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The following podcast contains explicit language.

Hello and welcome to the Slate Political Gab Fest for August 28th, 2015.

Oh, what a beautiful little anchor baby edition.

I'm David Plotz of Atlas Obscura.

We got the gang back together.

John Dickerson is back from his non-vacation. I'm back from my vacation. Hello, John Dickerson of Face the Nation. Was there a panda reference in there? Right? Because the pandas were born in the United States, although one of them is now sadly passed. But there were a lot of people making four-trial. Did you say passed for that panda? A panda baby died. It doesn't pass. Don't euphemize the panda. The panda baby died. Past is one of those euphemisms. Do you really use that? I do not like that euphemism. Especially for a panda baby. Especially for animals, it seems a little much. I just don't think it's worth getting all exercised about. Okay, so the panda baby died.

That was not a reference to the panda baby. That was a reference to Jeb Bush. Oh, because, you know, people were making jokes about the 14th Amendment because the panda babies don't get to stay in the United States. They have to go back to China. So I thought you were making a weird, given your fixation on pandas. No, but you apparently fixated with my fixation on PANN. I am.

I've missed you, John.

Emily Bazelon of the New York Times Magazine held down. your fixation on pandas. No. But you apparently are fixated with my fixation on panas. I am.

I've missed you,

John.

Emily Bazelon of the New York

Times Magazine held down the fort while we were gone. Hello, Emily. Sort of. Hello. I tried. I did my best. She's talking into it. So we're watching Emily on video, on a via chat.

And the way she's set up,

she's talking into a box.

I'm supposed to talk into a box.

That is so the staccount. on video on a via chat and the way she's set up she's talking into a box i'm supposed to talk

into a box that is so the sound will be nice and gentle and furry but normally we have the video

in order to create a sense of community and as if you were sitting right here which normally is

just fine but now with the insertion it's like a bifiton skinn't now with the insertion... It's like a Monty Python sketch.

...