Welcome to Jen Rubin's Green Room with me, Jen Rubin, where every Wednesday I go behind the scenes

at the political world with some of the best and the brightest in the business.

We come into your living room and we have a chat and you get to listen in.

This week, I'm sitting down with one of my close political friends and often confidants.

He is the co-founder and executive vice president for public affairs at the third way, which is a

moderate democratic think tank. Matt Bennett, he, as he will acknowledge, is the infamous

staffer who put Michael Dukakis in that tank. But he treats that episode with such a plumb

and modesty and good humor that I don't mind pulling

his leg about it. And besides, how many worse episodes have we seen in our politics since then?

So without further ado, I'll welcome Matt Bennett.

Welcome to the show, Matt Bennett. Nice to have you. Oh, thanks for having me. You know, I think the first time we ever met in person was in a fast, casual restaurant right around Farragut Square in D.C. It was just after the 2016 election. We were still in that weird space where we couldn't believe that Donald Trump

had won. And I thought to myself, I don't know enough Democrats to be able to talk to the people

who I now am at least psychologically, politically aligned with. So everyone had nice things to say

about Matt Bennett. So we meet, and I think you had one of your people with

you. We had a lovely little chat, and I left thinking to myself, maybe I've been a moderate

Democrat all these years. And we generally agree on most, not everything, but most things.

Pretty much. And we are delighted to have you more formally join our little band.

Yes, well, you know, it's a never a dull moment.

I think those of us who are on the other side can lend a little helping hand sometimes to Democrats

who have an incredible ability to beat themselves up and talk themselves at a victory.

Oh, it's our best skill.

Absolutely.

...