From Cafe and the Vox Media Podcast Network, welcome to Stay Tuned.

I'm Pete Barara.

Hey folks, this is a special repeat episode of Stay Tuned.

As you have surely heard, former Senate Majority Leader and Democrat Harry Reid has passed away.

On December 28th, 2021, the former Senator and Boxer drew pancreatic cancer to a draw, as Norma Donald might say.

I knew Senator Reid when he was the leader, and I was just a lowly staffer on the Judiciary Committee for Chuck Schumer.

Almost three years ago, Reid was a guest on this podcast.

It was one of my all-time greatest treats to interview him then, and it's a matter of great sadness to me now, to mourn his loss.

Whatever you thought of his politics, you had to marvel at a man who came from nothing to reach the apex of power in the most powerful country on Earth.

In the interview, I asked him about his fondest memories in Congress.

He said this, quote,

I couldn't put it out of my mind how great America is. Why? Because if a guy like Harry Reid can make it, anybody can make it. And, quote,

and boy, can I identify with that? Rest in peace, Senator. And I wish all of you a healthy and safe new year.

Now, here's my talk with Harry Reid, which originally posted on February 7th, 2019.

Senator Reid, thank you so much for being on the show. It's a real honor for me.

Look forward to this. I know we haven't met and had a long conversations, but of course we worked in the same building and we've all had some influence of the Center for New York Center Schumer.

We have. So I feel like I know you very well.

It's a real treat for me, given that 14 years ago, almost to the day, I started as a staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee as Chief Counsel to Senator Schumer.

And you were the Democratic leader at the time. And, you know, it's hard to forget the first time you've sit in the leader's office in the Capitol.

And you were there and Senator Schumer. And I think Senator Durbin and a couple of others talking about whatever issue of the day.

And if you're a young lawyer sitting in a room like that for the first time, you kind of had to pinch yourself.

So.

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