On Wednesday's Inside Politics, CNN host John King pushed the angle that President Joe Biden has not done enough to push a far-left agenda on voting laws as he confronted his Democratic guest, Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell, from the left on the issue.
In his second question, King brought up NAACP president Derrick Johnson's recent criticism of the President:
You mentioned the President's speech was emphatic yesterday -- the President's speech did say, "Pick your side in history," and he laid it out quite strongly there in the sound we heard. But a lot of your friends in the civil rights community -- I'm going to have you listen to one here, Derrick Johnson from the NAACP -- say, "Mr. President, this is a fundamental issue. Where have you been for a year?"
After a clip of Johnson complaining that President Biden should have given his recent speech a year ago, King posed: "What's your take on that? The White House would say the President has talked about this some, and he's had to deal with COVID, and he's had to deal with other issues in the country. But is he late? Is he too late to twist the arms and change the votes?"
When his Democratic guest did not take the opportunity to be critical of Biden, King then followed up by bringing up Congresswoman Bush being critical of moderate Democrats who are helping to block liberals from enacting their agenda. The CNN host suggested that white Democrats are out of touch with young liberals:
CONGRESSWOMAN CORI BUSH (D-MO): We need to turn focus -- even more focus to those who are standing in the way. And they're standing in the way of what's needed from people who look like me.
KING: It's that last part -- Congresswoman Bush quite emotional there -- "people who look like" her. Let me just ask you bluntly: Are you concerned that some of these older, white Senators don't understand this issue and the urgency as they should?
This piece of lobbying in favor of the left's election power grab was sponsored in part by IHOP and Philadelphia. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
Inside Politics
January 12, 2021
12:11 p.m. Eastern
JOHN KING: You mentioned the President's speech was emphatic yesterday -- the President's speech did say, "Pick your side in history," and he laid it out quite strongly there in the sound we heard. But a lot of your friends in the civil rights community -- I'm going to have you listen to one here, Derrick Johnson from the NAACP -- say, "Mr. President, this is a fundamental issue. Where have you been for a year?" Listen.
DERRICK JOHNSON, NAACP: Well, this President is considered one of the masters of the Senate with more experience than any other President other than perhaps Lyndon Johnson. It's not for us to tell him how to get it done. It's for us to say, "You have to get this done." (editing jump) But we should have heard this a year ago, six months ago, with his level of energy.
KING: What's your take on that? The White House would say the President has talked about this some, and he's had to deal with COVID, and he's had to deal with other issues in the country. But is he late? Is he too late to twist the arms and change the votes?
[CONGRESSWOMAN TERRI SEWELL (D-AL)]
I want you to listen to one of your Democratic colleagues -- fellow African American Cori Bush, one of the younger members of the House. And it's the younger members -- some of them have less patience, if you will -- I'm not blaming them for that. They think, "Let's get to it." Listen to her description. She's talking about the President, but then she gets to those Senators you're talking about.
CONGRESSWOMAN CORI BUSH (D-MO): We should expect more from our President, absolutely, absolutely. But our President is not the one who is going to vote. We need to turn focus -- even more focus to those who are standing in the way. And they're standing in the way of what's needed from people who look like me.
KING: It's that last part -- Congresswoman Bush quite emotional there -- "people who look like" her. Let me just ask you bluntly: Are you concerned that some of these older, white Senators don't understand this issue and the urgency as they should?
