Peggy Flanagan Discusses Important Senate Race in Minnesota

0:00Ben Meiselas:This podcast is sponsored by Made In Cookware. Made In partners with multi-generational artisans and some of the world's best chefs to create professional quality cookware, knives and kitchen tools. Their products are trusted in Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide and designed to perform just as well in your kitchen. From five-ply stainless clad to carbon steel, every piece is built to last and made to actually make you a better cook. Discover award-winning cookware at MadeInCookware.com. Monday.com AI agents took over my work. And I absolutely love it. Chasing deadlines, writing status reports, updating stakeholders.

0:39Ben Meiselas:Agents handle the daily grind now. I stay in the loop only when it matters. Create your own AI agent in minutes on Monday.com. MAGA Republican leaders in the House, the Senate, and Trump's cabinet, they're spiraling out of control right now. Now, following the news that unemployment has ticked up to 4.4 percent and it looks like it's heading towards 5 percent and getting higher. When you look at specific industry sectors, manufacturing, construction, we're seeing jobs being lost. And didn't Donald Trump say, I'm going to do a manufacturing boom? We're seeing basically recession, even kind of great recessionary indicators in those sectors.

1:16Ben Meiselas:More on that in a moment. Let's just see how these MAGA Republicans are reacting to it. they're trying to ignore it. Surprise, surprise. And instead, they are saying things like this. Here's what Pete Sessions, a MAGA Republican from Texas, has to say when he has this very creepy discussion about the Epstein file resolution. Play this clip. Trove of information that will be gone through. And Congressman, you did mention Ghislaine Maxwell, who's convicted sex trafficker and sex abuser. The NBC is reporting that her prison emails shows she is much, quote, happier at this minimum security Texas facility that she was moved to.

2:02There are reports of special treatment at that. She was moved after speaking with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Are you investigating that? Does that concern you in any way?

2:14Ben Meiselas:Well, let me just say this straight up. Anybody that's in Texas is happier. But one would one would hope a sexual trafficker would not be treated that way, sir. Well, what? Seriously? What? Then you have MAGA Republican Congress member Buddy Carter play this clip. That's pushed for these files to be released. And now we're seeing it kind of backfire in their face. What do you make of all of this? Well, this is nothing more than a distraction. I've said that from the very beginning there. What? OK, maybe J.D. Vance, you want to talk about health care? What's what's your view about extending the ACA subsidies?

2:55Ben Meiselas:Let's play this clip. What do we do to address health care prices and premium prices and so on and so forth? What does that look like? Is it a reconciliation plan? Walk us through what happens. So what's so crazy about this, Matt, is right before the government shut down, we had a meeting with Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer. in the Oval Office. Is this where they get President Trump gave him a MAGA hats? Yeah, this is not just that. But the president whispers to one of his personal assistants, they're all very good people. And she kind of runs off. And I think to myself immediately, oh, what the hell have I got myself into?

3:27Ben Meiselas:And she comes back with two Trump 2028 hats. What about the economy, J.D.? OK, tell me about the economy. Let's play the clip. And even though we've made incredible progress, we understand that there's a lot more work to do. And the thing that I'd ask for the American people is a little bit of patience, a little bit of patience from the people who said in 24 hours they were going to bring down prices a little bit. You are workers. Your your year is coming in 2027 and 2028. And finally, just what about foreign policy? Caroline Levitt? What do you want to say? What do you want to tell us to play this clip?

4:02Ben Meiselas:The president went, the Syrian president came in, and President Trump sprayed perfume all over him. And I just wondered, like, did he smell? No. Let me tell you, that happens all the time. Not just with the Syrian president, but I've seen it with other foreign leaders. I've seen it with members of our cabinet, myself. He has a cologne and a perfume, yes. He's just showing off his wonderful scents. What? he's spraying people with cologne and perfume when they go in the Oval Office. That's what's happening when foreign leaders. I want to bring in Minnesota's 50th Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who's running for Senate right there.

4:46Ben Meiselas:I don't want to normalize any of that behavior. And I think that corporate media has tried to acclimate us, that all of these things, it's politics as usual. And that's what to expect. A lot of what your campaign about is just stop it. Can we focus on workers and real issues that actually matter? So what do you make of that? Well, first of all, it is a hot mess. And I think this is what happens when our leaders, our leaders prioritize corporate interests over all of us in real time. They're like, just wait, this year, we're going to take care of all the billionaires. And then maybe next year, we're going to focus on the things that you need to keep food on the table and pay the rent and maybe, I don't know, take a vacation someday.

5:38But it just shows how incredibly disconnected they are from the lives of real Americans and frankly, that they just don't care. You know, spraying perfume in the Oval Office versus cutting off food security for millions of Americans, like that's a choice, y 'all.

5:55Ben Meiselas:So Peggy, you're running for the Senate seat, the Democratic Party in Minnesota. I don't want people to sleep on how important the race is in Minnesota. It ain't a sleepy state. And so I want people to be focused on that at a national level, too. I want to show people this video because you see a lot of progressive Democrats making a very powerful statement in the past 24 hours. Let me just show this. Let's play it. Hi, I'm Elizabeth Warren. It's Senator Ed Markey. I'm Senator Chris Murphy. Chris Van Hollen. Senator Jeff Berkman. Martin Heinrich here. I'm proud to endorse Peggy Flanagan for Minnesota's open United States Senate seat.

6:36Ben Meiselas:We need courage in Washington. And Peggy Flanagan will bring it. Peggy Flanagan will bring it. Time and time again, she's proved she has the backbone and the guts to meet this moment. As an organizer, a mom, and the lieutenant governor of Minnesota, she has delivered on the fights that matter. And Peggy, I'll show the full video, too. I just I wanted to get your reaction to it because it's a great video. But how important is this race? I mean, I think this race is incredibly important to the future of our country and the future of our party. It really is the choice that is facing all of us. Do we want more corporate Democrats who are going to play to the status quo and nibble around the edges?

7:18Or do we want progressive fighters with a track record of getting things done? I think people want us to be bold, audacious, and defiant in this moment. And we need to make sure that people can afford the lives that they want to live. And that's what this entire race is about. And I have to tell you, I am so honored and humbled to have those progressive champions endorsing my campaign because they are on the front lines every single day and they know what it takes. And so to know that they'd like me to join them in the fight is a real honor.

7:52Ben Meiselas:You know, and that follows a big endorsement the prior week by Senator Bernie Sanders. And he and I had a great conversation over the weekend about artificial intelligence. And, you know, as Senator Sanders has said, the most important issues are often the ones that are being least discussed on the media, but are being discussed by the people. And so now we're hearing affordability. But let's make it clear that this can't just be a catchphrase. These are people's lives. And explain to us what the people in Minnesota are feeling like under this Trump regime, where it's not just promises made and promises betrayed.

8:29Ben Meiselas:It seems like it's an affirmative assault on the American dream and tearing away and ripping away people's jobs and their health care and just their way of living. I mean, what I'm hearing in Minnesota, and we've been doing hundreds of events across the state in all different communities, and the same things are coming up over and over again. It is the cost of living and healthcare in particular. And so this is a place where I'm very clear that we need to get rid of prior authorization so that some dude behind a desk doesn't get to decide whether or not you get the life-saving healthcare that you need.

9:07And worse yet a robot or AI making that decision. But ultimately, you know, when I'm talking to folks who say that their deductible is$15 ,000 a year and that they just paid 600 bucks to go to a five minute med check appointment with their doctor, that's completely unsustainable. And that is happening right now. So as they are looking to next year, they're like, maybe we just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best and not pay for insurance. That's outrageous. I think we need to go big and that means fighting for things like universal health care we need medicare for all it's been time um we need a 17 minimum wage so that we can catch up and keep up uh those are fights that i've helped lead in minnesota and raising the minimum wage things like paid family and medical leave that will go into effect here in minnesota in january those are the big fights that that people want us to fight on their behalf and i think so often we find democrats who are fighting from a defensive crouch or like what's the fight that we think we could win instead of what are the things that people actually need and deserve and I think that's all about the fact that we've got big corporations who are playing in our politics and it's why I've decided not to take corporate PAC money because I think it's pretty dishonest to say that I'm gonna you know hold big pharma accountable to lower the cost of prescription drugs while accepting a check from them at the same time people are smarter than that and that i think is what you know this choice is all about and the the future of our party overall you know what i've loved about your political career

10:45Ben Meiselas:your campaign and the people who endorsed you especially bernie sanders is when senator sanders goes across the country yes he delivers really powerful awesome speeches but there's a portion of it where he just takes questions and listens and says all right tell me what you're going through. And you can learn so much about the experience when you actually listen to what people are saying. And to your point, when the Democratic Party gets a little count, a little bit would be the operative word that shouldn't be there, though, when they get cowardly on these issues like universal health care and making sure everybody gets health care and fighting for people and giving people education and saying, yeah, tax the rich more.

11:29Ben Meiselas:How do you pay for it? By taxing the rich more. Let's start by making the rich pay their fair share and then tax them more. And then you know what? We probably shouldn't have a trillion dollar military budget. How about we can still lead the world and history of mankind with a$600 billion military budget and we could take 400 billion of that dollars that would otherwise go to maybe killing people abroad and we can focus on saving the lives of Americans. it actually is from a defensive posture, but you would both be doing the right thing and you would be winning elections. That's the craziest part to me, that these are actually winning issues and they're the right issues to be focused on.

12:09That's exactly right. And it's what people are telling us. And I think that piece about listening, that is one of the most powerful tools in our toolbox. People just want to be heard. And when we're doing these events, of course, there's a lot of Democrats who are coming. But there's also a lot of people who are like, I don't identify with any political party, but I'm super freaked out right now. So I want to know what I can do. And then we have Republicans who are coming to, who say, I don't agree with you on everything, but I know you're a tough cookie. And in Minnesota, calling someone a tough cookie is a real compliment.

12:42But I'll just say that, like people just want to be heard. And they want to know that someone is in their corner and fighting for them. And I grew up thinking that the bottom could fall out at any moment. And there are so many people who feel that way right now and not enough folks in Washington, DC, and certainly not in the Senate who understand what that's like. I think we would be in a very different position and lifting up the things that you were just talking about, making sure that the wealthiest folks pay their fair share and that corporate tax rates, right, are not less than what, you know, middle-income family is paying right now.

13:18Those are the fights that people want us to fight. And I'm all in. I'm ready.

13:24Ben Meiselas:Where can people find out more about the campaign? Folks can visit PeggyFlanagan.com, and we'd love to have you join Team Peggy, along with these great senators who've endorsed us so far. Peggy Flanagan, running for Senate in Minnesota, the 50th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. Great to have you. Thanks so much. Everybody hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our sub stack at MidasPlus.com. You'll get daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski, ad-free episodes of our podcast, and more exclusive content only available at MidasPlus.com.

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