NEW BY ELECTION TIME.
LAUREN: DEMOCRATS DIGGING IN,
NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY,
HOPKINS AND SCOTT WALKER
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS AND GROUP
PRESIDENT ED.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> MICHAEL, LET ME GO TO YOU
FIRST, HOW LONG IS THE SHUTDOWN
LAST AND WHAT ENDS IT?
>> WELL, I THINK THE SHUTDOWN
GOES UNTIL JANUARY THIRD WHEN
ADULTS COME INTO THE ROOM AND
DEMOCRATS TAKE OVER CONGRESS.
DEMOCRATS HAVE ON REPEATED
ATTEMPTS TRIED TO OFFER PACKAGES
ON PRESIDENT, $25 BILLION IN
EXCHANGE DACA AND THE PRESIDENT
HASN'T, HE'S SOLD OUT THE PARTY
AND WE ARE IN THIS KIND OF
CHAOTIC SITUATION.
LAUREN: HE SEEMED WILLING TO
NEGOTIATE AND DEMOCRATS SAY THEY
DON'T WANT A WALL WHEN IN PAST
YEARS, ED, THEY HAVE APPROVED
THE BUILDING OF A WALL?
>> RIGHT, AND THIS IS PLAYING
RIGHT INTO THE DEMOCRATS' HANDS,
THEY WOULD LIKE TO DELAY ANY
KIND OF DECISION UNTIL THEY HAVE
CONTROL OF THE HOUSE AND COME IN
WITH NEW CONGRESS WHICH WILL
START THE PROCESS IN LARGE PART
ALL OVER AGAIN, SO I THINK WE
ARE HEADING TO A REAL SHOWDOWN
AND ONE THAT'S GOING TO TAKE
QUITE A WHILE TO SORT OUT.
LAUREN: LONGEST SHUTDOWN,
MICHAEL, WAS BACK IN 1995 GOING
INTO 1996, 21 DAYS.
YOU KNOW, WE SAY YOU DON'T
REALLY FEEL THE EFFECT OF
SHUTDOWN, THEY ARE USUALLY VERY
SHORT BUT WE -- WITH BOTH SIDES
STICKING THEIR GROUND AND THE
PRESIDENT IS MAKING THIS AN
ELECTION, 2020 ISSUE, THIS ONE
COULD REALLY HURT US?
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY, IF YOU LOOK
AT VOLATILITY IN THE
MARKETPLACE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE
FACT THAT ALMOST 08% OF
AMERICANS DON'T HAVE SAVINGS,
MORE THAN $500, NOW, YOU KNOW,
IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON PEOPLE
WILL STRUGGLE TO MAKE MORTGAGE
PAYMENTS TO PAY RENT, PEOPLE
WILL ABSOLUTELY FEEL THIS.
SOMEONE IS GOING PAY AND ANY BET
IS THAT REPUBLICANS AND THE
PRESIDENT ARE THE ONE TO PAY.
LAUREN: I ASKED ED AT 5:00 A.M.
THE QUESTION, I WILL ASK TO YOU,
SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THIS
MOMENT RIGHT NOW, THE BORDER
WALL IS READ MY LIPS MOMENT FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP, PRESIDENT H.W.
BUSH SAID WE WOULDN'T RAISE
TAXES AND HE LOST REELECTION, IS
NOT KEEPING HIS PROMISE FOR A
BORDER WALL DETRIMENTAL TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND REELECTION?
>> CERTAINLY IT'S IMPORTANT TO
HIS BASE AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU
LOOK AT THE TRUMP BASE, NOT THE
REPUBLICAN BASE, BUT THE TRUMP
BASE, 32, 33, 34% THAT HAVE BEEN
WITH HIM SINCE THE VERY
BEGINNING, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT
TO THEM THAT HE KEEP THAT
CURRENT.
I THINK THE ISSUE IS
APPROXIMATELY 20% OF AMERICANS
THAT LIKE BEYOND THAT LIKE HIS
POLICIES IN BROAD SENSE THAT
THERE ARE SOME IN THE ARMOR, THE
IMPACT ON TRADE AND THE FIGHT
FOR BORDER WALL.
THE NUANCE OF SECOND GROUP OF
20% AND NOT SPECIFIC AND I THINK
IF IT BECOMES SPECIFIC OF THE
WALL AND ONLY THE WALL AND DIG
IN, I THINK HE RUNS SOME RISKS
OF LOSING SUPPORT OF GROUP OF
VOTERS WHO LIKE HIS POLICIES BUT
DON'T PARTICULARLY THE WAY HE
OPERATES SOMETIMES.
>> MICHAEL, GOOD MORNING, MITCH
ROSCHELLE, ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON
LAUREN'S QUESTION, SEEMS LIKE
THE WALL ITSELF AND THE WORD
WALL HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT WEPONIZED
HERE, NANCY PELOSI REFERRED TO
THE WALL AS BEING IMMORAL, SO IS
IT POSSIBLE THAT THE WALL ITSELF
AND JUST THAT WORD IS REALLY
WHAT THE BIG ISSUE IS WHERE BOTH
SIDES ACTUALLY AGREE ON THE NEED
FOR BORDER SECURITY BUT THE WORD
WALL IS REALLY THE STICKING
POINT?
>> LOOK, I'M THE FIRST PERSON TO
ADMIT THAT THE WALL HAS BEEN
PROXY TERM, PROXY BATTLE,
DEMOCRATS ARE NOT AGAINST BORDER
SECURITY.
WE HAVE ON MULTIPLE TIMES VOTED
TO PUT DRONES OVER THE WALL TO
INCREASE AMOUNT OF TROOPS ALONG
THE BORDER, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT THE WALL -- THAT RATHER THE
BORDER IS SECURE BUT SPENDING
$25 BILLION, WE COULD SPEND
$25 BILLION TO FIX WATER CRISIS
IN FLINT, PAY UNIVERSAL
HEALTHCARE COVERAGE, TO DO
THINGS THAT EVERY AMERICAN ARE
GOING TO BENEFIT FROM.
THROWING MONEY AT A CONCRETE
STRUCTURE SO THAT WE CAN FEEL
GOOD ABOUT POLITICAL PROMISES
THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO LEAD THE
COUNTRY.
LAUREN: NEW YORK CONGRESSMAN
ELECT, ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ
TWEETED OUT CHRISTMAS MESSAGE,
JOY TO THE WORLD, MERRY
CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE, HERE TO
HOLIDAY FILLED WITH HAPPINESS,
FAMILY AND LOVE FOR ALL PEOPLE
INCLUDING REFUGEES BABIES AND
THEIR PARENTS, WHAT'S YOUR
REACTION TO THAT, MICHAEL?
>> THAT MAKES A GREAT POINT, I'M
NOT EXPERT ON THE BIBLE BUT
JESUS AND MARY, THEY WERE
FLEEING PERSECUTION AND FLEEING
KING HEROD, THAT WAS REFUGEE AND
NOW IN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON, WE
ARE HAVING MULTIPLE CHILDREN DIE
AT THE BORDER AND I THINK WE
NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION
ABOUT SEEING OURSELVES IN
OTHERS' SHOES.
LAUREN: LET ME LET YOU RESPOND
THERE.
[LAUGHTER]
>> CHRISTMAS FOR -- CHRISTMAS IS
A TIME FOR REFLECTION, FOR MOST
CHRISTIANS IN THIS COUNTRY, IT
IS A TIME TO LOOK AT THE
BENEFITS AND THE BLESS THAT IS
YOU HAVE AND LOOK AT THOSE THAT
ARE MAYBE LESS FORTUNATE.
I THINK SELECTING THAT
PARTICULAR GROUP AS OPPOSED TO A
WIDE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT NEEDS
OUR ATTENTION AND NEEDS OUR
HELP, I THINK WAS A LITTLE BIT
TOO SELECTIVE AND STEP TOO FAR.
LAUREN: ON CHRISTMAS DAY, AND
THEN THERE'S THIS, THE OUTGOING
MISSOURI SENATOR DEMOCRAT CLAIRE
MCCAKILL TOOK AIM AT
OCASIO-CORTEZ AND DEMOCRATIC
PARTY.
I HOPE SHE ALSO REALIZE THAT IS
THE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THAT
ARE REJECTING THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY LIKE A WHOLE LOT OF
WHITE-WORKING VOTERS LIKE TO
HEAR HOW THEIR WORK WILL BE
RESPECTED AND DIGNITY TO THEIR
JOBS, WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO
THAT, MICHAEL?
>> I THINK CLAIRE MCCASKILL IS
RIGHT AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S NOT ONLY
SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP IN
URBAN COMMUNITIES BUT ALSO IN
WHITE-WORKING-CLASS COMMUNITIES
IN THE SUBURBS.
LAUREN: YOU'RE LAUGHING BUT
VOICES OCASIO-CORTEZ AND THE FAR
LEFT OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
THAT IS AFFECTING THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY AND CERTAINLY TRYING TO
PLAY NANCY PELOSI.
>> IT ABSOLUTELY IS.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE WILL SEE.
I HAVE WARNED DEMOCRATIC FRIENDS
THAT WHAT I'M SEEING IN
DEMOCRATIC PARTY I SAW TEA PARTY
AFTER 2010 ELECTION THAT YOU HAD
A FEW INCUMBENTS THAT WERE
DEFEATED IN SAFE DISTRICTS AND I
THINK WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE
WITH THE DEMOCRATS THIS NEXT
TIME AROUND IS THAT THEY ARE
GOING TO BE LOOKING OVER THEIR
SHOULDER TO PROGRESSIVE COMING
AND BEATING THEM PRIMARY AS
OPPOSED TO WHERE THEY ARE GOING
TO BE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION,
ON TOP OF THAT, YOU THE
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WITH
DOZENS OF PROGRESSIVES LOOKING
AT RUNNING WHICH IS GOING TO
COMPLICATE IT MUCH MORE.
I THINK THE DEMOCRATS ARE NOT A
GOOD POSITION AS THEY THINK THEY
ARE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE AS MUCH
THEY SAY BIG PARTY, PARTY THAT
WILL TAKE THEM TO THE LEFT.
LAUREN: WHICH IS THE DEMOCRATIC
TICKET?
>> JOHN DELANEY LEADS THE TICKET
AND WE WILL SEE WHO WILL BE THE
VICE PRESIDENT, BUT AS PRESS
SECRETARY I THINK MAY BE A
LITTLE BIAS.
[LAUGHTER]
LAUREN: ED.
>> I ACTUALLY THINK THE ONE TO
WATCH IS BIDEN, I THINK HE
COMBINED WITH A WESTERN,
YOUNGER, MAYBE EVEN GOVERNOR ON
THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET WOULD BE A
TOUGH TICKET TO GO AGAINST IN
2020.
LAUREN: YOU WILL SAY WHO THE
YOUNGER PERSON, NUMBER 2 PERSON
ON TICKET IS?
>> YOUNGER IS RELATIVE BUT I
WOULD LIKE AT PEOPLE LIKE