>> Dana: IT RIGHT NOW I'M
GOING TO GO TO THE FORMER
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
NO ONE BETTER TO TALK ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE YOU LIVED THROUGH THIS
BACK IN THE LATE 90s.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE
DEMOCRATS LAYING THESE TWO
ISSUES OUT?
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
REPORTS VERY SPECIFICALLY
TALKING ABOUT FOREIGN MEDDLING
AND ALSO OBSTRUCTION.
>> I THINK WE HAVE A VERY WEAK
HAND.
I LISTEN EARLIER IN YOUR
CONVERSATION, THE FACT THAT
INDEPENDENTS ARE MOVING AGAINST
IMPEACHMENT AND REMOVAL.
AND THEY HAVEN'T MADE THEIR CASE
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND
ADDING EXTRA STUFF DOESN'T
INCREASE THE CASE.
AND THEY ARE WHERE THEY ARE NOW.
FURTHERMORE IF THEY SEND IT TO
THE SENATE THAT PUTS THE SENATE
REPUBLICANS IN CHARGE AND WE
DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW WHAT THEIR
REACTION WILL BE.
THEY START WITH HEARINGS IN THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE BRINGING IN
HUNTER BIDEN AND JOE BIDEN AND
ADAM SCHIFF HIMSELF, THIS COULD
BE A TOTAL MESS BY SOMETIME IN
JANUARY.
>> Dana: WHAT DO YOU ASSESS SO
FAR ABOUT THE REPUBLICANS
EFFORTS TO SAVE, CAN STAY
TOGETHER ON CONTENT AND MESSAGE
AS THEY HAVE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT
A WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS AS THEY
ARE THE MINORITY IN THE HOUSE?
>> I THOUGHT THEY DID A
REMARKABLY GOOD JOB.
THE FACT THAT THEY CAME OUT WITH
THEIR REBUTTAL BEFORE
ADAM SCHIFF RELEASED HIS REPORT
WAS A GOOD THING.
I THINK HE HAS SEEN NOT A SINGLE
REPUBLICAN IN THE HOUSE OR
SENATE WHICH HAS INDICATED THEY
ARE GOING ALONG WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
THAT'S A PRETTY UNIFIED
POSITION, AND THE ONLY
BIPARTISANSHIP WAS TO DEMOCRATS
THAT VOTED NO JOINING THE
REPUBLICANS ON THE FIRST ROUND.
MY HUNCH IS THERE WILL BE A LOT
MORE THAT VOTE NO ON IMPEACHMENT
OF SPEAKER PELOSI MOVES FORWARD.
THERE'S MORE AND MORE TALK TO
TRY TO SHIFT TO CENSURE AND I
DON'T THINK THEY CAN FIND ONE.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> I THINK THE REPUBLICANS OUGHT
TO VOTE NO.
I AGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT.
HIS WHOLE THING IS A RIGGED GAME
AND IT'S BALONEY.
AS YOU KNOW PRESIDENTS OFTEN
NEGOTIATE AND HEALTH
CONVERSATIONS AND THE WHOLE IDEA
THAT WE ARE NOW GOING TO -- WE
ARE MOVING THE UNITED STATES
OVER CONVERSATION AND THE OTHER
PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UKRAINE SAID IT WAS NOT ANYWAY
OFFENSIVE OR INAPPROPRIATE,
THAT'S A PRETTY'S THEN READ TO
TAKE OUT SOMEBODY WITH
60 MILLION VOTES.
>> Dana: HOW MUCH IS SHE
THINKING ABOUT THE POLITICS OF
ALL OF THIS.
HOW MUCH IS SHE THINKING ABOUT
THE 31 DEMOCRATS THAT SHE WOULD
NEED TO WIN REELECTIONS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT SHE NEEDS ALL
OF THEM BUT SHE WOULD CERTAINLY
LIKE TO SEE THEM WIN AGAIN.
I KNOW THAT THEY SAY THEY JUST
WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND
THAT THEY HAVE TO STICK TO THE
PRINCIPLES BUT HOW DID THE
POLITICS PLAY HERE FOR THE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE?
>> FIRST OF ALL SHE'S A VERY
SMART AFFECTIONAL POLITICIAN.
OF COURSE SHE THINKS ABOUT THE
POLITICS OF THIS AND SHE FOR A
VERY LONG TIME DIDN'T WANT TO DO
IT BUT THE LEFT WING OF HER
PARTY PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON
HER THAT SHE HAD TO GO AHEAD
RELUCTANTLY.
SHE THEN HAD ACT -- THE ONLY
PERSON SHE COULD TRUST WITH
ADAM SCHIFF AND SHE HE COULD DO
IT IN SECRET WITH THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE SO THEY
WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS
OF LICKING PEOPLE INTO TRYING TO
BUILD SUSPENSE BUT IT DIDN'T
WORK.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE I TALKED
WITH WHO WENT HOME OVER
THANKSGIVING AND NOBODY TALKED
ABOUT IT, NOBODY CARED.
THEY DON'T SEE IT AS A LIVE HOT
ISSUE.
SO NOW SHE HAS TO FIGURE OUT --
I THINK SHE WILL BE FORCED TO
VOTE ON IMPEACHMENT AND MY GUESS
IS SHE CAN MUSCLE DEVOTE BUT SHE
DOES HAVE 31 DEMOCRATS AND TRUMP
DISTRICTS AND THAT IS TWICE AS
MANY AS YOU WOULD NEED TO DEFEAT
IT.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S AN
AUTOMATIC SLAM-DUNK.
>> IF YOU DISAPPOINT THE BASE
THAT MUCH, IF THEY WALK AWAY --
>> HER PARTY WOULD EXPLODE.
THE TRUTH IS HATRED OF TRUMP ON
THE LEFT, IT'S ALMOST
PATHOLOGICAL.
SHE HAS TO GO THROUGH WITH THE
VOTE.
EVEN IF SHE LOSES IT.
FRANKLY ANY DEMOCRAT WHO VOTES
NO IS FACING THE VERY REAL
PROSPECT OF A PRIMARY FIGHT FROM
THE LEFT.
WITH, THEY HAVE -- TRUMP IN A
BIZARRE WAY NOW HAS THEM IN A
POSITION WHERE THEY HAVE A VERY
HARD JOB.
>> Dana: WHAT ABOUT THE NEEDLE
MEETING AS A PRESIDENT IS OVER
THERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE NATO
STAYS ON TRACK IN A DIFFERENT
WAY ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF THE
FINANCING?
ALL OF THIS IS GOING ON
DOMESTICALLY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGING SO FAR ON
THIS?
>> I THINK THE AVERAGE EUROPEAN
INCOME AND THIS IS TRUE I THINK
ALSO IN ASIA.
LEADERS AROUND THE WORLD LOOK AT
THIS IS AMERICA BEING AMERICA,
WE ARE CHAOTIC AND HARD TO
UNDERSTAND AND WE DO WEIRD
THINGS.
HE IS THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF AND
HE PROVES EVERY DAY HOW POWERFUL
HE IS.
HE IS ENTERING A WORLD WAR
HE IS ENTERING A WORLD WHERE
MICRON'S POPULARITY, AND IT'S
NOT LIKE YOU HAVE A STABLE AND
CALM EUROPE AND THAT'S -- YOU
MOVE NATO AND PEOPLE DON'T
RECOGNIZE US.
HE'S MOVED NEEDLE SPENDING
DRAMATICALLY IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION AND HE HAS ACTUALLY
MODERNIZED NATO.
HE'S FOCUSED IN ON RUSSIA AND I
THINK THE MEETING WILL THEN BE A
SUCCESS DESPITE THE RATHER WEIRD
SPEECH ABOUT NEEDLE BEING
BRAIN-DEAD WHICH COMING FROM A
FRENCH PRESIDENT WITH THE
WEAKNESS HE HAD I THOUGHT WAS