Washington Post journalist Ed O’Keefe on Wednesday attempted to spin away yet another loss for Democrats in a congressional election. Appearing on CBS This Morning, he even insisted that the GOP going four-for-four in congressional races is a potentially bad “sign” for 2018. Talk about fake news.
Asked what the implication is of Republican Karen Handel winning in Georgia, O’Keefe offered talking points: “Look, these were all Republican-held seats and Republicans won them, so status quo has been maintained. But the fact that they had to spend tens of millions of dollars to defend them is a sign going into next year.”
It was left to co-host Charlie Rose to offer some reality, pointing out that “Democrats spent even more in the Georgia race” and lost. Co-host Gayle King wondered if Tuesday’s results have implications for 2018.
O’Keefe somehow insisted, “Absolutely. We're going to be up late that night.” So, four GOP wins in 2017 means very close midterms in 2018? How does that math work? He justified:
O’KEEFE: If you think about it, tens of millions poured into these special elections and Republicans barely got by. Even in that South Carolina race, it was a single-digit win for a Republican in a place it shouldn't have been. They are not going to have that much money to defend in dozens of competitive districts next year.
(This biased segment on CBS was brought to you by Progressive insurance and Honda.)
In a surprising turn, CBS journalists, unlike the Post, offered clarity on what Tuesday meant. King acknowledged that the Georgia race “was widely seen as a referendum on the Trump presidency.”
She also reminded, “With those victories, Republicans have won all four House special elections for appointees to the Trump administration.”
A transcript of the segment is below:
CBS This Morning
6/21/17
8:04GAYLE KING: Republicans are celebrating two big special election victories this morning. In Georgia, Karen Handel won nearly 52 percent of the vote to defeat Democrat Jon Ossoff. That race was widely seen as a referendum on the Trump presidency and it was the most expensive House race in history. President Trump congratulated Handel yesterday in a tweet saying, quote, "Fantastic job, we're all very proud of you." In South Carolina, Republican Ralph Norman won a race to replace Budget Director Mick Mulvaney. With those victories, Republicans have won all four house special elections for appointees to the Trump administration.
CHARLIE ROSE: CBS News contributor Ed O’Keefe is a congressional reporter for the Washington Post. Ed, good morning.
ED O’KEEFE: Good to see you, guys.
ROSE: So, what are the implications of all this?
O’KEEFE: Look, these were all Republican-held seats and Republicans won them, so status quo has been maintained. But the fact that they had to spend tens of millions of dollars to defend them is a sign going into next year.
ROSE; But also the Democrats spent even more in the Georgia race.
O’KEEFE: Yeah, and they themselves I think — we talk about Republicans being in trouble with an unpopular president, I think Democrats really now have to sit back and really discuss how it is that they campaign into next year.
ROSE: One thing they say is they have to run on something other an anti-Trump. That they gotta present a progressive message.
O’KEEFE: I think it’s fascinating. You look at the polling you put out yesterday. People are asked are Democrats doing enough or not enough to oppose the president, Thirty two percent say Democrats aren't doing enough. Thirty two percent say they're doing the right amount. 31 percent say they're doing too much. So it's a three-way split. You look at among Democrats, there's a 44-45 split there, not enough or the right amount. So the Democrats still don't quite know what is the correct cocktail, if you will, of message that they need to be putting together. There are many I talked to late last night that said, “We have got to come up with our own agenda, but then hit the President as hard as we can. Ossoff perhaps didn't do enough of that and may have compelled more people to turn out if he had. They don't know at this point.
KING: Indication of things to come in 2018?
O’KEEFE: Absolutely. We're going to be up late that night, I think. If you think about it, tens of millions poured into these special elections and Republicans barely got by. Even in that South Carolina race, it was a single-digit win for a Republican in a place it shouldn't have been. They are not going to have that much money to defend in dozens of competitive districts next year. Could be a real scramble for both sides.
JEFF GLOR: Karen Handel won a little more comfortably than some people thought. How much of this is Republican voters saying, listen, “We're not necessarily that concerned about the Russia investigation” and not concerned about the inaction in Congress and the fact that not much has happened and talking about tax reform, that we talked the health care bill has not been finalized either.
O’KEEFE: Yeah. That's the important thing to remember here. This was a district that's been held for 40 years by Republicans. There's more of them there. And for whatever reason, they felt compelled to turn out. This time they didn't turn out in the first round, perhaps because — as you said, they understand. We have to support the party, demonstrate that we're with the President and do what we can to hold the seat.
ROSE: Although health care bill from Republicans is coming out in fashioned by a few people in secrecy.
O’KEEFE: Right. Really just one person. Mitch McConnell.
ROSE: Yeah. Does it have a chance?
O’KEEFE: Well, look, McConnell wouldn't be sending the senate on a glide path to have a bill on the floor next week if he didn't think it was going to pass. All he'll need to do is find 50 of his colleagues plus the Vice President to pass it. That's a messy way to do it. Passing a bill is passing a bill and this sort of disciplined focus of keeping it secret until the last second is something they criticized for the last eight years but works and as Senate leader he knows that. He can be this focused, disciplinary guy and just pop it at the last second and if there's enough in there that people like, all this chatter about it being secret won't matter when they realize that there's things in there they like.
KING: That sort of leads to my next question because the secrecy seems to be ticking a lot of people off, but that doesn't seem — as long as it gets the result they want, you're saying that really doesn't matter.
O’KEEFE: By this time next week they won't be worried about it.
ROSE: Nobody knows the senate like Mitch McConnell.
O’KEEFE: Exactly. Important to remember that.
GLOR: And we think it’s going to make more people happy, the question will be cost.
O’KEEFE: Right. Not only cost but, you know, do my premiums come down, and how many tens of millions of people would lose their coverage. Their goal is to get lower than 23 million. Democrats will turn around and say, “Well, even if a few 15, 16, 17 million people lose their health care, that's unacceptable.” But the goal is to basically produce a diet version of what the house did.
KING: So, do Democrats have any leverage, Ed?
O’KEEFE: All they can do is show down the train. That's all essentially all Democrats are good for these days on Capitol Hill, especially in the Senate. They can yell and scream and produce Facebook live videos running around the Capitol. But that’s about it.
