David Sirota is back in the attic the week after the blue tsunami, and he walks in mid-beef. Majority Democrats, a billionaire-funded group, is convening Buttigieg, Warnock, Khanna, Booker and dozens of other powerful elected officials in Denver this week to plan the party’s next chapter, and it has barred The Lever from covering it after The Lever exposed its donors. From there: why “moderate” has become Orwellian newspeak, why Third Way calling James Talarico a moderate means the left already won, what Talarico and Gina Hinojosa prove about economic populism in red states, and why data centers are the new fracking. Then the Don’t F*** It Up agenda: lower the Medicare age, pass single-subject bills, make the new senators vote, and stop treating messy as bad, plus the Lieberman, Bennet, and Rahm Emanuel history of how the public option died. Sirota’s rule for the next two years: if you don’t deliver, you should be afraid. Colorado: a clean sweep, supermajorities, seven of eight Advance Colorado measures dead, Boebert gone, and Amendment 87 passing with Polis, Salazar, and Weiser all against it. In Tea Time: Jen Bacon as the first Black woman Speaker, Javier Mabrey as majority leader, Melissa Mejía’s win and the push to repeal 132 through 135 at the Capitol.
UPDATE:
We recorded this episode Friday, November 6th. On November 7th, a credential was offered to Lever employees: https://x.com/rohanspatel/status/2119197501404143989?a=h07B3pjqMLnns5Ki5V0&s=20
The Lever: levernews.com
Deep’s Substack on Weiser and 87: https://leftintheattic.substack.com/p/climb-without-the-rope
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Chapters
00:00 The Billionaires Are Already Meeting
00:40 The Lever vs. Majority Democrats
05:40 “Objectivity Is Horse Shit”
11:10 “Moderate” Is Newspeak
13:40 If Talarico Is A Moderate, We Won
16:00 Red-State Populism
20:50 Data Centers Are The New Fracking
24:40 Don’t F*** It Up, Democrats
27:20 How The Public Option Died
31:40 Lower The Medicare Age To 50
34:00 Messy Is How Democracy Works
36:15 If You Don’t Deliver, Be Afraid
38:40 There Are No Good Billionaires
43:10 Boebert Is Gone
46:10 Colorado’s Clean Sweep
47:40 And 87 Still Passed
52:30 Act Like North Carolina Republicans
54:10 Why 85 Failed
57:10 Fan Questions From The Group Chat
01:00:10 Tea Time: Speaker Bacon, Majority Leader Mabrey
01:04:20 Mejía Wins At-Large
01:08:30 The Push To Repeal 132 Through 135
01:12:50 Wrap And Subscribe
Meet Your Hosts
Ana Mitchell, Ph.D., is a former CDC scientist who was swept up in federal cuts and is now reinventing herself as a civic coach and creator. After a decade reducing disparities in health and education, she’s building Civically Fit (see civicallyfit.org) to make civic engagement accessible, authentic, and sustainable. A proud Latina and Colorado native, Ana is focused on helping people build community and power through everyday civic action.
Deep Singh Badhesha is an attorney, political strategist, and the founder of Lamp Strategies, a public affairs firm, with more than a decade of experience shaping campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, Colorado House Democrats staff, and Capitol lobbyist for Denver Public Schools, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights, and turns up on TV and radio to argue about all of it. He's the son of Punjabi immigrants, a Colorado Springs kid, a new dad, and a longtime organizer who believes community, not saviors, will rebuild the Left. He also has way too many hot takes on everything from food and sports to politics.
Links:
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Voicemail: (303) 416-2846
