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>>> REPUBLICAN SENATOR RON
JOHNSON OF WISCONSIN MIGHT BE
BEST KNOWN THESE DAYS AS A
CEASELESS FONT OF CRAZY QUOTES.
THE LATEST BEING THIS THING HE
SAID YESTERDAY ABOUT COVID
VACCINES.
>> I THINK WE PROBABLY SHOULD
HAVE LIMITED THE DISTRIBUTION TO
THE VULNERABLE, TO PEOPLE THAT
REALLY ARENT, YOU KNOW, TO THE
VERY YOUNG, I SEE NO REASON TO
BE PUSHING VACCINES ON PEOPLE,
AND THE SCIENCE TELLS US THAT
VACCINES ARE 95% EFFECTIVE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A VACCINE, QUITE
HONESTLY, WHAT DO YOU CARE IF
YOUR NEIGHBOR HAS ONE OR NOT?
WHY IS THIS BIG PUSH TO MAKE
SURE EVERYBODY GETS A VACCINE,
AND IT IS TO THE POINT WHERE YOU
BETTER IMPOSE IT, YOURE GOING
TO SHAME PEOPLE OR YOURE GOING
TO FORCE THEM TO CARRY A CARD TO
PROVE THAT THEYVE BEEN
VACCINATED SO THEY CAN
PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY.
IM GETTING HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS OF
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.
>> WHY THIS BIG PUSH TO
VACCINATE EVERYONE?
WHY WOULD WE WANT TO DO THAT?
WELL, BECAUSE IF THE VACCINE IS
95% EFFECTIVE, THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL GOING TO
GET SICK IS GOING TO BE
DEPENDENT ON HOW MUCH COMMUNITY
TRANSMISSION THERE IS GENERALLY.
THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE,
SENATOR.
SO WHY DO YOU CARE IF SOMEONE IS
VACCINATED OR NOT?
WELL, LETS JUST LOOK AT
KENTUCKY.
THIS WEEK WHERE AN UNVACCINATED
WORKER SET OFF AN OUTBREAK AT A
U.S. NURSING HOME WHERE MOST
RESIDENTS WERE IMMUNIZED.
DOZENS OF INFECTIONS INCLUDING
22 RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES WERE
ALL VACCINATED.
THREE RESIDENTS DIED, ONE
VACCINATED AND TWO UNVACCINATED.
YEAH, EVERYONE GETTING
VACCINATED SUPPRESSES THE
DISEASE.
JOHNSON HAS TRIED TO CLEAN UP
WHAT HE SAID, BASICALLY CALLING
HIS REMARKS A LEGITIMATE
QUESTION.
WHICH, FINE, WHATEVER.
BUT HIS IRRESPONSIBLE VACCINE
TALK COMES ON THE HEELS OF HIM
PARROTING THE POPULAR WHITE
SUPREMACY THEORY THAT DEMOCRATS
ARE IMPORTING IMMIGRANTS TO
REPLACE CERTAIN AMERICAN VOTERS.
>> THIS ADMINISTRATION WANTS
COMPLETE OPEN BORDERS, AND YOU
HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF WHY.
IS IT REALLY THEY WANT TO REMAKE
THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF AMERICA TO
ENSURE THEIR -- THAT THEY STAY
IN POWER FOREVER?
IS THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?
>> JUST ASKING QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW PEOPLE THAT JUST LIKE
TO ASK QUESTIONS.
THEN THERE WAS THE TIME LAST
MONTH RON JOHNSON SAID HE WAS
NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE CAPITOL
RIOTERS, OF COURSE, THAT INJURED
DOZENS OF POLICE OFFICERS
BECAUSE THEY WERE, QUOTE, PEOPLE
THAT LOVE THIS COUNTRY UNLIKE
BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTERS.
>> I KNEW THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT
LOVED THIS COUNTRY, THAT TRULY
RESPECT LAW ENFORCEMENT, WOULD
NEVER DO ANYTHING TO BREAK A
LAW, AND SO I WASNT CONCERNED.
NOW, HAD THE TABLES BEEN TURNED,
JO, THIS WILL GET ME IN TROUBLE.
HAD THE TABLES BEEN TURNED AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP WON THE ELECTION
AND THOSE WERE TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF BLACK LIVES MATTER AND ANTIFA
PROTESTERS, I MIGHT HAVE BEEN A
LITTLE CONCERNED.
>> TRULY LOVE LAW ENFORCEMENT,
THE CROWD THAT THREATENED TO
MURDER A COP WITH HIS OWN GUN.
PERHAPS WHAT IS REALLY CRAZY
ABOUT SENATOR JOHNSON IS THAT HE
IS SAYING ALL OF THIS, THIS
WHOLE PERFORMANCE OF HIS, IS NOT
COMING FROM SOME GUY FROM A
SUPER CONSERVATIVE HARD RIGHT
STATE WHERE HE HAS TO WORRY WITH
A PRIMARY CHALLENGE OR HE NEVER
HAS TO WORRY ABOUT A GENERAL
ELECTION CHALLENGE.
NO, HE IS SAYING IT, A SENATOR
FROM WISCONSIN, A RAZOR THIN
STATE AS WE SAW FROM THE LAST
ELECTION.
AS OF 2021 HE IS THE ONLY
REPUBLICAN SENATOR LEFT IN THE
STATE.
SENATOR RON JOHNSON HAS NOD
DECIDED IF HE WILL RUN FOR
REELECTION, BUT IF HE DOES HE
WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE
VOTERS IN A CLOSELY DIVIDED
WISCONSIN WHERE HE THINKS
OUT-TRUMPING TRUMP IS KEY TO HIS
POLITICAL FUTURE.
SOMEONE WITH A KEEN EYE ON HIM
IS BEN WICKLER, CHAIRMAN OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN.
HE JOINS ME NOW.
>>> I HAVE TO SAY WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT SENATORIAL PAIRINGS IN THE
COUNTRY, YOU ARE HARD PRESSED TO
COME UP WITH ONE MORE STARK THAN
TAMMY BALDWIN AND RON JOHNSON IN
YOUR STATE WHICH IS A VERY
CLOSELY DIVIDED STATE.
HOW DOES JOHNSON -- HOW DOES
THIS SCHTICK WORK FOR HIM?
>> SO, I MEAN, LETS START
WITH -- AND IT IS GOOD TO SEE
YOU, CHRIS.
LETS START WITH ACKNOWLEDGING
RONALD H. JOHNSON IS BAD FOR
WISCONSIN.
HES A DISASTROUS SENATOR.
HE IS ILL-SERVING OUR REPUBLIC,
ILL-SERVING THE COUNTRY.
HE SHOULDNT BE IN PUBLIC
OFFICE.
AT THE SAME TIME NO ONE SHOULD
UNDERESTIMATE THE STRATEGY HE IS
USING HERE.
WISCONSIN IS MAYBE THE MOST
CLOSELY DIVIDED STATE IN THE
NATION.
WEVE HAD FOUR PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS OUT OF THE LAST SIX
COME DOWN TO LESS THAN 1%AGE
POINT, BUT THERE WAS A PERIOD
WHERE WE ZIGZAGGED BETWEEN OBAMA
LANDSLIDES AND SCOTT WALKER
LANDSLIDES.
RON JOHNSON CAME IN IN 2010 WHEN
THE SCOTT WALKER WAVE AND THE
TEA PARTY WAVE AND HE WAS
REELECTED IN 2016, ONE OF OUR,
YOU KNOW, 1% ELECTION YEARS.
BUT HE RODE KIND OF THE TRUMP
WAVE INTO OFFICE.
HE ENERGIZED A GROUP OF VOTERS
THAT LOVED WHAT TRUMP WAS SAY
IN, THEY LOVED WHAT RON JOHNSON
WAS SAYING, AND HE GOT IN.
RON JOHNSONS STRATEGY IS PRETTY
CLEARLY TO BUILD AND TRY TO
FOMENT A BIDEN BACKLASH AND TO
AUDITION FOR THE KIND OF NEW
POSTER CHILD FOR THE MERCERS AND
THE RIGHT-WING BILLIONAIRES WHO
FUND REPUBLICAN ELECTIONS.
THATS HIS MEAL TICKET.
THAT MEANS HE HAS NO
ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE TRUTH, NO
ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC.
IT IS NOT A POLITICAL PROBLEM
FOR HIM IN HIS VIEW IF PEOPLE
DIE BECAUSE OF WHAT HE SAYS.
IF HE FOMENTS AND FEEDS INTO
HATE, AND THAT MAKES IT ALL THE
MORE URGENT WE DEFEAT HIM.
BUT I DONT THINK ANYONE SHOULD
UNDERESTIMATE.
THIS WILL BE A BIG FIGHT.
THE PUBLIC DOES NOT LIKE WHAT HE
IS SAYING BUT HE IS NOT TRYING
TO APPEAL TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
IT IS A TEST OF DEMOCRACY
WHETHER WE CAN THROW HIM OUT OF
OFFICE.
>> RIGHT, AND IT ALSO POINTS TO
THE FACT THAT, LIKE, THE SENATE
CLASSES MATTER SO MUCH, RIGHT?
IF YOU ARE IN THAT 2010 CLASS,
YOU KNOW, YOU -- A LOT OF STATES
SWUNG HARD TO THE RIGHT, AND
THEN IN THE UPPER MIDWEST IN
2016, RIGHT, THAT TRUMP VOTE
CAME OUT AND THAT HELPED THOSE
FOLKS.
SO HES BANKING ON A SORT OF,
YOU KNOW, A 2022 KIND OF TEA
PARTY REDOX.
THATS THE DEMOCRATIC -- THATS
THE REPUBLICAN STRATEGY HERE,
RIGHT?
IT WILL BE A MOBILIZATION
ELECTION.
IT WILL BE A BASE ELECTION LIKE
2010 WAS.
IT IS GOING TO BE TURNOUT IN
OPPOSITION TO THE PARTY IN
POWER.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO COUNTER THAT
IF THAT SORT OF STRUCTURALLY IS
BAKED IN?
>> SO THIS IS WHAT REPUBLICANS
WANT.
THEY WANT AN ATMOSPHERE WHERE
PEOPLE ARE ANGRY AND THEYRE
TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET BACK BY
ELECTING PEOPLE LIKE RON
JOHNSON.
ON OUR SIDE, DEMOCRATS ARE
ACTUALLY DELIVERING FOR PEOPLE.
SO LETS TAKE GOVERNOR TONY
EVERTZ.
HE IS UP FOR ACTUAL REAL
LEADER WHO IS TRYING TO MAKE
PEOPLES LIVES BETTER.
WEEK AFTER WEEK YOU LOOK AT THE
STATES THAT ARE ACTUALLY GETTING
THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF COVID
VACCINES INTO PEOPLES ARMS.
WISCONSIN IS IN THE TOP THREE.
SO WHAT WERE GOING TO BE DOING
AS A PARTY, WHAT OUR GRASSROOTS
ACT CYSTS ARE
ACTIVISTS WILL BE DOING ACROSS
THE STATE WILL BE TALKING TO
PEOPLE.
ONCE WE REACH A LEVEL OF SAFETY
WE WILL BE AT PEOPLES DOORS,
TALKING ON THE PHONE TALKING
ABOUT ARE YOU GETTING VACCINE
SHOTS, STIMULUS IN THE BANK
ACCOUNT?
VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS.
WE ARE ACTUALLY MAKING A
DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE.
THERES PRECEDENCE FOR THOSE
THINGS AND A STRONG ECONOMY AND
A SENSE THAT THINGS ARE GETTING
BETTER.
THE BIGGEST PREDICTOR OF DOWN
TICKET SUCCESS IS THE POPULARITY
OF THE SITTING PRESIDENT.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A VERY POPULAR
PRESIDENT.
WE HAVE A VERY POPULAR GOVERNOR,
AND OUR ANSWER IS NOT TO MEET
HIS CYNICISM WITH MORE CYNICISM.
IT IS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW
THAT HE THREW HIMSELF AT DOING
EVERYTHING HE COULD TO DELAY THE
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, THAT HES
FEEDING CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT