The hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” said Monday that this fall’s government shutdown, which may be coming to an end, has left Democrats in a “pretty good position” in the eyes of American voters.
“It revealed how much the Republican Party hates the idea of helping American workers,” said host Joe Scarborough, reacting to the news that eight centrist Democratic senators broke ranks with their party colleagues on Sunday to reach a deal with Senate Republicans. As a result, the longest government shutdown in American history should end sooner rather than later.
“I would like the Democrats, for once, just once, to win and then understand that the Republicans will never help American workers,” Scarborough added, advising Democrats not to lose too much sleep over their eight colleagues’ deal with the Republicans. “They learned that through this process. You know who else learned that through this process? The American voter.”
“The reality of what this Republican Party represents today, the reality of what Donald Trump fought for last week, this will remain in the minds of voters for years,” he insisted. Jonathan Lemire, co-host of “Morning Joe,” agrees, citing frustrations felt by some Democrats who believe they could have forced a better deal on Republicans.
“I think for Democrats, in the short term there is frustration, but in the long term, yes, they used this shutdown to emphasize the point that you just made,” Lemire told Scarborough. “Republicans are out of touch. Republicans don’t care about the little guys. Republicans care about the rich and tax cuts for the rich and building ballrooms and stuff.”
“It wasn’t a perfect ideological victory. The battle for health care justice? It continues,” Scarborough observed. “But once again, it continues with this framed debate [as] the whole world knows where the Republican Party stands. They don’t care that health care premiums continue to explode.”
“They don’t care about anything, it seems, outside the White House except cutting taxes for the richest of the richest of the rich,” the “Morning Joe” host added. “Last week they announced more cuts! They don’t care about American workers. They care about, once again, giving leniency to criminals.”
The former Republican congressman concluded: “This is a very good place for Democrats as they move forward and debate where this country is going over the next year.” »
