THIS MORNING AT 44 PAST THE
HOUR.
WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING JOE."
JOINING US NOW, FORMER HOUSE
MAJORITY LEADER, DICK GEPHARDT
WHO REPRESENTED MISSOURI FROM
1977 TO 2005.
AND LONG-TIME MEDIA EXECUTIVE
EDITOR AT LARGE AT NEWSWEEK AND
CNBC FOUNDER AND CONTRIBUTOR,
TOM ROGERS.
TOGETHER, ALONG WITH FORMER
SENATOR TIM WORTH, THEY ARE
COAUTHORS OF AN OP-ED OUT THIS
MORNING FOR NEWSWEEK, ENTITLED
"THE BIG LIE EXCEPTION TO THE
FILIBUSTER RULE" WHICH READS IN
PART, THERE IS ONE OVERWHELMING
RATIONAL THAT PROVIDES THIS
SMALL NARROW PATH FOR AN
EXCEPTION TO FILIBUSTER CLOTURE.
THAT RATIONAL IS THE BIG LIE.
THE GREAT UNTRUTH THAT THERE WAS
SUBSTANTIAL VOTER FRAUD THAT
RESULTED IN TRUMP LOSING THE
ELECTION.
THEREBY ENABLING THE ELECTION TO
BE STOLEN OUT FROM UNDER HIM.
THE BIG LIE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED BY
CONGRESS IN ANY WAY.
YES, THERE ARE HEARINGS AND
INVESTIGATIONS ABOUT THE CAPITOL
RIOTS.
BUT THE BIG LIE CONTINUES TO BE
SPREAD BY SOME REPUBLICAN
POLITICIANS AND SOME SOCIAL AND
RIGHT WING MEDIA WHILE
PROSECUTORS ARE GOING AFTER
INDIVIDUAL CAPITOL HILL
INSURRECTIONISTS.
THERE MUST BE A SHOWING OF REAL
PUSHBACK WITH STRENGTH BY ALL
DEFENDERS OF OUR DEMOCRACY
AGAINST THIS TOTAL FALSEHOOD.
THERE IS NOTHING MORE DESERVING
OF AN EXCEPTION TO THE
FILIBUSTER RULE THAN PUTTING IN
PLACE FEDERAL POLICY TO OVERCOME
THE MALEVOLENT INTENT OF THE BIG
LIE.
I COULDNT AGREE MORE.
JOE, I MEAN, THE THING THAT I
THINK IS A LITTLE FRIGHTENING IS
THAT THERE ARE SITTING MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS RIGHT NOW WHO ARE
SITTING -- WHO ARE POM UL GATING
ING
ING IT AND ARE IN OFFICE RIGHT
NOW WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
>> THEY CONTINUE -- CONGRESSMAN
DICK GEPHARDT, GREAT TO SEE YOU
AGAIN.
ITS BEEN A LITTLE WHILE, BUT
ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
TALK ABOUT WHY YOU FELT LIKE
THIS ISSUE WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH
TO LEND YOUR VOICE TO.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE WILL COME OF
YOUR EFFORTS?
>> WELL, JOE, AS YOU KNOW,
NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT IN A
DEMOCRACY THAN THE RIGHT TO
VOTE.
THE ABILITY TO VOTE.
AND WEVE SEEN THIS MANY TIMES
IN OUR PAST HISTORY.
LETS JUST REMEMBER THAT IT WAS
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AFTER THE
CIVIL WAR THAT PUT RESTRICTIONS
ON VOTING FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
AND IT TOOK OVER 100 YEARS TO
GET RID OF MANY OF THOSE
RESTRICTIONS.
OUR OLD FRIEND AND THE PERSON WE
WERE PRIVILEGED TO SERVE WITH,
JOHN LEWIS, LED THE REENACTMENT
OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
THERE WAS ORIGINALLY DONE IN THE
1960s.
SO, THIS IS A CRITICAL ISSUE.
NOTHING ELSE MATTERS IN A
DEMOCRACY OTHER THAN THAT YOU
HAVE THE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
AND THE RIGHT FOR EVERYBODY TO
VOTE.
SO, WERE HOPING THAT THERE CAN
BE AN EXCEPTION TO THE
FILIBUSTER RULE FOR THIS NARROW
EXCEPTION, FOR THESE RIGHTS, AND
THAT WE CAN GET DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS TO COME IN BEHIND
THIS EFFORT AND GET THIS DONE IN
THE NEXT WEEKS AND MONTHS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
LETS BRING IN CLAIRE McCASKILL
FOR THE NEXT QUESTION.
CLAIRE?
>> FIRST, GOOD MORNING, DICK.
ITS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.
SUCH A DEAR OLD FRIEND.
AND WE DONT GET TO SEE EACH
OTHER IN PERSON VERY OFTEN THESE
DAYS.
LET ME TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE
FILIBUSTER AND THE PROBLEM THAT
IS PRESENTED BY THE SLIM
MAJORITIES WE HAVE.
YOURE SOMEBODY WHO SPENT A LOT
OF TIME COUNTING VOTES AND
TRYING TO KNIT TOGETHER A CAUCUS
THAT HAD PEOPLE FROM VERY
CONSERVATIVE PLACES THAT HAD
CONSERVATIVE VIEWS AND VERY,
VERY LIBERAL VIEWS.
OUR PROBLEM IN THE SENATE IS WE
HOLD A MAJORITY BY VIRTUE OF ONE
GUY WHO IS PROBABLY THE ONLY
DEMOCRAT ALIVE THAT COULD EVER
WIN WEST VIRGINIA.
HOW DO YOU GET AROUND THE ISSUE
OF A BEAR MAJORITY ESPECIALLY
WHEN WE HAVE BIG ELECTIONS IN
PENNSYLVANIA AND WISCONSIN AND
NORTH CAROLINA THAT COULD BUILD
OUR MAJORITY IN TWO SHORT YEARS?
HOW DO YOU RECONCILE THESE TWO
WITH THIS IMPORTANT EXCEPTION
THAT YOURE ADVOCATING?
>> WELL, OUR HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE
IN BOTH PARTIES, NOT JUST JOE
MANCHIN AND OTHERS IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY WILL SEE THIS