MY FIRST GUESTS ARE THREE FORMER OBAMA STAFFERS WHO WENT
ON TO START A PODCAST EMPIRE.
PLEASE WELCOME JON FAVREAU, JON LOVETT,
AND TOMMY VIETOR!
♪ ♪ ♪
( APPLAUSE )
WELCOME BACK.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> Stephen: HOW ARE YOU GUYS HOLDING UP POD SAVING AMERICA?
EVERY DAY YOU SEE NEW THINGS.
I WISH I HAD A GIFT FOR YOU.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ALABAMA GUACAMOLE BAN.
WHAT GOES-- AGAIN, HILARIOUS.
WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU SEE LAWS LIKE THIS BEING
PASSED IN STATE AFTER STATE, WHEN THEY SAY SPECIFICALLY, "WE
DON'T WANT THIS LAW.
WE WANT YOU TO KNOW, WE DON'T ACTUALLY LIKE THIS LAW.
IT'S JUST FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE."
>> WELL, IT'S CLEARLY, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER, IT'S A PLAY
TO GET IN FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT.
I MEAN, BANS LIKE THIS WE'VE SEEN DON'T END ABORTION.
THEY MAKE ABORTION MORE DANGEROUS AND PUT WOMEN'S LIVES
AT RISK.
AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS HERE.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: NOW THERE HAVE BEEN-- THERE HAVE BEEN
INCREMENTAL CHANGES TO ABORS LAWS AROUND THE COUNTRY OVER THE
LAST 10 YEARS.
WHY-- WHY ARE-- WHY ARE THESE LAWS GETTING SO MUCH MORE
ATTENTION?
>> BRETT KAVANAUGH SIT ON THE SUPREME COURT OF SUPREME COURT
NOW, AND THEY THINK THAT THEY HAVE A CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY,
AND IF THEY GET THESE LAWS TO THE COURT, THEY BELIEVE THAT HE
WILL HELP OVERTURN "ROE V.
WADE," AND -- >> Stephen: BUT SUSAN COLLINS
SAID-- >> GOOD VOTE, SUSAN COLLINS.
HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY.
>> Stephen: SHE SAID IT'S SETTLED LAW.
>> I DON'T THINK SUSAN COLLINS EVER REALLY SEEMS THAT HAPPY.
>> Stephen: NO, SHE DOESN'T, SHE DOESN'T.
MAYBE THAT'S HAPPY FOR A MAINER.
I'M NOT SURE.
MAYBE THAT'S-- THEY'RE A TACITURN PEOPLE.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOES FOR HAPPY UP THERE.
YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT'S A STRANGE PLACE.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK IT WILL WORK.
IT'S A 5-4 CONSERVATIVE-LIBERAL COURT RIGHT NOW WITH, STRANGELY,
THE SWING VOTE BEING JOHN ROBERTS.
>> THE THIS LAW IS SO EGREGIOUS THAT PAT ROBERTSON SAID HE
THOUGHT IT WAS A MISTAKE.
THEY ARE CHIPPING AWAY AT ABORTION ACCESS IN STATE AFTER
STATE WAS JON SAID, THE HOPE OF RUNNING IT UP TO THE SUPREME
COURT HOPING "ROE" WILL BE OVERTURNED.
DEMOCRATS NEED TO WIN BACK THE SENATE AND WIN BACK THE WHITE
HOUSE AND PREVENT JUSTICES LIKE CAVANAUGH FROM GETTING THE VOTE.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE KIND OF ISSUE THAT
PERHAPS THE PRESIDENT OR THE REPUBLICANS WOULD LIKE TO RUN
ON, LIKE THE 2004 PROPOSED GAY MARRIAGE BAN, YOU KNOW, THE GUY
MARRIAGE BAN BECAUSE IT'S A TURN-OUT ISSUE FOR THEM?
>> I ACTUALLY DON'T THINK IT IS.
IF YOU LOOK AT POLLING ON THIS, EVEN PEOPLE WHO SAY-- WHO
SELF-IDENTIFY AS PROLIFE, A THIRD OF THOSE PEOPLE STILL
BELIEVE THAT ABORTION SHOULD BE MOSTLY LEGAL.
SO THIS IS NOT A WINNING ISSUE FOR THEM.
AND I THINK WE'LL SEE THAT-- LOOK, IF PEOPLE WANT TO DO
SOMETHING EVEN BEFORE THE ELECTION, YOU CAN DONATE TO THE
YELLOW HAMMER FUND, WHICH WILL HELP PROTECT ABORTION ACCESS IN
ALABAMA.
YOU CAN DONATE TO THE A.C.L.U.
THEY'RE GOING TO SUE THE STATE OF ALABAMA.
THEY'VE WON BEFORE WHEN IT'S COME TO ABORTION CASES.
( APPLAUSE )
IMPORTANT THING IS A REMINDER THAT STATE ELECTIONS AND LOCAL
ELECTIONS MATTER.
THEY MATTER JUST AS MUCH AS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
( APPLAUSE )
LAUNCHED "VOTE SAVE AMERICA" LAST YEAR.
WE'RE RELAUNCHING IT THIS WEEK.
IT'S BACK.
YOU CAN GO ON THE WEBSITE.
YOU CAN CHECK TO SEE IF YOU'RE REGISTERED TO VOTE.
YOU CAN FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP AND VOLUNTEER, AND THERE'S
A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER INFORMATION THERE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF LOCAL AND STATE ELECTIONS IN 2019 AND THEY
REALLY MATTER AS WE SAW THIS WEEK.
>> LOOK, THERE ARE PROBABLY A LOT OF TEENS WATCHING THIS
SPECIFIC EPISODE OF YOUR SHOW.
BECAUSE-- BECAUSE B.L.T. IS GOING TO BE ON.
B.R.B.
>> Stephen: DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS.
>> B.-- B.-- >> Stephen: NO, NO, YOU'RE
RIGHT.
>> Stephen: TOMMY, YOU WERE OBAMA'S--
>> THEY SHOULD REGISTER.
THAT WAS POINT.
THEY SHOULD REGISTER TO VOTE, TEENS, BTS TEENS.
>> Stephen: YOU GOT TO GET TO THE JOKE FIRST, EVEN IF IT
UNDERMINES DEMOCRACY, YOU HAVE TO GET TO THE JOKE FIRST.
TOMMY, YOU WERE OBAMA'S NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN.
HOW MUCH INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT DO YOU THINK THERE IS RIGHT NOW
FOR TRUMP'S ESCALATING OF THE SWORD RATTLE AGAINST IRAN?
>> I'M SURE THE SAUDIS WOULD LOVE US TO FIGHT A WAR FOR THEM
AGAINST IRAN.
BUT I THINK EVERYONE ELSE THINKS IT'S CRAZY BECAUSE THIS FEELS
LIKE IRAQ 2.0.
YOU HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION THAT WANTS REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN.
JOHN BOLTON HAS SAID WE SHOULD BOMB IRAN.
WE WAKE UP AND SEE HE'S SENT AN AIRCRAFT CARRIERS TO THE GULF.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTED HE'S CONSIDERING SENDING 120,000
TROOPS TO THE MIDDLE EAST IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS.
THAT IS AN INVASION-SIZE FORCE.
THAT IS EXACTLY-- BASICALLY THE NUMBER OF TROOPS WE SENT INTO
IRAQ WHICH GOT US TO BAGHDAD AND LED US INTO A QUAGMIRE FOR A
DECADE.
>> Stephen: IS THAT TROLLING FOR A WAR?
>> IT IS CERTAINLY PROVOKING IRAN.
WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CRUSH THEIR ECONOMY WITH SANCTIONS.
WE HAVE DESIGNATED A KEY PART OF THEIR MILITARY AS A TERRORIST
GROUP.
AND SO WE'RE BACKING THEM INTO A CORNER, AND THERE'S NO
NEGOTIATIONS HAPPENING AS AN OFF RAMP.
SO PEOPLE NEED TO BE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THIS.
CONGRESS NEEDS TO STEP UP.
THE PRESS HAS TO STOP PUBLISHING BACKGROUND QUOTES ABOUT
INTELLIGENCE THAT NO ONE HAS SEEN THAT ALLEGES IRAN IS DOING
SOME SORT OF NEFARIOUS THING OR SABOTAGING SHIPS.
I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT-- THIS IS A RED ALERT.
>> Stephen: I'LL TAKE ONE EXCEPTION WITH WHAT YOU SAID,
THIS IS IRAQ 2.0.
I REMEMBER THE RUN-UP TO THE IRAQ WAR IN 2003, AND THAT WAS,
JUSTIFIED OR NOT, THAT WAS SOLD TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THAT WAS ROLLEDLY OUT WITH RATIONALES AND PUTTING PEOPLE'S
REPUTATIONS ON THE LINE, AND COLIN POWELL HAVE WA VIAL OF
DUST SAYING I PROMISE YOU IT'S ALL THERE.
THE SALE ISN'T EVEN HAPPENING IN THE UNITED STATES NOW.
>> THERE ARE NOT REPUTATIONS LEFT ON THE LINE.
>> Stephen: I SUPPOSE SO.
BUT EVEN A JUSTIFIED WAR-- EVEN A JUSTIFIED WAR HAS TO BE
EXPLAINED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT
BEING EXPLAINED TO US.
THERE'S JUST A CARRIER GROUP IN THE PERSIAN GULF NOW.
>> UNLESS THERE'S A PRETECTS.
IN VIETNAM WE HAD THE GULF OF TONKEN.
IN IRAQ WE WERE LIED TO ABOUT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTIONS.
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PERIODS IN OUR HISTORY WHERE WE SOLD
PEOPLE ON A WAR BECAUSE WE SAID IT WAS DEFENSIVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WORRIES ME MOST.
THE STATE OF HORMUZ, THAT REGION, THINGS CAN GO WRONG
BECAUSE OF MISCOMMUNICATION, MISCALCULATION, SOMETHING BAD
CAN HAPPEN AND ESCALATE VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK, AND WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK
WITH MORE "POD SAVE AMERICA."
I WILL ASK THEM ABOUT SOME OF THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES.
STICK AROUND.