>>MANY REPUBLICANS IN THE WAKE OF THE ORLANDO NIGHTCLUB
SHOOTING HAVE BEEN CLAIMING TO FULLY SUPPORT AND BE FILLED WITH
EMPATHY FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY, INCLUDING LOTS OF POLITICIANS
THAT HAVE NEVER IN THE PAST HAD A NICE WORD TO SAY ABOUT THE
PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY, OR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
CERTAINLY
DOESN'T SUPPORT THEM HAVING EVEN BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS IT SEEMS AT TIMES.
ANDERSON COOPER WAS TALKING WITH ONE OF THOSE REPUBLICANS IN
FLORIDA, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
>>I SAW YOU THE OTHER DAY SAYING THAT ANYONE WHO ATTACKS THE
LGBT COMMUNITY, OUR LGBT COMMUNITY, WILL BE GONE
AFTER WITH THE FULL ACCENT OF THE LAW.
>>THAT IS RIGHT.
>>I TALKED TO A LOT OF GAY AND LESBIAN PEOPLE YESTERDAY WERE
NOT FANS OF YOURS, AND WHO SAID THAT THEY THOUGHT YOU WERE BEING
A HYPOCRITE, THAT YOU FOR YEARS HAVE FOUGHT, BASICALLY GONE
AFTER GAY PEOPLE, SAID THAT IN COURT GAY PEOPLE SIMPLY BY
FIGHTING FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY WERE TRYING TO DO HARM TO THE
PEOPLE OF FLORIDA.
TO INDUCE PUBLIC HARM, I BELIEVE WAS THE
TERM USED IN COURT.
DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU ARE CHAMPION OF
THE GAY COMMUNITY?
>>I'M ATTORNEY GENERAL, I PUT MY HAND ON THE BIBLE AND WAS
SWORN TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THAT IS
NOT A LAW, THAT WAS VOTED INTO OUR STATE CONSTITUTION BY THE
VOTERS OF FLORIDA.
THAT IS WHAT I WAS DEFENDING.
IT HAD NOTHING
TO DO -- I'VE NEVER SAID I DON'T LIKE GAY PEOPLE.
>>I LOVE THAT RESPONSE.
LIKE, I DON'T CARE.
WE DON'T CARE IF YOU
LIKE THE PERSON.
IF YOU TAKE AWAY THEIR RIGHTS AND THEN SAY
BUT YOU ARE A NICE PERSON, YOU CAN'T HAVE THESE BUT YOU ARE
NICE PERSON, LIKE YOU, THAT IS NOT LIKE OKAY, YOU WIN SOME, YOU
LOSE SOME.
AND THEY THINK THAT IF THEY CLAIM AS CHRISTIANS THEY
LOVE THESE PEOPLE WHILE THEY DEMONIZE THEM AND WHILE THEY
DENY THEM ACCESS TO THE SAME RIGHTS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE,
SOMEHOW THAT IS BALANCED OUT, AND IT IS NOT.
THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
>>THE FIRST PART OF HER ARGUMENT COULD BE DEFENDED, MERELY THAT
THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRED HER, THE STATE CONSTITUTION THAT
THE VOTERS VOTED ON, REQUIRED HER TO WORK AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE
IN FLORIDA.
BUT OF COURSE THAT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR WHAT COOPER
LATER HAMMERS HER ON, WHICH IS THE LANGUAGE.
AND BY THE WAY, AS
WE LEARNED, THERE WERE LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES, THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT UNDER ERIC HOLDER, WHO AGAIN THERE IS A DIFFERENCE
OF OPINION SOMETIMES HERE ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE HE WAS, BUT THERE
WERE MORE THAN A FEW OCCASIONS WHERE THEY WERE LIKE, WE ARE NOT
GOING TO DEFEND THE LAW.
THE WORLD IS CHANGING AND WE GET THAT AND WE
ARE GOING TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE, OR WE WILL STAY SILENT.
BUT HER LANGUAGE WAS OBVIOUSLY HOSTILE TO GAYS AND PAM BONDI IS
DECEITFUL AND DISHONEST ABOUT THAT POSITION ON GAYS, AND WHEN
IT WAS CONVENIENT TO HAMMER GAYS SHE DID IT AS COOPER POINTS OUT.
>>YOU COULD STEP DOWN FROM YOUR POSITION, IF YOU ASKED TO DEFEND
SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE CONSTITUTION BUT YOU DISAGREE
WITH, AS THIS GREAT GUARDIAN OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY AS YOU ARE
CLAIMING YOURSELF TO BE, BY PUTTING YOURSELF IN FRONT OF THE
HOSPITAL AND SAYING YOU WILL HELP THEM -- AND I UNDERSTAND
THAT IT IS INCONVENIENT TO DROP OUT OF YOUR POSITION BECAUSE YOU
ARE UPHOLDING ANYMORE POLICY, BUT THEN LOSE THE ABILITY
TO SAY YOU ARE THE DEFENDER OF THIS GROUP.
>>TO SOME EXTENT YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO.
>>WHERE?
>>THE CAKE IS RIGHT OUT THERE.
WE WILL TAKE A BREAK AND GET
MICHAEL SOME CAKE.
YOU CAN DO IT BECAUSE YOU COULD SIMPLY SAY AS
WE HAVE SEEN THIS LAW IS WRONG BUT IT IS THE STATE LAW, SO I
WILL SEND MY ASSISTANT A.G.s
TO ARGUE THIS CASE, I DON'T THINK IT IS RIGHT FOR GAY
PEOPLE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, THAT IS MY POSITION.
>>SHE IS NOT EVEN SAYING THAT.
SHE IS SAYING IT IS THE LAW, NOT THAT IT IS WRONG.
>>BUT IF YOU ARE TO BELIEVE THE FIRST PART, THAT SHE IS
LIKE, IT IS THE LAW, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?
YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE CASE TO REPORTERS, YOU HAVE TO MAKE
THE CASE IN COURT.
AND YOU ARE ALSO AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU CAN SIMPLY GO
OUT THERE AND SAY I HATE THIS LAW BUT WE HAVE TO DEFEND
IT, THAT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
>>A LOT OF OUR COMMENTARY WILL MAKE MORE SENSE ONCE WE SEE
MORE OF THE INTERACTION.
>>DO YOU WORRY ABOUT USING LANGUAGE ACCUSING A PEOPLE OF
TRYING TO DO HARM TO THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA?
DOESN'T THAT SEND A
MESSAGE TO SOME PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE BAD IDEAS?
>>I DON'T BELIEVE GAY PEOPLE COULD DO HARM TO THE STATE OF
FLORIDA.
>>BUT YOU ARGUED THAT IN COURT.
>>MY LAWYER MADE A CASE DEFENDING WHAT THE SUPREME
COURT ALLOWED THE VOTERS TO PUT IN OUR STATE CONSTITUTION.
>>YOU ARE ARGUING THE GAY MARRIAGE, SAME-SEX MARRIAGE,
WOULD DO HARM TO THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA.
>>THAT IT WAS CONSTITUTIONAL TO PUT THAT IN THE CONSTITUTION.
>>ARE YOU SAYING YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT WOULD DO HARM TO FLORIDA?
>>OF COURSE NOT.
I'VE NEVER SAID THAT.
THOSE WORDS HAVE NEVER COME OUT OF MY MOUTH.
>>BUT THAT IS WHAT YOU WERE ARGUING IN COURT.
>>NO, WE ARGUED WAS IT WAS IN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
STATE OF FLORIDA.
>>THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY ARGUE, IN FACT --
>>IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO
KNOW WHAT BONDI'S TWO EX-HUSBANDS HAVE TO SAY,
SHE IS TWICE DIVORCED.
MAYBE IT IS BECAUSE SO MANY GAY PEOPLE GOT MARRIED, THEY
DID HARM TO HER MARRIAGE.
>>MAYBE SHE WAS RIGHT.
>>IT IS WEIRD THAT HER MARRIAGES AND HER
INSTABILITY DIDN'T AFFECT ANYBODY ELSE.
>>MAYBE SHE IS AN EXPERT AS A RESULT OF THAT.
>>AT SOME POINT YOU FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WATCHING
THESE GREAT, OR AT LEAST I HAVE, SOME OF THESE GREAT MOHAMMED ALI
FIGHTS, AT SOME POINT YOU ARE THINKING, SOMEBODY HELP HER OUT,
THROW IN THE TOWEL.
>>WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE THIRD PART, THE WAY IT ENDS, COOPER,
I WILL CRITICIZE HIM AFTERWARD, HE DOES A GOOD JOB HERE.
>>TODAY IS ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS.
VICTIMS.
>>GAY AND LESBIAN VICTIMS.
>>IT SURE IS, LGBT VICTIMS.
>>IS IT HYPOCRITICAL TO PORTRAY YOURSELF AS A CHAMPION OF THE
GAY COMMUNITY -- I'M JUST REFLECTING WHAT A LOT OF
GAY PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME, THEY DON'T SEE YOU AS THAT.
>>I'M NOT PORTRAYING MYSELF AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN TRYING
TO HELP THE HUMAN BEINGS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES, WHO
ARE RIGHT BEHIND US RIGHT NOW IN HOSPITAL BEDS.
>>I WILL SAY, I HAVE NEVER REALLY SEEN YOU TALK ABOUT GAYS
AND LESBIANS AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IN A POSITIVE WAY UNTIL
NOW.
I READ YOUR TWITTER HISTORY FOR THE LAST YEAR, I SAW YOU
TWEET ABOUT NATIONAL DOG MONTH AND NATIONAL SHELTER DOG
APPRECIATION DAY, OR ADOPT A SHELTER DOG MONTH -- IT IS GAY
PRIDE MONTH, YOU'VE NEVER TWEETED ABOUT GAY PRIDE MONTH.
>>IF YOU LOOK AT MY WEBSITE NOW WE HAVE HANDS CLASPED
TOGETHER, ALL DIFFERENT COLOR RAINBOW HANDS.
>>YOU JUST PUT THAT UP NOW.
>>YEAH, AFTER THIS HORRIBLE TRAGEDY, ABSOLUTELY.
>>THAT IS NOT A STRONG DEFENSE.
HER DEFENSE IN THIS SITUATION
SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO STICK TO HER GUNS.
THIS IS A TRAGEDY, A
TERRIBLE HUMAN LOSS, BUT I WAS AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE.
>>BUT YOU CAN'T REALLY DO THAT.
>>YOU CAN, THAT IS WHAT GOT HER ELECTED AND THAT IS THE ONLY WAY
SHE WILL STAY ELECTED IS BY SAYING WHAT WE KNOW TO BE TRUE.
>>BUT SHE KNOWS THAT LOOKS TERRIBLE, WHICH IS GOOD.
>>WHY DOES IT LOOK TERRIBLE NOW?
SHE DIDN'T KNOW IT LOOKS
TERRIBLE THEN WHEN IT ALSO LOOKS TERRIBLE, IT JUST LOOKS TRAGIC
NOW.
AND ONE OF THE MOST POIGNANT THINGS THAT ANDERSON
COOPER SAID DURING THAT WHOLE INTERACTION WAS WHEN HE SAID
LISTEN, BECAUSE THE LAW HAS CHANGED, BECAUSE YOU LOST,
PEOPLE WHO ARE SPOUSES OF AND RELATED TO AND DATING PEOPLE WHO
WERE KILLED WERE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION ON THEM THAT
WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE -- ENTITLED TO AT THAT POINT.
HE
SAID THAT.
>>HE ALSO SHOWED HOW YOU CAN INTERRUPT AND CHALLENGE WITHOUT
SORT OF -- YOU KNOW, WITHOUT SEEMING TO SHOUT SOMEBODY DOWN.
>>PERSISTENCE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BEING AN ASSHOLE.
>>JUST CROSS YOUR ARMS, I DON'T THINK SO.
>>TO BE FAIR I THINK HE WAS ABLE TO DO THAT AGAINST HER BECAUSE
HE WAS ON THE DEFENSIVE.
A TRUMP CUTS IN AND WON'T STOP TALKING,
WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT.
WE HAVE CRITICIZED VERY REASONABLY
ANDERSON COOPER FOR THE WAY HE HAS RUN SOME OF THE MORE
CONSEQUENTIAL DEBATES AND FORUMS AND TOWNHOMES AND THINGS LIKE
THAT, HIS QUESTION WAS GOOD HERE.
I WOULD SAY THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING, AND MAYBE THIS IS UNFAIR, WE WILL HAVE A VIDEO
OF HER SAYING SHE WAS SANDBAGGED OR WHATEVER, IT IS ONE THING TO
SAY DID YOU DEFEND THIS LAW BACK THEN?
IT IS ANOTHER TEST RIGHT
NOW, DO YOU SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE?
DO YOU WANT GAY PEOPLE
TO HAVE THE SAME EXACT RIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO MARRIAGE AND
VISITATION RIGHTS AND ADOPTION AND ALL THAT?
BECAUSE SHE IS
CLAIMING RIGHT NOW AS YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE VICTIMS, JUST
SO TRANSPARENTLY SAYING, YOU CAN'T QUESTION ME, THERE ARE
PEOPLE BLEEDING IN THERE.
BUT YOU WERE STANDING IN FRONT OF
THE BUILDING, YOU CHOSE TO, BECAUSE YOU WANT THE CRED FOR
STANDING UP FOR THE PEOPLE, BUT YOU DON'T STAND UP FOR THEM
WHEN THEY HAVEN'T JUST BEEN SHOT.
SOME PEOPLE MAKE THE CASE THAT THE PORTIONS OF A LIFE
WHERE THEY ARE NOT BLEEDING ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM AND THEIR
FAMILIES AS WELL.
>>SHE WAS WEAKENED AND HE WENT AFTER HER, I DON'T HAVE THE SAME
OBJECTIONS YOU DO, I THINK THE STANDARD IS DIFFERENT THAN WHEN
WE OBJECTED TO HIS QUESTIONING OF DONALD TRUMP AND OTHERS.
BUT
EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT NOW, LITTLE BIT, WITH THE MEDIA.
FOR
WHATEVER REASON, ME BECAUSE IT PIVOTED TO A GENERAL ELECTION,
IT DIDN'T MAKE AS MUCH SENSE TO DEMONIZE TRUMP WHEN THE AUDIENCE
FOR THESE THINGS WERE PEOPLE WHO BASICALLY AGREED WITH THAT, AND
HE WAS IN A RACE WITH PEOPLE WHO AGREED WITH HIM, ALMOST ALL THAT
HE SAID.
BECAUSE SEEMINGLY IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS THERE IS NO
QUESTION THAT MUCH OF THE PRESS, INCREDIBLY LATE, DANGEROUSLY
LATE, BECAUSE THE GUY MIGHT GET ELECTED PRESIDENT, HAS FOUND A
LITTLE BIT OF FOOTING FOR HOW TO TALK ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
>>I ABSOLUTELY THINK SO, IT IS ALSO A TWO-PERSON RACE LIKE YOU
SAID, YOU ASK DIFFERENT QUESTIONS IN A TWO-PERSON RACE,
AND YOU WILL HAVE MORE MEDIA COVERING BOTH THE GENERAL
ELECTION THEN YOU DID THE PRIMARY.
BUT THERE HAS BEEN A DIFFERENT TONE, THERE IS ALSO A LOT
MORE OPPOSITION RESEARCH COMING FROM THE DEMOCRATS, THAT
WILL HAPPEN ALL YEAR.
>>WE CAN GET SOME FROM THE RUSSIANS NOW TOO.
>>JOHN KASICH HAD X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS TO SPEND ON
OPPOSITION RESEARCH AGAINST TUNNEL TRUMP, THERE ARE
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THE DEMOCRATS HAVE.
>>X EQUALS $25.
>>THAT IS TRUE.
EIGHT DOLLARS.
THAT THE PRESS IS GOING TO COVER
THE RESEARCH THAT IS LET GO, AND ONE OTHER THING, THIS IS ALSO
ADVOCACY JOURNALISM A LITTLE BIT THAT ANDERSON COOPER IS DOING,
WE ALL KNOW ANDERSON COOPER IS AN OUT JOURNALIST WHO CARES
ABOUT THESE ISSUES, AND HIS GOING AFTER PAM BONDI IS
SOMETHING HE FELT CLEARLY RESPONSE TO BE DOING BOTH AS A
JOURNALIST AND --
>>I THINK ANDERSON COOPER COMES OUT ON THE GOOD SIDE IN THE
TELEVISION WORLD.
>>I AGREE, HE DOES.
>>HE IS PRETTY GOOD.
>>HE IS NO CHRIS MATTHEWS.
>>I HOPE HE REMEMBERS THAT THAT TONE CAN BE USED FOR JUST ABOUT
EVERY ISSUE.
AND HE WAS GOOD AT IT, I HOPE TO SEE MORE OF IT.