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>>> AS REPUBLICANS AROUND THE
COUNTRY CONSIDER LEGISLATION TO
RESTRICT VOTING, SOME CORPORATE
LEADERS ARE MAPPING OUT A PLAN
TO PUSH BACK.
SATURDAY OVER 100 BUSINESS
LEADERS HELD A MEETING TO TALK
ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS.
"NEW YORK TIMES" PUTS IT THIS
WAY SEVERAL SENIOR BUSINESS
LEADER SPOKE FORCEFULLY ABOUT
THE NEED FOR COMPANIES TO USE
CLOUT TO A OPPOSE STATE
LEGISLATION THAT WOULD MAKE IT
HARDER TO VOTE.
EARLIER TODAY OUR FRIENDS SPOKE
TO YALE PROFESSOR.
WHO ORGANIZED THE CALL.
>> THERE ACROSS THE POLITICAL
SPECTRUM.
THE GROUP IS 70% REPUBLICAN.
AND DIDN’T ALL AGREE ON WHAT
SOLUTIONS THEY SHOULD FOLLOW.
THEY WERE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT
THE VOTER RESTRICTIONS.
WHICH MOST IF NOT ALL SAW AS
VOTER REPRESSION.
AND ALSO EXACTLY RIGHT NO ONE
POLITICIAN IS CREATING WENLDGE
ISSUES.
THEY DON’T WANT HOSTILE
SHAREHOLDERS THAT IS BEING TORN
APART.
IT’S BAD FOR BUSINESS.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT THE
PROFESSOR JUST SAID.
WITH FORMER DEMOCRATIC SENATOR
FROM MISSOURI.
AND MICHAEL STEEL.
FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF THE
MARYLAND.
HOST OF THE POD CAST.
FRIENDS, GOOD EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR COMING ON.
SENATOR, HOW POWERFUL ARE BRAND
NAMES THE KIND OF COMPANIES AND
BRANDS THAT ARE PART OUR LIVES
WHEN SAY, VOTE RIGHTS ARE AT
STAKE?
>> I THINK IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN
HOW INFLUENTIAL THEY’LL BE.
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT,
THERE IS SOME SHAKING OF THE
FOUNDATION.
IN TERMS OF PARTY AFFILIATION.
OF BUSINESSES.
THERE HAS BEEN A NORMAL IN THIS
COUNTRY THAT SAID IF IT IS A BIG
CORPORATION, THEN IT IS MITCH
McCONNELL’S FRIEND.
WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDING
CAMPAIGNS.
AND THIS ACTIVISM THAT MITCH
McCONNELL IS COMPLAINING ABOUT.
IT WAS BORN AND BRED IN HIS
OFFICE.
HE CELEBRATED WITH BALLOONS AND
CONFETTI WHEN THE SUPREME COURT
SAID CORPORATIONS ARE PEOPLE AND
CAN GET UNLIMITED POLITICAL
DONATIONS.
NOW, THE FIRST AMENDMENT THE IS
FREEING THESE CORPORATIONS UP TO
SAY WHAT THEY THINK.
ABOUT PROTECTING DEMOCRACY.
AND MITCH DOESN’T LIKE IT SO
MUCH.
BUT I KNOW THIS.
I THINK WE HAVE GOTTEN PAST THE
TIME THAT REPUBLICANS LEADERS
AND BUSINESS IN AMERICA ARE NOW
JUST LOOKING TO VOTE FOR
REPUBLICANS.
>> MICHAEL, IF THERE’S A TYPICAL
REPUBLICAN LEFT, THE KIND WE
USED TO DEFINE WHEN THE THREE OF
US WERE YOUNG.
DOES CORPORATE PUSH BACK MAKE
THE AVERAGE REPUBLICAN SWEAT?
>> I DON’T THINK IT MAKES THE
AVERAGE REPUBLICAN SWEAT.
THAT’S ALWAYS BEEN THE PER VIEW
OF THE LEADERSHIP AND THE
SENATOR COMMITTEE AND
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.
THE AVERAGE REPUBLICAN THEY AT
THE END OF THE DAY THEY PAY
ATTENTION TO THE THINGS THEY ARE
INTERESTED IN.
HOW THEY USE THEIR DOLLARS TO
PROMOTE ADVOCACY.
AND CANDIDATE SUPPORT.
IT’S A NEW BRANCH, BRANDING OF
CORPORATIONS TO GET OUT HERE IN
THE SPACE.
HERE’S THE PROBLEM FOR
McCONNELL.
WHAT’S HE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
YOU KNOW?
THEY’RE USING THEIR FIRST
AMENDMENT RIGHT THAT’S BEEN
EXPRESSLY GIVEN TO THEM BY THE
SUPREME COURT.
WHAT ARE YOU FWOING TO SAY TO
THEM NOW.
GUESS WHAT, THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE
VOTERS.
AND HELL OF A LOT MORE OF VOTERS
WORKING FOR THEM -- THAN OUR
NECESSARILY VOTING FOR McCONNELL
AND HIS STATE.
OR THAT PARTICULAR CONGRESSMAN
IN THEIR DISTRICT.
SO THEIR INTEREST IS A LOT
BROADER.
THE POWER OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS
IF YOU WILL, VOTERS AND
CONSUMERS.
GOES A LOT FURTHER.
IT’S NOT THAT WE’RE JUST GOING
TO BOYCOTT THE STARBUCKS IN MY
HOMETOWN, WE’RE GOING TO BOYCOTT
THE STARBUCKS IN EVERY HOMETOWN
IN AMERICA.
THAT’S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION
FOR A CORPORATION.
THAN McCONNELL WORRIED ABOUT
VOTERS IN KENTUCKY AND WORRIED
ABOUT HER CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT.
IT’S A NEW DAY.
STILL HAVE TO WAIT IS AND SEE