>>> EVERY DAY BRINGS TWO THINGS IN THE IMPEACHMENT SAGA.
MORE EVIDENCE OF THE CORRUPT
COERCION BY THE PRESIDENT, RUDY
GIULIANI AND HIS TEAM AND EVER
MORE CREATIVE ATTEMPTS TO
EXCUSE, DENY, LIE AND WHAT AWAY
THE FACTS BY REPUBLICANS.
TODAY’S LATEST ENTRY IN THIS
COMES FROM SOUTH CAROLINA
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM WHO FIRST
STUCK TO HIS STANCE OF HEAR NO
EVIL, SEE NO EVIL.
>> I HEARD SOMETHING YESTERDAY I
COULD NOT BELIEVE.
FORMER IMPEACHMENT MANAGER
LINDSEY GRAHAM SAYS HE’S NOT
GOING TO READ THE IMPEACHMENT
TRANSCRIPTS, REALLY?
TRANSCRIPTS, REALLY? >> I’M NOT GOING TO READ THESE
TRANSCRIPTS.
TRANSCRIPTS. THE WHOLE PROCESS IS A JOKE.
>> GRAHAM THEN WENT ONTO
BASICALLY ARGUE THAT TRUMP IS
NOT GUILTY BY VIRTUE OF, WELL,
INCOMPETENCE.
INCOMPETENCE. >> WHAT I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT
WHEN TRUMP POLICY TOWARD THE
UKRAINE, IT WAS INCOHERENT, IT
DEPENDS ON WHO YOU TALK TO.
THEY SEEM TO BE INCAPABLE OF
FORMING A QUID PRO QUO.
SO I FIND THE WHOLE PROCESS TO
BE A SHAM AND I’M NOT GOING TO
LEGITIMIZE IS.
LEGITIMIZE IS. >> I’M JOINED BY NEERA TANDEN
AND A POLITICAL ANALYST WHO’S
CALLED ON GRAHAM TO RESIGN IF HE
CAN’T BE BOTHERED TO READ THE
IMPEACHMENT TRANSCRIPTS.
IMPEACHMENT TRANSCRIPTS. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE SHIFT --
RINDSY GRAHAM IS A KIND OF
ENTREPRENEUR IN THIS SPACE.
HE’S CONSTANTLY TRYING OUT NEW
IDEAS FOR THIS.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE EVER
SHIFTING RATIONALE AND
ARGUMENTS?
ARGUMENTS? >> YOU KNOW, WHEN MY DAUGHTER
WAS 3 YEARS OLD AND SHE WAS
CONFRONTED WITH SOME BAD FACTS
SHE BASICALLY PUT HER HANDS OVER
HER EARS AND WOULD SAY
LALALALALALA.
LALALALALALA. I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE SAW
FROM LINDSEY GRAHAM IS HE’S
INCAPABLE OF DEFENDING AT THIS
POINT.
POINT. HE REALLY CANNOT GIVE AN ANSWER,
AND SO HE’S JUST GOING TO TAKE
HIS MARBLES AND GO HOME.
BUT THE PROBLEM FOR LINDSEY
GRAHAM IS HE IS A UNITED STATES
SENATOR, PAID HIS SALARY BY THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO DO A JOB.
AND PART OF THAT JOB IS
UPHOLDING THE CONSTITUTION, AND
UPHOLDING THE CONSTITUTION IS
GOING THROUGH AN IMPEACHMENT
PROCESS, AND HE WILL BE A JUROR.
SO MY VIEW IS THIS A DERELICTION
OF DUTY, AND IF HE’S UNWILLING
TO DO HIS JOB, I WOULD AGREE
WITH OTHERS WHO SAID HE SHOULD
RESIGN.
RESIGN. >> DAVID, YOU SAID HE SHOULD
RESIGN FOR THE SAME REASON.
HE ALSO -- THE INCOMPETENCE
ARGUMENT HE USED TODAY, I’VE
SEEN IT STARTING TO BUBBLE UP,
AND "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL"
MADE A VERSION OF IT AND RUSH
LIMBAUGH, AND THAT WAS A STEVE
BANNON ARGUMENT, IT WAS THE GANG
THAT COULDN’T SHOOT STRAIGHT, SO
WHAT DO YOUANT US TO DO, WE
COULDN’T PULL THIS OFF, LOOK IN
THE EYES OF THE LAW AND
CONSTITUTION WRG THAT ARGUMENT
DOES NOT WORK.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID IS STILL
IMPEACHABLE BEHAVIOR.
IMPEACHABLE BEHAVIOR. IF THAT’S GOING TO BE THE
CLOSING ARGUMENT BY SENATOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM, IT’S ONE MORE
SHAMEFUL MOMENT RIGHT NOW IN
AVOIDING WHAT IS CONSTITUTIONAL
CONSEQUENTIAL MOMENT.
CONSEQUENTIAL MOMENT. AND WHAT WE’RE SEEING IN LINDSEY
GRAHAM WE’RE SEEING FROM OTHER
REPUBLICANS AS WELL WHICH IS IN
THIS EMBRACE OF DONALD TRUMP
THEY’RE TURNING THEIR BACK ON
THE NATION, AND THERE’S NO OTHER
WAY TO LOOK AT THIS.
LOOK, LINDSEY GRAHAM COULD WORK
HARD TO STUDY THE ISSUES AND SAY
I’VE STUDIED IT, THERE’S NOT THE
LEVEL OF CALLPABILITY THAT OUR
FOUNDERS ENVISIONED FOR
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. MAKE THAT CASE TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE, AND YOU TRULY MIGHT
PERSUADE THE PEOPLE THIS IS NOT
AN IMPEACHABLE MOMENT.
REPUBLICANS AREN’T EVEN TRYING,
THOUGH.
THOUGH. >> THEY’RE NOT TRYING AT THIS
POINT TO PERSUADE.
THEY’RE TRYING TO HOLD A CERTAIN
AMOUNT OF PEOPLE IN THE TENT AS
OPPOSED TO PERSUADING PEOPLE WHO
MIGHT BE ON THE FENCE.
AND I THINK YOU SEE THAT IN THE
ARGUMENTS THEY’RE MAKING WHICH
ARE NOT VERY EFFECTIVE AT
PERSUASION.
PERSUASION. >> I THINK THE REAL PROBLEM FOR
THEM IS THAT THEY’VE WAITED TOO
LONG FOR EACH OF THEIR
ARGUMENTS.
ARGUMENTS. AND A MAJORITY OF THE PUBLIC NOW
BELIEVES THAT THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD BE REMOVED.
THEY WERE AT 50 WRERS ARB A
STRONG MAJORITY SUPPORT THE
INQUIRY.
INQUIRY. IF THEY HAD MADE ARGUMENTS ABOUT
THIS IS NOT AN IMPEACHABLE
OFFENSE AT THE BEGINNING MUCH
LIKE DEMOCRATS DID WITH BILL
CLINTON, THEN I THINK THEY WOULD
HAVE CREATED A LOT MORE FRICTION
FROM PUBLIC OPINION.
BUT THEY HELD TO TRUMP LIKE HE
DEMANDS, AND NOW I THINK THE
FACTS ARE SO DIFFICULT FOR THEM
BECAUSE, HONESTLY, I THINK THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE JUDGED
THIS.
THIS. 66% OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THINK
THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR IS WRONG.
AND I THINK IT’S VERY CLOSE TO
SAY IT SHOULD BE PUNISHED.
>> AND NOW THERE’S GOING TO GET
A PUBLIC HEARING, DAVID,
STARTING A WEEK FROM TODAY.
>> YES, THAT’S RIGHT.
AND REPUBLICANS ARE STILL IN
DISARRAY.
DISARRAY. THEY’RE PUTTING MEADOWS AND
JORDAN ON THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE
RIGHT NOW DEVIN NUNES AND I KNOW
MY FORMER COLLEAGUE SAID THAT’S
RIGHT.
RIGHT. RIGHT NOW THE LEAD REPUBLICAN OF
WHAT HAS BECOME THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS
EMBROILED IN A FAKE BECAUSE HE
GOT HIS FEELINGS HURT ON
TWITTER.
TWITTER. LISTEN, SCHIFF HAS BOTH
REPUBLICANS WHERE THEY WANT HIM
AND THE PRESIDENT WHERE HE WANTS
HIM.
HIM. I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO LEARN A LOT STARTING
NEXT WEEK ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
AND REPUBLICANS.
AND REPUBLICANS. >> I WOULD JUST SAY I WOULD
EXPECT PUBLIC OPINION TO MOVE
AGAINST THE PRESIDENT.