Sitting in for can't wait to hear that story also sitting in for her today from any c. n. and current on nbc lx and the south end news and bay. Bay-windows co publisher. Both those things. That is su- o'connell hi. How are you today jury duty. I have. I've i served on a full trial once even take it took actually is one of those like four days. They promised us four days. Even though the south end news had reported on the story that we were covering and i was the publisher I was seated on the trial. I mean we didn't. It was just a report. It wasn't we editorialize so outdated case good to have you here members of the senate as you just heard on the national. Npr news returned from their august recess today and their face with the number of items such as the voting rights measure actually to an ambitious infrastructure spending package in his latest column in the washington. Post the j. dion rights without a hint of hyperbole. This is a make or break moment for democracy. Saying they're failing to enact the democrats social policy plan would be a big problem in that failing to protect democratic rule would be catastrophic. He jones's online to talk through this and other political headlines in addition to being a washington post columnist. Ej senior fellow at the brookings institution. Latest book is code red how progressives and moderates can unite to save our country. Ej wonderful to talk to you as always it is so good to be back and god bless marjorie for doing her civic duty And we'll miss her. I agree i hope. She doesn't get one of those long trials. Great to be with you sue. Could i say one other thing. Sure everybody get out to vote The preliminary election in boston as the news reported earlier in this you guys have covered closely is tomorrow. A number of other cities are voting and for the california listeners of the show tomorrow is also the last data. Vote in the california recall. Maybe we can touch on that before we are over so use your constitutional rights just as marjorie is on jury duty also not collector and she's being required to show up because the federal government and state governments are requiring hurt. Show up. we'll get to that in a minute. Second caution even though. Ej is a full fellow fall river. Right we don't want you to vote like marjorie. 'cause we have learned on certain days she is going to the she has gone to the wrong location on the wrong day. Ej is urging correctly j. Yes although i think it should be made a lot easier for people who go on to the wrong location The problem but the suit gave me an opening my friend. Miles rappaport and i have a book coming out in february on compulsory attendance at the polls. Which you for anybody but you gotta show up or or or vote by send the ballot in by mail. It can be a blank ballot. It works very well in australia. The book is called one hundred percent democracy so shoe. God bless you for letting me plus advanced. It was by accident too. But i also wanna talk implant one talk about your call them which you know i i don't know about you actually know. Ej you probably feel a little bit of fatigue over the past six years of covering things that are happening. You make the point as jim noted in your call. Them that We journalists loved to talk about these defining moments. In these. Turning points in this breaker. You know break it or make it moment in democracy but you have some really strong points about how what's happening in dc or will not happen in dc actually could be crucial to define the future of american democracy worse. Thank you for pointing out that. I do start that way. Because you're journalists always say this is the defining moment whether it is or not. It's a good lead. It might get a story on the front page or whatever. The equivalent of that is online these days And you know i am i. Am you pointed out. Being sick of politics like marjorie. I grew up in fall river. Where bread never to be sick of politics. Where i come from but yeah i really think that we what we are confronting over and it'll happen pretty fast. It'll happen by the end of the month. Perhaps on biden's bill back better plan which includes the physical infrastructure. Bill already passed the senate but this proposal for what looks now to be three point five trillion dollars in spending To provide for a child tax credit out people raised their families Help on child care. Elder care help on education and healthcare. It really is a reconstruction of our social contract. Which is lift a lot of people out across races across classified. Obviously people who are less well off or middle class One of the things. I try to do in the column on. That is to point out that. Yeah three point five. Trillion is a lot of money. But it's over ten years and are expected. Gross domestic product over. Those ten years is around two hundred eighty eight trillion. So what we're talking about is one point two percent of gdp to make our social contract stronger and our economy. Just a little bit fairer. And i think that we've got to start keeping mind that yes. This is a lot of money but when you look at the whole economy it's very small investment but the to meet the make or break fight.