On Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Chris Jansing Reports,” Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) responded to a question on polling showing 68% of Americans think Democrats are out of touch with the concerns of most compared to 61% who say the same about Republicans by saying that it’s due to corruption, which people see “when it comes to the President literally profiteering off of the Oval Office, we see it with the cheating that is happening by the Republicans trying to push this midterm gerrymandering that they’re doing across the board.” And that President Donald Trump’s tax and healthcare policies are “why they don’t think our politics are working. And that’s why they’re holding it over the heads of everybody.” He also stated that he’ll “do everything I can to compel the Democrats to do that with greater urgency and greater haste, especially taking on this anti-corruption message, which I know is connecting with people all over this country.”
Host Chris Jansing asked, “I want to ask you, particularly, about something in the Washington Post poll, which wasn’t good for the President, but also, 68% of Americans said they feel the Democratic Party is out of touch with the concerns of most people in the country today, even though the number was 7% lower for Republicans. What do you say to folks? Where’s the disconnect?”
Kim answered, “Yeah, well, a lot of it comes from just the fact that people see politics as some exclusive club for the well-off and the well-connected. I see it in my own state, 84% of people in New Jersey believe that their elected officials are corrupt. That number is in the 70s across our entire country. There is a real sense that our politics isn’t working. And, honestly, it’s not. I don’t see how you can look at what’s happening right now and think that things are working fine in our democracy.”
Jansing then cut in to ask how he gets things to work.
Kim responded, “I’ve been pushing hard to really try to show that we need to take steps that are fighting against the corruption that we see within our politics. And you see it up front and close when it comes to the President literally profiteering off of the Oval Office, we see it with the cheating that is happening by the Republicans trying to push this midterm gerrymandering that they’re doing across the board.”
Jansing then cut in to say, “But this is a poll that also lays blame on the Democrats.”
Kim responded, “Well, it lays blame across our politics, yes, absolutely. And that’s exactly why I stood up to be able to take on these problems in my home state, as well as across the country. But, right now, yes, they want to make sure that we are taking steps that are focused on them, trying to lower costs, something that the President promised he would do. But instead, in New Jersey, we’re seeing 174% increase in healthcare costs when it comes to the Affordable Care Act. And why is that happening? It’s because he’s been giving these tax cuts to the billionaires. People are seeing that, and that’s why they don’t think our politics are working. And that’s why they’re holding it over the heads of everybody. Because, yes, we need to be doing better. And I hope that we can really take steps right now to show that we’re moving in a different direction. And I’ll do everything I can to compel the Democrats to do that with greater urgency and greater haste, especially taking on this anti-corruption message, which I know is connecting with people all over this country.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
Read the full article here