>> OKAY, TIME FOR THE ROUND TABLE AND LET’S GET RIGHT TO IT WITH ROCKY RODRIGUEZ, FORMER
GENERAL COUNSEL TO JEB BUSH AND
CHRIS SMITH FORMER STATE REP,
STATE SENATOR, LAWYER IN FORT
LAUDERDALE.
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH.
GREAT TO SEE YOU.
ROCKY RODRIGUEZ, LET ME BEGIN BY
ASKING YOU IF YOU HEARD EARLIER
CARLOS GIMENEZ SAID HIS VOTE
AGAINST THE ELECTORS WAS ALL
ABOUT UPHOLDING THE
CONSTITUTION.
DOES THAT REALLY HOLD WATER?
>> WELL, I DID MARY HIM
AND-- HEAR HIM AND I AGREE WITH
THE PART OF WHAT THE CONGRESSMAN
SAID REGARDING THE REQUIREMENT
THAT THE LEGISLATURES REGULATE
THE MANNER IN WHICH THE ELECTORS
ARE OPPOSED.
WHERE I THINK I WOULD DIFFER
WITH HIM IS THIS WAS LITIGATED
AT ONE LEVEL OR ANOTHER IN THE
COURTS.
AND IN MY VIEW, ONCE IT GOT TO
THE CONGRESS, I DO NOT BELIEVE
THAT IT WAS UP TO INDIVIDUAL
CONGRESSMAN OR SENATORS TO
DECIDE IF THE ELECT ORAL VOTES
FROM-- ELECTORAL VOTES FROM
ARIZONA OR PENNSYLVANIA SHOULD
BE COUNTED.
>> CHRIS SPLIT, WHAT DO YOU
THINK?
>> I THINK ONCE WE GOT TO
CONGRESS, THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE
JUST COUNTED THE VOTES, FOR
SOUTH FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN TO BE
REAL CONCERNED ABOUT ARIZONA AND
HOW THEIR LEGISLATURE AND COURTS
WORK AND PENNSYLVANIA AND HOW
THEIR LEGISLATURE AND COURTS
WORK, I THINK THAT WAS WRONG.
GREAT TALKING POINT BUT I THINK
WHAT WAS DONE WAS A TRAVESTY IN
D.C. THIS WEEK.
>> YEAH, CHRIS, THE SEERNLG ON
THE CAPITOL, NONE OF US HAVE
EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.
HASN’T BEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT
SINCE MAYBE THE WAR OF 1812.
AND THOSE WERE BRITISH TROOPS,
NOT AMERICANS WHO WENT IN AND
BURNED THE CAPITOL THEN.
DOES THIS MERIT IMPEACHMENT OF
THE PRESIDENT?
>> DEFINITELY.
AND I THINK EVEN THOUGH, AND I
SENT OUT A TWEET THAT SAID EVEN
IN THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL, IF A
KID DOES SOMETHING THAT MERITS
PUNISHMENT, WE PUNISH THAT
PERSON BECAUSE THEY VIOLATED THE
LAW.
AND TO HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES ACTIVE
LEAN-- ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE
IT GO INTO OUR U.S. CAPITOL AND
FIGHT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
WITH THE U.S. FLAG, WITH THE
BLUE LIVES MATTER FLAG, JUST GO
THROUGH OUR CAPITOL LIKE THAT IN
AN INSURRECTION, YES, PUNISHMENT
MUST BE DONE SO YOU PREVENT IT
IN THE FUTURE.
>> ROCKY, IN THE CONSTITUTION,
IMPEACHMENT TALKS ABOUT A
SITTING PRESIDENT, IS IT EVEN
CONSTITUTIONAL TO IMPEACH
SOMEONE WHO IS NO LONGER SERVING
AS PRESIDENT?
>> WELL, HE WAS SERVING WHEN HE
WAS IMPEACHED.
THE QUESTION IS GOING TO BE
WHETHER THE SENATE HAS
JURISDICTION TO TRY HIM.
THE VERY FIRST IMPEACHMENT CASE
EVER TRIED IN AMERICA IN THE
1700S, THE SENATOR WHO WAS
EXPELLED FROM THE SENATE AND
THEN TRIED FOR IMPEACHMENT
ARGUED SUCCESSFULLY BEFORE THE
SENATE THAT THERE WAS NO
JURISDICTION IN WHICH TO TRY HIM
FURTHER ON THE ARTICLES.
SO I THINK IT IS AN OPEN
CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION.
NOTE THAT NANCY PELOSI HAS NOT
YET TRANSMITTED THE ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT TO THE SENATE IT IS
LIKELY THAT THEY WON’T BE
TRANSMITTED UNTIL THE PRESIDENT
IS OUT OF OFFICE AND CERTAINLY
THRNT THR WON’T BE A VOTE ON IT
UNTIL HE IS OUT OF OFFICE SO I
THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE A
QUESTION OF DEBATE.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT
STRATEGY IS.
I HEALTH TO ASK TO SORT OF GET
INTO NANCY PELOSI’S MIND.
BUT GET INTO NANCY PELOSI’S
MIND.
WHAT IS THAT STRATEGY?
>> I HAVE BEEN THINK BEING IT A
LOT.
AND I HAVE A FEELING THAT IT
KIND OF IS SOMETHING TO HOLD
OVER THE PRESIDENT AND IN THE
REMAINING DAYS IN ORDER TO GIVE
THE SENATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
VOTE ON IT, IN THE EVENT THAT HE
CONTINUES TO ACT IN A WAY THAT
THE CONGRESS FEELS IS
INTERFERING WITH THE TRANSITION
OF POWER.
SO AND I THINK IT ALSO WAS A
STATEMENT, A REACTION TO THE
ABSOLUTELY INEXCUSABLE VIOLENCE
THAT BEFELL THE CAPITOL AND TO
SEND A MESSAGE.
BUT I DON’T THINK THAT THE
CONGRESS REALLY BELIEVES THAT
THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE AN
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL ON THE
PRESIDENT THAT IS NOT GOING TO
BE QUESTIONABLE REGARDING
JURISDICTION.
>> YEAH.
CHRIS SMITH, NEED ITS TO SAY,
THIS COUNTRY IS ABOUT AS DIVIDED
AS IT’S EVER BEEN, CERTAINLY IN
MY LIFETIME.
ONLY 196, VIETNAM WAR, RIOTS AND
MURDERS OF BOBBY KENNEDY, MLK
WHICH WE’RE CELEBRATING HIS LIFE
TOMORROW.
JOE BIDEN ON WEDNESDAY IS GOING
TO TRY TO SAY WORDS THAT HELP
BRING THE COUNTRY TOGETHER.
IS JOE BIDEN GOING TO HAVE THE
BRIGHT HEALING WORDS?
>> DEFINITELY.
YOU HAVE SEEN THAT FROM DAY ONE.
I MEAN HAVE I LOOKED AT POLLING
THIS MORNING.
IS HE ALREADY UP TO 67 PERCENT
OF AMERICANS BELIEVING THAT HE
IS DOING THE RIGHT THING AND
HANDLING THIS TRANSITION
CORRECTLY.
BUT JOE BIDEN SEEMS TO BE, I
MEAN OY RONICALLY THE PERFECT
PERSON AT THIS TIME.
HE IS A CARING TYPE OF PERSON,
PASSIONATE TYPE PERSON.
THE TIMES HAVE I BEEN AROUND
HIM, MY MOM AND I, HE HAS BEEN
SO PERSONABLE.
AND GOING OFF THE FOUR YEARS OF
DIVISION, FOUR YEARS OF ANGER AT
EACH OTHER, I THINK JOE BIDEN IN
THAT CALMING VOICE, THAT
GRANDFATHERLY VOICE I THINK
WAS-- THAT AMERICA NEEDS RIGHT
NOW DESPERATELY.
>> ROCKY, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR
YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO TRY TO
IMPEDE THAT PROCESS THIS WEEK.
>> WELL, I DONE THINK WE SHOULD
IMPEDE IT.
I THINK WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE
NEW ADMINISTRATION AND TRY TO
COME TOGETHER.
I WOULD LIKE TO QUOTE MARTIN
LUTHER KING SINCE WE ARE
HONORING HIS BIRTHDAY ON MONDAY
WHO SAID IN 1963, DARKNESS
CANNOT DRY OUT DARKNESS.
ONLY LIGHT CAN DO THAT.
HATE CANNOT DRIVE OUT HATE, ONLY
LOVE CAN DO THAT.
AND I THINK WE ALL NEED TO
REFLECT AND OVER THE COURSE OF
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST
TEN DAYS, AND WE NEED TO FOCUS
ON LOVING EACH OTHER AND TRYING
TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE MUST BRING OUR COUNTRY
TOGETHER.
>> AMEN TO THAT.
>> AMEN.
>> I THINK THE ACTIONS OF THE
CAPITOL IS ACTUALLY GOING TO
MAKE IT EASIER FOR BIDEN TO DO
THIS, EVEN THOSE THAT WERE
STILL, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO
THE PRESIDENT AND BELIEVING A
LOT OF WHAT HE IS SAYING AND
FOLLOWING THAT.
WHEN HE SAW THE NATURAL, WHAT
HAPPENS TO THAT KIND OF
RHETORIC, THAT IS WHY YOU SEE
THOSE POLL NUMBERS SO I THINK
THE BAR IS ACTUALLY LOWER AND
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING
TO JUST TONE IT DOWN.
THAT IS WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO
BE MUCH BETTER AFTER WEDNESDAY.
AT LEAST FOR THE HUNDRED DAYS.
>> ROCKY, I LOVE THAT QUOTE,
THANK YOU FOR QUOTING IT.
I WILL QUOTE NUMBER MLK SAYING
WHICH SORT OF IS AT THE CENTER
OF MY LIFE WHEN HE SAID THE ARC
OF THE MORAL UNIVERSE IS LONG
AND IT BENDS TOWARDS JUSTICE.
THAT IS ANOTHER PROFOUND THOUGHT
AND I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT
IS WHAT WE WILL SEE IN THE
COMING MONTHS AND YEARS IN OUR
COUNTRY.
>> SO I JUST WANT TO THROW OUT
THERE THAT WE COULD HAVE PULLED
THE ACTUAL TAPE OF MLK SAYING
ALL OF THESE THINGS AND I’M SO
SORRY THAT WE DIDN’T.
JUST REALLY QUICKLY BEFORE WE
GO, I JUST WANTED TO GET YOU,
MANNY DIAZ WAS TALKING ABOUT THE
NEW DAY OF THE FLORIDA
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
UNDER THIS, WHAT DEMOCRATS LIKE
TO CALL A BIG TENT, THERE IS A
LOT OF FINGER POINTING BETWEEN
THE FACTIONS, GIVE US A QUICK
PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
>> NO ONE CIRCLES THE WAGONS AND
SHOOTING LIKE THE FLORIDA
DEMOCRATS.
I THINK, YEAH, THERE IS A LOT OF
FINGER POINTING NOW.
BUT I THINK GEORGIA HAS GIVEN US
A GOOD ROPE-- ROAD MAP AND I
TALKED TO MY COLLEAGUES, THEY
ARE ALL LOOKING TO GARNLG GA
SAYING IF GEORGIA CAN DO IT, SO
I THINK WHAT IS HELPING A LOT OF
PEOPLE COME TOGETHER AND TRY TO
GET A LONG-TERM ROAD MAP,
GEORGIA DIDN’T HAPPEN IN 60 DAYS
T HAPPENED OVER A COUPLE OF
YEARS SO I THINK THAT IS WHERE
WE ARE HEADED.
>> CHRIS, GOOD THOUGHT IN WHICH
TO END.
CHRIS SMITH AND ROCKY RODRIGUEZ,