On Wednesday morning, MSNBC host Kasie Hunt served up a softball interview to Georgia Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff which not only cued up and left unchallenged his claims of racism leveled at Republicans, but even pressed from the left as she cited criticisms of the Democratic Party from liberals like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
As she filled in for regular anchor Hallie Jackson, Hunt began the interview by fretting over Republicans running "intense attacks" against Democrat Raphael Warnock, who is running for the other Senate seat in a pair of runoff elections in Georgia:
We've seen Republicans really level quite a few intense attacks on Raphael Warnock who is, of course, running in the other seat. And the two of you have really tied your fortunes together, campaigning together, appearing together, talking about a unified message. Why do you think Republicans are so focused on Warnock at this point?
Ossoff was quick to charge racism by Republicans as he responded:
I think that the GOP attacks at this point are garden variety fearmongering, race-baiting. Look, they've been lengthening my nose in their ads to remind everybody that I'm a Jew. They've been running racist attacks against Reverend Warnock. And what's emerging in Georgia is the new South. You've got the young, Jewish son of an immigrant, mentored by John Lewis, running alongside a black preacher who holds Dr. King's pulpit at Ebenezer Church....You see this bus behind me talking about health, jobs, and justice. So the GOP can run their playbook, which is fear and division. We're talking about what we're going to do for working people at a moment of crisis here in Georgia.
Instead of giving any pushback or even divulge any issues Warnock was being criticized over, Hunt merely invited her Democratic guest to repeat his charges of racism as she pathetically followed up: "So it sounds like you're saying the Republican attacks are functionally racist and potentially anti-Semitic?"
There was no clarification that, after an ad prepared for the David Perdue campaign by an outside vendor was called out for altering the appearance of Ossoff's nose back in July, the campaign pulled the ad, claimed that it was accidental, and condemned both anti-Semitism and racism in a statement.
After Ossoff reiterated his charges of racism, Hunt then shifted to pressing him from the left on other issues, beginning with diversity in the Joe Biden administration
I want to talk a little bit about some of the diversity questions and how you might work in the Senate should you actually win this election. The Biden campaign has come in for some criticism from civil rights leaders about the diversity of the picks that they've selected for the cabinet. Are you satisfied with the diversity of President-elect Joe Biden's cabinet picks?
After playing a clip of Ocasio-Cortez demanding younger leadership in the Democratic party and asking Ossoff to respond, Hunt concluded by taking a jab at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), suggesting that he might not be a leader who will deal "in good faith" with Democrats: "So, speaking of Mitch McConnell, if you're elected, do you think it will be possible to work with Mitch McConnell in good faith? Or is that impossible?"
The MSNBC host concluded the segment by informing viewers that Ossoff's Republican opponent, Senator Perdue, had also been invited on the show, which his campaign had apparently so far not accepted. If he did appear on the network, he would no doubt be pressed from the left even more so than Ossoff was.
This episode of MSNBC Live with Hallie Jackson was sponsored in part by Liberty Mutual. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
MSNBC Live With Hallie Jackson
December 16, 2020
10:31 a.m. EasternKASIE HUNT: I know you and I have spoken over the years since you were running in that House special election, and I want to start with --
JON OSSOFF: Hi, Kasie.
HUNT: --- the state of the race in Georgia, how you think things are going on the ground. In particular, we've seen Republicans really level quite a few intense attacks on Raphael Warnock who is, of course, running in the other seat. And the two of you have really tied your fortunes together, campaigning together, appearing together, talking about a unified message. Why do you think Republicans are so focused on Warnock at this point?
JON OSSOFF: I think that the GOP attacks at this point are garden variety fearmongering, race-baiting. Look, they've been lengthening my nose in their ads to remind everybody that I'm a Jew. They've been running racist attacks against Reverend Warnock. And what's emerging in Georgia is the new South. You've got the young, Jewish son of an immigrant, mentored by John Lewis, running alongside a black preacher who holds Dr. King's pulpit at Ebenezer Church. And we're traveling the state right now. You see this bus behind me talking about health, jobs, and justice. So the GOP can run their playbook, which is fear and division. We're talking about what we're going to do for working people at a moment of crisis here in Georgia.
HUNT: So it sounds like you're saying the Republican attacks are functionally racist and potentially anti-Semitic?
OSSOFF: Well, when they're lengthening my nose in their ads and when they're calling Reverend Warnock "dangerous," I mean, look, this is the playbook that they've run here since the 1970s. The GOP's Southern Strategy in the South is to divide people along racial and cultural lines. And what we're uniting people for health, jobs and justice because we have so much more in common as Georgians than we have apart. We all stand to benefit when we pass affordable health care and build new clinics and hospitals -- when we pass a new civil rights act to secure equal justice for all regardless of race and regardless of class. And when we passed the most ambitious infrastructure and jobs and clean energy bill in history, every community in Georgia will benefit. So the GOP can do what the GOP does. We're not paying them much mind. We're focused on energizing people to get out to the polls with early voting having begun on Monday.
HUNT: So, Jon, I want to talk a little bit about some of the diversity questions and how you might work in the Senate should you actually win this election. The Biden campaign has come in for some criticism from civil rights leaders about the diversity of the picks that they've selected for the cabinet. Are you satisfied with the diversity of President-elect Joe Biden's cabinet picks?
(....)
HUNT: So another element of diversity, of course, is generational diversity. And Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez caused a little bit of a stir this morning. She did an interview and said basically that Democrats need newer younger fresher leadership in Congress. Let's listen to what she had to say, and then I'll ask you about it.
CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): You know, I do think that we need new leadership in the Democratic party. I think one of the things that I have struggled with -- I think that a lot of people struggle with -- is the internal dynamics of the House has made it such that there's very little option for succession, if you will.
HUNT: Would you like to see some fresh leadership of the Democrats in Congress, whether it's House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or, in particular, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer?
(....)
HUNT: So, speaking of Mitch McConnell, if you're elected, do you think it will be possible to work with Mitch McConnell in good faith? Or is that impossible?
(....)
HUNT: All right, Jon Ossoff, thank you very much. You guys obviously are at the center of the political universe for the next couple weeks, and perhaps we'll see you in Washington. Thank you very much for your time. We do also want to note we also invited Mr. Ossoff's opponent, Republican Senator David Perdue, to come on the show to talk about his race. That invitation still stands.
