Posted on 06/19/2017 5:09:37 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
If Donald Trump were impeached, as some Democrats would like, Mike Pence “would be worse” for domestic policy than the current president, U.S. Sen. Al Franken told International Business Times. But the vice president would be less dangerous on foreign policy, said Franken.
Franken made the comments in an interview with IBT during a stop on his book tour in Denver. During the wide-ranging discussion, the Minnesota Democrat said his party could use the so-called “nuclear” option to try to block the Trump administration’s health care bill. On a contentious environmental issue, Franken parted ways with many progessive Democrats in saying that natural gas from fracking is helping “transition” America to cleaner energy. He also said the Democratic Party is less divided than Sen. Bernie Sanders and other progressives think. Podcast subscribers can listen to the entire interview here.
One of his party’s highest-profile lawmakers, Franken has pressed law enforcement officials to step up their scrutiny of Trump’s finances and has said “everything points to” collusion between Trump’s team and the Russian government. But he warned that the outcome of impeachment would not be the answer to Democratic dreams.
“Pence ran the transition and some of the very worst nominees, I felt — [EPA chief Scott] Pruitt, [Education Secretary Betsy] DeVos, [HHS Secretary Tom] Price, [Budget director Mick] Mulvaney — were Pence selections, clearly, I think,” Franken told IBT. “He's ideological, I consider him a zealot, and I think that in terms of a lot of domestic policy certainly would be worse than Trump.”
Franken added that he believes Pence would be better able to manage foreign policy matters.
“If you're talking about how we handle North Korea or something like that, I'd probably be more comfortable with Pence ultimately making those decisions than Trump, because of Trump’s personality and character,” he said. “I think that [Trump] is so outside the norm in his behavior that that actually does concern me, and it concerns me that I don't know what he will do if he looks like he's going to be impeached and he wants to deflect. I don't know what he's capable of, and that really does concern me.”
Trump’s health care bill may be the next test for Franken’s party. Senate Democrats in the minority have the power to withhold unanimous consent — which can grind the Senate to a halt. Vox reported last week that despite pressure from progressive groups, some Senate Democrats are resisting using this so-called “nuclear” option in their fight to stop GOP legislation repealing the Affordable Care Act. The Senate version of that legislation remains shrouded in secrecy. Franken said that if Republicans do ultimately bring a repeal bill out of committee and to the full Senate for a vote, he expects Democrats to use all of their power to try to stop legislation.
“I don't know if we're there yet,” he said of the nuclear option. “I want to see, first, if they come up with something. I'm not sure they're gonna get 50 votes for something, and then that would change what we're doing. I think then we...could do regular order, we'd have hearings, et cetera. But if they actually bring something out of this secret group and they get 50 votes, then I think we'll be fighting with every tool we have.”
Who’s in charge of changing Al’s diaper? Because he’s full of it.
“Whaa...? You mean if Trump’s impeached Hillary doesn’t become president?” (clueless lefties)
Al Franken still doing comedy routines in a baby diaper, I see.
Every single Democrapweasel I have heard from (politician, Journalist-In-Name-Only, or facetard) have said that as much as they hate Donald Trump, they despise Mike Pence even more.
The two-minute hate won’t be going away.
Says the two bit failed comedian who believes he’s a mental giant now.
Ah! The first salvo to get rid of Pence after Trump. What Leftists really want is President Ryan.....who will give them anything they want.
Al Franken talking about people being “outside the norm...”
*ROFL*
The GOP has Hillary dead to rights and all they can do is sit there and whimper. Grow a pair, you cowards, and do something for US, rather than spend all your time trying to get reelected.
Stuff it Al. Tell us about how you became a US Senator through a stolen election.
That’s right Al. So you had better be nice to Trump or Pence will haul you out behind the Senate and beat like a cheap drum.
Then he better keep trump
Was watching michael McKean knock it out of the park on the witness stand today in Better Call Saul. Thought of franken.poor actor. Poor senator..poor comedian
“then I think we’ll be fighting with every tool we have.”
Said the tool.
I’m convinced...Pres and Veep are no good. Let’s give POTUS to the second place finisher. She deserves it. On the bright side, it would shut up her bitchin’.
And the GOPe wants to “reach across the aisle” with this mindset?
If anyone SHOULD HATE the Dimwitz, it’s the GOP, e or not.
Seriously, how could ANYONE tolerate Pelosi, Frankenstein, Obama, Biden, Sanders, et al? They are childish, disgusting people unworthy to have ANY power in this country.
Amen...not one of the bastard GOP is lifting a finger to help Trump or Pence. I never thought my “respect” for them could possibly go any lower than during the Obama years when they refused to fight his communism. But they keep plumbing new depths of thorough, despicable rottenness.
;-)
Minnesota’s two current Senators may be two of the worst in state history, and believe me, we’ve had some losers!
Mike Pence doesn’t have to say that Franken is an idiot.
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