THERE YOU GO!
LOUIS -- >> HEY!
>> Stephen: LOUIS!
TEPHEN!
>> Stephen: I SEE -- YOU SEE.
>> Stephen: TONIGHT, YOU GUYS -- YOU ALWAYS SOUND GOOD
BUT YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE EX IS A ZIP IN THE HORN SECTION TONIGHT.
TELL US WHO IS JOINING THE BAND THIS EVENING.
>> WE HAVE JEFFERY MILLER ON TROMBONE AND THE ONE AND ONLY
ALPHONSO HORNE ON THE HORN.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: GENTLEMEN, THANKS
FOR JOINING US AGAIN.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
MY FIRST GUEST SERVED THREE TERMS AS A CONGRESSMAN FROM
TEXAS, RAN FOR SENATE IN 2018, AND PRESIDENT IN 2020.
NOW HE'S A CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR OF TEXAS.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," BETO O'ROURKE!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
BETO O'ROURKE, EVERYBODY!
>> THANKS.
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
THERE'S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.
LET ME JUST GET RIGHT INTO THE HEAT OF THE MEAT HERE.
THE JANUARY 6th COMMITTEE HELD ITS FIFTH HEARING TODAY.
SOME DOUBT GOING INTO THIS PROCESS ABOUT HOW INFORMATIVE IT
WOULD BE, HOW MUCH THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO CONNECT THE DOTS, HOW
INTERESTED PEOPLE WOULD BE.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE HEARINGS SO FAR?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL THAT OUR COUNTRY IS
DOING THIS BECAUSE, IF WE DON'T HAVE TRUTH, IF THERE IS NO
ACCOUNTABILITY, THEN IT SETS THE PRECEDENT THAT THOSE IN THE
HIGHEST POSITIONS OF PUBLIC TUST CAN BREAK THE LAW WITH
COMPLETE IMPUNITY.
AND THOUGH TRUMP WASN'T SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS ATTEMPTED
COUP AND INSURRECTION, IT WILL SET THE STAGE FOR EITHER TRUMP
IN ANOTHER YEAR OR SOMEBODY ELSE WHO IS JUST AS AMBITIOUS AN
WILLING TO DISREGARD THE CONSTITUTION, OUR LAWS AND 246
YEARS OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
SO WITH ACCOUNTABILITY, WITH CONSEQUENCES, THEN PERHAPS THIS
TRULY IS AN EXCEPTIONAL EVENT, AND WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE
IT AGAIN.
BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, IN TEXAS, WHERE IT IS HARDER TO
CAST A BALLOT OR REGISTER TO VOTE THAN IN ANY OTHER STATE
MADE SO LAST YEAR BY OUR GOVERNOR WHO SIGNED SOME
TRUMP-INSPIRED LEGISLATION, YOU KNOW, THIS INSURRECTION ATTEMPT
IS NOT OVER.
IT'S ROLLING THROUGH OUR STATES, COMING OUT OF OUR LEGISLATURES,
MAKING IT HARDER AND HARDER FOR MORE PEOPLE TO CAST A BALLOT AND
BEGGING THE QUESTION WHETHER WE'LL HAVE A DEMOCRACY GOING
FORWARD UNLESS WE STAND AND FIGHT FOR IT RIGHT NOW.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELL, ONE OF THE
WAYS GOVERNOR ABBOTT DISTINGUISHED TEXAS IN THE PAST
YEAR IS THAT Y'ALL WERE PIONEERS IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS.
GOVERNOR ABBOTT SIGNED A LAW THAT HAD SOME OF THE MOST
RESTRICTIVE VOTING LAWS PUT IN PLACE, AS THE BEGINNING TO HAVE
THIS WAVE, JUST HAD THE PRIMARIES IN MARCH WHERE YOU
RECEIVED THE NOMINATION FROM THE DEMOCRATS FOR GOVERNOR DOWN
THERE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, IN THE
PRIMARIES IN TEXAS, WHAT WAS THE EFFECT OF THOSE RESTRICTIVE
VOTING LAWS?
DID YOU SEE A CHANGE?
>> WE DID.
SO 13% OF THE MAIL-IN BALLOTS CAST WERE REJECTED, AND THOSE
WERE DEMOCRATIC VOTERS, INDEPENDENT VOTERS, REPUBLICAN
VOTERS.
>> Stephen: IS THAT HIGH?
THE HIGH WATER MARK BEFORE WAS 1%.
>> Stephen: WENT FROM 1% TO 13% IN A SINGLE CYCLE?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
IF WE WERE WATCHING THE NEWS AND CUBA TODAY HAD ELECTIONS AND 13%
OF THE BALLOTS WERE REJECTED, WE WOULD SAY THAT SOUNDS ABOUT
RIGHT.
TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN IN THIS COUNTRY AND, CASE IN POINT,
95-YEAR-OLD WORLD WAR II VETERAN, THIS GUY FOUGHT FASCISM
HALF A WORLD AWAY TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY HERE AT HOME, HIS
BALLOT BY MAIL REQUEST WAS REJECTED THREE TIMES BECAUSE THE
NEW LAW SAYS THAT IN ORDER TO VOTE BY MAIL YOU HAVE TO USE THE
SAME FORM OF I.D. WITH WHICH YOU USED TO REGISTER EVEN IF YOU DID
IN 1940.
THIS GUY CAN BE FORGIVEN FOR NOT REMEMBERING WHAT I.D. HE USED IN
1940.
REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, DOES NOT MATTER, FOR THIS GUY OF ANY
AMERICAN WHO EARNED THE RIGHT TO VOTE, ALSO THIS MAN.
FOR HIM TO NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE IN TEXAS JUST SHOWS YOU THE WORK
WE'VE GOT TO DO.
I'M UP FOR IT AND THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS ARE UP FOR IT.
WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THERE'S A FAIR
AMOUNT OF CRAZY AT THE TEXAS REPUBLICAN CONVENTION JUST LAST
WEEK.
A COUPLE OF THINGS HAPPENED.
ONE IS THEY VOTED UNDER THE PLATFORM THAT JOE BIDEN IS NOT
LEGITIMATELY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
BUT THEY ALSO DID CRAZY THINGS, ADDING SOMETHING THEY NEVER DID
BEFORE, WHICH IS CALLING HOMOSEXUALITY AN ABERRANT
LIFESTYLE.
IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AT LEAST
OFFICIALLY, IS THAT REFLECTIVE TO HAVE THE REPUBLICANS YOU MEET
IN TEXAS OR ARE THESE EXTREMISTS WHO HAVE CONTROL OF THE PARTY?
>> NO, THESE ARE THE EXTREMISTS, BUT CONNECTED TO WHAT WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, I THINK IT REINFORCES THE IDEA PROGRESS
IS NOT INEVITABLE.
NO VICTORY IS EVER FINAL, NO DEMOCRACY IS EVER ASSURED.
WE HAD THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT SIGNED INTO LAW BY A TEXAS
PRESIDENT IN 1965, LINDEN -- LYNDEN BAYNES JOHNSON.
IN THE LAST TEN YEARS AFTER THE SHELBY DECISION, THOSE RIGHT
HAVE BEEN STRIPPED AWAY.
TEXAS WHICH PRODUCED JANE ROE OF ROE v. WADE AND SARAH COFFEE
AND HER TWO ATTORNEYS WHO SUCCESSFULLY PREVAILED ON AN ALL
MALE SUPREME COURT TO MAKE ABORTION LEGAL 49 YEARS AGO,
THAT'S THE STATE THAT OUTLAWED ABORTION BEGINNING AT CONCEPTION
WITH NO EXCEPTION FOR RAPE OR INCEST.
SAME FOR GAY MARRIAGE.
YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THIS ISSUE WAS SETTLED.
TEXAS LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK.
NOW, THAT IS NOT US.
I WANT THE PEOPLE IN AMERICA OUTSIDE OF TEXAS TO KNOW THIS.
IT IS NOT WHO WE ARE.
IT'S NOT DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS OR INDEPENDENTS IN THE STATE.
IT IS THOSE WHO HOLD POWER TODAY.
THE BEST WAY TO CHALLENGE THIS, CHECK THIS AND OVERCOME IT IS TO
WIN POLITICAL POWER ON NOVEMBER 8th.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE IN THIS RACE TO GET TEXAS BACK TO A PLACE WHERE
WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF IT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WE'LL TAKE A QUICK
BREAK.
BACK WITH MORE BETO O'ROURKE, EVERYBODY.
STICK AROUND.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )