AS WE’VE BEEN SAYING, THE URGENCY OF THE IMPEACHMENT
INQUIRY IS GROWING FOR DEMOCRATS
AS THE TIMELINE IS SHRINKING.
2020, I CAN SEE IT FROM OUR
HOUSE.
HOUSE. JOINING ME NOW IS ILLINOIS
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN, HE IS A
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE, HAS BEEN TAKING PART
IN ALL THE KEY DEPOSITIONS
TAKING PLACE BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS.
DOORS. HE JOINS ME NOW.
CONGRESSMAN QUIDLEY, GOOD TO SEE
YOU, SIR.
YOU, SIR. >> THANK YOU.
>> SO LET ME START WITH WHAT WE
HEARD FROM SPEAKER PELOSI TODAY.
SHE SAID TO A MEETING OF
BLOOMBERG EDITORS AND REPORTERS
THAT SHE ASSUMES PUBLIC HEARINGS
BEGIN THIS MONTH.
CAN YOU ADD ANY MORE TO THAT?
OR SHOULD -- WHEN SHOULD WE
EXPECT THIS?
EXPECT THIS? ARE WE LOOKING SOMETIME BEFORE
THANKSGIVING?
THANKSGIVING? >> I THINK SO.
I THINK IT CAN AND MUST BE DONE.
IT IS
IT IS IT’S DIFFICULT.
IT’S DIFFICULT. I KNOW THERE’S A TIME CRUNCH.
LET ME ADD THAT THE REASON
THERE’S A TIME CRUNCH IS THAT MY
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES IN THE
WHITE HOUSE HAVE OBSTRUCTED THE
INVESTIGATION IN THE PREVIOUS
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION FROM DAY
ONE TELLING WITNESSES NOT TO
TESTIFY AND WITHHOLDING
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. SO THERE IS A TIME CRUNCH.
NOT ONE THAT WE CREATED.
>> MAKE THE CASE TO A VOTER THAT
SAYS TO YOU, I SEE WHAT THE
PRESIDENT DID HERE.
WHY SHOULDN’T I MAKE THIS
DECISION BEFORE YOU DO,
CONGRESSMAN?
CONGRESSMAN? >> BECAUSE THE CONSTITUTION
DOESN’T SAY IT’S OPTIONAL.
IT DOESN’T SAY IT’S POLITICALLY
FEASIBLE, GO AHEAD.
IT TALKS ABOUT CRIMES AND
MISDEMEANORS.
MISDEMEANORS. AND IN THIS CASE, IT ISN’T A
QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE
PRESIDENT ABUSED HIS POWER.
HE DID.
HE DID. AND HE MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
FOR IT.
FOR IT. AND I’LL ADD THIS.
THE DAY -- THE DAYS AFTER THE
MUELLER TESTIMONY TOOK PLACE IS
WHEN THE CALL TOOK PLACE WITH
UKRAINE.
UKRAINE. THIS ISN’T A PRESIDENT WHO
COMMITS A CRIME ONCE.
IF HE ISN’T HELD ACCOUNTABLE, HE
GOES ON TO WORSE THINGS.
PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER’S
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR LAID
THE STAKES OUT A LONG TIME AGO
FOR WHY THIS MATTERS TO OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. HE SAID THAT RUSSIA, WITH
UKRAINE, IS AN EMPIRE.
THAT RUSSIA CONTROLLING UKRAINE
IS ANMPIRE.
IS ANMPIRE. AND IF IT DOESN’T HAVE CONTROL
OF UKRAINE, IT IS SIMPLY NOT
THAT.
THAT. SO THERE’S A LOT AT STAKE HERE.
THESE ISSUES MATTER.
I THINK WE CAN GET THIS DONE.
AND I DO BELIEVE THE
WHISTLE-BLOWER AND ALL THOSE
BRAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME
FORWARD AND TESTIFIED HAVE A
RIGHT TO TELL THIS TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICAN PEOPLE. THEY SPOKE TRUTH TO POWER AND I
THINK THEY’LL BE VERY COMPELLING
TESTIMONY.
TESTIMONY. >> IS THERE -- ARE YOU GETTING
TO THE POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO
STOP GOING AFTER CERTAIN LEADS?
AND THE REASON I SAY THIS IS
THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A POINT
WHERE YOU MAY HAVE ENOUGH
EVIDENCE TO MAKE YOUR ONE
CHARGE.
CHARGE. BUT ACTUALLY, THE MORE YOU
LEARN, IT BASICALLY CREATES MORE
BREAD CRUMBS TO FOLLOW.
WHEN DO YOU HAVE TO DRAW THAT
LINE?
LINE? WHEN DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU
KNOW WHAT, WE COULD KEEP GOING
AND KEEP GOING AND KEEP GOING OR
WE’VE GOT TO -- WE’VE GOT TO PUT
AN END DATE OR A PERIOD
SOMEWHERE.
SOMEWHERE. >> I THINK THAT’S RIGHT.
I THINK IT HAPPENED DURING THE
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION AND WE
LEARNED THAT HE RAN OUT OF TIME.
HE DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO
QUESTION THE PRESIDENT.
HE DIDN’T FOLLOW THE MONEY AND
THE MONEY LAUNDERING ISSUES.
WE’RE CERTAINLY FINDING THAT
WITH THE WITNESSES HERE BECAUSE
THEY LEAD US TO OTHER EVIDENCE
OF WRONGDOING.
OF WRONGDOING. SO AT SOME POINT, YOU PUT THAT
MAIN BODY THERE, RIGHT?
THE VOLKER TEXT.
THE WHISTLE-BLOWER’S COMPLAINT.
THE TRANSCRIPT FROM THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. I THINK THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
ARGUMENTS ARE ALREADY IN THE
PUBLIC’S DOMAIN.
PUBLIC’S DOMAIN. >> AND BECAUSE THE MOST SIG
THINK CAN’T ARGUMENTS ARE, WHAT
DO YOU MAKE OF THE FACT THAT
ESSENTIALLY THE REPUBLICAN
POSITION HAS BEEN UNMOVED?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? ELECTED REPUBLICANS, AT LEAST
PUBLICLY, ARE STICKING BY THE
PRESIDENT AND EVEN IN THE
POLLING, YOU SEE THAT LARGELY
SELF-DESCRIBED REPUBLICANS ARE
STICKING BY THE PRESIDENT.
IF YOU CAN’T PERSUADE FOLKS OF
WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS OPEN AND
SHUT, THEN WHAT DO YOU DO?
>> I THINK FIRST, LET’S SEE WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN THESE WITNESSES ARE
ALLOWED TO TESTIFY BEFORE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICAN PEOPLE. I DO BELIEVE IT’LL HAVE AN
INCREMENTAL EFFECT.
INCREMENTAL EFFECT. AT THE VERY LEAST, IF INDEED AS
YOU SUGGEST, THE JURY ISN’T
THE -- THE SENATE, IT’S THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, I DO BELIEVE
YOU’RE SEEING SOME CHANGES.
EVEN AMONG THE REPUBLICANS.
I DON’T CARE IF IT’S TEN POINTS.
I ALSO THINK WE’RE SEEING A
DRAMATIC CHANGE AMONG MIDDLE
AMERICA.
AMERICA. THIS IS A PRESIDENT WHO WON BY,
WHAT, 78,000 VOTES IN THREE
STATES IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
SO I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO
DO.
DO. TO HOLD THE PRESIDENT
ACCOUNTABLE AND DO I THINK IT’LL
HAVE AN EFFECT NEXT YEAR?
I CERTAINLY HOPE SO.
>> TELL ME ABOUT NEXT WEEK.
DO YOU PLAN ON SUBPOENAING THE
LAWYER IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL, MR. EISENBERG?
>> THESE ARE ALL DECISIONS THAT
ARE TAKING PLACE IN REAL TIME.
THEY’RE TAKING PLACE WITH
LEADERSHIP AND CHAIRMAN SCHIFF
AND SOME REALLY SMART STAFFERS.
I -- I THINK YOU TAKE THIS DAY
BY DAY.
BY DAY. WE’RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD IN A
DELIBERATE FASHION, A SMART
FASHION.
FASHION. AT THE SAME TIME, WITH SOME
DEGREE OF URGENCY.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES RIGHT
NOW TO BE SAYING?
AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE WHETHER
YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, WHEN YOU
HAVE SOME OF THE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES ARE GOING IT WOULD BE
BETTER IF THE VOTERS DECIDED.
YOU’VE HEARD THE COMMENTS FROM
PETE BUTTIGIEG.
PETE BUTTIGIEG. HE SORT OF SUPPORTS BOTH
PROCESSES.
PROCESSES. HE BELIEVES THAT YOU GUYS HAVE
TO FULFILL YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL
DUTY.
DUTY. BUT HE BELIEVES VOTERS MIGHT BE
ABLE TO DELIVER A MORE DECISIVE
BLOW TO TRUMP-ISM.
DOES THAT UNDERMINE YOUR EFFORTS
RIGHT NOW IN -- IN -- IN LAYING
OUT YOUR CASE TO THE PUBLIC IF
SOME OF THE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATES SAY, HEY, IMPEACHMENT
MIGHT BE GETTING IN OUR WAY?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S A LONG WAY
TILL NEXT NOVEMBER.
I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE SOME
URGENCY BEFORE FILING DEADLINES.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WHAT I
WOULD TELL THEM TO SAY TO THE
PUBLIC IS, THE PRESIDENT NEEDS
TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
THE PUBLIC’S GOING TO BE TOLD A
STORY ABOUT THIS PRESIDENT,
WHICH ISN’T PARTICULARLY
FLATTERING.
FLATTERING. THEY’LL TELL A STORY ABOUT A
PRESIDENT WHO WAS WILLING TO
MUSCLE AN ALLY IN A VERY
VULNERABLE POINT, RISKING OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY, AND PUTTING
THEIR VERY LIVES AT STAKE.
I THINK THAT’S IMPORTANT, AS
WELL.