>>> ITS AN INCREDIBLE STORY
THAT ILLUSTRATES TWO THINGS VERY
CLEARLY.
FIST NO MATTER HOW DIRE THINGS
LOOK IN THIS COUNTRY ESPECIALLY
COMING THE ELECTIONS THERES
STILL AMERICANS WHO PUT
INTEGRITY AND VALUES ABOVE
EVERYTHING ELSE.
SECOND, THERE CAN BE A COST FOR
DOING SO.
STARTED BACK IN FEBRUARY IN GEORGIA WHEN THE VICE CHAIR OF
GEORGIA WHEN THE VICE CHAIR OF
THE ELECTION BOARD BEOKYVU
SIGNED ON TO A LETTER AND THE
PARTY CENSURED HIM AND DID NOT
RENOMINATE HIM FOR THE POST
AFTER 12 YEARS OF SERVING ON THE
ELECTIONS BOARD.
AT THE FINAL MEETING ACCORDING
TO THE "ATLANTA JOURNAL
CONSTITUTION" HE THANKED
STAFFERS AND THE COLLEAGUES ON
THE BOARD AND USED A TWIST ON AN
OLD PROVERB FOR A THINLY VEILED
SHOT AT THE MEMBERS OF THE
PARTY.
TIME FLIES WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE
DEMOCRACY IS UNDER ASSAULT.
JOINING US NOW THE VICE CHAIR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING
TIME WITH US AND SPEAKING OUT.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON
AND IM A BIG FAN OF YOURS AND I
HAVE A PREF LEDGE TO SERVE UNDER
THE SAME PRESIDENT YOU DID AND
THE ROLE WAS MUCH SMALLER THAN
YOURS AND I DONT THINK ANY
POINT IN TIME UNDER PRESIDENT
GEORGE W. BUSH OR VICE PRESIDENT
DICK CHENEY DID WE EVER FEEL
LIKE THE INSTITUTIONS AND RULE
OF LAW WOULD BE UNDER ATTACK.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, ITS A
CONVERSATION THAT I THINK NEEDS
TO BE HAD.
WE HAVE MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WHATS HAPPENED BECAUSE THERES
ONE OF THE TWO PARTIES ACTIVELY
AND PRETTY BRAZENLY WITH ALL THE
POLITICAL COVER THEY NEED MOVING
TO WEAKEN THE DEMOCRACY.
HOW DO WE UNDO THAT?
>> I BELIEVE THAT THE VOICES
THAT ARE SPEAKING OUT WHETHER
THE ELECTED OFFICIALS LIKE
SENATOR ROMNEY AND CONGRESSWOMAN
CHENEY DOWN TO THE GRASSROOTS,
WE ALL COLLECTIVELY HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY HERE.
45 YEARS AGO MY FAMILY FLED
SAIGON AND I WAS TAUGHT NEVER TO
TAKE OUR FREEDOM FOR GRANTED AND
SO THIS CAUSE IS VERY PERMSONAL
FOR ME.
WE HAVE TO DO THE BEST TO CARRY
ON THE MESSAGE THAT THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY UNDER THIS
FORMER PRESIDENT IS NOT -- IS
ACTUALLY HARMING OUR AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE PUT OUR AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY FIRST AND LET THE
POLICY DIFFERENCES FIGURE ITSELF
OUT.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT IS A -- NEVER
DID I THINK IN MY 50-ODD YEARS
OF BEING ON THE EARTH THAT I
WOULD BE SPEAKING OUT ABOUT
DEMOCRACY IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND NEVER IN
THIS COUNTRY LIKE THIS AND SO IT
MEANS GRAVELY TO ME TO CONTINUE
AND MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT
THE ELECTIONS WORKERS, THE POLL
WORKERS, THE FOLKS DOING THE JOB
UNDER THE THREAT OF PHYSICAL
HARM AND THE PAST YEAR OF HEALTH
CARE RISKS.
THEY WENT OUT AND DID THE JOBS
AND THE FOLKS AT GEORGIA LIKE
OBVIOUSLY SECRETARY
RAFFENSBERGER AND THE GOVERNORS
AND THE ELECTION OFFICIALS DID
THE DARNEDEST TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE GET BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK
HERE.
WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THE FACT
THAT THE SO-CALLED ELECTIONS
INTEGRITY LEGISLATION IS ALL
PREMISED ON THE BIG LIE AND IN
POLITICS TO ME PERCEPTION IS
REALITY AND SO I BASICALLY DID
IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS
EXTREMELY BAD OPTICS AND HARMFUL
AND WOULD UNDERMINE OUR
DEMOCRACY.
>> YOURE IN A VERY, VERY SMALL
GROUP BECAUSE YOURE RIGHT.
PEOPLE LIKE CHENEY AND ROMNEY
HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST THE LIE
OF VOTER FRAUD.
THERE WAS NONE.
AS HAVE BRAD RAFFENSBERGER AND
OTHERS.
THE OTHER DAMAGE IS TO PUSH
THROUGH VOTER SUPPRESSION LAWS
AND I HAVENT HEARD LIZ CHENEY
TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE LAWS.
YOU HAVE.
WHY?
>> I GO BACK TO MY UPBRINGING IN
SAIGON IN VIETNAM.
DEMOCRACY AND THE RIGHT TO VOTE
WAS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT WHICH
OBVIOUSLY COMING OVER HERE WE
WERE AFFORDED THAT AS CITIZENS
BUT I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY IN
THIS DAY AND AGE WHEN YOU HAVE
SO MANY BAD ACTORS IN THE GLOBE
TRYING TO SPREAD CHAOS THEN WE
HAVE TO SOMEHOW GIVE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE A RIGHT TO VOTE.
IN MY PERSPECTIVE VOTER ACCESS
AND ELECTIONS INTEGRITY ARE THE
FUNDAMENTAL PILLARS OF THE
DEMOCRACY.
WITHOUT THAT WE ARE NO DIFFERENT
THAN RUSSIA AND CHINA AND
VENEZUELA.
UNFORTUNATELY THE RULE OF LAW IS
ALSO IMPORTANT AND THAT IS MY
BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT THE RULE OF
LAW IS BREAKING DOWN IN THIS
COUNTRY AND WITHOUT THAT, THEN
WE ARE AT RISK OF DEVOLVING INTO
CHAOS AND ANARCHY.
>> HAVE YOU FELT ENDANGERED?
HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN THREATENED?
DO YOU FEEL SAFE NOW?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY A
NUMBER OF TROLLS HERE AND I
ACTUALLY FIVE YEARS AGO I WAS A
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTOR NOMINEE IN
GEORGIA AND I EXPRESSED PUBLICLY
A RESERVATIONS AGAINST THE
REPUBLICAN NOMINEE BACK THEN AND
CERTAINLY THERES ALWAYS GOING
TO BE THAT RISK OF -- THE THREAT
OF PHYSICAL HARM THE WAY THAT
SECRETARY RAFFENSBERGER AND MANY
ELECTIONS OFFICIALS HAVE GONE
THROUGH.
IM HOPING THAT WE CAN HAVE AN
HONEST DISCUSSION, HONEST DEBATE