You're watching...
Chris Stirewalt, Doug Thornell and Ttrey Hardin discuss Eric Holder's fight over fast and furious.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
He's national board of directors for inviting me to join you -- -- -- now -- be very honest with.
It's nice to be outside of Washington DC.
Okay.
That is still Eric -- gets out of Houston Texas talking to the annual convention of the NAACP.
Tell you about why it is nice to get -- Washington may be because people are not voting to hold him in contempt of something.
-- Houston and this is power play welcome back.
And for the attorney general who has been a lightning rod for this administration beloved by the left reviled by the right.
And seemingly always in the news.
-- one week after two weeks after being held in contempt of congress the first member of sitting member of -- president's cabinet to ever be held in contempt of congress I -- is out this week.
Talking to the Raza the national association of the -- that's Spanish for the race at their meeting earlier this week members -- the NAACP got -- Texas where they also ahead and have one of the most controversial voter ID laws in the country so rather than hiding from controversy holder is courting.
So why.
Why would you do that if you -- Eric Holder.
I bet we have a couple people here who could figure it out for you you know -- Cornell he is the former spokesman for the he is at -- Cornell and he is at SPK maker -- which is that these if you were if you are a big deal you would know that that is a big deal democratic strategist and consulting firm and and also a big deal -- straight party.
He's a senior vice president for box global he plays for the red team has advised Republican candidates all over the country and all different -- -- so welcome back gentlemen great to hear it okay so Eric Holder.
The it -- it would seem logical to me that Eric Holder who is in the middle of a lot of German -- here in Washington.
Would not be the guy.
That the administration wants out on the stump.
Talking about controversial issues and these things.
What's the thinking behind necessary with you -- because it's the -- juror well.
One of the biggest themes of the NAACP convention is voting rights and I think.
Inside the Justice Department trillion they've they've really focused on making sure that all eligible voters haven't have access and have the ability to have their votes counted this year and I think.
You know you're seeing in Texas you're seeing in Pennsylvania a lot of restrictive new laws that are trying to make it harder for voters to.
If for folks to vote and I think that this is an important thing that the Justice Department has been focusing on he's going down there it is to speak to the convention and -- look he's still very popular among African Americans I think a lot of people outside not just African Americans believe that what happened two weeks goes a total which -- which.
And it's okay we'll hear what we do not have that cross -- on this breakdown by race but to that point.
-- -- -- Two to that point let's look at CNN that -- the cable news network you may know them.
Did a survey on what people think of the contempt vote.
And here's what they said 53%.
Approved of the contempt vote against older 33%.
Disapprove and 13% had no opinion.
Trade thing that surprised -- -- most about this poll.
Was how few people didn't have an opinion that 13% is relatively low and decided.
For what I had thought was sort of an inside Washington thing.
Yeah no I think that's a fair play and it it was a -- I think this is good politics some.
On the Obama Obama campaign's -- undergrad partly yes because he's speaking to the -- -- and I -- -- working communications -- it's all about the audience you're speaking to end.
It's if they can score political points by revving up their base I mean I can't imagine that.
David Axelrod and the team in Chicago could put Eric Holder -- in front of a group of independents.
Across the country right now but I know -- But let me just say one thing this is not a campaign event this is an official -- but I mean -- -- -- -- -- camp but every event was a campaign as a relatively -- seventeen weeks -- -- I.
I don't know what the residency after conference yesterday it was a campaign it's okay it's okay we have not just being campaign events now.
And I'm look I'm not saying that Eric Holder does not feel passionately about this issue I'm not saying that he doesn't believe in his heart of hearts that Texas that that there is a but Rick Perry is trying to open -- door to return of Jim Crow.
When Eric Holder says that I believe that he believes that that is so my question though is this.
With the fast and furious thing people don't people are.
Anxious about this they do not like this because there is -- dead US Border Patrol agent there are these guys this is not the typical Washington thing with.
With whom did a certain president to engage in a certain sexual act cure or -- which attorney whom or which US attorney got fired in New Mexico right that you did that I think we're seeing people go ahead you know I don't know I was just gonna.
They -- absolutely it's a very serious matter and I think that's why the Justice Department is turned over or almost 8000 documents.
He's testified almost ten top 1010 times.
Even -- -- says that that they haven't you know that there is no wrongdoing on the part of the administration.
So you know I think that the paper I think that what you're seeing is -- -- -- -- -- has complied investigation they do -- find out what happened to Brian Terry.
And this was -- program that started under that Bush Administration air -- -- it.
But I think that what happened to two weeks ago -- I really was and went a little bit beyond the pale and I think there are a lot of people who who see that and you know look polling isn't.
I think that's -- focus groups in -- on issues that.
You know sometimes thought this is an issue that lived -- -- done the right and I understand why that message is getting out didn't -- didn't really do good enough job defending and I'll be the first person that.
And yeah well I mean is if if Democrats are gonna sit and defend what happened two weeks ago.
Then it makes it pretty easy for us Republicans here and I know nothing really don't have to say too much but I think there's no way that's the CNN what what it would do Democrats defending what.
Well I mean -- Doug was defending that they have turned over all these documents I have seen I think the CNN poll shows that they clearly have not gotten their message out that they have done that otherwise I think.
I had if you look at just just to clarify at issue here the attorney general has dumped truckloads tractor trailer loads of documents on congress but there's a sliver of the documents which over which the president has exerted.
Executive privilege and said these are walled off here's what that CNN poll said about executive privilege.
And this is that kind of an unfair poll question because it when you ask somebody should somebody be secretive or tell the truth may not know when you look at that at the size of the numbers here's what you said.
Obama's use of executive privilege 27% supported 69% sure.
You know as any the president -- and first president today.
It happens all the executive privilege they -- President Bush President Clinton did it in it's never popular because it as you said the way its critics shouldn't show this person's say the truth is we have -- -- -- -- someone have a privilege not gonna while also you know executives like power and that's a great way to to use your power.
So here's my future and as well it.
Our fight for you Internet -- you Nazis are what you may have it for free.
It's right there but that do what I wrote is.
I see and another wrinkle in this and the other wrinkle is that the attorney general certainly means -- -- and certainly other Democrats have drawn a connection between voting rights.
In the fast and the furious and that they say that contempt effort.
Is an effort to constrain holder and his efforts -- voting rights so my thought is you tell me if I'm telling how crazy I have on this.
My thought is that for -- there is an advantage in going out and talking about voting rights in front of groups like the Raza and the NAACP and doing it and accessible places.
In order to court that controversy in an effort to blur this and sort of -- people say so it is about the voting rights and and and what's going on here so how crazy is that.
The I think you're I think you're partially correct then I don't they just stop right there just stopper partially correct I think what a lot of what -- Doing is that he is going to places it in Ohio in Texas in Florida in Pennsylvania where they have these new voter ID laws and he's talking to the folks about.
You know essentially what -- what they need to know about.
What they need to do to vote last word quickly power play voters should -- power play to our viewers should not be disillusioned everything's politics right now between now and November.
Dang dang dang okay that's true -- last word actually -- you -- think we said 8000 documents is nothing.
In -- government.
Where it takes more than that to order toilet paper.
Maybe there's some truth in what you say.
And -- the point -- for jury.
Tells me we better have some good news.
Because it's his lunch break and he doesn't wanna just be depressed so here's some.
