The Klobuchar interviews were very similar. We'll start with MTP, where Chuck asked about impeachment. She said she thought the House managers made the case for witnesses, and about
looking over at colleagues and thinking, "you want to get to the truth. You know, you got elected to do this job not to serve at the pleasure of the president, but to represent the people." And I don't know how they can cut out facts and evidence... No matter how they vote on impeachment in the end, Americans want a fair trial. The polls show, overwhelmingly, people want to hear from the witnesses. So that's what I keep thinking when I hear the back and forth. Let's just get this done, hear the witnesses...Asked about her efforts to get others on board, and whether she shares the "pessimism" of other Dems, she referenced "moments of courage" that Republicans have demonstrated in the past
You know, John McCain with that arm of his that, because of torture, he could hardly move it and lift it, when he voted no against repealing the Affordable Care Act... Lisa Murkowski, along with my friends Heidi Heitkamp and Claire McCaskill, when they just didn't have the stomach to vote for then-Judge Kavanaugh...Those votes, she said, people voted against their own "immediate political interests. But they did things for the country."
She anticipates she'll still be running against Donald Trump in the fall. She refers to voters as 'jurors' in the primaries and the general election, and says
...this is a decency check in addition to an economic check on this president. And if we want to win, we have to bring people with us that don't agree with everything that's said on the debate stage.And, she agreed, "quickly" but not right away, the Dems will have to unify behind one candidate, even if it's not her. At the same time, though,
I think Senator Sanders' idea of kicking 149 million Americans off their current health insurance in four years is wrong. That's why I don't think he should be leading the ticket. I think I should be leading the ticket because my ideas are much more in sync with bold ways of getting things done... and the experience of getting things done.And yes, Chuck, she's OK with having to be in DC doing her constitutional duty, even if it means she'll won't be in Iowa on caucus night.
I've always believed that obstacles on the path aren't obstacles, they are the path. If that happens, I think the people of this state and all of the four early states, if it goes on that long, they get that we have a constitutional job to do. And that is what I'll be doing.On This Week, she echoed her comment about That Guy From Vermont kicking 149 million people off their health insurance, and said
...you've got people out there that are interested in having a candidate that has a history like I do, that brings the receipts to the race of actually winning in very red and very purple suburban districts and doing that by bringing along with her a fired-up Democratic base, as well as independents and moderate Republicans. What matters most... is winning and uniting our party and I'm someone who can do that. I think that's where the country is, George.George asked if she's going to NH, since she's only fifth in Iowa right now. She made it clear that's the plan, and touted her Iowa endorsements and her strong grassroots operation. She acknowledged she doesn't have the same name recognition as some of her competitors, or "billions of dollars" like two of her opponents, but said she's got grit, referencing her blizzard announcement, and
a lot of people have gotten out of this race, but I'm still standing.... And I'm only one of two candidates left from the middle of the country, the very, very part of the country that we need to win.They talked about how she can pick up ground in Iowa before the caucuses on the 3rd while she's in DC for the impeachment trial. Tele-town halls - they have 12,000 people on one last week - and surrogates, and being there as much as the trial schedule allows, she said, noting
And the fact that I have this real job and that I'm in the arena and that I'm actually taking on the Trump administration and all of their shenanigans and behavior, I think that's actually a good thing.She said impeachment is not only a decency check, but that it's "a patriotism check for our nation." And, finally, when George asked if the Senate should move to censure or at least try to censure Trump it he's acquitted, she suggested it's too early for that.
Right now, what I want my colleagues to do is join us in getting the witnesses... I want to hear from the men in the room where it happened. That is people like Mr. Bolton and Mick Mulvaney... All we are asking for right now is four witnesses. Zero witnesses plus zero evidence equals zero justice...About her colleagues, she said
However they vote, whatever they choose to do when the evidence comes in, they cannot go down in history as the people that blocked the truth from coming forward, because eventually it will come forward.And "eventually" may be sooner than they think, if what we're hearing tonight is true.
Moving down the hall to the Fox classroom, Chris Wallace started his chat with Andrew Yang talking about the 'cost-benefit analysis' of his efforts in Iowa and the polls, which show him still lagging behind at 3% after doing over 150 events and spending $5M on ads. Yang said that the most recent poll shows him doing better - and improving, and suggests
We're going to surprise a lot of people on caucus night on February 3rd, I can guarantee you that.Wallace then moved from the heartland to New Hampshire, noting Yang has spent similar time and money there - and asked Yang if it's time to drop out if he fails to finish in the top three or four in either Iowa or NH. Yang's answer? Um, that would be a 'no.'
Well, you know, Chris, and many people who have been paying attention to this race know, that we've been growing faster than any other candidate in a campaign. We have resilient grassroots support and we're going to be competing all the way through Super Tuesday and into the spring...Wallace then moved to talking about policy, starting with Yang's freedom dividend, the $1K universal basic income that's the heart of his policy - and referenced AOC who says it's "regressive" and not enough to make up for income inequality. Yang, dismissing the Squad Leader, said that
Americans know instinctively that if you put a thousand dollars a month into our hands, it would find its way right back into our main street economies, make our families stronger, healthier, mentally healthier. It would create hundreds of thousands of jobs. It would improve the buying power, increase the buying power of over 90% of Americans.Iowans, he said, can see their stores closing, can see tech companies (like Amazon, natch) "soaking up $20B in value a year and not paying a dime in taxes." It's not working for people, and that's why "we need the freedom dividend to actually put buying power directly into our citizens' hands."
Wallace asked Yang how he talks about the freedom dividend potentially taking the place of existing welfare programs, instead of being an added benefit. He mentioned Yang's spokesman said that the freedom dividend is meant to be an alternative to programs like food stamps or vouchers for housing.
Yang noted that the better a family does, the less they get in benefits, and that's not working for them,
So, with the freedom dividend if you get this $1K and you start working and doing better, then you get to keep everything you make. This way the incentives are aligned with both the family and our country... We have to be able to improve on what we have in a way that will actually boost both families and the economy.Next, Yang described his emotions when she told him that it had happened and, in answer to Wallace's question about what women and men should take away from her story, Yang first reminded us that his wife is not alone, and added
And so what we have to do as a country is acknowledge that these situations happen more often than we'd like to believe and that institutions, instead of protecting the doctor in this case, should be doing what they can to protect ourselves, our wives, our daughters, our mothers, We can do better than this as a country. And the gratitude and support that Evelyn has received over the last number of days has been really inspiring that we can do better.To end the interview, Wallace asked about Yang's saying the DNC made a big booboo saying they wouldn't hold any debates on Fox, and he wondered why Yang said it and what, if any reaction the DNC had. Yang said it came up at one of his Iowa events when someone asked how we were going to bring the country together, and
I thought, well, if you're going to bring the country together, you have to start by talking to Americans. And I pointed out this example of where the DNC decided not to have any of the presidential debates on Fox, which I thought was a mistake.He hasn't had any "direct conversation" with the DNC, but they have talked to his people.
I think it's this common sense, you know, to me, hopefully the DNC will adopt a different approach in the future because we have to bring the entire country together.
The problems that face us affect all of us and we need to -- to come together as a country to solve them.He's right. He's absolutely right.
See you around campus.
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