WE ARE NOW READY TO ANNOUNCE THE NEW JUSTICE DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATE FOR THE CALIFORNIA SENATE SEAT, THE ONE VERY
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED BY DIANNE FEINSTEIN.
SHE'S BEEN IN OFFICE
FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY THROUGH ALL OF HER POLITICAL
CAREER, BUT SOON SHE WILL BE SENT TO RETIREMENT BY THE PERSON
YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET ME INTRODUCE TO
YOU, ALISON HARTSON, FORMER NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF WOLF PAC
AND NEW SENATE CANDIDATE AND FUTURE SENATOR FROM CALIFORNIA.
WELCOME TO THE YOUNG TURKS.
>>HAPPY TO BE HERE.
>>I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD PLAY THIS -- [STARS & STRIPES FOREVER].
WILL YOU BE RUNNING AS A JUSTICE DEMOCRAT?
>>YOU BET I WILL.
>>EXCELLENT.
AND WILL YOU BE OUR CHAMPION?
>>I WILL BE YOUR CHAMPION.
>>EXCELLENT.
ALISON, YOU RAN AN ORGANIZATION WHOSE SOLE MISSION
IS TO GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS, BUT BEFORE THAT YOU WERE A
TEACHER.
I WILL ASK YOU ABOUT THAT, BUT FIRST, WHY ARE YOU
RUNNING FOR THIS SEAT?
>>CALIFORNIA REALLY NEEDS A BOLD PROGRESSIVE TO LEAD THE WAY, AND
I -- THIS PARTICULAR RACE IN 2018 IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE
MOST, IF NOT THE MOST, IMPORTANT RACE IN 2018 IN THE COUNTRY.
AND
THAT'S BECAUSE CALIFORNIA IS THE SIXTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE
WORLD, IT'S BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT WE DO DOESN'T FACT
INFLUENCE THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S A SAYING THAT GOES AS CALIFORNIA
GOES, SO TOO DOES THE COUNTRY.
WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT I
THOUGHT OKAY, I'M SURE EVERY STATE SAYS THAT.
BUT THEN I
STARTED TRAVELING AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH WOLF PAC AND I
TALKED TO STATE LEGISLATORS AND VOTERS, KNOCKING ON DOORS,
TALKING ABOUT THE CORRUPTING INFLUENCE OF MONEY ON OUR
POLITICAL SYSTEM, AND SEVERAL LEGISLATORS AND VOTERS IN
DIFFERENT STATES WOULD ASK ME IF CALIFORNIA HAD DONE THIS YET,
AND IT WASN'T BECAUSE I LIVED IN CALIFORNIA, THEY DIDN'T KNOW
THAT YET, THEY WOULD ASK ME AND I WOULD TELL THEM I HAPPEN TO BE
FROM CALIFORNIA, WE DID IN FACT PASS OUR RESOLUTION IN
CALIFORNIA, AND THAT WOULD CAUSE THEM TO PAUSE AND SAY OKAY, AND
REALLY CONSIDER WHAT IT IS THEIR STATE SHOULD BE DOING TOO.
SO IT
IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO WE HAVE AT THE HELM OF CALIFORNIA, THIS
SENATE RACE IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A PROGRESSIVE IN THERE, NOT
JUST FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA BUT FOR THE COUNTRY, AND QUITE
FRANKLY FOR THE DNC.
WE HAVE TO GET THESE CORPORATE DEMOCRATS OUT.
>>LET ME TELL YOU ANOTHER FUN PART OF THIS DRAMATIC
ANNOUNCEMENT.
I WILL BE ALISON'S CAMPAIGN ADVISOR.
>>I LOVE THAT SMILE.
>>WE ARE COMING AT 100 MILES AN HOUR, THIS WILL NOT BE A NORMAL
CAMPAIGN.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY I AM ANIMATED BY IT, AND
ALISON, I SHARE YOUR SENTIMENT ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THIS RACE
IS, THAT'S WHY WE SPENT SO MUCH TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO
THE RIGHT CANDIDATE WAS, AND AS YOU MEET ALISON I THINK YOU
WILL SEE SHE'S THE PERFECT CANDIDATE, SHE WORKED FOR THE
LAST FIVE YEARS ON THE ISSUE THAT PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA,
PROGRESSIVES, CARE THE MOST ABOUT, SHE HAS A GREAT
BACKGROUND AS YOU WILL SEE, BUT WHEN YOU FIND OUT HOW
CONSERVATIVE DIANNE FEINSTEIN IS, IT'S UNCONSCIONABLE THAT SHE'S
OUR SENATOR IN CALIFORNIA.
SHE'S AGAINST MEDICARE FOR ALL, SHE'S
AGAINST COLLEGE FOR ALL, SHE SAYS IT'S IMPRACTICAL TO GIVE
YOUR KIDS FREE TUITION AND A SHOT AT THE AMERICAN DREAM, SHE
VOTED FOR THE IRAQ WAR, SHE VOTED FOR BUSH'S TAX CUTS.
SHE'S
FOR THE DEATH PENALTY, SHE'S FOR THE PATRIOT ACT, SHE'S NEVER
DONE ANYTHING ON MONEY AND POLITICS, SHE'S AGAINST
MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION, SHE SUPPORTS TPP, AND SHE OF COURSE
IS FOR WARRANTLESS WIRETAPPING, SHE'S GOT TO GO.
ALISON, YOU
SAY YOU ARE A TRUE PROGRESSIVE, OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE WILL WANT TO
KNOW ABOUT THAT.
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES YOU CARE ABOUT MOST?
>>IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO DIVORCE OR SEPARATE ONE ISSUE
FROM ANOTHER.
THEY ARE ALL CONNECTED, THEY ALL AFFECT EACH
OTHER.
THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF EVERY ISSUE THAT AFFECTS OUR
EVERYDAY LIVES IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND.
EDUCATION
AFFECTS PRISON AND THE HEALTHCARE AND THE ECONOMY
AFFECT ONE ANOTHER, SO WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS
AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT THE ONE THING THAT'S CONNECTED TO EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF THOSE ISSUES IS THE CORRUPTING ISSUE OF MONEY IN
OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM.
AND THAT IS WHY I HAVE SPENT THE LAST
FIVE YEARS OF MY LIFE FIGHTING TO GET A 28TH AMENDMENT TO THE
CONSTITUTION THAT WILL OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED AND EVERY OTHER
SUPREME COURT CASE THAT HAS GOTTEN OUR COUNTRY INTO THIS
MESS.
WE HAVE TO DO THAT, AND WHILE WE ARE DOING THAT WE ALSO
HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MEDICARE FOR ALL THROUGHOUT THE
COUNTRY, THAT WE HAVE A $15 MINIMAL WAGE TIED TO INFLATION,
EVERY HUMAN BEING DESERVES TO MAKE A LIVING WAGE.
AND WE NEED
TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS WHO EARN THEIR WAY INTO COLLEGE CAN
AFFORD IT, WE NEED FREE TUITION FOR COLLEGE.
WE NEED TO
DE-PRIVATIZE OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM, WE NEED TO
DE-PRIVATIZE ARE PRIVATE PRISONS AND DETENTION CENTERS, THE LIST
GOES ON, THEY ALL FEED ON ONE ANOTHER.
SO WE NEED PEOPLE IN
CONGRESS WHO ARE GOING TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALL THESE ISSUES
HAVE TO BE MOVING FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME.
>>DIANNE FEINSTEIN WILL RAISE A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS RACE AS
SHE ALWAYS DOES, AND SHE HAS TAKEN, IS IT TENS OR HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN LEGALIZED BRIBES?
>>IT'S UP THERE, SHE'S TAKEN MILLIONS FROM BIG PHARMA, FROM
DEFENSE CONTRACTORS, IT INFLUENCES HER DECISIONS.
AND
IT'S NO SURPRISE.
SHE IS WORTH AN ESTIMATED $80 MILLION.
>>IF SHE IS WORTH $80 MILLION AND SHE IS FIGHTING LIKE HELL TO
GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS, BLESS HER HEART.
BUT SHE'S HAD 25
YEARS IN THE SENATE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT MONEY IN
POLITICS, HAS SHE?
>>SHE HASN'T, AND THAT'S EXACTLY IT.
I'LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE,
BERNIE SANDERS INTRODUCED AN AMENDMENT OR RESOLUTION IN
CONGRESS IN 2015 THAT WOULD HELP TO GET A CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED RELATED CASES, AS I SPOKE
TO EARLIER.
NOT A SINGLE COSPONSOR ON THAT, THAT MEANS
DIANNE FEINSTEIN DID NOT COSPONSOR AND SUPPORT BERNIE
SANDERS'S AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION TO ADDRESS THE
NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT POLLS SHOW IS IN THE 90TH
PERCENTILE IN THE COUNTRY OF PEOPLE WANTING TO GET THIS
DONE, THAT CUTS ACROSS PARTY LINES.
>>SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL SAY HOW IS BERNIE GOING TO GET ANYTHING
DONE, AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET ANYTHING DONE IF YOU ARE A
PROGRESSIVE AND CONGRESS?
BUT YOU CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE
BECAUSE YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE PEOPLE LIKE SENATOR FEINSTEIN
WHO ARE DEEPLY CONSERVATIVE, AND BATHED IN BIG MONEY.
IF YOU
WANT PROGRESSIVES TO WIN, WHETHER IT'S ANY PROGRESSIVE IN
THE COUNTRY, NOT ASSOCIATED WITH JUSTICE DEMOCRATS OR YOUNG
TURKS -- GOOD EXAMPLE, BETO O'ROURKE, I INTERVIEWED HIM THE
OTHER DAY, HE DOESN'T TAKE ANY PAC MONEY, I WISH HE WOULD JOIN
US AT JUSTICE DEMOCRATS, HE HASN'T YET, BUT HE'S RUNNING
AGAINST TED CRUZ.
WE NEED TO DEFEAT TED CRUZ.
SAME WITH
ALISON, IF YOU DON'T GIVE THEN YOU CAN'T SAY HEY WE TRIED OR I
DID MY PART.
BY THE WAY IF YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER, GREAT.
>>PLEASE DO.
>>ALISON LED AN ARMY OF OVER A THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS IN
CALIFORNIA TO PASS THE WOLF PAC RESOLUTION.
FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T
KNOW, WHAT IS WOLF-PAC.COM, WHAT WAS THE RESOLUTION THAT
HAPPENED?
>>WOLFPAC IS WORKING ON MONEY AND POLITICS, SPECIFICALLY TO
GET THE 28TH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION.
WE ARE WORKING
STATE-BY-STATE TO PASS OUR RESOLUTIONS, TO MAKE SURE WE CAN
GET THAT AMENDMENT, AND IN CALIFORNIA IT WAS AJR-1, WE
PASSED IT IN 2014, AND MIKE GADO, REPRESENTATIVE MIKE GATTO,
OR A FORMER REPRESENTATIVE WHO IS THE SPONSOR OF THAT, HE,
ALONG WITH ANOTHER SENATOR, INTRODUCED IT BEFORE WOLFPAC
CAME TO HELP THEM, THEY WERE AHEAD OF THE CURVE.
SO WE HAVE
GOOD PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT WHO WANT TO GET THIS DONE BUT THEY
WERE STOPPED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF
PRESSURE AN ORGANIZATION FROM THE COMMUNITY SO THAT'S WHERE
WOLFPAC CAME IN.
WE CAME IN IN 2013, I STARTED ORGANIZING A
FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH, AND WE FIGURED IT OUT EVERY STEP OF
THE WAY AND WE EVENTUALLY GOT IT PASSED WITH THEIR HELP AND
WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
>>WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?
I KNOW BUT I WANT THE AUDIENCE TO
KNOW.
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN WOLFPAC?
YOU WERE A LOBBYIST
OR POLITICIAN?
>>I TAUGHT HIGH SCHOOL, I TAUGHT ENGLISH AND THEN I ALSO TAUGHT
AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS AT RISK OF NOT
GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL.
AND IT WAS THROUGH TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL
AND THE NUMBER OF -- THE IMPACT THAT SO MANY POLICIES HAD ON THE
WORKING CLASS COMMUNITY THAT I TAUGHT IN, AND ON MY OWN FAMILY,
THROUGH THE DECISIONS AROUND IMMIGRATION AND HEALTHCARE AND
MINIMUM-WAGE AND WHETHER OR NOT MY STUDENTS COULD AFFORD TO GO
TO COLLEGE, SHOULD THEY BOTHER REALLY WORKING SO HARD IN HIGH
SCHOOL -- ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER, I SAW HOW THESE
POLICIES WERE AFFECTING REAL, EVERYDAY LIVES.
AND I FINALLY
SAW THAT IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY IN OUR
POLITICAL SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO GET INVOLVED
IN THE MOVEMENT AND IT WAS THROUGH THAT THAT I FOUND
WOLFPAC, THROUGH DOING A GOOGLE SEARCH ONLINE.
>>WHAT DO I TELL PEOPLE?
JUST GOOGLE IT.
>>IT'S WORTH A GOOGLE.
>>YES.
I WILL KEEP ON SAYING IT, J-DEMS, JUSTICE DEMOCRATS,
JDEMS.US/ALISON.
YOU GOOGLE IT, OKAY, THERE ARE A MILLION,
GROUPS WORKING ON THIS, ONE OF THEM IS NOT DIANNE FEINSTEIN --
>>SHOCKER.
>>WHY DID YOU CHOOSE WOLFPAC?
DID YOU WATCH THE YOUNG TURKS OR SOMETHING?
>>I ACTUALLY HAD NO IDEA WHO YOU WERE, CENK.
>>GOD BLESS YOU.
>>I READ THE PLAN ONLINE AND IT WAS NOT ONLY THE MOST LOGICAL
PLAN BUT IT WAS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE ONE, AND I UNDERSTAND
AND I KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY AND THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA IN PARTICULAR UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ISSUE OF
OUR DEMOCRACY BEING CORRODED BY THE WEALTHY ELITE WHO ARE
INCAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING -- NOT NECESSARILY BAD PEOPLE BUT
INCAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES WE DEAL WITH, IS SYSTEMIC
AND IT'S URGENT, IT'S A FIERCELY URGENT.
WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING
WE CAN NOW AND THAT'S WHY I MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO LEAVE
TEACHING TO DO THIS FULL-TIME.
>>BY THE WAY, WOLF-PAC.COM IF YOU WANT TO HELP THAT CAUSE.
IF
YOU WANT TO HELP JUSTICE DEMOCRATS OVERALL, JUSTICE
DEMOCRATS.COM/WIN.
I AGREE THAT THE CALIFORNIA RACE IS
MONUMENTALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF PROGRESSIVES WHEN IN
CALIFORNIA -- AND BY THE WAY, WHY DOESN'T CALIFORNIA HAVE A
PROGRESSIVE SENATOR?
OUR SENIOR SENATOR SHOULD BE INCREDIBLY
PROGRESSIVE, FOX NEWS SHOULD BE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SENATOR
FROM CALIFORNIA EVERY DAY BUT THEY ALMOST NEVER DO, WE HAVE AN
INCREDIBLY CONSERVATIVE SENATOR.
ALISON, A FINAL THOUGHT HERE,
FEINSTEIN, EVERYONE SAYS NO, SHE'S BEEN IN POLITICS FOR HALF
A CENTURY, SHE HAS ALL THIS ESTABLISHMENT LOCKED UP, ALMOST
ALL THE ENDORSEMENTS, SHE IS GOING TO GO TO THE DEFENSE
CONTRACTORS AND HEALTHCARE COMPANIES AND RAISE ALL THAT
MONEY, YOU CAN'T WIN.
WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER TO THAT?
>>THAT'S THE REASON I WILL WIN, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE DONE WITH
THAT.
AS LONG AS WE GET OUT AND VOTE AND HELP ME TO GET THE WORD
OUT, LET'S DO THIS TOGETHER -- THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME, THIS IS
ABOUT US.
ALL OF US HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AND SHOW UP EVERY
SINGLE DAY TO MAKE UP FOR THE MONEY SHE'S GOING TO RAISE,
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO.
>>SO NO PACS.
>>NO PACS, NO CORPORATE MONEY.
>>IT IS ON YOU GUYS.
IF YOU WANT A PROGRESSIVE SENATOR YOU HAVE
TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, AND IF YOU DO IT IN CALIFORNIA IT OPENS THE
DOOR TO EVERY OTHER RACE, EVERY MEDIA PERSON IN THE COUNTRY
ALWAYS SAYS PROGRESSIVES NEVER WIN.
AND IF PROGRESSIVES WHEN IN
CALIFORNIA THAT WILL SHOCK THE WORLD AND THEN GET THEM TO GO
MAYBE ANOTHER PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATE CAN WIN.
IF THE
SO-CALLED MIGHTY FEINSTEIN FALLS, THEN ANYTHING IS
POSSIBLE.
THAT OPENS UP ALL THE OTHER 2018 RACES, ESPECIALLY IF
WE HAVE HER ON THE ROPES, LET ALONE 2020 WHICH WILL BE
MONUMENTAL.
THIS IS YOUR ONE SHOT AT THE DEATH STAR, SO LET'S
GO GET 'EM.
MY ROLE AS CAMPAIGN ADVISOR WILL BE VOLUNTARY,
INFORMAL, I'M ACTING AS A PERSON HERE, NOT AS THE GUY WHO RUNS
THE COMPANY OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES -- OBVIOUSLY ON THIS
SHOW WE CARE ABOUT THE ISSUES, WE AREN'T LIKE THE REST OF THE
MEDIA WHERE I'M NEUTRAL, MAYBE PEOPLE ON DEATH ROW WHO ARE
INNOCENT, MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE EXECUTED ANYWAY -- KNOW THEY
SHOULDN'T.
150 PEOPLE WERE ON DEATH ROW WHO WE LATER FOUND OUT
WERE INNOCENT, I DON'T WANT A SENATOR WHO IS FOR THE DEATH
PENALTY.
I DON'T WANT A SENATOR WHO IS NEVER GOING TO TRY TO GET
MONEY OUT OF POLITICS OR MEDICARE FOR ALL, SO YES, I,
CENK UYGUR, CARE.
AND YES, WE ARE GOING TO DEFEAT HER.
LET'S
MAKE IT HAPPEN.