Chuck Todd brought up a quote from Stacy Abrams, past Democratic gubernatorial candidate in the state of Georgia, in which she said that there must be forgiveness with accountability. In the case, of former vice-president Joe Biden it has been a matter of debate as to whether this has been the case. These episodes of awkward, unwelcomed touching over the years are indeed forgivable, but has Mr. Biden been held sufficiently to account? That he joked about it in a speech on Friday doesn't bode well for the accountability part of the equation.
While we're on this, Bernie Sanders' response on accusations from his staff that there sexual harassment on his 2016 campaign were replayed on the program, and in a way, this column finds his explanation worse. Mr. Sanders said that he was a 'little bit busy' at the time campaigning all across the country, which in a way says that he's not paying close enough attention to his staff to realize this is going on. That's abdicating accountability.
With that said, it brings us to the question posed by Mr. Todd, does Joe Biden, a person who has built up his political credentials in the 20th century able to govern effectively in the 21st century? Oh, how badly do Democrats want Mr. Trump out of the White House...
As we said last week, Mr. Biden needs to make his decision sooner rather than later on whether he is running or not. And if he is indeed running, his electability factor would indeed go down if he were to pledge a single term.
Though he is not officially in the race as of yet, Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN) is indeed the complete polar opposite of the current president. Mayor Pete's, as he is known, biggest hurdle in the success of his candidacy is his age, 37, not the fact that he is gay. However, impressive beyond expectation is something you can not deny. He is a religious progressive from a Midwestern state who is a Rhodes scholar, Iraq-Afghanistan war veteran who has run a municipality. In terms of experience, he may be the most well-rounded candidate in the race. Hugh Hewitt said as a Republican he's worried about Mayor Pete's candidacy because of all of the outlined above, especially his military service experience.
One of the key things he said today should resonate deeply and that is that good politics is not based on the word 'again.' Despite Mr. Trump's campaign mantra of "Make America Great Again," there is no going backward. This column would postulate that anyone who thinks there is some way to move backward is deluding him or herself and isn't basing their vote in reality. It's understandable that people would be uncomfortable with the pace in which we move forward, but forward is the direction in which we must constantly move.
Mayor Pete explained that it is frustrating and hypocritical that Christian conservatives are blindly backing Mr. Trump, given the fact that he paid hush money to an adult film actress to cover up an affair, but as Mr. Hewitt pointed out, they've gotten the conservative judges on the bench that they have wanted. This is a Faustian bargain that all Republicans have made with Mr. Trump.
But is the price too high?
Mr. Trump since taking the oath of office has been tearing the country apart to what may be irreparable depths. No where is this more evident than with the issue of immigration. Mr. Trump in his rhetoric wants to completely close this country off from the rest of the world. Our distinct humaneness is what makes America the country that it always has been, what Ronald Reagan called a 'shining city on a hill.' It is the largess of heart that Mr. Trump has not desire to pump more blood into. Whether crisis or not at the border, it makes no sense whatsoever that the United States of America with all its resources and heart cannot deal with this issue effectively and humanely all at once. In a nation of immigrants, voluntary and involuntary, this issue defines the humanity that we are as a nation.
So yes, as Heather McGhee pointed out, it's disheartening to hear Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), who has legitimately questioned the president's decisions, capitulate on the Dream Act, and that an immigration system based on criminalization has no place. As Mr. Buttigieg said, a policy of tearing families apart and denying people a path to citizenship cannot stand.
The president for his part goes to great pains to make sure he doesn't forgive or is held to account.
Panel: Heather McGhee, President of DEMOS; Hugh Hewitt, Salem Radio Network; Anna Palmer, Politico; Jake Sherman, Politico
One more thing...
Senator Romney said that the president is going to win the battle of whether the public will see Mr. Trump's taxes. The Democrats have made the formal request to the IRS for Mr. Trump's tax records.
According to Section 6103(f)(1):
Upon written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and
Means of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Committee on
Finance of the Senate, or the chairman of the Joint Committee on
Taxation, the Secretary [of the Treasury] shall furnish such committee
with any return or return information specified in such request, except
that any return or return information which can be associated with, or
otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particular taxpayer shall
be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive
session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to
such disclosure.
We don't know how Mr. Trump gets out of this one, but no doubt we'll see how this battle of oversight ends up.
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