take a look at that. Go take a
look at that video. You know, when you get a chance,
if you can find that video, go take a look
at it. Okay, I don't know.
Speaker 9 (41:03):
I'm sure their exceptions to the rule. Dan and people
like that should be counseled by their coaches to say
that's not appropriate, but it could have been.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
Fortunately, fortunately that it didn't happen in that case, we
have done. I'm not cutting you off. I'm just telling you, gone, no, no,
I'll tell you what you can do. Why don't you
stay there and I'll put you on on the other
side of the news. I got to take a newscast
and I'll give you a couple of minutes on the
other side. Is that fair?
Speaker 9 (41:33):
That's fine?
Speaker 4 (41:34):
Okay, you say right there, we'll be back with more conversation.
We'll get this right away, right after the news
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Speaker 2 (00:30):
Did you know A twenty eighteen studies showed half of
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(00:52):
from the Clean Label Project. But don't just take my
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Speaker 3 (00:58):
Slash podcast It's Night Side with Dan Ray w b
Z Costin's video.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Delighted to welcome Congressman Seth Moulton, Congress and Moulton Democrat
from Massachusetts, now in his sixth term in office. Seth Moulton,
Welcome back to Nightside. How are you, sir.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I'm good, always good to be with you, Dan. Thanks
for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
My pleasure. For those of you who do not live
in Congressman's district, He's a graduate of Harvard. While at Harvard,
I was a member of the ROTC and served several
tours in Iraq and Afghanistan when the fighting was the toughest,
and has been now in Congress, as they said, beginning
his sixth term, and has always sort of marched to
(01:43):
the beat of a different drummer, I would say, and
I made some comments a week or so ago, but
I think if anyone knows Seth Moulton's background, he ran
against an incumbent Democrat, John Tierney and defeated him, which
did not sit well with the the powers that be
in Massachusetts, and then at one point had suggested that
(02:06):
maybe it might have been time for Nancy Pelosi to
surrender the speakership. That did make did not make him
a big fan of in the Speaker's office. And as
I say, last week or so ago, in the wake
of the election results, said that his party needed to
maybe reprioritize some of the items that they were talking about.
(02:30):
You you got some pushback, But let's talk about the
general situation of the Democratic Party. Democratic Party had some
This was a tough election across the country amongst a
lot of voting groups that oftentimes support Democrats. What what
generally does the party have to do here to correct
(02:50):
its course?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
In your opinion, well, I mean think I think fundamentally
we're clearly out of touch with the majority of Americas.
I mean, that's kind of the definition of getting wiped
out in an election like we did. And you know,
there are a couple of diagnoses there. But first of all,
we just got to start by looking ourselves in the
mirror saying, okay, we got to make some changes here.
(03:13):
And I personally think that one of those fundamental changes
is we've got to listen to more Americans rather than
preaching to them. We can be a very preachy party.
You know, we know what's right, and if you don't
agree with us one hundred percent absolutely our position, then
not only are you wrong, but you're almost a bad person.
(03:35):
At least that's the impression that I think a lot
of people get. I've talked to a lot of voters
who say, yeah, okay, you can talk me through the policies.
I agree your economic policy probably makes more sense. Trump's
going to raise inflation. I agree your border policy is
more bipartisan and more humane. But we don't trust you
on these things because you just don't seem to be
(03:56):
able to relate to us.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
I think that is going with exactly what happened to me.
It was it was stunning that Donald Trump, with all
of his baggage, was able to not only win the
Republican nomination, but then be re elected president for the
first time since Grover Cleveland turned that trick back. And
I think the eighteen nineties, what where do they have?
(04:23):
Where do they have to go? You know, there's there
are differences between the parties. Are there are differences on
the economy, There are differences on war and peace. There
are differences, and a lot of those ticket, big ticket
items are very big important items. But it seems as
if the Republicans and the Democrats were focused on some
of the more cultural issues. Maybe with it with it,
(04:47):
with the difference is more definitive, but it worked to
the Republican's advantage. I assume you would agree with that.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
I do.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
I do. I said the day after, the morning after
the election, when we got on the morning call with
my team and they asked my opinion, I said, this
felt like a cultural election, like there's a cultural mispatch,
and like it or not, Americans said, you know, we
feel like the Republicans are a better fit. And in
many times, in many cases they said that despite this
(05:18):
fact that Trump was not a great candidate, I mean,
which of course is an understatement, these convict the criminal.
I mean, this is the other thing I have to say, Dan,
is that when you're running against the party that's kind
of going through a civil war, you know, between the
Trump folks and the traditional Republicans, and they've got this
guy at the top of the ticket who's who's literally
(05:42):
been convicted in the court of law. The Democrats should
have been able to clean up. I mean, this should
have been easy for Democrats.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
And yet the Democrats rather the Republicans, countered on that.
And I'd be interested in your reaction. They basically turned
the prosecutions of Trump, I think, to their advantage, arguing
that this was law fear and that Donald Trump hadn't
done anything wrong, but the Democrats were trying to destroy
(06:08):
him legally. Was it a mistake for that many jurisdictions.
It almost looked like appiling on penalty to many people
in this country. I think am I missing something there?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Did you know A twenty eighteen studies showed half of
prenatal vitamins tested had unacceptable levels of heavy metals. I'm Kat,
mother of three and founder of Ritual. When I was
four months pregnant, I couldn't find a prenatal I could trust,
so I created my own Ours is made traceable, third party,
tested for heavy metals, and recently earned the Purity Award
(06:43):
from the Clean Label Project. But don't just take my
word for it. Get twenty five percent off at ritual
dot com slash podcast.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Well, no, you're not missing anything about the attack. I mean,
it's the ultimate and hypocrisy because Trump, of course has
literally promised to go after his political enemies using the
legal system, something that is so fundamentally Unamerican. I don't
think there's a president in history who said that he
will go after his political opponents with the legal system.
(07:11):
That's what they do in Banana Republics, you know, that's
what they do in China, but Soviet Union, so I mean,
I think Democrats unfortunately just sort of dismissed this attack
as ridiculous. But it worked. And in some cases with
other issues, we just didn't even respond to the attacks,
you know, we just said, oh, that's you know, beneath us,
(07:32):
or that's not what people care about. But people were
paying attention. And you've got to give it to the
Republicans and to Trump and his team for running a
very effective campaign.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
He also made it. In fairness, Trump and his team
didn't win any much in Massachusetts. Really. There were a
couple of legislative races, but obviously all the members of
the delegation who stood, the nine members who stood for
re election over into office, including yourself. But he made
(08:04):
he made some in roads, and some of the other candidates,
the Senate candidate against Senator Warren did better this time
than the Senate candidate did a few years ago. Is
that something to be concerned about? From that the party
should be looking at and saying, if this is going
(08:24):
on in Massachusetts, it may be going on in states
I don't know, like a Minnesota where maybe the Republicans
could could get a real a toe hold in some
states that they're they're kind of off the board right now.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Absolutely absolutely we should look at that as the party nationally,
but frankly the Massachusetts Democratic Party should look at that
right here at home. I saw statistic, and don't quote
me on this, I think I've got it right, but
that Trump increased his Vogue share in Massachusetts more than
(09:04):
in any other state in the Union extept one. So
he went up like eight points or something like that.
Maybe I don't have it exactly right, but the point
is he gained a lot of ground in Massachusetts. Not
enough to put him over the top, for sure, but
we really got to pay attention to that and say, cheez,
are we losing touch? Because it certainly feels to me
(09:24):
like we are, And yet a lot of Democrats are
just unwilling to have that discussion. I've sat through a
couple meetings now where Democrats literally are just going around saying, hey,
wasn't that bad. You know, Harris didn't do that great,
but we did better in the House or whatever. I mean.
Trying to spin this as a win is really stretching
the imagination, and it just shows how some Democrats are
(09:48):
just unwilling to face reality and recognize that we need
to make some changes.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
My guest is Congressman Seth Moulton the sixth Congressional District
here in Massachusetts. Will continue our conversation with Congressman Moulton.
He will be with us until about nine twenty eight
and I want to talk to him a little bit
about the conversations that now are going on within the
leadership of the Democratic Party and maybe it's time for
some of a shakeup of leadership. I'd like to touch
(10:15):
upon some of that when we get back. Seth Moulton's
thank you very much for being with us. We'll be
back in about three minutes.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World,
Nice Side Studios. I'm WBSY News Radio.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
We are fortunate to be joined by Congressman Seth Moulton
of Massachusetts, the sixth Congressional District. You talked earlier this
month as a dad about your daughters on an athletic field.
I think everyone knows what you said, and you spoke
as a dad. Which of two girls? Were you surprised
(10:50):
by the invective that was directed at you by members
of your party. I think you referred to it almost
as a purity test.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I mean, in some ways, then I wasn't surprised, because
this is exactly the point I was trying to make.
It's that you can't just speak authentically about certain things
as a Democratic party because they're considered off limits. And
the big problem for us is that these are things
that other people are talking about, including Trump and millions
of dollars worth of ads in this election. So you know,
(11:24):
he was attacking trans people and we couldn't even talk
about it and have a reasonable response and just say,
you know, here's a reasonable policy or whatever it is.
And that's silence. I think it's politically stupid. It allows
the other side to set the terms of the debate,
(11:46):
and it ultimately hurts some of the people that the
Democrats are actually trying to stand up for. So that's
the problem. I was using this as an example of
the cancel culture that's become rampant in society these days,
in college campuses and within the Democratic Party, the fact
that we can't even debate certain issues. So I guess
(12:08):
maybe I was surprised that they went so far. Some
of the crazy things people have said on the Internet
and in interviews about me is certainly extreme, but in
some ways I wasn't surprised at all that I was
going to get some backlass.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Well, a lot of the keyboard warriors, they will say
stuff on the Internet that they wouldn't dare say to
someone face to face, but they have the anonymity and
the protection of the Internet, so they can they can
do what whatever they want. You know, if I look
back in my lifetime, the two most successful Democratic presidents
that I can think of, well, Bill Clinton, who had
(12:46):
his own problems, but he was smart enough, very smart
and worked with Republicans on the economy, worked with Nuke Ankridge.
And President Obama, who used to, you know, emphasize that
we're not the red state, the blue states. Where the
United States of America, you know that term you've served
under him. And President Obama deported a lot of people
(13:09):
who should not have been here and was called by
some people actually the deporter in chief. So I look
at those two examples and I think, how far, how
far has the Democratic Party gone? Would Bill Clinton or
Barack Obama be tolerated within some wings of the far
progressive wing of the Democratic Party. So how do you think,
(13:33):
you know, policies that Bill Clinton espoused, that the Barack
Obama espoused would be perceived by would be welcomed, are
not welcomed by a lot of Democrats on the front, honestly.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Honestly, Dan, I'm not sure they wouldn't be canceled as well.
I mean, remember, Barack Obama came into office opposed to
gay marriage, something that I'm very proud to support, and
we led the nation in Massachusetts is saying, you know,
it's none of our business as a government who you
want to love, and so you know, in frankly, I
don't know that they would feel you know, they would
(14:08):
have gotten I guess the point is they would have
gotten some of the same backlash too. And someone like
John F. Kennedy, I mean, my gosh, if you look
at some of his policies, a lot of people in
my party would have just called them a Republican.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Yeah, and maybe a right wing Republican tiboot. I mean,
I remember, I was young enough to remember the big
issues of the Kennedy Nixon campaign. I'm sure you as
a historian remember, but you weren't born at that point.
With the islands of Cumoya and matt Sue, two islands
off the coast of China, and whether or not then
the Red Chinese were able to stay there, or whether
(14:41):
the nationalist Chinese the Taiwanese could take those islands back.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
So look, you know, in some ways, we've come a
long way as a party, and that's progress that we
should be proud of. But the problem is that we've
preached tolerance for so long, We've worked so hard at
tolerance that we've actually become intolerant. And you can't win
elections if you don't represent the majority of Americans. It
just doesn't work.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Yeah, and you don't have to compromise your principles in
order to represent the majority of Americans.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
In my opinion, that's right. I mean, I wasn't even
telling us to change our policy thing about this, Dan,
I was just saying, let's have a debate about it,
you know, let's just be willing to talk about it.
And it's kind of shocking that that is so difficult
for us right now. But look, that's why I'm forcing
the conversation. And I got to tell you there are
a lot of Democrats who are hearing this, you know, sure,
(15:33):
there are a lot of independents, even Republicans who've reached
out to me and said, yeah, you know, that's that's
why we didn't vote for you, or that's the problem.
But mostly I've been hearing from fellow Democrats who said, yes, Seth,
this is what we need to do. We just need
to be willing to take on these tough issues, to
have a debate, to understand what we need to change,
to come up with a winning strategy, because we clearly
didn't have one last week. So the reaction has been
(15:57):
very positive across the board by a large even though
there's these loud voices on the internet from the extremes.
And I've also had some really good conversations with leadership.
You mentioned democratic leadership. I had a long conversation with
the Keem Jefferies several days ago, and look, he agrees
with me, we have to have these tough conversations, and
(16:17):
I think he's going to be part of helping to
lead that.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Well, I would. You've been there a while and at
some point I suspect you're going to find yourself in leadership.
I think that I think you're on a on a
path that's going to be good for the Democratic Party,
the Republicans. I'm sure you saw some of the cabinet
choices that President Obama rather President Trump has just announced,
(16:43):
including Matt Gates, which to me is a I have
no idea what's going on with that one.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
He's just insane. He's just insane, Mackie, they're nominating him
to be the chief law enforcement officer in the country.
I mean, he's under ethic investigations, sexual misconduct. Uh, he
literally trafficking girls. Uh, he has been under criminal investigation.
I mean, it's just it's it's just unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (17:12):
It's like, uh, well, the string that the thing that
the only theory that I kind of that I can
think is that, uh that Gates has agreed to be
sort of a sacrificial lamb, and that all the focus
is going to be on Gates and some of the
other The focus would be so intense on Gates that
(17:33):
some of the other nominees will will.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Not be in the line of fire, if you get
my drift. I don't know if you think that's reasonable
or not, but I think maybe, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
I was a veteran's fundraiser tonight and in Washington, and
there's a lot of concern a lot of people asking
questions about the nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hexas,
and and and in some ways that's that's exactly right.
In fact, that's what I told some people, is that
a few ago it looked like he might not make
it through very thin resume a history of politicizing the military,
(18:05):
which is another just very Unamerican thing to do. And
yet no one's talking about him right now because all
the focuses on Gates. So you might be right. I
think one of the things about Donald Trump is, you know,
I have a lot of problems with his basic principles
and values, as I know many other Americans do too.
(18:26):
But he's not inty it. He's calculating, and he's a
pretty savvy politician, so there's usually some rhyme and reason
behind what he's doing.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Where do you think it goes from here? I assume
you're not about to back off and basically go along
with the crowd. Do you think there's a place for
you to stay in the in the Democratic Party and
become a voice, even a more effective voice for the
party nationally. I'm not suggesting that you're going to run
for president or do anything like that right away. But
(18:57):
I'm just wondering that this is not discouraged you. Knowing
you as I think I do, it probably has encouraged you.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Well, that's exactly right. You know, Marines aren't that good
at retreating to them. And I have no intention of
backing off, backing off from my fundamental point here, which is,
we got to be willing to have debates. We got
to be willing to talk about these things. We've got
to be willing to fix ourselves. That's what we need
to start doing in a Democratic party. And if we
(19:24):
do that, we've got a bright future. And I think
that we can make a case to Americans that we
do have better plans for the economy because Trump's tariffs
and tax cuts for the rich are going to raise
prices for everyday Americans at the grocery store. We do
have a better plan for the border, because remember Democrats
worked with Republicans in the Senate to come up with
a bi partisan border deal, and Trump thank it because
(19:46):
he said he wanted to make it a political issue
for the election. He's playing politics with the border. We
actually want to fix it. I know that that's not
our reputation, but My point is we have the ingredients
to be successful, but if we're going to do it,
we got to and a lot more time listening to
Americans instead of talking down to them. We got to
spend more time out, you know, hearing from Americans all
(20:07):
across the country and saying what can we do for you?
Not how can you conform to the Democratic Party?
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Well, again, I thank you for the time tonight. We've
followed it pretty closely. As they say, I think that
you're on the right side here, that you need to
have different voices in the party and all those voices
need to be heard so that the American people understand
(20:35):
that there's a bigger tent the Republicans. For a long time,
we're accused of having too small a tent, And believe
it or not, I think the Republicans now have increased
their tent, or at least increased the number of people
in their tent, under the leadership of a president who
is pretty pretty controversial president.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
And we'll yeah, see that's right. They're ten is bigger
than ours right now, and that's what we got to fix.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
So yeah, I mean, I.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
The only thing I want to tell you what I
said about the election, and I want to be honest
with you, I'm very happy that it was a decisive result,
because I was really fearful that we were going to
go through another twenty twenty if it was a two
seventy two to two sixty six, you know, electoral college split.
And I'm hoping that that it gets that it quiets
(21:21):
down the next few months because I never want to
go through another post twenty twenty election again in my lifetime.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
So it was absolutely terrible for the country, and you're
absolutely right that it was just terrible for the country.
I mean, the reality is that if Trump had just
barely last lost in this election, he was going to
pull those Shenanigans again again, something that's not happened, you know.
That's that's that's not the tradition in America. The tradition
(21:51):
is the peaceful transfer of power. And regardless of what
the result is next time, whether it's close or decisive,
or whether it's a Republican Ormocrat on top, we've got
to remember our fundamental values as democracy that the voters
have to say and it's not up to the president
or anyone else to change, you know, to try to
(22:13):
try to change their minds or change the results. Those
are some of the fundamental American values that I think
we're losing touch with and we have over the last
few years. And you know, part of part of the
Democratic Party's future and leadership for the country is reminding
folks what America is all about. We're not going to
do that if we have a narrow tent, uh, with
(22:35):
certain views that we're just forcing everyone else to conform to,
rather than listening to Americans and hearing what the issues
are that matter to them and how we can make
a difference to improve their lives.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
So that's what I want to ask you one of
the question. I'm going longer than I than I said,
but I'll just give me one more minute here. I
have a belief, I have a theory. Uh, And I'd
love to know if you think if you think I'm crazy,
tell me I'm crazy. If you were one of the
early Democrats who, after the horrible debate that President Biden
had with President Elect Trump in late June, who said
(23:11):
it was time for a change, you were out early
on that, and it took a while, but he eventually
decided to surrender the nomination and allow Vice President Harris
to run. Do you have any thought or idea as
to why the Democrats within the White House would have
allowed Joe Biden to be put in that situation in
(23:33):
late June. I believe there's a story here, and that
there were people in the White House who knew that
Joe Biden had lost a lot off his fastball, and
that you remember he held that He released that videotape
one morning I think it was early in June or
late in May, in which he basically it was only
(23:53):
about a thirty second tape. He kind of looked like
Clint Eastwood and said, Donald, I know you want to
have a debate, Well make my day. Do you remember that?
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I don't remember that, but I mean, look, it's I mean,
this is a terrible decision on the part of President
or his team or some combination of too to hold
out so long. It was a mistake. And I love
Joe Biden, He's been a political mentor me.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
But wasn't it a mistake to have not only waited
so long, but then to throw him out there on
whatever it was June twenty sixth or whatever after and
do as badly as he did it. I just think
there's a story there that that that eventually is going
to be told. And I don't know if you, I
don't think you you you buy what I'm what I'm
(24:41):
suggesting that I think that there was a there was
finally a panic within the White House and they decided
he's got to go, and that was the way that
I think they showed him the door.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Could be wrong, Yeah, I don't know, I mean, because
what I remember is that I was privately pleading with
the White House, you know, the people I knew who
were close, like right around the inner circle to the President,
that you've got to ask him to step aside, and
there was no response. And it was only after that
that I went public. I think I was the third
in the in the Congress, House or Senate to come
(25:12):
out and publicly say he's got to step aside, and
then it was yet another week before he did.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
So.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
It didn't feel like he was being pushed from the inside.
It felt like he was being pulled from the outside
from those of us in Congress, but not to step aside.
So I don't know exactly what happened, but there's no
question it was very difficult for Harris to run an
incredibly short campaign, and it must have been the shortest
presidential campaign in history. And that's not an easy thing
(25:38):
to do. And guess what, it didn't work.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
Lets you go back to probably eighteen twenty or eighteen
twenty four, they didn't have them quite that that length.
And Seth Molton, thank you very much. Again. I hope
you get a profile and Carriage award from the Kennedy Library.
But don't hold your breath.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Okay, okay, than for having men.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Congressman Seth Molten from Massachusetts. We're going to go to
news and I'd love to know what you think. Do
you think he did the right thing? Uh, for himself,
for his party, for his country. That's my question. Six
one seven, two, five four to ten thirty six one seven,
nine thirty. Back on night Side, let's talk a little politics.
(26:19):
Beginning at ten o'clock. I want to talk about some
of the cabinet nominations that the President has made. Some
of them I think are really good. Uh, there's a
couple at least one that I don't understand, but we'll
talk about that beginning at ten. Coming back on night Side.
Right after this, It's night Side on.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
Go right at the phone calls. Let me go to
Tom and Brockton. Tom, welcome back. How are you sir?
Speaker 7 (26:48):
Welcome Hey, thank you for taking my call.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Can you hear me? Okay, I can hear you? Just
find Yeah.
Speaker 7 (26:58):
You know, at the beginning of the interview that you
had with Seth I was totally on board with him
with what he said that the Democrats, this party of
twenty twenty four, they're trying to fit a square peg
into a round hole in my opinion. Now, the other
(27:20):
thing that bothered me with what he said, though, is
that he talked about Trump going after his political enemies. Well,
what do the Democrats do in New York State? They
went after their political enemy. Donald Trump had not been
alleged to have committed a crime while he was president.
Leticia James as well as Alvin Bragg both sat on
(27:45):
the campaign trails. Not so much brag, but there is
video of him saying that he would investigate the Trump organization.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Well, and what, by the way, you're right on Letitia
James as well. I mean, let's see what let's see
what Donald Trump did does going forward. Uh, he was
he was, he faced he faced criminal indictment in Georgia,
as well as in two federal courtes. The federal courts
are going to go away. Uh And I would think
(28:13):
that if I think the Georgia case will implode of itself.
But again, my my goal was to find out what
Moulton was was thinking.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
I understand that, you know so, and.
Speaker 7 (28:26):
The the the other thing that he brought up that
politicizing the military, well, what did Joe Biden do politicizing
the military? I mean, some of his appointments were ridiculous.
And the other thing with regardless of some of the.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
Other policies, and some of the policies too absolutely.
Speaker 7 (28:47):
And the other thing is that with the terrorists, Yes, well,
if Trump gets into a trade war with China, it
is going to hurt the American consumer. There's no question
about it. And there's a reason for that. And I
would like to say that to mister Moulton's face, is
that because we had a president named Bill Clinton and
(29:08):
a Senator named John Forbes Kerry who said, you know,
China becomes a trading partner with us, they're less likely
to build up their military and they're more than likely
going to become a democracy. It didn't happen. Those are
the smart people that tell people like me, well, Tom,
(29:31):
you just don't know what's good for you. You know,
you're not as educated as I am.
Speaker 5 (29:38):
Also the Democrat Party.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
You're channeling John Kerry here. Look at how this whole
thing with the Jpark thing has worked out with Iran.
I mean, Iran now is a much more dangerous enemy,
if not to us, although that argument could be made,
much more dangerous enemy to the state of Israel. You know,
it's funny, they they they I did three people the other
(30:02):
day who are planning an assassination of Donald Trump. That
story seems to have disappeared from the major American news media.
Speaker 7 (30:11):
I will not name the other station, but there's a
station and that basically is on the low end of
the FM dial. That the week about a week after
the Supreme Court decision was made that Trump could not
be prosecuted for presidential immunity whatever, you know what I'm
talking about.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
It was let me just let me just say this
real quickly too. It was a much more nuanced decision
than that. I mean, as long as it was within
his his his actions as president, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
Right, well.
Speaker 7 (30:49):
One woman called in from Cambridge where else, and said
that you know, the only thing I think we can
do with Donald Trump is we're going to have to JFKM.
And the two hosts sat there and laughed about it,
you know, and poo pooed it. And what happened. A
week later?
Speaker 5 (31:04):
Trump got shot. So you know, I'm sorry that.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
And then two months after that, there was a guy
waiting in the bushes so on side on the golf
club so and he actually might represented if he hadn't
been detected, he would have been probably fifty yards away
from Trump.
Speaker 7 (31:25):
If Trump with an AK with open sites, I used
to own one. Okay, with open sites, you can hit
a human being very easily.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Yeah, you could pick. You could pick, you know, whether
he wanted to hit the ear or the eye or whatever.
I mean, it's you know, Tom is always great. Great
to hear your voice. Your connection is much better than
the last connection we had when you were calling from
the Philippines.
Speaker 5 (31:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (31:50):
I apologize that for your listeners not Wi Fi there.
But hey, here here's here's the good news, Dan. My
fiance got approved for her fiance.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
Excellent, excellent, Well, congratulations to both you and to her.
Thank you, Tom. We're talking about great good night. I'm
gonna take a very quick break. If you'd like to
join the conversation, I get one lot. Well that just filled.
If you like to join the conversation, I got one
line at six one seven. We are going to talk
politics for the rest of the night, but I also
want to talk at some point, particularly after the ten
(32:26):
o'clock hour, about this spate of nominations that President elect
Trump has now announced. There's some very interesting nominations there,
some that might be criticized, some you might like. We'll
talk about that. It's been an interesting week. We never
got a chance to talk about it last night, so
(32:46):
that's what we will do when we get back. Right
after this very quick break on Nightside.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on w b Z the news radio.
Speaker 4 (32:58):
Okay, back we go, are gonna go to Glenn and Brighton.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Glenn.
Speaker 4 (33:01):
Appreciate you holding on your next one night saga right ahead, Shirt.
Speaker 8 (33:05):
Yeah, I'm hoping sometime you could have him back so.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
It can take you can take calls for him.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Yeah, I will, and I think he will. I proposed
the injury. I wanted to give him a chance so
he had been you know, uh so I thought unfairly
criticized to to deal with me as in an interview
that would would give him an opportunity to express his
you know, his situ his his positions. And I think
(33:32):
he I think he positioned himself pretty clearly.
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (33:37):
In fact, he's my favorite Democrat. If they were all
like him, might still be a Democrat. Well, because he's
got objectivity. Now, I don't agree with him about the
things he said about Trump, but I'm a Trump for
having I agree with Tom on that. But I remember
Seth Moulton, even though he was against the Iraq War,
he enlisted and went anyway, and that carries a lot
(33:59):
of weight with me.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah, he was he was a guy coming He was
a guy coming out of Harvard. And by the way,
uh the new secretary, or the nominee for Secretary of
Defense is also a combat veteran, uh and and a
highly decorated combat veteran. And I think that I don't
(34:21):
have any problem with that nomination. I do have some
problem with the Matt Gates nomination, but we'll get into
that later.
Speaker 5 (34:27):
Oh, I disagree with you there, but that's all right.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
But no, I I just think that look, if if
if Trump wanted to nominate an attorney general who would
have been a tough attorney general. You got and you
wanted to have somebody who had media background. What's wrong
with Trey Goudy?
Speaker 7 (34:48):
You know?
Speaker 4 (34:49):
I mean, uh, Trey Goudi would have been uh, you know,
former prosecutor himself. I don't know that Matt Gates has
that that level of experience. Never mind and the among
the baggage, I don't think Age is going to be
confirmed to be really honest with you.
Speaker 8 (35:04):
I mean, well, what I'm gonna say is I heard
some of that exchange with Sais Molten and the people
that were they were targeting him, and he couldn't even
say I don't like when he said, I don't like
a biological boy. He's who says that he's a girl
playing on a woman's sport. They were like, sir, you're
(35:26):
not being very respectful to the transgender community. I mean
they they really were this rude and disrespectful to him.
Speaker 9 (35:35):
Arrogant.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
Yeah. Again, I think that the average person is going
to look at that and say, I don't think that
I didn't perceive what Molten was saying was critical of
people in their lives who happen to be transgender. I
don't think that. I don't think that that boys may
(36:00):
you know to genuinely males should be competing on girls teams.
I don't.
Speaker 8 (36:06):
Yeah, because of the upper body strength advantage. That minute
boys have you got it?
Speaker 4 (36:11):
You got it? All right, Glenn. We'll try to get
you next time, I promise.
Speaker 5 (36:15):
Okay, all right, and I hope I can call him.
Speaker 8 (36:17):
I even called you in a while.
Speaker 4 (36:19):
That's okay, you can call him all night eleven o'clock hour.
You know everybody's got a hall pass. Okay, thanks, buddy,
doctor man. Thanks have a good way. Let me keep
rolling here. Bill is in Whaland, Massachusetts. Bill, you next
on Nightsager, right ahead.
Speaker 9 (36:33):
Sorry, I'm not I'm not going to speak very long.
I've been Nord has been very impressed by Congress from Moulton,
his service to our country and his whole story and
how he has challenged some of the the old guard
Democrats old guard. But I really took offense to his comments,
(36:57):
uh basically saying that I don't want his little girls
run over on a playing field by a male or
a formerly male athlete, and he I think, first of all,
I disappointed he didn't take any calls. I'm not an
Internet complainer. I don't hide behind my keyboard. But I
think he failed to recognize that his comments were not
(37:20):
just disrespectful, but painting trans young men, or for that matter,
trans women who wanted to compete on a male team
as bullies, as intentionally running over little girls.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Well, how I didn't. I'm gonna I just feel if
you could. I don't think he was suggesting intentionally. There
have been some incidents around the country, and some here
in Massachusetts. There was a girl a year ago, and
you may have seen the story. If you did, great,
If you didn't, let me just explain it quickly. Who
was playing field hockey and she took a shot. You
(37:58):
know field hockey as not ice hockey, obviously, I'm sure
you know what it is. They have a hard wooden ball,
same same principle, and a male for trans mail whatever
whichever you know term you're comfortable with. I took a
shot and this girl took it right in the mouth
and she lost several teeth. And this was a h
(38:24):
a strong person who who fired that shot. And there
have been other instances. I think that's what he was
referring to look.
Speaker 9 (38:34):
I'm sorry, I'm gonna I want to interrupt you because
he was not he was he was painting trans trans
people as people who are going to run over little girls.
How would he feel if his little girls happened to
be very tall or overweight? Should they not be allowed
to participate in sports because they might run over an opponent?
(38:56):
It basically paints trans people do he paints trans people well,
in a very broad brush, just like gay people were
painted with broad brush back in the fifties. It just
isn't necessary. Excuse me, excuse me.
Speaker 4 (39:09):
Let me interrupt you just for a second if I could,
since I was just give me one second. You made
a point, you know, for example, in Pop Warner football
boys pop Warner football, there are weight classifications, so there
is there are some kids who are by the age
of thirteen or one hundred and fifty pounds or whatever,
and they have considerations for that. I coached little boys
(39:31):
and girls when they were playing kindergarten in first grade soccer,
and there was never a problem. But by time kids
get to high school or junior high school, they can
be a significant difference in their strength.
Speaker 9 (39:43):
Go ahead, but that's not something you have to blame
on trans people, and that's what he was doing. He
was speaking specifically trans people. Of course, you know in
boxing they have different weight classes and wrestling different weight classes.
That's not what he was saying. He was targeting trans
people as being ineligible basically to participate on a team
(40:08):
with his little girls.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
And I think girls happen to be young.
Speaker 9 (40:12):
Right, finish my sentence.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
Well you interrupted me. Go ahead, we get a minute left.
Speaker 5 (40:18):
Go ahead, Okay.
Speaker 9 (40:20):
What I think he needs to do is understand that
trans people come in all shapes and sizes, just like
little girls come in all shapes and sizes. But by
making a statement which I'm looking at, he was basically
demonizing them, saying that they're going to run over little girls.
And I know plenty of bullies that are men, bullies
that are women. And there are plenty of softball teams
(40:43):
now that are integrated. If you can't stand the heat,
then don't play. If you're going to get hit in
the mouth with the ball, it could have been hit
by a very strong woman too.
Speaker 4 (40:54):
So go take a look at that. Go take a
look at that video. You know, when you get a chance,
if you can find that video, go take a look
at it. Okay, I don't know.
Speaker 9 (41:03):
I'm sure their exceptions to the rule. Dan and people
like that should be counseled by their coaches to say
that's not appropriate, but it could have been.
Speaker 4 (41:13):
Fortunately, fortunately that it didn't happen in that case, we
have done. I'm not cutting you off. I'm just telling you, gone, no, no,
I'll tell you what you can do. Why don't you
stay there and I'll put you on on the other
side of the news. I got to take a newscast
and I'll give you a couple of minutes on the
other side. Is that fair?
Speaker 9 (41:33):
That's fine?
Speaker 4 (41:34):
Okay, you say right there, we'll be back with more conversation.
We'll get this right away, right after the news
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