← Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning with Sasha Stone
Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning with Sasha Stone
Eric Swalwell Flew Too Close to the Sun
00:38:10
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- [00:00]
Sacha Stone
Hi, this is Free Thinking through the fourth Turning, I'm Sacha Stone. Eric Swalwell flew too close to the sun. A hard lesson and a ruthless political machine. Eric Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign was a ticking time bomb and the Democrats knew it. They've denied it, but come on, are we really supposed to believe that a story that was kicking around in 2019 and set to break in Politico did not reach the ears of Nancy Pelosi? The question isn't whether they knew, but why. They did nothing about it and essentially let Swalwell loose upon the world. With access to Snapchat and hotel rooms, Swalwell was one of Pelosi's proteges, a foot soldier for the party bosses who decided Donald Trump should never lead this country, no matter the election outcome. They convicted him on Inauguration Day, then spent the next four years finding the crime. The biggest and most embarrassing of these was Russiagate, where Swalwell played a starring role.
- [01:09]
Legal/Political Analyst
As the Intel Committee report demonstrated, President Trump sought an announcement of these investigations in return for performing two official acts. First, he conditioned release of vital military Assistant President Zelensky's investigations. And second, he conditioned a head of state meeting on these investigations. Fourth, performance of an official act. The courts have defined an official act as any decision or action, matter, cause, suit, proceeding or controversy that may be pending or brought before a public official. Both of the acts in question, the military aid and the White House meeting, meet this requirement. Finally, corruptly. President Trump behaved corruptly throughout this course of conduct because he used his official office in exchange to seek a private benefit.
- [01:58]
Sacha Stone
They knew Trump would not be removed from office, but they decided to wait out the clock, waste his time and ours with a phony scandal that to this day has never been adequately addressed by legacy media or the Democrats. They just moved on to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing. And all the while, there was Swalwell doing everything right. There he was on impeachment number two, saying all the things, drawing all the conclusions, pushing all of the hysteria.
- [02:31]
Eric Swalwell
Not one speech, not one tweet. It was dozens in rapid succession with the specific details. He was acting as part of the host committee. In fact, when he had assembled his inflamed mob in D.C. he warned us that he knew what was coming. This was President Trump's statement the night before the attack. I should say this was one of his dozens of statements on Twitter in the hours leading up to the attack. I hope the Democrats, and even more importantly, the weak and ineffective RINO section of The Republican Party are looking at the thousands of people pouring into D.C. they won't stand for a landslide victory to be stolen. Senate Majority Leader John Cornyn at Senator John Thune. Thousands of people pouring into D.C. who won't stand for the landside election to be stolen. It's all right there. And he tags senators to pressure you to stop this. And he warns all of us that his thousands of supporters whom you'll see that the FBI had warned were armed and targeting the Capitol won't stand for us certifying the results of the election. This was never about one speech. He built this mob over many months with repeated messaging until they believed that they had been robbed of their vote and they would do anything to stop the certification.
- [04:15]
Sacha Stone
For his efforts, Swalwell was beloved by celebrities like Robert De Niro, late night comics like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert. And for a time, he was like Icarus, soaring as one of the Democrats shining stars. No wonder he thought he should be next in line to lead California. Now that Gavin Newsom is running for president, all that's required of him is that he be someone who can take on Trump.
- [04:39]
Eric Swalwell
There's only one candidate up here that Donald Trump fears will be the next governor of California. It's the son of a cop former prosecutor who helped lead both of his impeachments, who has sued him in court, the only surviving lawsuit since he became president, and the person who knows that he only understands one language and it's the language of strength. And he knows if he's going to come for the most vulnerable in our community, he's got to go through me. If he's going to take our cancer research funding, he's got to go through me. He's going to make us all pay more for health care. He's got to go through me. It's the reason Donald Trump attacks me almost every single week. He or someone in his administration, it's because he sees me as a threat. So I'll be a fighter and protector for California as I have always been. But with you, we will write a new affordable California story where you can take your first job, have your first kid and buy your first home in the same decade where we will lift your wages and I'll be the CEO of bringing down costs. And for your kids, the California promise will be fulfilled. Your hard work will mean you do better for yourself and you'll dream bigger for them in the future.
- [05:58]
Sacha Stone
But Icarus flamed out. In the past week, we watched a political hit that has to be among the cleanest and most efficient on record. One minute he was leading in the polls, the next he was dropping out and resigning from Congress. Swalwell never had a chance. Powerful forces that will never be known wanted him out because there was a good chance the open secret that dogged him for years would drop, handing California to the Republicans. It would be another nightmare on par with Biden's debate disaster. There was no way the Democrats were going to let that happen. Swalwell never saw it coming. He assumed he had risen to the level of being a valued member of the resistance. But he clearly doesn't know the Democrats very well. If they could force the President of the United States out of running for a second term for the good of the party, they could do it to anyone. What did the Democrats know and when did they know it? Swalwell had survived the right's favorite lurid tale of the Chinese spy Fang Fang, along with the rumor he'd passed gas during a cable news spot.
- [07:10]
Interviewer/Commentator
These are actually about Fartgate.
- [07:12]
Eric Swalwell
Yes.
- [07:13]
Interviewer/Commentator
You know about Fartgate. These are real things. We'd like to show the video now. This is not something. When this happened, you did not hear it.
- [07:22]
Eric Swalwell
I did not hear it, Yes. I just want to say I think we should draw on the words of the 21st century philosopher. Shaggy. It wasn't me.
- [07:29]
Interviewer/Commentator
Okay, there you go. But let's look, and we'll let the audience take a look for themselves.
- [07:35]
Eric Swalwell
Chris, so far, the evidence is uncontradicted that the president used taxpayer dollars to ask the Ukrainians to help him cheat an election. And the complaint that I've heard from Republicans.
- [07:47]
Interviewer/Commentator
Now, this was immediately. This was what everybody was talking about. But again, you. You're having a conversation with Chris Matthews.
- [07:56]
Eric Swalwell
Serious conversation.
- [07:57]
Interviewer/Commentator
Serious conversation. Earpiece in. So you don't hear that?
- [08:00]
Eric Swalwell
No, did not hear that.
- [08:00]
Interviewer/Commentator
How do you find out that it happened?
- [08:03]
Eric Swalwell
I went to dinner that night with some buddies in town from Dublin High School. We're all in Washington, and Chrissy Teigen tweets about it. My wife, who follows everything she says, texts me and says, did you just fart on national TV?
- [08:21]
Sacha Stone
But in 2019, a woman tipped off a Politico reporter that Swalwell was engaged in inappropriate sexual activity with young women while in Congress. Icarus took flight and attempted to run for president, but for unknown reasons, he dropped out.
- [08:37]
Cheyenne Hunt
Congressman Eric Swalwell officially dropped out of
- [08:39]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
the 2020 presidential race. The California lawmaker is the first Democratic
- [08:44]
Sacha Stone
in a crowded primary field to do so.
- [08:46]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
Here's what he had to say earlier
- [08:49]
Eric Swalwell
the House Intelligence Committee and as the chair of the Steering and Policy Committee to work on these issues, but to carry the stories of so many people I've met across America. I also want to thank my wife, Brittany, our kids, Nelson and Cricket. They were a lot of fun on the road. My wife was a hell of a surrogate for us.
- [09:13]
Sacha Stone
And then, inexplicably, the reporter dropped the story. A tweet from Jonathan Turley it appears that in 2019, POLITICO went from me too to meh. Michael Chorijo says they had the story, but when Swalwell dropped out of the presidential race, the energy disappeared to potentially take him out. So allegedly raping a woman was no longer a story. And from Stephen L Literally claimed you told your editors about Swalwell and they did not report on it. You failed to report on his behavior as did Axios. It's pretty clear why you're crashing out like this. And a tweet from Bethany Allen. I did not play it down. I very much wanted to report it out myself. But MeToo's stories on the Hill aren't related to my beat. As much as I personally wish I could report them out, I passed the tip along to colleagues on the Hill beat. Why would they drop the story? Maybe because they lost their appetite for taking down Democrats after the Al Franken debacle, where Franken was pushed out by the most prominent Democrats like Chuck Schumer, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. With no chance to defend himself against what were flimsy charges at best. As Matt Taibbi writes in Racket, Democrats tripped over each other to denounce Franken. With 32 senators calling for his resignation on December 6, 2017, digital stones flew from Minnesotan Amy Klobuchar, ex presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and future VP Kamala Harris, among others. The Franken story would sting by 2019, following a redemption piece by Jane Mayer in the New Yorker. No one wanted to do that again, so maybe they figured they'd let the Swalwell story pass. The bigger reason was that the Democrats had one objective in 2019, and it wasn't to take out the guy who was key in Trump's impeachment in Russiagate, but to take out Trump himself. It was an all hands on deck kind of moment, and no reporter would have wanted to be caught dead helping Trump and hurting the Democrats. That's also why they ignored the story in 2024 of Kamala Harris husband Dougie, who allegedly slapped a woman so hard she spun around like so many other stories that could hurt Democrats, including Joe Biden's cognitive decline. They said nothing, lest they hurt the resistance. It was also 2019 when a group of women came forward to accuse Joe Biden of inappropriate touching. No one seemed all that interested in pushing it to the point where Biden would drop out. He denied it, and everyone gave him a pass. Even when Biden was accused of sexual assault by Tara Reid, most in the press wouldn't touch it, but one person did. Megyn Kelly.
- [12:03]
Tara Reid
And then I saw him at a distance. He was talking to someone, and they walked away the other direction. And then he greeted me. He remembered my name. And then I said, you know, here you go, Senator. I handed him the bag, and it happened very quickly. I remember being pushed up against the wall and thinking the first thought I had was, where's the bag? Which is an absurd thought, but that's what I thought was, where's the bag? Yeah, because I was handing it to him, and he had his hands under. Underneath my clothes, and it was. It happened all at once. So he had one hand underneath my shirt, and the other hand I had a skirt on, and he, like, went down my skirt and then went up. And I remember I was up almost on my tippy toes. And when he went inside the skirt, he was talking to me at the same time, and he was leaning into me, and I pulled this way away from his head. I remember. And so he was kissing my neck area, and he whispered, did I want to go somewhere else? In a low voice, he said some other things. I can't remember everything he said, but he said something vulgar. Yeah. I asked what he said. I want to you.
- [13:33]
Sacha Stone
Kamala Harris was among those who leaned into the accusations, but that would not stop Biden from choosing her as his vp. Like the good Democrat I was, I tried to discredit Tara Reid along with the rest of the accusers. I, too, had been burned by the Al Franken story and was disgusted with how the Democrats behaved. And like most people, I was getting exhausted by the MeToo movement and the lack of due process. That in our minds, this was too serious a moment we had to defeat Trump. Everything else would have to be sidelined. I always thought the harassment charges against Biden were less about MeToo and more about pushing the old man out of the race so that a more progressive candidate might take his spot. Reid, for instance, was a devout supporter of Bernie Sanders, and just before she accused him of assault, she and everyone else on the progressive left were hoping for a miracle. Is that what happened with the Swalwell story, too? Something about it just doesn't add up. It was too clean, too well planned, too easy. It makes me wonder who was really pulling the strings. And for the second time, he tried to fly too close to the sun and run for higher office. And for the second time dropped out. But this time there won't be any coming back, as Taibbi writes, quote which brings us to Swalwell. The accusations are extremely serious. Another woman came forward alleging he drugged her, lured her to a hotel, raped her, and choked her to unconsciousness. I thought I died, lana Drew said. Taken with two accusations of sex with women too intoxicated to consent, the stories sound more like a developing serial murder than someone merely guilty of being raised on Bob Hope jokes. Still, Swalwell's political demise reads like a repeat of the Frankentale, only with context issues amplified a hundredfold and Epstein playing the role of Weinstein. With Franken, it took weeks for the Democrats to denounce him. With Swalwell, it happened overnight. And accusers are already being called survivors, as in the Democratic Women's Caucus announcing we stand with survivors. The writer in me dislikes the appropriation of a word that means remaining alive where others have died. But it is true these women might prove to be survivors of something. But what? At this early stage of inquiry, survivors functions as turbocharged version of Believe all women, in which the possibility of disbelief is linguistically eliminated. End quote. But time is the point. Time means another candidate can build a campaign and beat the Republican in California. That's the hangover from 2024, and it's why I don't believe any of this happened organically. Who ordered the hit? The story goes something like Two progressive female influencers caught wind of a whisper network with rumors swirling about Swalwell's sexual proclivities. How this information found its way to them is not yet known. Will anyone ask or investigate? Probably not. Some of it came from their friends, and that was more than enough to start an amateur investigation, one that will probably find its way to a TV movie near you. For podcast listeners, a story from Politico, the whisper network that caught up to Eric Swalwell. Warnings about the lawmaker had long circulated privately. Then a handful of women and online creators pushed them into public view, forcing California's political establishment to reckon with how far he got. Think Woodward and Bernstein. Or Cantor and Touhy, the women who broke the Harvey Weinstein story that kicked off MeToo. Now, instead of reporters, we have influencers to hear them tell it. They believe their best bet was to take the story to CNN where their staff could fact check it and more importantly, make it legal. One is Cheyenne Hunt, who calls herself the first Gen Z woman to run for Congress, though she did not win. Assertive and confident, Hunt has the influencer game down. She also carries with her the certainty of the Gen Z woman who does not believe in due process and thinks every man is a predator until proven innocent. Just asking a woman for her phone number could be a reportable offense. Here is Cheyenne Hunt People have questions
- [18:06]
Cheyenne Hunt
about why I decided to make public comments about allegations of sexual harassment against Eric Swalwell before a major news outlet published the story. So let me be as clear and transparent about that as I safely can be. I am personally working with a group of women who want to come forward and share their stories. I am also aware of a much larger group that is also in this process that I am not personally working with. We have secured pro bono legal representation for them and they are in the process of sharing their information with major outlets while ensuring that their legal and physical safety is protected. That process takes time, but the number of credible women who have come forward since I posted my first video and is really shocking and all of them moving forward together has greatly expedited the timeline of this whole process. I got deeply involved because like I said in my first video, I had heard these rumors for years going back to the time when I was working on the Hill, but the first person who approached me with their story was a close personal friend of mine. Then once I started digging into it and I found that there were a number of other women whose stories matched the same pattern of manipulation and abuse of power. I knew that I couldn't stay silent because these women needed to know that if they came forward there was a group of people that would have their back. I understand that people want as much information as possible about these women, their stories, their identities, and the proof to back this all up. The problem is that many of these women have remained silent for so long because they believed that they were alone and that if they came forward it would ruin their careers. And as someone who has worked in politics, I can't disagree with that assessment. It appears that others may have stayed silent because of a belief that non disclosure agreements required them to keep this secret. While it is true that most NDAs would be unenforceable under these circumstances, most people don't know that and the idea of challenging a powerful sitting Congressman in court is not something that most people want to do. I understand and appreciate that people are engaging with discernment and critical thinking when they see things like this online. However, there are very real limits to what I can share here and why I am still sharing these details here before this story breaks more widely, to help ensure that women know they can come forward and to help this story break as soon as possible. Because I am not blind to the fact that this will have an impact on the California governor's race. One more key point. I'm an attorney. I'm well aware of the fact that if I were to get on my platform and share lies about a public figure, I could be subject to a lawsuit for defamation. That being said, Swalwell follows me and I know that his team is aware of my video and the videos that other creators have made on this topic. To the best of my knowledge, none of us have been served with legal paperwork or sent a cease and desist. They can't because the truth is an absolute defense. Hot girls still celebrate 4th of July even when the government is awful because these idiots who don't understand the difference between patriotism and nationalism do not get to celebrate. Steal the flag from us.
- [21:04]
Sacha Stone
To her, Swalwell was a dangerous moderate who was too pro Israel and too sympathetic to and supportive of ice. These are red lines for the New Democratic Party's progressive wing, especially in a big state like California. The other is Ariel Fodor, also known as Mrs. Frazzled, who is known for talking baby talk to Trump and his supporters to an irritating degree, but that is why she's popular on TikTok. Here is Ariel.
- [21:32]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
I have a big surprise for you.
- [21:35]
Ariel Fodor (voice in dialogue)
I know that it was super duper
- [21:37]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
hard when you weren't supposed to hold that FIFA trophy.
- [21:39]
Sacha Stone
Huh?
- [21:40]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
Clapping for others is getting so much better.
- [21:43]
Ariel Fodor (voice in dialogue)
I loved how you let that mayor from New York shine when he came and visited you. Well, I have another trophy you did not earn.
- [21:53]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
Okay, I'll know you're ready when you're quiet. Show me President. Very nice.
- [21:58]
Song Lyrics / Musical Interlude
Drum roll. It's the Beep. A Peace Prize round of applause.
- [22:06]
Ariel Fodor (voice in dialogue)
No, not for any she did not yell at you Uncle Don. She said Happy Holidays. That's so kind. I know that Merry Christmas is your
- [22:16]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
favorite, but she doesn't know that.
- [22:17]
Ariel Fodor (voice in dialogue)
Right friend? The war on Christmas has always been a made up scary story. You have so many real war crimes you can worry about instead. Oh, we talked about not playing make believe victim.
- [22:31]
Sacha Stone
Uh huh.
- [22:32]
Ariel Fodor (voice in dialogue)
Then all done. Just because nobody is making you feel super special right now does not mean they are bullying you got it? Got it. Are you still able to celebrate whatever you want? Okay, well, there are so many other holidays too.
- [22:49]
Sacha Stone
Too.
- [22:50]
Ariel Fodor (voice in dialogue)
Including others does not make you lose anything. Okay. There is enough for everyone that is differently than you normally think. But we can try super duper hard to remember that there are other people. Oh my goodness. Big feelings. What is one Christmasy thing that you can smell and taste and here and see?
- [23:17]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
I have been watching the non stop attacks on trans people and we just cannot hope it gets better. I love the Christopher street project for this because they are building the much needed political power for trans people. They are shaping messaging, they are electing fierce pro trans advocates and they are getting in the rooms where policy decisions happen. I also love that their name pays tribute to Christopher Street. Like, hello, Stonewall. Today is Giving Tuesday and I want to support this nonprofit because an entire political movement trying to turn trans existence into a threat and we have to face the dehumanization the right is trying
- [23:48]
Ariel Fodor (voice in dialogue)
to distract us with at exactly the
- [23:50]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
point where it matters most. Policy, elections, messaging, and political power. I am not asking politely for bigots to recognize human rights and I don't want my friends used as a culture war prop. So if you are looking for somewhere to put your Giving Tuesday support, I genuinely think they are worth your attention.
- [24:05]
Sacha Stone
Footer seems to be the type who would vote blue no matter who, and probably would not be motivated to take down Swalwell unless she was encouraged to do so. Her story is nearly identical to Hunt's. Here is Fodor on Swalwell.
- [24:19]
Ariel Fodor (Mrs. Frazzled)
It is time that I tell you what I have been up to for the past few months. In November, I interviewed Congressman Eric Swalwell. I was on a launch call for his gubernatorial campaign and that was posted to my story. And very quickly I got messages saying, do not talk to that man. Do not send him your phone number. Do not add him on Snapchat. You just don't want to get involved. And I was like, wow, that's pretty forceful reaction. That's never happened before. Carrying on. I just, every week it seemed like I was hearing more and more from people saying, you know, friends of mine who had had encounters with him and interns he had slept with and stuff that had happened years and years ago, stuff that had happened recently. And I started to get really disgusted. I didn't want to do this anymore. I couldn't fathom, like, working in politics in any capacity. But if this was just something that was just. This is just how it is. This is how men on the Hill are. And I was like, no, this is not regular cheating. This is not regular, like, weirdness. This is abuse of power. This is sexual harassment. And I'm a victim of that. And I'm not okay with that. And I refuse to act like it's okay. Well, as time went on, I got more and more confirmation. And I kept asking behind the scenes, is this going to break? Does anybody know if this is gonna come out? I was just sick over it. And one day I was like, hey, everybody, I'm going nuclear. I am posting. I'm done. Vague posting. I am going to just name it because we need these women to know that they are not alone. They are not the only ones this has happened to. And I want to make everybody aware of this. Since the end of March, I have just been essentially banging pots and pans, trying to get people to listen. I know I appear crazy. I know I have been asked multiple if I've lost my mind, if I'm taking my meds. I mean, I get it. But every day, more and more women came forward. Every single day, more people said, I thought I was the only one. And we had allegations just pouring in. And I just. This platform, to me, is nothing. If I don't do what is right, maybe I'll lose opportunities, maybe people will talk about me behind my back, whatever. But as somebody who survived sexual assault and sexual harassment in my workplace with an abuse of power situation, just like these women experienced, I could not and would not stay silent. And I know my beat is education news. This has been a sharp departure, and I promise I will get back to covering my beat, so to speak. But this was more important than anything else, because if I can't use my platform, this is for nothing.
- [27:11]
Sacha Stone
It's an awfully strange coincidence that they began mobilizing efforts to break the story in March, and by April, they were out on social media with it. If Swalwell were a valued member of the progressive left, if they thought he would fight for Medicare for All, defunding the police, abandoning Israel, and transing the kids, would they have pulled this off? I doubt it. What seems more likely to me is that they were egged on by unseen forces that were doing the hard job of pushing the accusers in the right direction and nudging the story ever closer to the surface. You know, like Deep Throat and All the President's Men. The same forces on the progressive left that wanted Biden out in 2020 could also be in play here. He looks a lot like the kind of candidate the Democrats say they want and need someone who can attract the working class white men all over the country. But for these women and the progressive left, there is one candidate better suited to fight for what they care about. Katie Porter. Both influencers have been seen in photos with her, and Porter and Hunt are both affiliated with the same law school. For podcast listeners, a picture of Fodor with Katie Porter and Cheyenne Hunt with Katie Porter. Porter denies any direct involvement, but then again, why would that even need to be said? For podcast listeners, a headline Katie Porter, an Influencer Behind Swalwell Allegations don't have a Relationship to Speak Of Campaign says there is no doubt that Cheyenne Hunt and Ariel Fodor look to be the party's future, not just as influencers or as women, but as people who are willing to go this far to steer the ship in the right direction. Hunt in particular seems committed to rooting out all the sex pests in Congress. And what better way to make a name for herself all the Congressman's Depics the Swalwell story unfolded straight out of the Writer's Room of a Lifetime movie, where all women are victims and all men are predators. How could anyone, much less a white male politician, much less a Democrat, send Snapchats of his Johnson to a Gen z staffer post MeToo? Maybe he did it because no one would believe anyone could be that stupid. Maybe he did it because Snapchat deletes the photos and it's his word against theirs. Maybe he did it because the thrill of it outweighed the risk. Was he a predator? Were these consensual MeToo demands? We do not ask. Here is Swalwell in 2013.
- [29:50]
Eric Swalwell
While we've made great strides in fighting domestic violence, we still have a long way to go. Over one third of women have experienced rape, violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. As a former prosecutor who has worked with hundreds of women victims of domestic violence, I know that holding their batterer responsible is important to them. But almost more important is making sure that we have the victim services necessary after the batter is held responsible, and that is more important for their pathway to healing. I was proud to support the Violence Against Women act reauthorization, and back home in the East Bay, we're fortunate to have places for women to go for those victim services. For example, Ruby's Place in Hayward, California is a shelter helping hundreds of domestic violence survivors. I visited Ruby's Place in April. I saw the care, compassion and concern that the employees there showed to women and families who are desperately most of
- [30:44]
Sacha Stone
the victims tell the same story we heard hundreds, if not thousands of times in the old days of MeToo. How a hungry young woman looking for employment opportunities is lured into a trap only to have their friendly conversation devolve into a cheap proposition for sex. The woman is always portrayed as a non consenting partner, someone who didn't flirt back in any way and was just suddenly hit with an offensive image. That's always been the biggest problem with the MeToo movement. It is held in the court of public opinion, and those accused have no way to defend themselves. Because both sides, left and right, are invested in Swalwell taking a fall, no one really bothers with the specifics. He did it, that's all. Why, for instance, did one of the victims claim Swalwell assaulted her in 2019, only to go back and get drunk with him in 2024 and claim the same thing happened again? Is that assault or is that bad choices? Doesn't matter. Don't ask. I'm not defending Eric Swalwell. I feel about him the way Matt Taibbi does when he writes, I can't stand Eric Swalwell. A leading torchbearer in Russiagate lore. He's always carried himself with an air of oozy self satisfaction, unusual even in a politician. I remember wondering if Swalwell was Latin for stubble lizard, end quote. But the Democrats have managed to do the impossible. They've made me almost pity the guy. He thought he was doing everything right. He told all the lies they told them to tell. He helped build the very machine that would later devour him. But something about this hit feels too orchestrated and perhaps sets a dangerous precedent. Even guys like Swalwell deserve the benefit of the doubt, even if he never offered it to Trump. Here is Swalwell in 2016.
- [32:37]
Eric Swalwell
Hello, I'm Eric Swalwell, Congressman for California's 15th congressional district. March is Women's History Month, a time to celebrate the successes and sacrifices of bold women who have broken down barriers to equality and in doing so, made our nation stronger.
- [32:56]
Sacha Stone
Swalwell almost committed the perfect crime. He painted himself as an advocate for women, all the while allegedly going through them like a box of See's candies. If it's true that he drugged and raped women, lock him up. Lock him up. But if all this was over consensual flirting, regrettable sex, and mutual Snapchats, then he's the dumbest man on the planet. For Swalwell, he's finally learning who the Democrats really are and that life comes at you fast. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't squeaky clean enough or well behaved enough, or smart enough to keep it in his pants. He should never have tried to fly that high, at least not with so much baggage weighing him down. Thank you for listening to my podcast, sashastone.com and if you like my work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or leaving a tip in the tip jar, which is on the main page, or writing a review. I hope you have a great weekend. And remember to thine own self be true.
- [34:34]
Song Lyrics / Musical Interlude
There'll be no strings to bind your hands not if my love can't find your heart Start. There's no need to take a stand for it was I who chose to start. I see no need to take me home I'm old enough to face the D Just call the angel of the morning angel Just touch my cheek before you le Just call me angel of the morning angel Then slow away from me. Maybe the sun's light will be dim and it won't matter anyhow. Good morning's echo says we've sinned well it was what I wanted now. And if we're victims of the night I won't be blinded by the night Just call me angel of the morning me Just touch my cheek before you leave me baby Just coming Angel of morning angel Then slowly turn away. I won't beg you to stay me. Just call me angel of the morning angel Just touch my cheek before you leave me baby Just call me angel of the morning angel Just touch my cheek before you leave me darling Just call me angel A morning angel just as my deep before you leave me D.