Corruption is a bipartisan problem

Make Me Smart September 22, 2023 Transcript

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Kai Ryssdal 

Do not put your 401k in crypto. Hey, everybody, welcome back to Make Me Smart, where we make the day make sense. In addition to some other comments, it is Friday today, the 22nd day of September.

Kimberly Adams 

It is indeed. And welcome everyone I am Kimberly Adams, we are so happy that you are joining us here on our YouTube live stream which we like to call economics on tap. And that’s what we do every Friday. It’s our happy hour episode because uh, Lord knows we need it every week. Yeah, that’s what I got.

Kai Ryssdal 

You absolutely do, so we’re gonna do what we usually do on a Friday. Those of you at home can repeat along with me or we’re gonna do some news. We’re gonna take a little break. We’ll do a round of  half full half empty but first, we will get into what people are drinking. Kimberly Adams, what is in your glass today?

Kimberly Adams 

It is an Earth, Wind, and Fire Old Fashioned. Because when Ellen asked me what the drink was this week, it was Thursday which as we all know is Earth, Wind, and Fire day and so I looked for an earth Earth, Wind, and Fire themed cocktail and I found a recipe for an Earth, Wind, and Fire old fashioned which had an ingredient that I had to get overnighted to me. Sorghum syrup. Who knew?

Kai Ryssdal 

Wow, sorghum syrup? So first of all, you can get sorghum syrup overnighted overnight. I mean overnighted. But but what is sorghum syrup? Is that anything like molasses?

Kimberly Adams 

It’s similar to molasses but not. But it is also sweet and like dark in color. And I’m trying to look at the recipe from cocktail, Contessa is where I found it. And what is sorghum. While many people have heard of sorghum and have enjoyed it on biscuits in the south, not everyone knows it’s a tall grass of African origin that grows well in climates cooler than those found in the Caribbean. The tall canes can be pressed in juice and the juice is cooked down into a sweet, thick, viscous earthy syrup.

Kai Ryssdal 

Wow, sorry. Hold it up. Hold it up. Let me see it. So what does it look like your drink? Okay, and how does it taste?

Kimberly Adams 

I haven’t tried it yet. Alright, here we go. Oh, it’s good. I was worried it was going to be too sweet. But it’s not, it actually works. It does kind of lend earthiness to it. This interest, this was an interesting recipe because it called for me to smoke the glass before I put the drink in to be the fire component. which thankfully I had my little smoker I did I smoke the glass first and yeah. And I don’t know what the wind part is. There, wind. Okay, what was everybody else drinking?

Kai Ryssdal 

I have, so Ellenn is probably really annoyed with me because I got that email yesterday. I got the Slack. And I just didn’t know. And then I forgot about the slug and I didn’t tell her. Also, I feel really boring because my answer is always beer and yours is I’m gonna have you know, Guadalupe, citrus, you know, whatever, drinking thing. Anyways, Big Yikes from Modern Times brewery down in San Diego. Double IPA. Because I don’t have to do anything’s afternoon. So that’s what I was. That’s what I’m having.

Kimberly Adams 

I should mention, I meant I made mine non-alcoholic with my non-alcoholic whiskey because I have to be up extra early tomorrow. So I’m being good. I, I’m going on C-SPAN.

Kai Ryssdal

Really?

Kimberly Adams

Yes. Yes. I’m going on C-SPAN to fill in on Washington journal.

Kai Ryssdal 

Okay. Insert nerd joke here.

Kimberly Adams 

Who wouldn’t want to be on C-SPAN in the lead up to a government shutdown, come on man!

Kai Ryssdal 

On a Saturday morning at the crack of dawn. Oh my goodness, it does not get any better than that. Whatever.

Kimberly Adams 

I am who I am and I love my nerdiness. Okay, well, we should probably…

Kai Ryssdal 

Washington Journal. Sorry. Anyway, there’s a lot of Washington Journal love. Okay.

Kimberly Adams

Have you ever seen it Kai? Do you know what it is?

Kimberly Adams

Yes, I’ve seen it. Because you have to do that to get the other channels where there’s actual good content on. No, I’m sorry. I’m kidding. Oh. Also, also, well, no, come on, Kimberly, come on. But also, Noel King, our mutual former colleague and your friend sent out a tweet of a couple of weeks ago of you interviewing her about Vox today explained. So I saw that too.

Kimberly Adams 

See that it was good content.

Kai Ryssdal 

That’s true. Okay, Jin Pak, Jin Pak says this and then we will move on. “We’re all watching an economic podcast on a Friday night. Nerds assemble.” So true.

Kimberly Adams 

Very true. All right. Well, then I’m gonna go first with my news because my news is very Washington very. Not so insider a but it just tells you that corruption knows no party. In obviously, many people have heard that today. Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey and his wife were indicted on charges of bribery. And I just want to read from The Hill here. “Federal prosecutors announced the charges Friday and said in a search of the senators home, they found $100,000 in gold bars, and $480,000 in hidden cash, according to the indictment, Menendez and his wife agreed to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange to protect three New Jersey businessmen and as well as people in the government of Egypt,” and it’s just a mess. But wow. I mean, and much of the $480,000 in cash was quote, “much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe envelopes of cash inside jackets in the home.” Oh my gosh, it just goes on and on.

Kai Ryssdal 

Wait, sorry. Also it the cash was hidden inside his Congressional Hispanic Caucus jacket. Like inside his Senate jacket, you’re like, come on, Senator, give me a break. Also, apparently, he googled the phrase, how much is one kilo of gold worth? Which by the way is about $67,000 at today’s price. Come on, man.

Kimberly Adams 

So the Senate historical office says Menendez appears to be the first sitting senator in history to have been indicted on two unrelated criminal allegations. So we now at the moment have our first former president who has been indicted and our first sitting senator to be indicted, what a time to be alive. And then that brings me to my next one, which is yet another amazing scoop by ProPublica, about the Supreme Court, where Clarence Thomas, apparently participated in Koch Network donor events. So not just like hanging out, but actually going to the fundraisers. Wow. Now, of course, the Koch group says that he was not involved in any of the fundraising activities. But he was at these private retreats at least twice. And as I was thinking about these two stories today, it really kind of made me think about the important divisions we have in the democracy is as it’s supposed to function. The role of the press, incredibly important in revealing stuff about Clarence Thomas and other Supreme Court issues, the role of the Department of Justice in actually going after people who have committed crimes, regardless of political affiliation, or allegedly committed crimes, regardless of affiliation, and hopefully landing on on the side of justice. And, you know, one would love to believe that someone would see the Menendez indictment and say, look, and also the Hunter Biden stuff as well and say, look, they go after everybody, if anybody breaks the law, they go after them. But no, that’s not what’s gonna happen. But I was. I’m hopeful that maybe this will make at least some people see that it’s not always a witch hunt.

Kai Ryssdal 

So this is a moment excuse me, this is a moment for the Democratic caucus in Congress, Democratic leadership everywhere to really set themselves apart from the GOP, because by and large Republicans in leadership and Republicans in Congress and Republicans in a national level, have not condemned look, everybody’s entitled to the presumption of innocence and Donald Trump and all his 91 indictments. He is innocent until proven guilty, right? Statement of fact. But the Republican caucus writ large, has only attached themselves to him more closely. This is an opportunity for Democrats to draw a real distinction. And I would submit that if they don’t, Republicans are gonna hang around their necks and drag them way, way down come next spring and summer.

Kimberly Adams 

I’m looking at this other article on The Hill, here are the Democrats who have called for Menendez to resign. Governor Phil Murphy Murphy, the Democrat from New Jersey, New Jersey Democratic Party chair LeRoy Jones, Representative Andy Kim, also a Democrat from New Jersey, Representative Mikie Sherrill. I mean, the list goes on to House candidates, former members, everybody. Right.

Kai Ryssdal 

Here’s here’s the two names. Actually there are three but one can’t. Biden cannot and should not and probably won’t. So that’s good. Schumer, as the Senate Majority Leader, and also Cory Booker, the junior senator from the state of New Jersey, Cory Booker, who full disclosure is a college acquaintance of my wife’s, Cory Booker in 2015, sorry, in 2017 stood by Menendez, and it will be very interesting to see what he does this time.

Kimberly Adams 

Hmm. Interesting, right. Yeah, right. Yeah. We’re watching for it. I mean, it reminds me of when we had the conversation of what would it like who in the Republican Party needed to speak out against Trump for it to make a difference? And I remember, one of the people that you listed was actually Mike Pence, who has since done it, and it’s made no difference. But anyway, that’s true. Yes, very good point. Yep. Okay, I know I’m going on forever and ever. But I have to give you this one. Because we’re a podcast, we get to do whatever we want on here about the time but this one is purely for you. Because as I was researching deep into government shutdown stuff today, I came across this article from Washington Monthly from 2013 when there was yet another government shutdown, and the headline is, “Time to brush up on the Food and Forage Act of 1861 everybody,” the food and forage..

Kai Ryssdal 

History matters.

Kimberly Adams 

History matter. All right, let me let me find this. So basically, when they’re talking about when there’s a government shutdown, federal agencies are not allowed to spend money that has not yet been appropriated by Congress. Some people are forced to work without being paid. But you can’t spend money, you can’t buy new things, except with thing specific specific exemptions. And the example given is the Food and Forage Act of 1861. Near the start of the Civil War, as the title suggests, that law permitted soldiers to graze their horses and take whatever necess other necessities were required to live on horseback. It was a law that was invoked in a decidedly non-horsey sense during the Vietnam War, again during Operation Desert Shield and Iraq in 1990. And for a brief time, immediately following the terror attacks of September 11 2001. In this, under this act, basically what it allows is for federal employees to accept volunteers or go beyond their funding in cases of emergency involving the safety of human life, or the protection of human property. It’s what allows the military and, you know, to keep buying food for the armed services, you know, to feed our military, feed and clothe our military, even when there’s a government shutdown. So that’s the least the legal interpretation. So anyway,

Kai Ryssdal

History is amazing.

Kimberly Adams

Yeah. History is amazing.

Kai Ryssdal 

That’s why you study it. I appreciate that.

Kimberly Adams 

The Food and Forage Act of 1861.

Kai Ryssdal 

And I appreciate that you thought of me, I truly do. Okay, so here’s,

Kimberly Adams

It’s a nerd podcast

Kai Ryssdal

I suppose I have to associate myself with…

Kimberly Adams 

History, economics, politics, we do it all.

Kai Ryssdal 

Washington Journal on a Saturday morning at sunrise. Anywho. So, so here’s mine, we talked about this. I don’t know if it was this week or last week, the idea that President Biden is in something of a bind with the United Auto Workers strike in that he wants to be seen and declares himself to be the most pro union president this country has ever seen. But also, he needs the big car company CEOs to come along with him in our transition to electric vehicles, and he is working really hard to make that happen with the inflation Reduction Act and all of those things. Well, so the President has decided and he has come down on the side of the United Auto Workers Union. The White House announced today that the President will go to Detroit on Tuesday. And more specifically, we’ll walk the picket line with them. That is huge. It is huge.

Kimberly Adams 

It’s going to be the first time is it?

Kai Ryssdal 

Huge, it will be the first time ever, it will get ginormous press. The President will brush up his street cred with the United Auto Workers Union. But I think it comes either a day after or day before, excuse me, Donald Trump goes to Detroit and does not walk the picket lines because the United Auto Workers Union president Shawn Fain has said we want nothing to do with Donald Trump. But Trump will go to Detroit and have a rally with pro-Trump union members and we’ll sell it as him being pro-union in a very smart political move. Right. So it’s it’s very interesting that the two leading candidates for their party’s nominations. Well, I guess Biden is the only candidate for his party’s nomination, will dive into the UAW strike, which just expanded today, they will dive into it early next week. Now, I have to give a shout out, despite all their broness, to the guys on Pod Save America, specifically Dan Pfeiffer, who they, he and John Favreau, have a really good analysis of the kind of campaign that Donald Trump is running, he is running a much smarter, much more effective campaign this time than he did last time when it was all, you know, or 2016 when it was all, you know, baling wire and spit holding it together with him and Corey Lewandowski and like four different people on his plane. Now, Trump is going to Detroit, the heartland of number one America, but number two organized labor in this country and passing himself off as a pro-labor Republican president. And for some part of this electorate that’s going to work. And it’s going to be really a challenge for the Democrats. Go ahead. Sorry.

Kimberly Adams 

Isn’t that just what Kellyanne Conway told him to do in 2016?

Kai Ryssdal

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Kimberly Adams

Yeah, because it’s, it’s, her strategy was brilliant. She said, we do not care about winning the popular vote. We care about winning the presidency. And she exactly narrowed in on that demographic, because I remember at the time, I did a story, I went to Granite City, Illinois to a steel mill there and talked to the union workers there. And they were had been straight blue pro-union Democrat folks, and they were all voting for Trump. And that was one of the two things that made me really think that Trump had a chance to win. It was that and when I heard him saying, I think it was the second debate that he promised to elect pro-life judges to the Supreme Court. And I was like, okay, so now he’s got all the evangelical Christians who turn out to vote like bonkers. And now, even the unions are saying, the union of workers are saying, because they’re like, yeah, even though our officials are saying, we’re gonna go for Clinton, we’re not we’re gonna vote for Trump. And I was like, Oh, this guy’s got a real chance now.

Kai Ryssdal 

Right. Right. And also the thing from from Kristen Welker’s meet the press interview, where he was triangulating between the six week ban on abortion and the 15 week ban on abortion, and, and putting that in the mix, and betting that he’s now going to be able to attract some fraction of voters who are kind of okay with that, while knowing that the pro-life voters who want a nationwide ban or something less than even a six week ban are still gonna vote for him no matter what he says.

Kimberly Adams 

Yeah, there was an interesting article about how the pro-life groups are trying to figure out what to do, because Trump gave them what they wanted, and now they’ve got it, but now he’s backing up backing down, and they don’t want to bash him because Trump keeps a grudge. If he does win, and when he probably will become the nominee. You know, what are they going to do? They’re gonna be stuck with them. Very quickly back on UAW, though, did you see the report in Axios this morning about the leaked messages from the union leaders?

Kai Ryssdal 

I did, go ahead and tell people what that is. I have thoughts.

Kimberly Adams 

Okay, so the headline is, “UAW official says union creating chaos for automakers’ leaked messages show,” and basically, somehow some way a bunch of messages private messages from the platform formerly known as Twitter, X, got leaked. And it’s a ton of internal communications about strategy from UAW communications director and a bunch of other folks. And it is pretty bad. It looks really bad for them in terms of feeling bad for the union, in terms of revealing what their strategy is, it’s giving the automakers some arguments that they’re not actually bargaining in good faith, which is something important to the NLRB and labor negotiations. And it also makes them look a little condescending of some of their membership. And so anyway, we can link it to it in the show notes. I haven’t seen it too many other places. I wonder if that’s like their scoop. But let me tell you, I’m awfully sus that under this new Twitter slash X regime, that the union leadership’s private messages, somehow some way made it to the public conspiracy theory, maybe, but I am.

Kai Ryssdal 

Oh, no. I don’t think it’s a conspiracy theory at all. I will say I think, number one, it was naive of union leadership and union communications officials to put that stuff on Twitter.

Kimberly Adams 

Twitter. Yeah, a platform they don’t control, right. Yeah, so.

Kai Ryssdal 

Totally idiotic, right. But number two, I am amazed truly at how successfully strategic, the union has been so far, the small amount of strikes that they started with at those three plants, something like 12,000 workers, which is less than 10% of total membership, and that and then today, bam, right? 38 plants in 20 states, shutting down distribution centers, not for all three of them. Right, but just for GM and Stellantis and setting Ford apart, and thus putting the three automakers in some sense, which has never been done before, against each other. Right? I mean, Shawn Fein is a militant son of a gun and way in your face, but they are being so smart about this.

Kimberly Adams 

And Ellen points out in the in our in our Slack that this news about the leaked messages was first in the Detroit News. It’s behind paywall, but anyway, they were the ones who had it first. So shout out to them for giving them a shout out. Yeah, yeah.

Kai Ryssdal 

Yeah shoutout to them. For sure. Okay, shall we.

Kimberly Adams 

Yeah. So yeah. So that is it for the news. And I know we’ve gone on a long time, but we are able to do that. Because of you all because it is that time of year where we do need to turn to you all again for support. Because you know, it’s that time of year and I was supposed to bring my hoodie, but I forgot it’s downstairs. But it’s half priced hoodie weekend this weekend. So it is a rare chance to get a Make Me Smart or Marketplace hoodie when you donate $8 a month or I think that’s $90 annually. Don’t do math. Nope. $90 $8 a month or so. Anyway, at midnight on Sunday, they go back to $16 a month so that’s why it’s half price hoodie weekend. Yes. And we the last time we did this was what like a year ago or something like that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it’s really comfy. I wear mine all the time.

Kai Ryssdal 

It is it is I’m told very cozy. I do not have mine in my possession anymore because I think either my wife or my daughter has stolen it. But look, this is a win, win, win. support public service journalism, stay cozy. Get a special deal this weekend only. Give right now. marketplace.org/gift smart. And thank you very much. And right now is where you say we’re coming right back. Oh, that’s me. Oh, wait. Yeah, right back.

Kai Ryssdal 

All right, have full, half empty as the game if I could read my rundown the right way. Drew Jostad’s in charge. Please Drew save us from ourselves.

Drew Jostad 

All right, this is the first year the IRS has lowered the threshold for taxing ticket resellers are you half full or half empty.

Kimberly Adams

I saw that.

Kai Ryssdal

So this was in The Journal. Yeah, go ahead. No, yeah.

Kimberly Adams 

Basically, it’s a warning that if you were out there reselling your Beyonce tickets, or your Taylor Swift tickets, and if you resold those suckers for more than $600, that’s reportable income, and you better watch out. And I guess it’s sort of in line with the whole Venmo, Cash App thing, where if you sort of do more than $600 in sales, I guess if it’s labeled sales a year, you’re supposed to report that income to the IRS and pay taxes on it. So I am going to be half full on people, everybody paying taxes, although I wish it was more equitable. And it’s, you know, I hope the enforcement is balanced on the tax dodgers up and down the income scale.

Kai Ryssdal 

Yeah, same, same what Kimberly said.

Drew Jostad 

Okay, are you half full or half empty on Spanglish advertising?

Kai Ryssdal 

Oh, so this is a story Elizabeth Trovali did for us the other day, keyed to a report at a Pew but also just the changing demographics in this country, and how, you know, advertisers are dealing with it. I think number one, however people choose to and are able to communicate is important. And look, advertisers are going to follow so I’m, I’m I’m half I’m gonna say half half.

Kimberly Adams 

I don’t know I, I feel really hesitant to weigh in on this one. Because it’s like, I don’t know. Half for the people who want it. Also, just like half full for the people who wanted half empty for the people who don’t I just feel I don’t know, I’m not so plugged in. And it’s on my community. And so I always worry about being like, this is great. This is not because it’s like I don’t know, man. It depends. So opt out. abstain possibly pass.

Kai Ryssdal 

I know, I think obsession is a fine response. I have no problem with that. As opposed to our former boss, Nancy Cassutt. Who, who the heck knows where she is right now. But she gave me a hard time once for abstaining. We don’t want to talk about it, we can do what we want.

Kimberly Adams 

Whatever we want. What’s next?

Drew Jostad 

All right, are you half full or half empty on the orange egg yolks?

Kai Ryssdal 

So this was an interview that I did today on the radio program about the rise of those really orangey orangey egg yolks that organic companies and companies like the happy egg company sell for hang on $10 a dozen which, you know, marginally might taste a little better but look really good in the Instagramisation of American food. I did promise in this interview that I did today with Marian Bull of Eater. I promised that I would go to the farmers market this weekend and buy some of those eggs and taste them. I don’t know it’s a little bit foodie preciousness. But at the same time, you know, food matters.

Kimberly Adams 

The thing I will remember from that story, probably forever and all of my days is that in order to get those bright orange egg yolks they feed the chicken marigolds and turmeric.

Kai Ryssdal 

Yeah, it’s a little bit cheating. It’s a little bit cheating. Yeah, no totally

Kimberly Adams 

Um, I will be half full on making food look more appealing and food that is in some ways healthy, you know for in moderation of course, making it more appealing and interesting and like your guests said, you know if it makes people want to cook more then great. I don’t like eggs. I dislike eggs actively and yeah, it’s like I can’t even handle like french toast. I cannot deal.

Kai Ryssdal

That’s so funny. That’s so funny. Really that’s like egg adjacent. That’s not actual eggs.

Kimberly Adams 

No I can’t do it. I can taste the egginess.

Kai Ryssdal 

You and Nancy Farghali. I had a whole conversation today before the show after she was like, Yeah, I don’t I don’t do eggs. I can’t do eggs. They’re gross. I’m like, okay, sorry. There you go. Yeah. All right. What’s next?

Drew Jostad 

Ready with the poll?

Kimberly Adams 

Yes we will be ready with the poll.

Kai Ryssdal 

Thank god Drew’s paying attention. Yes, poll. So if you have a thought, and if you’re on the live stream, get ready to weigh in on our live poll, we will figure out how to give you the results in about a minute or so. Although doing this ball for a year, and I still haven’t figured it out. So Drew’s gonna give us a thing. Kimberly and I will kill some time. And then and then we will give you our thoughts. DREW?

Drew Jostad 

Yeah, are you half full or half empty on a relaxed Senate dress code?

Kai Ryssdal 

I have such thoughts. I have saw such thoughts.

Kimberly Adams 

Go for it.

Kai Ryssdal 

No I can’t go for it yet. I have to wait. We have to kill time.

Kimberly Adams 

I suspect I know where you’re gonna land on this. But so somebody in the chat is asking me. Would you could you on an omnibus? I’m sure there will be many.

Kai Ryssdal 

What does that mean? Would you, could you on an omnibus?

Kimberly Adams 

I’m guessing it’s a half full half empty equivalent? Oh, but I don’t know, like the Senate is has been sort of sitting on its hands working on their own stuff. And they were trying to let the house to do what the house is supposed to do and originate the appropriations bills. But I think not.

Kai Ryssdal 

Not just not just supposed to do, by the Constitution is required to do.

Kimberly Adams 

Yes, but they’re also required to not store gold bars in their house. So they they have some stuff ready to go. I think that could be picked up by the house. And I wonder how much pressure the Senate is going to put on McCarthy to basically be like, take this, take the Democratic votes and get this done. But the second he takes those Democratic votes, he’s the he’s going to they’re gonna they’re gonna come after him. It’s really hard for me to see, like you said, and what did Steve say in the show today that there’s a very narrow path to a soft landing?

Kai Ryssdal 

And he was like, there was a very narrow path. It was off lining, applying it to the to the Republicans in the House, which I thought was genius.

Kimberly Adams 

And I, you know, and to just further add to the nerdiness, I was out with, you know, at a birthday party last night, and there were political scientists and journalists there. And this was what we were talking about. And it’s a hard belief, people are pretty much thinking there’s going to be a shutdown at least a short one.

Kai Ryssdal 

100%, 100%. And you don’t, sorry, you don’t actually think there’s not going to be a shutdown?

Kimberly Adams 

I am leaning one direction, enough that I spent a good chunk of today developing a shutdown plan document for what kind of stories we can do. So that that’s that’s where I learned I spent many, many hours on this today. So that’s where I land. Okay. So on this particular question, let’s go ahead and close the poll. On the question of the relaxed Senate dress code, I am half empty. I actually think that there should be a dress code in this setting. But I don’t necessarily know that needs to be the dress code that they had. I think that I’m sure there still is a dress code of some sort. But I just think that there needs to be I like the idea of there being some formality, and especially in the Senate, where it’s supposed to be sort of the more reserved and astute and thoughtful branch of the of the Congress. And I don’t know, I like the vibe.

Kai Ryssdal 

I completely agree. In fact, I would go farther. I am absolutely opposed to the relaxation of the dress code. And I need to be clear here right. So first of all, this is geared towards Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who we’ve spoken about before on this podcast, I think this week we talked about the whole body double shenanigans and all that. And Senator Fetterman, challenges, all of which I have great admiration for him for having fought through and overcome. That said, I believe decorum matters, I believe formality in certain circumstances matters. I believe it lends itself to a more people are going to call me naive for this, a more elevated discussion, a more restrained and polite, which I understand is a funny word to use in the American political context right now, a more polite discussion. So So that’s number one. Number two, I think it’s a mistake to gear a policy toward one member out of 100. That’s just not good policy. Number three, I think there was this was just the stupidest possible, shooting yourself in the foot by Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, right? Well, and here’s why I say that. Schumer has now set himself up for being torpedoed by Republicans in the Senate, talking about the dress code and civility and why it matters. And we are not going to have discussions about what people are wearing Elizabeth, not sorry, not Elizabeth, Susan Collins came out the other day and said, Well, I’m going to wear a bikini on the floor of the Senate the other day, and nobody needs to have those discussions. But more to the point. Joe Manchin, a member of the Democratic caucus, is going to introduce a measure next week, a bipartisan measure, he says, to reinstate or reaffirm the formal dress code in the Senate. And I don’t for the life of me understand what Chuck Schumer thought was going to happen. And think this was going to be fine. And everything was going to be great. I don’t get it.

Kimberly Adams 

And also, just like, don’t we have better things to do? Like I don’t know fund the federal government?

Kai Ryssdal 

God. Oh, my God. Yes. Just 1,000% Yes.

Kimberly Adams 

Yeah, I just I don’t know, man.

Kai Ryssdal 

It’s just, it’s just it’s just not smart.

Kimberly Adams 

So I’m half empty.

Kai Ryssdal

Where’s the poll? Where’s the poll?

Kimberly Adams

Oh it totally, like zoomed by. I saw it and I just didn’t say anything. Okay, so half full 62% or half full on the relaxed Senate dress code 37% half empty. 166 months.

Kai Ryssdal

Really?

Kimberly Adams

Oh, Crystal Herp in the chat makes a good point. A single exception is reasonable accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Kai Ryssdal 

Yeah. And Senator Fetterman has gotten all of those reasonable accommodations for the stroke that he had. Right? He has been able to use speech to text translators to deal with his his challenges that he’s had translating questions into his answers. Right. He has also, by the way, as we talked about the other day, made remarkable progress. As you can see in interviews he’s done with that challenge. I totally agree and Senator Fetterman should get every accommodation he needs to deal with those challenges. I don’t think that goes to being able to put on a suit and tie.

Kimberly Adams 

Yeah, I am thinking about Senator Duckworth, you know, and many other people who have accommodations.

Kai Ryssdal 

Wait, you have to you have to explain why why Senator Duckworth needs those accommodations.

Kimberly Adams 

Yes, Senator Duckworth is a veteran and lost her legs. I believe it was a helicopter crash.

Kai Ryssdal

Yeah she was a helicopter pilot.

Kimberly Adams

She was a helicopter pilot and uses a wheelchair and has accommodations and shows up to the Senate in a suit.

Kai Ryssdal 

Absolutely. And also was the first senator in a very, very, very long time. We talked about this, to have a baby while in the Senate. Right.

Kimberly Adams 

Hmm. Yeah. And the so I mean, all for reasonable accommodations. But reasonable accommodations do not then need to be applied to the entire Senate. It’s a reasonable accommodation for that person. And in this case, it I don’t know. I just I think we’ve spent too much time talking about this.

Kai Ryssdal 

Let’s go. I think that I think that was a totally good discussion. I have no problem with that one. Yeah, no problem. And I can Senator Duckworth is a really good example. So question, comments, thoughts on what Kimberly and I ought to wear on this podcast on a Friday. I don’t even know leave us a voicemail. 508-U-B-SMART, email us and makemesmart@marketplace.org It will get to us and it will be read. I promise.

Kimberly Adams 

Yeah. And don’t forget we do have a newsletter too. If you had been interested in my Earth, Wind, and Fire old fashioned recipe it within the link to the newsletter this week. That’s where we share our reading recommendations from the team. We have the beer and the cocktail suggestions. And yes, we see you Jasper. You’ve made your appearance. You can sign up at marketplace.org/newsletters. He just came to stare at you.

Kai Ryssdal 

That’s all right. It’s all good. We went long today. This might be the longest Friday. Make Me Smart is produced by Courtney Bergsieker. Today’s episode was engineered by Charlton Thorp. Our intern is Niloufar Shahbandi. Drew Jostad wrote the theme music for our game half full, half empty.

Kimberly Adams 

The team mind half full, half empty is Emily Macune and Antoinette Brock. Marissa Cabrera is our senior producer. Bridget Bodnar is the director of podcasts and Francesca Levy is the executive director of digital and on demand. Wonderful they decided today to put that she’s the executive director of digital, digital and on demand. Are they just messing with us?

Kai Ryssdal

Well, there we go.

Kimberly Adams

That was something.