Newark Mayor Cory Booker appeared on our show tonight, in his first interview since saying on Meet the Press that negative campaigning by President Obama and Mitt Romney was "nauseating"
A rush transcript of key bits from his conversation with Rachel follows.
On deciding to talk about the story:
CORY BOOKER: I was doing no interviews, and it wasn't until the GOP went across that line that I said forget it I've had all I can stand and I can stand no more, so thank you for giving me a chance to be on tonight.
RACHEL MADDOW: What is the line that they crossed that made you feel that way? What is it about the way they have reacted to this that made you change your mind about talking about this issue again?
BOOKER: Anybody who watched the entire Meet the Press, not only was I defending Obama's positions on numerous issues, but I also talked about super PAC money and the negative campaigning and my outrage and really my frustration was about the cynical negative campaigning, the manipulating of the truth and so here they are plucking sound bites out of that interview, to manipulate them in a cynical manner to use them for their own purposes, and that slogan is really what had me, and basically my entire staff, really fit to be tied.
On staying active in the Obama re-election campaign:
BOOKER: As far as where my heart is right now I am very upset that I am being used by the GOP this way and it's, uh, while I thought today I was going to be quiet, I've been pushed so far that you are going to hear a lot from me to the extent possible and to the extent that President Obama and his campaign want to hear from me.
On Republicans saying he has been a victim of the Obama campaign and that he was forced by national Democrats to issue clarifying remarks:
BOOKER: For anybody that knows me and really knows my career, I've been an independent Democrat for a long time, standing up on issues, and actually have been comfortable to say I disagree with the president before on marriage equality, and now he stands for that issue. But the reality is that the Barack Obama team in the White House and their political team have been good to me for many, many years. I've worked with them early in the primaries in the last election. They have never pressure me to do anything. They've done but encourage me. And in this case in particular, I certainly did talk with campaign officials, but they didn't force me to do anything. They had good conversations with me.
And after having conversations with them, especially after hearing the President's remarks on this issue where he was not condemning all of private equity, he was not condemning any particular firms, he was focusing in on a guy who's bragging about his job creation record -- to me, I think that's fair game. All of those things made me say, you know what? I need to go on and clarify because obviously I did things in the Meet the Press interview, as I told you, that did not land the points that I was trying to make and in some ways, you know, frustratingly, I think I conflated the attacks that the Republicans were making with Jeremiah Wright with some of the attacks on the left, and those can't even be equated. The noxious nature of some of the attacks that we've seen to be going on our president, where you even poll many in the GOP who still believe he's a secret Muslim and these other thing. It's gotten so ridiculous, you can't even equate the negativity on the right with what's happening by some sectors in the left.
So, at this point, I'm grateful for the president, who came out today and said very kind words to me. Many more cynical folks in his camp probably wanted the president to go on the attack on me. God bless him because I think his team listened to the totality of what I was doing, heard me defend the president on Meet the Press on health care, heard me defend him on job creation, heard me defend him on doing tax reform to actually help people in my community in Newark, New Jersey. And it's a partnership I'm going to continue to have no matter what role they want me to play. I play it proactively, not reactively, to them.
The full transcript of the interview is posted here.
Leave a Comment:
You didn't ask this clown about the 500 grand he got from Bain..........................You didn't ask him about his There is No War on Women comment....................Are you turning into a soft ball question coperate media stooge too..............
If mayor Booker had a problem representing the campaign's position on Bain -- Cory should have bowed out. I'm sure they could have found another person.
Cory meant to level Obama with that Goober behavior. No one does what he did without knowing the fire it draws. He figures it earned him campaign contributions and that's his scope of view.
I am sorry Rachel I love you girl , but you supporting this clown ?.. I can't go there with you.. It's not the first time CORY BOOKER disses the Obama administration on Meet The Press !.. I believe its actually about the fourth time he does it !.
CORY BOOKER is only looking out for CORY BOOKER !.. Nobody else !..
And if this is the BEST "surrogate" the Obama administration can muster to defend the administration from republican attacks on Meet The Press , I'll tell you right now Obama is F**CKED come november !..
I found it "nauseating" that he never clarified what he meant when he said he found the Obama attack ads on Bain Capital "Personally Nauseating" !...
Rachel I know CORY BOOKER is a friend of yours for the longest , I believe you even worked witht the guy some years ago if I am not mistaken. But you cannot convince me that CORY BOKER is not positioning himself for higher office and becoming the darling of WALL STREET and the 1% !...
That he has decided to BASH Obama "His good friend" in the process is really a MISTAKE that is going to cost him dearly with the average democratic voter !.
By the way RACHEL , what is an "Independent Democrat" ?. Never heard the term before tonight on your show . I thought you are either a republican , independent or democrat ?. But an Independent Democrat ?..
CORY BOOKER should go back to kissing CHRIS CRISTIE'S A**HOLE !...
He has become very good at that , that and dissing his democratic president !.
I am really disappointed with RACHEL MADDOW tonight , her questioning of CORY BOOKER was LAME and WEAK !. There is a reason he decided to do his only interview on the RACHEL MADDOW show , They have been friends for years !..
And RACHEL probably gave him assurances that she would go easy on him...
RACHEL you let friendship get in the way of a serious discussion tonight !..
CORY BOOKER comparing the Reverend Wright RACIALLY DIVISIVE ads from the republican party and super pacs to the Obama Bain Capital ads is really "Nauseating and Disgusting !..
CORY BOOKER in my book you are just full of CRAP dude!...
Rachel Maddow is a friend of Cory Bookers. She stated as much a couple of weeks ago when Booker was on her show as well as last night at the end of the interview. Had Maddow not made that fact known...I would have the same problem with her soft/nurturing interview with Booker that many of you have here.
My take:
Rachel brought on a friend who was under attack (Cory Booker) and gave him a safe venue to try to mop up the mess he made on 'Meet The Press'. Had Booker NOT been a friend of Maddows I think she would have mopped the floor with him, but she chose to stand by her friend rather than exploiting Booker for the purpose of gaining another feather in her cap. Was the Booker segment great journalism / reporting on Maddow's part? Hell no. By far it was not her best reporting. BUT....I respect Maddow for her loyalty to a friend. She stood by Booker when it was unpopular to do so, despite her colleagues launching attacks against him and knowing that much of her fan base wasn't ready to let Booker off the hook just yet like she had.
Had Cory Booker been as loyal of a surrogate to President Obama as Rachel Maddow is a friend to Cory Booker....the Meet The Press fiasco would have never happened.
Booker could learn a lesson from Rachel:
Booker should count his blessings that he's got a loyal friend like Maddow. I just hope if the tables are ever turned and she needs him to stand by her when the chips are down...that he would be equally as loyal (even if it has consequences to his political career). Unfortuanately, from what we've seen from him...I doubt that to be the case. I'm sure Booker would toss Maddow under the bus just as he did the POTUS if it ever conflicted with his political ambitions.
Booker showed his true colors on Meet The Press and as much as I respect Rachel for her loyalty and as much as I enjoy her show….not even she can fix this for him.
Booker and Romney are twin brothers. Both line their pockets with Wall Street money AT THE EXPENSE and to the DETRIMENT of others in order to satisfy their own selfish greed and political ambitions.
I want to correct you on something , I saw the HOLE interview last night , and she NEVER stated that she was a friend of Booker , I did not hear her once state that fact.. Before , during or after the interview she never made that fact know to the viewers.. She treated this guy with KID GLOVES , never going after his "Nauseating" remarks , I find it 'nauseating' that she never asked him about the campaign contributions he received from BAIN CAPITAL !..
RACHEL MADDOW came down a notch last night on the integrity factor...
Since we're correcting each other PEE: HOLE = WHOLE
At the end of the interview Maddow called him "my friend". Typically she
does not do this unless she has a personal relationship with someone she is
interviewing. Also in an interview 2 weeks ago (I believe it was after Obama
coming out in support of marriage equality) she also made reference to her friendship with Booker.
I could not disagree with you more about Rachel coming "down a notch on the
INTEGRITY factor". I think what Maddow did showed a great amount of personal integrity and professional restraint. Had she exploited Booker (someone she has a personal relationship with) for a slam dunk story to advance her own career she'd pretty much be doing the exact same thing to Booker that Booker did to Obama.
Booker had already been beaten with a stick all day across cable news and on the
internet (with good reason). By the time Maddow got to Booker, it was already well reported that Booker had ties to Bain capital and Wall Street and his possible motives for defending Bain and private equity over the President had already been established. Maddow wouldn't have been revealing anything new that most people following the story didn’t know already.
Also lets not overlook another important point....had Booker not felt safe and
comfortable with Maddow, the interview would never have taken place at all.
Excuse my grammar , I write too fast when am at work , calling someone your friend at the end of an interview does not constitute journalistic integrity , she should have let the viewers know that she has had a personal friendship with Cory Booker for years , before she started the interview.That would have benn the right way of doing things. It is obvious to anybody who saw it that she went really easy on her"Friend". Her questions where possed in away so that Cory Booker could answer them how ever he wanted.She never asked him what he meant when he said he found the Obama ads "Nauseating".
I will repeat my comment from before , Rachel Maddow failed last night...
Her interview with Cory Booker was just a FAVOR to a friend knee deep in political S**T !...
WTG BOOKER! YOU TELL THEM!
Cory Booker taken out of context??? I watched Meet the Press IN FULL and saw Cory Booker stab Obama and the middle class in the back. He must be a blue dog trader. Romney's history with Bain shows what and who Romney is, despite how meny sides of the issues Romney pretends to stand on. It is vital that we in the once middle class are not fooled and vote in our own best interests. With all the spin and lies that is not easy to do. Cory Booker did the middle class voters a disservice with his remarks on Meet the Press. Frankly he, Cory Booker, should be called on it and voted out of office. We cannot afford any Blue dogs.
I totally agree with you Sheryl voter age 64! No one put any words in Corey Booker's mouth! Corey Booker, wants to be Barack Obama so desperately! You wish! He knew exactly what he was doing and saying when he said all that he did. Which by the way was for a self serving purpose. Corey Booker, wants to be Barack Obama. But he doesn't even come close. Your not cut from the same cloth and definitely do not have the same moral fiber. Booker, is a disgrace to the democratic party. He sold his soul to the devil. But as always when the evil doers deeds are done in the dark, they surely come to light for all to see. Corey Booker, we true democrats now see you for what you really are and your treacherous, self serving actions last Sunday was political suicide and will bring a prominent democrat down. You.
Fairfirst, your naiveté is showing.
Check out Booker on Wikipedia; he and Ms. Maddow are close friends.
While you are there peruse his career path- a mirror image of Obama's. And, like our President, he has no problem of throwing people under the bus- if it advances his own agenda. (I say this as a longtime progressive and Obama supporter) Reality can be sooo inconvenient. . .
Okay Cory -- you are nauseating. You already did the damage.
Mayor Booker is an asset to the Democrat party and the President re-election efforts.
Mayor Booker was no asset yesterday.
Perhaps he was an asset to Bain Capital considering the large donation he received from them. For one thing, he seems to have the problem of talking so fast that his ears can't hear with his mouth is saying. Sorry, Rachel, but I'm afraid this one goes in the minus column for loyalty.
While I have the utmost respect for Dr. Maddow, I was disappointed in her interview with Mayor Booker. To ask such an easy question as (paraphrasing), "The Republicans have said you were pressured to change your position, were you pressured?" belies her bias.
Mayor Booker, being the professional politician (and I mean that as a compliment, he's a sharp guy), actually answered the question that should have been asked. Yes, he was contacted by someone from the administration after his Meet the Press statement.
When she asked the question about pressure, I said aloud to my wife, "Why didn't she ask if he'd been contacted by anyone from the White House?" Then, he included that he had in his answer. I immediately recognized he knew people would ask, so he volunteered it.
While I don't believe the Mayor in anyway supports Gov. Romney, I do think he appreciates what Gov. Romney did in his role at Bain. I think he is "nauseated" by what the PACs are doing on BOTH sides. He almost said as much in the interview tonight. He seems to respect the way the President is speaking about the Governor's experience but not the way the outside groups are characterizing Bain-like companies and the valid role they play in our capitalistic economy.
Rob, I'm not sure I buy all that talk about Cory still being a friend of this administration. In the MTP interview it wasnt just his words that disturbed people -- it was the way he said it. The passion and distain in his delivery was not of a guy that was acting as a surogate. And then he made a point to say that Obama2012 had sent his talking points that he was ignoring.
Sam, but I find that refreshing. He's saying, "hey, I am for President Obama and I can even tell you a long list of things he's right on...on my own." I don't like a polished. everyone on the exact same page, robotic politician. I want someone who speaks his/her mind, is his/her own person, and realizes we don't agree on everything but we fight with the people with which we agree the most.
I also wish the media (and the campaigns but that's even more challenging than the media) wouldn't try to dissect every little thing. Anytime one person even says one thing out of line, it is jumped upon.
Case in point, why wasn't the story after the Meet the Press interview: Mayor Booker agrees with almost everything the Obama administration and campaign are doing, why wasn't that the story? No, it was, oh, Mayor Booker thinks the Obama campaign is wrong on ONE thing!
Except he's been bought by Bain. Not completely- he'll need a lot more money to run for his next office. But he's not "independent". And to be fair, neither is any other politician who takes corporate money.
I have not seen the MTP interview yet, but, from what I've heard so far, Mayor Booker committed at least two serious, loose-canon sins. The worst was that he equated the Jeremiah Wright smear campaign with the campaign against Romney's avowed record with Bain. The other was not seeming to have a hint of a clue as to what the actual issue was with Romney citing his career at Bain. It's really quite remarkable that Mr. Booker could wander so far off course. It is, also, amazingly ironic that he became the goat in the very practice that he was railing against.
RobDon,
I am having a mind-bending moment here. I actually totally agree with you!!! Good Post!
Oncerepublican, maybe it's the old broken clock syndrome. It's even right twice a day. (Of course, this would be the old fashion analog clock, not those new fangled digital ones.) I'll try and be more careful.
Rachel and Cory are good friends from college, so maybe she should have let Ed do the interview. Unfortuately the media and political elites have these personal relationship that sometimes conflict with them doing their job.
Love ya Rachel, but that interview was really disappointing. Why didn't you ask him to defend his comments that Bain is such a good corporate citizen? Why didn't you ask him why he is so proud that he made the tough decisions to fire people in Newark? You like austerity if it comes from someone you obviously feel kinda positive about? Why didn't you ask him to expand on why he is so hot for private equity firms? Cory seems to want to be a Very Serious Person, and it was pretty lame of you not to call him out on this.
my sentiments exactly Eunice, well said
Yeah, sorry Rachel. I get the impression you two are kind of friends. But this interview tonight was a giant run-on sentence of a man who thinks if he can talk long enough without taking a breath he can weasel his way out of this.
Go back and listen to or read the transcript of Meet the Press. This was no mis-speak. This was no conflation of ideas. He is badly trying to pretend he didn't say what he meant. No, he meant it every word of it.
He is not an Obama supporter. He is a Cory Booker supporter. Even your colleague Steve Benen pointed that out on the Last Word right after you. He is only an Obama supporter to the extent that it conflicts with his personal ambition, which because Bain greases his palms with money meant that his role as surrogate is not nearly as important as defending the people on whom he financially depends. Steve Benen even said he is not that popular in Newark, but is very popular on Wall Street. Seems like the residents of Newark are just useful idiots in his path to stardom. But turn about is fair play, because now Cory Booker is the useful idiot that the GOP will exploit to win the White House.
I'm not sure what the Obama campaign does with him at this point because if they rescind his surrogate role, he may turn even nastier. But one thing for sure is he cannot be trusted, so if they put him out there again, they better have the damage control unit ready to go!
KAk1958...... I certainty agree with you.
Rachel I'm disappointed in you tonight.
Actually, now that I've thought about it more, the Obama campaign can't use him anymore as a surrogate because every time he appears it will re-ignite this discussion and Romney's team will only be too happy to remind people what he said. I bet right about now he wishes he could rescue himself from a burning building.
I totally concur and could not have said it better my self!
He set himself on 'Political Fire' and is now desperately trying to put it out !..
Too Late DUFUS !.. Your goose is COOKED !...
I think you are POLITICALY FRIED dude !..
The only positive in this whole mess (if there is one) -- is that it brought more exposure to Bain and it's practices. I agree with those that say private equity has a role to play, but for Mittens to say that his goal was to create jobs is a big FAT LIE.
Dr. Maddow and Booker are friends from Stanford. I don't think he was a Rhodes Scholar, but the friendship was maintained.
That makes this a hard interview; and if I were her producer, I would have at the very least postponed it.
Ed, however, smacked him good.
The problem with the Booker comments was that in the middle of a fair and accurate discussion of Romney's business practices he took the time to declare criticism of a major funding source for his future political campaigns off-limits. That's not illegal but it's not the way a democracy can function, and a reporter who cares about the public interest shouldn't let a politician do that, or at least point out what the politician is doing.
In Booker's youtube vid in response to the MTP interview he did not clarify or caveat or expand or modify his earlier stance about private equity criticism in general being out of bounds. At this point, he's not only signaling he's open for business, he's signaling that he will conduct a media strategy oriented around protecting the public image of campaign funding sources.
A strategy he continued on the Maddow interview to perfection. Maddow asked one question which went to the central problem of Bookers comments - "What do you think is allowable criticism of the private equity industry", more than halfway through the interview - and she allowed him to completely dodge the question and with talk about "negative campaigning" and superPACs and whatnot. After which she moved on to the next unrelated question.
The interview acted exactly in accordance with how politicians like to play the media game and exactly opposed to what serves the public interest; Booker was openly pandering to potential donors while trying to make "objective" points, he wasn't called to task for it, and he gets to make himself out as a martyr. Which the majority of Maddow's questions made it very easy to do. This interview could be used as evidence for a lot of less than flattering characterizations of Maddow's conduct.
Is Maddow "just playing the game" instead of serving the public? Is she protecting her show's interests by going soft on interview guests so that guests will continue to appear on her show? Is she protecting her career by serving the interests that pay her and will hire her in the future instead of the public?
I don't think so. She's been too righteous in the past and she has more than a few interviews that serve on the other side of the scale as this one. She could have just been blinded by her friendship with an old Stanford buddy, but I don't think it's that either, because she's intelligent and driven enough that it's pretty unlikely.
What I think happened is what happens to everyone: she swims in the same water everyone in her industry swims in, and occasionally some of the water gets ingested. I think it's a mistake borne of time constraints and scattered attention.
But that doesn't excuse the fact that it was a tremendous mistake. One of the central problems of American politics is politicians being too beholden to their funding sources. Not only was Maddow served just a perfect example to clearly explore this issue in a way that would make sense to a broad swath of people and failed to take advantage of it, but she acted as the perfect partner to help a politician who polluted the public discourse for money sweep that transgression against the public interest under the rug.
Tl;dr - Booker tried to prevent criticism of future campaign funding sources in a blatant and dishonest manner. Maddow assisted him in whitewashing his comments. She acted against the public interest, she made a tremendous mistake, and she's shown too much integrity as a journalist to think that it shouldn't matter to her and that it shouldn't matter to her viewing audience.
Both Sides Do It...... I agree. We the vewers are taking note. You know many working class people get such few chances to see our interests defended. On programs like Meet the Press, Face the Nation and This Week... seems the deck is so often stacked in favor of the Republican agenda. Cory Booker in my view did us a disservice. Rachel should have called him on it.
Excellent comments. Rachel had an opportunity to do something special beyond praise from Mitchell and she did not go for the simple questions. How much money do you get from private equity firms Cory? Is that why you went off message?
Qme2 I mean honestly it might be "special" because our media is so awful but it's also the bare minimum for calling yourself a competent let alone progressive journalist.
Politician's first campaign largely financed by financial industry, including one specific firm run by a party opponent. Politician doesn't even want to explore or acknowledge criticism of that firm and that sector of the financial industry on a national forum. Politician offers followup video where he doesn't even touch the self-serving careerist aspect of his comments.
If you're a journalist who claims to come from a progressive perspective and has this politician on your show for his first interview after all this went down, you by God get him to answer for this mess or you're not doing your job to a professional standard, and you're not doing your job to the standard you've set for yourself. Booker can think whatever he wants about Bain and the nature of private equity firms, but to offer such a blatantly self-serving piece of analysis requires that a journalist pick it apart if she wants to call herself a competent journalist, let alone a progressive one.
And if Maddow doesn't agree, hey, free country, but I don't see why I should watch someone who claims to offer a certain standard of craft and believe in something and then doesn't explain herself or hold herself accountable or try and rectify the situation when she messes up in such a way that violates the core of that standard and those beliefs.
Well said.
I guess I'm confused. For years now, the GOP has been adamant in saying that the government does NOT create jobs. Now, suddenly, a New Jersey mayor is a job creator? How convenient for them!
Love ya, Rachel, but that was a pretty lame interview. You didn't ask the good mayor why he made such positive comments about Bain Capital, and about private equity firms in general. Most upsetting, you didn't ask him why he is so proud of himself for firing public employees in Newark. Is austerity acceptable if it's imposed by someone you so obviously have warm feelings for? He so clearly wanted to be a Very Serious Person for the villagers on Meet the Press, and you should have held his feet to the fire for that. Don't let Andrea Mitchell's praise go to your head. You blew it this time.
Contrary to your description of Cory Booker, he is NOT a 'progressive' Democrat -- he is a CORPORATE Democrat, especially having taken much funding from Wall Street and corporate America, and even moreso on his positions on public education, favoring charters and mayoralization of schools rather than keeping public education public... In doing so he perpetuates his own 'big lie', and in claiming he is a 'progressive' you perpetuate your own 'big lie'...
He is a CORPORATIST, and NOT a progressive, and your Goldman Sachs sponsored media messaging is also similarly CORPORATIST, and not progressive.
SHAME ON YOU...
....and in all of that rhetorical road to nowhere, in no way did Booker explain his conflation of the GOP's Wright references with his own defense of Bain Capital's anti-worker onslaught...
...and for Rachel to nod her head and not dig into why he did not answer that basic question demonstrates the lack of awareness of the implications of Booker's statement....
...or perhaps he DOES INDEED realize his error, but is dancing around the TRUTH of his political leanings -- as a CORPORATIST...
CORY BOOKER is a PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT ?... Is that the joke of the year ?..
JajajajajajajJjajajaaJjajajaJjajaja !..
OMG am laughing so hard I just crapped my pants !... CORY BOOKER ?..Really ?..
Rachel darling that's like saying HAROLD FORD is a LIBERAL DEMOCRAT !..
Both statements are PREPOSTEROUS !..
You're either corrupted by money or a buffoon.
I am sick of the false equivalence between the negativity of the right versus the left's response to it. My question to Mayor Booker is this: If you are a Democrat and are "nauseated" by campaign negativity, why are you adding fuel to the Republican fire by tossing water on President Obama's truthful campaign to highlight Romney's weakness at Bain as a job creator?? And conflating the right's contemplated 10 million dollar attack ad campaign with Obama's exposure of Romney's Bain record was beyond the pale.
Not to speak for Mayor Booker, but my estimate of his answer would be...
I think it is fair to ask, did he create jobs, did he make smart decisions, was he concerned with things other than just the bottom line, did he do things unethical/illegal?
What isn't fair is to not realize that in the business Bain is end, you are going to have some winners and losers. Sometimes the process is going to benefit many, other times a few, and still sometimes no one. That's the nature of start-ups and turn-arounds.
Is Bain a non-profit organization ? I think not. Do the Republicans want to make the Government Lean and Mean, AKA small government? They most certaintly do. Guess cutting "Entitlements" would make the government Lean and Mean? For who? The investor class?
We need to understand who and what Romney will do and in who's interests. This is vitally important. His record at Bain is important. Just as important as being able to Marry the person you love. It might mean the ability to put real food on the table, instead of dog food or not have to cut your prescriptions in half, because the investor class needed more tax cuts to create jobs in distant places like China. After all their interests are quenched by investments in multinational corporations. It is vital we understand Romney's talent lies in making inities like corporations or governments Lean and Mean.
I should add Romney's talent at making corporations "Lean and Mean" will play well with the Republican agenda to eliminate vital programs, such as medicare and social security, at the expense of the middle class.
"Lean and mean" and profitable is not an easy thing. Some would also use the words "efficient and value oriented" which is not a bad thing for the government to strive for. Taxpayers should expected accountability and results from taxpayer dollars.
You may argue if Gov. Romney real did that or is the right person to do it as President, but wouldn't you want the government to do things efficiently and focused on having the intended results?
@RobDon, yes of course in private equity you are going to have some winners and losers, but it is not POTUS to point out Romney's winners. And it is a very legitimate campaign issue to look at how Romney ran his business.
But be clear in the 80's and 90's, many private equity firms were known mostly as chop shops. This was the height of the LBO activity in the market place. And you know what, most of Bain ventures had nothing to do with creating jobs.
Agreed and a very, very valid point. I guess the point Booker may be making and that I observe and think relevant is that the political campaigning has turned more and more into the art of distorting the record.
Let's say President Obama's administration had 300 major investments into green energy start ups and 3 of them were colossal failures, 30 of them were minor disappointments, and the other 267 were successes of varying degree. If I harp on the 3 failures as if that was the record of the Obama's administration, I call that lying.
I recognize it is not the opponents job to point out the good, but I do think there should be at least a somewhat fair assessment. But, then again, I can be a idealist at times.
Thanks, Sam.
There was nothing wrong with Booker having a different opinion about what Bain Capital does. Not every Democrat has to think exactly the same way. As an up and coming NJ pol, I'm not surprised that Booker would have a different take on hedge funds and their managers. Living and working close to NYC, he's very likely to see this in a different light.
I'm sure there are other Dems who think this way. There are Republicans (remember the primaries!) who don't see Romney as a "job creator."
I just wish he hadn't tried to walk this back. Stand up for what you believe, Mr. Booker. Take responsibility for it, even if there is blowback. It looks bad for both Booker and for Obama's re-election campaign when Booker talked about being used by the Republicans and that he was, somehow, misunderstood. No, mayor. We all understood you perfectly.
If the Dems picked Booker to represent the party on MTP, however, I have no idea why.
@mpguy, I agree there is nothing wrong with Booker having a different opinion, but there is something wrong with a surrogate going on MTP and totally trashing you campaign. I think that is what most people are upset about. And Booker was totally off base with his comparison of Wright to the Bain narrative.
Bain and Financial Industry Gave Over $565,000 To Newark Mayor Cory Booker For 2002 Campaign
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/05/21/488002/bain-financial-industy-gave-over-565000-to-newark-mayor-cory-booker-for-2002-campaign/
He was supposed to represent President Obama's re-election campaign on MTP yesterday. He didn't.
I don't think he is a paid representative of the Obama campaign, I think he is someone who legitimately believes the President is doing a great job and should be re-elected. That I think he did well.
If you want to know why we Democrats lose elections, always acting against our own interests, look no further than Cory Booker, Harold Ford Jr, and a long litany of wet blanket Democrats on Wall Street. Right now, we are about to sell our civil rights, humanity, personal safety and freedom, to the Devil (Republians) on Election Day in exchnage for a loaf of bread (1-2% reduction unemployment which wont even happen). As for Cory Booker, he is just the latest in a long list of jelous African American politicos who want to bring the President down because they were not the first African American President of the USA. Cory Booker wants to profit from the President's defeat. Such vultures and hyenas have always existed in the history of struggle - reaping where they did not sow and urinating on those who paid the price for their liberty. He is against Gay marriage, forgetting that those who are against Gay marriage were the same ones who were against inter-racial marriage and in favor of apartheid. According to them, he is sub-human, but he treats others the way he is viewed by the racial and religious bigots.
Where is the Progressive "I stand with Booker" site?
This is free advertising which I would certainly hope they would use to their best possible advantage.
Another Harold Ford.
After listening to the interview, I think he made a statement that could be used against President Obama by the GeeOhPee, but I don't think he meant it to be used in that way. He was just trying to be seen as friendly to the 1% because he's a politician with ambitions.
Wow, Booker was able to get a SOFT INTERVIEW with Rachel Maddow the other
secret operative against the president. Where next... Hardball with Chris Matthews?
Or perhaps, The Dylan Ratigan show.
Open Letter to Mayor Booker
Dear Mayor Booker:
It seems your apparel is all in a knot because the Republicans are using your words to attack the President and point out that you appear to be a turn-coat Obama surrogate.
I don't know why you seem to be so surprised or at least feigning surprise. Didn't you know the Republicans would do that? If not, you do not belong on the playing field
because you do not understand the game.
There is no point in your trying to be indignant with the Republicans. They are who they are, no matter how dishonest and short-sighted.
As much as I totally disagree with and dislike your attack on President Obama and the American people, your attempt to walk back the Republican's use of your very self-serving and unintelligent comments re: Bain Capital and Mitt Romney is of no use. You are now ruined in many circles, because of your turn-coat behavior. This is something people do not forget.
You have two choices:
1. Fold up your tent and go back to Newark and finish your term and then retire to Wall Street and be quiet for 50 years or so because your political life will definitely decline. (Remember: nobody likes a traitor or respects a very stupid and naive' politician.)
OR
2. Join the Republican party and be officially one of them rather than a turn-coat and saboteur of the Democrats and the American people.
Best wishes in your new career,
Sylvia the Eight, New York, NY
P.S. Mayor Booker, you were not "taken out of context" and you are not a "surrogate" of President Obama's. And you are not "being used" by the Republicans in any way that you did not allow yourself for whatever reasons.
And Rachel, what's up with your giving Mayor Booker such a break in your questions? Did you not consider that he knew better (or should have) and why did he say what he said on MTP.
I like you. You read him as well as any. He is too, just too inauthentic with the misdirection.
Rachel was such a sweetheart to him. He deserved less.
Thank you! I said the same thing. But you said it so much better! You're my new hero! :)
very well said Sylvia
Booker is a political climber. Give the ambitious a micro-phone and they just can't help crowing. This one just crowed a little too loudly. It's all about him. I used to like him but now I see his true colors. Cock-a-doodle-doooooooo
Seriously, newsblog, I'm putting away my Booker cheerleader uniform. He screwed up. According to The Young Turks, Booker took $565,000 from Bain Capital! He can't be a "surrogate" and feed at that trough.
After reading the comments, I have come to the conclusion that Cory Booker will never get a free pass from progressive Democrats again.
Cory Booker and Harold Ford Jr. are two guys with political game that fails to measure up to the standard set by Obama. Cory stepped out of this lane and got busted. He was so clearly pandering to wealth without restraint and respect for the campaign. He needs to withdrawn from the campaign officially and raise money for the campaign's super pac of choice, the very thing he demonized.
Yep!
I agree with you on both Harrod Ford and Booker. However I view Ford different. He is no longer claiming to be serving the people. Ford is serving his fat wallet and is basically a lobbist. Morning Joe and others just kinda use Ford's past life as a cover for balance on the show. Ford is a surrogate for Bank of America, but of course they will present him as the Dem from TN
It is sickening to see ad after ad of attacks. Both sides are at times very negative they talk about things to fix or improve, they talk about crap like dogs on roofs and on dinner plates (I would eat a dog, the roof thing is against the law). Why carry on about institutions of business like they are evil. Don't do business with them. I stopped buying Koch crap. It is the battle of the pocketbook that is the only thing they really understand. Mitt is gonna lose money and the election if the majority of consumers and voters don't like him. He seems to not understand the fundamentals of making people like him, he makes jokes about firing people well maybe he should look at who hired him the jokes on them. Bain Capital might have money but the don't have alot of support. I for one am sickened by the attacks on the pres. faith I don't care who he prays to or with, it makes no difference to me. Why the attacks it is not a test that anyone running for office needs to pass or fail at. I want to hear about fixing our roads, and bridges and getting people back to work and being able to afford going to a doctor.
Romney does nothing but negative attacks. You haven't seen anything yet. The Republicans are warming up.
Qme2..... Yes and it's about time the Democrates stop acting like suckers and stand up to them. Obama is right to take a stand for what is right and includes showing the world who his real opponent is. Who and what Romney is, is seen in his deeds, not in what he or others say, which can change as the wind blows. We need good solid Democrates to not let the Republicans control the narrative, with their spin.
Well, I thought it was a good interview. Cory Booker did not commit a mortal sin, he simply expressed an opinion. Politicians on both sides use dirty and evasive tactics and it makes Mayor Booker a little sick to his stomach. Me too. They should be talking about important things, like how to get people back to work, how to keep our country out of the economic sh*t storm about to hit Europe and how to get our troops home and keep them here for more than a few months. Instead, we get to hear about Rev Wright and what he said in a sermon on a Sunday Obama didn't even attend church, or Bane Capital and what a mean, rotten, nasty, but highly successful, bignessman Romney is. And now we are blaming Cory Booker for Obama's defeat in November because he doesn't agree with everything Obama agrees with. Poor Cory. Bet he didn't know he had that much power! The interview was spot on. Maddow asked enough questions to get it going and keep it going, and then she let Mayor Booker talk. He explained himself and did a good job of it. This election should be about issues, not about talking points and gottchas and about who can keep their people in line and on point. Jeez, I'm beginning to really hate politics.
Excuse me, but Romney is applying for the most important job, at the most important moment in time.... We need to hear his background, and how and what he did at Bain. It is most essential as what in his character, talents, allowed him success at Bain will he bring to this most important job that will affect our interests. After all we in the middle class have a big challenge to be able to vote in our own best interest, given all the spin and disinformation out there. Will we retirees and those in line to retire at some future point pay a heavy price because he has a talent for slashing the interests of many in favor of the interests of the few at the top of the economy without regret?
Cory Booker did Obama and we in the middle class a big disservice. He showed his true colors. Vote him out!
Excuse me, but you have the issue TOTALLY WRONG and I am glad that Obama is finally coming out with what the REAL issue is!
Romney did an excellent job at Bain and NO ONE can say he didn't. Did he make a lot of money? YES! Did people lose their jobs? YES, but providing jobs for people IS NOT the reason Bain was in business. Do you REALLY think that business exists to provide jobs?? Business exists to make MONEY! Period. That it provides jobs is a side effect. Bain and Romney CANNOT be held responsible for doing a great job for what was expected of him!!
Now, does that time at Bain make him a good candidate for President? NO!!! Government exists to take care of all of its people. You CANNOT run a government as a business, a point Obama understands, but it appears that these new Republicans do not!
1. When a part of a business is losing money, the business can shut it down! Government CANNOT do that because the function of Government is to spend money, NOT make it! If Government's job was to MAKE MONEY, there would be no debate or taxes!!!
2. When employees at a business want to speak their own minds or don't follow exactly what the leaders want, then they either quit or are fired. Government CANNOT do that because Government NEEDS people to have differing opinions over issues.
3. When a business cuts a "loosing sector" loose, it no longer has any responsibility towards that sector or its employees. When government cuts people's jobs lose, it STILL has to be responsible for them so that they don't starve to death.
4. When a business does well, a few people (owners) benefit handsomely. The public doesn't benefit as well. The only benefit may be more jobs but the workers don't get the "profit". When a government does well, all people benefit, including those who disagree with the government's actions.
5. Businesses DON'T have to worry about maintaining a military or police force to protect themselves. Government DOES! Businesses don't worry about "patriotism", they go where the money is and do what they need to do to get that money. Governments CAN'T cross borders to "take" whatever a weaker country has. We tried that in IRAQ, remember? Look what it got us and what the human costs were!
I could go on and on, but this post is long enough! The point is that someone who is a business "shark" does not have the right skills to run a government - and THAT is the real issue, NOT what Romney did at Bain!!!
Booker does go on and on... I started to glaze over.
The president's speech was very good, and I'd rather see that replayed, not Mr. Booker.
And what about the premise, that the Democrats eat their young while Republicans ignore this stuff on their side.
The skill set that Romney developed and used at Bain and will bring with him.... I feel will certaintly hurt of us in the middle class about to retire and retired, given the republican goal, agenda, to cut the social security system ... Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. We need to know about his skill set, his mind set. We need to protect our interests and understand who will throw us under the bus.
This was no interview. Where were the questions from Rachel Maddow asking Cory Booker to explain the anger he displayed while trashing the administration's message? There wasn't a single question regarding all the loot the mayor has received from Bain. There was very little said about him conflating opinions about Jeremiah Wright with the facts contained in the Bain ads as one and the same. Rachel pulled a FOX news "interview" for her friend and it was obvious to anybody who has seen any of her other interviewing work. Good kissing up, Rachel.