Former Alabama Democrat Doug Jones warns of the Democrats’ bleak outlook in November’s vote, saying his party leader is not doing enough to promote the administration’s balance sheet.
“Democrats will be fighting, I think, in the medium term right now. We’re struggling to find messages,” Jones told The Takeout, presented by Washington’s chief correspondent, Major Garrett.
Jones said he hopes his party can have the Senate, but admits Democrats “have made a hole in us.”
He said Democrats should promote their record-breaking economy and job creation. “I’m not sure the president is getting this message out as strong as it should be.”
Jones served three years in the Senate and lost his re-election in 2020. More recently, Jones was elected to the White House to run for the Supreme Court. Ketanji Brown Jackson through the Senate confirmation process.
Jackson was confirmed with Republican support, 53-47, in early April, though he will not be sworn in until the end of the current Supreme Court term, when Judge Stephen Breyer retires.
During their confirmation hearings, GOP senators reviewed the judge’s record of sentences for defendants convicted of child pornography charges. Senators like Missouri Republican Josh Hawley; Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ted Cruz of Texas, who were thought to be considering presidential bids in 2024, alleged that Jackson imposed harsh enough sentences on these criminals.
Jones told “The Takeout” that Jackson’s sentencing record was in line with his teammates on the bench and suggested that the attacks on her were aimed at a “marginal base.”
“I think it was playing at a Qanon base because the whole Qanon is based in part on this global conspiracy of pedophiles. out of the norm, “he said.
The question mark, Jones argued, was “designed to raise money” and provide food for social media.
Jones declined to say if he had any ambitions to further serve the Biden administration, but noted that he had known the president for 40 years. For now, Jones is back working in his law firm, supporting the administration from the outside.
On the war in Ukraine, Jones fears that Russia will continue to grow to the point where the United States cannot stay. “I’m afraid this will lead the United States to a bigger military conflict” than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.
Highlights
Democrat outlook for the 2022 midterm session: “I think Democrats will be fighting in the medium term right now. We’re struggling to find messages. But frankly, I think it’s bad for the United States when we see the polarization we have now where people just listen, they.” they are in their silos for news channels. They receive information. They feed on what they want to hear instead of sitting down and talking to people from across the political spectrum. So yeah, I think Democrats are fighting. I think it’s still a long way to go. And all politics is local. I still have hope, at least for the Senate. Democrats have very, very strong headlines. They also have very strong challengers for a number of open seats. So I don’t think it’s all lost for Democrats, but we’re looking to climb right now because it’s clear we’ve made a hole in ourselves, many of which aren’t made ourselves. But I think if people look clearly at what’s happening in the world today and understand how this economy has improved, the jobs that have been created, like the things of our global position in the world right now; i think they are all real positives. I’m not sure the president is getting this message as strong as it should be.
Breyer Retirement / Jackson Confirmation Hearings: “All the time I had the feeling that he would retire this spring, given the political dynamics of the world. What I didn’t really think was what role someone like me who is out of government could play, has been out there. so much so that I’m literally sitting in my doctor’s office waiting for my annual physical exam when I get an email from a reporter saying my name had been mistreated for it.Well, I didn’t, I didn’t. he answers, but I just sent something to Ron Klain, the chief of staff, he said, look, I won’t answer that, but, you know, I’m here to help as much as I can … The role is to do more More than just helping to escort … Between the White House staff and the judge herself, you can find your way in and out of the offices, but what I think I provided was a vision for each senator. I served with almost all of the above, not all of them, but I was up to date with the ones that didn’t. I pretended to have an idea of where they would be. I knew where they would go politically … So she provided some of that background and some consolation, I think, to the judge who came in that a lot of that would be political, not personal, but I thought they would treat her well . Therefore, there was only one element of working with her and advising her, but also helping to try to understand how she would answer questions about her: her 570 opinions, her judicial philosophy, all these issues. “
GOP senators question Jackson’s record of child pornography sentences: “I think it was playing on a Qanon base because the whole Qanon is based in part on this global conspiracy of pedophiles. “That was exactly the way it was,” he said. at the time, he was talking about the damage they had done to society in the crimes they had committed … this base “.
Purpose of questions related to Jackson’s child pornography sentence: “I don’t think anyone who saw those hearings could say that these questions were designed to get an in-depth answer. These questions were designed to raise money. These questions were designed to tweet things and to build the coast. What I think it is a marginal base “.
Consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: “I think the world as we knew it, we’ve known it since World War II has now changed drastically. And it won’t return to anything as we saw it before, probably for the rest of our lives. But from my point of view I think they should increase as much as they can in terms of the sanctions they can receive, and that should include finding a way to move Europe away from our dependence on Russian energy, be it oil or gas. “We need to move Europe away from that. I think we need to take a step forward. We are an energy-independent country right now. A lot of people are forgetting that right now in terms of high gas prices. and the inflation we are seeing. But the fact is that we are energy independent and we should do this to help our European friends and allies have energy independence for friends and neighbors instead of depending on Russia. ” .
How the Russia-Ukraine conflict will end: “I think the more we’re looking at with the way Putin, who has now leaned into a corner, I don’t know if there’s a way out for him except to fight. And what I’m afraid is that the only The way he sees this is to climb, climb and climb, and at some point, I’m afraid this will lead the United States to a military conflict, and if that happens, it’s a long way from the conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is going to be a big piece of war, a conflict, whatever you want to call it, and it’s pretty scary with what’s going on right now … with regard to war crimes and crimes against humanity and the atrocities we see against innocent people in Ukraine. “
Consequences for Vladimir Putin for war crimes“The fact is that you will not be able to take Putin to a courtroom.”
Jake Rosen contributed to this report.
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