Hello. Hello everyone watching and listening. Today I'm speaking with

lawyer, former Washington State Senator and now federal congressman Adam Smith.

We discuss the difficulties and promise of genuine political dialogue, practical and psychological.

The dangers of a too narrow definition of merit and accomplishment,

the difference between negotiating and winning and topics related to mental health and political

action outlined in his new book, Lost and Broken,

my journey back from chronic pain and crippling anxiety.

I've been attempting to bring Democrats on my podcast for several years.

Congressman Smith is the first sitting House member or senator for that matter

willing to take the risk and to combat in that manner the dangerous polarization that presently confronts us.

All right, well Congressman Smith, thank you very much for agreeing to talk to me and to everyone

watching and listening today. You and I have met a couple of times before in Washington in preparation for this.

I've met a lot of Democrats in Washington,

congressmen and senators.

Many of them were willing, if not pleased,

to speak with me.

They're often pleased too, I suppose.

It's been somewhat tricky getting Democrats to talk to me on my

podcast for a variety of reasons and so I think that's unfortunate but I'm pleased that you have decided to do that and I guess I'm probably curious to begin with

Why you agreed to do this and and also what you're hoping to accomplish and then we'll dive into the political mess a bit

Sure I mean it has been my sort of approach to politics from the very start.

And I've been doing this a long time.

...