Beans Talk | The Parties Have Very Different Priorities

Summary

The Daily Beans – Beans Talk | The Parties Have Very Different Priorities

Hosts: Allison Gill & Dana Goldberg
Date: June 15, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Beans Talk focuses on the diverging priorities of America’s two major political parties, with particular attention to progressive proposals for Supreme Court reform, voting rights, and the restoration of democratic norms. The hosts, Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg, discuss recent comments by Democratic leaders like Pete Buttigieg and Raphael Warnock and offer their signature blend of incisive political analysis and comedic relief. The episode also touches on recent pop culture and sports moments, quirky political news, and ends with a heartwarming personal story for their “moxie moment.”

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Knicks Victory and Sports as a Social Touchstone

[00:56–02:17]

• Brief congratulations to the New York Knicks for their comeback NBA Finals win.
  • Dana jokes about Trump's attendance:
    “Which game would that have been, Alex? Would that have been the one that Donald Trump decided he needed to go to it?” (01:26 – Dana Goldberg)
  • Allison: The only recent Knicks loss correlated with Trump attending.

2. Supreme Court Reform: From Fringe to Mainstream

[02:31–05:41]

• The hosts shift to discuss how ideas like expanding the Supreme Court, once considered fringe, are becoming mainstream among Democrats.

• Pete Buttigieg’s vision:

  • Buttigieg argues for big, structural reforms:

    “We have to deal with a Supreme Court that is now a rogue Supreme Court. … To see them eviscerate the Voting Rights Act is to see them reverse some of the most important progress this country ever made.”
    (02:57 – Pete Buttigieg)

  • He advocates for thinking beyond tradition, suggesting expansion to 13 justices to match the judicial circuits, and exploring term limits.
  • He points out that nowhere in the Constitution does it specify nine justices:

    “Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that there have to be nine Supreme Court justices. … It just takes a readiness to set up a court that fits this country.”
    (04:18 – Pete Buttigieg)

  • Buttigieg also supports House expansion and D.C. statehood:

    “We are talking about…being caged in by the way things have been for our lifetimes…which is not the way things must be. … We should take those big swings.”
    (05:41 – Pete Buttigieg)

• Dana praises Buttigieg’s temperament and oratory:

  • “He’s just a great speaker. … You can’t argue with the fact that he would be qualified…”
    (05:03 – Dana Goldberg)

• Discussion of the media’s framing of court expansion as a “gotcha” question and the emergence of a new Democratic consensus on bold reforms.

3. Raphael Warnock on Court Reform and Voting Rights

[06:35–08:53]

• The hosts highlight Senator Raphael Warnock’s measured, calming presence.
• Warnock’s position:

  “I think all options have to be on the table. We definitely need reform to this court. We need a code of ethics. And all options at this point have to be on the table.”
  (08:45 – Raphael Warnock)

  • He emphasizes the seriousness of gerrymandering and the Supreme Court’s role in undermining democracy.
• Dana on Warnock:
  • “I really enjoy him. Raphael Warnock always feels like I’m in church. … He’s very good at it.”
    (08:56 – Dana Goldberg)

4. Political Theater, Weather and the Absurd

[09:41–10:39]

• The hosts riff on the Trump administration’s 250th “birthday” celebrations, criticizing the spectacle (dirt bikes and monster trucks on the White House lawn) as unseemly and unserious.
  • “I wish the Bidens were planning our 250th birthday.”
    (09:57 – Allison Gill)
  • “Monster trucks tearing up the White House lawn.”
    (10:26 – Dana Goldberg)
  • Both hosts express playful dismay over the spectacle.

5. The “Pee” News: Trump’s Name and the GOP Elephant

[10:47–12:21]

• Trump’s name being removed from the Kennedy Center sets up an ongoing “pee” joke.
  • “The Associated Press photographer, Cliff Owen, was able to grab this sneaky photo. Evidence of the ‘p’ coming down off the building.”
    (10:49 – Allison Gill)
• At the Texas GOP Convention, the spectacle of a live elephant urinating on the convention floor is met with disbelief and humor.
  • “A very large elephant that was supposed to be in the room promoting Governor Greg Abbott took a giant piss all over the convention floor.”
    (11:19 – Dana Goldberg)

6. Moxie Moment: Heartwarming Story of Family and Identity

[12:42–14:44]

• The episode closes with an Instagram story from Kenny Ethan Jones, a transgender man who donated eggs so his sister could have a baby after many years of trying to conceive.
  • Kenny shares:

    “He felt like Kizzy’s. And I think that says everything about how I see the world. Who you are isn’t defined by biology alone, and neither is being a parent.”
    (14:01–14:25 – Kenny Ethan Jones)

  • This story, celebrating the diversity of families and the power of love and choice, is highlighted by the hosts as a restorative “moxie moment” amid difficult headlines.
• Dana and Allison remark on the contrast with right-wing hostility to such stories:
  • “What happened to pro life? You. They’re making a baby. … I thought you liked babies.”
    (14:27–14:44 – Dana Goldberg)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Court Expansion:
  • “We have to think big.” (04:16 – Pete Buttigieg)
  • “All options have to be on the table.” (08:50 – Raphael Warnock)
• On Trump’s influence:
  • “Can anyone spot the game that Donald Trump went to…?” (01:32 – Allison Gill)
• On outlandish political theater:
  • “Monster trucks tearing up the White House lawn.” (10:26 – Dana Goldberg)
  • “A very large elephant…took a giant piss all over the convention floor.” (11:19 – Dana Goldberg)
• On family and identity:
  • “Who you are isn’t defined by biology alone, and neither is being a parent.” (14:25 – Kenny Ethan Jones)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• Sports Update and Trump’s Knicks “Curse”: 00:56–02:17
• Supreme Court Reform Discussion (Buttigieg): 02:31–05:41
• Expanding the House, D.C. Statehood (Buttigieg): 05:41–06:35
• Raphael Warnock on Court Reform: 06:35–08:53
• Political Spectacle and Trump’s 250th Birthday Events: 09:41–10:39
• Trump’s Name/“Pee” News and the GOP Elephant Incident: 10:47–12:21
• Moxie Moment: Kenny Ethan Jones’ Family Story: 12:42–14:44

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Tone and Attitude

This episode carries the hosts’ usual blend of wry humor, sharp critique, and heartfelt storytelling. Gill and Goldberg are unapologetically progressive, mixing genuine analysis with sharp snark, especially when describing right-wing antics or the urgency of court and voting reforms. The show closes with a positive, affirming story underscoring human connection and the importance of chosen family.

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For further engagement, follow the hosts and featured guests on social media, and check out the referenced resources (Substack, Patreon, Kenny Ethan Jones on Instagram) for more content and community.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, I'm Frances Collier. And I'm Angela V. Shelton. And we're Frangela. You know what you mean in your life. The Final Word podcast. Yes, you do. That's right. It is the final word on all things political and pop cultural, where we make real news, real funny, where we inspire you so you can resist. Subscribe and get a new episode of the Final Word podcast each week. It's the news we think you need to hear.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

We think you need to hear it. Okay. Yeah. It's what we say.

[C]

So.

[A]

That's right. And because all we do is give. Every Thursday, you can listen to our hysterical podcast, Idiot of the Week. We round up the stupid. Because you know what? Somebody has to.

[B]

Okay?

[D]

All we do is give. Hey, Everybody. It's Monday, June 15th, 2026. I'm Alison Gill.

[B]

And I'm Dana Goldberg. And this is Beans Talk.

[D]

Hey, everybody. Welcome to Beans Talk. It's not a sports show. It's not the sports talk, but congratulations to the Knicks. They did it. They did it in five. They did it in San Antonio. I was kind of like a Knicks in six at the Garden would be kind of cool. But they came back from a 16 point deficit. Jalen Brunson scored 45 points, the most points ever scored by a Knick in a finals game in history. Incredible. And they won. And it's funny because if you look at the last 16 games they've played, they have one loss.

[B]

Which game would that have been, Alex? Would that have been the one that Donald Trump decided he needed to go to it?

[D]

That is the exact one that. Can anyone spot the game that Donald Trump went to, so. But I'm, I'm super happy for them. I'm super happy for New York and Knicks fans everywhere. I thought it was a, a fantastic comeback again, huge comeback. But that's not, that's not the big story. The story is that they won. And then the story was so funny

[B]

because they were interviewing him and they were like, what's up with the comeback? And he goes, well, normally the game starts at 8:30 and we show up about 9:00'.

[D]

Clock. Yeah, I had actually texted a friend of mine. I think we talked about this Friday. I'm like, it's nice if you, you know, it's smart that you always are, you know, never in the lead because then, you know, you can't ever blow a lead. So.

[B]

That's true.

[D]

Yeah. They didn't go ahead until there were three minutes left in the game.

[B]

I know it was wild. And, man, they were really up against the refs. Those refs missed some really, really important calls. We don't have to get into that. We got better things to talk about, like who I would like to be the next Democratic President of the United States.

[D]

Yes. Maybe many, many good contenders. But let's talk about Pete Buttigieg for a second. More prominent Democrats are coming forward to push to add seats to the Supreme Court. What was once thought of as like a fringe legal theory is actually becoming mainstream now. And I really love this. Watch what Pete Buttigieg had to say.

[E]

So we have to deal with money in politics. We have to deal with a Supreme Court that is now a rogue Supreme Court. To see them eviscerate the Voting Rights act is to see them reverse some of the most important progress this country ever made. Wiping out black political representation, but also wiping out part of what actually is great within the complex American story. The fact that this country was able to face down its demons.

[F]

Yeah, yeah.

[E]

Which is what the Voting Rights act responded to. Just like the 14th amendment responded to this country facing down its darkest demons. Talking about that isn't disparaging America, which is what this administration would want you to believe. Talking about that is honoring what was greatest about America, which was our capacity to overcome that. And now we've had this leap back from a rogue Supreme Court. When I talked, when I was running for president about now.

[F]

Now there are some really progressive ideas about handling that rogue Supreme Court. What do you think about some of those?

[E]

I think it's time to think big.

[F]

Nowhere including increasing the number of justices.

[E]

Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that there have to be nine Supreme Court. Just. That one doesn't even take a constitutional amendment. It just takes a readiness to set up a court that fits this country. We have. We could have 13 seats matching the district structure of the federal judiciary, but also a process that makes it less partisan. We cannot have partisan warfare every time there's an opening on the court. So I think term limits would help, but I don't think they go far enough. So that's one branch of government that's so great.

[D]

It's so important. I'm glad he's like, we have to think big.

[B]

He's also just such an incredible order. He's just a great speaker. He's incredibly intelligent. He has the listen in a perfect world, and I think we all know this, he would make a great president. United States. He may not be your first choice, but you can't argue with the fact that he would be qualified, especially with the numb schools we've had on the other side. And he didn't stop with the Supreme Court there. He actually had some other amazing big ideas, including adding representatives to the House and granting, of course, statehood to Washington, D.C. which we've been saying for so long because they're being taxed with that representation. Take a look.

[E]

Now, the other side of the story is he came in and he wiped most of them out in primaries because they were so gerrymandered that that was all that mattered. We could change that, and we need to stop, I think, accepting that the way it is. So my broader point is we are talking about, too often, I think, talking about acting caged in by the way things have been for our lifetimes, maybe, which is not the same thing as the way things have always been or the way things must be. And here we sit in a country that's got the wrong number of people on the Supreme Court, possibly the wrong number of Representatives in the House of Representatives. And by the way, when you consider the disenfranchisement of the people of D.C. we have the wrong number of states in the United States. We should take those big swings.

[F]

You know, that's, that's radical stuff you're talking about right here.

[D]

Yeah, he's just fantastic. And, you know, it's the temperament. Right. I see the same in James Talarico, just very calm and measured. And somebody else who's got an incredible temperament and is also very calming, like, brings me some peace and serenity is Raphael Warnock.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

And he also says, when asked about adding seats to the Supreme Court, and what's funny is that these Kristen Welkers of the world and, you know, Breonna Taylors of the world are like, they keep asking, like, would you add, would you expand the court? Would you do that? You know, like it's some sort of gotcha moment. And that these prominent Democrats are saying, with a very important, reasonable explanation as to why, how it's not beyond the realm of possibility, and that all options should be on the table.

[G]

Watch, because some of your colleagues and fellow Democrats are calling for adding additional seats to the Supreme Court. Would you support that? Would you vote to add additional seats to the Supreme Court? Senator,

[H]

I think we have to look at what's happening in our country because it's very serious. Donald Trump, in this most recent iteration, began this terrible race to the bottom that we're seeing with gerrymandering by calling into Texas and saying, I need five more seats. The Supreme Court then poured Fuel on that fire and with a vengeance. While people are literally casting their votes, we're seeing state legislatures led by craven politicians race to try to play with the lines to Jimmy rig the outcome in order to make it impossible for ordinary American citizens to hold their elected officials accountable. At a time where this economy is not working for us and the Supreme Court continues to undermine his own credibility, I think that all options have to be on the table. We definitely need reform to this court. We need a code of ethics. And all options at this point have to be on the table.

[G]

So that includes adding seats and. Or term limits.

[H]

All. All options have to be on the table.

[G]

Okay, Senator, let me.

[B]

Yeah, I really enjoy him. Raphael Warnock always feels like I'm in church. I mean, because obviously he's. He's done that before. He's very good at it. I do have some other good news. When mother Nature shines upon us and smiles down on us, when there's ridiculous things happen. Check out the weather. This horrible weather. This was at the Trump's 250 UFC weigh in. Okay, so this wasn't the fight, but this was the weigh in.

[D]

Oh, that looks nice. That's nice for them with all the umbrellas blowing up, you know, into the reverse mode. And g. Just.

[B]

I can't believe I am so annoyed that this is what our, our beautiful capital has been turned into.

[D]

I wish that the Bidens were planning our 250th birthday or the Bidens and the Obama Harris was planning it or that, you know, this. Because what. It's just, it's such a. They had this video of the dirt bikes doing somersaults in front of the, in front of the White House. And I'm like, all right, well, I'm surprised they didn't have a, like a demolition derby or, you know, something like

[B]

that, but monster trucks. Monster trucks tearing up the White House lawn.

[I]

Grave Digger.

[B]

That's right.

[D]

I actually do like Grave Digger.

[B]

I know, I'm like.

[D]

But not at the White House. The White House.

[B]

Doing donuts on the Grave Digger at the White House. I'm sorry, what?

[D]

Hey. Oh, hello. Hey there. Speaking.

[B]

Just one.

[D]

By the way, Trump's name came off the Kennedy center even though it was hidden by a giant tarp. The Associated Press photographer, Cliff Owen was able to grab this sneaky photo. Evidence of the pea coming down off the building. The pee. Dana, any other news about pee?

[C]

Nope.

[B]

I haven't heard anything.

[D]

No, no elephants? No.

[B]

Yeah, there's one.

[E]

Hold on.

[B]

So this, I mean, you can't write this shit. Okay, this is. This is more fun times. We like to put this stuff at the end especially. We've had a lot of bad news today at the Texas Republican Convention. Apparently, a very large elephant that was supposed to be in the room promoting Governor Greg Abbott took a giant piss. Because if you ever seen an elephant's, you would know it took a giant piss all over the convention floor. There is a contact warning here for urine.

[E]

Take a look.

[B]

I mean, listen, sometimes animals just know best.

[I]

It's.

[D]

We call that in my house, we call that a Tom Hanks pee because of Tom Hanks peeing. In A League of Their Own. How he pees.

[B]

That's very funny.

[D]

So when, like, the dog, like my BFF who lives next door with the dog, it, like, pees for a really long time. Like, oh, Tom Hanks pee. This morning. That was a Tom Hanks pee on the GOP convention floor, ladies and gentlemen, by a giant elephant. Oh, my God. Amazing. Thank you for that moment of joy. And now is your moxie moment.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

This just melted my heart. Watch this post from Kenny Ethan Jones. You can follow him Enniethan Jones on Instagram.

[C]

My sister spent four years trying to have a baby and couldn't. So I gave him my ex. And today I met him for the first time after 10 years of being on testosterone. I didn't even know if I had viable eggs, but somehow I got 19 eggs. And then Kizzy got pregnant on her first round. And that first round worked. But if I'm being really honest, I had no idea how I was going to feel meeting him. Nothing can prepare you for that part. What if he felt like mine? And what if I couldn't separate that? I think I was just in shock that he was real.

[D]

Oh, my God, he's so tiny. Look at the little feet and the legs and the hair.

[C]

And holding him felt really special

[D]

this time. He's so tiny. He's like, hi. Who are you?

[B]

Hello.

[I]

Hooray.

[C]

I felt a lot in that moment, but mostly clarity. He felt like kizzies. And I think that says everything about how I see the world. Who you are isn't defined by biology alone, and neither is being a parent.

[D]

That's just so heartwarming.

[B]

I know. And if you look at the comments section and listen, don't on Instagram. But if you do, everyone's like, this is a natural. Blah, blah, blah. I'm like, what happened to pro life? You. They're making a baby.

[D]

What's wrong with you?

[B]

I bet you like babies.

[D]

Pro life.

[B]

I thought you liked babies.

[D]

Yeah, I thought you were in the baby thing. No, no, they aren't. Anyway, thanks for that again. If you want to follow, follow on Instagram, it's @kennyethan Jones. And while you're at it, follow DG Comedy, follow Molly, she wrote and follow hello Moxie for your moxie moment. She's got she shares the best stuff on Insta, so. All right, everybody, we appreciate you so very much. Thank you again for watching. Do you have any final thoughts? Anything coming up?

[B]

Any? No, just I'm really looking forward to seeing you and the rest of our patrons at the gala in Chicago that's

[D]

going to be such a blast. And we can't tell you publicly all the people who are performing, but it's going to be an incredible night of awesomeness. And so if you want to become a patron, by the way, patreon.com mullershirote you get invited to these things. You know, we have open bars and, you know, we pay for the food for you and everything and entertainment and whatnot. And we do a couple of these every year. And so we're going be having an election night watch party. So if you're interested and you want to become a patron, you can do it [e-mail] MullerShiprote and we would love for you to to join our little community. And Dana, you also have a Patreon, which I love.

[B]

Oh, do. Thank you, sweetheart. It is the Dugout and my Patreon team is the Dissenters. And if you want to become a Dissenter, get my access to my newsletter. You've got some backstage stuff. We've got monthly zooms. You can come on at a $5 level at first base or you can go all the way to be a home run, depending on what you want to do. And I always love the Support. It's Dana Goldberg.com hit my Patreon and you can join that way. So our next zoom is going to be at the beginning of July, I believe, or right at the end of June. I put it in the newsletter that is going out, I believe, tomorrow. So join us. Join us there.

[D]

Awesome. And if you're interested in seeing all of the sources that we cite on the Daily Beans podcast and to get all the headlines in in a newsletter form, I started sending them out on Substack. So you can subscribe. It's free. Everything's free. You can subscribe on [e-mail] and you can get that all of the news sources. Nothing that we put forward is. Is uncited. Everything has a source, and a reliable one at that. So. And if it doesn't, we say, hey, this is Axios or whatever, so. So take it with a grain of

[B]

salt and a shot at tequila.

[D]

Right? Exactly. Anyway, thank you all so much for watching. We'll see you tomorrow. I'm Allison Gill.

[B]

And I'm Dana Goldberg. And that was Beans Talk.

[I]

Hello, Martin Sheen here. And it seems to me that no day of the week is without its endless barrage of bad news. Even on Sunday. For God's sake, let's change that. What do you say? Together, let's make Sunday immune to bad news. Available now every Sunday, Season three of the Martin Sheen Podcast with yours truly, Martin Sheen has begun. Yeah. 10 brand new episodes are already underway. So join me, Martin sheen, for a 20 minute journey as I share my personal stories, a bit of poetry, and insightful reflections that will encourage you to take a deep breath and enjoy a relaxing moment. Of course, it's important to know and understand what's happening in the world, but I also believe there's nothing wrong with taking a step back to find strength and clarity. And Lord knows we need that now more than ever. A moment of thoughtfulness and calm may be rare these days, but it doesn't have to be. So what do you say? You want to take back your Sundays? So do I. And guess what? I've already done it. With the Martin Sheen Podcast, season three, available now, don't mess with my Sunday, and thank you for listening.