TO
TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES FACING TENNESSSEE HAYNES FROM 10 NEWS. THIS IS INSIDE
TENNESSSEE GOOD MORNING AND
WELCOME TO INSIGHT. TENNESSSEE
I'M YOUR MODERATOR JOHN NORTH.
JOHN BECKER IS AWAY AS DEEP
POLITICAL DIVISION IN OUR
COUNTRY. THIS MORNING'S GUEST
WANTS TO JUMP RIGHT IN. JAMES
MACKLER IS A DEMOCRAT. YES THEY
REALLY EXIST TENNESSSEE. WHO
WANTS TO BECOME OUR NEXT U.S.
SENATOR. WE LOOK FORWARD TO
HEARING HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ESPECIALLY
AFTER THE WEEK WE'VE JUST HAD.
JAMES MACKLER WE WELCOME YOU TO
THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU. BUT
BEFORE WE START THAT DISCUSSION
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR
PANELISTS. WE HAVE ON THE FAR
RIGHT THERE DON BOSCH A
DEMOCRAT AND AN ATTORNEY HERE
IN KNOXVILLE. THERE IS MORE
THAN MORELAND WELL SO WE GET TO
EDUCATE AND SUSAN RICHARDSON
WILLIAMS SHE IS A REPUBLICAN
AND ALSO A PUBLIC RELATIONS
CONSULTANT WELCOME. GOOD
MORNING. SO MR. MACKLER AGAIN
WELCOME AND TO RECAP YOU WERE
ACTUALLY E A CANDIDATE FOR
SENATE FOR BOB CORKER SEAT
BEGINNING IN 2017. MADE THE
DECISION AFTER GOVERNOR PHIL
BREDESEN DECIDED TO STEP IN TO
KIND OF BACK AWAY AND NOW YOU
ARE SEEKING THE SEAT THAT LAMAR
ALEXANDER IS GOING TO BE
RETIRING FROM. TELL US A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON
RUNNING. WELL THANK YOU AND I'M
VERY PROUD TO HAVE GOVERNOR
ANDERSON'S ENDORSEMENT. I
STEPPED FORWARD AND JOINED THE
ARMY AFTER OUR COUNTRY WAS
ATTACKED ON 9/11. I FELT LIKE I
HAD TO SERVE I LEARNW TO FLY
HELICOPTERS AND I DID THAT IN
IRAQ. LATER ON I WAS A JAG
PROSECUTOR PROSECUTING MILITARY
SEXUAL ASSAULTS. I HAD STEPPED
FORWARD TO SERVE AFTER 9/11
BECAUSE I FELT LIKE OUR COUNTRY
WAS IN A TIME OF CRISIS AND
THAT'S THE SAME REASON I'M
RUNNING FOR THE U.S. SENATE.
YOU APPEAR AT LEAST AT THIS
POINT WE DON'T KNOW OF ANY
OTHER ANOUNCED DEMOCRATS
RUNNING CORRECT SCRIPTS OPEN
FIELD FOR YOU HOW YOU SPEND
YOUR DAYS. I'M SPENDING MY TIME
TRAVELING ALL OVER THE STATE
TALKING WITH FOLKS ABOUT WHAT
THEY WANT BUT AREN'T GETTING
FROM THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS
AND WHAT IS A FOR INSTANCE
THERE. WELL A GOOD EXAMPLE LOOK
I MEAN TENNESSSEE LEADS THE
NATION IN TERMS OF RURAL
HOSPITAL CLOSURES PER PERSON.
PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
HEALTH CARE. THEY'RE CONCERNED
ABOUT BEING ABLE TO EARN A
LIVING WAGE HAVING GOOD JOBS
AND THAT'S DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS WE'RE ALL CONCERNED
ABOUT THE SAME MAJOR ISSUES.
THAT'S AN ISSUE ARGUABLY FOR
EVERYBODY AS YOU JUST SAID WE
AND WE HAVE HAD THAT PROBLEM
HERE IN THE STATE MOST RECENTLY
WHERE WE'VE SEEN SEVERAL RURAL
HOSPITALS STRUGGLING
SIGNIFICANTLY AND SOME HAVE
ACTUALLY CLOSED. THAT'S RIGHT.
SO JAMES FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR RUNNING ONE OF
THE COMPLAINTS I'VE HEARD ABOUT
OUR STATE PARTY FOR THE BERRYS
WE'VE NOT DONE A GREAT JOB OF
RECRUITING QUALITY CANDIDATES
CERTAINLY A FAR EXCEED THAT
THRESHOLD. AND SO THANK YOU
THANK YOU. BUT THE REALITY IS
AND YOU AND I BOTH SEE THAT
THIS IS A DIFFICULT STATE TO
RUN STATEWIDE AS A DEMOCRAT
WE'VE SEEN THE TREND. WHAT DO
YOU THINK YOU CAN DO DIFFERENT
IN BACKUP FOR A MOMENT THAT
YOU'VE STEPPED ASIDE TO LET
GOVERNOR ADDISON WIN LARGELY AT
LEAST THE PERCEPTION WAS THAT
HE WAS THE CANDIDATE MOST
LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO BEAT.
MARSHA BLACKBURN AND HE LOST BY
EIGHT OR 10 POINTS. AND SO WHAT
ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO
DIFFERENT TO BREAK THROUGH THAT
CEILING SO TO SPEAK. IT'S A
GREAT QUESTION. AND LOOK
GOVERNOR BREDESEN DID 4 PERCENT
AND FOLKS ARE SOMETIMES
SURPRISED AND I REMIND PEOPLE
OF THAT. THAT MEANS WE NEED SIX
POINTS MORE IN A PRESIDENTIAL
YEAR WHEN VOTER TURNOUT IS
REALLY HIGH TIDE. AND THE FACT
OF THE MATTER IS THINGS AREN'T
GETTING BETTER IN TENNESSSEE WE
ALREADY MENTIONED WE'VE HAD
MORE RURAL HOSPITALS CLOSED PER
PERSON THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN
THE NATION. THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC
IS RAVAGING OUR COMMUNITIES. NO
ONE'S EVEN TALKING ABOUT A
SOLUTION. THE TRADE WAR HURTS
OUR ECONOMY MORE THAN ANY OTHER
STATE. THOSE WERE ALL ISSUES IN
2018 AND NOW VOTERS CAN SEE
THEY MADE THEIR CHOICES. THEY
ELECTED PEOPLE WHO THEY THOUGHT
WOULD TACKLE TACKLE THOSE
DIFFICULT ISSUES AND IT'S NOT
BEING DONE. SO HERE WE ARE SIX
POINTS MORE AT A TIME WHEN
THINGS AREN'T GETTING BETTER
AND THE RESULTS IN THIS OPEN
SEAT U.S. SENATE ELECTION CAN
BE VERY DIFFERENT. AS LONG AS
WE'RE PREPARED TO SEIZE
INITIATIVE WHILE WE'RE ON THE
POLITICAL THAN LET'S LET'S TALK
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU'RE
GOING TO RAISE MONEY. I MEAN
THAT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO.
AND I DON'T CARE WHO IS
PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT IF
YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT RUNNING IN A
STATE LIKE TENNESSSEE SO. SO
HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU DO THAT
WHAT KIND OF BUDGET DO YOU
HAVE? HOW DO YOU HOW MUCH DO
YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO
ACTUALLY BE COMPETITIVE. WELL
I'M I'M REALLY BLESSED TO FIND
THAT MY TRACK RECORD OF SERVICE
RESONATES WITH FOLKS ALL ACROSS
THE STATE. AND I DON'T NEED TO
OUTRAISE MY OPPONENT. I SIMPLY
NEED TO RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN BUILD
TEAM AND TELL THE STORY AND I'M
CONFIDENT THAT BY GETTING OUT
THERE AND LISTENING TO FOLKS
AND TELLING MY STORY THAT WE
CAN WIN THIS RACE. AND AGAIN
IT'S NOT ABOUT RAISING THE
OTHER PERSON. WE JUST NEED TO
RAISE ENOUGH TO GET THE STORY
TOLD AND WE ARE DOING THAT?
YOU'RE NOT TAKING CORPORATE PAC
MONEY IS THAT RIGHT? NO OUR
POLITICAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN
ABSOLUTELY CORRUPTED BY THE
ROLE OF DARK MONEY IN POLITICS.
OUR INDIVIDUAL VOICES ARE
COMPLETELY DROWNED OUT BY
FLOODS OF CORPORATE CASH AND WE
ARE NEVER GOING TO HAVE SERIOUS
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW TO DEAL
WITH THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF
THE DAY WHETHER WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE OR HEALTH
CARE OR THE ECONOMY ANY OF
THESE UNTIL WE DEAL WITH THE
ROLE OF DARK MONEY IN POLITICS.
SO JUST TO REITERATE WHAT SUSAN
SAID WHAT'S YOUR GUESS IN TERMS
OF HOW MUCH MONEY YOU NEED TO
RUN. LET'S ASSUME THAT YOU WIN
THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION AND
THAT YOU ARE THE PARTY'S
NOMINEE NEXT YEAR IN THE
GENERAL. HOW MUCH DOWHATS. I
DON'T THINK IT'S TRYING TO PUT
A DOLLAR AMOUNT ON IT. I DON'T
THINK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE WHAT
I DO KNOW IS THE TENNESSSEE ARE
GOING TO SEE BETWEEN ME AND
IRAQ WAR COMBAT VET WHO STEPPED
UP TO SERVE AFTER 9/11 AND A
CANDIDATE WHO'S BEEN HANDPICKED
AND WILL BE A BLANK CHECK FOR
AN ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS LED
THE NATION IN REALLY AN
INDUSTRY THAT HAS OVERSEEN OUR
COUNTRY LEADING THE NATION IN
THESE RURAL HOSPITAL CLOSURES
FAILING TO DEAL WITH OPIOIDS.
YOU KNOW ANOTHER THING THAT'S
HAPPENING IS THE SENATE HAS
COMPLETELY GIVEN UP ON ITS
OVERSIGHT ROLE IN SO MANY WAYS
AND HERE IN THIS REMINDER OF
THE FACT THAT THEY'VE GIVEN UP
ON THEIR OVERSIGHT ROLE OVER
TVA YOU KNOW HERE WE ARE WITH
RATE PAYERS PAYING FOR
EXPENSIVE STEAK DINNERS AND
LIMO RIDES WHILE COAL ASH
WORKERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC
HAVE THEIR HEALTH ENDANGERED.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE
NEED TO BE OUT THERE TALKING
ABOUT AND THOSE ARE WHAT FOLKS
ARE TALKING ABOUT. WE HAVE
GIVEN UP A LOT OF OVERSIGHT.
NATSOT FORTUNATE AND SUSAN
CERTAINLY HAS EXPERIENCE. BUT I
DO THINK AND I WILL DEFEND TVA
JUST A BIT NOW. THEY'VE MADE A
MEANINGFUL CHANGE AT THEIR HELM
AND I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO
ADDRESS THAT. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME
SENATE OVERSIGHT THERE THAT CAN
BE PROVIDED IN THE MYTHOLOGY
THAT TRUMP IS PROPOSED THAT
COAL NEEDS TO COME BACK. IT
REALLY IS AN ANTIQUATED
MYTHOLOGY AND WE NEED TO MOVE
ON. BUT THOSE THINGS SAID HOW
DO YOU THINK IF YOU WERE
ELECTED TO THE SENATE THAT
GIVEN THE TONE AND TEMPERAMENT
OF WASHINGTON D.C. WHERE WE'VE
SEEN POLITICIANS LIKE BILL BOB
CORKER EVEN DESPITE HIS AGE
LAMAR ALEXANDER JUST SAY WE'RE
STEPPING AWAY. THIS IS TOO
CRAZY. HOW DO YOU THINK YOU'RE
GOING TO DEAL WITH TEMPERAMENT
THAT WE SEE NOW. I FEEL REALLY
STRONGLY THAT IF GOOD PEOPLE
REFUSE TO SERVE IT ONLY GETS
WORSE. I KNOW I CAN'T CHANGE
WASHINGTON ON MY OWN. I ALSO
DON'T THINK THAT THAT RELIEVES
ME OF THE OBLIGATION TO GO
THERE AND TO TRY TO TAKE THOSE
FIRST STEPS. AND WE HAVE MORE
AND MORE MILITARY VETERANS ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE SERVING
IN THE SENATE RIGHT NOW. AND
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME
TO GET WITH MY BROTHERS AND
SISTERS IN ARMS AND TALK ABOUT
MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT BECAUSE
THAT IS THE JOB OF MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS IT IS TO ACCOMPLISH A
MISSION AND TO WORK WITH
WHOEVER YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH
ON YOUR TEAM TO GET THAT
MISSION DONE. WE'RE NOT SEEING
THAT BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING FOLKS WHO SHARE THAT
MISSION MINDSET AND GET THAT
DONE. I WANT TO STAY ON THAT
TOPIC BUT WE'RE