Scott was asked for his thoughts on the attack on Paul Pelosi.
It's disgusting. This violence is horrible...We had a door knocker in Florida that was attacked. I mean, this stuff has to stop... So, a lot of it, we got to say, let's have a -- we can have a heated conversation about the issues, but this violence has got to stop. This is horrible. And my heart goes out to Paul Pelosi, and I hope he has a full recovery.
Bash asked if President Biden "is right" to suggest condemning violence isn't enough, you also have to condemn "all the malarkey that's being put out there to undermine democracy," and if the Rs should "do more to reject conspiracy theories and dangerous rhetoric." Scott seemed to try and justify the violence by tying it to election security. He said "we have to condemn the violence," and added
...We have got to do everything we can to get people comfortable that this election in nine days is going to be free and fair, that people's votes are all going to be counted fairly, they're not going to be diluted... I tell people, go to the polls, vote. Go to the polls and be poll watchers, so you can see that these elections are going to be fair. And we have got to work on it every cycle and get it better every cycle.
Bash circled back to the importance of party leaders, including FPOTUS, toning down the rhetoric that might instigate somebody. Again, Scott brushed that off.
Dana, I think what's important is everybody do everything we can to make these elections fair. We have got Hillary Clinton saying the '24 elections could be stolen. We have got Stacey Abrams saying she didn't lose...so my job is do everything I can to get people to feel comfortable that these elections are fair and then tell people, get out to vote, go be a poll watcher. And when we have the opportunity, let's make our election laws safer...
He said that means voter ID, no ballot harvesting, monitored ballot boxes, and, perhaps (my comment, not Scott's) armed folks keeping an eye on things - because that's a whole other level of comfort right there...
What about the anti-Semitic messages displayed at the Florida/Georgia football game? Scott said he dealt with this when he was governor, and that "it's disgusting."
... And, I mean, we have got to understand, we are blessed. We live in a country where we need to accept people. We need to do -- we can cherish our differences, but let's accept people and let's all live in a country that we -- we have got the best opportunity in the world. So, let's quit dividing ourselves and quit attacking other people, and just talk about how we make this a better place...
Bash asked about his plan to sunset all federal legislation after five years. Dems say this'll jeopardize Social Security and Medicare. Could he give a simple yes or no on whether Republicans want to cut Medicare and/or Social Security?
Absolutely not. And the Democrats just cut $280 billion, all Democrats in the Senate and House voted to cut $280 billion out of Medicare just two months ago. And then they want to say Republicans want to cut something? Democrats have done this. Joe Biden, when he was senator, said he wanted to cut Medicare and Social Security. I believe we got to preserve them and make sure we keep them. What I want to do is make sure we live within our means and make sure we preserve those programs. People paid into them. They believe in them. I believe in them. And I'm going to fight like hell to make sure we preserve Medicare and Social Security.
Bash tried "to correct the record," by noting the Dem's plan "didn't cut Medicare benefits. It allowed for negotiation for prescription drug prices, which would ultimately bring down the price and the costs for Medicare consumers." (I added the emphasis, in case Scott reads this.)
He continued to argue, either because he doesn't understand the difference between reducing benefits and reducing costs, or he simply doesn't value telling the truth - but he made sure we all understood the importance of what Joe Biden said in 1984.
Turning to the NC Senate race and Cheri Beasley, Bash mentioned polls showing inflation is the number one issue; she asked if Beasley was "satisfied" with how Biden and Washington Dems are handling the issue.
Beasley said she's traveled to all 100 counties, and "folks want to know that the Senate is going to lower costs."
... in the greatest country in the world, folks should not have to make choices around buying groceries or school supplies or high-priced medication. And Congress really can fix this. I mean, we know that the greatest factor really is the supply chain. And we know that, in this country, we pay more for prescription drugs than any other country in the world. And Congress can fix that. We know that corporations are seeing 70-year record profits, historic profits, and using the cover of inflation to jack up prices on things we need. Congress can fix that.
Her opponent, Ted Budd? He's "taking thousands of dollars from big oil to vote against lowering gas prices and taking thousands of dollars in corporate PAC money from big pharma to vote against lowering prescription drug costs." North Carolina doesn't need him, she said.
Bash asked if abortion, which Dems "across the country are talking about," might not be that big a deal in NC, where abortion is legal up to 20 weeks. Beasley said it's a big issue, and it's one of our "fundamental freedoms." She said her opponent has "aligned himself with the most extreme faction of his party on an absolute ban on abortion."
That's not good for pregnant sexual assault victims forced to carry a baby to term, or for women with ectopic pregnancies or other issues, who'd be prevented from getting lifesaving medical treatment - "it means that women will die."
I'm going to fight to make sure that Roe vs. Wade becomes the law of the land. And we can walk and chew gum at the same time. I'm prepared to fight to lower costs and to fight for our freedoms. And what we know is that there is no place in the exam room between a woman and her doctor for Congressman Ted Budd or any other politician up in Washington.
Another messaging issue? Defunding the police. Bash said crime is the second issue on the minds of NC voters, and she noted the Beasley lost the endorsement of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, which had supporter her in previous races. Bash knows that Beasley is not a 'defunder' but wondered if that message is hurting Dems.
Beasley said police need funding to keep themselves and the communities they serve safe, and that "we must invest in community-based intervention programs" to stop cyclical violence. And, she said, the Rs are "trying to frighten folks about my record."
They are spending millions of dollars against me to distort my judicial record. And it really does a disservice to folks in North Carolina. But the reality is, they're the ones who are worried. They wouldn't be spending that kind of money if they didn't know we can win this race.
And, finally, on whether the Democratic Party "is helping black women like you and making your candidacy a priority this cycle," Beasley didn't really answer the question. Instead, she pointed to her "North Carolina-centered, people-powered campaign," and said they've done well.
There's a lot of energy and enthusiasm for our race. And, certainly, folks nationally know how important North Carolina is. I'm grateful for where we are... We're working hard for every single vote, and we're really feeling very hopeful about the outcome.
See you around campus.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!