THE PANEL IS BACK. WE HAVE A COUPLE SORT OF TALKY
TOPICS HERE.
TOPICS HERE. ONE IS SENATOR -- THE SENATE
CANDIDATE CINDY HIDE SMITH,
SENATOR CINDY HYDE-SMITH, I
SHOULD SAY, WHO’S IN A RUNOFF IN
TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI, SHED IN A
CAMPAIGN STOP IF HE INVITED ME
TO A PUBLIC HANGING, I WOULD BE
IN THE FRONT ROW.
SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT ONE OF HER
SUPPORTERS.
SUPPORTERS. AND THAT, OF COURSE, HAS
OFFENDED A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND A REPORTER PRESSED HER ON
THIS JUST IN THE LAST DAY OR SO.
TAKE A LOOK AT HOW SHE ANSWERED
OR DIDN’T ANSWER THOSE
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> I WOULD LIKE TO ASK HER ABOUT
THE PUBLIC HANGING COMMENT.
>> WE PUT OUT A STATEMENT
YESTERDAY AND WE STAND BY THAT
STATEMENT.
STATEMENT. >> CAN YOU EXPAND ON WHY YOU
SAID IT, WHAT YOU MEANT BY IT
AND WHY PEOPLE IN THE STATE
SHOULD NOT SEE IT AS OFFENSIVE.
>> WE PUT OUT THE STATEMENT
YESTERDAY AND IT’S AVAILABLE AND
WE STAND BY THAT STATEMENT.
>> ARE YOU AWARE OF
MISSISSIPPI’S HISTORY OF
LYNCHINGS?
LYNCHINGS? >> I PUT OUT A STATEMENT
YESTERDAY AND THAT’S ALL I AM
GOING TO SAY ABOUT IT.
I PUT OUT A STATEMENT YESTERDAY,
AND WE STAND BY THE STATEMENT
AND THAT’S ALL I’M GOING TO SAY
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. I PUT OUT A STATEMENT YESTERDAY.
WE STAND BY THE STATEMENT.
WE DID ADDRESS IT YESTERDAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> JUST TO BE CLEAR, HER VERY
SHORT STATEMENT SAID THAT SHE
REHR FERED TO AN INVITATION
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT USED AN
EXAGGERATED EXPRESSION OF REGARD
AND, QUOTE, ANY ATTEMPT TO TURN
THIS INTO A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION
IS RIDICULOUS.
IS RIDICULOUS. SO DAN BALZ, A VERY DIFFICULT
SITUATION THAT SHE’S GOTTEN
HERSELF INTO HERE.
AND CLEARLY, HOW DO YOU -- HOW
DO YOU EVEN ANSWER A QUESTION
ABOUT THIS WHEN YOU’VE SAID
SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
>> I THINK THE SIMPLE THING IS
TO SAY I MADE A MISTAKE.
I SHOULDN’T HAVE USED THOSE
WORDS.
WORDS. APOLOGIZE FOR IT.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE OFFENDED BY IT
AND MOVE ON AND NOT TRY TO PUT
OUT AN AN ENDINE STATEMENT, THE
ORIGINAL STATEMENT WAS, AND DO
WHAT SHE DID YESTERDAY IN KIND
OF A ROBOTIC WAY REFUSE TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTION OR MAKE ANY
EXPLANATION OF IT.
SO SHE, YOU KNOW, SHE MADE A BAD
MISHANDLED IT IN THE ORIGINAL
STATEMENT THAT SHE ISSUED, SHE
FURTHER MISHANDLED IT IN THIS
EFFORT.
EFFORT. >> AND SO THIS IS A SITUATION
WHERE SHE’S ALMOST USING A
TRUMPIAN PLAYBOOK OF, NEVER
APOLOGIZE OR BACK DOWN OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
HER OPPONENT IN THIS RAUNOFFUNOF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN, FORMER
CABINET SECRETARY OUT OF BILL
CLINTON.
CLINTON. >> IF IT WAS FOUR, EIGHT YEARS
EARLIER, THE THING TO DO WOULD
BE TO APOLOGIZE, SAY YOU MIS
MISSPOKE, I DIDN’T MEAN TO
OFFEND ANYONE.
OFFEND ANYONE. IN THE TRUMP ERA, THERE IS BOTH
A PERMISSION STRUCTURE TO SAY
THINGS THAT ARE PERCEIVED AS
INFLAMMATORY AND OFFEND, AND
THERE’S AN EXPECTATION YOU DON’T
APOLOGIZE IF YOU’RE ON THAT SIDE
BECAUSE HE HAS MORPHED THAT INTO
A SIGN OF WEAKNESS RATHER THAN A
SIGN OF WHAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE
PERCEIVED AS SIMPLE DECENCY.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING
AGAINST AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. >> I THINK OF THE FALLOUT.
FOR MINORITIES IN THIS COUNTRY
WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE
GOVERNMENT REPRESENTING THEM.
THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO
WANT TO KNEEL AT A NATIONAL
ANTHEM BECAUSE THEY DON’T FEEL
REPRESENTED.
REPRESENTED. AND JUST LAST WEEK ONE OF
SESSIONS’ FINAL THINGS LEAVING
THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL
WAS TO WEAKEN THE POWER OF THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S CONSENT
DECREES, WHICH IS THEIR MAIN
TOOL TO BRING OVER POLICE -- TO
BRING OVER POLICE DEPARTMENTS
WHO MAY BE PRACTICING PATTERNED
OF RACISM AND USING EXCESS
BRUTALITY.
BRUTALITY. SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER ONE OF
THOSE POINTS.
THOSE POINTS. YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THERE’S
NOT A NEED TO APOLOGIZE.
SHE COULD HAVE EASILY MISSPOKEN,
BUT MAYBE THE FACT THAT SHE
DIDN’T SAY MORE, THAT ACTUALLY