February 4, 2026 • 37 mins
In this episode, Dr. Abdul El Sayed, a candidate in the Michigan Senate race, discusses his campaign's central themes such as getting money out of politics, empowering small businesses, and implementing Medicare for all.
Learn more about Dr. Abdul El Sayed here: https://abdulforsenate.com/
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now you know and No de Barrosso is a production
of iHeartMedia and partnership with Recent Choice media folks. Today
we have progressive candidate for the United States Senate in Michigan,
Abdul L Saeed. Now, when you hear the name Abdul
L Saed, you hear someone that is progressive. You hear
(00:21):
someone that you might say, Mallory mcmarroe is safer progressive
and Helly Stevens's I don't even know. But when you
think of doctor L. Syed, you think of pragmatic progressives.
And I really appreciate his time today and we're going
to hear all about his policy platform, his favorite places
to campaign, and what makes him different from both of
his opponents.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm so thankful for doctor L.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Sied for the direct answers he gave us, because that's
what it means to be on the Meet the Candidate's
midterm series here on now you know, let's do it, Abdua,
how are you?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I'm doing great? How are you?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Noah? Abdul Let me tell you I was so excited
for this interview. The Michigan Senate race is just so interesting.
I have so many questions for you. I don't know
if you're even going to be able to get to
all of them. Well, let's get started.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
We'll do our best.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Unfortunately, well when you abdel when you think of the
Michigan Senate race, you think of three candidates. You know,
you have the two progressives, which is yourself and Mallory McMorrow,
and then you have Hailey Stevens. I don't want to
put a label on her. I don't know how to
explain her. It's okay, but it leads me to think
(01:31):
to defeat Hailey Stevens, at least in my opinion, I
think we would need to have one progressive candidate and
to go against Hailey Stevens. So who would it be
if anyone? Would Mallory mcmarrow drop out or would you
drop out?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Right now? I think the central question about politics is
about folks who have been locked out of the political
and economic system and the folks who are doing the
unlocked I'm somebody who has been consistent about trying to
unlock the system for people my entire career. I became
a doctor because I understood that some people had access
to a long, healthy life and other people didn't. And
(02:07):
at some point you start to get curious about why
people get sick, and you start thinking about the economic
circumstances they live in, the access to political choices that
they have. You start to realize that all of us
have been captured by a political system that allows the
richest and most powerful to buy politicians to do their bit.
I've never taken a dimond corporate money. Every single other
person in this race has. I've been clear about the
(02:30):
need to guarantee health care through Medicare for all two
years of thinking about how to do that that resulted
in a book on the topic. I was clear about
the genocide in Gaza from the very beginning, because words
have meetings, and you've got to use words for the
things that they mean. And when it comes to ICE,
I've been calling for the abolition of ICE since twenty eighteen.
All of that is because I'll always be on the
(02:52):
side of people who've been locked out. That's just not
true for anyone else in this race. So I don't
know about what other candidates are intending to do, but
I know that for me, if we're serious about actually
unlocking the system, we need candidates who have not been
bought into the system. For every other election in their
entire career, and so for me, I just think that
the difference is obvious, Frankly. I see it up and
(03:14):
down the state when people recognize that this is not
a candidacy as usual. I'm not trying to figure out
what's politically convenient to say or wait until the coast
is clear. I lead with my morals and that's the
only reason, frankly, to run for this job.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And let me ask you, in terms of your policy platform.
We're going to get back into your opponents a little
bit later, but in terms of your policy platform, what
are you running up?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Money out of politics? Money in your pocket Medicare for all?
And let me just tell you what that means. Money
out of politics is the central most important thing we
can do to address almost every other issue in our society.
The ways that corporations and millionaires can use their money
to buy politicians in the way that they bought almost
everybody else, Frankly, everybody else in this race through corporate contributions,
(03:58):
shapes our politics because at the end of the day,
then those folks are going to open their office doors
for the lobbyists who come along asking for legislation that
makes it easier for corporations and harder for every people.
Putting money back in pockets means standing with unions, means
empowering small businesses. It means taking on the corporate mergers
and acquisitions that give them power against the rest of us.
And it means making sure that we spend our money
(04:19):
here at home rather than sending it abroad to drop
bombs on other people and their children and their hospitals
and their schools and money. And then Medicare for All
is Medicare for all, right, and it's literally money in
your pocket. Another way, the most difficult to sustain aspect
if any budget is healthcare. We're watching our premiums spot
and people are having to worry about whether or not
(04:40):
they can even afford it to keep health insurance at all.
I want to guarantee every single person a Medicare card
that sits in their wallet from the moment they're born
to the moment that hopefully they pass away gently in
their sleep at the tender age of one hundred and twenty.
But I want that there for them, guaranteeing them the
health care that they need and deserve. That's what I'm
running on. We've been up and down the STA date
(05:00):
and I'll tell you it's resonating.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Noah, let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
You talk about up and down the state, what has
been your favorite place to campaign? And that's one of
my favorite questions to ask on the Midterm series. What
has been your favorite place to campaign?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
And so far, honestly, I love the city Detroit. You know,
it's the reason that my dad came to America. But
I'll tell you about a special place that I always
try and go to. It's a Knobbin Way, which is
in the bottom of the Upper Peninsula, and it's this
awesome little restaurant called Moffin Fries. And the gentleman who
started it, he was disabled in an accident and he
(05:33):
thought it was going to be the end of his
working career, and he came up with this idea of
this awesome restaurant. It's a little I mean, he owns
a dress on himself. He gives jobs to the local
community and in particular the kids there, and they got
MoU which is Burger's Finn, which is whitefish and fries.
And it's one of these places that's like pure Michigan.
If you never had Michigan Whitefish. It's some of the best,
(05:54):
and of course, you know, good juicy burger and some
great fries, unbeatable, and they do serve ice cream as well.
But like it's one of those stops that every time
we go to the up we always stop him in
fries and we're not necessarily campaigning, but it like captures
so much about what's special about campaign. You get to
see people in their own communities doing amazing things to
serve their communities and ideally feeding you delicious food in
the process.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Yeah, there you go, and with you're in Michigan, which
is like not the most progressive state in the world
at least, I imagine, how are you selling medicare for
all to these people?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
You know? That's the thing, Like I actually don't know
what progressive means anymore because it's been used in so
many different ways. Bernie Sanders won Michigan in twenty sixteen, right,
And so when you go out to places like Claire, Michigan,
which is in the upper half of the Mitton, you
go up to places like Hoten and you say, hey, look,
I don't think that some corporation whose CEO makes eighteen
(06:45):
million bucks should decide how much you have to pay
for health insurance. Most everybody's like, yeah, that tracks when
you tell them, hey, look, I don't think some corporation
should be able to offshore or automate your job, and
I believe that you, working with your fellow co workers
should be able to have some power in your workplace.
They nod their heads at that too. When you tell them,
(07:05):
I don't think that we should be sending twenty two
billion dollars to kill other people's kids and instead we
could be spending that on your kids and their schools.
They now their head as well. So I think what
you have to do is just have the courage to
go out there and have a conversation about what we
need and what we deserve. And when you do, people
care less about you know what your name is or
(07:26):
how you pray, like they care about whether or not
you cared to come and learn their name and what
you pray for. And I think we all pray for
the same things. And so I just think that Michigander's
are good people, and they want good things for themselves
and their neighbors and their loved ones and their kids
and their families, and right now, our current political system
has failed them, and I want to talk about how
to make.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
It absolutely Let me ask you this, So in Michigan,
you've got a governor's race as well, and recently Garland
Gilchrist jobbed out of the governor's races and now running
for secretary of state. How do you feel about the
governor's race is going on in Michigan.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
I mean, it's going to be complicated, I'll be honest.
I just haven't had time to really pay attention to it.
I'm so focused on my own And what I will
say is this is that if Democrats want to win,
whether it's for the US Senate or the governor's race
or a number of really critical races down ballot, whether
secretary of State or attorney general, we're going to have
folks who can pull out the voters who have frankly
(08:21):
given up on our politics a long time ago. We're
out there having these conversations about what a politics that
is focused on our ability to afford our lives is,
and we're having conversations with folks that too often Democrats forget.
And because we're doing that, I think it's going to
be absolutely critical that we are leading a conversation that's
inspiring young people, a lot of the communities of color
(08:43):
that have been forgotten, folks who have given up on
the brokenness of our politics back into our politics because
we're actually talking about the issues that matter them. How
we get money out of politics so that we can
put money in their pockets and guarantee them healthcare suit
through Medicare for All. And that's going to be critical,
not just in my race, but it's going to be
critical to win down ballot racis as well.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah, do you think you can get Medicare passed under
Donald Trump if you get elected to the Senate.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Well, look, here's the thing. I mean, that guy is
a mercurial. You know, every week it's a new thing
for him, whether it's trying to build a ballroom in
the White House, or deposing the leader of Venezuela or
trying to take over Greenland. So I really don't know
what his focus is. And I'll tell you this, it's
not on the affordability that so many people wish they
had in their lives in places like Michigan. But it's
(09:30):
not so much about being able to get it done
under Donald Trump. It's about being able to actually persuade
in our politics that this is something that we need
and deserve in this country. I'll tell you this, the
way that Democrats do politics, it's like we've given up
on the idea that we can actually persuade people. When
Donald Trump came down that hideous golden escalator back in
twenty fifteen, people weren't talking about immigration, and he kept
talking about it and talking about it and talking about it,
(09:52):
and immigration was the answer to every problem. Out of
a job was immigrant took your job, out of health care,
Immigrant took your health care out of a home, immigrant
took your home. Obviously, we know those answers are a
ridiculous and not true, but it was a narrative that
people could hang their hats on Democrats. We don't have
a narrative, but I think we could. The reason that
you're out of a job, well, the corporations figured out
how to offshore or automate your job. The reason you're
(10:13):
out of a home, corporations are speculating your home. The
reason you're out of healthcare, corporations are raising the price
on your health care. And the reason Democrats don't actually
have that conversation because too often they're funded by the
same corporations that are on the wrong side of the problem.
So we're out here actually persuading people about what the
real issues are. And if you're willing to get past
this politics where you run a poll and then speak
(10:34):
to the middle of the pole, if you're willing to
do the work of making popular what is right, you
can have a conversation that starts to change the way
people think about what the central issues are in our
politics and are willing to actually reach for those things.
I think guaranteeing every single person health care through Medicare
under Medicare for All is one of those things that
(10:54):
right now, as healthcare costs are spiraling and people are
seeing healthcare out of reach, it's one of those things
that really can galvanized people. And we're going to be
doing that.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, so are you saying Medicare all is more so
a message rather than something you think can get passed
relatively soon.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
It's a policy ideal and a goal, and I'm hoping
I can get it done in the next administration under
a Medicare under Donald Trump that's unlikely, but getting it
done under the next Democratic president, hopefully whom we elect
in twenty twenty eight, because we're demonstrating to them that
you can get elected fighting for this central, critical policy
issue through the heart of the political map in Michigan,
(11:31):
demonstrating how valuable that is. Well, I think there's an
opportunity to get a pro Medicare for all president. If
we can do that, then I think we can get
it done in the next six years, which would be
my first term.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
See that makes sense. I appreciate that. A quick pause
for the cause stick around.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
I want to ask you, this is another one of
my favorite questions to ask on here. What differentiates you
from your opone.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Moral clarity? You know, I'm not somebody who grew up
saying I'd love to be a politician. I grew up
saying I want to be a doctor.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
When you train to be a doctor, right, you're saying,
I want to put myself in a position to help
people on their worst day, and they bring you their
worst pain on their worst day, and your job is
to hold that vulnerability with the knowledge that you have
about how you can make it better. That's been the
way I approached my career. Throughout my career, whether it
was as a health commissioner, rebuilding Detroit's Health Department, leading
(12:33):
Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veteran Services, or
in my role now running for USCENT. And so I
don't pull punches. I don't wait until the coast is clear.
I don't wait until it's convenient to say. I say
the thing I believe. I think we should abolish ice.
I understood that Israel was using our tax dollars to
commit a genocide a long time ago, from the moment
we all ran together in twenty eighteen. I didn't touch
(12:56):
corporate money because I understood it to be the central
problem in our politics. And so it's just a level
of clarity and a willingness to go fight the righteous
fight about what is right and what is wrong. And
so that's the difference. I don't think of myself as
just a politician trying to reach for the next rong
on a political ladder. I think of myself as somebody
who's a doctor who got curious about why people got
sick and is trying to do something about it now
(13:17):
in politics.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Absolutely, and I like the answer.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So I want to ask you in terms of one
of your opponents.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
There, I looked at you, and I looked.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
At mallorim Mari said, I have choices on who to support, right,
and then there's a third candidate, Haley Stevens. Look, it's
totally ineffective, right, What is your thoughts on her candidacy,
her platform, et cetera.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
You know, I learned a long time ago that politics
is not about three people running. It's about the ten
million people who are going to lect us. And you know,
I'm not in Congresswoman Stevens's brain, I'm not in her campaign.
I'm just a lot more focused on the ten million
people I hope to serve in the US Senate, their
hopes and their dreams, their anxieties when they look their
(13:58):
kid in the eye, the worry that they have about
what happens if they get in an accident or lose
their health care, or lose their job. And you know,
to me, a politic should follow those central worries. And
I've told you what my positions are. I don't take
corporate money whereas my opponent does. I believe in medicare
for all, whereas my opponent doesn't. We should abolish ice
because they become the danger from which they say they
(14:21):
wanted to protect us. And my opponent voted to thank them.
The difference is, frankly, just whether or not you center
your politics in the ten million people you want to serve,
or you center your politics in some rat race about
what some poole tells you as popular or not. And
I take seriously the ability to have an honest conversation
with really brilliant people across the state. I believe all
(14:41):
ten million people in the state bring their brilliance to
this about what the best version of our country can be.
And I think we're not there right now, and I'm
hoping to inspire a conversation about how we create that
best version of a market together one.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Hundred percent and now Mallory Makemira.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I think for a lot of people in politics, they
think of politics as being about three people who are
running for an office, and I just think that it's
more about the ten million people who are going to
elect one of us, and so I try to center
my politics in what they need and what they deserve.
The pain that they have in their lives, the anxieties
that they get when they look their children in the
eye and ask what kind of future they're going to have,
(15:17):
the worries they have about what happens if they lose
a job or lose their health care, and so if
you center your politics there, right, your positions about how
to build the best version of our country should fall.
I've been clear about saying we need to abolish ice
because I believe that ice is wrong and become the
danger against which they said they were going to protect us.
I believe we should pass Medicare for all because I
(15:39):
believe everybody deserves guaranteed health insurance from the moment they're
born to the moment they pass away gently in their sleep.
I believe deeply that corporate money is the worst thing
that has been corrupting our politics, and so I don't
take it, and I never have and I never will.
There's a big contrast between me and my opponent on
those things, because again, I'm less focused on what some
focus group or some pole tells me I should be
(16:00):
talking about, more focused on what I'm hearing from the
ten million people in my state.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah, now, you and the other progressive Mallorie mcmaarra.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
And again at the same point, I just think, at
the end of the day, it's about moral clarity, right.
I've never taken corporate money. My opponent has taken corporate
money in every race she's ever run in til now.
I'm for Medicare for all. My opponent is not, in fact,
argued against Medicare for all with the argument that somehow,
because a Republican could run it someday, that we should
(16:29):
not pass it. You know, if you follow that logic,
then we shouldn't have passed Medicare in the first place,
or Social Security in the first place. I don't know
when Democrats started arguing against programs that could benefit people.
And at the same time, I've been clear about the
need to abolish IA said it back in twenty eighteen,
because anybody could have seen where this is going in
some respects, I just say that, you know, too often
folks focus on style rather than substance, and I'd argue
(16:53):
that on almost every major issue that we are facing
right now, my two opponents look more similar than me
and any of them. And I mean, I'm proud to
say that's because I've been trying to bring moral clarity
to my political positions since the moment I ran for
office back in twenty eighteen. Yeah, and I've been consistent
on my positions.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Now, Yeah, how is the Middle East?
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I want to ask you, because you mentioned it a
few times, how's the Middle East shaping your race.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
I'm not running for senator from Gaza or senator from
Tel Aviv. I'm running for Senate from Michigan. And here
in Michigan, if you walk into any public school, you
look at it and you say, man, that school looks
the same way it did fifteen years ago. You walk
into hospitals and you'll know that there are a lot
of people who can do that because they simply don't
(17:36):
have healthcare. And meanwhile, instead of investing in our hospitals
or in our schools, or in our roads or our
bridges or replacing leaded lines, we're sending money to drop
bombs on other people's children. And so, as a Senator
from Michigan, my responsibility is to make sure that Michigan
do tax dollars stay here. It's our money, we should
(17:56):
spend it on us. And that means that we should
not be soizing foreign militaries, particularly social foreign militaries that
are subsidizing genocide in our name the fact. And so yeah,
it's an issue that matters, and it should matter to
every single American because at the end of the day,
we pay taxes, and I don't think you or I
will pay our taxes. No. I know you probably don't
pay taxes, but I don't pay taxes.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Sales taxes, adult taxes.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
There you go, there, you go, right, But you don't
pay those so that some other country gets it. It's
a tank. I think we pay them so that our
own kids get good schools in good healthcare.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
There.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Well, so would you say in terms of military spending,
would you say one could argue that money's already allocated,
or that was already in the military budget, or we
just gave them old weapons that we were going to
get taxed on anyway.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
But we didn't though, right, that's not how it worked.
We actually sent direct funding to their military. And I'll
just be clear about this. My position isn't just about Israel.
It's also about Egypt, where my family immigrated from, and
Jordan and Saudi Arabia. I just don't think that in
the what we think of as being of benefit when
we pay our preciously earned tax dollars, I don't think
(19:03):
that funding other militaries is what we're thinking of. And
I think our elected official do us all at his
service by trying to tell us that somehow this is
in our best interest. When the public goods that we
really do rely on, places like our schools or our
roads and bridges, are crumbling before eyes.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Would you say, would you support funding Ukraine.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
That's a different story, right. You're talking about upholding international law,
and to me, it really is about the rule of law.
After World War Two, people who watched that awful war
came together and said, you know what, we need to
prevent something like that from ever happening again. And so
they built institutions and norms and laws that codified them
into international law that was supposed to govern any country
(19:48):
from ever having to worry about having its borders and
its sovereignty threatened to buy a neighbor. And so we
built these laws in these rules, and what we've seen
is Vladimir Putin wants them violating exactly those laws. So
when we stand up and we support our allies in Ukraine,
it is about upholding international law. And when we do
that we make good decisions. It's when we oppose international law,
(20:11):
like the unilateral funding of Israel that's committing war crimes
and genocide, or the war in Vietnam or the war
in Iraq. That's when we make terrible decisions. And so
to me, my approach to foreign policy is fundamentally about
upholding the rule of law that not only we signed onto,
but the rule of law that we helped to create
in the first place. And when we do that, I
think we act as the first among equals to create
(20:34):
a better or more peaceful, more democratic war.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Yeah, so on foreign defense in Ukraine and all that,
you made a great point, But the day after October seventh,
would you have voted to fund aid and support to Israel?
Speaker 3 (20:49):
So I condemned have mass on day one, right, because
I knew that anybody who puts children in harm's way
is wrong, and that's a wrong thing. But it's not
like this was a moment that started on October eighth, Right,
this has been consistent unilateral military funding that has upheld
a system of apartheid in Israel for a very long time.
(21:12):
There is no justification for terrorism ever, and at the
same time, there is no justification for apartheid. And right now,
our tax dollars have been used to backstop very radical
elements in the Israeli military by people like Benjamin Netanyahu
and Itamar Ben Gavier and Basil Smotrich, who have been
clear about their genocidal intent when it comes to the
(21:34):
people of Gaza, and they delivered on that. And so
my point is that it's not actually America's responsibility to
decide what the ultimate peace in that region looks like.
If we're serious about that, then we need to make
sure that we're not a part of prolonging what has
been a very terrible conflict and frankly a genocide at
(21:56):
this point with our tax dollars. And the last point
I'll make is this now, a lot of times when
we talk about this issue, we have been a part
of a certain kind of hypocrisy. Right. I don't think
it's my responsibility to decide what the final outcome is,
but I do believe that we have a responsibility to
uphold a set of ideals around the equal access to peace, dignity,
(22:21):
and self determination for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis. And right
now our tax dollars are being used to foreclose upon
the right to self determination for Palestinians, and I just
think that's wrong. So I'd rather my tax dollars not
make a really bad situation worse and right now, that's
exactly what our tax dollars are doing, and they're failing
to actually provide for kids in our own country for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
And it seems like you are like you said in
the beginning of your thing, you said you're the Senate.
You would be the senator of Michigan and not so
much cenator another nation. And that's fine, but as a
senator you would get votes over foreign defense, etc. So
would you be a senator more focused on local issues
or would you be voting on the national stuff. That's
something that a lot of people from Michigan actually asked
(23:04):
me to ask you.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
No, Well, look, I am a guy whose whole career
has been about trying to figure out how to take
care of people. I rebuilt the health department in the
city Detroit. I led Michigan's largest health department, leading a
team of five hundred and fifty employees one hundred and seventy
five million people. My work has been about guaranteeing kids'
glasses so that they could see the blackboard in their schools,
been about putting air quality monitors all over our county
(23:26):
so folks could know what they were breathing, taking on
big corporate polluters, standing up for healthcare rights, putting narcan
in locations so that folks could have it, and protecting
people from overdoses getting led to out of schools after
the Flint water crisis. My whole career has been about
protecting folks in our own community. What I want to
be honest about is the ways in which the decisions
that politicians have been making have been keeping us from
(23:49):
having the resources that we need. Because every single time
you want to put glasses on kids' faces, or put
up air quality monitors, or provide small businesses health insurance,
you know what, they ask you how to go pay
for them? You know what they never ask a general general,
how are you gonna pay for that? I really wish
that instead of always asking how we're going to pay
to do things for people in our own country with
our own tax dollars, we were a little bit more
(24:11):
critical about why we're wasting our money abroad to her
other people, and so I think they're kind of one
and the same. So in order to be able to
guarantee healthcare in this country, in order to be able
to make sure that people have workable roads and bridges.
We've got to make sure that they're not wasting our
money abroad dropping bombs on other people's hospitals and schools
and roads and bridges, and so those two things are
(24:32):
one and the same. In order to help people here,
you got to make sure you're not hurting people there.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
And now you know, with no de Braso, we'll be
right back. You ran for governor in twenty eighteen. What
part of that campaign shaped your candidacy to run for
the US Senate today.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yeah, I learned a lot in that campaign. And I'll
tell you one of the most important things I've succeeded
in some things in my life, and one of the
most humbling things is that people know me best for
the things the thing I lost at, which was that race,
and I really grew up quite a bit from that experience.
But one of the things that I learned was that
our politics are best when you're bringing people together around
(25:13):
what we want to build together. And I think sometimes
we get real precious about the critique why does the
problem exist, and less focused on the solution. And in
this campaign, I really just want us to be focused
on the solution. We can guarantee everybody healthcare. We can
stand up for unions in small businesses. We can use
our tax dollars here at home rather than hurting other
(25:34):
people abroad. We can do things together, and I think
if we get past the little differences in the critique,
I think we really can empower the solution. And that's
really been the way we focused on this campaign in
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah, how are you feeling about your Bernie Sanders endors Smith?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
I love me some Bernie right, most consistent man in
American politics, and I'm just really honored to get his
seal of approval and also his mentorship. You know, he's
been somebody who's been a four in my life for
the past eight years since I ran the first time,
and somebody who has demonstrated what it looks like to
show up to every battle putting the needs and the
well being of the American public first and just offering
(26:12):
that moral clarity even when it's unpopular, and to do
that work of making popular what's right.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Absolutely. What other endorsements have you been excited about?
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Well, grateful to earn endorsements from folks like Representative Jiapaul
and Representative Roconda and Congress and of course are representative
reshoot it to leave here at home. But also the
endorsements of folks who you know, whose names you might
not know right, people who are leading in their local community,
mayors of towns like Sagatuck and Marquette in Flint. Folks
who recognize that in my leadership in both city and
(26:48):
county agencies, that I understand where the rubber hits the road,
and how policy sometimes that's made from on high doesn't
quite meet the needs of folks who are trying to
enact it in local communities up and down our state.
So those endorsements really matter to me too, and I'm
really appreciative of that. I'm also really honored to earn
endorsements from really important groups the Michigan Democratic Parties LGBTNA Caucus.
(27:09):
They understand that in my leadership trying to fight for
equitable access to HIV care leading one of the largest
Ryan white programs in the country, that this equity that
they have needed and deserved, the fact that we need
to stand up for rights for all of us, and
giving up on rights for anybody is giving right up
on rights for everybody. The fact that they've given us
that endorsement because of that work and because of that perspective,
(27:32):
really does mean a lot to me. But more than
any one endorsement, it's the collective of endorsements and the
coalition that we can build. The idea that a campaign
built on getting money out of politics, putting money in
your pocket, and passing Medicare for all resonates in so
many different corridors across our state and amongst so many
different kinds of people that to me tells me that
(27:53):
we're on design.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Yes, I want to ask you this, Are you a
democratic socialist?
Speaker 3 (27:59):
I'm not. I am a democrat, but more than anything else,
I'm a scientist, and so I'm just not an ideologue
in certain ways. To me, Like I said, it's about
the solution rather than the critique, and so I'm always
looking for solutions that are going to empower people to
live their best, most dignified lives, create access to the
kind of opportunities that all of us need and deserve,
and offer us some baseline security in our lives through
(28:20):
things like healthcare and good schools, clean air and drinkable water.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Now, this is going to be the toughest question I've
asked so far.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
And I hope you're ready.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
What do you get from Ready? What do you get
from Coney Island? What do you get from Coney Island?
Speaker 3 (28:35):
You know what, Honestly, everybody loves cony dogs, and there's
going to be an unpopular opinion. I just could never
get beyond a cony dog. Here's the problem with it, right,
Like it tastes really good and then your stomach is
just like done for the rest of the day. And
so I'm somebody who I'm like, you know, I'm somebody
who likes like a good cony Greek salad if you remember, right,
Like Coney Islands are Greek restaurants and they always do
(28:55):
an amazing Greek salad, and I try to do it
with some chicken.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
If I'm feeling spicy, I guess I'm crispy chicken on
the top. If not, like I just do the grilled chicken.
I know a lot of people about the flaming in
the comments, but like, I just gotta be honest with folks,
like you could do a Coney Island like a cony dog,
like once or twice in a month, but like you're
sto much won't feel it. Man, you know, what I mean,
He's like chili on top of the hot dog.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It's like it's too much that chili on top about
it's great.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
He might lost about five vote someone listening or vote
something like that.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
I don't know how that's gonna go over. I don't know, hey,
but let me just be clear.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
About this, all right. The best Detroit food is Detroit Pizza.
I don't take Detroit stal pizza over any pizza. If
you've never had Detroit Stout pizza, you got cheese all
all the way up in the crust. And there's a
guy who does it better than almost anybody else in
Southwest Detroit at a place called Sicilies. Somehow he's managed
to make it like crispy and guy but also airy
(29:48):
at the same time. So shout out to Cicily's. But like,
if I have to choose between a cony and Detroit
South Pizza, and I know the Detroit South Pizza sits
in your stomach too, but man, like the flavor explosion
that you get from that.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Did you just say Detroit style pizza? Oh yeah, absolutely,
Chicago style pizza.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
Noah, noah, no no not the Chicago style pizza is
like a cash role it's not even a pizza. Okay,
I mean, I'm so sorry, but like Detroit style is
where it's at. Listen, man, I just got to like listen.
I don't pull my punches.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Man.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
I told you, like I call it how I see it.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
You moral clarity, you warned me. Moral clarity. There it
is all right.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
So from where you sit, what is the most hopeful
thing about the future you want to be a part of.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Yeah, getting to support candidates for the House, the Senate,
everything like it, and not having the candidate tell you, oh,
you're too young to sport, Oh you're too young, and
in fact, having campaigns actually reach out and open minded
to having support in twenty eighteen, when you ran for
governor or in twenty sixteen, candidates would have said oh
(30:51):
you're too young or oh something like that. And nowadays
they're open to young people's support and endorsements.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
And that just gives me so much hope for politics,
really does.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Why do you think young people don't vote, well.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Young people my age, because we can't, but young people
in terms you can't I can't. Yeah, young people, I
mean like yeah, as you think eight.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
Years hind Now, why is it like, what is it that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Yeah, In terms of young people eighteen twenty four, I
think it's because they don't have anything to vote for,
but we're telling them some to vote against. What you
told me about today, Abdul was medicare for all. You
told me about several policies to vote for. What I
haven't heard you talk about is what we are voting
what people in Michigan are voting against. I've heard you
speak about all your policy platforms, everything like it, but
(31:36):
I haven't heard anything that you are against necessarily, and
that is something we need to the United States Senate
because we need a fighter in the United States Senate
who's not afraid to butcher their words.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yeah, I appreciate that. The last question I want to
ask you is if you go up, there's gonna be
a hard one, right, If you could change one thing
that happened in the last fifty years that changed the
course of history, what would it be?
Speaker 1 (32:06):
That is a good one? Oh, my goodness. So here's
the thing. It's very niche, and I think you'd agree
with me. I don't know how much you'd agree. It's
going back in time to make sure that we did
not elect Kirsten Cinema and Joe Mansion to the United
States Senate and instead got progressive ideals into the United
(32:29):
States Senate. Because we could have went and had so
many great policies pass onto the President's desk. President Biden
was willing to sign those laws, and we just couldn't
do it because of two lackeys for corporations and frankly Republicans.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Yeah, I'm going to meet you there. Absolutely, there's a
number of other things I would have changed, but like
that one's definitely, I mean, you know, I'm gonna there's
a couple I really wish that in the nineties, Bill
Clinton wouldn't have turned on the New Deal. I wish that,
you know, he would have really focused a frame on
(33:11):
what government does right rather than meeting the argument that
was being made by Reaganites. You know, go back, go
back in the same era. You know, you look at
the Crime Bill and what it set off in our politics,
and you read that in so many of the moments
that have roiled our politics. But again, it's like Democrats
(33:32):
acceding to an argument that is made in bad faith
and then trying to meet it where it's going. And
then I agree with you, like I think Joe Manchin
and cir Cin Cinema similarly. Right. The thing that Democrats
love to do, who you know, when they're running when
they're running smoke screens for corporations, is to talk about
how their parties become too extreme and then you know,
(33:55):
punch out and say that they're the only ones who
are reasonable. Lieberman did it right when it came to
the ACA. Yeah, And so you know, so many of
the worst I think governance mistakes over the past fifty
years that have really shaped our current moment and the
backlash to our current moment and the backlash of the
backlash have been Democrats, for their own personal political futures,
(34:18):
acceding to and adopting bad faith Republican arguments to do
bad things. Right. That's Joe Lieberman, that's Joe Manchin, that's
Kirsten Cinema, that's you know, Bill Clinton, that's Joe Biden
right in the Crime Bill. And I think, you know,
for us, like we have to have the courage of
our convictions to actually say what we believe and say it.
Be like, if you're losing an argument, you don't just
(34:40):
borrow the argument from your opponent. You make your argument better,
and I think this is a moment for us to
really think a little bit about how we make the
argument better. I know that's what you're doing on your show.
So I really appreciate your perspective on this.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
I really appreciate you a duel, and I will see
you soon, hopefully in Michigan, and I would love to
talk to you more about your Sinema race.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yes, thank you.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
I look forward to it. And the next time I
go to Chicago, let me know what Chicago style pizza
I've I'm supposed to try, because like I keep trying, man,
I want to like it. I really do. I want
to like it. But when you come to Detroit, I'm
gonna get I'm gonna get you the pizza of your dreams.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
My friend.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Thanks, Abdul. I so appreciate you, appreciate you. I like this,
Abdul El said, Guy, I really do.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
He was amazing. He was wonderful, folks.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
I listened to doctor El sayed right, and I heard
him speak about all of his principles, his ideas, his policy,
and his platform. And I really, I must say, I
did not think I would like a candidate so much
who was so progressive Usually i'd support a candidate that
(35:41):
would say their policy platform, tell me how to get
it done, and that's that. But what doctor El Sai
did is he told me his policy platform, why he
supports it, holle plans to get it done. It was
really a great conversation. Now, the pizza thing, I kind
of a problem. That might that might affects some things.
But hey, look that's okay, because what matters at the
(36:04):
end is that number one, I try the Detroit pizza
I don't know, and number two that we get a
fighter in the US Senate, more fighters in the US
Senate so we can eventually get a Senate majority. And folks,
it surprised me today when doctor l Sayed spoke about
here let me start over, and folks, it surprised me
(36:28):
how doctor El Sayed said he so proudly and so
just he said it directly is that he's not a
democratic socialist. And what I get confused on so many
progressive campaigns is that these people are not socialists.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
They're not radical. They just want medicare for all.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
They want healthcare for everyone from when they're born, like
you said, until they die in their sleep. At one
hundred and twenty and I'm so thankful for doctor l
Saii for coming on here and speaking about his principles.
Now here's the thing. Here's what I need you to do.
If you liked any one of these candidates here that
you hear on the Midterm series, please go to their website,
(37:06):
google their names, learn more about them because we cannot
get to every single thing. But of course you can
do your research on these candidates and vote for the
right person who you see fit for your principles and
vote for them. And folks, I ask you again, I'm
going to say this again, leave me a review because
I love those so thankful for all of you tuning
in follow me on socials at Noative ROSSOK N O
(37:28):
W A D E B A R A s O.
Because we must continue the work we do on the show.
Please follow the show and download for later. Thank you
so much for listening. It's been Noah
Now you know and No de Barrosso is a production
of iHeartMedia and partnership with Recent Choice media folks. Today
we have progressive candidate for the United States Senate in Michigan,
Abdul L Saeed. Now, when you hear the name Abdul
L Saed, you hear someone that is progressive. You hear
(00:21):
someone that you might say, Mallory mcmarroe is safer progressive
and Helly Stevens's I don't even know. But when you
think of doctor L. Syed, you think of pragmatic progressives.
And I really appreciate his time today and we're going
to hear all about his policy platform, his favorite places
to campaign, and what makes him different from both of
his opponents.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm so thankful for doctor L.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Sied for the direct answers he gave us, because that's
what it means to be on the Meet the Candidate's
midterm series here on now you know, let's do it, Abdua,
how are you?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I'm doing great? How are you?
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Noah? Abdul Let me tell you I was so excited
for this interview. The Michigan Senate race is just so interesting.
I have so many questions for you. I don't know
if you're even going to be able to get to
all of them. Well, let's get started.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
We'll do our best.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Unfortunately, well when you abdel when you think of the
Michigan Senate race, you think of three candidates. You know,
you have the two progressives, which is yourself and Mallory McMorrow,
and then you have Hailey Stevens. I don't want to
put a label on her. I don't know how to
explain her. It's okay, but it leads me to think
(01:31):
to defeat Hailey Stevens, at least in my opinion, I
think we would need to have one progressive candidate and
to go against Hailey Stevens. So who would it be
if anyone? Would Mallory mcmarrow drop out or would you
drop out?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Right now? I think the central question about politics is
about folks who have been locked out of the political
and economic system and the folks who are doing the
unlocked I'm somebody who has been consistent about trying to
unlock the system for people my entire career. I became
a doctor because I understood that some people had access
to a long, healthy life and other people didn't. And
(02:07):
at some point you start to get curious about why
people get sick, and you start thinking about the economic
circumstances they live in, the access to political choices that
they have. You start to realize that all of us
have been captured by a political system that allows the
richest and most powerful to buy politicians to do their bit.
I've never taken a dimond corporate money. Every single other
person in this race has. I've been clear about the
(02:30):
need to guarantee health care through Medicare for all two
years of thinking about how to do that that resulted
in a book on the topic. I was clear about
the genocide in Gaza from the very beginning, because words
have meetings, and you've got to use words for the
things that they mean. And when it comes to ICE,
I've been calling for the abolition of ICE since twenty eighteen.
All of that is because I'll always be on the
(02:52):
side of people who've been locked out. That's just not
true for anyone else in this race. So I don't
know about what other candidates are intending to do, but
I know that for me, if we're serious about actually
unlocking the system, we need candidates who have not been
bought into the system. For every other election in their
entire career, and so for me, I just think that
the difference is obvious, Frankly. I see it up and
(03:14):
down the state when people recognize that this is not
a candidacy as usual. I'm not trying to figure out
what's politically convenient to say or wait until the coast
is clear. I lead with my morals and that's the
only reason, frankly, to run for this job.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And let me ask you, in terms of your policy platform.
We're going to get back into your opponents a little
bit later, but in terms of your policy platform, what
are you running up?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Money out of politics? Money in your pocket Medicare for all?
And let me just tell you what that means. Money
out of politics is the central most important thing we
can do to address almost every other issue in our society.
The ways that corporations and millionaires can use their money
to buy politicians in the way that they bought almost
everybody else, Frankly, everybody else in this race through corporate contributions,
(03:58):
shapes our politics because at the end of the day,
then those folks are going to open their office doors
for the lobbyists who come along asking for legislation that
makes it easier for corporations and harder for every people.
Putting money back in pockets means standing with unions, means
empowering small businesses. It means taking on the corporate mergers
and acquisitions that give them power against the rest of us.
And it means making sure that we spend our money
(04:19):
here at home rather than sending it abroad to drop
bombs on other people and their children and their hospitals
and their schools and money. And then Medicare for All
is Medicare for all, right, and it's literally money in
your pocket. Another way, the most difficult to sustain aspect
if any budget is healthcare. We're watching our premiums spot
and people are having to worry about whether or not
(04:40):
they can even afford it to keep health insurance at all.
I want to guarantee every single person a Medicare card
that sits in their wallet from the moment they're born
to the moment that hopefully they pass away gently in
their sleep at the tender age of one hundred and twenty.
But I want that there for them, guaranteeing them the
health care that they need and deserve. That's what I'm
running on. We've been up and down the STA date
(05:00):
and I'll tell you it's resonating.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Noah, let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
You talk about up and down the state, what has
been your favorite place to campaign? And that's one of
my favorite questions to ask on the Midterm series. What
has been your favorite place to campaign?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
And so far, honestly, I love the city Detroit. You know,
it's the reason that my dad came to America. But
I'll tell you about a special place that I always
try and go to. It's a Knobbin Way, which is
in the bottom of the Upper Peninsula, and it's this
awesome little restaurant called Moffin Fries. And the gentleman who
started it, he was disabled in an accident and he
(05:33):
thought it was going to be the end of his
working career, and he came up with this idea of
this awesome restaurant. It's a little I mean, he owns
a dress on himself. He gives jobs to the local
community and in particular the kids there, and they got
MoU which is Burger's Finn, which is whitefish and fries.
And it's one of these places that's like pure Michigan.
If you never had Michigan Whitefish. It's some of the best,
(05:54):
and of course, you know, good juicy burger and some
great fries, unbeatable, and they do serve ice cream as well.
But like it's one of those stops that every time
we go to the up we always stop him in
fries and we're not necessarily campaigning, but it like captures
so much about what's special about campaign. You get to
see people in their own communities doing amazing things to
serve their communities and ideally feeding you delicious food in
the process.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Yeah, there you go, and with you're in Michigan, which
is like not the most progressive state in the world
at least, I imagine, how are you selling medicare for
all to these people?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
You know? That's the thing, Like I actually don't know
what progressive means anymore because it's been used in so
many different ways. Bernie Sanders won Michigan in twenty sixteen, right,
And so when you go out to places like Claire, Michigan,
which is in the upper half of the Mitton, you
go up to places like Hoten and you say, hey, look,
I don't think that some corporation whose CEO makes eighteen
(06:45):
million bucks should decide how much you have to pay
for health insurance. Most everybody's like, yeah, that tracks when
you tell them, hey, look, I don't think some corporation
should be able to offshore or automate your job, and
I believe that you, working with your fellow co workers
should be able to have some power in your workplace.
They nod their heads at that too. When you tell them,
(07:05):
I don't think that we should be sending twenty two
billion dollars to kill other people's kids and instead we
could be spending that on your kids and their schools.
They now their head as well. So I think what
you have to do is just have the courage to
go out there and have a conversation about what we
need and what we deserve. And when you do, people
care less about you know what your name is or
(07:26):
how you pray, like they care about whether or not
you cared to come and learn their name and what
you pray for. And I think we all pray for
the same things. And so I just think that Michigander's
are good people, and they want good things for themselves
and their neighbors and their loved ones and their kids
and their families, and right now, our current political system
has failed them, and I want to talk about how
to make.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
It absolutely Let me ask you this, So in Michigan,
you've got a governor's race as well, and recently Garland
Gilchrist jobbed out of the governor's races and now running
for secretary of state. How do you feel about the
governor's race is going on in Michigan.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
I mean, it's going to be complicated, I'll be honest.
I just haven't had time to really pay attention to it.
I'm so focused on my own And what I will
say is this is that if Democrats want to win,
whether it's for the US Senate or the governor's race
or a number of really critical races down ballot, whether
secretary of State or attorney general, we're going to have
folks who can pull out the voters who have frankly
(08:21):
given up on our politics a long time ago. We're
out there having these conversations about what a politics that
is focused on our ability to afford our lives is,
and we're having conversations with folks that too often Democrats forget.
And because we're doing that, I think it's going to
be absolutely critical that we are leading a conversation that's
inspiring young people, a lot of the communities of color
(08:43):
that have been forgotten, folks who have given up on
the brokenness of our politics back into our politics because
we're actually talking about the issues that matter them. How
we get money out of politics so that we can
put money in their pockets and guarantee them healthcare suit
through Medicare for All. And that's going to be critical,
not just in my race, but it's going to be
critical to win down ballot racis as well.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Yeah, do you think you can get Medicare passed under
Donald Trump if you get elected to the Senate.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Well, look, here's the thing. I mean, that guy is
a mercurial. You know, every week it's a new thing
for him, whether it's trying to build a ballroom in
the White House, or deposing the leader of Venezuela or
trying to take over Greenland. So I really don't know
what his focus is. And I'll tell you this, it's
not on the affordability that so many people wish they
had in their lives in places like Michigan. But it's
(09:30):
not so much about being able to get it done
under Donald Trump. It's about being able to actually persuade
in our politics that this is something that we need
and deserve in this country. I'll tell you this, the
way that Democrats do politics, it's like we've given up
on the idea that we can actually persuade people. When
Donald Trump came down that hideous golden escalator back in
twenty fifteen, people weren't talking about immigration, and he kept
talking about it and talking about it and talking about it,
(09:52):
and immigration was the answer to every problem. Out of
a job was immigrant took your job, out of health care,
Immigrant took your health care out of a home, immigrant
took your home. Obviously, we know those answers are a
ridiculous and not true, but it was a narrative that
people could hang their hats on Democrats. We don't have
a narrative, but I think we could. The reason that
you're out of a job, well, the corporations figured out
how to offshore or automate your job. The reason you're
(10:13):
out of a home, corporations are speculating your home. The
reason you're out of healthcare, corporations are raising the price
on your health care. And the reason Democrats don't actually
have that conversation because too often they're funded by the
same corporations that are on the wrong side of the problem.
So we're out here actually persuading people about what the
real issues are. And if you're willing to get past
this politics where you run a poll and then speak
(10:34):
to the middle of the pole, if you're willing to
do the work of making popular what is right, you
can have a conversation that starts to change the way
people think about what the central issues are in our
politics and are willing to actually reach for those things.
I think guaranteeing every single person health care through Medicare
under Medicare for All is one of those things that
(10:54):
right now, as healthcare costs are spiraling and people are
seeing healthcare out of reach, it's one of those things
that really can galvanized people. And we're going to be
doing that.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, so are you saying Medicare all is more so
a message rather than something you think can get passed
relatively soon.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
It's a policy ideal and a goal, and I'm hoping
I can get it done in the next administration under
a Medicare under Donald Trump that's unlikely, but getting it
done under the next Democratic president, hopefully whom we elect
in twenty twenty eight, because we're demonstrating to them that
you can get elected fighting for this central, critical policy
issue through the heart of the political map in Michigan,
(11:31):
demonstrating how valuable that is. Well, I think there's an
opportunity to get a pro Medicare for all president. If
we can do that, then I think we can get
it done in the next six years, which would be
my first term.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
See that makes sense. I appreciate that. A quick pause
for the cause stick around.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
I want to ask you, this is another one of
my favorite questions to ask on here. What differentiates you
from your opone.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Moral clarity? You know, I'm not somebody who grew up
saying I'd love to be a politician. I grew up
saying I want to be a doctor.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
When you train to be a doctor, right, you're saying,
I want to put myself in a position to help
people on their worst day, and they bring you their
worst pain on their worst day, and your job is
to hold that vulnerability with the knowledge that you have
about how you can make it better. That's been the
way I approached my career. Throughout my career, whether it
was as a health commissioner, rebuilding Detroit's Health Department, leading
(12:33):
Wayne County Department of Health, Human and Veteran Services, or
in my role now running for USCENT. And so I
don't pull punches. I don't wait until the coast is clear.
I don't wait until it's convenient to say. I say
the thing I believe. I think we should abolish ice.
I understood that Israel was using our tax dollars to
commit a genocide a long time ago, from the moment
we all ran together in twenty eighteen. I didn't touch
(12:56):
corporate money because I understood it to be the central
problem in our politics. And so it's just a level
of clarity and a willingness to go fight the righteous
fight about what is right and what is wrong. And
so that's the difference. I don't think of myself as
just a politician trying to reach for the next rong
on a political ladder. I think of myself as somebody
who's a doctor who got curious about why people got
sick and is trying to do something about it now
(13:17):
in politics.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Absolutely, and I like the answer.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So I want to ask you in terms of one
of your opponents.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
There, I looked at you, and I looked.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
At mallorim Mari said, I have choices on who to support, right,
and then there's a third candidate, Haley Stevens. Look, it's
totally ineffective, right, What is your thoughts on her candidacy,
her platform, et cetera.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
You know, I learned a long time ago that politics
is not about three people running. It's about the ten
million people who are going to lect us. And you know,
I'm not in Congresswoman Stevens's brain, I'm not in her campaign.
I'm just a lot more focused on the ten million
people I hope to serve in the US Senate, their
hopes and their dreams, their anxieties when they look their
(13:58):
kid in the eye, the worry that they have about
what happens if they get in an accident or lose
their health care, or lose their job. And you know,
to me, a politic should follow those central worries. And
I've told you what my positions are. I don't take
corporate money whereas my opponent does. I believe in medicare
for all, whereas my opponent doesn't. We should abolish ice
because they become the danger from which they say they
(14:21):
wanted to protect us. And my opponent voted to thank them.
The difference is, frankly, just whether or not you center
your politics in the ten million people you want to serve,
or you center your politics in some rat race about
what some poole tells you as popular or not. And
I take seriously the ability to have an honest conversation
with really brilliant people across the state. I believe all
(14:41):
ten million people in the state bring their brilliance to
this about what the best version of our country can be.
And I think we're not there right now, and I'm
hoping to inspire a conversation about how we create that
best version of a market together one.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Hundred percent and now Mallory Makemira.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
I think for a lot of people in politics, they
think of politics as being about three people who are
running for an office, and I just think that it's
more about the ten million people who are going to
elect one of us, and so I try to center
my politics in what they need and what they deserve.
The pain that they have in their lives, the anxieties
that they get when they look their children in the
eye and ask what kind of future they're going to have,
(15:17):
the worries they have about what happens if they lose
a job or lose their health care, and so if
you center your politics there, right, your positions about how
to build the best version of our country should fall.
I've been clear about saying we need to abolish ice
because I believe that ice is wrong and become the
danger against which they said they were going to protect us.
I believe we should pass Medicare for all because I
(15:39):
believe everybody deserves guaranteed health insurance from the moment they're
born to the moment they pass away gently in their sleep.
I believe deeply that corporate money is the worst thing
that has been corrupting our politics, and so I don't
take it, and I never have and I never will.
There's a big contrast between me and my opponent on
those things, because again, I'm less focused on what some
focus group or some pole tells me I should be
(16:00):
talking about, more focused on what I'm hearing from the
ten million people in my state.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah, now, you and the other progressive Mallorie mcmaarra.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
And again at the same point, I just think, at
the end of the day, it's about moral clarity, right.
I've never taken corporate money. My opponent has taken corporate
money in every race she's ever run in til now.
I'm for Medicare for all. My opponent is not, in fact,
argued against Medicare for all with the argument that somehow,
because a Republican could run it someday, that we should
(16:29):
not pass it. You know, if you follow that logic,
then we shouldn't have passed Medicare in the first place,
or Social Security in the first place. I don't know
when Democrats started arguing against programs that could benefit people.
And at the same time, I've been clear about the
need to abolish IA said it back in twenty eighteen,
because anybody could have seen where this is going in
some respects, I just say that, you know, too often
folks focus on style rather than substance, and I'd argue
(16:53):
that on almost every major issue that we are facing
right now, my two opponents look more similar than me
and any of them. And I mean, I'm proud to
say that's because I've been trying to bring moral clarity
to my political positions since the moment I ran for
office back in twenty eighteen. Yeah, and I've been consistent
on my positions.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Now, Yeah, how is the Middle East?
Speaker 1 (17:11):
I want to ask you, because you mentioned it a
few times, how's the Middle East shaping your race.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
I'm not running for senator from Gaza or senator from
Tel Aviv. I'm running for Senate from Michigan. And here
in Michigan, if you walk into any public school, you
look at it and you say, man, that school looks
the same way it did fifteen years ago. You walk
into hospitals and you'll know that there are a lot
of people who can do that because they simply don't
(17:36):
have healthcare. And meanwhile, instead of investing in our hospitals
or in our schools, or in our roads or our
bridges or replacing leaded lines, we're sending money to drop
bombs on other people's children. And so, as a Senator
from Michigan, my responsibility is to make sure that Michigan
do tax dollars stay here. It's our money, we should
(17:56):
spend it on us. And that means that we should
not be soizing foreign militaries, particularly social foreign militaries that
are subsidizing genocide in our name the fact. And so yeah,
it's an issue that matters, and it should matter to
every single American because at the end of the day,
we pay taxes, and I don't think you or I
will pay our taxes. No. I know you probably don't
pay taxes, but I don't pay taxes.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Sales taxes, adult taxes.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
There you go, there, you go, right, But you don't
pay those so that some other country gets it. It's
a tank. I think we pay them so that our
own kids get good schools in good healthcare.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
There.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Well, so would you say in terms of military spending,
would you say one could argue that money's already allocated,
or that was already in the military budget, or we
just gave them old weapons that we were going to
get taxed on anyway.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
But we didn't though, right, that's not how it worked.
We actually sent direct funding to their military. And I'll
just be clear about this. My position isn't just about Israel.
It's also about Egypt, where my family immigrated from, and
Jordan and Saudi Arabia. I just don't think that in
the what we think of as being of benefit when
we pay our preciously earned tax dollars, I don't think
(19:03):
that funding other militaries is what we're thinking of. And
I think our elected official do us all at his
service by trying to tell us that somehow this is
in our best interest. When the public goods that we
really do rely on, places like our schools or our
roads and bridges, are crumbling before eyes.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Would you say, would you support funding Ukraine.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
That's a different story, right. You're talking about upholding international law,
and to me, it really is about the rule of law.
After World War Two, people who watched that awful war
came together and said, you know what, we need to
prevent something like that from ever happening again. And so
they built institutions and norms and laws that codified them
into international law that was supposed to govern any country
(19:48):
from ever having to worry about having its borders and
its sovereignty threatened to buy a neighbor. And so we
built these laws in these rules, and what we've seen
is Vladimir Putin wants them violating exactly those laws. So
when we stand up and we support our allies in Ukraine,
it is about upholding international law. And when we do
that we make good decisions. It's when we oppose international law,
(20:11):
like the unilateral funding of Israel that's committing war crimes
and genocide, or the war in Vietnam or the war
in Iraq. That's when we make terrible decisions. And so
to me, my approach to foreign policy is fundamentally about
upholding the rule of law that not only we signed onto,
but the rule of law that we helped to create
in the first place. And when we do that, I
think we act as the first among equals to create
(20:34):
a better or more peaceful, more democratic war.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Yeah, so on foreign defense in Ukraine and all that,
you made a great point, But the day after October seventh,
would you have voted to fund aid and support to Israel?
Speaker 3 (20:49):
So I condemned have mass on day one, right, because
I knew that anybody who puts children in harm's way
is wrong, and that's a wrong thing. But it's not
like this was a moment that started on October eighth, Right,
this has been consistent unilateral military funding that has upheld
a system of apartheid in Israel for a very long time.
(21:12):
There is no justification for terrorism ever, and at the
same time, there is no justification for apartheid. And right now,
our tax dollars have been used to backstop very radical
elements in the Israeli military by people like Benjamin Netanyahu
and Itamar Ben Gavier and Basil Smotrich, who have been
clear about their genocidal intent when it comes to the
(21:34):
people of Gaza, and they delivered on that. And so
my point is that it's not actually America's responsibility to
decide what the ultimate peace in that region looks like.
If we're serious about that, then we need to make
sure that we're not a part of prolonging what has
been a very terrible conflict and frankly a genocide at
(21:56):
this point with our tax dollars. And the last point
I'll make is this now, a lot of times when
we talk about this issue, we have been a part
of a certain kind of hypocrisy. Right. I don't think
it's my responsibility to decide what the final outcome is,
but I do believe that we have a responsibility to
uphold a set of ideals around the equal access to peace, dignity,
(22:21):
and self determination for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis. And right
now our tax dollars are being used to foreclose upon
the right to self determination for Palestinians, and I just
think that's wrong. So I'd rather my tax dollars not
make a really bad situation worse and right now, that's
exactly what our tax dollars are doing, and they're failing
to actually provide for kids in our own country for sure.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
And it seems like you are like you said in
the beginning of your thing, you said you're the Senate.
You would be the senator of Michigan and not so
much cenator another nation. And that's fine, but as a
senator you would get votes over foreign defense, etc. So
would you be a senator more focused on local issues
or would you be voting on the national stuff. That's
something that a lot of people from Michigan actually asked
(23:04):
me to ask you.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
No, Well, look, I am a guy whose whole career
has been about trying to figure out how to take
care of people. I rebuilt the health department in the
city Detroit. I led Michigan's largest health department, leading a
team of five hundred and fifty employees one hundred and seventy
five million people. My work has been about guaranteeing kids'
glasses so that they could see the blackboard in their schools,
been about putting air quality monitors all over our county
(23:26):
so folks could know what they were breathing, taking on
big corporate polluters, standing up for healthcare rights, putting narcan
in locations so that folks could have it, and protecting
people from overdoses getting led to out of schools after
the Flint water crisis. My whole career has been about
protecting folks in our own community. What I want to
be honest about is the ways in which the decisions
that politicians have been making have been keeping us from
(23:49):
having the resources that we need. Because every single time
you want to put glasses on kids' faces, or put
up air quality monitors, or provide small businesses health insurance,
you know what, they ask you how to go pay
for them? You know what they never ask a general general,
how are you gonna pay for that? I really wish
that instead of always asking how we're going to pay
to do things for people in our own country with
our own tax dollars, we were a little bit more
(24:11):
critical about why we're wasting our money abroad to her
other people, and so I think they're kind of one
and the same. So in order to be able to
guarantee healthcare in this country, in order to be able
to make sure that people have workable roads and bridges.
We've got to make sure that they're not wasting our
money abroad dropping bombs on other people's hospitals and schools
and roads and bridges, and so those two things are
(24:32):
one and the same. In order to help people here,
you got to make sure you're not hurting people there.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
And now you know, with no de Braso, we'll be
right back. You ran for governor in twenty eighteen. What
part of that campaign shaped your candidacy to run for
the US Senate today.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yeah, I learned a lot in that campaign. And I'll
tell you one of the most important things I've succeeded
in some things in my life, and one of the
most humbling things is that people know me best for
the things the thing I lost at, which was that race,
and I really grew up quite a bit from that experience.
But one of the things that I learned was that
our politics are best when you're bringing people together around
(25:13):
what we want to build together. And I think sometimes
we get real precious about the critique why does the
problem exist, and less focused on the solution. And in
this campaign, I really just want us to be focused
on the solution. We can guarantee everybody healthcare. We can
stand up for unions in small businesses. We can use
our tax dollars here at home rather than hurting other
(25:34):
people abroad. We can do things together, and I think
if we get past the little differences in the critique,
I think we really can empower the solution. And that's
really been the way we focused on this campaign in
twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah, how are you feeling about your Bernie Sanders endors Smith?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
I love me some Bernie right, most consistent man in
American politics, and I'm just really honored to get his
seal of approval and also his mentorship. You know, he's
been somebody who's been a four in my life for
the past eight years since I ran the first time,
and somebody who has demonstrated what it looks like to
show up to every battle putting the needs and the
well being of the American public first and just offering
(26:12):
that moral clarity even when it's unpopular, and to do
that work of making popular what's right.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Absolutely. What other endorsements have you been excited about?
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Well, grateful to earn endorsements from folks like Representative Jiapaul
and Representative Roconda and Congress and of course are representative
reshoot it to leave here at home. But also the
endorsements of folks who you know, whose names you might
not know right, people who are leading in their local community,
mayors of towns like Sagatuck and Marquette in Flint. Folks
who recognize that in my leadership in both city and
(26:48):
county agencies, that I understand where the rubber hits the road,
and how policy sometimes that's made from on high doesn't
quite meet the needs of folks who are trying to
enact it in local communities up and down our state.
So those endorsements really matter to me too, and I'm
really appreciative of that. I'm also really honored to earn
endorsements from really important groups the Michigan Democratic Parties LGBTNA Caucus.
(27:09):
They understand that in my leadership trying to fight for
equitable access to HIV care leading one of the largest
Ryan white programs in the country, that this equity that
they have needed and deserved, the fact that we need
to stand up for rights for all of us, and
giving up on rights for anybody is giving right up
on rights for everybody. The fact that they've given us
that endorsement because of that work and because of that perspective,
(27:32):
really does mean a lot to me. But more than
any one endorsement, it's the collective of endorsements and the
coalition that we can build. The idea that a campaign
built on getting money out of politics, putting money in
your pocket, and passing Medicare for all resonates in so
many different corridors across our state and amongst so many
different kinds of people that to me tells me that
(27:53):
we're on design.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Yes, I want to ask you this, Are you a
democratic socialist?
Speaker 3 (27:59):
I'm not. I am a democrat, but more than anything else,
I'm a scientist, and so I'm just not an ideologue
in certain ways. To me, Like I said, it's about
the solution rather than the critique, and so I'm always
looking for solutions that are going to empower people to
live their best, most dignified lives, create access to the
kind of opportunities that all of us need and deserve,
and offer us some baseline security in our lives through
(28:20):
things like healthcare and good schools, clean air and drinkable water.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Now, this is going to be the toughest question I've
asked so far.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
And I hope you're ready.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
What do you get from Ready? What do you get
from Coney Island? What do you get from Coney Island?
Speaker 3 (28:35):
You know what, Honestly, everybody loves cony dogs, and there's
going to be an unpopular opinion. I just could never
get beyond a cony dog. Here's the problem with it, right,
Like it tastes really good and then your stomach is
just like done for the rest of the day. And
so I'm somebody who I'm like, you know, I'm somebody
who likes like a good cony Greek salad if you remember, right,
Like Coney Islands are Greek restaurants and they always do
(28:55):
an amazing Greek salad, and I try to do it
with some chicken.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
If I'm feeling spicy, I guess I'm crispy chicken on
the top. If not, like I just do the grilled chicken.
I know a lot of people about the flaming in
the comments, but like, I just gotta be honest with folks,
like you could do a Coney Island like a cony dog,
like once or twice in a month, but like you're
sto much won't feel it. Man, you know, what I mean,
He's like chili on top of the hot dog.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It's like it's too much that chili on top about
it's great.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
He might lost about five vote someone listening or vote
something like that.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
I don't know how that's gonna go over. I don't know, hey,
but let me just be clear.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
About this, all right. The best Detroit food is Detroit Pizza.
I don't take Detroit stal pizza over any pizza. If
you've never had Detroit Stout pizza, you got cheese all
all the way up in the crust. And there's a
guy who does it better than almost anybody else in
Southwest Detroit at a place called Sicilies. Somehow he's managed
to make it like crispy and guy but also airy
(29:48):
at the same time. So shout out to Cicily's. But like,
if I have to choose between a cony and Detroit
South Pizza, and I know the Detroit South Pizza sits
in your stomach too, but man, like the flavor explosion
that you get from that.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Did you just say Detroit style pizza? Oh yeah, absolutely,
Chicago style pizza.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
Noah, noah, no no not the Chicago style pizza is
like a cash role it's not even a pizza. Okay,
I mean, I'm so sorry, but like Detroit style is
where it's at. Listen, man, I just got to like listen.
I don't pull my punches.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Man.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
I told you, like I call it how I see it.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
You moral clarity, you warned me. Moral clarity. There it
is all right.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
So from where you sit, what is the most hopeful
thing about the future you want to be a part of.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Yeah, getting to support candidates for the House, the Senate,
everything like it, and not having the candidate tell you, oh,
you're too young to sport, Oh you're too young, and
in fact, having campaigns actually reach out and open minded
to having support in twenty eighteen, when you ran for
governor or in twenty sixteen, candidates would have said oh
(30:51):
you're too young or oh something like that. And nowadays
they're open to young people's support and endorsements.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
And that just gives me so much hope for politics,
really does.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Why do you think young people don't vote, well.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Young people my age, because we can't, but young people
in terms you can't I can't. Yeah, young people, I
mean like yeah, as you think eight.
Speaker 3 (31:10):
Years hind Now, why is it like, what is it that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Yeah, In terms of young people eighteen twenty four, I
think it's because they don't have anything to vote for,
but we're telling them some to vote against. What you
told me about today, Abdul was medicare for all. You
told me about several policies to vote for. What I
haven't heard you talk about is what we are voting
what people in Michigan are voting against. I've heard you
speak about all your policy platforms, everything like it, but
(31:36):
I haven't heard anything that you are against necessarily, and
that is something we need to the United States Senate
because we need a fighter in the United States Senate
who's not afraid to butcher their words.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yeah, I appreciate that. The last question I want to
ask you is if you go up, there's gonna be
a hard one, right, If you could change one thing
that happened in the last fifty years that changed the
course of history, what would it be?
Speaker 1 (32:06):
That is a good one? Oh, my goodness. So here's
the thing. It's very niche, and I think you'd agree
with me. I don't know how much you'd agree. It's
going back in time to make sure that we did
not elect Kirsten Cinema and Joe Mansion to the United
States Senate and instead got progressive ideals into the United
(32:29):
States Senate. Because we could have went and had so
many great policies pass onto the President's desk. President Biden
was willing to sign those laws, and we just couldn't
do it because of two lackeys for corporations and frankly Republicans.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Yeah, I'm going to meet you there. Absolutely, there's a
number of other things I would have changed, but like
that one's definitely, I mean, you know, I'm gonna there's
a couple I really wish that in the nineties, Bill
Clinton wouldn't have turned on the New Deal. I wish that,
you know, he would have really focused a frame on
(33:11):
what government does right rather than meeting the argument that
was being made by Reaganites. You know, go back, go
back in the same era. You know, you look at
the Crime Bill and what it set off in our politics,
and you read that in so many of the moments
that have roiled our politics. But again, it's like Democrats
(33:32):
acceding to an argument that is made in bad faith
and then trying to meet it where it's going. And
then I agree with you, like I think Joe Manchin
and cir Cin Cinema similarly. Right. The thing that Democrats
love to do, who you know, when they're running when
they're running smoke screens for corporations, is to talk about
how their parties become too extreme and then you know,
(33:55):
punch out and say that they're the only ones who
are reasonable. Lieberman did it right when it came to
the ACA. Yeah, And so you know, so many of
the worst I think governance mistakes over the past fifty
years that have really shaped our current moment and the
backlash to our current moment and the backlash of the
backlash have been Democrats, for their own personal political futures,
(34:18):
acceding to and adopting bad faith Republican arguments to do
bad things. Right. That's Joe Lieberman, that's Joe Manchin, that's
Kirsten Cinema, that's you know, Bill Clinton, that's Joe Biden
right in the Crime Bill. And I think, you know,
for us, like we have to have the courage of
our convictions to actually say what we believe and say it.
Be like, if you're losing an argument, you don't just
(34:40):
borrow the argument from your opponent. You make your argument better,
and I think this is a moment for us to
really think a little bit about how we make the
argument better. I know that's what you're doing on your show.
So I really appreciate your perspective on this.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
I really appreciate you a duel, and I will see
you soon, hopefully in Michigan, and I would love to
talk to you more about your Sinema race.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yes, thank you.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
I look forward to it. And the next time I
go to Chicago, let me know what Chicago style pizza
I've I'm supposed to try, because like I keep trying, man,
I want to like it. I really do. I want
to like it. But when you come to Detroit, I'm
gonna get I'm gonna get you the pizza of your dreams.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
My friend.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
Thanks, Abdul. I so appreciate you, appreciate you. I like this,
Abdul El said, Guy, I really do.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
He was amazing. He was wonderful, folks.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
I listened to doctor El sayed right, and I heard
him speak about all of his principles, his ideas, his policy,
and his platform. And I really, I must say, I
did not think I would like a candidate so much
who was so progressive Usually i'd support a candidate that
(35:41):
would say their policy platform, tell me how to get
it done, and that's that. But what doctor El Sai
did is he told me his policy platform, why he
supports it, holle plans to get it done. It was
really a great conversation. Now, the pizza thing, I kind
of a problem. That might that might affects some things.
But hey, look that's okay, because what matters at the
(36:04):
end is that number one, I try the Detroit pizza
I don't know, and number two that we get a
fighter in the US Senate, more fighters in the US
Senate so we can eventually get a Senate majority. And folks,
it surprised me today when doctor l Sayed spoke about
here let me start over, and folks, it surprised me
(36:28):
how doctor El Sayed said he so proudly and so
just he said it directly is that he's not a
democratic socialist. And what I get confused on so many
progressive campaigns is that these people are not socialists.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
They're not radical. They just want medicare for all.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
They want healthcare for everyone from when they're born, like
you said, until they die in their sleep. At one
hundred and twenty and I'm so thankful for doctor l
Saii for coming on here and speaking about his principles.
Now here's the thing. Here's what I need you to do.
If you liked any one of these candidates here that
you hear on the Midterm series, please go to their website,
(37:06):
google their names, learn more about them because we cannot
get to every single thing. But of course you can
do your research on these candidates and vote for the
right person who you see fit for your principles and
vote for them. And folks, I ask you again, I'm
going to say this again, leave me a review because
I love those so thankful for all of you tuning
in follow me on socials at Noative ROSSOK N O
(37:28):
W A D E B A R A s O.
Because we must continue the work we do on the show.
Please follow the show and download for later. Thank you
so much for listening. It's been Noah
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