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Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) And Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Is Interviewed About Democratic Priorities; Newsom launches Campaign To Stop Recall Effort Against Him; VA Gov. Restores Voting Rights To 69K Former Felons. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired March 16, 2021 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:30:00]

SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN (D-WI): We have to take a serious look at the fact that we have a majority in the Senate. And yet under current rules, Mitch McConnell basically has a veto, if you will.

And I think all of us are engaged in a serious discussion about how we do move forward with priorities, where we can we want to build bipartisan support for this bold agenda and so many of the things on that agenda are things that we should be able to work together on like infrastructure and many of those provisions. However, you know, you've already heard some who previously said they were not going to look at filibuster reform saying, well, what about a talking filibuster? What about this or what about that? So we're moving and very aware that we are -- we were put here to enact a bold agenda, and we plan on doing so.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Plan on doing so. Senator Brown, are Democrats sometimes too timid in using their power when they have it?

SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D-OH): Sure, Republicans play hardball. Democrats sometimes are too timid. But as Schumer said, failure is not an option. And we know what we need to do. We know that McConnell has blocked dozens of popular initiatives, things that the public wants. I mean, look at the rescue plan we just passed, 70 plus percent of Americans like it over half of Republicans like it, yet not one republican voted for it.

We want to be bipartisan, Tammy and I have run in states that are difficult states, we get Republican votes because people know we're reasonable and we'll work with the other side. But the most important thing is we get these things done on voting rights, on the PRO Act, Protecting our Right to Organize on all kinds of things for workers. So our job is to deliver, I want it to be bipartisan, we will work towards that, we will do what we need to do, though, as a party to deliver for the public.

KING: Both of your states, it's not Senator Brown or Senator Baldwin, both of your states have Senate races next year and as you know, your 50-50 Senate. The big question is what happens in the midterm, which party is in control after the midterms? Senator Baldwin, you mentioned, perhaps using the reconciliation process for the infrastructure plan build back better? One of the questions on the table is do you raise taxes on wealthy Americans take back some of the Trump tax cuts, if you will, to help pay for that plan?

Some Democrats would say, oh, Lord, please don't do that. In an election year, where we have a Senate race in Wisconsin, we have a Senate race in Ohio, must Democrats take -- pay for some of the infrastructure plan by raising taxes on wealthy Americans?

BALDWIN: You know, the pay for infrastructure has always been the most controversial thing, when the gas tax ceased to be able to provide the sort of revenue that we need to maintain our roads and bridges, at least that piece of infrastructure. And I've seen those battles play out in our state. And I've seen those battles play out in the Congress of the United States.

I'm one of the put all options on the table people when it comes to our infrastructure. We have too many who come to the table and say, well, you can't do this and you can't do that. If we're going to address the infrastructure deficit of this nation and our state's, we've got to come up with the revenue.

KING: That's one question. Another one, Senator Brown is what to do about immigration. Your colleague, Dick Durbin, the number two in the leadership saying he's not sure you could get a big bill through the Senate right now. What about the incremental approach, do you favor for example, bring up the bill to help this protect the so called DREAMers to the floor, it's broadly popular, bring up a bill to protect the undocumented to create a pathway to citizenship, bring up a bill to create a visa program for farm and other agricultural workers, do them separately and essentially, put Republicans on the record or a big approach, comprehensive approach, which likely won't get 60 votes won't happen?

BROWN: Well, I guess I subscribe to what Senator Baldwin just said all things on the table. I want to do whatever we can do to make work and to make it work. And I generally find Senator Durbin very reasonable in issues like this. And that's certainly an option we should pursue. I don't know the answer to your question. But I want to do something that we can bring both parties in and be responsible and protect our country and continue to fight for jobs and with the right human rights aspect to our policy.

KING: It is a challenging moment. I appreciate both of your time today. Senator Brown, Senator Baldwin, when the President does answer your letter, please circle back with us and we'll have another conversation about keeping those -- that spending here in the country. And we'll track these other issues as we go through a very interesting year and a half or so ahead. Thank you both. Thank you.

BROWN: Thank you John.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

[12:34:47]

KING: Up next, stop the recall. That's California Governor's Gavin Newsom new effort to keep his job.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: California Governor Gavin Newsom now launching an aggressive campaign to keep his job as he faces a growing recall effort. The push to get him out of office started last year fueled, at least in part by anger over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. But the Governor says this recall effort goes well beyond that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): This started before the pandemic. If you look at the list of grievances from the proponents of this campaign, it goes to our values. It's less about me. It's more about California in our values Democratic Party values.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Governor Newsom now launching to stop the republican recall campaign, soliciting donations, touting his support from big name Democrats, and making these claims about the people supporting his ouster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:40:02]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who's behind a partisan recall of Governor Gavin Newsom? Anti-vaccine QAnon extremists, violent white supremacists like the Proud Boys who attacked our Nation's Capitol on January 6th, and the same right wing Republican politicians who supported Donald Trump's attempt to overturn the election. Instead of helping fight the pandemic, national Republicans are coming to fight Californians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Let's discuss with our CNN national political reporter Maeve Reston and CNN political commentator, Errol Louis. Maeve, when you see the Governor suddenly doing a bunch of national T.V. interviews, including he'll be on the lead with Jake Tapper later today, when you see that ad, that tells me the Governor is a candidate that he understands his opponents are likely at least he must believe, going to get enough signatures to have a recall election and he's at it.

MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: He is, John. And it's such a shift in strategy from what we've seen over the last couple of months. Obviously, when the recall effort got going last year, he completely ignored it. And then when it picked up steam, particularly over the holidays, when he had put in a set -- a second set of stay at home orders that angered a lot of people. He would sort of answer questions about the recall by brushing them off and defending his leadership during the pandemic.

But now he -- this is a media blitz, like nothing that we have seen over the last two days. And what it tells you is that the recall most likely will qualify and that they know that there's significant risk here. California is one of those states where it's very easy to get a recall on the ballot, it's a lot harder to actually recall a Governor, particularly because of the Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans here.

But this is a more broad based effort than those ads are making it out to be. And they know that they really have to tell their side of the story and try to define the narrative at this pivotal moment here, John.

KING: And Errol, Maeve is right, it is easier to get on the ballot than it is to actually then actually recall the Governor. But this is the process that sent Gray Davis packing and brought us Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the day as governor of California. So you can see that Newsom is taking it seriously because he remembers that history. This is just his way. He's getting help, if you will, from progressives. Elizabeth Warren in a naked partisan power grab, extreme right wing Republicans are trying to recall Gavin Newsom. Why? Because he dares to listen to scientists and fights to put power in the hands of working people.

Let's have Gavin's back. Cory Booker. My friend Gavin Newsom has been a leader throughout this crisis. Now an unpopular partisan recall will waste critical taxpayer dollars when they're needed most, stop the recall. Again, that tells me this is somebody who's trying to mobilize the progressive base of the Democratic Party, A, to help them raise money now and B, to potentially turn out votes if he needs them.

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely. And that progressive base, by the way, is not where his problem is. The problem, of course, is with not just the extremists that I assume that they do exist. So I guess the ads aren't entirely inaccurate. But there are a lot of people who are not happy about how the wildfire crisis was handled. They're not happy about how the pandemic crisis was handled. They're not happy about the lockdowns. They're not happy about a lot of different things.

There are a lot of very California specific issues that have generated some controversy beyond just the far right. I'll give you one example. California has voted a few weeks ago to give $600 pandemic relief dollars to undocumented immigrants. Now, you know, I live in a heavily immigrant community here in New York City, we wouldn't think twice about that. But that doesn't necessarily sit well with everybody. And some taxpayers out there are upset about it.

So he's going to have to wage a much broader campaign if he hopes to get past this. Let's keep in mind. He is upside down in the polls right now. His unfavorables are slightly higher than is favorable. So he's got a real fight on his hands.

KING: And so Maeve, when you have a real fight on your hand, as Errol puts it, sometimes you're looking to make friends, you have to be careful not to make enemies. Sometimes the choices are hard. Last night, the Governor was on MSNBC, and he was asked a lot of progressives are unhappy with the senior Senator Dianne Feinstein. They used to love her. They just think that she is best her prime. So joy read put the question to the governor, listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY REID, MSNBC HOST: If in fact, Dianne Feinstein were to retire, will you nominate an African American woman to restore the seat that Kamala Harris is no longer in the United States Senate? And do you have a name in mind?

NEWSOM: I have multiple we have multiple names in mind.

REID: It can be yes answer, yes or no.

NEWSOM: We have multiple names in mind and the answer is yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: And so multiple names in mind left the impression that he's moving along in this process, and some took that as him trying to suggest he would like Senator Feinstein to step down. Today on "The View," he says, oh, no, no, no, no.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWSOM: She's been an incredible mentor to me. And so I was asked just to point blank question if she ever did retire what I -- and I just answered it honestly and forthrightly. That said, I have no expectation that she'll be stepping aside quite the contrary talk. I talk to her quite often. She's is lucid and focused and as sort of committed to the cause.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:45:18]

KING: Who knew, it's complicated?

RESTON: Yes, that was a much more nuanced answer today and certainly his answer last night surprised a lot of people in part because when I talked to Feinstein sources, you know, this keeps coming up every couple of months, but there is no suggestion that she has any imminent plans to step down.

But this certainly came up because of Governor Newsom's selection of Alex Padilla to take Kamala Harris's seat, and there were a lot of women, black women in particular in California who want to see representation in the U.S. Senate by another black woman. I think Newsom is getting a little bit ahead of the process here. And that looks sort of nakedly political that answer and so that's why you saw him rushing to clean it up.

Feinstein sources also say that, you know, they really don't like this suggestion that she needs to leave when we have so many white male senators over the years who have stayed in the Senate, you know, well into their 80s and 90s. And there's a suggestion about whether these calls are coming up more for her because she's a woman and that has angered some of her defenders. So he would be best served probably by staying away from that subject. It's just a little too thorny. KING: It's hard to stay away from it when you're trying to raise your profile to get out there nationally and talk about this and raise money but we shall watch.

RESTON: That would make news, right?

KING: It as a fascinating moment. Maeve Reston, Errol Louis, grateful for the reporting and insights, again, a fascinating story. We'll stay on top of.

Up next for us, Virginia's Governor takes a dramatic move, executive action on voting rights. What that order does for convicted felons, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:51:39]

KING: Virginia's Democratic Governor Ralph Northam just taking a historic step, sure to be controversial step on voting rights today with an executive action that will immediately restore the right to vote for 69,000 formerly incarcerated felons. Previously, individuals convicted of a felony in Virginia would have to complete the terms of parole or probation before applying to have their rights restored by the governor.

CNN correspondent Sara Murray joins me now with more. Sara, in the big debate nationally over criminal justice forum, it's a big step.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It is a big step. You know, and it's an interesting step. Of course, at a time when we've seen so many Republican lawmakers across the country trying to restrict voting rights. In this case, we're seeing a Democratic Governor move forward try to restore voting rights for folks who are convicted felons. Previously, they would have had to serve out their entire term of probation or parole. Now the Governor is trying to change it. Here he is talking today about why he wants to make this change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RALPH NORTHAM (D-VA): Letting these folks vote or exercise other civil rights isn't a threat to public safety. We're a Commonwealth that believes in second chances. And we believe in forgiveness. We want people to move forward and not be tied down by the mistakes of their past.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: So like I said, prior to this executive order, if you are a convicted felon in Virginia, you had to serve out your term of parole. You had to serve out your term of probation. Now, this is going to affect 69,000 formerly incarcerated felons, they'll be able to vote, they'll be able to serve on a jury. And one of the reasons that Virginia wanted to make this change is that they're looking at the way other states have handled convicted felons. There are a couple of states where even if you're behind bars, you can continue to vote, you don't lose any of these rights.

And then there are 18 other states where once you are released from prison, these rights are automatically restored to you. In Virginia, that's not the case. It's not an automatic restoration. You either have to apply to have these rights restored or the state is looking at these cases individually and saying, you know, are you eligible to get these rights back?

But again, John, it is particularly interesting, because as we've seen across the country, we've seen Republican lawmakers try to restrict voting rights, make it harder to vote, in this case in Virginia, he's trying to restore voting rights for up to 70,000 people.

KING: It's interesting, big deal. Sara Murray, appreciate the hustle and the reporting, big step from the Virginia Governor. Appreciate it.

[12:53:52]

Up next for us, a key Republican senator asked the former President Donald Trump to stay out of the 2022 Senate primaries, that Senator still waiting for an answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Topping our Political Radar today, the former President Donald Trump will not commit to staying out of Republican Senate primaries. That comes directly from Senator Rick Scott, who's the head of the Republican senate Campaign Committee. He met with the former President last week and says he suggested to him that the former President backed candidates who can win primaries instead of engaging in any intra party fights. Senator Scott says the President, the former President, had no response.

The Alaska Republican Party making clear its anger at the state senior senator, Lisa Murkowski. Over the weekend, the state party not only voted to censure Senator Murkowski, but vowed to recruit a primary challenger against her, that according to the "Anchorage Daily News." The censure resolution lists a number of votes Murkowski cast that have angered state Republicans, chief among them of course, her vote to convict Donald Trump in his Senate impeachment trial.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson now defending his recent controversial comments that he quote, might have been a little concerned about the Capitol rioters if they had been members of Black Lives Matters or Antifa, Johnson riding in "The Wall Street Journal" today, this isn't about race. It's about riots. The rioters who burned Kenosha weren't of any one ethnicity. They were united by their radical leftism. Their politics together with their taste for violence so different from the Trump supporters I know personally or the Trump rallies we all saw carried out peacefully should concern us, that from Senator Johnson. Senator, when you say that white people don't make you nervous and black people do, that's racism.

[13:00:02]

Appreciate your time today in Inside Politics. Hope to see you back here this time tomorrow. Brianna Keilar picks up our coverage right now. Have a good day.