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Hello and welcome to the Slate Political GabFest for the 20th of September 2013, the Washington

on the verge of a nervous breakdown edition. I am David Plotz, the editor of Slate here in Washington,

D.C. with Slate Chief Political Cor Political correspondent John Dickerson. I was trying to explain a minute ago that if we did a buddy cop movie, John would be the hero and I would be the quirky sidekick and Emily Bazelon in New Haven would be the tough but frustrated police captain. But John and Emily convinced me that, in fact, I have to be the

tough but frustrated police captain, and they would be the buddies. We get to have all the fun. We'll

be Thelman Louise, John, without going off the cliff. Right. I like how David has creative thoughts

about the Gab Fest in a non-Gabfest context. All the time. Yeah.

It's what he thinks about before I goes to sleep.

Sometimes.

I do.

I occasionally will think about that before I go to sleep.

Usually not.

...