WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.320 --> 00:00:06.280 It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio. 2 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:09.160 Nicole, you never have to get out of the way 3 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:11.800 with me, Thank you very much. As always, twelve before 4 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:14.800 over the pirates. I hope that duck boats are ready. 5 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:17.079 My name is Dan Ray. As we head to this 6 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:20.320 what I think will be a very interesting evening for 7 00:00:20.440 --> 00:00:23.800 all of us. Rob Brooks back in Broadcast Central at 8 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:29.920 Broadcast Headquarters in Medford. He will basically take care of 9 00:00:30.039 --> 00:00:35.439 everything tonight. A couple of programming notes. First of all, 10 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:39.079 welcome on in. Always great to have you. This is 11 00:00:39.159 --> 00:00:41.439 kind of one of those special different nights. So let 12 00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:43.759 me explain how it's going to go tonight. In the 13 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:47.079 first hour, I would like to find out from you 14 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:52.640 either what you expect or what you hope President Trump 15 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:55.719 will say tonight. Now, this is not a State of 16 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:59.200 the Union address. Let's make it very clear. This is 17 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:01.479 not a State of the Union address. This is an 18 00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:07.719 address by the president, his first speech to Congress since 19 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:12.959 his last presidential address, which was a State of the 20 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:16.400 Union message, and that was in twenty twenty. I think 21 00:01:16.439 --> 00:01:22.079 we all remember when Nancy Pelosi made quite a presentation 22 00:01:22.200 --> 00:01:25.359 of ripping up his speech and just short of throwing 23 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:28.159 it in his face. I don't think that's going to 24 00:01:28.200 --> 00:01:31.400 happen to I think that the current House Speaker, Mike 25 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:35.680 Johnson will probably applaud quite a bit, as will all 26 00:01:35.719 --> 00:01:38.719 of the Republicans, which is to be expected. And the Democrats. 27 00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:43.480 They seem to be somewhat disorganized and maybe intentionally so. 28 00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:45.680 As to what they will do, whether they will attend, 29 00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:48.560 whether they will sit on their hands, or whether they 30 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:52.159 will express their discontent with what is said, it will 31 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:56.840 be interesting. Obviously, the program of the evening is controlled 32 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:02.640 by President Trump and the Republican Party. Because he speaks 33 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:05.879 in the House Chamber, there will be plenty of Republicans, 34 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.960 he will have guests there, and it will be interesting. 35 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:13.639 I suspect that he will certainly talk about Ukraine late today. 36 00:02:13.639 --> 00:02:19.680 There's some suggestion that that deal which was wasn't consummated 37 00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:24.080 on Friday in the Oval Office, may soon be signed. 38 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:29.840 I don't know if President Zelensky would return to Washington 39 00:02:29.960 --> 00:02:32.479 signed the deal personally, or whether or not it would 40 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:35.800 be done on a zoom call. Who knows with an 41 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:40.719 auto pen. Now whatever, he'll certainly have to talk about tariffs. 42 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.360 The stock market has tanked in the last couple of days, 43 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:49.319 he's followed through those tariffs and now on in twenty 44 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:53.639 five percent against Canada, twenty five percent against Mexico, and 45 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:56.840 has raised the tariffs on the US tariffs on goods 46 00:02:56.840 --> 00:03:00.280 coming in from China from ten to twenty percent. Now 47 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:05.159 the Prime Minister of Canada, he's a short timer. He 48 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:08.319 probably will be off the political stage and certainly off 49 00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:12.039 the world political stage sometime later this month. The President 50 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:17.199 of Mexico, Claudier Scheinbaum. She was just only elected in 51 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:21.680 October twenty twenty four, so again not really understanding how 52 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:25.000 things work in Mexico per se. I think that she 53 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:28.840 will be around for the long haul, and President Trump 54 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:33.159 will be around, I assume for the long haul as well, 55 00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:36.000 or at least for the balance of his first term, 56 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:40.719 unless something crazy happens, either politically or anything like that. 57 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:43.759 But we'll put that aside for the moment now. The 58 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:48.000 Democrats will respond as they off, as they always do. 59 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:51.159 There's always a response from the party that no longer 60 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:54.120 holds the White House, and that response will be delivered 61 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:59.520 by Michigan Senator Alissa Slotkin. She has only been a 62 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:02.479 United Senator for two months previously to that she served 63 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:05.960 in the House. You will hear her response as well, 64 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:09.240 and I think it's important to hear both sides. She's 65 00:04:09.240 --> 00:04:13.120 a Cornell graduate, has a BA in sociology. Will know 66 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:15.840 a lot more about her. I assume in the days ahead. 67 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:20.120 She has a master's from Columbia University, a school of 68 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:25.560 International and Public Affairs. Now. The Democratic minority leader in 69 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:28.480 the House, Hakim Jeffries, urged in a letter to his 70 00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:32.360 House colleagues tonight to be strong, determined and dignified, Strong 71 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:37.600 determined and dignified. Whether all will comply with that request? 72 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:40.759 That is to be seen, by the way, getting back 73 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:47.639 to Senator Slatkin, she's considered a moderate Democrat, more of 74 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:51.759 I guess, a traditional Democrat, as opposed to say, Elizabeth Warren. 75 00:04:51.800 --> 00:04:53.839 I don't think they would be rolling Elizabeth Warren out 76 00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:57.120 for a response to the president tonight, and they have 77 00:04:57.319 --> 00:05:02.519 chosen newly elected Senator Elissa Slotkin. Kind of an interesting 78 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:06.439 little point on her. She was born in July of 79 00:05:07.160 --> 00:05:11.079 nineteen seventy six, so she's forty eight years of age 80 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:16.639 and or will be yes, she's forty eight two be 81 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:19.439 forty nine years of age this July. She was born 82 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:24.120 in July tenth, just six days after the bicentennial that 83 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:27.879 this country celebrated in the summer of nineteen seventy six. 84 00:05:28.439 --> 00:05:31.399 She was one of about six Democrats who voted for 85 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:37.680 the lacoln Riley Act, which is an act named in 86 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:45.079 honor of lacln Riley, the Georgia University student who was 87 00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:48.879 killed by someone here who should not have been here 88 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:52.079 a little less than a year ago. She was simply 89 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:55.800 out for a jog. Now, the President has a list 90 00:05:55.959 --> 00:06:01.720 of guests that he and his wife, Milennia Trump are 91 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.879 bringing to the speech. He will reference several of them, 92 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:08.839 I'm sure during the speech that is something that has 93 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:12.680 been done for quite a while. Amongst the guests who 94 00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:18.519 you know or have some reason to know, he will 95 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:25.680 have the family of Corey Competii Competori. He's the firefighter 96 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:28.439 who was killed by a gunman who also shot President 97 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:32.160 Trump during that campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last July. 98 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:38.439 He'll also be joined by Mark Fogel. He's the American 99 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:41.680 history teacher who also happens to be from Butler, Pennsylvania, 100 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:45.199 who is held hostaged by the Russian government and wrongfully 101 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:48.040 sentenced to fourteen years in a Russian prison. He was 102 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:51.519 released on February twelfth, and he was received by President 103 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:54.959 Trump at the White House on the day of that 104 00:06:55.040 --> 00:07:00.439 assassination attempt. The story goes that President Trump I met 105 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:04.800 Mark's ninety five year old mom. Her name was Malphine, 106 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:07.240 and he apparently made a promise to her that he 107 00:07:07.240 --> 00:07:11.360 would bring her son home. And he fulfilled that promise 108 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:17.240 on February twelfth. And there will be others for different issues, 109 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:20.720 a lot of them related to different issues. For example, 110 00:07:20.759 --> 00:07:26.079 Alison and Lauren Phillips from Woodstock, Virginia. They are the 111 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:29.240 mother and sister of Lacoln Riley, the young woman nursing 112 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:32.560 student murdered by an illegal alien after a morning jog. 113 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:38.399 The Biden administration had apprehended and released Lacoln's murderer into 114 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:41.839 the county under its open border policies, and the very 115 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:44.720 first bill the President signed into law was named in 116 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:47.920 honor of lacln Riley. And I'm reading from a press 117 00:07:47.959 --> 00:07:51.639 release from the White House there, obviously, I would hope 118 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:57.600 that you'd understand that. And there will be some representatives 119 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:01.600 guests brought by Democrats to the speech. Many of them 120 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:08.120 will be either current or recently terminated federal employees. So 121 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:13.600 it sets what all of these events are, big political drama, 122 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:16.680 there's no question about that, and we'll talk about this. 123 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:19.879 By the way, there will be a Spanish response. We 124 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:22.920 will play not only obviously the President's speech in its entirety, 125 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:26.639 and then there will be an ABC News quick cover 126 00:08:27.079 --> 00:08:33.399 while the Democrat again, Senator Slotkin of Michigan, pulls your 127 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:36.919 thoughts together. But there's also going to be a Spanish 128 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:42.440 response by a congressman from New York, Adriana Esparlat. He 129 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:47.120 represents the thirteenth Congressional district. He is seventy years old, 130 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:51.759 first elected to Congress I believe in twenty sixteen. He's 131 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:55.559 the first Dominican American to serve in the House of Representatives. 132 00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:59.639 And he's also formed he's now the first formally illegal 133 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:03.600 immigr to be elected to Congress. So a very interesting 134 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:07.360 life story with that member of Congress against the backdrop 135 00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:12.320 of the Dow, the SNP, and the Nasdaq Wall Street 136 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:15.679 really taking a dive the last two days. So we 137 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:19.559 will see how the President talks about that. And incidentally, 138 00:09:19.639 --> 00:09:24.279 these sorts of addresses to Congress have only been of 139 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:29.559 recent vintage Ronald Reagan was the first who delivered a 140 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:33.120 speech in nineteen eighty one, shortly after he was elected 141 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:37.240 and before he himself was the victim of an assassination attempt. 142 00:09:37.879 --> 00:09:40.600 George Herbert Walker Bush did the same thing in nineteen 143 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:42.960 eighty nine. Bill Clinton did the same thing in ninety three. 144 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:45.159 George W. Bush did the same thing in two thousand 145 00:09:45.159 --> 00:09:48.159 and one. President Obama did the same thing in two 146 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:52.080 thousand and nine, and President Trump carried on the tradition 147 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:57.159 as did Joe Biden. So Ever since Ronald Reagan, presidents 148 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:02.320 have a given speeches to Congress, not State of the 149 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:06.000 Union speeches, although in effect they will sound like a 150 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:10.159 State of the Union speech. So, having set the table now, 151 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:12.840 I would like to hear from all of you. Normally 152 00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:16.360 at this hour we're talking to four guests. The only 153 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:18.240 guest this hour of those of you who want to 154 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:20.919 dial six seven two five four ten thirty or six 155 00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:25.720 seven nine three ten thirty. What are you looking for 156 00:10:25.799 --> 00:10:28.440 the president to say? What is most important to you? 157 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:31.639 What is his strongest card to play, what is his 158 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:35.080 weakest card to play? I feel like I'm channeling the 159 00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:38.159 meeting in the Oval Office the other day. What issue 160 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:40.600 has he done best on in your opinion, or what 161 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:44.159 issue has he done worst on? And I think there's 162 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:47.320 plenty of issues to pick on both sides of that equation. 163 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:49.080 All you have to do is give us a call. 164 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:53.039 We will stop phone calls at nine o'clock and then 165 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:55.960 we'll listen to the speech which will be which we 166 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.600 will get through ABC News. There will be a little 167 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.720 bit of interlude where some of their analysts will tell 168 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:05.799 us what they thought about the speech, and they'll preview 169 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:08.679 the Democratic response, and then we'll listen to the speech 170 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:13.480 from the UH junior senator from Michigan, ALYSSA Slutkin, and 171 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:15.919 at that point it'll be back to us for your 172 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:21.000 reaction post speech. So jump on board six one seven, two, five, 173 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:24.080 four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. 174 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:29.200 Don't be shy and realize that that this is one 175 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:32.000 of the very rear eight o'clock hours in the last 176 00:11:32.360 --> 00:11:36.279 twenty or so months that you actually can call in 177 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:41.600 and predict, uh analyze what this is. This is your 178 00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:45.600 opportunity to tell the nation what you expect the president 179 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:49.519 to say or to or to UH not to say tonight. 180 00:11:49.960 --> 00:11:52.080 This is Nightside. My name is Dan Ray reminding you 181 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:55.639 of the iHeart app. New and improved iHeart app is available. 182 00:11:55.720 --> 00:12:00.200 I've downloaded it. You can make WBZ ten thirty your 183 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:03.200 go to preset, which makes it so easy to get 184 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:05.960 to Night's Side or anywhere on wb Z during the 185 00:12:06.039 --> 00:12:08.440 day three hundred and sixty five days a year twenty 186 00:12:08.440 --> 00:12:12.759 four to seven. Makes listening so easy, whether you're at home, 187 00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:15.639 on the road, or I don't know, taking a stroll 188 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:18.840 across Boston Common. Join the conversation. We'll be right back 189 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:19.559 on Nightside. 190 00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:23.240 Now back to Dan ray line from the Window World 191 00:12:23.399 --> 00:12:26.519 Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio. 192 00:12:27.960 --> 00:12:30.960 All right, here we go, gonna get reaction from folks 193 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:33.480 in advance. What do you hope the President's going to say? 194 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:36.000 What do you think he's going to say? What do 195 00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:37.600 you think he might try to avoid? Let me go 196 00:12:37.639 --> 00:12:41.399 to Joe, who is a longtime listener and a very 197 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:45.679 loyal follower of this program. Joe your first this hour Nightside, 198 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:47.360 Go ahead, Joe, Dan, I. 199 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:49.679 Think he's going to talk about how he's gonna make 200 00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:54.080 America great again. Also, how is he going to explain 201 00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:58.039 that he didn't end the war in Ukraine in one day? Second, 202 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:03.200 he said, if Amas didn't give back all of the hostages, 203 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:07.519 they would be bomb to Smith therenes. And how about 204 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:11.480 his plan for inflation in the economy. All the prices 205 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:14.720 are high, but Mike gasoline went down a dime today. 206 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:18.759 Well that's a that's a good thing, certainly, Joe. Look, 207 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:23.279 look what did they say the old adages Rome wasn't 208 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:25.960 built in a day. I think that he had to 209 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:29.840 if if it turns out that this deal with Zelensky 210 00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:32.320 has signed in the next few days, or perhaps even 211 00:13:32.360 --> 00:13:39.360 as early as tomorrow, that ugly confrontation on Friday, I 212 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:41.440 guess will have proven to have been worth it if 213 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:44.320 if the deal gets done, because I think that will 214 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:49.200 provide security for Ukraine. I think the president has to 215 00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:52.639 respond to what the stock market has done the last 216 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:55.000 day or so last couple of days. I mean, it's 217 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:58.279 in the tank, and not everybody's invested in the stock market, 218 00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:00.919 but more people are invested in the stark. Then realize 219 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:03.639 if they have a furrow one k or some other 220 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:07.799 you know, you know program program like a fur one k. 221 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:12.600 In terms of prices, I didn't think that grocery prices 222 00:14:12.600 --> 00:14:14.840 were going to drop the moment that he took his 223 00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:18.840 hand off the Bible. But he's doing this these tariffs, 224 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.000 and they might in the short term increase, so he's 225 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:23.080 got to address that as well. I think you hit 226 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:24.600 on a number of points, Joe that he's going to 227 00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:26.559 have to talk about tonight. Good analysis. 228 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:29.639 I voted for him three times, and I thought he 229 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:32.759 was the greatest thing in the sky. Now I think 230 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:37.480 maybe he's just the less of two evils now, and 231 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:39.039 I'd vote for him a fourth time. 232 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:42.600 I think you've got to give him more than six weeks. 233 00:14:42.600 --> 00:14:44.480 He's not going to be able to run again. That's 234 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:47.759 that would be that's against the constitution. But I think 235 00:14:48.279 --> 00:14:50.320 it's been six weeks. Let's see how it goes tonight. 236 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:52.679 Let's see what the stock market does tomorrow. Let's see 237 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:55.720 if the Ukraine deal. I think that things have moved 238 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:59.799 pretty quickly. I think that they have probably on DoD 239 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:02.960 which overreached. I think they're a little out over their 240 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:05.600 skis on that. It'll be interesting to say to see 241 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:08.799 what he says about that tonight. But again, remember it's 242 00:15:08.840 --> 00:15:11.759 not the words that count, its action and results. Joe 243 00:15:11.799 --> 00:15:12.799 has always. 244 00:15:12.440 --> 00:15:15.720 Thanks, Yeah, give him a chance, right, Dan, I would say, 245 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:19.120 you got to give any president a chance, absolutely, but 246 00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:22.639 as I say, we could still criticize him, that's for sure. 247 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:24.679 Thanks, Joe, appreciate your call. All right, we've got the 248 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:27.120 news coming up. Thanks Joe, talk to you later. So 249 00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:29.159 there's one line at six one, seven, two, five, four 250 00:15:29.159 --> 00:15:30.960 to ten thirty. If you want to get in now 251 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:34.080 before the nine o'clock news, dial that or dial six 252 00:15:34.120 --> 00:15:36.399 one seven, nine three one ten thirty. What do you 253 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:38.440 want him to see? What do you want him to say? 254 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:42.919 And next up we have after the news, we have 255 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:45.120 a long distance call coming in which is going to 256 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:47.080 give us a little bit of a different perspective from 257 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:50.200 a very interesting part of the world. Back on Nightside, 258 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:51.000 stay with us. 259 00:15:51.799 --> 00:15:55.279 If you're on night Side with Dan Ray, I'm WZ 260 00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:57.039 Boston's news radio. 261 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:01.080 I think we're going to take you to Panama. Meial, 262 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:04.399 are you in Panama, Panama or back in the home. 263 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:08.120 Country while I'm in Panama, and I plan to return 264 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:10.759 back to the home country, the home station, the home 265 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:14.080 base at some point in the next couple of months. Yeah. 266 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:16.240 Well, great to hear your voice. Let me ask you, 267 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:20.399 what was the reaction of people in Panama. I assumed 268 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:23.360 that the president will at least make reference to his 269 00:16:23.480 --> 00:16:26.879 suggestion that it's time for the US to take back 270 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:30.799 control of the Panama Canal, or however he might put it. 271 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:34.000 What was the reaction of people in Panama. 272 00:16:34.919 --> 00:16:38.000 Yeah, I did some primary research on that on that front, 273 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:43.519 I mean, my own little network, and you know, I 274 00:16:43.960 --> 00:16:46.639 am hoping to hear him clarify some of his bluster 275 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:52.159 because it's largely inactive totally accurate. So I divided it 276 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:56.960 up into about three strata, three classes, fairly or unfairly, 277 00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:59.320 That's just how I thought about it. Kind of the 278 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:01.879 professional class down at the other end of the street here. 279 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:04.640 Now this was started back on New Year's Eve when 280 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:06.359 I got down here, so it was all pretty fresh 281 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:09.279 and new back then. So I had an engineer, and 282 00:17:09.319 --> 00:17:14.160 then around the corner is two teachers of English hand 283 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:16.440 surgeon doctor Julio you used to live in Needham, worked 284 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:19.680 at Susan Newton, worked at Boston Medical Center for a bit. 285 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:24.599 And these folks were all convinced, you know, once bit 286 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:28.240 and twice shy that Donnie t was going to be 287 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:30.599 invading down here and taking back the canal. They were 288 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:34.640 convinced that's happened before. And then kind of this middle 289 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:36.799 class the Uber I shouldn't call them the Uber class, 290 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:40.839 it sounds like a Germanic massive reference. But Uber drivers 291 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:44.000 who are kind of in a middle class and they 292 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:47.240 are largely of the position it's okay, you want to 293 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:48.880 take the canal, Take the canal? What's in it for 294 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:50.440 me that I don't see a dime? They don't see 295 00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:52.880 a penny from this. And the canal's run very well, 296 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:55.920 extremely well, and it's so well that they were able 297 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:59.279 to budget and plan for the Supermax expansion and they 298 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:01.680 did that well with out a hitch, and it's nearly perfect. 299 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:03.720 But they don't see a dime. Are you going to 300 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:05.759 come in and give us money for roads and bridges 301 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:09.279 and schools and the rest? Then take it? And then 302 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:13.200 they have enlightened me as to a third class, which 303 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:17.200 is unnamed, who have probably never seen the canal unless 304 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:20.079 it's on TV and the news, and don't get a penny, 305 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:21.839 don't get a dime. They're just trying to survive day 306 00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:25.880 to day as wages stagnate and caused rise. So that's 307 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:28.440 kind of how it's divided up. And I verified all 308 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:30.920 that with my sources, so to speak. 309 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.799 Okay, so let me ask you this Okay, correct me 310 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:35.759 on the history of it. I think I might have 311 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:39.319 mentioned to you that my godfather, who I never met, 312 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:42.400 worked in the Panama Canal. I have no idea. She 313 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:44.519 expect they might have been in the CIA or something. 314 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:47.759 His name was Frank Castle. If anyone in the audience 315 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:50.400 could have telled me, he's I'm sure a long since past. 316 00:18:51.319 --> 00:18:53.640 But he was a close friend of my dad and 317 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:56.839 he was god He was my godfather, and his wife 318 00:18:56.880 --> 00:18:59.880 was my godmother. Never met either one of them. They 319 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:02.720 probably were my christening, but I don't have a specific 320 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:06.079 recall of that. So we built the canal? Any question 321 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:07.720 about that at all? Down there or no? 322 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:12.279 Yes, that's a range. We don't have time to cover 323 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:14.799 that in a formative phone call. I can give you 324 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:18.960 an oversimplified history of that back of it. Go ahead, 325 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:19.519 hitt the time. 326 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:24.720 Yeah, well no, just give me give me quick. Okay, 327 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:28.440 let me ask you just people in Panama who built 328 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:28.839 the canal. 329 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:36.039 It was the US obviously who did all the planning. 330 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:38.720 It was really the French, and there was a Frenchman 331 00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:42.480 who in nineteen oh three Panama was still a province 332 00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:46.640 of Columbia, US guaranteed and paid for Panamanian independence because 333 00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:49.240 they had an independent movement, they had flags and people 334 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:53.160 in place. US built the canal with a treaty for 335 00:19:53.400 --> 00:19:57.000 US control operations in the canal zone, which was ten 336 00:19:57.079 --> 00:19:59.119 miles on either side of the canal for the fifty 337 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:03.079 one mile length of the canal, and we gifted it 338 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:08.240 to Panama with only one string attached neutrality. This was 339 00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:11.240 way back during card This I advanced, you. 340 00:20:11.160 --> 00:20:13.960 Know, don't you know? Look, I know this part of 341 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:17.880 the story because I remember when Jimmy Carter I thought 342 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:20.200 he might have sold it for a dollar or whatever, 343 00:20:20.359 --> 00:20:22.640 or maybe it was a gift. Whatever it was, it 344 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.400 was a very controversial activity. As matter of fact, he 345 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:27.599 was a Republican congressman out of Illinois at the time 346 00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:31.599 named Philip Crane, who was That was his campaign for 347 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:36.039 president Get back the Canal in nineteen eighty. But okay, 348 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:39.240 so now a couple of other quick questions, if I could, 349 00:20:39.400 --> 00:20:42.839 how much influence does China have? President Trump has talked 350 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:45.200 about China controlling. 351 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:48.599 Reports down there. He's wrong. They have two ports. They 352 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:50.799 also have one on either end of the canal, crist 353 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:54.519 of Ball on the Caribbean end and Balboa on the 354 00:20:54.519 --> 00:20:57.799 Pacific end, and they are two ports. There's two others. 355 00:20:57.880 --> 00:21:00.599 US has control of one. They were bid on in 356 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:06.039 nineteen ninety three under a Hutchinson Wampoa which was out 357 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:09.200 of Hong Kong and British owned. Not anything to do 358 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:11.759 with China except then eventually China. 359 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:14.799 China took over Hong Kong, right right, and So's. 360 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:18.920 Billionaires kept in and took the ports from Hutchison Wampoa. 361 00:21:19.160 --> 00:21:22.119 So they are at least partial owned and operated. But 362 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:25.400 they have fifty plus ports around the globe, including one 363 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:28.279 on either end of the Suez Canal. They have them 364 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:30.160 in Argentina, they had them. 365 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:33.160 Sounds like it sounds like the Chinese government knows what 366 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:35.519 they're doing. So should we be concerned about that? 367 00:21:35.640 --> 00:21:39.039 In your opinion the kneel, No, you should not, because 368 00:21:39.079 --> 00:21:41.319 they bid them in nineteen ninety seven. Excuse me, not 369 00:21:41.400 --> 00:21:43.880 ninety three ninety seven, and you could have bid them 370 00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:46.720 and you didn't. You showed no interest. So who's crying 371 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:51.079 like children? Johnny T So, the Chinese are not a 372 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:54.200 threat to anyone down here. And if they're not a 373 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:56.759 threat to the Suez Canal, how can they possibly be 374 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:59.799 a threat to the Panama Canal? Well, Johnny t lost 375 00:21:59.839 --> 00:22:05.119 his Trump Tower for tax division here back in twenty nineteen. 376 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:09.000 So my opinion, but that is a fact. My opinion 377 00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:11.880 tying these two together is that he soured great revenge 378 00:22:11.880 --> 00:22:13.400 and vengeance from losing Trump Tower. 379 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:19.640 Okay, so ok just devil's advocate, Devil's advocate for a second. Okay, 380 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:23.440 China has it having control of all of these ports 381 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:28.000 around the world. Obviously there is a design that China has, 382 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:34.240 And it was our money that gave the canal to Panama. 383 00:22:34.279 --> 00:22:38.160 And we have something that still exists, and it's the 384 00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:41.240 Monroe doctrine that in this part of the world, this 385 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:43.680 part of the hemisphere, there are things that we do 386 00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:46.880 not want encroaching on us. We came parallelsly close to 387 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:50.799 nuclear war in nineteen sixty two October of nineteen sixty 388 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:54.640 two when Russians Russia tried to put some nuclear warheads 389 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:58.720 into the island of Cuba. What should we do? Just 390 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:03.400 allow it to continue controlling ale as many ports as possible. 391 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:07.200 Could China at some point say hey, guess what our 392 00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:09.960 ports down there are. We've gotten some some ships down there. 393 00:23:09.960 --> 00:23:11.799 We're going to close off the Panama can help. 394 00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:16.279 I don't see how they're going to do that. I'm 395 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:19.839 sure anything is possible. And Little Marco was down here 396 00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:23.920 during the Chinese Lunar New Year, which was interesting. He 397 00:23:23.960 --> 00:23:26.400 came in right where all the Chinese because the huge 398 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:28.960 Chinese population down here's the estimated that maybe ten percent 399 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:34.079 of all Panamanians have Asian Chinese lineage. But that's the digression. 400 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:36.799 He said that these are dual use ports. We'll show 401 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:38.599