>>> WE KNOW A LOT OF BACK DOOR
DEALS ARE HAPPENING ALL ACROSS
CAPITOL HILL.
WE HAVE SEEN HOUSE"HOUSE OF CARD
THIS WEEK WE SAW THE SHADY UNDERBELLY
UNDERBELLY.
>> MANCHIN SPECIFIED OBJECTIONS
TO THE FOR THE PEOPLE ACT,
SOMETHING WE LEARNED ABOUT WHEN
HE RELEASED A WISH LIST OF
CHANGES TO THE LEGISLATION,
WHICH INCLUDED MAKING ELECTION
DAY A PUBLIC HOLIDAY, BANNING
PARTISAN JERRY MANDERS BUTGERRYM
REQUIRING I.D., A SURPRISE THAT
STACEY ABRAMS APPEARED TO
SUPPORT.
MITCH McCONNELL VOWING TO BLOCK
ANY LEGISLATION.
CHUCK SCHUMER SAYS THE SENATE
WILL VOTE TO ADVANCE ON TUESDAY.
JOINING ME NOW IS MICHAEL
HARRIET, AUTHOR OF "THE BLACK AF
HISTORY OF AMERICA" AND JONATHAN
COTT.
LET ME START WITH YOU, MR. COTT.
THERES BEEN SKEPTICISM ABOUT
SENATOR MANCHINS ROLE AND
WHETHER HE IS PLAYING ABOVE
BOARD.
THAT AUDIO MAKES IT SOUND LIKE
WHAT HE IS DOING IS LOOKING OUT
FOR THE FUTURE JOB PROSPECTS OF
REPUBLICANS, TRYING TO PAD AND
PAVE THEIR WAY WITH WEALTHY
DONORS AS A WAY TO DO THE
SAUSAGE MAKING OF MAKING A DEAL.
THAT IS CALLED NEGOTIATING WITH
THE WRONG PEOPLE.
HE IS NOT TALKING TO THE PEOPLE
WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED BY VOTING
RIGHTS, TO BLACK LAWMAKERS LIKE
WARNOCK WHO HAVE TO RUN IN THE
ELECTIONS.
WHY IS HE TALKING TO THE RICH
FOLKS INSTEAD OF THE PEOPLE
DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE
LEGISLATION?
>> HE IS TALKING TO THE PEOPLE
DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE
LEGISLATION, THE THING I FOUND
OUT AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS
WORKING FOR JOE MANCHIN AND
SEVEN YEARS IS HE WILL TALK TO
ANYBODY.
HIS PHONE DOES NOT STOP RINGING.
MOSTLY, 90% OF THE TIME, ITS
FROM WEST VIRGINIA.
IF YOU MET JOE MANCHIN, PROUBYOU
PROBABLY HAVE HIS NUMBER.
THAT WAS ONE HOUR OF HIS DAY.
IM GUESSING HE SPENT ANOTHER
15, 16 HOURS OF HIS DAY TALKING
TO OTHER PEOPLE.
HE WORKS BOTH SIDES OF THE
AISLE.
HE IS TALKING TO HIS MODERATE
REPUBLICAN FRIENDS.
THAT PAID OFF THIS WEEK WHEN HE
SAW INFRASTRUCTURE COME
TOGETHER.
I DONT THINK HE IS TALKING TO
ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE AND NOT THE
OTHER.
ITS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HIM
LITERALLY TALKING TO EVERYBODY.
>> NOT EVERYBODY.
WE TRIED TO GET HIM TO COME ON
THE SHOW.
HE WONT DO THAT.
HE IS SELECTIVE ABOUT THE TV
PEOPLE HE WILL TALK TO.
HE ONLY GOES PLACES I THINK -- I
WOULD SAY WHERE HE FEELS THAT HE
WONT HAVE TO GET INTO MORE OF A
DEBATE.
I WILL KEEP LEAVING THAT TO MY
PRODUCERS TO TRY TO GET HIM TO
COME ON.
HE WONT DO IT.
>> AS HIS FORMER COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR, HE RARELY SAID NO TO
TV INTERVIEWS.
HE DID EVERYTHING FROM THE YOUNG
TURKS TO SEAN HANNITY.
HE IS WILLING TO TALK TO
ANYBODY.
I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO.
>> SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO.
WE WOULD LOVE HIM ON HERE.
MICHAEL, I THINK YOU AND I HAD A
SIMILAR REACTION.
I READ YOUR TWITTER RELIGIOUSLY.
TO THE PROSPECT OF THE MANCHIN
COMPROMISE, TELL ME WHAT YOUR
IMPRESSIONS OF IT WERE.
DO YOU THINK IT IS A GOOD
FRAMEWORK TO START FROM TO GET A
BOY
BIPARTISAN BILL?
THE IM
>>> THE IM
.
>> THE IMPRESSION IS A LIGHT
VERSION OF THE VOTER SUPPRESSION
BILL WITH A FEW COMPROMISES THAT
NO ONE WAS ASKING FOR.
THE POINT OF WHY WERE GOING
THROUGH ALL OF THIS IS BECAUSE THE SUPREME COURT STRIPPED
THE SUPREME COURT STRIPPED
PRE-CLEAR ANSWER AANCE AWAY.
VOTER I.D. DISENFRANCHISES
PEOPLE.
WHETHER ITS A NATIONAL VOTER
I.D. OR SOME FORM OF VOTER I.D.
IS TERRIBLE TO DO.
YOU ARE SAYING, WE ARE GOING TO
COMPROMISE WITH A FEW PEOPLE, WE
DONT KNOW HOW MANY, SOME
PEOPLE.
WE ARE OKAY WITH DISENFRAN
CHIESZCHIEZ
DISENFRANCHISING SOME PEOPLE.
I DONT SEE HOW ANYONE COULD
FEEL COMFORTABLE SLAPPING JOHN
LEWIS NAME ON A BILL THAT
DISENFRANCHISES VOTERS.
GERRYMANDERING WILL AFFECT
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LAWMAKERS.
REPUBLICANS AND CONSERVATIVES
SPLIT UP THE DISTRICTS.
SINCE THOSE DISTRICTS ARE NOT
CONTIGUOUS, WE SHOULD
GERRYMANDER THEM BY COMPUTER,
WHICH IS A CRAZY IDEA.
THIS BILL -- HAVING A NATIONAL
HOLIDAY IS SOMETHING THATS
GOOD.
BUT ITS NOTHING THAT SOMEONE IS
ASKING FOR.
I THINK WE SHOULD POINT OUT --
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
FACT -- THAT THERE IS NO
WIDESPREAD VOTER FRAUD.
WERE TRYING TO CURE SOMETHING
THAT DOESNT EXIST.
ASK PEOPLE FOR BLOOD SAMPLES SO
YOU CAN PROVE THEYRE NOT
ANDROID
ANDROIDS.
ASK THEM IF YOU CAN CUT -- GIVE
A RETINA SCAN TO PROVE THEY
CANT TURN INVISIBLE.
THATS MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN OR
AS LIKELY TO HAPPEN AS
WIDESPREAD VOTER FRAUD.
HE IS TRYING TO FIX SOMETHING
THAT DOESNT EXIST TO APPEASE
REPUBLICANS.
>> ITS NOT APPEASEING THEM.
HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED TODAY,
JONATHAN.
STACY
STACEY ABRAMS SAID GOOD THINGS
ABOUT THE BILL, CALLING IT A
CRITICAL STEP FORWARD.
IT MAKES SENSE.
SHES NOSEEGOTIATING WITH SOMEBO
WHO HADNT SAID WHAT HE WANTS.
SHE SAID, THIS IS A GOOD START.
HERE IS WHAT MITCH McCONNELL
SAID AFTER -- ITS TWO SECONDS
AFTER SHE SAID IT SOUNDS LIKE A
FRAMEWORK WE CAN START WITH.
>> A REVISED VERSION PRODUCED BY
ONE OF THE DEMOCRATS YESTERDAY,
WHICH HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY
STACEY ABRAMS, IN WHAT IS AN
EXTRAORDINARILY DUBIOUS
CONSTITUTIONALITY WOULD REMOVE
REDISTRICTING FROM STATE
LEGISLATURES AND HAND IT OVER TO
COMPUTERS.
EQUALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE.
ALL REPUBLICANS I THINK WILL
OPPOSE THAT AS WELL.
>> LETS BE CLEAR, IT DOESNT
MATTER WHAT STACEY ABRAMS WOULD
HAVE SAID.
IF SHE SAID THE BILL -- THE IDEA
IS TERRIBLE, HE WOULD HAVE SAID,
THATS WHY I DONT LIKE IT.
THERES NOTHING -- ITS NOT
ABOUT HER.
THIS IS ABOUT HIM.
IS THERE ANY POINT TO HAVING
BIPARTISAN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
VOTING RIGHTS WHEN YOU JUST
HEARD MITCH McCONNELL SAY, YOU
WILL GET ZERO REPUBLICAN VOTES?
>> I THINK THATS JUST A
CHALLENGE THAT JOE MANCHIN IS
HAPPY TO ACCEPT.
HE WILL WORK TO SEE IF HE CAN
GET --
>> HAS HE EVER -- LET ME ASK
YOU, HAS HE EVER SUCCEEDED?
HE COULDNT GET IT ON GUN
REFORM.
HASNT BEEN ABLE TO GET IT ON
ANYTHING ELSE.
HAS HE DELIVERED TEN REPUBLICAN
VOTES FOR ANYTHING EVER?
>> SIX MONTHS AGO, HE NEGOTIATED
A BIPARTISAN COVID DEAL THAT GOT
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE
STATE.
>> I DONT THINK THAT WAS --
THAT WAS ON HIM?
HE GETS THE CREDIT FOR THAT?
>> IM NOT SAYING ITS ALL HIM.
YOU ARE ASKING TIMES HE HAS BEEN
PART OF DEALS.
HE WAS PART OF IT.
HE IS PART OF A GROUP OF 20
SENATORS THAT JUST CAME OUT WITH
A BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE
PACKAGE.
>> HOW MANY DEMOCRATS VOTED FOR
THAT BIG COVID RELIEF BILL THAT CAME PEOPLE -- HOW MANY
CAME PEOPLE -- HOW MANY
REPUBLICANS VOTED FOR THAT?
NONE OF THEM VOTED FOR -- IF
ITS TRUMP, THEY WILL DO
ANYTHING.
THEY WOULD LAY DOWN IN FRONT OF
A TRUCK FOR DONALD TRUMP.
EASY TO GET REPUBLICANS TO VOTE
FOR SOMETHING TRUMP WILL SIGN.
IF IT WAS TO LOCK THEIR MOERPS S
IN THE BASEMENT, THEY WOULD VOTE
FOR THAT.
LAST WORD.
IF AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE
SOMETHING THAT WILL PROTECT THE
ABILITY TO VOTE IN 2022 SO
DEMOCRATS CAN GET THAT FAR AND
MOVE FROM THERE, WOULD THAT BE A
WIN?
>> I THINK SO.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED, WHAT IS
MOST IMPORTANT IS PRE-CLEARANCE
AND THE ABILITY TO STOP THE
STATES AND THESE DISTRICTS FROM
GERRYMANDERING AND
DISENFRANCHISING BLACK VOTERS.
I THINK THATS MOST IMPORTANT
PART.
IF ITS DONE, IT WONT BE
REPUBLICANS.
THEY WONT SIGN ON TO ANYTHING.