I'm very pleased to have with me today, Minnesota's third district congressman, Dean Phillips.

Welcome, Congressman.

Good to be with you, Steve.

As we're doing this, two things I'd like you to react to that are just popping now.

I don't know if you are like me.

I am never surprised, but I am constantly astonished when I read whatever it is I'm reading in the morning.

And so there's this quote by Kevin McCarthy,

analyzing the situation playing out in the House of Representatives.

And he basically says, I can't believe it.

You know, there's just people here who just want to burn the place down.

And I absorb that, ponder it for a second, and I've known him for a long time.

I've known him since he was in the California legislature. So my reaction to that is, well,

no shit, Kevin. You know, better late than never, Eureka.

What's your reaction to that?

Are you astonished that came out of his mouth?

Well, I have to say, Steve, that, first of all, I wouldn't wish his job right now on my worst enemy.

I mean, it's an almost unwinnable, irretractable circumstance in which

he finds himself. But to your question, no, I, well, yeah, astonished but not surprised. And,

you know, I look back at Speaker Pelosi's tenure and the way that she kind of laid down the law

with those who might disrupt her agenda early,

I think made somewhat clear her position, got the rest of the caucus in my side, the conference,

of course, on the GOP to understand the game plan.

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