EUGENE ROBINSON IS BACK.
LUCKY FOR ALL ALL THREE MSNBC
CONTRIBUTORS.
JONATHAN, I WANT TO SHOW YOU
MORE OF PRESIDENT BIDEN HAVING
SOME FUN WITH HIS OLD FRIEND,
MITCH McCONNELL.
>> MITCH McCONNELL LOVES OUR
PROGRAM.
DID YOU SEE WHAT HE SAID?
HE TOLD ME HE WASN’T GOING TO
GET A SINGLE VOTE TO ALLOW ME TO
GET, WITH THE HELP OF EVERYBODY
HERE, $1.9 TRILLION -- EXCUSE
ME, THE PROGRAM FOR ECONOMIC
GROWTH -- LOOK IT UP, MAN.
HE’S BRAGGING ABOUT IT IN
KENTUCKY OF IT’S A GREAT THING
FOR KENTUCKY.
GETTING $4 BILLION.
>> SO THE PRESIDENT IS RIGHT,
MITCH McCONNELL DID SAY THIS.
QUOTE, I DIDN’T VOTE FOR THE
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN BUT YOU’RE
GOING TO GET A LOT MORE MONEY.
CITIES AND COUNTIES WILL GET
CLOSE TO $700 MILLION OR $800
MILLION.
$4 BILLION IN OUR STATE.
SO THIS IS THE CONUNDRUM, I
GUESS, IS THE WORD FOR IT.
REPUBLICANS ARE AGAINST POLICIES
THAT MITCH McCONNELL KNOWS HIS
OWN CONSTITUENTS SUPPORT.
>> THAT’S RIGHT, NICOLLE.
THE PRESIDENT’S TRIP TO ILLINOIS
AND OTHER VISITS TO REPUBLICAN
STRONGHOLDS HIGHLIGHT WHAT HAS
BEEN THE WHITE HOUSE’S MESSAGE
FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF THE
ADMINISTRATION.
THOUGH REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS
AREN’T SUPPORTING BIDEN’S
AGENDA, REPUBLICAN VOTERS ARE
AND HE’S TRYING TO TAKE THAT
MESSAGE RIGHT TO THEM, TO THEIR
BACKYARD.
McCONNELL IS CORRECT.
HE SAID THAT OBVIOUSLY THERE’S A
LOT OF MONEY POURING INTO
KENTUCKY AND OTHER STATES AND
MAYBE IT’S TOO MUCH MONEY.
THAT WE DON’T NEED THIS FEDERAL
SPENDING WITH CONCERNS ABOUT
INFLATION, SIGNS THE ECONOMY IS
PICKING UP AND EMPLOYERS ARE
STRUGGLING TO FIND WORKERS TO
TAKE THE JOBS.
THE BIDEN TEAM LOVES THIS
MESSAGING.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE
BROADLY POPULAR AND IT’S SHOWING
THAT THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT CAN STILL WORK AND
BIDEN IS NOT AFRAID TO CALL OUT
THOSE REPUBLICANS WHO, IN HIS
MIND, ARE HYPOCRITICAL, WHO ARE
EXTOLLING THEIR VIRTUES.
I WAS WITH HIM ON A STOP, I
BELIEVE, IN PENNSYLVANIA, WHERE
HE PULLED OUT A NOTE CARD THAT
HAD A LIST OF LAWMAKERS ON THEM
WHO HAVE PRAISED PROJECTS FUNDED
BY THE COVID RELIEF BILL BUT YET
NONE VOTED FOR THEM HIMSELF.
THIS COMES AS HE IS TRYING TO
GET THIS BIPARTISAN
INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL DONE TOUTING
THAT HE WAS ABLE TO WORK ACROSS
THE AISLE, THAT THERE ARE
REPUBLICANS WHO CAN COME ONBOARD
AND MAKE SURE THE THING GETS
DONE AS THEY ALSO PROCEED AT THE
SAME TIME FOR THE MUCH LARGER
RECONCILIATION BILL.
>> TIM MILLER, IT SEEMS LIKE A
MOMENT -- OBSTRUCTION FROM
REPUBLICANS IS NOTHING NEW.
WAS THEIR REASON FOR EXISTING
DURING THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY.
I GUESS, ONE, THEIR VOTERS DON’T
FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT
PRESIDENT BIDEN AS THEY DO ABOUT
OTHER DEMOCRATS.
NOT JUST PRESIDENT OBAMA BUT
OTHER DEMOCRATS WHO I THINK
DON’T HAVE AS MUCH APPEAL TO
THOSE COVETED SWING VOTERS.
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS THEM.
THEY HAD THEM ON ELECTION DAY
AND EVEN MORE BEHIND HIS
DOMESTIC AGENDA.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS
LEGISLATIVE AMY
LEGISLATIVE.
>> HE HAS BEEN MAINTAINING A
STEADY 52% APPROVAL RATING BY
DOING THINGS, BY TALKING ABOUT
AND ACTING ON POPULAR AGENDA
ITEMS, ITEMS LIKE YOU AND
JONATHAN HAVE SAID ARE POPULAR
WITH SOME REPUBLICAN VOTERS,
WITH YOUR SUBURBAN FORMER NEVER
TRUMPER SWING VOTERS, SOME WITH
THE OLDER WORKING CLASS
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS WHO MOVED INTO
THE TRUMP COLUMN.
I THINK BY STAYING FOCUSED ON
THIS AGENDA, THE LAST TIME I WAS
ON YOUR SHOW BEFORE I CAME ON
TALKING ABOUT FUNDING THE
POLICE, NOT DEFUNDING THE
POLICE.
I THINK THAT PUTS HIM IN A
REALLY GOOD PLACE AND PUTS
PEOPLE LIKE CHIP ROY BACKED INTO
THIS CORNER.
LOOK AT WHO CHIP ROY HAS TO TALK
TO.
HE SENDS OUT A TWEET THAT SAYS
COME INJECT IT.
LIKE THREATENING THE PRESIDENT,
GOING TO PEOPLE’S DOORS AND
SAYING, DO YOU WANT THE VACCINE?
HE’S NOT FORCING ANYBODY.
HE’S OFFERING AND PROVIDING
ACCESS TO THE VACCINE.
CHIP ROY WAS THE ONE GIVING A
PRESS CONFERENCE SAYING WE HAD
TO GET RID OF LIZ CHENEY FOR
SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE
INSURRECTION.
WE NEED TO STOP EVERY AGENDA
ITEM BECAUSE OF CHAOS.
WHERE ROY IS PUTTING HIMSELF IS
ON AN AGENDA THAT’S PRO-COUP,PRO- CHAOS, PRO-COVID.
PRO-COUP,PRO- CHAOS, PRO-COVID.
HE’S SPEAKING TO THIS 20% TINY
BUBBLE.
THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES I THINK
REPUBLICANS COULD MAKE GAINS
INTO THE DEMOCRATIC BASE.
THAT’S NOT WHAT THEY’RE DOING AT
LEAST RIGHT NOW.
>> LET ME FOLLOW UP WITH YOU
BECAUSE THIS IS SO INTRIGUING TO
ME.
AND I’M NOT SORT OF FOOLISH
ENOUGH TO THINK THAT THE
TRUMPIST MESSAGE -- TUCKER
CARLSON IS TALK TO GO AING TO A
BIG AUDIENCE.
I KNOW THERE’S AN APPETITE FOR
WHAT THAT PART OF THE PARTY IS
SELLING.
I THINK YOU’RE HITTING ON
SOMETHING MORE SALIENT AND SEEMS
TO TETHER THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION AND THIS WHITE
HOUSE TO EVERY PUBLIC STATEMENT,
EVERY TRAVEL DECISION, THEIR
CHOICES ARE SO CAREFUL ABOUT
WHAT THEY PUT -- AND HIS
APPROVAL RATING IS AT 52% TO 62%
IN THE LAST FIVE TO SIX WEEKS.
THE AGENDA ITEMS, THE MONEY FOR
CHILD CARE, SOME OF THE PIECES
FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, SO
IT IS EVEN MORE POPULAR THAN A
POPULAR PRESIDENT.
WHAT YOU’RE DESCRIBING ARE THE
REPUBLICANS BEING BOXED OUT.
OF COURSE THEY WILL FIND AN
AUDIENCE AND WILL BE ABLE TO GET
BOOKED ON FOX NEWS WHEN THEY
PRAY THE EX-PRESIDENT’S LUNATIC
FIRST AMENDMENT SUIT AGAINST A
COMPANY.
BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT PEOPLE ARE
FREDDING ABOUT AND I WONDER IF
YOU THINK THERE WILL BE A COME
TO JESUS OR A CULTURE ON THE
RIGHT THAT WILL SAY YOU ARE IN A
NOSE DAVE?
>> WE’LL SEE YOU COME NEXT
SUMMER WHETHER THIS CHANGES,
WHETHER IT’S TOO LATE.
WE’RE FAR AWAY FROM THE MIDTERMS
AND I THINK THERE ARE AREAS THEY
HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY THOUGHT DEFUND THE POLICE
WAS AN TUNED TO GAIN INTO BIDEN.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT BIDEN’S
CONSISTENCY AND MESSAGING, A BIG
PART IS WHAT HE’S NOT TALKING
ABOUT. WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT BIDEN’S
WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT BIDEN’S
OPINION IS ON A LOT OF THESE
CULTURE WAR DU JOUR MOVIES.
BIDEN HAS STAYED AWAY FROM ALL
OF THAT AND THOSE ARE AREAS
WHERE MAYBE SOME IN THE
DEMOCRATIC BASE ARE OUT OF STEP
WITH WHAT THE MIDDLE WANTS.
I THINK AS LONG AS BIDEN
CONTINUES ON THIS ECONOMIC
POPULIST AGENDA, THESE POPULAR
POLICY ISSUES AND THE
REPUBLICANS ARE FORCED INTO THIS
CORNER WHERE THEY’RE TALKING
ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE REALLY
POPULAR AMONG THEIR FOX NEWS
AUDIENCE, PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP TO
THEIR EVENTS BUT AREN’T ADDING