WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:04.280
<v Speaker 1>Hudson River Radio dot com. It beats listening to nothing.

2
00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:09.960
<v Speaker 2>My goodness, it's Frank being Frank. Fright, were the only

3
00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:15.679
<v Speaker 2>way to be is Frank. Hello everyone, and welcome to

4
00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:18.879
<v Speaker 2>being Frank. We're the only way to be is well, Frank.

5
00:00:19.480 --> 00:00:21.199
<v Speaker 2>I'm your host, Frank. We're going on and I'd like

6
00:00:21.239 --> 00:00:23.280
<v Speaker 2>to thank you for joining us on what we like

7
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:28.079
<v Speaker 2>to call the Intelligent Conversation Podcast, where no conversations out

8
00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:32.240
<v Speaker 2>of bounds and all points of view are welcome. Listeners

9
00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:34.560
<v Speaker 2>know we record live to tape. I give you the

10
00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:37.600
<v Speaker 2>date so you have some context and relevance. It is

11
00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:42.119
<v Speaker 2>the eighteenth of March. As we continue to celebrate Women's

12
00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:45.600
<v Speaker 2>History Month, I would like to add some very personal reflections.

13
00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:49.280
<v Speaker 2>I celebrate women not just this month, but every day

14
00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:52.200
<v Speaker 2>because I've had the great privilege to be raised by

15
00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:58.679
<v Speaker 2>and surrounded with powerful women my whole life. My grandmother, mother, sister, ants, cousins,

16
00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:02.679
<v Speaker 2>friends and lovers all been strong, successful women. They have

17
00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:05.519
<v Speaker 2>made me what I am today. With that in mind,

18
00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:08.040
<v Speaker 2>I would like to introduce you to another woman whose

19
00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:11.319
<v Speaker 2>career in life reflects what it means to be a powerful,

20
00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:16.400
<v Speaker 2>successful woman. Kate Connolly is a proud fourth generation Hudson

21
00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:20.959
<v Speaker 2>Valley native from working class roots who understands the values

22
00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:25.079
<v Speaker 2>of hard work and public service. After watching The Twin

23
00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:28.079
<v Speaker 2>Towers fall on nine to eleven as a junior at

24
00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:32.000
<v Speaker 2>Pine Bush High School, she applied to West Point. The

25
00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:35.040
<v Speaker 2>first in her family to graduate from college. Kate went

26
00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:39.159
<v Speaker 2>on to earn master's degrees from MIT and Harvard and

27
00:01:39.239 --> 00:01:44.280
<v Speaker 2>served sixteen years as an active duty Army officer, deploying

28
00:01:44.519 --> 00:01:50.040
<v Speaker 2>six times to combat zones including Iraq and Afghanistan, and

29
00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:53.239
<v Speaker 2>earning three Bronze Stars as one of the first women

30
00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:57.799
<v Speaker 2>in special ops leadership. She later served as Director of

31
00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:01.480
<v Speaker 2>counter Terrorism on the National Secure Council at the White

32
00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:06.760
<v Speaker 2>House and help safeguard our critical infrastructure and election system

33
00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:13.960
<v Speaker 2>at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agent CISA. According to

34
00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:18.319
<v Speaker 2>her website, Kate is not a lifelong politician or political operative.

35
00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:21.919
<v Speaker 2>Throughout her career, Kate has been called upon to solve

36
00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:25.800
<v Speaker 2>the toughest problems and deliver, and with the stakes this high,

37
00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:28.520
<v Speaker 2>there's no time for on the job training. That's why

38
00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.919
<v Speaker 2>Kate is running for Congress to stop the talk and

39
00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:35.960
<v Speaker 2>action deliver on a better future for New Yorkers. By

40
00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.080
<v Speaker 2>the way. That Congressional race is for New York seventeen,

41
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:42.840
<v Speaker 2>one of the most important races in the country. Please

42
00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:45.919
<v Speaker 2>welcome Kate Connolly. Kate, thank you so much for joining us.

43
00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:48.960
<v Speaker 2>You're obviously a very busy woman this time.

44
00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:52.280
<v Speaker 1>Grag I am honored to be here, man, and so

45
00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:56.039
<v Speaker 1>thank you for today's conversation and just everything you do

46
00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:58.840
<v Speaker 1>to keep important conversations going in the Hudson Valley.

47
00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:00.400
<v Speaker 2>We appreciate hate that.

48
00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:00.759
<v Speaker 3>Now.

49
00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:04.520
<v Speaker 2>Of course we read your CV crit VTA if you will.

50
00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:06.599
<v Speaker 2>It's kind of the nuts and bolts, but I like

51
00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:09.159
<v Speaker 2>to kind of read a little between the lines. Tell

52
00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:11.680
<v Speaker 2>us a little bit about yourself, your upbringing, how you

53
00:03:11.719 --> 00:03:14.719
<v Speaker 2>grew up, some of the influences that you had, some

54
00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:17.719
<v Speaker 2>of the people who influenced you, role models, things of

55
00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:19.080
<v Speaker 2>that nature. Fill in the blanks.

56
00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:24.919
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, well, I mean, when you talk about incredible places

57
00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:27.680
<v Speaker 1>to grow up, I could not have been more fortunate

58
00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:30.280
<v Speaker 1>to grow up here in the Hudson Valley. So you

59
00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:33.439
<v Speaker 1>hit it. My family's been here for generations.

60
00:03:34.039 --> 00:03:34.240
<v Speaker 3>You know.

61
00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:37.759
<v Speaker 1>My great grandfather and grandfather worked in the brickyard over

62
00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:41.680
<v Speaker 1>in Montrose back when that was open, and my dad

63
00:03:42.439 --> 00:03:46.159
<v Speaker 1>his family born and raised Hopewell Junction up in southern Duchess.

64
00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:49.759
<v Speaker 1>He was a construction worker. And my mom, who raised me,

65
00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:53.520
<v Speaker 1>raised me and my two sisters. She was a postal worker.

66
00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:55.639
<v Speaker 1>Right for forty eight years she worked for the US

67
00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:58.439
<v Speaker 1>Postal Service, and I'm actually super proud to say she

68
00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:02.080
<v Speaker 1>just retired after forty eight years this month. And when

69
00:04:02.120 --> 00:04:04.520
<v Speaker 1>you talk about role models, you know, I would go

70
00:04:04.599 --> 00:04:08.439
<v Speaker 1>on to attend West Point where at the US Military Academy,

71
00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:12.840
<v Speaker 1>the mission is to train and educate and develop the

72
00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:16.399
<v Speaker 1>next generation of America's military leaders. When I think about

73
00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:19.720
<v Speaker 1>some of my first examples of leadership, Frank think of

74
00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:22.959
<v Speaker 1>my mom. You know, I remember when she was a

75
00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.399
<v Speaker 1>postmaster and we were growing up. On Christmas Day, we'd

76
00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:28.399
<v Speaker 1>get to open a couple presents and then had to

77
00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:31.240
<v Speaker 1>get in the car and she would drive us to

78
00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:35.519
<v Speaker 1>the Postal plan over in Newburgh and Christmas Day we'd

79
00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:37.720
<v Speaker 1>get out there and I'd see here meet up with

80
00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:40.839
<v Speaker 1>someone for other colleagues, other postmasters sometimes, but they'd go

81
00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:43.279
<v Speaker 1>in and grab packages, come out and we'd go deliver them.

82
00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:45.439
<v Speaker 1>And I remember asking my mom, I'm like, Mom, it's

83
00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:48.839
<v Speaker 1>the post Office. It's Christmas, like you're supposed to be closed.

84
00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:51.480
<v Speaker 1>What are we doing? And she looked me and she said, Kay,

85
00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:57.720
<v Speaker 1>this is our responsibility. Getting people their package is our responsibility.

86
00:04:58.279 --> 00:04:59.920
<v Speaker 1>And you never know if this is the only pas

87
00:05:00.279 --> 00:05:01.680
<v Speaker 1>a family is going to get on Christmas.

88
00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:02.759
<v Speaker 2>Great point.

89
00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:05.680
<v Speaker 1>And so it's stuff like that, Frank right where I think,

90
00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:08.519
<v Speaker 1>you know, when we talk about Women's History Month and

91
00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:12.160
<v Speaker 1>the heroes every day that support our communities, I think

92
00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:14.800
<v Speaker 1>of my mom, you know. I also think of my godmother,

93
00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:20.199
<v Speaker 1>So Betty Litz, she and my uncle fifty years ago

94
00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:25.360
<v Speaker 1>started fred Cook Septic over here, based out in Montre's

95
00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:30.319
<v Speaker 1>Buchanan area. Fifty years they've been servicing northern west Chester

96
00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:35.600
<v Speaker 1>Potenham County. And again, helping family is helping people, helping

97
00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:40.000
<v Speaker 1>businesses right with critical infrastructure and their foundations, and keeping

98
00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:42.920
<v Speaker 1>families healthy, right, And so it's stuff like that where

99
00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:47.120
<v Speaker 1>here's a woman who helped build a small business here

100
00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:51.120
<v Speaker 1>in the Hudson Valley that grew for fifty years, you know,

101
00:05:51.879 --> 00:05:54.040
<v Speaker 1>and she was like my second mom. And so when

102
00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:57.240
<v Speaker 1>you talk about folks who who really set the example

103
00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:00.879
<v Speaker 1>and who teach you the values of hard work and

104
00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:03.839
<v Speaker 1>doing the right thing for your community, I am a

105
00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:06.560
<v Speaker 1>product of the Hudson Valley. You know, we're service is

106
00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:07.839
<v Speaker 1>something that really matters here.

107
00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:11.639
<v Speaker 2>Let's talk a little bit about your epiphany, if you

108
00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:15.319
<v Speaker 2>allow me use that word of nine to eleven. What

109
00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:19.439
<v Speaker 2>was it about it that spurred you eventually to a

110
00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:22.920
<v Speaker 2>life of service beginning with West Point? But if you

111
00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:25.800
<v Speaker 2>could thinking back on it, what was it that coalesced

112
00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:28.439
<v Speaker 2>in your mind that said I have to serve?

113
00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:33.279
<v Speaker 1>So you know how there's moments in life where you'll

114
00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:36.000
<v Speaker 1>never forget where you were. I think for a lot

115
00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:38.040
<v Speaker 1>of us, strength nine to eleven was one of those.

116
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:38.560
<v Speaker 4>You know.

117
00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:43.000
<v Speaker 1>I still remember sitting in English class in eleventh grade,

118
00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:48.519
<v Speaker 1>you know, and my teacher wheeling in the television, mister McAvoy,

119
00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:56.319
<v Speaker 1>And I remember watching the towers burn, right, and there

120
00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:00.639
<v Speaker 1>were folks in that room whose parents actually, you know,

121
00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:03.079
<v Speaker 1>one classmate of mine whose dad was a New York

122
00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:07.040
<v Speaker 1>City fire captain who lost his life that day. You

123
00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:11.279
<v Speaker 1>just remember the heartache and the pain that day and

124
00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:15.759
<v Speaker 1>the fear. And I remember going home that night and saying, mom,

125
00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:17.879
<v Speaker 1>he taught me to stand up and fight for what's right.

126
00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:21.079
<v Speaker 1>You know, I don't know what just happened, but I

127
00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:22.720
<v Speaker 1>know I want to be part of what fixes it,

128
00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:25.560
<v Speaker 1>and so that was really the moment. Frank Werre was

129
00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:27.040
<v Speaker 1>just like, I don't know where this is going to

130
00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:29.920
<v Speaker 1>take us. I don't know what just caused this, But

131
00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:31.519
<v Speaker 1>what I do know is I want to make sure

132
00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:33.600
<v Speaker 1>I spend my life ensuring it can never happen again.

133
00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:37.000
<v Speaker 1>And so you talk about other heroes, you know, I

134
00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:39.519
<v Speaker 1>have to give a tremendous shout out to Demi Moore.

135
00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:42.519
<v Speaker 1>I don't know if you remember the nineteen ninety seven

136
00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:47.279
<v Speaker 1>classic Gi Jane, but back then, I mean, look, seeing

137
00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.120
<v Speaker 1>is believing, right, That's a great point, and that in

138
00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:51.360
<v Speaker 1>films and things.

139
00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:55.360
<v Speaker 2>I know a great veteran here, Jerry Janellen, who became

140
00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:59.439
<v Speaker 2>active in the Vietnam Veterans of America and Platoon, seeing

141
00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:03.199
<v Speaker 2>that film changed his life. It was a shared experience

142
00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:06.560
<v Speaker 2>that he had witnessed when during his time in Vietnam.

143
00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:10.040
<v Speaker 2>So again it coalesced his service said Look, I'm not

144
00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:12.879
<v Speaker 2>out there alone. There are others who feel the same way,

145
00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:17.279
<v Speaker 2>share similar experience, and so he shared and became a

146
00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:19.920
<v Speaker 2>great man through that. So I understand.

147
00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:24.040
<v Speaker 1>The power of seeing is believing and understanding stories, and

148
00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:28.000
<v Speaker 1>so g I Gene Demi Moore nineteen ninety seven. I

149
00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:30.800
<v Speaker 1>still remember renting it with my dad at Blockbuster, right,

150
00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:32.200
<v Speaker 1>like literally going.

151
00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:35.840
<v Speaker 2>And you could get a rh K Blockbuster. A lot

152
00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:37.720
<v Speaker 2>of people, the young people want it.

153
00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:38.480
<v Speaker 5>Was that.

154
00:08:40.519 --> 00:08:44.480
<v Speaker 1>A classics classic. But I'll tell you so in that movie,

155
00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:48.600
<v Speaker 1>she went into Naval special operations. She was the first

156
00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:51.360
<v Speaker 1>female in that movie to become a Navy seal. And

157
00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:54.240
<v Speaker 1>so I have to say that I went the Army route,

158
00:08:54.919 --> 00:08:58.120
<v Speaker 1>but certainly had that same aspiration and got to spend,

159
00:08:58.159 --> 00:08:59.919
<v Speaker 1>you know, out of my sixteen years in the Army,

160
00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:03.240
<v Speaker 1>over a decade of that was in the special operations

161
00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:06.559
<v Speaker 1>community as the first woman in many tactical roles and

162
00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:09.600
<v Speaker 1>leadership roles, you know, breaking those ceilings and service to

163
00:09:09.639 --> 00:09:12.720
<v Speaker 1>this nation. But going back to Women's History month man,

164
00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:17.080
<v Speaker 1>you know, it was bravery to represent that kind of

165
00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:19.279
<v Speaker 1>role and hope, and I think they inspiring the whole

166
00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:21.399
<v Speaker 1>generation of women in service.

167
00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:25.039
<v Speaker 2>We're going to talk about your military experiences in just

168
00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:27.720
<v Speaker 2>a minute. Before that, you went to West Point to

169
00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:30.320
<v Speaker 2>the United States Military Academy, and I had some exposure

170
00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:33.000
<v Speaker 2>believe or not, many many years ago I produced the

171
00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:37.519
<v Speaker 2>Army Football Coaches Ship, So I had some experience with

172
00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:41.840
<v Speaker 2>the military lifestyle, particularly at West Point, which is a

173
00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:46.600
<v Speaker 2>really peculiar if you will, in particular schooling like pinging,

174
00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:49.240
<v Speaker 2>if you will, that stiff legged You didn't think I

175
00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:51.639
<v Speaker 2>knew that, that stiff legged walk.

176
00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:54.399
<v Speaker 1>Oh my gosh, Greg, I don't think I've ever heard

177
00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:57.639
<v Speaker 1>a non military person talk about it.

178
00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:01.039
<v Speaker 2>So I know, I had some expo and I realized

179
00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:05.200
<v Speaker 2>it is a very unique environment for anyone, but for

180
00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:08.279
<v Speaker 2>a woman it must be particularly so talk a little

181
00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:13.080
<v Speaker 2>bit about that experience and how it helped shape you.

182
00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:18.399
<v Speaker 1>You know, when people tell me, Frank that they're losing

183
00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:21.600
<v Speaker 1>faith in this country or America and what it means,

184
00:10:22.519 --> 00:10:24.759
<v Speaker 1>I tell them to go to West Point and just

185
00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:29.519
<v Speaker 1>sit down and watch. And there you'll see these cadets,

186
00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:34.480
<v Speaker 1>these brave, selfless young men and women from all fifty

187
00:10:34.519 --> 00:10:39.120
<v Speaker 1>states and territories, coming from families that represent the economic spectrum,

188
00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:41.440
<v Speaker 1>some of our nation's wealthiest families, some of our nation's

189
00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:46.679
<v Speaker 1>forest right all there wearing the same uniform, swearing an

190
00:10:46.679 --> 00:10:49.960
<v Speaker 1>oath to the same constitution for one reason, and that

191
00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:54.120
<v Speaker 1>is to serve this country and defend the American people.

192
00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:57.639
<v Speaker 1>And it is truly, I think the most American and

193
00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:02.759
<v Speaker 1>most selfless example you could see. And I try to

194
00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:04.639
<v Speaker 1>explain to people that, I'm like, it's out of love.

195
00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:08.799
<v Speaker 1>People go there out of love for this country, out

196
00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:12.120
<v Speaker 1>of love for the American people and our values, out

197
00:11:12.120 --> 00:11:15.159
<v Speaker 1>of love for our community, and they are willing to

198
00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:19.519
<v Speaker 1>make the ultimate sacrifice because of that love and that belief,

199
00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:25.000
<v Speaker 1>and that is so so powerful. So yeah, my four

200
00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:28.519
<v Speaker 1>years at West Point, Frank, I loved it. I absolutely

201
00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:30.320
<v Speaker 1>loved it because it ain't easy.

202
00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:34.960
<v Speaker 2>I love to know that. The curriculum is difficult, the academics,

203
00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:37.840
<v Speaker 2>the physical training. I saw all of that, and people

204
00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:40.879
<v Speaker 2>don't realize you just don't play soldier up there. It's

205
00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:42.000
<v Speaker 2>a lifestyle.

206
00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:47.440
<v Speaker 1>Frank. What I love about it is you were evaluated,

207
00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:51.600
<v Speaker 1>constantly assessed on everything you did, from how smart you

208
00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:55.519
<v Speaker 1>were to how fast or how strong you were, to

209
00:11:55.639 --> 00:11:58.200
<v Speaker 1>how tactically proficient you were, to how well you led.

210
00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:02.039
<v Speaker 1>And I loved it. I think competition makes you the

211
00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:04.519
<v Speaker 1>best version of you, you know, and steel sharp and

212
00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:07.360
<v Speaker 1>steel Like, I loved it. And so for me west Point,

213
00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:11.200
<v Speaker 1>I mean, I actually, I guess it's kind of weird

214
00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:13.960
<v Speaker 1>to say, but like I had a blast and I

215
00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:16.919
<v Speaker 1>met the closest friends i'd have, you know, the rest

216
00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:18.360
<v Speaker 1>of my life in so many ways. And I'll tell

217
00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:22.039
<v Speaker 1>you I was there, Frank So, I am a lesbian,

218
00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:25.679
<v Speaker 1>and I served during Dontas, Don't Tell. And so my

219
00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:28.399
<v Speaker 1>time at West Point and my first several years as

220
00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:31.799
<v Speaker 1>a commissioned army officer was during don't as, Don't Tell,

221
00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:35.919
<v Speaker 1>where you had to lie about being gay just because

222
00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:37.360
<v Speaker 1>you were a gay, Like it was terrible.

223
00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:39.519
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, how does that make you feel? I don't mean

224
00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:41.960
<v Speaker 2>you get off, but that makes that point there, because

225
00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:46.600
<v Speaker 2>I think it's really important, Kate, people understand that you served,

226
00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:50.159
<v Speaker 2>you gave you sacrifice, and through that all you had LOFE.

227
00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:53.279
<v Speaker 2>That's just awful to me. How did that make you feel?

228
00:12:54.039 --> 00:12:58.159
<v Speaker 1>It was disappointing because you knew America was better than that, right,

229
00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:00.879
<v Speaker 1>Like America is about freedom and a quality for all,

230
00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:06.399
<v Speaker 1>and you were sitting there training to lead America's sons

231
00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:11.360
<v Speaker 1>and daughters in defense of this nation, right, and you've

232
00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:13.360
<v Speaker 1>realized that that nation didn't even give you the same

233
00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:18.159
<v Speaker 1>legal protections over something you didn't even control. And the

234
00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:21.399
<v Speaker 1>irony was it was the most un American thing and

235
00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:23.720
<v Speaker 1>probably the most American experience, right.

236
00:13:25.399 --> 00:13:25.799
<v Speaker 2>Lost.

237
00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:28.240
<v Speaker 1>And I know, and I know this is a little

238
00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:32.039
<v Speaker 1>further down. But when people ask me, you know why

239
00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:37.519
<v Speaker 1>I'm a Democrat and running for office, I during my

240
00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:41.399
<v Speaker 1>time in service. I believe this is part of the

241
00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:45.120
<v Speaker 1>ethos of the American military. As an active duty military member,

242
00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:48.600
<v Speaker 1>you should not be politically affiliated or overtly political. I

243
00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:50.039
<v Speaker 1>think that's who we are as a country too, and

244
00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:53.759
<v Speaker 1>important for our values. But I will tell you my

245
00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:57.840
<v Speaker 1>love for the Democratic Party started because you know, when

246
00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:00.919
<v Speaker 1>I was deployed over in Bagdad in the two thousands,

247
00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:05.360
<v Speaker 1>fighting for this country, it was the Democratic Party that

248
00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:08.879
<v Speaker 1>was fighting for my rights. And I will never forget that.

249
00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:13.159
<v Speaker 1>And so, you know, it is amazing how much progress

250
00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:16.320
<v Speaker 1>we've made and how much progress we still have further

251
00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:20.559
<v Speaker 1>to go. But I will say at West Point during

252
00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:24.200
<v Speaker 1>that time, I mean, Frank, I was there, you know,

253
00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:27.360
<v Speaker 1>three Pho. Seven. It was right during the beginning of

254
00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:30.600
<v Speaker 1>the war in Iraq. It was right during the surging

255
00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:34.080
<v Speaker 1>of more troops to Afghanistan, the surge in Iraq and

256
00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:39.679
<v Speaker 1>the kickoff of that. And you know, did you ever go,

257
00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:44.720
<v Speaker 1>Frank to the dining facility at West Point? So, you know,

258
00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:47.799
<v Speaker 1>the dining facility right where you've got essentially think of

259
00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:50.320
<v Speaker 1>it as a star. In the middle, you've got this

260
00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:53.399
<v Speaker 1>central convening area and then these hallways that come off

261
00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:56.600
<v Speaker 1>where all the tables are. And in that middle area

262
00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:01.480
<v Speaker 1>there's basically a platform on a second story. And as cadets,

263
00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:04.519
<v Speaker 1>you have every breakfast together, every lunch together. Right, it's

264
00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:08.000
<v Speaker 1>mandatory twenty minutes forty four hundred or forty eight hundred cadets,

265
00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:11.799
<v Speaker 1>how many are still there wolfing it down. But that's

266
00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:15.600
<v Speaker 1>also when the cadet leadership team makes announcements for the

267
00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:18.679
<v Speaker 1>core of cadets, and Frank, I have to tell you

268
00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:23.919
<v Speaker 1>the memories that I still feel in my gut. You're

269
00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:28.200
<v Speaker 1>sitting there eating lunch, and the core of Cadets leadership

270
00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:31.679
<v Speaker 1>team comes over the announcement and is giving you, you know,

271
00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:34.919
<v Speaker 1>the updates and the news that you need. And that

272
00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:37.759
<v Speaker 1>was also where they would announce the death of graduates.

273
00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:42.080
<v Speaker 1>And so you would be sitting there hearing about, you know,

274
00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:46.320
<v Speaker 1>someone who graduated and was sitting at a table that

275
00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:49.480
<v Speaker 1>you were at the year prior, you know, or someone

276
00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:52.480
<v Speaker 1>you shared a hallway with and the company with. And

277
00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:57.200
<v Speaker 1>so in that sense, it was very very real. Every

278
00:15:57.320 --> 00:15:59.720
<v Speaker 1>day you knew the stakes, you knew what you were

279
00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:03.039
<v Speaker 1>fighting for and you knew the risks. I think that

280
00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:07.159
<v Speaker 1>was a very powerful thing that shaped my experience there

281
00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:10.159
<v Speaker 1>where you knew exactly what you were trying to get

282
00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:11.559
<v Speaker 1>into and where you were going.

283
00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:17.360
<v Speaker 2>Great, great point. Now, lots of experience in the in

284
00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:22.320
<v Speaker 2>the military on various levels, including combat experience, a bronze star,

285
00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:26.720
<v Speaker 2>et cetera. Of all those experiences, what would you say

286
00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:30.679
<v Speaker 2>shaped you the most? What sticks with you within that?

287
00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.679
<v Speaker 2>That the crucible of of that military experience.

288
00:16:36.919 --> 00:16:39.000
<v Speaker 1>I think the courage of the young men and women

289
00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:42.679
<v Speaker 1>who sign up to do this. You know, I served

290
00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:50.519
<v Speaker 1>during Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, so I've served under presidents

291
00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:54.559
<v Speaker 1>of both political parties multiple and I have to tell you,

292
00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:56.480
<v Speaker 1>when you were in the uniform, you're not doing it

293
00:16:56.519 --> 00:16:59.120
<v Speaker 1>for a person or a political party. You're doing it

294
00:16:59.159 --> 00:17:04.200
<v Speaker 1>for a country and truly living that every day. And

295
00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:07.039
<v Speaker 1>what is so powerful about the military is it is

296
00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:12.079
<v Speaker 1>the ultimate meritocracy, right because the stakes are so high

297
00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:17.359
<v Speaker 1>there is no room for anything other than performance, because

298
00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:21.359
<v Speaker 1>if you fail, the consequence couldn't or maybe not just

299
00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.480
<v Speaker 1>your life, but someone else's. And so when it comes

300
00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:28.759
<v Speaker 1>to truly a place where people value you based on

301
00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:32.279
<v Speaker 1>who you are and what you do and how well

302
00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:36.000
<v Speaker 1>you perform and can you get the job done? You know,

303
00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:37.799
<v Speaker 1>I talk a lot about this when it comes to

304
00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:42.559
<v Speaker 1>I was part of the generation of women that push

305
00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:46.240
<v Speaker 1>to end the exclusion of women in combat branch, just

306
00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:49.720
<v Speaker 1>like infantry, because the reality was, you looked at Iraq,

307
00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:53.559
<v Speaker 1>in Afghanistan and other places, the enemy didn't care what

308
00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:56.720
<v Speaker 1>gender you are. The enemy only cared that you're an

309
00:17:56.759 --> 00:18:01.599
<v Speaker 1>American soldier and showing that we could do the job, period,

310
00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:04.240
<v Speaker 1>And that was all we ever asked for the opportunity

311
00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:08.000
<v Speaker 1>to do. And I believe when it comes to that,

312
00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:11.720
<v Speaker 1>like war is the ultimate equalizer because you have to

313
00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:15.640
<v Speaker 1>perform and the enemy doesn't care if you're this or

314
00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:19.559
<v Speaker 1>that's they just see you as the enemy. And so

315
00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:23.440
<v Speaker 1>in that sense, you know, I think the military has

316
00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:26.920
<v Speaker 1>been a great example of what true meritocracy and equality

317
00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:30.200
<v Speaker 1>and ingration looks like, where people just care about can

318
00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:32.440
<v Speaker 1>you do the job? And can I trust you and

319
00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:33.279
<v Speaker 1>you have my back?

320
00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:33.720
<v Speaker 3>You know?

321
00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:39.759
<v Speaker 2>The good good segue into my question situation with Iraq,

322
00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:42.119
<v Speaker 2>I call it a war that seems to be the

323
00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:47.079
<v Speaker 2>subject of some debate with the current administration. If you

324
00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:50.039
<v Speaker 2>were in Congress, now, what would your thoughts be is

325
00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:53.880
<v Speaker 2>what was this the right thing to do? Where are

326
00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:57.359
<v Speaker 2>we going with it? What would you do again? If

327
00:18:57.359 --> 00:18:59.880
<v Speaker 2>you were in Congress as a congress person, how would

328
00:18:59.880 --> 00:19:01.079
<v Speaker 2>you deal with the situation?

329
00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:04.039
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I would be hauling heg Seth and every one

330
00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:08.480
<v Speaker 1>of that leadership civilian team, civilian leadership team in front

331
00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:12.000
<v Speaker 1>of my committee and having them under oath answer some

332
00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:15.000
<v Speaker 1>really hard damn questions to include what the heck is

333
00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:18.079
<v Speaker 1>the plan to what is the exit strategy? What are

334
00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:22.599
<v Speaker 1>the objectives? Because Frank I will tell you, look, there

335
00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:26.119
<v Speaker 1>is no love loss for the Iranian regime. What you saw,

336
00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:31.519
<v Speaker 1>I told KAMENI is was evil. His regime was responsible

337
00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:34.559
<v Speaker 1>for the deaths of the hundreds of Americans, thousands of

338
00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:40.599
<v Speaker 1>innocent Iranians. Right, truly an evil regime. And I am

339
00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:44.640
<v Speaker 1>a firm believer, as someone who has literally watched as

340
00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:49.880
<v Speaker 1>Iran has become the largest purveyor, the largest distributor of

341
00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:55.559
<v Speaker 1>lethal aid to terror groups in the world. I am

342
00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:59.119
<v Speaker 1>a firm believer. We cannot let Iran get a nuclear weapon.

343
00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:04.039
<v Speaker 1>But what we are seeing where the American people woke

344
00:20:04.119 --> 00:20:08.960
<v Speaker 1>up on a Saturday morning to a president declaring war

345
00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:13.480
<v Speaker 1>without going to Congress and seeking authorization without making the

346
00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:17.240
<v Speaker 1>case to the American people. Let's be very clear, I

347
00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:19.759
<v Speaker 1>don't care who is in office. That is illegal like

348
00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:25.319
<v Speaker 1>that is unconstitutional. Congress has the authority to declare war,

349
00:20:25.880 --> 00:20:29.000
<v Speaker 1>to authorize the use of military force. That's how we

350
00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:30.799
<v Speaker 1>went to I Rock, That's how we went to Afghanistans.

351
00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:32.839
<v Speaker 1>How we fought isis, That's how we still fight. Isis

352
00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:36.519
<v Speaker 1>in al Kaida, the two thousand and one AUMF that's Congress.

353
00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:42.680
<v Speaker 1>And so for this administration to literally disregard the rule

354
00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:46.839
<v Speaker 1>of law and get us into a war without explaining

355
00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:51.799
<v Speaker 1>the why, the how, they don't have a plan. You

356
00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:55.920
<v Speaker 1>are literally seeing the objectives change every day. You had

357
00:20:55.960 --> 00:21:00.200
<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump saying we're there for regime change. Yeah, yet

358
00:21:02.119 --> 00:21:04.200
<v Speaker 1>the guy who's taken over a run is the son

359
00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:08.480
<v Speaker 1>of the Ayatola, who's arguably even more hardline. Yeah, we're

360
00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:12.920
<v Speaker 1>not helping the Iranian people. And so, Frank, I got

361
00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:17.160
<v Speaker 1>real issues when you've got people, you know, five time

362
00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:22.359
<v Speaker 1>draft Dodger in sitting in the Oval office and as

363
00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:26.960
<v Speaker 1>sectaff who knows more about botox than bombs, feeling like

364
00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:30.000
<v Speaker 1>they can just send America's sons and daughters into conflict

365
00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:32.960
<v Speaker 1>without a plan. I got a real issue with that

366
00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:35.720
<v Speaker 1>because I've been there, and I will tell you American

367
00:21:35.799 --> 00:21:37.200
<v Speaker 1>service members deserve better.

368
00:21:39.640 --> 00:21:43.119
<v Speaker 2>Let's now talk specifics about New York seventeen, as I

369
00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:48.799
<v Speaker 2>mentioned in my preview, perhaps the most important congressional race

370
00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:52.640
<v Speaker 2>in the country, because it's considered a flip district currently

371
00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:58.000
<v Speaker 2>held by Republican Mike Lawler, who won in an overwhelmingly

372
00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:04.160
<v Speaker 2>democratic disc certainly at least a Democratic majority. How did

373
00:22:04.200 --> 00:22:07.440
<v Speaker 2>that happen? Kate? How did we get there? Where? Again,

374
00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:11.319
<v Speaker 2>this is considered a pretty progressive, pretty blue area, yet

375
00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:16.400
<v Speaker 2>you have a Republican and a maga Republican in the seat.

376
00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:18.000
<v Speaker 2>How did that happen in the first place?

377
00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:20.759
<v Speaker 1>Brian, I think that is the most important question.

378
00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:21.079
<v Speaker 2>Right.

379
00:22:21.160 --> 00:22:24.680
<v Speaker 1>So there's a saying in the army the fastest way

380
00:22:24.680 --> 00:22:27.359
<v Speaker 1>to lose the current war is to fight the last one.

381
00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:30.640
<v Speaker 1>And I think we need to be very, very cleared

382
00:22:31.079 --> 00:22:33.759
<v Speaker 1>about what it takes to win in New York seventeen

383
00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:37.160
<v Speaker 1>and twenty twenty six, and a very brief version of

384
00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:40.519
<v Speaker 1>history and what got us here. It's important to understand

385
00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:43.880
<v Speaker 1>the New York seventeen of today because when I was

386
00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:47.039
<v Speaker 1>growing up New York seventeen was in the bronx right.

387
00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:50.200
<v Speaker 1>Every ten years we do a census, and we've been

388
00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:54.000
<v Speaker 1>losing people, so we've had to redraw congressional lines. And

389
00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:56.400
<v Speaker 1>so when you look at twenty eleven to twenty twenty,

390
00:22:56.599 --> 00:22:59.519
<v Speaker 1>New York seventeen was basically Westchestern Rockland Counties. That was

391
00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:03.640
<v Speaker 1>really it solidly blue. Biden wins by double digits in

392
00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:07.160
<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty. We've had a Democratic rep you know, for decades,

393
00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:12.039
<v Speaker 1>solidly blue. Well, in twenty twenty one, coming out of

394
00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:16.039
<v Speaker 1>the twenty twenty census, the New York Independent Redistricting Commission

395
00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:19.720
<v Speaker 1>readrew the lines, and so today's New York seventeen is

396
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:26.599
<v Speaker 1>very different. It's still Rockland County and northern Westchester, but

397
00:23:26.680 --> 00:23:29.799
<v Speaker 1>we lost the majority of Westchester and instead it's now

398
00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:34.440
<v Speaker 1>northern Westchester, all of Putnam County, and southern Duchess. You know,

399
00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:38.720
<v Speaker 1>it is a district where there's actually not enough registered

400
00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:42.400
<v Speaker 1>Democratic voters to win alone. You got twenty percent of

401
00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:46.200
<v Speaker 1>registered voters New York seventeen who are unaffiliated or independent.

402
00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:51.279
<v Speaker 1>If you want to win New York seventeen, you have

403
00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:54.039
<v Speaker 1>to give voters a person, not just a party to

404
00:23:54.119 --> 00:23:56.759
<v Speaker 1>vote for and believe in. And I think that's part

405
00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:00.839
<v Speaker 1>of how we've lost this Frank, is to win this district,

406
00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:04.200
<v Speaker 1>you got to put one hundred percent of it in play,

407
00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:08.720
<v Speaker 1>and you've got to have a candidate that people can support,

408
00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:12.799
<v Speaker 1>even if they don't agree with every policy position, they

409
00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:15.680
<v Speaker 1>can see them and say, you know what, I know

410
00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:18.160
<v Speaker 1>they're going to do the right thing for me and

411
00:24:18.200 --> 00:24:22.720
<v Speaker 1>my family. And I think that is the biggest thing

412
00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:26.079
<v Speaker 1>that we have to understand is winning this district is

413
00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:30.839
<v Speaker 1>truly about winning people and getting them to choose a person,

414
00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:32.759
<v Speaker 1>not just a political party.

415
00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:34.359
<v Speaker 3>You know.

416
00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:37.680
<v Speaker 2>And it's impossible to talk about elections in this area

417
00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:40.640
<v Speaker 2>without special interest groups, in particular one that it's known

418
00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:44.240
<v Speaker 2>as the block, the ultra orthodox vote from the Munsi area,

419
00:24:44.599 --> 00:24:48.680
<v Speaker 2>which have a tendency to vote singularly according to the

420
00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:52.599
<v Speaker 2>instructions of the Grand Reby, et cetera. So how do

421
00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:57.799
<v Speaker 2>you deal with a situation of where people don't And again,

422
00:24:59.319 --> 00:25:02.240
<v Speaker 2>to play devil's advocate, you'll say, well, you'll do anything

423
00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:04.720
<v Speaker 2>to appease the block, because you can get thousands of

424
00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:08.680
<v Speaker 2>votes in a single visit if you will, if you

425
00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:12.000
<v Speaker 2>should impress the REBI, how do you deal with that

426
00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:15.359
<v Speaker 2>realistically is that you know, it's within the law, and

427
00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:18.240
<v Speaker 2>I think people have to understand that they get out

428
00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:22.240
<v Speaker 2>the vote and they vote. But as a politician, and

429
00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:25.759
<v Speaker 2>I understand the need for political expediency, you'd like to

430
00:25:25.799 --> 00:25:28.759
<v Speaker 2>have the votes. But how do you balance the idea

431
00:25:28.759 --> 00:25:32.799
<v Speaker 2>of is it really the right thing to do to

432
00:25:32.920 --> 00:25:36.400
<v Speaker 2>basically say what they what they want to hear so

433
00:25:36.440 --> 00:25:38.640
<v Speaker 2>that you can get their votes. Your thoughts on that.

434
00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:43.240
<v Speaker 1>So, Frank, partlus is going to connect back my last statement, right,

435
00:25:43.319 --> 00:25:47.359
<v Speaker 1>which is we got to stop fighting the last war

436
00:25:47.640 --> 00:25:50.160
<v Speaker 1>and start fighting the current war. And what I mean

437
00:25:50.200 --> 00:25:52.720
<v Speaker 1>by that is, you know, you hear people talk a

438
00:25:52.759 --> 00:25:55.440
<v Speaker 1>lot about certain parts of the district that were especially

439
00:25:55.440 --> 00:26:00.960
<v Speaker 1>influential last decade, right, and to put in context, like

440
00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:04.880
<v Speaker 1>we got to be talking about every community in this district,

441
00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:08.279
<v Speaker 1>not just the block, but like the block and every community.

442
00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:12.079
<v Speaker 1>So to put it in context, the number of registered

443
00:26:12.119 --> 00:26:17.119
<v Speaker 1>voters in the block community that you're talking about is

444
00:26:17.160 --> 00:26:19.599
<v Speaker 1>fewer than the number of registered voters in East Fishkill

445
00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:22.359
<v Speaker 1>in Dutchess County. But we don't talk about that the

446
00:26:22.359 --> 00:26:25.640
<v Speaker 1>same way. You know what I mean, I think this

447
00:26:25.720 --> 00:26:28.319
<v Speaker 1>goes back to where I think Democrats have just lost

448
00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:32.440
<v Speaker 1>this district is because we've stopped thinking about the importance

449
00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:36.759
<v Speaker 1>of reaching all voters. The job I'm fighting for is

450
00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:40.319
<v Speaker 1>to earn the vote and respect and the ability to

451
00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:43.400
<v Speaker 1>advocate and fight for every single person in this district.

452
00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:45.960
<v Speaker 1>And so I'm going to approach this where I'm trying

453
00:26:45.960 --> 00:26:48.400
<v Speaker 1>to earn every person's vote, regardless of what part of

454
00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:51.160
<v Speaker 1>the district they live in or what community. I think

455
00:26:51.240 --> 00:26:54.079
<v Speaker 1>that that is is not just who I am, right,

456
00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:56.319
<v Speaker 1>I think that is an important part of how we

457
00:26:56.359 --> 00:26:58.359
<v Speaker 1>rebuild trust in the institutions too.

458
00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:03.200
<v Speaker 2>With that in mind, what do you see as the

459
00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:05.079
<v Speaker 2>key issues in this race?

460
00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:09.839
<v Speaker 1>I mean when you talk about affordability, that comes up

461
00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:13.519
<v Speaker 1>right in every conversation. There's a lot of different aspects

462
00:27:13.559 --> 00:27:15.559
<v Speaker 1>to it, though, Frank. You know, when I talk to

463
00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:19.680
<v Speaker 1>certain families, you get parents who are in tears because

464
00:27:20.920 --> 00:27:23.440
<v Speaker 1>they tried to give their kids the American dream, right

465
00:27:23.519 --> 00:27:25.920
<v Speaker 1>they gave or they did what society told them to do,

466
00:27:26.359 --> 00:27:28.920
<v Speaker 1>which is the same thing my parents did. My parents

467
00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:31.359
<v Speaker 1>didn't graduate from college, right. They told me I was

468
00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:33.160
<v Speaker 1>going to college because that was the way to the

469
00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:37.519
<v Speaker 1>middle class. You know, my mom, as I'm scrounging in

470
00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:41.640
<v Speaker 1>the couch, literally trying to find fifty cents so she

471
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:43.920
<v Speaker 1>can get a coffee at the local deli on her

472
00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:47.200
<v Speaker 1>way to the post office, yelling at me, you're going

473
00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:49.720
<v Speaker 1>to college, you know what I mean, Like you're going

474
00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:54.200
<v Speaker 1>because Frank, back then, that was the way to the

475
00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:57.880
<v Speaker 1>middle class, right, And I have to tell you, I

476
00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:01.039
<v Speaker 1>think today you see so much the families who are

477
00:28:01.039 --> 00:28:03.759
<v Speaker 1>distraught because they're like, I did that for my kids,

478
00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:07.079
<v Speaker 1>and now we're one hundred or two hundred k in debt.

479
00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:12.640
<v Speaker 1>My kids graduated and maybe they did find a job,

480
00:28:12.759 --> 00:28:14.519
<v Speaker 1>but it's not one that they make enough to pay

481
00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:17.279
<v Speaker 1>the bills, and they certainly can't afford to move back

482
00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:19.880
<v Speaker 1>or Frank, they might not even been able to find

483
00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:21.640
<v Speaker 1>a job, and they're living back home in the basement,

484
00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:24.319
<v Speaker 1>you know, are back in their own room. And so

485
00:28:24.359 --> 00:28:27.079
<v Speaker 1>you see families struggling in that way where there's a

486
00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:32.240
<v Speaker 1>lack of economic opportunity for the current generation. Right. The

487
00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:38.759
<v Speaker 1>other thing you see is workforce struggles with housing. So yeah,

488
00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:41.400
<v Speaker 1>there's a struggle with there's not enough affordable housing in

489
00:28:41.440 --> 00:28:45.640
<v Speaker 1>the area. But the other part is who's got twenty

490
00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:49.279
<v Speaker 1>percent to put down for a mortgage? Right now? I

491
00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:53.799
<v Speaker 1>just turned forty, Frank my age and younger. Like in

492
00:28:53.799 --> 00:28:56.000
<v Speaker 1>the nineteen seventies, the average is for first time home

493
00:28:56.039 --> 00:29:03.119
<v Speaker 1>buyer was twenty one. Today it's four. It is so

494
00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:08.680
<v Speaker 1>hard to be able to save when the overwhelming burden

495
00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:13.440
<v Speaker 1>of costs are felt in every part of life, right,

496
00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:16.960
<v Speaker 1>And so that goes back to when we talk about affordability,

497
00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:21.720
<v Speaker 1>Economic opportunity and housing are huge utility costs, right with

498
00:29:21.799 --> 00:29:25.279
<v Speaker 1>these monopolies that are just sucking up our cash, our

499
00:29:25.400 --> 00:29:30.359
<v Speaker 1>tax dollars, our money, and then failing to deliver in

500
00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:32.720
<v Speaker 1>the way they should be, and then tunneling us that

501
00:29:32.759 --> 00:29:35.279
<v Speaker 1>we need to give more going to the PSC and

502
00:29:35.319 --> 00:29:38.640
<v Speaker 1>seeking a double digit rating crease across the board by

503
00:29:38.680 --> 00:29:41.160
<v Speaker 1>every one of the providers. By the way, New York seventeen.

504
00:29:43.400 --> 00:29:45.720
<v Speaker 1>It's everything right now, it's the price of groceries. And

505
00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:49.759
<v Speaker 1>so I think this goes to, well, there's a different

506
00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:53.799
<v Speaker 1>element of affordability that I hear from different folks. It's

507
00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:57.000
<v Speaker 1>the same root issues. Everything costs too much, Real wages

508
00:29:57.079 --> 00:30:00.240
<v Speaker 1>have not kept up. There's not economic opportunity to keep

509
00:30:00.279 --> 00:30:03.720
<v Speaker 1>the younger generations here in the Hudson Valley and for

510
00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:05.680
<v Speaker 1>them to be able to live a lifestyle that's even

511
00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:06.720
<v Speaker 1>equivalent to their parents.

512
00:30:06.920 --> 00:30:07.200
<v Speaker 5>Frank.

513
00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:09.759
<v Speaker 1>For the first time in modern American history, the economic

514
00:30:09.799 --> 00:30:14.880
<v Speaker 1>prospects of young Americans are worse than their parents or grandparents. Frank,

515
00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:16.240
<v Speaker 1>that's us failing.

516
00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:20.079
<v Speaker 2>Well, how do we address it? Kate? That's the issue,

517
00:30:20.119 --> 00:30:23.799
<v Speaker 2>and most people understand it as an issue. You live it,

518
00:30:24.200 --> 00:30:25.559
<v Speaker 2>But how do you address it?

519
00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:26.599
<v Speaker 3>Yeah?

520
00:30:26.680 --> 00:30:30.119
<v Speaker 1>So, number one, we need to be investing in economic

521
00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:33.960
<v Speaker 1>opportunities that give Americans right here in the Hudson Valley

522
00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:38.440
<v Speaker 1>pathways to the middle class people who would just want

523
00:30:38.440 --> 00:30:40.039
<v Speaker 1>to be able to put food on the table, roof

524
00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:43.240
<v Speaker 1>over their heads, right like afford their bills, save for

525
00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:46.880
<v Speaker 1>a better future. We should have pathways to that here

526
00:30:47.480 --> 00:30:50.440
<v Speaker 1>that don't put people in lifelong student debt. And so

527
00:30:50.519 --> 00:30:53.680
<v Speaker 1>I think the good news story here is there is

528
00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:57.160
<v Speaker 1>going to be tremendous opportunity to make money, to have

529
00:30:57.240 --> 00:31:02.880
<v Speaker 1>financial security and opportunity like the trade skills in healthcare,

530
00:31:03.319 --> 00:31:08.480
<v Speaker 1>in education, and so increasing our federal government assistance and

531
00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:13.000
<v Speaker 1>grant programming to expand things like boss like community college

532
00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:18.799
<v Speaker 1>certification programs helping expand apprenticeships. Those are going to be

533
00:31:19.079 --> 00:31:22.519
<v Speaker 1>crucial in helping kids understand that there is so much

534
00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:26.200
<v Speaker 1>economic opportunity there. You want to do a job where

535
00:31:26.279 --> 00:31:29.279
<v Speaker 1>you can make money like six figures in a few

536
00:31:29.319 --> 00:31:33.319
<v Speaker 1>years of graduating from high school, become an electrician or

537
00:31:33.319 --> 00:31:35.920
<v Speaker 1>a plumber. And you know what, Frank, there's so much

538
00:31:36.119 --> 00:31:42.279
<v Speaker 1>honor in that work. You're calling these professionals right as

539
00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:44.759
<v Speaker 1>a family or a business on one of your worst days,

540
00:31:44.839 --> 00:31:48.000
<v Speaker 1>when you've got a problem, you are there in people's

541
00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:51.440
<v Speaker 1>homes and businesses, keeping them safe and healthy. There is

542
00:31:51.480 --> 00:31:55.559
<v Speaker 1>so much honor in this work, and we don't have enough,

543
00:31:56.480 --> 00:31:56.680
<v Speaker 1>you know.

544
00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:59.200
<v Speaker 2>It's a very interesting way to look at it.

545
00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:01.640
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, that is one. There's another one I want to

546
00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:04.960
<v Speaker 1>get to you. There so economic opportunity like investing in

547
00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:08.599
<v Speaker 1>boci's in vocational tech and trade skill programming. That is

548
00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:11.279
<v Speaker 1>something I promise I will lead the charge on in

549
00:32:11.319 --> 00:32:15.119
<v Speaker 1>Congress because it is the future. You know. We talk

550
00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:19.000
<v Speaker 1>about incredible BOSIS programming that's going on throughout this district

551
00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:22.000
<v Speaker 1>and community college programming. We need to give them the

552
00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:25.039
<v Speaker 1>resources to do even more because that is going to

553
00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:27.119
<v Speaker 1>be the pathway to the middle class for so many

554
00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:30.319
<v Speaker 1>families here, and they can stay here. I will tell

555
00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:33.640
<v Speaker 1>you the second part. I think there is absolutely no

556
00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:38.440
<v Speaker 1>excuse that we have for not capping the interest rate

557
00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:45.200
<v Speaker 1>on federal student loans that should be capped period, the

558
00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:48.119
<v Speaker 1>fact that we haven't done that yet. And again, that's

559
00:32:48.160 --> 00:32:50.839
<v Speaker 1>not one getting a handout, Right, I pay from one

560
00:32:50.839 --> 00:32:52.599
<v Speaker 1>of my graduate degrees out of pocket. It costs more

561
00:32:52.599 --> 00:32:54.240
<v Speaker 1>than my first house, you know what I mean, Like,

562
00:32:54.880 --> 00:33:00.640
<v Speaker 1>it's insane. What we're talking about is if I take

563
00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:05.880
<v Speaker 1>out a student loan for fifty K, I shouldn't end

564
00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:08.920
<v Speaker 1>up paying two hundred k because of cumulative interest over

565
00:33:08.920 --> 00:33:12.799
<v Speaker 1>the next twenty years. Like that's not right. So we

566
00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:14.359
<v Speaker 1>got to find a way to make sure we're not

567
00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:16.960
<v Speaker 1>killing kids for just trying to get to the middle class,

568
00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:20.480
<v Speaker 1>right and saddling them with this debt that they can't shake.

569
00:33:22.039 --> 00:33:23.640
<v Speaker 1>Let them pay it off, let them earn their way.

570
00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:27.359
<v Speaker 1>The second thing I'll say though, in the housing front. Look,

571
00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:29.160
<v Speaker 1>I was able to buy my house when I was

572
00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:33.640
<v Speaker 1>an Army officer because of the VA loan program. I

573
00:33:33.680 --> 00:33:37.480
<v Speaker 1>didn't have enough money saved to put twenty percent down.

574
00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:40.240
<v Speaker 1>I wasn't gonna make it. But the VA loan program

575
00:33:40.279 --> 00:33:42.119
<v Speaker 1>what it is is after a certain number of years

576
00:33:42.119 --> 00:33:45.400
<v Speaker 1>of service, you qualify for a VA loan. And what

577
00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:50.440
<v Speaker 1>that means is the Department of Veterans Affairs guarantees twenty

578
00:33:50.440 --> 00:33:53.440
<v Speaker 1>five percent of your mortgage to a private lender. What

579
00:33:53.440 --> 00:33:55.440
<v Speaker 1>that allows that private lender to do is to give

580
00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:59.400
<v Speaker 1>you a competitive interest rate without paying PMI without twenty

581
00:33:59.400 --> 00:34:02.440
<v Speaker 1>percent down. It's not a handout. No one's give me anything.

582
00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:04.839
<v Speaker 1>In fact, the funding fee to keep the program going

583
00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:07.680
<v Speaker 1>me as the person taking out the mortgage actually pays.

584
00:34:09.360 --> 00:34:12.880
<v Speaker 1>This type of program where people earn that kind of

585
00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:17.599
<v Speaker 1>support for their time in service. Frank, I think we

586
00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:20.159
<v Speaker 1>need a public service loan program equivalent. That's like the

587
00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:23.280
<v Speaker 1>VA loan where if you're a first responder, if you're

588
00:34:23.320 --> 00:34:28.800
<v Speaker 1>a teacher, if you're a nurse, you qualify after ten

589
00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:32.840
<v Speaker 1>years of serving your community. The Department of Labor backs

590
00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:36.840
<v Speaker 1>you by providing you to the same kind of loan service. Again,

591
00:34:36.920 --> 00:34:39.320
<v Speaker 1>no one gives you money. All it's saying is, instead

592
00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:41.559
<v Speaker 1>of needing twenty percent to put down on a house here, which,

593
00:34:41.559 --> 00:34:43.039
<v Speaker 1>by the way, if you're in those careers you're never

594
00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:47.239
<v Speaker 1>gonna be able to afford, We're gonna let you qualify

595
00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:50.519
<v Speaker 1>for a loan rate that's competitive with everyone else without

596
00:34:50.519 --> 00:34:51.519
<v Speaker 1>the twenty percent down.

597
00:34:54.280 --> 00:34:55.800
<v Speaker 2>Okay, we're gonna take a break in a minute. I'm

598
00:34:55.800 --> 00:34:58.000
<v Speaker 2>gonna ask you one more question before we go to

599
00:34:58.039 --> 00:35:02.280
<v Speaker 2>the breakfast. Has been absolutely terrific, and a couple of

600
00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:05.559
<v Speaker 2>people wanted me to ask you this. Some people say,

601
00:35:05.800 --> 00:35:08.440
<v Speaker 2>because of where you grew up and the way the

602
00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:12.320
<v Speaker 2>lines are drawn into District seventeen, your connection is tenuous,

603
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:14.960
<v Speaker 2>is the word they use address that. What would you

604
00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:17.840
<v Speaker 2>say to people who say, well, one person said, well,

605
00:35:17.880 --> 00:35:20.360
<v Speaker 2>it's kind of like carpetbagging. What would you say to that?

606
00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:25.840
<v Speaker 1>I would say, my family for four generations has called

607
00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:30.599
<v Speaker 1>this district home, and with all due respect, I would

608
00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:33.280
<v Speaker 1>have loved to have been living in Bedford instead of

609
00:35:33.320 --> 00:35:36.280
<v Speaker 1>Bagdad the last twenty years. But I want where my

610
00:35:36.360 --> 00:35:40.119
<v Speaker 1>country needed me to go. And so what I promise

611
00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:42.400
<v Speaker 1>you is you're not going to find a more fierce

612
00:35:42.440 --> 00:35:45.199
<v Speaker 1>fighter in New York seventeen to take on Loler and

613
00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:48.639
<v Speaker 1>more importantly, to deliver for our families. Not I know.

614
00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:52.400
<v Speaker 2>Okay, we're going to take a quick break of it's

615
00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:56.039
<v Speaker 2>been terrific. Few more questions to go go ball tape,

616
00:35:56.039 --> 00:35:58.400
<v Speaker 2>but we're strected to a little bit of time. Anyway,

617
00:35:58.840 --> 00:36:02.039
<v Speaker 2>this is being Frank, my very special guest, is New

618
00:36:02.119 --> 00:36:09.199
<v Speaker 2>York District seventeen congressional Democratic candidate Kate Connolly. I'm your host, Franklebono.

619
00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:11.400
<v Speaker 2>We'll be back with more Being Frank right after these

620
00:36:11.440 --> 00:36:14.400
<v Speaker 2>brief commercial messages. Please don't go anywhere yet, still a

621
00:36:14.440 --> 00:36:15.320
<v Speaker 2>lot more to talk about.

622
00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:31.480
<v Speaker 1>Hudson Riverradio dot com. This is Hudson River Radio dot com.

623
00:36:31.559 --> 00:36:37.800
<v Speaker 6>Hudson River Radio dot com.

624
00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:43.760
<v Speaker 1>This is Hudson Riverradio dot com.

625
00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:48.880
<v Speaker 2>Welcome back to Being Frank, the Intelligent conversation podcast. Thanks

626
00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:52.559
<v Speaker 2>for sticking with us. I'm your host, Frank Lubono and

627
00:36:52.639 --> 00:36:57.119
<v Speaker 2>as always, our engineers, the mailman mister Neil Richter. We

628
00:36:57.199 --> 00:37:00.239
<v Speaker 2>bring our audience a fresh topic every week, and we

629
00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:04.840
<v Speaker 2>stream from Hudson River Radio, located and beautiful and historic

630
00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:08.199
<v Speaker 2>Stony Point, New York. But remember you can catch Being

631
00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:12.639
<v Speaker 2>Frank anywhere you get your favorite podcasts like Apple, Spotify,

632
00:37:12.920 --> 00:37:17.079
<v Speaker 2>iHeartRadio and all the others. And because every Being Frank

633
00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:20.360
<v Speaker 2>is archived, you can listen to any of our programs

634
00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:23.360
<v Speaker 2>anytime you like. You can find a link to Being

635
00:37:23.400 --> 00:37:27.000
<v Speaker 2>Frank on the Hudson River Radio Facebook page or at

636
00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:33.440
<v Speaker 2>our website Hudsonriverradio dot com. Just click and you're there. Okay,

637
00:37:33.480 --> 00:37:36.880
<v Speaker 2>we'll be back with our very special guest, District seventeen

638
00:37:36.960 --> 00:37:41.840
<v Speaker 2>Congressional District, I should say seventeen Democratic candidate Kate Connolly.

639
00:37:42.519 --> 00:37:45.199
<v Speaker 2>I want to remind everyone that Being Frank is archives,

640
00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:47.480
<v Speaker 2>so you listen to any of our programs anytime you like.

641
00:37:47.880 --> 00:37:49.679
<v Speaker 2>Can also find a link to Being Frank on the

642
00:37:49.760 --> 00:37:53.920
<v Speaker 2>Hudson River Radio Facebook page and our website also Hudson

643
00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:57.360
<v Speaker 2>Riverradio dot com. All right, let's get back to our

644
00:37:57.400 --> 00:38:00.679
<v Speaker 2>discussion the key issues and one of v she raises

645
00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:04.400
<v Speaker 2>not only for New York but for the country. Ok.

646
00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:07.679
<v Speaker 2>In a broader sense too. I wonder you're feeling money

647
00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:12.239
<v Speaker 2>in politics. It has become more and more of a reality.

648
00:38:12.920 --> 00:38:15.360
<v Speaker 2>And that reality is the more money you have, the

649
00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:19.079
<v Speaker 2>greater your chance you have of getting elected. What can

650
00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:21.880
<v Speaker 2>we do about that? How do you see that situation

651
00:38:22.280 --> 00:38:25.280
<v Speaker 2>being resolved or should it be resolved? Frank?

652
00:38:25.320 --> 00:38:28.039
<v Speaker 1>I'll even back it up one where I think this

653
00:38:28.119 --> 00:38:32.079
<v Speaker 1>is a system designed where people like me who don't

654
00:38:32.119 --> 00:38:36.440
<v Speaker 1>come from a wealthy family or a politically connected family. Frank,

655
00:38:36.519 --> 00:38:41.159
<v Speaker 1>it's almost impossible for regular people to run for federal

656
00:38:41.159 --> 00:38:44.400
<v Speaker 1>office like this because it's a full time job, right,

657
00:38:44.800 --> 00:38:47.920
<v Speaker 1>And so you essentially have to be able to take

658
00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:52.000
<v Speaker 1>time off and not have an income for like over

659
00:38:52.079 --> 00:38:57.519
<v Speaker 1>a year, you know, or it's just insane, and so.

660
00:38:57.599 --> 00:39:00.519
<v Speaker 2>People can really think of that this is your job.

661
00:39:02.320 --> 00:39:05.480
<v Speaker 1>And that's what I mean. It's like, you know, you

662
00:39:05.519 --> 00:39:10.960
<v Speaker 1>talk about how people how no, no, you talk about

663
00:39:10.960 --> 00:39:13.239
<v Speaker 1>how this country and how Congress has gotten to be

664
00:39:13.280 --> 00:39:16.400
<v Speaker 1>the way it is. Frank there are more millionaires in

665
00:39:16.480 --> 00:39:22.760
<v Speaker 1>Congress than there are moms. Okay, we have developed a

666
00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:27.599
<v Speaker 1>system where it is really not just about the elite

667
00:39:27.719 --> 00:39:33.840
<v Speaker 1>benefiting from this system, but literally becoming this system because

668
00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:36.079
<v Speaker 1>they're the only ones who can afford to do it.

669
00:39:36.760 --> 00:39:40.480
<v Speaker 1>And my despise over money in politics starts at the

670
00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:43.360
<v Speaker 1>very beginning as someone who has had to struggle to

671
00:39:43.400 --> 00:39:46.519
<v Speaker 1>even do this financially, you know. And I'll have to

672
00:39:46.519 --> 00:39:48.800
<v Speaker 1>tell you I was one of the few folks in

673
00:39:48.840 --> 00:39:55.159
<v Speaker 1>this primary who's net worth wasn't multiple millions of dollars, right.

674
00:39:55.840 --> 00:40:00.880
<v Speaker 1>Why should someone have an advantage just because they've got

675
00:40:00.920 --> 00:40:03.960
<v Speaker 1>millions of dollars and they can sell fund Like, why,

676
00:40:04.559 --> 00:40:08.360
<v Speaker 1>I don't think that's what our founders intended. This is

677
00:40:08.440 --> 00:40:10.920
<v Speaker 1>supposed to be the House of the people, and when

678
00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:13.800
<v Speaker 1>ninety nine percent of the people can't afford a ticket

679
00:40:13.800 --> 00:40:16.199
<v Speaker 1>to get in the door, you know, you know, it's

680
00:40:16.239 --> 00:40:19.760
<v Speaker 1>it's messed up. So I think when you see money

681
00:40:19.800 --> 00:40:23.079
<v Speaker 1>in politics the other part, you know, when the Supreme

682
00:40:23.119 --> 00:40:27.719
<v Speaker 1>Court overturned Citizens United and said that corporations and people

683
00:40:27.719 --> 00:40:31.840
<v Speaker 1>can just write these blank checks on this soft side, right,

684
00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:36.960
<v Speaker 1>that that changed politics in a way that we still

685
00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:39.800
<v Speaker 1>aren't recovered. And I will tell you, as a member

686
00:40:39.800 --> 00:40:43.199
<v Speaker 1>of Congress, I would proudly advocate for legislation to put

687
00:40:43.239 --> 00:40:46.840
<v Speaker 1>limits and to end Citizens United right in all of

688
00:40:46.880 --> 00:40:53.039
<v Speaker 1>the absolutely like unaccountable maxel like crazy amounts of money

689
00:40:53.039 --> 00:40:56.199
<v Speaker 1>that you see people like Elon Musk pouring in to

690
00:40:56.239 --> 00:41:00.280
<v Speaker 1>help somebody like Mike Waller in twenty twenty four million

691
00:41:00.360 --> 00:41:04.239
<v Speaker 1>dollars is what Elon Musk gave Mike Lawler in twenty

692
00:41:04.280 --> 00:41:04.760
<v Speaker 1>twenty four.

693
00:41:05.400 --> 00:41:09.639
<v Speaker 2>How much did you get? Yeah, yeah, right, we don't

694
00:41:09.639 --> 00:41:12.199
<v Speaker 2>do video, but you're holding up a big goose egg.

695
00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:15.960
<v Speaker 1>Zero zero from Elon, you know. And it's one of

696
00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:18.280
<v Speaker 1>these things, Ryank, where it's just like, look, the system

697
00:41:18.360 --> 00:41:20.159
<v Speaker 1>is broken, And I think this is why you need

698
00:41:20.199 --> 00:41:22.800
<v Speaker 1>people like me who are going to go in call

699
00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:26.639
<v Speaker 1>a spade a spade, recognize that we can fix this,

700
00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:31.519
<v Speaker 1>and that it's incentivizing people who don't represent America to

701
00:41:31.559 --> 00:41:34.079
<v Speaker 1>be sitting there representing us. You know what I mean.

702
00:41:36.400 --> 00:41:39.559
<v Speaker 2>Let's talk about your race, not only against Mike lower.

703
00:41:39.599 --> 00:41:41.719
<v Speaker 2>You have to win a primary, and there are other

704
00:41:41.800 --> 00:41:45.719
<v Speaker 2>Democratic candidates, a few of them, all qualified in their

705
00:41:45.760 --> 00:41:49.639
<v Speaker 2>own right way. How do you do you see that

706
00:41:49.719 --> 00:41:52.239
<v Speaker 2>as a good thing or a bad thing to have

707
00:41:53.079 --> 00:41:55.760
<v Speaker 2>so many candidates in a primary, because I can see

708
00:41:55.760 --> 00:41:57.400
<v Speaker 2>it both ways. What are your thoughts?

709
00:41:57.679 --> 00:42:00.880
<v Speaker 1>I love competition, right, I love it. We talked about

710
00:42:00.880 --> 00:42:03.719
<v Speaker 1>this during the West Point section, right, Like I love competition.

711
00:42:04.280 --> 00:42:06.760
<v Speaker 1>I think it makes you a better athlete. I think

712
00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:10.119
<v Speaker 1>it makes you a better candidate. I am glad and

713
00:42:10.159 --> 00:42:12.639
<v Speaker 1>I want people to feel like they have a choice, right,

714
00:42:13.280 --> 00:42:16.239
<v Speaker 1>And so in that sense, I am grateful for this

715
00:42:16.320 --> 00:42:20.599
<v Speaker 1>Democratic primary because I think it's making us better. It's

716
00:42:20.599 --> 00:42:23.639
<v Speaker 1>making me a better candidate, and so I think that's

717
00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:28.320
<v Speaker 1>great and hopefully getting people energized about the democratic process.

718
00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:32.480
<v Speaker 2>One of the things I wonder too, with doing that,

719
00:42:32.519 --> 00:42:35.519
<v Speaker 2>you have to I mean, it's realistic to think you

720
00:42:35.559 --> 00:42:38.840
<v Speaker 2>have to accentuate what's positive about you and at the

721
00:42:38.880 --> 00:42:43.719
<v Speaker 2>same time not dwelling on it. But criticize other candidates,

722
00:42:43.760 --> 00:42:47.159
<v Speaker 2>if you will, for lacking in certain areas. I mean,

723
00:42:47.199 --> 00:42:50.519
<v Speaker 2>that's the reality of competition and winning the election. How

724
00:42:50.519 --> 00:42:52.960
<v Speaker 2>do you do that without beating each other up to

725
00:42:53.000 --> 00:42:55.960
<v Speaker 2>the point where it can then eventually be used against

726
00:42:56.039 --> 00:42:58.960
<v Speaker 2>you in the general election. I've always been curious how

727
00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:00.400
<v Speaker 2>do you strike that back else?

728
00:43:01.559 --> 00:43:05.320
<v Speaker 1>I think ever a candidate owes voters the case for

729
00:43:05.440 --> 00:43:09.199
<v Speaker 1>two things. One why they are the best athlete, the

730
00:43:09.199 --> 00:43:12.480
<v Speaker 1>best person, the best candidate to beat Mike Lawler in

731
00:43:12.519 --> 00:43:16.079
<v Speaker 1>November and then Frank. The second one is why are

732
00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:20.800
<v Speaker 1>they the best person to be there in January twenty

733
00:43:20.840 --> 00:43:23.840
<v Speaker 1>twenty seven to deliver? And so I try to just

734
00:43:23.880 --> 00:43:26.800
<v Speaker 1>focus on answering those questions right, because I think that

735
00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:30.639
<v Speaker 1>is the strongest case out there. Look for the first

736
00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:33.440
<v Speaker 1>one when it comes to beating Lawler. We have watched

737
00:43:33.480 --> 00:43:37.199
<v Speaker 1>Mike Lawler take on and beat two Democratic politicians already.

738
00:43:37.960 --> 00:43:40.920
<v Speaker 1>They were former members of Congress right for parts of

739
00:43:40.920 --> 00:43:43.559
<v Speaker 1>this district right. I think if we want a different

740
00:43:43.639 --> 00:43:45.519
<v Speaker 1>kind of outcome, you need a different kind of Democrat.

741
00:43:45.800 --> 00:43:48.280
<v Speaker 1>And that's where well, Mike Lawler has faced politicians and

742
00:43:48.320 --> 00:43:51.280
<v Speaker 1>beaten them. He has never faced someone like me, and

743
00:43:51.440 --> 00:43:53.639
<v Speaker 1>that is going to make a difference. You know, I

744
00:43:53.639 --> 00:43:57.320
<v Speaker 1>don't like to quote him often, but I like to

745
00:43:57.400 --> 00:43:59.079
<v Speaker 1>quote him on this because of how I'm going to

746
00:43:59.159 --> 00:44:04.440
<v Speaker 1>beat him. Mike Lawler talks about New York seventeen as

747
00:44:04.440 --> 00:44:07.760
<v Speaker 1>being the district of heroes. We're over fifty percent of

748
00:44:07.840 --> 00:44:11.320
<v Speaker 1>households are veterans, the family of veterans, first responders, the

749
00:44:11.320 --> 00:44:14.119
<v Speaker 1>family of first responders. And I feel that, Frank like

750
00:44:14.159 --> 00:44:17.199
<v Speaker 1>you feel it. Like, Look, I was raised, my grandfather,

751
00:44:17.480 --> 00:44:21.800
<v Speaker 1>my uncle's right, everybody who was here Courtland Fire Engine

752
00:44:21.960 --> 00:44:25.440
<v Speaker 1>over Northern west Chester, lifelong members for decades, right Like,

753
00:44:25.480 --> 00:44:29.960
<v Speaker 1>there was an expectation. My mom remember the Ladies Montress Auxiliary.

754
00:44:30.119 --> 00:44:32.639
<v Speaker 1>You know, my godmother, Betty I mentioned earlier, spend the

755
00:44:32.920 --> 00:44:37.280
<v Speaker 1>Montros Lady's Auxiliary for sixty three years, right Like. Service

756
00:44:37.400 --> 00:44:40.320
<v Speaker 1>is part of who we are. And I do believe

757
00:44:40.320 --> 00:44:43.320
<v Speaker 1>when you talk about winning New York seventeen and winning people,

758
00:44:44.280 --> 00:44:49.119
<v Speaker 1>my lifetime of service from combat zones to you name it,

759
00:44:49.199 --> 00:44:51.679
<v Speaker 1>right the White House situation room, fighting for this country,

760
00:44:51.719 --> 00:44:54.760
<v Speaker 1>serving this nation is going to matter to people here

761
00:44:55.400 --> 00:44:58.719
<v Speaker 1>because they get the stakes, you know, and so I

762
00:44:58.719 --> 00:45:01.039
<v Speaker 1>think that first part of who your best athlete to

763
00:45:01.079 --> 00:45:05.519
<v Speaker 1>win against Lawler. I believe that is me. We've seen

764
00:45:05.559 --> 00:45:08.280
<v Speaker 1>third party polling show it's me. Mike Waller beats the

765
00:45:08.280 --> 00:45:12.760
<v Speaker 1>other Democrats. He does not beat me. The second part, though,

766
00:45:14.760 --> 00:45:17.280
<v Speaker 1>we do not have time for someone to be learning

767
00:45:17.280 --> 00:45:19.920
<v Speaker 1>what Congress does, what the federal government does. In January

768
00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:22.599
<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty seven, we do not have time for on

769
00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:25.400
<v Speaker 1>the job training. You need somebody who can get in

770
00:45:25.440 --> 00:45:28.119
<v Speaker 1>there and get it done. And that is where I

771
00:45:28.239 --> 00:45:31.599
<v Speaker 1>spent the last four years of my public service, working

772
00:45:31.599 --> 00:45:35.199
<v Speaker 1>with Congress, working with members and committees, writing federal legislation,

773
00:45:35.239 --> 00:45:38.519
<v Speaker 1>overseeing executing national budgets. I can do this job on

774
00:45:38.599 --> 00:45:41.280
<v Speaker 1>day one at a sprint, and with what is going

775
00:45:41.320 --> 00:45:45.880
<v Speaker 1>on in this country, we need that. And so Frank,

776
00:45:45.960 --> 00:45:47.760
<v Speaker 1>that's how I do it. I just talk about why

777
00:45:47.800 --> 00:45:50.559
<v Speaker 1>I am the best athlete for this district and why

778
00:45:50.599 --> 00:45:53.000
<v Speaker 1>I will fight like heck to make sure we deliver.

779
00:45:53.880 --> 00:45:55.719
<v Speaker 2>All right, let's well have a little fun with this.

780
00:45:55.840 --> 00:45:59.159
<v Speaker 2>If you could give me three three words, just three

781
00:45:59.199 --> 00:46:02.920
<v Speaker 2>words at best describe you. If you need to think

782
00:46:02.960 --> 00:46:06.599
<v Speaker 2>for a minute, go ahead, three three words the best

783
00:46:06.639 --> 00:46:08.559
<v Speaker 2>described Kate con.

784
00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:16.400
<v Speaker 1>Service, commitment, courage, fair enough, service commitment, courage.

785
00:46:17.320 --> 00:46:21.159
<v Speaker 2>Now, obviously you have websites people can find out more

786
00:46:21.199 --> 00:46:24.440
<v Speaker 2>information about your campaign about you donate if they should

787
00:46:24.480 --> 00:46:27.880
<v Speaker 2>choose to, please give that information to our listeners.

788
00:46:28.159 --> 00:46:29.920
<v Speaker 1>I would love for you all to check us out

789
00:46:29.960 --> 00:46:33.079
<v Speaker 1>at Kateconley dot com at C A I T C

790
00:46:33.280 --> 00:46:36.320
<v Speaker 1>O N L e y the old Irish spelling of

791
00:46:36.440 --> 00:46:39.840
<v Speaker 1>Kate Kateconley dot com. We keep it simple, but would

792
00:46:39.840 --> 00:46:41.360
<v Speaker 1>love for you to check us out or follow us

793
00:46:41.400 --> 00:46:43.159
<v Speaker 1>on socials or on all of them.

794
00:46:43.960 --> 00:46:46.239
<v Speaker 2>I meant to wish you were happy happy Saint Patrick's

795
00:46:46.239 --> 00:46:49.159
<v Speaker 2>stake too as well, of course, and to all our

796
00:46:49.880 --> 00:46:54.480
<v Speaker 2>Irish brothers and sisters and the great contributions they've made

797
00:46:54.519 --> 00:46:59.119
<v Speaker 2>to America are undeniable. You know, I'd like to thank

798
00:46:59.159 --> 00:47:01.360
<v Speaker 2>you so much Kate for being Frank and your intelligent

799
00:47:01.440 --> 00:47:04.360
<v Speaker 2>conversation with all those things and more, really really great.

800
00:47:05.119 --> 00:47:07.159
<v Speaker 1>Thanks for having me Frank anytime man.

801
00:47:08.079 --> 00:47:10.840
<v Speaker 2>You know, of course, we offer special thanks to our listeners.

802
00:47:10.920 --> 00:47:13.159
<v Speaker 2>They take time to go as a voice in their lives.

803
00:47:13.599 --> 00:47:16.679
<v Speaker 2>Remember you offer fresh topic every week and catch us

804
00:47:16.960 --> 00:47:22.239
<v Speaker 2>wherever and whenever you get your favorite podcasts. That includes Apple, Spotify,

805
00:47:22.400 --> 00:47:25.840
<v Speaker 2>iHeartRadio and all the others. Check us out on the

806
00:47:25.920 --> 00:47:29.480
<v Speaker 2>Hudson River Radio Facebook page, leave us a comment and

807
00:47:29.679 --> 00:47:32.920
<v Speaker 2>like us too. We also ask that you consider sharing

808
00:47:33.039 --> 00:47:35.480
<v Speaker 2>being Frank with others. It helps us to get the

809
00:47:35.519 --> 00:47:37.679
<v Speaker 2>word out. Of course, I leave you with two little

810
00:47:38.039 --> 00:47:40.360
<v Speaker 2>last little extra tidbits when if you want to call

811
00:47:40.440 --> 00:47:44.039
<v Speaker 2>them a slogan, and some great original music. And this

812
00:47:44.079 --> 00:47:46.360
<v Speaker 2>one comes from Mary Shelley. I thought that might be

813
00:47:46.400 --> 00:47:50.320
<v Speaker 2>interesting with the popularity of the new Franken Sein of

814
00:47:50.320 --> 00:47:53.000
<v Speaker 2>if you've seen it yet, it's spectacular and it's a

815
00:47:53.639 --> 00:47:56.679
<v Speaker 2>kind of a more true telling of the novel than

816
00:47:56.840 --> 00:48:01.559
<v Speaker 2>the early Hollywood versions. I think it was interesting. I've also,

817
00:48:01.719 --> 00:48:04.960
<v Speaker 2>you know, having seen them and read the book. There's

818
00:48:04.960 --> 00:48:08.119
<v Speaker 2>so much more to the creature and then Hollywood make

819
00:48:08.159 --> 00:48:10.800
<v Speaker 2>him out to be, and the new version I think

820
00:48:10.880 --> 00:48:14.760
<v Speaker 2>shows that well. Anyway, she said, I do not wish

821
00:48:14.800 --> 00:48:19.480
<v Speaker 2>women to have power over men, but over themselves. I

822
00:48:19.480 --> 00:48:24.000
<v Speaker 2>think that's strong. I think it's simple and strong. Okay,

823
00:48:24.000 --> 00:48:26.280
<v Speaker 2>we're gonna leave you with music in just a minute

824
00:48:26.320 --> 00:48:30.920
<v Speaker 2>from my friend Stephen Swan And but before that, you know,

825
00:48:31.039 --> 00:48:35.320
<v Speaker 2>I'd like to thank our engineer, mister Neil Richter for

826
00:48:35.519 --> 00:48:38.480
<v Speaker 2>them being the mailman. He always delivers, keeps us going,

827
00:48:38.920 --> 00:48:41.400
<v Speaker 2>he deals with my crazy schedule. Hey, Neil, you got

828
00:48:41.400 --> 00:48:45.119
<v Speaker 2>an hour for me Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday. And he always

829
00:48:45.159 --> 00:48:49.719
<v Speaker 2>comes through, so we appreciate the mailman, mister Neil Richter.

830
00:48:50.360 --> 00:48:52.519
<v Speaker 2>I'm your host, Frank Lebono, and I would like to have

831
00:48:52.559 --> 00:48:54.400
<v Speaker 2>you join us for the next being. Frank, We're the

832
00:48:54.440 --> 00:48:57.679
<v Speaker 2>only way to be is Frank. Here's some terrific music

833
00:48:58.079 --> 00:49:02.400
<v Speaker 2>from Stephen Swan. Enjoy everyone, You'll see you the next time.

834
00:49:03.880 --> 00:49:06.440
<v Speaker 5>Beauty the wonder round.

835
00:49:08.679 --> 00:49:13.880
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, it's a beauty wonderful.

836
00:49:18.239 --> 00:49:21.239
<v Speaker 5>Oh yeah, beautif won.

837
00:49:24.639 --> 00:49:35.360
<v Speaker 3>Love. It's a beautiful wonder go ride. I traveled this far,

838
00:49:37.400 --> 00:49:39.719
<v Speaker 3>it's fund for land.

839
00:49:41.639 --> 00:49:45.920
<v Speaker 4>A trailer of this far it's beuty blade.

840
00:49:47.159 --> 00:49:47.559
<v Speaker 5>Games.

841
00:49:49.280 --> 00:49:58.360
<v Speaker 4>See the trail this far, it's beauty proud, I travel

842
00:49:58.599 --> 00:50:03.480
<v Speaker 4>this far it's for brag and chess.

843
00:50:05.360 --> 00:50:13.639
<v Speaker 3>No, no kay?

844
00:50:27.800 --> 00:50:38.519
<v Speaker 5>What the fort for back? Who travel.

845
00:50:39.840 --> 00:50:41.480
<v Speaker 3>Tres so brod?

846
00:50:43.840 --> 00:50:54.800
<v Speaker 5>What lif for me? Me getting.

847
00:50:57.840 --> 00:50:58.320
<v Speaker 1>What the.

848
00:51:01.639 --> 00:51:03.320
<v Speaker 3>Scut for beauty?

849
00:51:03.559 --> 00:51:07.320
<v Speaker 5>For wonderful ride.

850
00:51:09.639 --> 00:51:16.960
<v Speaker 3>To beauty for the boat ride?

851
00:51:14.639 --> 00:51:32.639
<v Speaker 6>Yeah yeah, come on duty for one rade.

852
00:51:33.840 --> 00:51:40.079
<v Speaker 3>Travel It's beautiful ride.

853
00:51:41.559 --> 00:51:50.400
<v Speaker 4>A track of this far, it's beautiful Rapscay staff City track.

854
00:51:51.960 --> 00:52:00.400
<v Speaker 5>Let's go suputif side travel this row is.

855
00:52:00.480 --> 00:52:01.559
<v Speaker 3>Both sides.

856
00:52:02.800 --> 00:52:07.400
<v Speaker 5>Were again.

857
00:52:09.840 --> 00:52:31.920
<v Speaker 3>Be open in a skin stump.

858
00:52:35.519 --> 00:52:36.519
<v Speaker 5>But even.

859
00:52:39.719 --> 00:52:51.079
<v Speaker 3>The yeah.

860
00:52:53.559 --> 00:53:31.920
<v Speaker 5>Yeah give it to me, KA staff give sat.

861
00:53:33.840 --> 00:53:38.480
<v Speaker 1>Well, O.

862
00:53:43.679 --> 00:53:47.239
<v Speaker 3>Say can keep.

863
00:53:53.920 --> 00:53:55.719
<v Speaker 5>Just as that.

864
00:53:57.559 --> 00:54:06.119
<v Speaker 3>I try to have a staff sap. See a track

865
00:54:06.320 --> 00:54:11.480
<v Speaker 3>over the frontside.

866
00:54:19.519 --> 00:54:22.960
<v Speaker 2>Hudson River Radio dot com. Mm hmm
