Meet Congresswoman, Madeleine Dean.
She left a long legal and teaching career to run for Congress
for the first time last year because she truly wanted to make a difference.
Now, she represents Pennsylvania's fourth district.
Or to put it another way...
♫ In North Philadelphia, born and raised. On the law school campus ♫
♫ is where she spent most of her days. ♫
♫ Shootin' some b-ball – probably studying more. Law school's pretty hard. ♫
♫ Not a lot of time for b-ball out in the yard. ♫
♫ And now she's representing in the neighborhood. ♫
I practiced that.
Can people like Madeleine Dean fix our broken system?
I sat down with her to find out in the first part of our one part series,
"How Do We Fix Politics?"
Madeleine Dean, are you related to Paula Deen?
No, I'm not.
Good. Good answer.
You were 58 when you finally ran for Congress.
What took you so long to decide whether this was a good or bad idea?
I always knew I wanted to run for office since the time I was a teenager at 18.
Then life got in the way.
Why would you wanna do it? It's a passion project for you?
Think of the possibilities. You run for Congress because you think you can make a difference.
Little differences hopefully add up to big differences.
It's all about the possibilities, so I love it.
You can make a difference, but not as much as if you just tell a few dirty jokes.
But can you – can you save a life?
I don't know. I do have the most viral gun control routine that's ever been...
I happen to love that.
Probably saved a few people.
That is one of your best routines.
You think that one? Not the one about my mom being too fat to get out of a chair?
Well, that wasn't funny.
Oh, OK.
That's fair enough.
[Jim] Alright. Let's get down to business.
Politics is broken. So how do we fix it?
Why do you think people are frustrated with Congress?
Because we have a Senate that's doing nothing.
You've seen this new Congress.
We have, in the past 9 months, passed more than 200 bills.
Protection of the environment, minimum wage at 15,
two bills that I care deeply about, the gun violence bills.
We have a House willing to pass these bills.
We now need to find a Senate that understands it's a question of our common humanity.
How often do you have to vote for something a week?
When you're in session, you're voting each and every day.
I thought there was like a bill a week.
Oh, no.
And we all sort of went, "oh, stop gun problems."
And then back to "should they bring back the McRib?"
You know what I mean? Like –
Was there actually a McRib?
You've never heard of the McRib?!
Never. No.
Well, you can't be voting on important things for this country.
I guess you're pulling my leg.
Out of all the things I could make up –
I could be sitting here right now going, "I have a nine-inch penis," right?
But why would I go – why would I go, "McRib"?
I didn't know this was going this way.
Me neither.
Uh, you're in early
to support the impeachment of Trump.
Do you think he will be impeached?
I believe he will be impeached.
Is there a fear that impeaching him may rally up his base?
Yes, but I don't worry about that fear. I worry about doing the right thing.
But we're so close to just voting him out.
Why don't we just get him out?
We are a system of laws. We have a Constitution.
The President has shown and admitted that he's in violation of the Constitution.
And we can't have that.
And, you know. I think it was Martin Luther King who said,
"the time is always right to do what is right." So we have to do what's right.
How far away am I from being president?
How many people have to die, like in a "King Ralph" scenario?
You are a U.S. citizen, aren't you?
Yeah, I'm a U.S. citizen, but I wasn't born here.
I'm sorry.
Everyone else has got their rights.
Everyone else. The gays are getting married.
I can't become president.
What world does that seem fair?
No comment.
I could marry a gay male president. That's the closest I could get
to being First Man.
That was that movie that Neil Armstrong was about, right? "First Man?"
You could marry a woman president.
Yeah, but that's not a good look for her, is it?
So, if I was to donate to your campaign,
Oooh...
Yeah, it's not dirty money. It's real money.
The federal limit of an individual is $2,800.
Oh God.
That's 120.
Also, I've wrapped an ecstasy tablet in one of these to stop it from falling out, so...
[Jim] Alright, so I can't be president.
And I can't buy my way into a campaign.
But you know, just talking to a member of Congress who actually cares
does inspire me to give back.
And that's when I realized...
I know how to fix it!
I can't be a president.
You're still on that?
But I can run for Congress?
Yes.
Will you help me run for Congress?
I'd be happy to.
[Jim] I'll admit, I wasn't expecting a "yes."
But get ready, America.
Jefferies 2020: Obviously There's No Other Way.
We headed cross country to Philadelphia, birthplace of America.
And against her better judgment,
Congresswoman Dean unleashed me on her own constituents.
Hello, young man.
[Dean] I want to introduce you to Jim Jefferies.
My name is Jim Jefferies. I'm running for something.
What issues are important to you, Alex?
I'm for it as well.
We should try to be healthy in our society. Take care of each other.
Would you vote for someone who's used drugs?
It depends on the drugs and when they used them.
Cocaine from 2002 to 2018.
And you're running in 2020?
I'm not talking about me.
Look, here we go. Here's a baby to kiss.
[Dean] Oh boy.
I'm talking about abortion.
Um, I believe in a woman's right to choose.
Good. So, you – you wanted...
I did want him, yes. I did.
Good, good. No, I was just checking. I was just checking that was it.
You're good. That's beautiful.
Tell them why you're running for office. What's your reason for running?
You have a reason?
Um...
Am I doing this for nothing?
What do you think about abortion?
I think it's settled law. I certainly don't agree with late-term.
How do you feel about really late-term?
Like, five or six years after you find out whether the kid's a shit or not.
Are you for or against immigration?
I'm for immigration.
Just not in this neighborhood, right?
Do you think kids should be in cages on the border?
No.
Here's the thing, Aubrey.
Everything that you're doing at school now is pointless.
Any information that you need, someone else already knows and you can just ask Alexa.
[Dean] Shouldn't we take care of immigrant children?
Let's worry about me first and then we'll worry about the kids.
Can I count on your vote? Have I won you over?
Probably not.
Oooh.
Will you vote for me, you think?
You have some really unusual beliefs.
Most people have walked away. I feel like you might be very lonely.
You've stayed here – you've stayed here for a long time.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you, Alex.
You've got some work to do.
[Dean] I think that was a definite maybe.
[Jim] That was a definite maybe.
[Dean] Oh dear God.