The Impossible Dream

Before he leaves the Senate for good, Republican Jeff Flake is trying to get a bill passed. He has his work cut out for him, with a Senate that barely brings anything to the floor, a party he feels estranged from, and a president who seems to hate his guts. Producer Zoe Chace hung out with him for four months. Prologue: Producer Zoe Chace talks with host Ira Glass about following Senator Jeff Flake, and how when he announced his retirement she thought her reporting had ended. But when a Democrat was elected to the senate in Alabama, Flake suddenly found new relevance — in Republican Party politics, and also in the senate where his lame-duck vote now held incredible sway. The Bluff: Senator Jeff Flake tries use his newfound leverage to get a commitment to bring DACA to the Senate floor in exchange for his vote for the Republican tax bill. Things change at the last minute. (15 minutes) Flakes Second At Bat — Now With the President: Senator Jeff Flake goes to the White House and discovers a president who seems to be very open to doing whatever immigration deal the senate brings him. He spends an optimistic 24 hours writing a bill with his bipartisan partners. (17 minutes) When the Cat’s Away, the Mouse, He Can Run Around: Senator Jeff Flake breaks from the plan and speaks openly about the bipartisan DACA proposal to the media before the president has a chance to sell the deal himself. Turns out, that’s not what actually kills the deal. (6 minutes) It’s Our Prerogative: The government shuts down, and Flake tries to get the senate to ignore what the White House wants. Unsuccessfully. Yet he presses on. (10 minutes)