Democrats, if they want to be successful in these midterm elections, need to take back control of the narrative. When you listen to Josh Hawley, senate candidate against incumbent Claire McCaskill in Missouri, you hear him say how awfully Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee behaved and the ensuing 'mob' behavior.
First, note to women: When Republican men, the only ones using this language, say 'mob' they are referring to you! Women.
Let that sink in and think about how you feel. They're saying that women whose pleas to be heard about sexual assault and being ignored are an angry mob.
In terms of the behavior on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democrats asked tough questions, relevant questions of Judge Kavanaugh, not once yelling at or insulting him. Yet, Judge Kavanaugh rudely interrupted female Democratic senators, in particular asking Senate Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) if she ever blacked out from drinking. Completely inappropriate. And this was all before Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) completely debased himself with his 'I hope you never get power' rant. Mr. Graham used to be a politician that even though he disagreed with his policy positions, you could respect, but no longer. Now, he's simply a sycophantic suck-up to Donald Trump. Mr. Graham, no doubt, is angling for the Attorney General job.
Women, the angry mob, really? How about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) saying that Republicans would 'plow through' the nomination. More like 'plow over' women, not take seriously a word they have to say and push through Mr. Kavanaugh. That's mob mentality...
And to that point, Mr. Todd interviewed Stacey Abrams, running in Georgia to be the first African-American female governor in the country. And what is her opponent Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp doing? Suppressing the vote by withholding 53,000 voter registrations, 70 percent of which are for people of color. In Texas, Andrea Mitchell explained that Hispanic turn-out will probably not be as strong as it should be because legal or not, they don't want to register because they are afraid of ICE and the government.
If this midterm election is a choice between judges and healthcare, as Mr. Hawley outlined, healthcare is the winner. The energy that Republicans tout from the Kavanaugh confirmation is anecdotal and really won't translate into voters at the polls. However, if Democrats let that stand and don't take back the narrative, their turn-out will indeed be dampened as well. Thus the conventional wisdom that Democrats will take back the House will be in jeopardy. Mr. Hawley also said that you can repeal Obamacare and yet mandate insurance companies by law not to deny coverage for preexisting conditions. The government could do that but price controls would go out the window! Insurance companies would reject anyone with preexisting conditions but they would set the cost, the monthly premium, so high that millions would be priced out of the market. He conveniently doesn't mention that.
Democrats need to take control of the discourse in the next 25 days so that they reestablish their chances for taking the Senate as well. The energy is on their side if they are bold enough to harness it because as it stands right now, Democratic strategists are doing a disservice to candidates like Beto O'Rourke in Texas and Phil Bredesen in Tennessee.
Part of this is putting the president's ethics back front and center. NBC's Carol Lee explained that the president is feeling pretty good at the moment because the president's scandals are not a focal point at the moment.
And two more fresh examples of the president's unfitness for office are front and center this week. President Trump hasn't made any strong statements for the people and communities devastated by Hurricane Michael and is planning to visit this upcoming week. There has been no sense of urgency on behalf of the administration to address this disaster - at least that's how it's playing out in his media narrative.
The second is the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who went in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 1 and never left. Mr. Trump is clearly facing a difficult political situation with Saudi Arabia but is reluctant to sanction them because of what he says is a large arms deal. Basically, he is sacrificing American principles for money. In other words, money is more important to him than the principles for which this country has stood for over 240 years. And let's be clear, money not for the country, his money. Saudis have given millions upon millions of dollars in real estate purchases in Trump properties. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said that if it is proven that the Saudis did
indeed kill Mr. Khashoggi then Congress will act swiftly and decisively
in a bipartisan manner, which will isolate the president and his
position. The money that Mr. Trump personally stands to lose if Congress sanctions Saudi Arabia creates a clear conflict of interest. The administration has a legal obligation to investigate which Mr. Trump doesn't want to do. Not to mention the fact that Mr. Trump has violated the Constitution by taking emoluments from the Saudi government.
Government's function is to serve the people, not serve itself. However, with Republicans in power that's exactly what they're doing - enabling a thoroughly corrupt president and serving themselves to have absolute power. Democrats don't need to kick them when Republicans go low, they just need to shout the truth - LOUD.
Panel: Andrea Mitchell, NBC News; Carol Lee, NBC News; Peter Baker, The New York Times; Lanhee Chen, Stanford University
One more thing...
Kanye West and Jim Brown are fools if they think for one minute that President Trump cares one iota about the plight of people of color in this country. How these two men can support him simply defies common sense and decency. Just an off-the-cuff opinion.
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