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Mark Pocan: “Chuck Fleischman, a Republican from Tennessee, is a second…”

Featuring: Mark Pocan, Democratic | U.S. House, Wisconsin, District 2

Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear

Published January 19, 2025 | Video Starts at 50:38

People like Jamie Raskin, a guy of national prominence on TV a lot from Maryland, loves magic and does some card tricks at our retreats. Melanie Stansbury from New Mexico. Chuck Fleischman, a Republican from Tennessee, is a second cousin of Harry Houdini. Oh, my gosh. And so he and I are friends, and we talk about that he has a cane that some Scottish magic society gave his second cousin years ago. (50:38–50:43)

CLAIM

Asserts that Chuck Fleischman is a second cousin of Harry Houdini.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Mark Pocan

“I used to do magic. And I love two things, politics. My dad was on the local city council in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and I loved magic and I was…”
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“I'm just finishing my 12th year in Congress.”
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“I was our senior class president.”
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“I paid for college, largely doing magic shows in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where I grew up.”
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“The Houdini club of Wisconsin... It's probably not as active now as it was then.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 12:33-12:39
“I was a Democrat, and I actually was in a leadership position in the legislature.”
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“Nancy Pelosi was the leader at the time.”
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“I wanted to get on the Appropriations Committee.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 22:23-22:26
“The top three Committees are the Appropriations Committee, Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 22:25-22:30
“Committees met via Zoom.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 23:32-23:34
“I live in Madison, Wisconsin, where we have a small airport.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 23:47-23:51
“I think I only had the direct flights to D.C. there only was one a day prior was gone for about a year and a half.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 23:51-23:59
“People are just working hard to get by.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 31:37-31:39
“Vanishing Inc. had 25,000 different magic artifacts. Our books and artifacts are at the Library of Congress.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 36:57-43:13
“Unfortunately, House leadership wouldn't get us a room in the visitor center, which we were hoping.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 37:18-37:24
“Because I'm on the Appropriations Committee, we got to use the Appropriations Room.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 37:26-37:30
“We had added some language and an appropriations bill for them to digitize more of Houdini's book collection.”
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“There were about 20 some references [to magicians] going back to the early 70s.”
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“Congress has passed rules that change memorializing Congress. And that's what that kind of a resolution was.”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 47:21-47:27
“The importance of [recognizing magic as an art] might help people on some intellectual property at some level.”
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“In Canada, you know, they can get grants because [magic is] recognized [as an art].”
Mark Pocan - _Pocan_ the Political Bear | Uploaded January 19, 2025 | 48:05-48:08
“Pete Sessions entered [the recognition of magic into the Congressional Record] in lieu of passing something on the floor.”
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“Dina Titus, who represents [Las Vegas], has the biggest concentration of actual magicians.”
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“Robert Adderholt from rural northwestern Alabama and I become friends over magic.”
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“Ted Liu's first date with his wife was at the Magic Castle.”
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“I did 50 of the 52 weeks [of Magic Monday] the first year.”
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“Covid happened and we couldn't really do [Magic Monday] the same way.”
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“My goal is to bring [Magic Monday] back in January.”
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“Seniority really matters in Congress and you gotta be around a little bit in order to actually have that extra lever of being a subcommittee…”
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“I'm actually close to that on appropriations. Two of my subcommittees, the only people ahead of me are in their 80s.”
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