Dem Says Nancy Pelosi's Record Stands Against Donald Trump's | Morning Joe

>> FIRST OF ALL, I HOPE SHE DOESN'T STEP DOWN.
I THINK IT WILL BE A VERY, VERY SAD DAY FOR REPUBLICANS IF SHE
STEPS DOWN. I'D BE VERY DISAPPOINTED IF SHE
DID. I'D LIKE TO KEEP HER RIGHT WHERE
SHE IS, OUR RECORD IS EXTRAORDINARY AGAINST HER.
THEY ARE RIGHT NOW OBSTRUCTIONIST.
ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS TRY AND OBSTRUCT.
I THINK THEY'D DO MUCH BETTER AS A PARTY IF THEY GOT ALONG WITH
US, IF THEY CALLED US AND SAID LET'S WORK ON HEALTH CARE TOKE,
LET'S WORK ON TAX CUTS TOGETHER AND TAX REFORM.
LET'S WORK ON INFRASTRUCTURE TOGETHER.
WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER. I HONESTLY THINK THEY'D DO
BETTER AT THE POLLS. I THINK THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS
TIRED OF OBSTRUCTIONISTS. AND I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT, BOY, WOULD THE PEOPLE LOVE TO SEE TWO
PARTIES GETTING TOGETHER AND COMING UP WITH THE PERFECT
HEALTH CARE PLAN. >> THERE WAS A THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES SPEAKING THIS MORNING ON FOX NEWS, IN THE
EARLY PART OF THAT COMMENT HE WAS TALKING OF COURSE ABOUT
NANCY PELOSI, JOINING US FROM CAPITOL HILL, CHAIRMAN OF THE
BLACK CAUCUS DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN CEDRIC RICHMOND OF
LOUISIANA. CONGRESSMAN, GREAT TO HAVE YOU
WITH US THIS MORNING. WE HAVE REPORTS LED BY YOUR
COLLEAGUE KATHLEEN RICE OF NEW YORK, YESTERDAY HELD AT HER
OFFICE, DISCUSSING A POSSIBLE CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP AT THE TOP
OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. REPORTS ARE YOU ATTENDED THAT
MEETING. IS THAT TRUE, NUMBER ONE?
AND NUMBER TWO, WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP?
>> I DID ATTEND THAT MEETING. I THINK MOST OF THAT MEETINGNG S
A FAMILY DISCUSSION AND AS EVERY GOOD FAMILY DISCUSSION, YOU
SHOULD KEEP MOST OF IT IN-HOUSE. >> WAS THE OVERARCHING THEME OF
IT ALL, WAS IT CALLED IN THE WAKE OF THE LOSS IN GEORGIA,
JOHN OSSOFF AND SOUTH CAROLINA, WAS THE IDEA, SHOULD WE MAKE A
CLANG IN OUR PARTY AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY?
>> WELL THE THEME OF IT WAS HOW DO WE GET BACK TO A MAJORITY SO
WE CAN IMPLEMENT THE POLICIES THAT AFFECT THE PEOPLE THAT WE
REPRESENT AND HOW TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY A MORE PERFECT UNION.
HOW TO PROVIDE MORE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
HOW TO LIFT INCOMES FROM WHERE THEY ARE NOW.
THAT WAS THE GIST OF THE CONVERSATION.
SOME PEOPLE IN THERE WANTED TO SEE A CLANG IN LEADERSHIP.
SOME WANTED TO TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE GET BACK TO THE MAJORITY.
THAT WAS THE GIST OF IT? FROM WHERE YOU ARE SITTING,
CONGRESSMAN, NANCY PELOSI DOING AN EFFECTIVE JOB AS LEADER.
>> >> I THINK AND I WE HEARD THE COMMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT.
I PUT NANCY PELOSI'S RECORD UP AGAINST DONALD TRUMP'S RECORD
ANY DAY. SHE USHERED IN THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT, WHICH PROVIDED HEALTH CARE TO MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS, 430,000 IN LOUISIANA THROUGH MEDICAID EXPANSION.
SO SHE HAS A GREAT BODY OF WORK. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD EVER LET
PEOPLE FORGET THAT. >> SO YOU SUPPORT HER REMAINING
AS LEADER? >> I THINK SHE'S DONE A GREAT
JOB AND HER BODY OF WORK SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
>> SO SHE SHOULD STAY THEN? >> WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY
TO GET BACK TO THE MAJORITY THAT IS THE MOST CRUCIAL POINT OF
WHERE WE ARE NOW. >> SO SHE SHOULD STAY AS LEADER,
CONGRESSMAN? >> I AM CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL
BLACK CAUCUS. I WILL DO WHAT MY MEMBER
DICTATES. I THINK MY MEMBERSHIP HAS STRONG
SUPPORT FOR NANCY PELOSI. >> DONNY DEUTSCHE.
I LIKE NANCY PELOSI, I'M A BIG FAN, BUT THE HARSH REALITY OF
THE GEORGIA ELECTION IS THAT THE ADS WHEN THEY USED HER AS A
POSTERCHILD FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD OF WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY WORKED, WERE SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE ADS.
MY CONCERN WOULD BE AND IT'S NOT FAIR.
I LOVE YOUR REACTION TO THIS, IS THAT BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN THERE,
IT WOULD BE LIKE USING HILLARY CLINTON AT THIS POINT.
SHE IS AN EASY TOOL, AN EASY TARGET TO WITH ONE BLANKET SAY,
OH, THIS IS THE OLD GUARD. THIS IS WHAT'S WRONG.
>> THAT IN AND OF ITSELF, HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THAT WHERE A FRESH
FACE DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE OPPOSITION PARTY THE ABILITY TO
DO THAT? THAT'S MY CONCERN.
IT'S NOT FAIR. HOW DO YOU OVERCOME FROM THAT A
BRANDING POINT OF VIEW? >> WELL, I THINK THAT YOU USE
THAT IN THE SOUTH. I'M FROM THE SOUTH.
AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT IN LOUISIANA AND I THINK THAT THERE
ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS YOU CAN DO IN THE SOUTH THAT ARE EASY
THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT. CAN YOU ALWAYS HAVE SUBTLE HINTS
OF RACISM OR SEXISM AND OTHER THINGS AND IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE
TO SOME EXTENT. UNFORTUNATELY.
SO I DON'T THINK IT MAKES IT RIGHT.
I THINK IT'S THE REALITY WE LIVE IN.
WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB AS DEMOCRATS OF TALKING ABOUT WHAT
WE BELIEVE IN WHAT WE STANDS FOR AND WHAT OUR TRACK RECORD IS.
AND I THINK THAT YOU ALSO CAN ANTICIPATE WHAT PEOPLE USE
AGAINST YOU AND TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE VERY EARLY.
SO I THINK BOTH RACES WERE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT RACES TO
WIN. BUT WE DID.
AND WE WON IT, TOO. WE KIND OF EXPECTED TO, SO EVERY
LOSS HURTS AND WE HAVE TO PHYSICAL OUT HOW TO GO BACK AND
WIN. >> HEY, CONGRESSMAN, IT'S OUR
UNDERSTANDING THAT THE -- THAT YOUR CAUCUS REJECTED THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND MEET WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP. WHAT'S THE REASONING BEHIND
THAT? >> WELL, LOOK, I ATTENDED
INAUGURATION ON BEHALF OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS.
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD WENT TO MEET WITH THE PRESIDENT.
IN FACT, WE'VE PRESENTED HIM WITH 130-PAGE DOCUMENT THAT
OUTLINED OUR PRIORITIES, OUR SUGGESTIONS FOR MINORITY
COMMUNITIES, POOR COMMUNITIES, RURAL COMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS
AMERICA. WE'VE SENT HIM EIGHT DIFFERENT
LETTERS EXPRESSING CONCERNS OR SUGGESTIONS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A RESPONSE TO THE 130-PAGE POLICY DOUBT.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A RESPONSE TO THE EIGHT LETTERS WE'VE SENT.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A RESPONSE TO THE BUDGET WE SUBMITTED TO HIM.
THE QUESTION BECOMES, WHY ARE WE MEETING?
WE HAVE NOT HAD A RESPONSE TO ANYTHING YET.
SO THE FACT THAT IT WOULD BE A SUBSTANTIVE MEETING, WE JUST
DOUBT IT. >> GIVEN THE ISOLATION OF THE
WHITE HOUSE AND THE ISOLATION OF ANY PRESIDENT, INCLUDING THIS
PRESIDENT, WHY NOT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO DOWN TO THE
WHITE HOUSE AND RATTLE THE TEA CUPS DOWN THERE ABOUT JUST THOSE
ISSUES? >> WELL, WE DID THAT.
AND THE COMMITMENT THAT WAS MADE IN THAT MEETING WAS THAT -- AND
WE KNOW THE ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT AND WE RESPECT IT.
WHAT WE ASKED HIM WAS THAT HE MAKE CABINET SECRETARIES
AVAILABLE SO WE CAN MEET WITH THEM TO TALK ABOUT OUR ISSUES
AND OTHER THINGS. SO WE WENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
WE RESPECT THE ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT, EVEN IF THE PRESIDENT
DOESN'T RESPECT THAT ROLE, AND WE LEFT HIM WITH A POLICY
DOCUMENT AND HERE'S A COPY OF WHAT WE GAVE HIM.
SO WE HAVE YET TO GET A RESPONSE TO THAT.
SO OUR VIEWS HAVEN'T CHANGED. SO FEW WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE
STAND FOR, OUR IDEAS, JUST GO BACK AND READ THE DOCUMENT THAT
WE LEFT YOU WITH. TO GO DOWN, 49 MEMBERS OF THE
CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS TO DRIVE DOWN TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO
HAVE A SOCIAL GATHERING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD BE, JUST
WOULD NOT BE PRODUCTIVE. AND MY MEMBERSHIP DECIDED IT'S
NOT SOMETHING THEY WERE INTERESTED IN DOING.
>> CONGRESSMAN, VERY QUICKLY, UPDATE ON CONGRESSMAN SCALISE'
HEALTH? >> I WENT TO VISIT STEVE ON
TUESDAY, HE WAS UP. HE WAS SMILING AND WE WERE
JOKING. I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING THAT HE
REALIZES HE IS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AND THAT HE WAS PRAYING VERY
HEAVILY DURING THOSE MOMENTMOME JUST SEE HIS FAMILY, HIS WIFE
AND HIS DAUGHTER AND SON AGAIN AND IT WAS A REAL MOMENT AND A
PRECIOUS MOMENT TO BE ABLE TALK TO HIM.
THEN WE WENT BACK TO OUR UNUSUAL BANTERING ABOUT THE BASEBALL
GAME AND THE FACT THAT THEY CAN'T WIN WITHOUT HIM.
AT LEAST IN HIS MIND. SO, SO HE'S DOING WELL AND HIS
SPIRITS ARE UP AND OF COURSE EVERYBODY IN LOUISIANA AND
ACROSS THE C

Dem Says Nancy Pelosi's Record Stands Against Donald Trump's | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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