Mark Sanford: There's Heavy Soul-Searching Going On After Virginia Shooting | Morning Joe

WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK TOGETHER AND GET ALONG.
>> JOINING US FROM CAPITOL HILL, REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN MARK
SANFORD OF SOUTH CAROLINA. HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS MORNING?
THANK YOU FOR BEING ON. >> MY PLEASURE.
>> I GUESS, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE YOU TO COMMENT ON THE
EVENTS OF THE PAST 24 HOURS AND ALSO THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU
JUST HEARD JOE, MIKE AND I HAVING.
>> THE LAST 24 HOURS HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT SURREAL HERE ON CAPITOL
HILL. AS JOE CAN ATTEST, THE IDEA OF
GOING OFF TO PRACTICE FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME AND
HAVING A SHOOTER SHOW UP AND SHOOTING ONE MEMBER AND SHOOTING
AT OTHERS IS ABOUT THE LAST THING IN THE WORLD YOU WOULD
THINK POSSIBLE HERE IN AND AROUND THE CAPITAL.
BUT IT WAS WHAT IT WAS AND PEOPLE ARE REACTING TO IT.
I THINK THE ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SURREAL.
AS TO WHAT YOU ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT, INDEED WE'RE AT A
REFLECTION POINT. THERE ARE FORCES AT PLAY THAT
I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE OVER T T ROUGHLY 20 YEARS I'VE BEEN
INVOLVED IN POLITICS. JOE AND I CAME IN TOGETHER WAY
BACK WHEN, AND IT IS INDEED DIFFERENT.
I THINK WE HAVE TO WATCH OUT AS A SOCIETY BECAUSE, IF WE DON'T
WATCH OUT, CIVILITY IS INDEED A PART OF CIVILIZED GOVERNMENT AND
AN OPEN POLITICAL SYSTEM. IF YOU LET THESE FORCES PLAY
OUT, I THINK WE END UP AT A VERY, VERY BAD SPOT.
I THINK WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY WAS SYMPTOMATIC OF IT.
>> GO AHEAD, HAROLD. >> GOOD MORNING, MARK.
HAROLD FORD. SEND MY PRAYERS TO EVERYONE
THERE. I GREW UP IN WASHINGTON AS JOE
WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CIVILITY THAT EXISTED.
I'VE WATCHED DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS COME THROUGH MY HOME
FOR DINNER, ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL WITH COLLEAGUES, MY DAD'S
COLLEAGUES, DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN ALIKE.
PEOPLE GETTING ELECTED TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE, INTRAMURAL
FIGHTS, THIS PERSON SHOULDN'T BE THERE BECAUSE THEY WORK THE
OTHER PARTY. HOW DO WE DIAL THAT BACK?
DO YOU SEE THIS BEING A BIG INFLECTION POINT FOR A LOT OF
THINGS? BUT I HOPE IT'S AN INFLECTION
POINT FOR A WILLINGNESS, FOR MEM
BERS OF CONGRESS SAYING THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER ACROSS THE AISLE
AND WE SHOULD TAMP DOWN THE RHETORIC THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE
PUNISHED FOR WANTING TO WORK WITH THE OTHER SIDE?
DO YOU SEE THIS AS BEING ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS THAT COULD BE A
CATALYST FOR THAT? >> I THINK SO.
THERE'S SOME HEAVY SOUL SEARCHING GOING ON RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE IT WAS SO TRAUMATIC AND SO OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND
BECAUSE PEOPLE REALIZE IF IT WEREN'T FOR THOSE TWO CAPITOLAP
HILL POLICE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BLOODBATH, MAYBE 15 OR 20
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DEAD ON A GIVEN DAY.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE REGISTERING IT AS SUCH.
WHAT THE SPEAKER SAID YESTERDAY, WHAT NANCY SAID IN REACTION TO
WHAT THE SPEAKER SAID IS SYMPTOMATIC OF PEOPLE SAYING,
WAIT A MINUTE, WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO SLOW THIS DOWN.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS, AGAIN, I WAS AT A TOWN HALL MEETING, I'VE
DONE SEVERAL OF THEM OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS BACK HOME.
IT WAS AT A SENIOR CENTER, A RETIREMENT CENTER AND WHAT TOOK
PLACE IN TERMS OF PEOPLE SAYING CERTAIN THINGS TO EACH OTHER WAS
LIKE OUT OF A MOVIE. WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO DIAL
THIS BACK. I WILL GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF TRYING
TO DO THAT IN A SMALL WAY, THERE'S A CLIMATE SOLUTIONS
CAUCUS IN CONGRESS. FOR EVERY DEMOCRAT THAT GOES ON,
YOU CAN'T GET ON UNLESS THERE'S A REPUBLICAN THAT GOES WITH YOU.
I THINK THERE OUGHT TO BE A LITTLE MORE PAIRING, WHETHER IN
A CAUCUS FOR FORM OR LEGISLATIVE FORM, I THINK PEOPLE WILL LOOK
FOR WAYS TO DO THAT. >> MARK HALPERIN.
>> CONGRESSMAN, WHAT ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT TODAY IN THE
AFTERMATH OF YESTERDAY? >> THAT WE WON'T LEARN FROM IT.
HISTORY IS A GREAT TEACHER IF WE LOOKING BACK AND EXAMINE IT.
MIKA WAS TALKING JUST A MOMENT AGO, I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS AT LEAST IN PARTIALLY -- NOT TOTALLY, BUT
PARTIALLY TO BLAME FOR DEMONS THAT HAVE BEEN UNLEASHED,
WHETHER IT'S WHAT I SAW AT A SENIOR CENTER BACK HOME AND
PEOPLE SAYING F YOU, F YOU AT A RETIREMENT CENTER WHERE THEY'LL
SEE EACH OTHER PLAYING CROW KAY. THE FACT YOU HAVE THE TOP GUY
SAYING I WISH I CAN HIT YOU IN THE FACE.
WHY DON'T YOU AND I'M PAY YOUR LEGAL FEES.
THAT'S BIZARRE. WE OUGHT TO CALL IT AS SUCH.
WHAT I'VE SAID BACK HOME, SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
FRANKLY WEIRD AND DIFFERENT IN A TOWN HALL MEETING.
I SAY WHAT IS GOING ON. THEY'LL SAY LOOK, IF THE GUY AT
THE TOP CAN SAY ANYTHING TO ANYBODY AT ANY TIME, WHY CAN'T
I? I THINK WE ALL NEED TO LOOK FOR
WAYS TO LEARN FROM WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AND TO SAY, WAIT A
MINUTE, THIS IS A PAUSE MOMENT. WHAT MIGHT I DO A LITTLE

Mark Sanford: There's Heavy Soul-Searching Going On After Virginia Shooting | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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