Welcome to Democracy Ish. My name is Wajatli and my fabulous co-host Danielle Moody is taking a much-needed reprieve in my beloved Bay Area.

She will be back next week.

Fretnaut, folks, but I am joined today by the mysterious, the magical, the monumental,

Joan Walsh, and she is worthy of my infamous, nerdy, movie phone voice.

I hope she is pleased by the introduction I'm about to give her.

Joan Walsh is a celebrated National Affairs correspondent for The Nation Magazine

and the co-producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary, The Sit-in.

Harry Belafonte hosts the Tonight Show.

She has been on MSNBC and CNN.

She lives in New York, and she is the author of the upcoming book, Corporate Bullshit, exposing the lies and have truths that protect profit,

power, and wealth in America. Joan Walsh, welcome for the first time ever to our humble podcast.

The first time ever, I can't believe that.

I know.

But, you know, we'll make it right.

I think we've, you know, it's one of those interesting things where I feel like I've talked

for years by I realize this might be the only second time we've talked in person.

And it's mostly Twitter and, you know, stuff like that.

Yeah, the very reliable, the site of Twitter, or otherwise known as X.

Yeah.

Yeah, the site that we all trust for news leading up to one of the most monumental elections.

You know, like, let's pour one out for our homies.

It used to be a really great site.

...