At the end of an interview with New York Senator Chuck Schumer on Sunday's NBC Meet the Press, moderator David Gregory teed up the Democrat to lecture Republicans on being too focused on the scandals plaguing the Obama administration: "Do you have a warning for Republicans who want to make the IRS and personal issues affecting the President the main theme of 2014?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Schumer eagerly proclaimed: "My warning to the Republicans is look at 1998. All they did is spend their time on the impeachment of Bill Clinton. And for the first time, the incumbent president didn't lose seats in the House....if they go too far, they will lose....if they emphasize it too much they're going to pay a price at the polls in 2014."
Schumer's self-serving political advice to the GOP was identical to a declaration made by NBC News political director Chuck Todd on the May 16 Today: "There is [a danger Republicans will overreach]. I mean, that's what happened to Republicans in 1998 with Bill Clinton. And if all of Congress is focusing on hearings to do scandals, the voters will punish them. They've done it in the past."
It's good to know NBC and the Democratic Party are on the same page.
Here is a transcript of the June 2 exchange between Gregory and Schumer:
10:50AM ET
(...)
GREGORY: Do you have a warning for Republicans who want to make the IRS and personal issues affecting the President the main theme of 2014?
SEN. SCHUMER: My warning to the Republicans is look at 1998. All they did is spend their time on the impeachment of Bill Clinton. And for the first time, the incumbent president didn't lose seats in the House.
Certainly there should be investigations and of the IRS, which I think is the really serious one of these three. The others are serious, but we haven't seen wrong-doing. The press shield area is a mess and you need independent legislation, as I mentioned.
But if they go too far, they will lose. And the – the looking into these investigations is no substitute for focusing on the economy, jobs, and the middle class. And Republicans are right to want to look into these things. But if they emphasize it too much they're going to pay a price at the polls in 2014.
GREGORY: Alright. Senator Schumer, thank you very much as always.
SEN. SCHUMER: Nice to talk to you.
