Left In The Attic LITA 12: Phil Weiser on Standing Up to Trump, Affordability, and Building Colorado’s Future
Ana and Deep interview Colorado Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Phil Weiser about democratic accountability, Colorado resisting federal overreach, and his case for governor in a head-to-head primary against Senator Michael Bennet. Weiser describes his background as a first-generation American whose mother was born in a concentration camp, his clerkship with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and his path through the Justice Department, academia, and the Obama White House to elected office. He argues Colorado needs a governor who will confront the Trump administration, citing his 54 lawsuits and criticizing Bennet for voting to confirm eight Trump cabinet picks, including Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. They discuss housing and cost-of-living solutions, corporate landlord abuses, social media harms to kids, “Colorado Core,” mentoring, youth political engagement, and bipartisan work on the Tina Peters case. They also discuss a listener voicemail from Lucy in East Denver who asks about Ezra Klein’s book “Abundance” and critics to Klein’s arguments. The episode closes with a call for Democrats to attend caucus week March 3–7 and get involved in local party roles.
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Info on the upcoming Democratic Caucus and Assemblies:
Monday, February 9th, deadline to register as a Democrat in order to Caucus or become a Delegate
Tuesday, March 3rd at 6:30pm: Denver Precinct Caucuses
Saturday, March 14th at 10:00am: Denver Democrats County Assembly
Saturday, March 28th: Colorado Democratic Party State Assembly in Pueblo
Denver Democrats Caucus Info: https://www.denverdemocrats.org/caucus
Colorado Democrats Caucus FAQ: https://www.coloradodems.org/caucus/faq
Register to Vote & Change Party Registration: https://www.sos.state.co.us/voter/pages/pub/olvr/verifyNewVoter.xhtml
00:00 Welcome and Guest Tease
00:35 Sparkling Water Icebreaker
02:34 Phil Weiser Intro
03:07 Clerking for RBG
04:36 Origin Story and Public Service
06:35 Immigration and Rising Hate
10:12 Emotional Moment and Cafecito Stories
13:21 Governor Race Setup vs Bennet
14:14 Why Run for Governor
15:06 Standing Up to Trump Lawsuits
17:34 Affordability and Housing Plan
18:53 Corporate Power and Kids Future
20:59 Call to Service
21:50 Loneliness Connection Crisis
23:15 Mentoring and Youth Belonging
24:17 Campaign Fellows and Efficacy
27:12 Showing Up and Trust
28:09 Bipartisan Tina Peters Case
30:11 Voicemail Abundance Debate
32:51 Yes And Policy Nuance
38:57 Caucus Week Call to Action
43:10 Wrap Up and Reviews
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 government affairs professional with over a decade of experience shaping political campaigns and policy in Colorado. A former public school math teacher, Colorado Supreme Court clerk, and senior policy analyst, he now works across campaigns, ballot initiatives, and legislative fights. He’s South Asian, 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 stemming from food and sports to politics.
Links:
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Email: LeftInTheAtticPod@gmail.com
Voicemail: (303) 416-2846