Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thank you every that was going to be on I
was talking about this. You shot me a text while
I was talking and saying, hey, I've actually been there
and I got to work with Nancy Pelosi. I have
a few different stories. What are some of the things
that are notable in your relationship with Nancy Pelosi?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Bus Three things that really come to my First, she
would cut my heart out at any time. Politically. She
has put millions and millions of dollars every election to
beat me, And the first to time was in our
primary in twenty sixteen, a Republican primary. She put in
four hundred and fifty five thousand dollars two or three
(00:40):
weeks before the primary, trying to beat me in the
primary because she thought I was the candidate that would
be most likely win in the general. So from even
before I got elected, this lady's are coming after me,
and so at every election since she was put in
millions of dollars to beat me. So that's the first thing. Actually,
I traveled with her twice, the Normandy and she was
(01:02):
a very sweet person in person. I went to Normandy
for the so many fifth anniversary of D Day and in
the eightieth, and she would always block up, ask you
how I was doing, and you know, very a different
persona than what you would see her on TV or
running the house. The third thing that comes to behind
she ran the house with an iron fist, and the
Democrats that were part of it were scared across her. U.
(01:25):
She has no problem kicking off committees, taking you out
for her fund fundraising prowess, but she ran the house
with a fist, iron fist. I remember standing there when
she was the speaker, and she would have people on
every door and she would ask every Democrat, Hi, you're
voting as they walked in the door. And she had
people at every door. So she was a she was
(01:48):
more on the dictator's side when it comes to running
the house.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
I I congressman. I have a couple of things on
each of those points. The first point, she's trying to
remove you. There's no way she could have actively been
funding races all over the country with that kind of
cash and attention, Right, So what was it about you
that she just didn't want you to be there? Did
she just really think Omaha needed to have a Democrat representative?
(02:12):
Is that it?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Well, you know what brad Astor, who became a very
good friend of mine. He was incumbent, but he was
a freshman and vulnerable because our district at the time
was probably R plus two and that was that was
a D plus two district. But she actually has put
money all over the country. So I don't think I'm
an anomaly. I wasn't anomaly for getting involved in the primary.
(02:34):
I was one of the first time where the Democrats
got involved in the primary and by a large statement,
successful at getting the person they want in the primary.
By doing what they did. They backfired when it came
to me, and there's a long story there, but we
were able to beat it. But she's put money from
coast to coast trying to get Democrats in there. She's
one of the biggest fundraisers in the country. She's got
(02:58):
huge financial fund raise in Prowess and and she's spread
that money all over.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, And what were your thoughts on you know, because
she's been tied, especially in recent years to trading on
Wall Street and stock market maneuvers that she has used.
What has been your thoughts on that, not just with her,
but just kind of in general in that culture that
exists in Washington.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Well, her husband has made millions and millions and millions
of dollars on stock markets on issues that were voting on.
And I think even if there was no insider training trading,
the appearance is wrong. And it's surely I think it's
fullied the average voter's opinion of Congress looking at her
(03:42):
and that and that and her husband do all that
trading on issues that we're voting on, and she was
a speaker dictating the voting schedule when it was going
to come up or when it's not. I don't own
I own zero stocks. I only do mutual funds because
I don't want the perception that i'm you know, that
there's anything shady going on. I want to totally clean
(04:05):
the reputation as much as I can. I think mutual
funds is a way to go. But yeah, she is,
her husband has made millions doing what it appears to
be Yeah, well, okay, well well informed stock decisions based
on issues that we're dealing on in the house.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah, it definitely smells fishy, and you know, many, many
people have pointed that out, but again, it hasn't at
least triggered a warning or any sort of implication. Legally.
You mentioned she's a nicer person. I think that probably
goes for most people in Congress, right, And we're hearing,
you know, kind of a different tone from someone like
Marjorie Taylor Green now in the public persona. But you
(04:42):
guys are people, right and we see you know, yeah
on c SPAN, we hear you know, you're on the
campaign trail. There's a lot of fire, there's a lot
of intensity, and we totally understand that. But can you
kind of explain because I think a lot of people
be like, oh, I never want to talk to her,
but we don't really know her as a regular person, you.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Know, but you know, one on one in a small groups,
she's very thoughtful, sweet and considerate. I don't say everybody
in congresses that way. I think the bull star, but
there's a few exceptions that you wouldn't want to be around.
And you maybe mentioned one person's name already, but I'm
not going to repeat it. But anyway, but she she
(05:21):
was a very sweet person. She come up to me,
how am I do? Because she was a speaker and
I was on her codel for Normandy. Are people treating
you while you get enough? You know? She was thoughtful
and I think you know speakers Kevin McCarthy this way too.
They are extraordinarily good with their own party on interpersonal skills,
knowing your spouse's name, your birthdays, and things that your
(05:44):
high interest. You could see that she was a pro
on that site. On the Democrats side. I did got
one funny story on this trip though. On the Sony
fifth anniversary, she gave a speech to the French Congress
we called the National Assembly, and she talked about how
much America owes France because of the Battle of Yorktown.
But she never said york Town. She kept calling it Yorkshire.
(06:05):
And so you seem to give a toast to the
Battle of Yorkshire. And so afterwards I teased her about it.
And then literally on our eightieth anniversary we were back together.
We were in the French parliament again, the National Assembly
with all the representatives, and I teased her that she
(06:25):
did this five years ago and she had a give
another speech. She was the minority leader at the time,
and she did it again to the Battle of Yorkshire.
I think it's funny.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah, that is funny. I've actually been to Yorktown. Great
place if you're into battlefield history and military history. A
great place there in Virginia. Last thing, Congressman Bacon, you
mentioned she ruled the House with an iron fist, and
as a leader, you really could tell in the way
that they talk about her she could get things done
because she had everybody on the same page. Do the
(06:58):
Democrats have an advantage on that in leadership right now,
not just in the House but just in general, or
do you think the Republicans can do better with a
leader like that?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
But we have a weakness and that we don't like
taking orders where we represent our districts more than we
represent the speaker. In our view, the Democrats are that way.
They're much more client to what the speaker wants. I mean,
she pretty she would demand most of them were would
accommodate and at salute that Republicans are not that way.
(07:31):
We're not wired that way. And I think that that,
I mean, there's strengths to it. I think on the
other way, the Speaker has to deal with all of us,
and I think in the end perhaps she gets some
better policy because he has to listen all of us
to get things done. Whereas the speaker she made when
Sigar Clost made her mind she was going to do it,
(07:53):
and she didn't necessarily take feedback from her conference. I
think she would, but there are times she didn't care
she was going to do it. I think there's pros
and constuit emory, but there's no doubt that the Republicans
are more like hurting cats and the dough cuts are easy,
are more easier organized and get one hundred percent vote
(08:13):
on a policy. The Republicans aren't wired that way. We're
independent takers.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yeah, it's a really interesting perspective from a guy who's
been there. Representative Don Bacon, do appreciate you for being
on the show and for calling in with this today.
It's always a pleasure to speak with you, and hopefully
we get a chance to chat again soon.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
To the Battle of Yorktown.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
To the Battle of Yorktown, USA, Representative Don Vacon, appreciate
him today. More coming up on these Radio eleven ten
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