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HUNT: “ — about Kamala Harris because it is hard to miss the degree to which this convention has roared to life with Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket in a way that it just simply was not going to do were Joe Biden to be at the top of the ticket. But I think there is also an acknowledgement that doing everything to help her is very important for how people will think about Joe Biden in the future, considering he could have decided not to run for reelection months ago, put them in this position over the summer. Now we find ourselves here.” Wallace: “You know, Wolf, the word that everybody is using to describe tonight is bittersweet. It’s just bitter. The fact of the matter is — I’m not saying Joe Biden is bitter — but, you know, it’s like you’ve been thrown out a window and as you’re falling, you go, ‘Gee it’s nice out here.’ No, he got thrown out of a window and, basically, he was forced. You know, there’s going to be a lot of talk tonight about how generous it was of him and selfless of him. He was basically forced out by Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries; and I suspect even the fact that there has been this surge of enthusiasm since he left and Kamala Harris took his place, that’s got to be pretty tough, too. You got thrown out of a window and everybody’s applauding the person who’s now in the room.” BLITZER: “What do you think he needs to do to make the case for Kamala Harris tonight?” Wallace: “Well, I think — the first thing he’s got to do is say why he picked her and all of the things in her past. Remember, as popular as she is, she’s still largely unknown to the American people, Wolf. And so, I think he’s got to make the case as to why he picked her, how she was a governing partner. And to try to set up the contrast, which he would have between him and Trump, to set up the contrast between Kamala and Trump.” HUNT: “And I think one of the things too, Wolf, is one of the behind the scenes dynamics that was driving Biden’s decision making was that he was concerned that Kamala Harris couldn’t beat Donald Trump. And part of what, I think, he’s going to have to do tonight is help assuage those concerns or those doubts and try to answer for that. Because the way in which he picked her also was not entirely free of feeling pressure to make sure he was meeting certain criteria because she had attacked him in a very personal way in the primary campaign.”

Harris: “We know that there’s a great return on investment. When we increase homeownership in America, what that means in terms of increasing the tax base, not to mention property tax base, what that does to fun schools, again, return on investment. I think it’s a mistake for any person who talks about public policy to not critically evaluate how you measure the return on investment. When you are strengthening neighborhoods, strengthening communities and particularly the economy of those communities, and invest it in a broad-based economy, everybody benefits. And it pays for itself in that way.”

MATTHEWS: “This is a premiere for so many people, as people have been saying, for her, for Kamala Harris. She will be seen by people who have never really heard her before. They won’t be thinking about her laugh or anything like that, they will want to know what she has to say. How does she approach all of the people who call themselves Democrats, all of the people who are thinking about voting Democrat this time? How do she appeal to them?” HARRISON: “Chris and Joe, it’s so good to see all of you this morning. Listen, you know, conventions are — yes, there’s the formal process of the nomination and all that, but it is really about storytelling. It is about sharing your story, who you are, what you believe, what your passions are, who you will fight for with the American people, and it is the grandest stage in order to do that. So what we will see, Chris, is throughout these four days we’re going to be telling the story of who Kamala Harris is and who she is going to fight for when she is president of the United States. This is about team hope and joy, and we got our MVP in Kamala Harris and our coach in Tim Walz. I am so excited for folks to get to know who the two of them are and why they are such a great — why they have such great chemistry. I mean, these are the people that you want to just hang out with because you are going to have a good time, and you know that they’re tough as nails and they will always fight for you and have your back.” LEMIRE: “Chairman Harrison, good morning. Before, of course, we hear from Vice President Harris later in the week, tonight belongs, in many ways, to President Biden. As Claire just mentioned, it was a pretty agonizing three weeks for the party between the first — that debate in Atlanta and the president’s eventual decision to step aside from the top of the ticket. Speak to us about the poignancy of this moment tonight and what sort of reception the president will receive.” HARRISON: “We are going to blow the roof off the United Center in terms of the praise for Joe Biden, his 50 years of service to this nation and to our party. I really, and you all know this, I love Joe Biden. I believe that Joe Biden is the most transformational president of my lifetime. When you think about all of the things that we have been able to do and achieve over the course of 3 1/2 years, from the American Rescue Plan to the bipartisan infrastructure law, to the PACT Act, working for our veterans, to the CHIPS and Science Act, to the Inflation Reduction Act, to the largest commitment to fighting climate change and bringing down the cost of prescription drugs, these are all fundamental things and that one president in one term would say, ‘This is my hallmark.’ I could go on and on. Marriage equality. Joe Biden has transformed this nation. This man — think about this, folks. This man, particularly as a black man, and I will tell you from that perspective, Joe Biden has been there for the black community. He has appointed more black women to the appellate court than all presidents combined. He appointed the first black woman to the United States Supreme Court. He appointed the first black woman to be vice president of the United States. This guy has really, really done it, and we’re gonna give him his praise and his flowers tonight at the United Center.”

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: On the specificity and why it impacts and how it impacts every voter. >> Tammy I could not believe free abortions here at the dnc. Tim is a comedian this is how he put it. It goes to how cavalier they are making this issue. Jd Vance is a weird, also it’s totally normal for there to be a mobile abortion and vasectomy van that shows up outside of the dnc for totally normal people to get abortions and vasectomies. Like they are going to a taco truck, to make kuester a. >> What I probably have more pro choice of friends and others on the panel here. People know my back on the national organization for women. Classical liberals of the majority of Democrats embraced a safe, legal and rare this is ghoulish. It is not what anyone wanted. I think part of the argument, they talk about joy for the future and optimism — mick decided you’re not going to have children or you’re going to have a vasectomy, you are going to have abortions and you want one right now. That is a statement you have no hope in the future. 70% of abortions happen because of economic reasons. I want women this is a perfectly conservative argument. Medically or with a pregnancy thenthat instead of saying I can do this because the Harris economy makes me work two jobs and I’m barely paying the rent you can say yes I can do this. This contradiction does ghoulish obscenity saying or looking optimistically for the future this puts a light that immediate on its face. >> That is so well said your absolute correct about the economic reasons. Polling does show up most women want to keep their child if they have the financial means to do so. Which is why Rubio has a plan I wish the party would double down on fort women giving them economic opportunity, unborn child support act and so on and so forth. You make a really important point safe, legal, rare it was the democratic mantra in 2008. Let’s play it. >> Therefore what I have worked for for many years is to make abortion safe, legal and rare.

Johnson: “Do they believe that when it comes to Covid? Do they believe that when — “ JENNINGS: “Yeah, they do. He has a higher approval rating than Joe Biden, so definitely they do.” SELLERS: “But also, I think — I mean, to give Scott a little bit of grace here — “ PHILLIP: “You’re being — “ SINGLETON: “A lot of grace today. I love it.” PHILLIP: “Quite a lot.” JENNINGS: “You all act like people don‘t believe Trump did a better job than what‘s happening now. It is obvious in every poll, they do believe it.” SELLERS: “I don’t — I mean, if that was the case, he‘d be leading in the polls. But can I give you grace and — “ Johnson: “Or he would have won reelection.” SELLERS: “If you could just slow up for one second, I mean, like, just accept it. So what I was going to say is that Kamala Harris has stuff to prove in the debate, too.” PHILLIP: “Sure. Yeah, absolutely.” SELLERS: “I mean, I think that there is a — “ PHILLIP: “And before the debate, frankly. I mean, she has not — she has not engaged yet.” SELLERS: “She has engaged.” PHILLIP: “No, she’s not. She has not — “ Johnson: “She only been on the trail for three weeks.” PHILLIP: “She’s not engaged — “ Johnson: “She just became our nominee.” SINGLETON: “How long is she gonna take, two months?” Johnson: “No.” SINGLETON: “A week before the election?” PHILLIP: “She has not engaged in pressing interactions on anything really.” SELLERS: “Well, no, that‘s not true. Actually, I mean — “ PHILLIP: “That‘s gonna be an issue.” SELLERS: “That‘s — first of all, that‘s not an issue. I believe that the fact that the mainstream media and many people in D.C. are consumed with the fact that she won‘t sit down with them or do media interviews has posed a problem for them, because what we‘ve seen, poll after poll, individual after individual, voter after voter, is that when she‘s out in Wisconsin, when she‘s out in Arizona, when she‘s out in Pennsylvania, and actually talking to voters, that matters a lot more. And I think that we‘re seeing the inherent value of that. But what I was attempting to say is that I was actually going to give Scott a little bit of grace — I‘m coming back to that grace while I still have it in my heart — Bishop Jakes would be very proud of me at this moment.” JENNINGS: “Preach.” SELLERS: “Thank you. Is that Kamala Harris actually has questions to answer as well. You know, she has to be able to answer why, you know, why was she with fracking or Medicare-for-all or health care, all of these things. That‘s why September 10th is so important to her as well.” SINGLETON: “But why not sit down with a journalist?”

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: >> There were debates over food here and games but the presidential campaigns are nowhere to be found their time and money is for the swing states. That‘s because Trump is strong here and not just in rural farm country this is cedar falls in eastern Iowa midwest solar is busy in part because of Biden Administration, clean energy tax credits. But owner Christmas but is as loyal a Trump voter as they come. >> I think if all I was selling was government incentives I don‘t think business would be very good, but that‘s not what we‘re selling were selling the power to help people save money. >> Let‘s seize Trump is off his game a bit since the switch to Harris atop the democratic ticket, I think he‘s spends too much time bashing and complaining. You know, I don‘t know. I think you‘ll catch his stride and I think that he will get back on his horse. And I think he will say what needs to be said and mud thinks the media is too easy on Harris. And like Trump, he sees no way Harris wins and honest election. >> I just don‘t believe it‘s possible, John, I really I really don‘t yes. I would think that I would think many like me would think that same thing if Kamala Harris gets 81 million votes something something really went.

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: David Urban, Ashley Allison, and David Axelrod and Alyssa Farah Griffin, David Axelrod how encourage should Democrats be? Is there a danger of them actually being kind of too euphoric? >> Yeah, I‘ve been talking about this for some time. Look she has made extraordinary progress. We were all in Milwaukee a month ago and there was euphoria there and a sense that this race was over, that they were going to win by a landslide, perhaps sweeping big majorities in the house and Senate and things have changed dramatically. But this is still a very competitive race if the election were today, I‘m not sure who would win and I think it may well be President Trump because it‘s an Electoral College fight. And in those battleground states, we were looking at national numbers, right at the top of this program. That‘s I mean, it‘s misleading. >> I‘ve said and I‘ve said several times. Hear that for Democrat to win those battleground states, they have to have a significant lead in the Electoral College. Remember, Joe Biden won by 7 million votes nationally, nationally last time, and a margin of 45,000 votes or 44,000 votes in the three closest battleground states combined. So she‘s right be telling people, it‘s good to be enthusiastic, that enthusiasm is really, really important for the Democratic Party. But you have to turn that into energetic action in order to win the election. I think that‘s going to be part of what you hear here.

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: RADDATZ: “Our thanks to you, Matt. I’m joined now by the mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson. Good morning to you, Mr. Mayor.” Johnson: “Good morning.” RADDATZ: “I know you want to show off your city as you welcome this massive influx of visitors, but there are these planned protests. Are you confident Chicago is ready for this and there will not be chaos?” Johnson: “We are ready for this convention. In fact, the city of Chicago as you know, has hosted the most conventions in our country’s history because it turns out we’re actually really good at this, you know, the part that’s most exciting though in this moment is this is a party that can handle protest and protecting the First Amendment right which is fundamental to our democracy while also strengthening our democracy and speaking to the future of our country. Unlike the Republican Party which is very painful to watch right now.”

Ticket, now she has it when it comes to policy issues and on the economy in particular. Geoff: On this matter of economic policy, the vice president is proposing the first-ever ban on price gouging for groceries. This is something you took particular issue with. It pulls well for swing voters but economists say the underlying reason why grocery prices are higher is more complicated. >> She has some good things in this package. The child tax credit is a good thing. She wants to deregulate housing. But the price gouging thing, well, a news hour contributor said it’s impossible to exaggerate how bad this policy is, and I agree with that. Catherine had a good line that if your opponent’s calling you a communist, don’t lead with price controls. We have seen it happen in Venezuela and the Soviet Union. Price controls do not work. What is worse about that, first, it is addressing a problem that does not exist. Grocery prices, inflation, has been less than 1% for the past year. It’s over. We had a surge but it’s over. The problem does not exist. But the core problem is it expresses a level of economic illiteracy that is surprising in a responsible democratic candidate. The idea behind greed flation’s we had all those years of low inflation and I guess people were not greedy then. Then magically they all get greedy and start price gouging at Kroger, Harris teeter, HEB, and there’s this massive price gouging. That’s not why inflation surged. Inflation surged because of the pandemic, which screwed up supply chains and productivity. The Biden Administration over stimulated the economy. Larry Summers and Jason Furman said at the time this will cause inflation. Low and behold it did. the Fed has to clamp down on growth. That is what caused inflation. That is basic economics. Her greedflation plan is somewhere outside of normal economics. Geoff: What about that, Jonathan, that parts of her economic policy speak to economic illiteracy? >> I take issue with the word illiteracy but we will have to agree to disagree on our word choices, but Catherine raises a good point. I found her column to be rather persuasive. And so now it’s incumbent upon

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: CAPEHART: “Let’s stop talking about him and let’s talk about the vice president, who, yesterday, talked to the American people, just a piece of her economic plan, how she wants to lower costs for Americans. There are folks that are praising the housing policy, but it seems like everybody is slamming the price gouging policy. Give me your reaction to what the vice president has proposed.” BUTLER: “Look, I watched yesterday, the vice president put forth an ambitious vision for our country, an ambition to build an economy of opportunity, tackling key economic drivers, that working families are facing every single day, they bring tough choices. The rising cost of healthcare. The rising cost of food and basic needs, and let alone, the rising cost of housing, where so many working Americans are finding themselves having to live in their cars, not being able to afford an apartment or suitable place for them and their families. Yes, she set forth an ambitious agenda, but we also know that in this candidate, and in the vice president’s vision for this country, she sees and hears everyone. These are issues that are not just driving hard choices for Democrats. They are also driving hard choices for Republicans who live in Ohio, for Republicans who live in Arizona and Michigan, and Wisconsin, and what she is presenting is a plan for how we can tackle those very issues that are bringing about hard choices for American working families. She wants to make a signature of her presidency, rising, and creating a stronger middle-class. I think Americans across the country, Democrat, Republican, independent, will celebrate a leader who sees an opportunity to address real problems and has the ambition to try to do something about it.”

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: WITT: “There’s a number of new developments ahead of Trump’s September 18th sentencing and that New York hush money case despite repeated requests. Now the legal team is asking to move the sentencing date until after the election. What are you hearing about the chances they will delay sentencing and if sentencing were to be delayed how could that impact the election?” BAKER: “Trump hasn’t done anything to win favor. The judges in a mood to do any special favors but he will look at it as passionately as admirers have said he’s done throughout this entire process. He will make his own decision. Being sentence before the election September 18th would be eight days after the first debate with Kamala Harris and just as early voting is getting started would not be what a candidate would want but he will try to use that as an example once again for his base of persecution and grievance and how he’s been unfairly targeted by the justice system. He will explain. It’s very possible he doesn’t get present time even if you were sentenced and if he were it’s likely he wouldn’t start serving anyway over the election because he will appeal it and the process will take months to play out regardless. As a matter of important symbolism a judge sentence of a presidential candidate just six weeks before the election as early voting is going is something we have never seen before.”

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: Wallace: “Speaking of food, next time you go to Costco, be sure to bring your documents. The retailer is now requiring both your membership card and a matching I.d. to get in and they‘ll soon install scanners to speed up the process. As part of an effort to stop card sharing among family and friends since it turns out that‘s the main way Costco makes money they more than from what you buy. The store earned $4.6 billion last year in membership fees from about 128 million people lulu, are you yea or nay, on the new Costco crackdown?” Garcia-NAVARRO: “100 percent nay. I think this is outrageous. First of all — Wallace: “It‘s not your card, you‘re taking somebody else‘s membership part.” Garcia-NAVARRO: “If it‘s among family and friends and also do want to be going into a Costco now and having an feel like you‘re going into maximum security prison. First of all, know, the second thing is, has anyone ever gone into Costco not spent three to $400, just on like bulk candy. I don‘t know anyone like that. You‘re always going in there like that‘s so all of this is, is just a horrible.” Wallace: “Wait a minute, Jim, because I was surprised to learn that Costco actually makes more from the membership fees which were $60 gang up to 65 on September 1 than they do from all of the stuff that people by. So where where are you on this?” GERAGHTY: “Because the I.d. check used to be about as easy as getting passed at Walmart greeter. Now apparently is going to turn it to the tsa, your pockets. Let‘s see some I.d you know, all of a sudden we‘re in east berlin in 1949 wow.”

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: WITT: “Let’s bring in Peter Baker. Chief White House correspondent for The New York Times and co- author of the divider, Trump and the White House 2017 to 2021. Welcome. Harris agenda, her economic agenda is getting mixed reviews today. You have the Washington Post editorial board which called some ideas gimmicks while an op- ed in the Atlantic says the proposals economically dumb but politically smart. What is the broad political calculation on this rollout and how much do the economics matter if it is a political winner?” BAKER: “They want to be able to say they have a plan. They didn’t like the criticism that she had it been specific on any substance and she’s been all about these rallies so they want to be able to say we have a plan, we have outlined it. I think they understand that’s probably not where the election is going to be thought out. The generational change argument she’s making is probably the more powerful one reminding voters who didn’t like Trump and 2020 why they may not like him in 2024. The specifics of the plan they are not going to win the economic argument against Trump because people aren’t feeling it in their lives even though the statistics are pretty good right now in terms of inflation and unemployment and so forth. Rather than the ways the battle on territory the polls show Trump is strongest they want ways to battle on areas they feel he’s weakest.”

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: Much. >> Ceasefire in just a few moments. The latest updates right now, I am joined by Osama Hamdan, who‘s a senior member of Hamas. He joins me now from doha in Qatar. Thank you for taking the time thank you let me begin here. We are 10 months into this war. Gaza health ministry officials say that 40,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, have been killed on October 7, Hamas killed hundreds of Israeli civilians. Does Hamas today regret the October 7 terror attacks? >> Are giving those rights, the right to kill the Palestinians when you ask if we are, if we were free, feel regret for what is right has done. You have to understand that Israel has been killing Palestinians for the last 76 years. And when the Palestinians react against the occupation the Palestinians who failed also agreement continue undermining all the peace process and trying to take over all the Palestinian lands. Talking in public about kicking out 2 million Palestinians from West Bank east Jordan. All this is that a.I. for Israel? The Palestinians, they act against the occupation. They have to regret to what the Israelis are doing, killing them by thousands matter how seen as well. I ever is covers getting I‘ve been, coming to this part of the world for more than 20 years. >> Covered terror attacks by Hamas that killed Israeli civilians more than 20 years so I‘m asking you this, just looking at the last what, 10 months of this conflict for a moment does Hamas? Except any responsibility for the deaths of Palestinian civilians in Gaza? Because as you know Hamas tunnels, Hamas military units are based under and around homes mosques, schools in Gaza and do you accept responsibility for any of the deaths in Gaza? >> Covered this region for 20 years, but you were watching you was watching the region by the Israeli eyes. >> Is killing thousands of Palestinians within those 20 years. And 2014 Israeli attack that‘s the and taking more than 4,000 Palestinians you didn‘t see that they attacked Gaza and they killed in one day, 1,000 Palestine and in 2008, and you didn‘t see that those attacks, actually, I was here I was here in 2014. I was here in 2014 and I was hearing 2008. I I‘m I‘m asking you if Hamas accepts I do. If you wanted to, what you‘re saying is factually not true. I was here for both. I was here for both of those conflicts. My question is, does Hamas accept any responsibility for the deaths of its own people in Gaza excuse me, you can‘t ask and answer by your sense? >> Answer or you can finish that talking by yourselves yourself. If you wish that it‘s okay. >> And I want to say what I want to say. It‘s not your duty to dictate what I‘m supposed to say. It‘s not your duty to receive the answers you wish to so let‘s see. >> Accept responsibility for the deaths of civilians in Gaza? That‘s the question will keep watching what is happening by Israeli eyes, listening by the Israeli acting as if you are part of Israeli military attack against the Palestinians. It seems that you support the killing of 40,000 Palestinians. >> U.S. for anything you are talking about. Palestinians being killed as if they were nothing. And to just saying that the better seen as working let‘s go to West Bank. There is no Hamas, there is no action from Hamas it‘s have killed already 800 Palestinians in the last 10 months. What about this? They are talking about the Palestinians sure. >> Covered the deaths of Palestinians quite closely you let me ask you a question here because you‘re saying you are well, I‘m going to quote, I‘m going to quote you right now what did it show the women who had been a quote you right now of how to sydney in and Gaza we are talking about 16,000 children who are being killed by the Israelis. And you are asking if there I‘m very aware of I‘m very where are the civilian toll in Gaza and you are not listening and are not allowing me to answer. You don‘t want to listen to the facts. You just want to listen to yourself. It‘s okay. That‘s enough. >> Coach you now. >> Know, a Palestinian from Gaza who want to send you, just want to listen to yourself and to the Israelis if you aren‘t aware and what it actually don‘t talk to Hamas. Thank you very much. There‘s agents have killed us and invited you on the air to ask you questions for the killings of Palestinians supporting, the killing of the Palestinians. >> The CNN. Thank you very much. I have to finish that. >> >> Someone from Gaza who spoke well there you go. It‘s a shame. We did give him the

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: SMERCONISH: “James, what’s your answer? How did we get where we are in the span of one month?” CARVILLE: “Well first of all, I agree with everything David said which surprised no one. You know, leontes makes I think said and Mike Tyson, he hit you so hard and changes the way it taste Trump on tastes the same. Now than he did to Sunday. That Biden dropped out of the race. It just completely upended his world and as far her economic plan that she thinks that is companies and getting together in colluding in raising prices. And I think that‘s true. And idiotic press say, wow, can hurt if you do this. But capitalism for work, it can‘t work where you have collusion when airline calls an airline or almost school come to tall and other pharmaceutical company, an insurance calls and other insurance company. Or they have people back challenged each other to see how much they can raise it and I think the American public is on to that I think it‘s a legitimate thing, and I‘m glad to see that she‘s going to investigate it. If I was engaged in price collusion, I’d be worried right now.”

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: Johnson: “Francesca, you’ve been following Harris for years. I’m curious as to what you see are the main changes in how she sort of evolved as a candidate. It’s not just that the speech today was compelling and exciting and talking about policy, but, I mean, to rock the Carolina blue when you are in North Carolina, that is a level of campaign confidence that I have not seen in a long time. How do you think that the sort of strategy of this campaign has changed as she’s gained momentum in the last three weeks?” CHAMBERS: “Well, even just recently as you’re noting there has been a vibe shift. If you look at the event that she had with President Joe Biden yesterday when she took the stage and she was talking, there was a confidence thereof where she was leading the ticket —“ Johnson: “Right.” CHAMBERS: “— and she was in charge. What I observed earlier in the administration was that at times you could just tell that she was holding back or at least it felt that way.” Johnson: “Right.” CHAMBERS: “Because she had taken positions that were not always the same as President Biden’s when they were both candidates competing in that democratic primary. But when you are vice president your job is to push for the president’s policies, to speak on behalf of the president of the United States. As Joe Biden can tell America, you know what it’s like when you get in front of the president of the United States on a policy they haven’t yet announced. Kamala Harris earlier in the administration was trying not to do that but it often led to situations where she either tripped over her words or it seemed that she had a lack of confidence in the job that she was doing and you don’t really hear that as much anymore.”

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: SMERCONISH: “Of course, whether the Harris hurricane lasts is another thing Kamala Harris is not indestructible. She has served as an undistinguished, nearly invisible vice president. There appears no accomplishment she can point to for her most important responsibility, addressing the origin of the border crisis. A second, she picked a nice guy from Minnesota, Tim Walz but he might turn out to have as many waltz‘s J.D. Vance. And I don‘t mean the allegation of stolen valor. He spoke sloppily in that instance, but I don‘t think there‘s much there there but the CNN kfile report of his congressional campaign, deceit over his dwi is a real an embarrassing issue. As usual, the cover up was worse than the crime it‘s still too soon to know how much she might regret not picking Josh Shapiro. And third thus far, Harris has had a free ride she‘s not given any media interviews, hasn‘t faced voter questioning. What asked recently, she said that she would give an interview by the end of the month she said that on August the eighth no doubt she wants more time on the clock to prepare answers as to why she‘s flipped on health care fracking, we‘d and the death penalty to name just a few sooner or later she‘s going to be held accountable and face pressure that she has thus far largely avoided just yesterday, her first substantive economic policy proposal, it received mixed reviews. Bernie Sanders loved it. He called her idea a strong progressive agenda but the Washington Post said that her proposals were gimmicks CNN‘s analysis said that her plan could create more problems than it solves you‘d think the chill enjoy another week of positive coverage amidst the dnc, which will feature three democratic presidents, but with passions inflamed about Israel and Gaza. There is an air of unpredictability as to what will happen in Chicago. As I like to say, still to come events, we could never foresee and individuals whose names that today, we don‘t even know it all brings me to today‘s poll question at smerconish.com.”

RUSH TRANSCRIPT: BAIER: “Hugh, two years ago this week, Senate floor, this happened.” [Clip starts] Harris: “On this vote, the yeas are 50, the nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided, the vice president votes in the affirmative, and the bill, as amended is passed.” [Clip ends] BAIER: “That was $1.9 trillion and a lot of people point to that and that vote and that bill that was called the inflation reduction acts it didn’t as one of the biggest problems.” HEWITT: “That is the key bit of tape for the next 80 days, Bret, because when she voted for that, she unleashed this massive tidal wave of federal spending which of course increased demand for everything and skyrocketing prices. I was astonished today, it took her 25 days. She hadn’t been seen or heard from for 25 days. 25 days with a policy that failed 50 years ago. I ran the Nixon Library. I worked for President Nixon out of college. I built the library and ran the foundation twice. Do you know what we don’t have an exhibit on? Wage and price controls. Absolute failure. No one liked wage and price controls. For her to start with that one more point, she talked a lot about housing today, the last people you want to consult on housing is anyone from California and the very last person is anyone from San Francisco. The housing shortage there is so chronic and so longstanding, I can’t even believe it gives chutzpah an entirely new meaning for her to talk about housing.”

SANCHEZ: “Jeff, on the politics of this, there were two things that really struck out to me with this speech, and I think they were pretty obvious and deliberate. On the issue of tariffs, which Donald Trump has sort of made his namesake going back to his first run for the White House, Kamala Harris, who are describing it as a Trump tax on imports, essentially saying that Donald Trump wants to tax consumers. And the second thing, she‘s spent this speech contrasting herself with Donald Trump. And I think that the most clear contrast was the fact that yesterday Donald Trump was giving a press conference outside of his private golf club. And then you have the vice president here talking about how excited she was to see her mom save up for 10 years to buy a house. And then how she worked at McDonald’s to put herself through college and watched people around her struggle to make ends meet, work multiple jobs to do that. So it gives a sense of legitimacy to this populist argument that she‘s trying to make.” ZELENY: “I mean, the contrast in every respect could not have been more clear. In terms of the Trump tariffs, she really broke it down. She said it’s a Trump tax on gas, a Trump tax on food. So what this is doing by having her finally give a policy speech, it‘s shining a broader light on his policies. And there are gaps in both of them, no doubt about it. One thing she did not say is how any of this would be paid for. Of course, that is not uncommon in a presidential campaign. This is an aspirational level. He never says how he would pay for his plans either, but what I did think, and this is the point of it obviously, is to draw a contrast obviously with him, but on the middle class and help explain herself. She still is not introduced that well to the American people. She‘s been in the public eye. She has been vice president, but allowing her to sprinkle in her biography, I thought was so interesting. And we‘re going to hear more of that at the convention next week. The housing crisis, I hear it constantly as I travel around the country talking to voters. You may ask, why didn‘t the Biden Administration do more on this? It‘s a good thing to ask. They‘ve done some, but she‘s focusing on that with a specific of $25,000. That would be certainly not paid for, but that is something that voters can get their minds around. So I think drawing a sharp contrast here is exactly what she wants to be doing. The details, you know, they don‘t quite all add up. But again, we don‘t know the makeup of Congress, and they don‘t add up for either side. I mean, the campaign is about sort of laying out your vision, and she’s starting to do that.”

Harris: “As attorney general in California, I went after companies that illegally increased prices, including wholesalers that inflated the price of prescription medication and companies that conspired with competitors to keep prices of electronics high. I won more than $1 billion for consumers. (Applause) So, believe me, as president, I will go after the bad actors. (Cheering and Applause) And I will work to pass the first-ever federal ban on price gauging (sic) on food. My plan will include new penalties for opportunistic companies that exploit crises and break the rules, and we will support smaller food businesses that are trying to play by the rules and get ahead. (Applause) We will help the food industry become more competitive because I believe competition is the lifeblood of our economy. More competition means lower prices for you and your families.”

MACCALLUM: “And get this, Tim Walz’s dog has now granted more interviews than Kamala Harris. Vogue Magazine putting a spotlight on Walz’s rescue dog, Scout, which happens to be the same name of my dog. And they did an interview where they asked the pooch ‘what is your human’s worst habit?’ And he said ‘the guy loves Diet Mountain Dew.’ So, I mean, it kind of, Judge, reminds me of like the ‘what’s your favorite ice cream flavor’ questions for Joe Biden. All of which would feel sort of cute and interesting if we weren’t dealing with a lot of serious things that we haven’t had any answers to quite yet.” PIRRO: “Yeah. Well, clearly, her team believes that there is a risk to sending her out there and having her answer questions, that the downside is too great. And that’s why they think that probably the less you see of Kamala, the more you’re going to like her.”

Dean: “Catherine, I hear — I read your piece and I heard you just mention it. The federal ban on price gouging for groceries, you are skeptical of this. Why?” RAMPELL: “Well, first of all, nobody can explain what price gouging means. It‘s like that old line about pornography, ‘I know it when I see it,’ in the sense that, what does it mean to have an excessive price or an excessive profit margin? That seems to be shorthand for a price or a profit margin that bugs me, that seems too high. So, you know, it‘s very hard to pin down what this would actually mean. If you look at the legislation that, as I mentioned, is already in the Senate, led by Senator Warren and Senator Bob Casey and a slew of others, the particular way that this is written, which is likely to be the template for any proposal that Harris would eventually embrace, is especially bad in that it just bans excessive prices, grossly excessive prices, grossly excessive profit margins, and says that the Federal Trade Commission can use any the metric it deems appropriate to decide what that — what that would mean, which basically says, like, it‘s not going to be markets, it‘s not going to be supply and demand that’s determining how much your grocery store charges you for milk or for eggs, it‘s going to be some bureaucrat in D.C., which seems like totally unworkable, first of all, for the FTC to be deciding, like, how much Kroger charges for eggs in Michigan. But it also would be very bad for markets. We‘ve seen this kind of thing tried in lots of other countries before, Venezuela, Argentina, the Soviet Union, et cetera. It leads to shortages, it leads to black markets, you know, plenty of uncertainty. And beyond that, the specific way this bill is written might actually increase prices because of some of the other language in it, things like requiring companies — public companies to disclose in their quarterly reports, their quarterly earnings reports, how they‘re setting prices, which is a great way to help them collude, which normally we don‘t want them to do. So, anyway, you know, the devil is in the details, I guess, for that bill, but it‘s really hard for me to imagine any form of legislation that preserves the spirit of what she‘s proposing that would not be — at best do nothing, at worst cause a lot of harm.”

PHILLIP: “Marc, here’s what we can say about what the polls say. The CNN’s poll of polls, we try to take the best polls, only the best polls here at CNN, it’s basically a statistical tie between the two of them. However, that’s better than where Joe Biden was a few months ago. So, the race has kind of evened up. But here’s one thing. I mean, one of the things that we learned about her policy that she’s going to roll out is a ban — support for a ban on price gouging. Now, I think reasonable people would ask, what does that mean? What does that really mean? And how is the government going to be involved in it? Here’s Noah Rothman in the National Review, he describes this policy as, ‘a rank pander to the economically illiterate. And despite the presence of many who fit that description in Congress, they understand that allowing the executive Branch to functionally set prices is a brain-dead idea that would only hurt consumers in the long run.’ I mean, is this just a ploy? Because it sounds kind of like it.” DYSON: “Well, look, you know, if you like it, it’s called good policy. If you don’t like it, you call it pandering.” PHILLIP: “But is it really policy? I mean, price gouging?”

I talk about it being a halftime in America. We’re a touchdown down and I kind of like the idea of being a little bit behind. Well, I’m looking at Coach Walz right now. I’m looking at Coach Walz. Like, I have white guy tacos and- What does that mean like mayonaise and tuna? What’re you doing? Pretty much ground beef and cheese. That’s okay. Do you put any flavor in it? Uh, no. Oh, ok. Um, here’s the deal. No. They said to be careful and let her know this, that black pepper is the top of the spice level in Minnesota, you know? I’m the first vice president, I believe, who has ever grown chili peppers. I’m trying to expand my food knowledge. You know, we’ve got some cantaloupes. You’ll be fine. Yeah. So, I called you Tim. I called you Tim. Yes. You didn’t answer, Tim. I know, the um. What happened? The most important call of my life. It popped up and we didn’t recognize the caller I.D. and it went to voicemail. Hi, this is Tim. I’m not able to answer your call. There you go. [laughter] Thank you. Hey, Tim, it’s Kamala. I really want to talk to you. [laughter] It is an amazing privilege. For me, also, I’m excited. I just want to be part of the excitement. That you’re generating. Well, we doing it together, buddy. We’re doing it together. How have these last couple of days been for you? I can see where the energy comes. America is a hopeful country. Indeed. People are excited. In every one of those groups of thousands, sometimes over 10,000 people, you’re seeing exactly who we are as America. People from rural areas, urban areas, of every stripe and size and background. This is who we are as America and we’re all in it together. Yeah. And in this campaign, the only way we win is to keep the pedal to the metal for these next many, many days that we have. So, Tim, what’s your relationship to music? Yeah. For me, the transformational piece of music was Bruce Springsteen’s “The River.” Ok. Which is a journey, you know. You know all the tracks. Yeah. And I’m that guy. My first car, it’s the summer of 1980, been saving up. I buy a 1973 orange Chevy Camaro. Got an eight track player in it. Oh, wow. Previous owner left Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” in there. I listened to it, and it’s kind of the soundtrack of my life of Detroit’s own Bob Seger, but what’s really great about this is I have a ‘79 international is my car. It’s got an 8-track player in it. I have the very 8-track to this day. You’re kidding me? No. But how about you? I grew up, you know, so all these albums here, I mean, Aretha. My mother had every Aretha album, and, like, our Christmas gift to my mother, her birthday gift, was always like, what’s the latest Aretha Franklin record? So it’s on on vinyl in your house. Like, all of it, all that and Stevie and then Miles and my dad loved jazz. And so it was Miles. It was Coltrane. One of my personal favorite musicians for when I was younger was Prince. Oh. And of course, from your state. Yeah. He, you know, in fact, I’ll tell you, so, my husband Doug and I, I’m more of a hip hop girl. He’s more of Depeche Mode. Oh, yeah. Oh, about the same time. I’m sure you and he like the music. Of course. But Prince, you know, in the Venn diagram of things, Prince, he and I love the same because, I mean, talk about how Prince was with that guitar, man. I almost know by heart every one of those songs. I feel like a trip to Paisley Park is going to happen here. It’s on my bucket list. I’ll tell you that. Tell me about your dad and his influence on you. He served our country. You have served for our country for so many years. I was 19. My little brother I think was 8, 8 or 9, when he passed. He was a chain smoker. Oh. Just addicted. Korean War era and that generation of men, pretty stoic. After he died, my mom was a stay-at-home mom. She became our rock and now, she had to go out and get work because the medical bills broke her and Social Security and Social Security survivor benefits. We’re fine pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We had no boots. That’s the boots. And it’s survival, literally. We paid it back. It is survival and we all paid it back. So, programs that are just fundamental to to keeping people from dropping into poverty. But to live with dignity. You keep talking about that. We gotta help people get through a hard time. We can’t have a country and policies that let people fall through the cracks. Yeah. I love what you have done with your life. You were coaching a high school football team that was winless, Yes. And you came in and so they were clearly the underdogs. What happened? Yeah, it’s a team. And I had great coaches with me and we were friends. And we buckled down and, look, it was a fairly big school but nobody wanted to play because they hadn’t won and this group of coaches said, “First and foremost, we gotta buld the team. We gotta go out and find people.” So we invited them in. And I’ll be honest, the first year we did not score touchdowns until the last game of the year. We got shut out in every game. My high score until the final game was my defensive tackle because we got a safety in one game. Two years later, those kids won a state championship. That school has won several more since then. Right? You build culture. You build winning. People want to be a part of it. And, uh, that’s the excitement. That’s the excitement of what it can be. That’s how I feel about our campaign. Our campaign is the underdog campaign. Oh yeah. And with our joy We also have to understand that we’re still up against some forces Yes. That are trying to divide our country. It pains me the kind of division and the stoking of divisions that has taking place, right? And when we can remind people and create a space for everyone to come where they see each other and say, “Hey, you know, we’re all in this together.” It almost feels like everybody’s coming out of their house after a blizzard and, you know, a Minnesota reference, and you shovel out and then you start talking to your neighbors “How was it the last couple days?” Or whatever it might be. They’re re-energizing and they’re looking for their neighbors. You keep saying, you keep talking about the promise of America. And we say, take care of your neighbor. In the face of a stranger, when you’re looking in the face of a stranger you should see a neighbor, right? Yeah. I’m about crying on this when you talk about, look, a girl from Oakland, California and a a guy from out in Nebraska on there, and the number of people I watch just kind of nod and break into a smile. This exploiting the differences- it can’t last. I talk about it being halftime in America. We’re a touchdown down. Because for a lot of folks it’s easier to tear things down. It’s easier to divide than it is to build. But once you start that momentum, once we come out, and uh, where we’re at right now. Yeah. People want to be part of something that’s winning. They want to be part of something that’s good. And they want to be part of something that everybody can be a part of. And I kind of like the idea of being a little bit behind. Well, I’m looking at Coach Walz right now. I’m looking at Coach Walz. Did you always know you wanted to be an attorney? My parents met when they were activists in the civil rights movement. I grew up around a bunch of people that were, you know, marching and shouting for justice and some of the heroes of that movement were the lawyers, Thurgood Marshall. Right? They understood how to translate the passion from the streets to the courtrooms of our country. And they believed in the Constitution of the United States and the principles upon which it was founded and that’s where they then in the courts of America reminded us of the the promise, right? And the ideals of our country, including equality, freedom, right? That’s why I went to law school. Ah. But the other reason is when I was in high school my best friend, I learned, was being molested by her stepfather. And when I realized what was happening, I told her, you have to come live with us. I called my mom. You know, I have to tell you, Tim, it was the first time that I realized how not everyone can take their safety for granted and what we should all feel is a sense of responsibility to protect people from harm. Yeah. So that’s why I decided I wanted to be a prosecutor and, Wow. And, um, as a prosecutor, I, you know, I prosecuted homicide cases, I prosecuted a number of different types of cases. But I specialized in child sexual assault cases. And one of the things I did was create a whole unit dedicated to focusing on children who were being abused and to ensure that they have dignity in the process and justice. There’s so much work that we still have to do to make sure that children have a voice. For me, that’s kind of with me, get in as a teacher. Yeah. It’s about the kids and wherever you teach at. Right. Once I had my own children, it became so clear to me. And I think it made me a really good teacher, that that child who came through the door was somebody’s most special thing in their life. Absolutely. Thinking of a parent dressing their little one up and sending them off to school, so proud of them. I wanted to come through that door and just lift them up. That that sense of service. It’s interesting. Two different parts of the country, two different lived experiences, but all coming to that same goal of everybody getting a fair shot. Well, you know, I have to tell you, Tim, even though you and I grew up in different parts of the country, you remind me of the people I grew up with. Hardworking folks, plain speaking. Yeah. People who know the difference between right and wrong Yep. And care, love thy neighbor in the most authentic and true way. Yeah. Those are the folks I grew up with. And I know that’s who you are. And I’m so glad we’re doing this together. Well, I’m proud to be with you.

DYSON: “Hold on, let me just finish.” MACE: “She is not out there answering questions. She’s not doing anything.” DYSON: “Trump is being undermined by Trumpian-like politics in the sense that, you know, what she‘s done is, I understand when I‘m going to speak, I understand what I‘m going to say. She‘s going to form her policies and she‘s going to articulate them. Now, whether we agree with them or not is another thing. The point is, the strategy is not a backfiring on her. Number two, in terms of polls, the polls are a statistical dead heat. You say that means that she‘s losing. I‘m saying, for Donald Trump who had already been president once and coming back with the same reruns, Donald Trump is in a very vulnerable position.” MACE: “Talking about a rerun, Kama-la‘s — Ka-mala‘s — “ BOYKIN: “You almost got it. You almost did it.” MACE: “I will say Kamala’s name anyway that I want to. But Kamala — “ DYSON: “No, but you mispronounce her and you also misjudge her.” [Cross-talk] BOYKIN: “If I’m purposely mispronouncing your name, congresswoman, and — “ MACE: “Kamala’s — “ BOYKIN: “If I purposely mispronounced your name, that would not be appropriate.” MACE: “Kamala’s policies are Joe Biden’s policies. She owns it.” DYSON: “You’re normalizing that kind of viciousness, man.” MACE: “33 times she was the deciding vote in the Senate on Joe Biden‘s bills. She was 33 times the deciding — “ Carlson: “We know that, yes, she has to own them because she was his vice president. However, we all know that the vice president is not setting the policies. The president is. And that’s why she — that’s why she —“ MACE: “Her vote did. Her vote set Joe Biden’s policies. 33 times that she was the tie-breaker in the Senate.” Carlson: “ — should come out and tell the American public what she thinks about the issues because the American public is craving to know, is she going to pivot? Does she agree with what she said four years ago or not?”