Welcome to today's podcast, sponsored by Hillsdale College.

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And, of course, I'll listen to the Hillsdale Dialogues, all of them at Hugh for Hillsdale.com or just Google Apple, iTunes, and Hillsdale.

Welcome back, America.

I've changed Matt Contonetti's thump music.

Matt is the head of domestic studies at AEI.

He is also a columnist for the Wall Street Journal Free Expressions page.

But he really belongs to the city, being the city of the district, to Columbia and the

Beltway. He's really Mr. Beltway. I think he was at the White House Correspondents Association

dinner at junior high. Am I right about that, Matt? Did you go when you were like in sixth grade?

No, though I did used to go to the Capitol building when I played hooky from high school to show you what a political nerd I am, Hugh.

You are.

So I...

That was when you could go and you could sit in the gallery and even take the Capitol Hill subway, you know, without having a pass.

Those were the glory days, the 90s.

I'm glad you were married before that came out on national television and radio, Matt.

Yeah, I know.

You wouldn't have been able to put that on your dating profile on the app.

What's done is done.

I have no shame.

All right, Matt, you remember 10 years ago, I'm sure you do, the Comet ping pong pizzeria shooter,

...