HERE TO TALK ABOUT MAKE YOUR DATE, AND REMEMBERING JOHN
CONYERS.
CONYERS. TODAY IS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD,
2019, AND THIS IS FLASH POINT.
>> DEVIN: HI, WELCOME TO FLASH
POINT.
POINT. I’M GLAD YOU’RE WITH US.
TO THE SURPRISE OF ABSOLUTELY NO
ONE.
ONE. THE DEMOCRATS IN THE U.S. HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES IS PUSHING
FOR WHAT’S GOING ON FOR SOME
TIME, THE INVESTIGATION INTO
WHETHER PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOULD
BE IMPEACHED.
BE IMPEACHED. THIS WAS A MOST PARTISAN VOTE.
THE YESES WERE ALL DEMOCRATS AND
ALL OF THE REPUBLICANS VOTED NO,
THOUGH TWO DEMOCRATS DID, ALSO,
GO AGAINST THE TIDE AND VOTE NO
WITH THEM.
WITH THEM. AMONG THE YESES WAS MICHIGAN’S
ANDY LEVIN WHO DESCRIBED
LISTENING TO THE TESTIMONY OF
WILLIAM TAYLOR AS HIS MOST
DISTURBING DAY IN CONGRESS SO
FAR.
FAR. CONGRESSMAN LEVIN IS HERE TO
TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE.
PERHAPS LAST WEEK YOU SAW OUR
INTERVIEW WITH MAYOR DUGGAN.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING
ABOUT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL’S
REPORT ON THE MAKE YOUR DATE
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM. THE IG IS ELLEN HA AND SHE’S
VOICING ABOUT THEM NOT MAKING
HER RECOMMENDATIONS TO HEART.
AND JOHN CONYERS IS GOING TO BE
LAID TO REST AT GREATER GRACE
TEMPLE.
TEMPLE. HIS IS A COMPLICATED LEGACY,
MORE THAN 50 YEARS IN CONGRESS,
A LION OF THE CIVIL UNITED
STATES MOVEMENT, BUT A TENURE
THAT ENDED IN CONTROVERSY.
HOW DO WE BEST REMEMBER JOHN
JAMES CONYERS, JR.
IT’S ALL TODAY ON FLASH POINT.
♪
♪ >> IT COULD BE NEXT WEEK THAT
WE ACTUALLY START TO GET A LOOK
AT TRANSCRIPTS OF WHAT’S BEEN
SAID IN THE PRELIMINARY
INVESTIGATIONS INTO IMPEACHMENT.
RIGHT NOW IT’S MOSTLY BEEN
COMMITTEES THAT HAVE HEARD IT,
THAT INCLUDES THE FOREIGN
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND THAT
INCLUDES MICHIGAN CONGRESSMAN
ANDY LEVIN FROM MICHIGAN’S 9TH
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT. GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK.
>> THANKS, DEVIN.
>> DEVIN: YOU WERE THERE FOR THE
TESTIMONY OF BILL TAYLOR.
YES.
YES. >> DEVIN: THE HIGHEST RANKING
DIPLOMATE THAT THE U.S. HAD IN
UKRAINE AND YOU CAME OUT AND
SAID IT WAS YOUR MOST TROUBLING
DAY IN CONGRESS THUS FAR, WHY?
>> WELL, AMBASSADOR TAYLOR CAME
IN THERE AND--
WHO KNEW, BUT TURNS OUT HE’S ONE
OF THESE PEOPLE THAT TAKES VERY
METICULOUS NOTES OF ALL OF HIS
WORK, YOU KNOW, OF HIS MEETINGS,
HIS CALLS, AND HE CAME IN AND
JUST GAVE A FIRST PERSON,
DEVASTATING PORTRAIT OF A
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
DISCOUNTING OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY IN OUR RELATIONS WITH
ANOTHER COUNTRY AND INSTEAD,
TRYING TO ADVANCE HIS OWN
POLITICAL INTERESTS GOING
TOWARDS THE 2020 ELECTION.
IT WAS -- DEVIN, FORGET ABOUT
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, OR
POLITICAL PARTIES, I MEAN, THIS
IS BASICALLY OUR DEMOCRACY AT
STAKE, WHETHER A PRESIDENT IS
CARRYING OUT THE NATIONAL
INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES
OR WHETHER HE’S IN OUR RELATIONS
WITH THE FOREIGN GOVERNMENT,
USING WHETHER ANOTHER PRESIDENT
CAN MEET WITH HIM,USING MILITARY
ASSISTANCE THAT CONGRESS HAD
ALREADY APPROPRIATED FOR THAT
COUNTRY TO TRY TO DIG UP DIRT ON
HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS HERE.
>> DEVIN: IT SEEMS CLEAR TO YOU.
THE OTHER SIDE IT SEEMS JUST AS
CLEAR.
CLEAR. MY HUNCH IS YOU COULD CALL PASS
LIE DETECTOR TESTS ABOUT HOW YOU
FEEL ABOUT THIS.
AND YET, WHEN THE VOTE IS TAKEN,
IT IS ALMOST EXACT ALONG PARTY
LINES.
LINES. TWO DEMOCRATS WHO WENT AGAINST
THE TIDE AND STAYED ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE AND VOTED
AGAINST IT, BUT--
>> AND OUR OWN JUSTIN AMOSH
VOTING FOR IT.
>> DEVIN: AND IS THE WHOLE
PROCESS DAMAGED BY LOOKING THIS
PARTISAN?
PARTISAN? >> YOU KNOW, I DON’T -- NUMBER
ONE, WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO CARRY OUT OUR
OATH UNDER THE CONSTITUTION TO
UPHOLD OUR DEMOCRACY, TO HOLD
EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE UNDER THE
LAW.
LAW. I ACTUALLY DON’T THINK IT’S
GOING TO END UP BEING IN
PARTISAN.
PARTISAN. I MIGHT BE WRONG, BUT WHEN YOU
TALK TO--
TALK TO-- WHEN I TALK TO MY REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUES PRIVATELY, NOT MANY
OF THEM DEFEND THE ACTIONS OF
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. THEY -- IN PUBLIC THEY TALK
ABOUT THIS PROCESS AND, YOU
KNOW, FOR ALL THIS TIME THEY
WERE SAYING THERE’S BEEN NO
VOTE, THIS IS ILLEGITIMATE.
WELL, WE JUST VOTED AND SET UP
THE RULES FOR THE NEXT PART --
THE PUBLIC PART OF THE
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AND I -- BUT
HERE IS THE THING, I THINK THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS
GOING TO IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES, WHICH
MEANS INDICT HIM, SO OF IN A
WAY.
WAY. >> DEVIN: RIGHT.
>> AND THEN IT WILL SEND IT TO
THE SENATE FOR TRIAL TO DECIDE
NOT WHETHER TO CONVICT--
>> WHERE PARTISAN HE WOULD
REMAINS IN OFFICE.
HE WOULD REMAIN IN OFFICE, BUT
I’M SAYING TO YOU HERE ON A
SUNDAY MORNING IS, I THINK THOSE
REPUBLICAN SENATORS, WHEN FACED
WITH THE OVERWHELMING CASE WE’RE
GOING TO MAKE THAT THE PRESIDENT
VIOLATED OUR NATIONAL SECURITY,
VIOLATED HIS OATH OF OFFICE BY
USING TAXPAYER MONEY AND OUR
DIPLOMATES FOR HIS OWN POLITICAL
ENDS, I’M NOT SO SURE THOSE
REPUBLICAN SENATORS ARE GOING TO
VOTE TO LEAVE THEM IN OFFICE.
>> DEVIN: WHEN THE MINORITY WHIP
MCCARTHY TOOK TO THE FLOOR,
LOOK, WE HAVE AN ELECTION A YEAR
FROM NOW, WHY DON’T WE LEAVE
THIS IN THE HAND OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE?
PEOPLE? WHY ISN’T HE RIGHT ABOUT THAT?
>> WELL, I’M HAPPY FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO DECIDE WHO
SHOULD BE PRESIDENT WHEN THEY
VOTE ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2020.
IF HE’S STILL IN OFFICE, I THINK
THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL
CHOOSE SOMEBODY ELSE.
IN ANY EVENT, THE CONSTITUTION
DOESN’T SAY WAIT AROUND IF
SOMEONE--
SOMEONE-- IF WE THINK THAT A PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES HAS COMMITTED
IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES, I DON’T
REALLY SEE THAT WE’RE SUPPOSED
TO SAY, OH, WELL, WE’LL JUST LET
IT SLIDE.
IT SLIDE. ALMOST--
ALMOST-- WE’RE DOING THIS FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS DEVIN.
GENERATIONS DEVIN. WHAT IS THE STANDARD FOR ANY
FUTURE PRESIDENT?
FUTURE PRESIDENT? ARE THEY ABOVE THE LAW?
>> WELL, I UNDERSTAND THE
POLITICAL PURITY OR ACTUALLY
NOT--
NOT-- >> YEAH, RIGHT.
>> DEVIN: THE UNPOLITICAL PURITY
YOU SEE IN THERE, WASN’T IT
DAMAGING FOR ADAM SCHIFF TO DO
WHAT I THINK HE DESCRIBED AS A
PARODY OF THE WAY THAT THE
PRESIDENT ACTED, BUT HIS
COMMENTS GOING INTO THAT FIRST
OPEN HEARING, WHERE HE TOOK
GREAT LIBERTY WITH WHAT WAS
ACTUALLY SAID ON THE PHONE CALL,
ISN’T THAT KIND OF THING SORT OF
DAMAGING TO THE PROCESS?
I’M NOT SURE THAT THE DEMOCRATS
HAVE BEEN ABOVE REPROACH, HAVE
THEY?
THEY? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T
ACTUALLY SEE THIS THING.
I HAVE SEEN ADAM SCHIFF IN
ACTION IN THESE DEPOSITIONS,
I’VE SEEN HIM IN ACTION LEADING
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, AND
I THINK HE’S BEEN IN GENERAL
VERY SOBER AND VERY SERIOUS, SO
I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS ONE--
I DON’T SEE ALL THE TV I’M
AFRAID, BUT HE HAS BEEN SO
RESPECTFUL.
RESPECTFUL. I JUST WANT ALL OF THE VIEWERS
TO REALIZE EVERY ONE OF THESE
DEPOSITIONS WE’VE HELD, RIGHT,
THE REPUBLICANS ARE THERE, THE
DEMOCRATS ARE THERE.
UNLIMITED TIME FOR BOTH SIDES TO
ASK QUESTIONS, WE DO AN HOUR,
THEY DO AN HOUR.
THEY HAVE FULL RIGHTS, WE’RE
MAKING COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTS.
ALL OF THIS BESIDES WHAT NEED TO
BE REDACTED FOR NATIONAL
SECURITY PURPOSES WILL BE OUT
FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO SEE
IN THE LIGHT OF DAY.
NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO BE
HIDDEN, IT’S ALL COMING OUT.
>> DEVIN: THE POINT THAT THE
REPUBLICANS GO TO AGAIN AND
AGAIN WAS THAT JOE BIDEN’S SON
AND HIS INVOLVEMENT AND THE QUID
PRO QUO THAT THEY SEEM TO
BELIEVE THAT JOE BIDEN LAID OUT,
EITHER FIRE THIS PROSECUTOR OR
YOU DON’T GET THE AID THAT YOU
WANT EITHER, THAT IT’S APPLES
AND APPLES.
AND APPLES. THAT WE’RE WATCHING THE SAME
KIND OF THING AND THAT IT WASN’T
A VERY GOOD LOOK FOR HUNTER
BIDEN TO BE ON--
THE SON OF AN AMERICAN
VICE-PRESIDENT TO BE ON THESE
INTERNATIONAL BOARDS.
INTERNATIONAL BOARDS. DO THEY HAVE A POINT?
>> THEY HAVE NO POINT IN THE
FOLLOWING SENSE, ON THE LAST
THING YOU SAID, I’D BE ALL FOR
SETTING UP A RULE THAT SAYS THE
KIDS OF SITTING CONGRESS PEOPLE
OR PRESIDENTS, VICE-PRESIDENTS,
SHOULDN’T BE ON FOREIGN BOARDS.
I’D BE FINE WITH THAT, BUT IT
WAS PERFECTLY LEGAL WHEN HE DID
IT OR IT IS LEGAL TODAY.
BUT THE MAIN POINT YOU MADE THAT
THERE WAS SOME QUID PRO QUO FROM
VICE-PRESIDENT BIDEN, THAT IS A
COMPLETELY DEBUNKED CONSPIRACY
THEORY THAT NO -- IN OUR
CLASSIFIED BRIEFINGS, IN OUR
LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSON HAS EVER
GIVEN ANY CREDENCE TO THAT.
>> DEVIN: IT’S NOT--
YES, IT’S NOT COMING UP.
>> IT’S TOTALLY NOT CREDIBLE.
>> DEVIN: AND PRESIDENT OBAMA’S
POLICY.
POLICY. >> FOR YOU TO SAY IT, NO
PRECEDENCE--
PRECEDENCE-- >> IT WAS PRESIDENT OBAMA’S
POLICY AND THAT OF--
IT WAS A BIPARTISAN PLEA IN
WASHINGTON AT THE TIME AND ALL
OVER EUROPE TO GET RID OF THIS
CORRUPT PROSECUTOR AT THE TIME.
>> NOT ONLY THAT, I MEAN, YOU
KNOW, AMBASSADORAA YAVANOVICH,
PEOPLE AND OUR ALLIES ABROAD,
AND TRUMP REMOVED HER BECAUSE
GUILIANI DIDN’T THINK SHE WAS
CARRYING OUT TRUMP’S PERSONAL
INTERESTS.
INTERESTS. >> DEVIN: WHILE WE’RE ON CAST OF
CHARACTERS.
CHARACTERS. TWO DAYS AFTER BILL TAYLOR GAVE
THE TESTIMONY YOU CHARACTERIZED
AS DAMAGING, TIM MORRISON BACKED
UP WHAT WAS SAID, HE DIDN’T TAKE
IT AS BEING ILLEGAL OR IMPROPER.
IS THIS ALL GOING TO COME DOWN
TO SEMANTICS?
TO SEMANTICS? >> NO, NO, NO.
THIS -- YOU KNOW, MR. --
MR. MORRISON IS AN APPOINTEE OF
THE PRESIDENT AND HE WENT IN
THERE AND SAW THE PRESIDENT
DOING SOMETHING THAT HE FOUND SO
ALARMING HE HAD--
HE WAS PART OF THE GROUP THAT
SAID, THAT ALERTED THE LEGAL
FOLKS IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS
SO DAMNING THAT THEY MOVED WHERE
ALL THE PRESIDENT’S
CONVERSATIONS ARE WITH OTHER
LEADERS.
LEADERS. >> THE OTHER SERVER.
>> ON THE OTHER SERVER INTO A
HYPER SECURE NATIONAL SECURITY
SERVER THAT ONLY--
IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT LIKE
NUCLEAR SECRETS, WAR PLANS, VERY
SECURE THINGS, THEY MOVED IT
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT SAID
SOMETHING THAT WAS TOTALLY
INAPPROPRIATE.
INAPPROPRIATE. THIS--
THIS-- WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO
MR. MORRISON, THE JUDGMENT HERE
IS FOR OUR ELECTED
REPRESENTATIVES, OUR
REPRESENTATIVES, OUR REPRESENTATIVES AND OUR SENATORS
TO DECIDE AND WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER IT’S OKAY
FOR A PRESIDENT TO USE THE
RELATIONSHIP WITH ANOTHER
COUNTRY FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL
END.
END. >> DEVIN: I WANTED TO MAKE SURE
WE GET TO ONE MORE TOPIC AND
THAT’S THE TRADE WAR.
>> CAN I SAY SOMETHING QUICKLY.
>> DEVIN: OKAY.
>> THIS IS A DETROIT THING,
DEVIN.
DEVIN. WE HAVE A HUGE UKRAINIAN
AMERICAN POPULATION HERE AND
HAPPEN TO BE CENTERED IN THE 9TH
DISTRICT OF WARREN, BUT THEY’RE
ALL OVER THIS REGION.
>> DEVIN: YES.
>> LET’S NOT FORGET WHAT ARE WE
TALKING ABOUT HERE?
RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE.
THEY ARE INSIDE UKRAINE
PROSECUTING A WAR AGAINST A
SOVEREIGN STATE.
SOVEREIGN STATE. SO THIS ISN’T JUST, OH, THE
PRESIDENT -- THIS IS OUR REAL
NATIONAL SECURITY AT STAKE AND
THE MOST PROFOUND THING HAS BEEN
TO SEE A PARADE OF CAREER PEOPLE
COME THROUGH AND SAY THEY DON’T
CARE ABOUT DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS, THEIR JOB IS JUST
TO PROTECT THE NATIONAL SECURITY
OF THE UNITED STATES AND THAT’S
WHAT’S VIOLATED.
WHAT’S VIOLATED. >> DEVIN: I’LL HAVE TO LEAVE
WHETHER BARACK OBAMA DID ENOUGH
ABOUT RUSSIA’S INCURSION FOR
ANOTHER POINT.
ANOTHER POINT. >> A GOOD POINT.
>> DEVIN: THE PIECE THAT YOU
WROTE AND THE ATTENTION ON THIS
AND ACUTE IMPACT ON MICHIGAN.
>> TOTALLY, YEAH.
I MEAN, WE NOW SEE THAT LESS
PERCENTAGE OF THE U.S. GDP IS
COMING FROM MANUFACTURING THAN
ANYTIME IN 70 YEARS.
THAT’S DIRECTLY BECAUSE OF
DONALD TRUMP’S SCATTER SHOT, YOU
KNOW, TRADE WAR AGAINST OUR
ALLIES, OUR ENEMIES, ANYBODY,
AND WE NEED A COHERENT TRADE
POLICY TO PROTECT GOOD JOBS IN
MICHIGAN.
MICHIGAN. WHAT HE’S DOING IS NOT IT.
>> DEVIN: WHICH WE’RE NOT
DISCUSSING VERY MUCH AGAIN AS
THIS VERY IMPORTANT PART IN
MICHIGAN.
MICHIGAN. >> LET’S TALK ABOUT IT MORE,
COME BACK, YES.
>> DEVIN: THANK YOU, I KNOW
YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY TO ISRAEL AND