OUT THERE WHO HAVE A MEGA PHONE AT THE TOP.
JOINING US NOW FROM CAPITOL HILL, REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN
RODNEY DAVIS AT ILLINOIS, WHO WAS AT-BAT WHEN THE SHOOTING
OCCURRED. SIR, FIRST OF ALL, HOW ARE YOU
DOING? THANK YOU FOR BEING ON THE SHOW
THIS MORNING. >> I'M FINE, MIKA.
MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE TO MY GOOD FRIEND, STEVE SCALISE
AND OTHERS WHO ARE INJURED. >> ALL OF OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH
YOU THIS MORNING. I WONDER IF YOU COULD WEIGH IN
ON THE CONVERSATION WE'VE BEEN HAVING HERE, GIVEN THAT THIS IS
A DIFFICULT TIME, WE DON'T WANT TO JUMP TO ANY CONCLUSIONS IN
ANY WAY BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A CONVERSATION WORTH HAVING, ABOUT
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN MOVING FORWARD.
>> THANK YOU. I AGREE COMPLETELY.
WE HAVE TO RATCHET DOWN THIS HATEFUL, POLITICAL RHETORIC WE
SEE ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, NEWS MEDIA IN WASHINGTON, IN OUR
STATE HOUSES. THIS IS -- WE CAN ARGUE ABOUT
POLICY DIFFERENCES BUT WE HAVE TO ALWAYS REALIZE THAT WE'RE
AMERICANS FIRST. LET'S SETTLE OUR POLICIES IN A
BALLOT BOX NOT ON A BASEBALL FIELD LIKE MANY OF US HAD TO
WITNESS YESTERDAY. >> CONGRESSMAN ALSO, AS TRAGIC
AS THAT WAS YESTERDAY, AS UNSETTLING AS IT WAS -- AND IT
TOOK IT TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL.
AT THE SAME TIME IN CALIFORNIA, THREE U.P.S. EMPLOYEES WERE
KILLED BY A DISGRUNTLED WORKER WHO THEN COMMITTED SUICIDE.
THAT HAS BECOME ROUTINE IN AMERICA AS WELL.
WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WORKFORCE
KIND OF OUTRAGES THAT GO ON. IT SEEMS TO ME THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT A VIRUS IN
OUR COUNTRY, OR BEYOND A VIRUS, REALLY, IN TERMS OF PICKING UP A
GUN TO SOLVE A PROBLEM, HOWEVER LARGE OR HOWEVER SMALL IT MAY
BE. THANK GOD THAT YOU ARE OKAY AND
WE HOPE THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE FINE THERE.
BUT THERE'S NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT THERE AREN'T OTHERS OUT
THERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO DUPLICATE THAT IN SOME FASHION.
>> WELL, TOM, I AGREE. WORKFORCE, WORKPLACE SHOOTINGS
NEED TO BE CONDEMNED. THAT'S WHAT WE OUGHT TO CONTINUE
TO DO TO CHANGE THIS TONE WE SEE IN THIS COUNTRY.
YOU CAN GO TO MY SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY AND SEE SOME OF THIS VILE,
HATEFUL RHETORIC WHEN THE MESSAGE I'M TRYING TO SEND IS A
MESSAGE OF BIPARTISANSHIP THAT I PARTICIPATE IN EVERY SINGLE DAY
IN WASHINGTON. I'M STEPS FROM THE HOUSE
CHAMBER. MANY OF YOUR VIEWERS WOULD NOT
THINK THAT SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS IN WASHINGTON ARE
DEMOCRATS THAT I SERVE WITH. THE MAJORITY OF ISSUES WE FACE
HERE, WE DO IN A BIPARTISAN WAY. IT'S THOSE OTHER ISSUES WHERE WE
HAVE LARGE POLICY DISAGREEMENTS THAT SEEM TO CREATE AN
ATMOSPHERE WHERE WE'VE SEEN THIS HATEFUL RHETORIC AND
POLARIZATION RISE. WE SAW THAT RISE TO A LEVEL
WHERE THE SHOOTER TURNED POLITICS INTO HIS RELIGION
YESTERDAY AND TRIED TO INDISCRIMINATELY KILL PEOPLE WHO
WERE NOT JUST MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
THEY WERE KIDS, PEOPLE WALKING THEIR PETS.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE
THESE CHANGES. >> YOU REMEMBER RIGHT AFTER
9/11, OBVIOUSLY, THE COUNTRY DID COME TOGETHER AND CONGRESS DID
COME TOGETHER, STANDING ON THE STEPS OF THE CAPITOL, SINGING
"AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL" AND THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THAT TIME AND
IT QUICKLY WENT AWAY. SINCE YOU'VE BEEN BACK ON THE
HILL NOW AFTER THIS, TELL ME ABOUT THE TENOR OF THAT BUILDING
AND THE COLLEAGUES THAT YOU SEE ACROSS THE AISLE AND HOW THEY'RE
REACTING TO WHAT YOU ALL WENT THROUGH.
>> SEE, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE THAT I SEE AS SERVING IN
WASHINGTON ALREADY, WITH SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE OF BOTH PARTIES.
I DON'T SEE THAT HYPERPARTISANSHIP THAT WE SEE IN
THE 24-HOUR NEWS PSYCH SBL WE SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WHAT I SAW YESTERDAY WAS A LOT OF SYMPATHY FOR THOSE WHO WERE
PART OF THAT ATTACK. MY FRIENDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
AISLE CAME UP TO ME AND SAID I TEXTED YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE
OKAY. I DIDN'T HAVE MY PHONE.
IT WAS STILL IN MY BAG ON THE FIELD.
TO HAVE THEM COME UP AND KNOW THAT FRIENDSHIP MATTER MORSE
THAN POLICY AND POLITICS, THOSE FRIENDSHIPS MEAN MORE OUTSIDE