TO DEMOCRACY WHICH IS WHO THEY WANT TO VOTE FOR.
>> WELL, TO JEREMY’S POINT ABOUT
THERE BEING TWO REPUBLICAN
PARTIES.
PARTIES. HERE IS SENATOR MARTHA McSALLY
OF THE ACTUAL REPUBLICAN PARTY
LASHING OUT AT A CNN REPORTER
ASKED HER IF THE SENATE SHOULD
CONSIDER THE NEW MATERIAL
PROVIDED BY RUDY GIULIANI
INDICTED ASSOCIATE LEV PARNAS
DURING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
IMPEACHMENT.
IMPEACHMENT. >> SENATOR McSALLY, SHOULD THE
SENATE CONSIDER NEW EVIDENCE AS
PART OF THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
>> MAN, YOU’RE A LIBERAL HACK.
I’M NOT TALKING TO YOU.
>> YOU’RE NOT GOING TO COMMENT.
>> YOU’RE A LIBERAL HACK.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. NOW McSALLY IS TRYING TO
CAPITALIZE ON HIS ON-CAMERA
RUN-BE IN WITH THE REPORTER,
COMPLETELY NATURAL.
COMPLETELY NATURAL. NOT PLANNED.
NOT PLANNED. HE CAMPAIGN SEND OUT A
FUND-RAISING EMAIL CALLING ON
SUPPORTERS TO HELP "FIGHT BACK
AGAINST LIBERAL HACKS."
IT’S WORTH POINTING OUT THIS.
HERE IS THAT SO-CALLED LIBERAL
HACK REPORTER LAST YEAR,
QUESTIONING DEMOCRATIC
QUESTIONING DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN ILHAN OMAR ABOUT
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S COMMENTS SHE
SHOULD STEP DOWN BLAMING JEWISH
POLITICAL DONORS FOR REPUBLICAN
SUPPORT OF ISRAEL.
>> THE PRESIDENT TRIED -- I’M
ASKING YOU A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR
TWEET.
TWEET. HAD YOU A TWEET SAYING THE
PRESIDENT --
PRESIDENT -- >> I -- YES, I TWEETED.
THERE’S A RESPONSE.
YOU CAN RUN THAT.
HAVE A NICE DAY.
>> JONATHAN LEMIRE, IT WAS --
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> TALKED ABOUT BAD ACTING
YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. THIS WAS, OF COURSE, NOT JUST
BAD ACTING BUT A BAD EXAMPLE FOR
EVERYBODY IN ARIZONA TO SEE
THEIR SENATOR ACTING THAT WAY.
BUT THIS PARTICULAR REPORTER
HAS, I MEAN, I CAN NAME BIASED
LIBERAL REPORTERS, BEAT
REPORTERS.
REPORTERS. HE’S -- HE’S CERTAINLY -- HE’S
NOT ON THAT LIST.
HE’S, HASN’T HE ALWAYS BEEN
RESPECTED AS ONE OF THE MOST
DOWN THE LINE REPORTERS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. AND A NUMBER OF HIS COLLEAGUES
RALLIED TO HIS DEFENSE.
RIGHTLY SO.
RIGHTLY SO. HE’S A GOOD REPORTER, ASKS TOUGH
QUESTIONS SOMETIMES BUT FAIR
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. WE SAW THE VIDEO.
HE DID IT IN A VERY POLITE
MANNER.
MANNER. THIS WAS A REASONABLE REQUEST IN
A TIMELY MANNER AND LIKE HE DID
IT IN A POLITE WAY.
CAMERAS RUNNING, CLEARLY,
McSALLY A VIDEO UP ON HER FEED
WITHIN THE HOUR OF THAT MOMENT.
FUND-RAISING OFF OF IT, THE
PRESIDENT APPROVED.
PRESIDENT APPROVED. THE PERSON IN OUR BOX WHO KNOWS
HIM BEST IS JAKE SHERMAN’S WHAT
DID YOU MAKE OF THIS?
SIMPLY AN ATTEMPT TO SCORE
POLITICAL POINTS?
POLITICAL POINTS? BEHAVIOR WE USUALLY SEE FROM
THIS SENATOR?
THIS SENATOR? >> I CAN SPEAK ABOUT MANU RAJU.
IT’S LAUGHABLE THAT HE’S A
LIBERAL HACK.
LIBERAL HACK. HE HAS BEEN ACCUSED BY RAND PAUL
AT TIMES BEING MITCH McCONNELL’S
PRESS SECRETARY.
PRESS SECRETARY. THE HARDEST-HITTING CAPITOL HILL
REPORTER PROBABLY IN THE PRESS
CORPS.
CORPS. INCREDIBLY FAIR.
INCREDIBLY FAIR. MAYBE SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HIS
GOLF GAME, WHICH IS QUITE BAD.
HE IS A HACK AS A GOLFER.
>> SHOTS FIRED.
>> BUT HE CHASES EVERYBODY.
I’VE WRITTEN A MILLION STORIES
WITH HIM IN MY CAREER, AND
THERE’S LITERALLY NO BETTER
REPORTER AND IT’S WEIRD, BECAUSE
FIRST OF ALL HER PREDECESSOR
JOHN McCAIN AND MANU HAD A VERY
GOOD AND TOUGH RELATIONSHIP AT
TIMES, AND THIS IS NOT THE KIND
OF BEHAVIOR ANY REPORTER’S USED
TO ON CAPITOL HILL.
CLEARLY McSALLY IS FEELING
PRESSURE FROM A TOUGH
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN ON AN
OPPONENT RAISING MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS TO UNSEAT HER, BECAUSE
THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR IS
BIZARRE.
BIZARRE. WE DON’T REALLY SEE THIS TOO
MUCH, BECAUSE ON CAPITOL HILL WE
KIND OF CO-EXIST WITH MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. VERY STRANGE BEHAVIOR.
>> YOU KNOW, IT IS STRANGE,
SUSAN DEL PERCIO AND IT’S
STRANGE COMING FROM HER.
SHE SERVED THIS COUNTRY PROUDLY.
WHEN SHE LOST A VERY CLOSE RACE,
SHE CONCEDED, AND WAS VERY
DIGNIFIED ABOUT IT.
I REMEMBER NOTING HOW WHAT A
NICE BREAK THAT WAS FROM JUST
SORT OF THE CANTANKEROUS OH TANK
APPROACHA
APPROACHA APPROACH MOST TAKE.
SHE SET A TERRIBLE EXAMPLE,
EMBARRASSED HERSELF, BECAUSE THE
QUESTION WAS A VERY
STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION.
STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION. DO YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION?
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH?
AND IT WAS SO CLEARLY
CALCULATED.
CALCULATED. IT WAS LIKE THE BAD ACTING OF
TED CRUZ WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
I’M SURPRISED SHE DEMEANED
HERSELF, IMMEDIATELY PUT IT IN A
FUND-RAISING PITCH, AND, YES.
JOHN McCAIN WAS VERY TOUGH WITH
REPORTERS AND NEWS HOSTS.
MYSELF BEING ONE OF THOSE.
BUT HE AND -- LIKE, ALAN
SIMPSON, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN AYE
FIRSTAYE
FIRSTAYE -- I FIRST GOT TO CONGRESS,
THEY’RE TOUGH, GOING TO BE ALL
OVER YOU, BUT JOE, RETURN A
REPORTER’S PHONE CALL.
THEY GOT A JOB TO DO, AND -- AND
TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT AND
DIGNITY.
DIGNITY. THAT WAS ALAN SIMPSON, WHO, BY
THE WAY, WAS VERY TOUGH WITH
REPORTERS, TOO.
REPORTERS, TOO. THIS WAS JUST A CHEAP ATTACK, A
CHEAP SHOT, JUST FOR, TO HAVE
SOME CHEAP COPY AT A
FUND-RAISING NOTE.
FUND-RAISING NOTE. SEEMS TO BE BENEATH CONTEMPT FOR
A UNITED STATES SENATOR TO DO
THIS.
THIS. >> SHE JUST SNAPPED.
SEEMS NOW THAT IS THE
REPUBLICANS’ GO-TO LINE WHEN
THEY WANT TO MAYBE PRESIDENT
TRUMP HAPPY, JUST ATTACK THE
PRESS.
PRESS. ESPECIALLY CNN AND OTHER NEWS
OUTLETS.
OUTLETS. AND IT WAS REALLY DISGRACEFUL.
I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE IT,
FRANKLY, BUT THIS IS THE
NARRATIVE SHE HAS CHOSEN.
I MEAN, AT SOME POINT SHE
PROBABLY REALIZED SHE WAS
APPOINTED TO THIS POSITION.
SHE NEEDS THE PARTY’S SUPPORT,
AND SHE’S NOW DECIDED TO FALL IN
LINE, WHICH IS A SHAME, BECAUSE
THAT WAS NOT THE WAY SHE RAN HER
CAMPAIGN EVEN THOUGH SHE LOST
AND LIKE YOU SAID, SHE DID A
GREAT CONCESSION.
GREAT CONCESSION. THE OTHER THING I THINK NOW THAT
WE’RE MOVING INTO A NEW PHASE,
JOE, IS, YOU KNOW, THESE
SENATORS ARE GOING TO GO HOME TO
THEIR DISTRICTS, GOING TO SPEND
TIME OUT THERE.
THEN WHEN THEY COME BACK
TUESDAY, THEY’RE GOING TO BE
TOGETHER FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
THEY’RE GOING TO BE TOGETHER SIX
DAY AS WEEK, EIGHT HOURS A DAY.
THEY WILL NOT HAVE ALL THE
OUTSIDE INFLUENCE THAT THEY
TYPICALLY ARE USED TO IN A DAY,
IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS.
I THINK THAT THIS MAY HAVE AN
INTERESTING EFFECT ON SOME OF
THEM AS THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT
THEIR COLLEAGUES AND BE ALMOST
ACCOUNTABLE TO EACH OTHER IN
WHAT THEY’RE LISTENING TO AND
BEING HONEST ABOUT WHAT, HOW
THEY SHOULD VOTE AND SEEKING
WITNESSES, ET CETERA.
>> SO MICHAEL STEELE, YOU KNOW
THIS BUSINESS WELL.
THAT’S A TRANSPARENT GAME THAT
MARTHA McSALLY WAS PLAYING
YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. SHE HEARD A STRAIGHTFORWARD
QUESTION, BARKED ABOUT THE
REPORTER BEING A LIBERAL HACK.
TWO HOURS LATER, TWITTER ACCOUNT
FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP’S 2020
ELECTION CAMPAIGN, LITERALLY
SAID THREE CHEERS FOR MARTHA
McSAL PIP FUND-RAISING LETTER
GOES OUT AFTER THAT AND TAKES ON
HER OPPONENT WITH PERHAPS A
LITTLE MORE STRENGTH.
SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR
FORCE, WENT TO THE HARVARD
SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT.
A PRETTY DOWN THE MIDDLE
NATIONAL SECURITY REPUBLICAN.
NOT LIKE A TALK RADIO HOST WHO
GOT ELECTED TO CONGRESS.
BUT THIS IS WHAT DONALD TRUMP
HAS DONE TO REPUBLICANS, AND
THIS IS WHAT HE’S DONE TO
SOMEBODY WHO’S GOT A TOUGH
RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN COMING UP.
>> IT’S LIKE WATCHING A ROSE
SORT OF WITHER RIGHT THERE IN
FRONT OF YOUR FACE.
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW? THE CORRUPTION, THE POISON, THE
UGLINESS.
UGLINESS. YOU KNOW, KNOCK THE HELL OUT OF
THEM.
THEM. THE UGLY RALLIES.
ALL OF THAT.
THAT IS FEEDING INTO THE VEINS
OF THE PARTY, IN SUCH A WAY
THAT, YOU KNOW, AN AIR FORCE VET
LIKE McSALLY SOUNDS LIKE A
POLITICAL HACK.
POLITICAL HACK. AND ACTS LIKE ONE.
AND RESPONDS TO A LEGITIMATE
QUESTION.
QUESTION. SHE COULD HAVE JUST KEPT ON TO
HER OFFICE.
HER OFFICE. SHE COULD HAVE JUST SAID, WELL,
YOU KNOW, QUICK ANSWER AND MOVE
ON, BUT, NO.
LET ME DO THE SMACKDOWN AND THEN
WE UTILIZE THAT TO OUR
ADVANTAGE.
ADVANTAGE. THE RUB HERE IS THAT SHE’S IN A
TOUGH RE-ELECTION.
TOUGH RE-ELECTION. AND MARK KELLY IS GIVING HER
WHAT FOR RIGHT NOW.
SO THOSE PRESSURES ARE GOING TO
MANIFEST THEMSELVES EVEN MORE
OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
SO FOR HER THE CHALLENGE IS
GOING TO BE, HOW DOES SHE WALK
THAT LINE?
THAT LINE? BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WHEN YOU’RE
IN TRUMP WORLD IS YOU ONLY SEE
WHAT’S TWO FEET IN FRONT OF YOU.
WHAT REPUBLICANS NEED TO GET IN
THEIR HEADS, THIS IS A LONG
GAME.
GAME. THEIR DAY WILL COME WHEN HE WILL
NOT BE THERE.
YOU WILL HAVE NO COVER AND YOU
WILL BE FULLY EXPOSED TO THE
REST OF THE ELECTORATE, THE REST
OF THE COUNTRY, AND WHAT DO YOU
DO THEN?
DO THEN? WHEN THEY CALL UP YOUR RECORD,
WHEN THEY SHOW VIDEO CLIPS OF
YOUR BEHAVIOR.
YOUR BEHAVIOR. YOU DON’T THINK MARK KELLY’S
GOING TO RUN THAT ADD THIS FALL?
THE REST OF THE STATE GETS TO
SEE THEIR SENATOR, THEIR
POIGNANT SENATOR ACT LIKE A
POLITICAL HACK ON BEHALF OF THE
PRESIDENT?
PRESIDENT? SO YOU’VE GOT TO THINK LONG TERM
HERE.
HERE. YOU’VE GOT TO BE SMARTER THAN
THE MAN IN FRONT OF YOU WHO’S
TELLING YOU TO SHOW YOUR BEHIND,
AS MY MAMA USED TO SAY AND
RECOGNIZE YOUR ROLE AS A UNITED
STATES SENATOR AND ACT
ACCORDINGLY.
ACCORDINGLY. YOU KNOW, WE GET IT IN THE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. WE KNOW WHAT’S OVER THERE.
BUT IN THE SENATE, THE
EXPECTATION IS A LITTLE BIT
GREATER.
GREATER. A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND THE RESPONSIBILITY IN FRONT
OF YOU RIGHT NOW IS TO ADJUDGE
THIS PRESIDENT’S BEHAVIOR,
OBJECTIVELY.
OBJECTIVELY. ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTRY.
AND THIS IS HOW YOU’RE GOING TO
DO IT?
DO IT? LONG GAME, BABY.
LONG GAME.
LONG GAME. YOU’VE GOT TO BE SMART, AND
THEY’RE NOT.
THEY’RE NOT. THEY’RE THINKING RIGHT NOW, LET
ME MAKE TRUMP HAPPY, THAT WILL
MAKE MY DAY.
I’LL RAISE A HALF A MILLION
DOLLARS.
DOLLARS. I’M GOOD.
I’M GOOD. NO, YOU’RE NOT.
IN THE FALL VOTERS ARE GOING TO
VOTE ON YOUR BEHAVIOR, AND YOUR
LEADERSHIP.
LEADERSHIP. >> THE THING IS, WILLIE, IF SHE
RAISES HALF A MILLION DOLLARS
OFF OF THAT, HER OPPONENT RAISES
$1 MILLION OFF OF THAT.
ARIZONA’S A SWING STATE.
IT’S AS -- NO.
IT DOESN’T WORK!
HER OPPONENT IS GOING TO DO JUST
AS WELL, OR BETTER, FUND-RAISING
OFF OF THAT MOMENT AND THE ONLY
THING SHE’S DONE IS HURT HERSELF
IN THE EYES OF INDEPENDENT AND
SWING VOTERS THAT ARE TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WHICH THE WAY TO GO.
>> VOTERS ARE PRETTY SMART.
AREN’T THEY?