November 04, 2009 CNN
BEHAR: OK, thank you very much Congressman, I want to turn to Randi Rhodes, nationally syndicated radio talk show host. Hi, Randi.
RANDI RHODES, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Hi Joy. Congratulations.
BEHAR: So, thank you. Let`s start with these races. What did you make of all of it?
RHODES: Well one of them was a real change election. And the other one I thought -
BEHAR: Which one?
RHODES: Well I thought New Jersey, you know Goldman Sacs Corzine I think they had it with the whole Wall Street bailout. The whole -
BEHAR: Right.
RHODES: And you know --
BEHAR: You can`t blame people for being aggravated by that.
RHODES: I don`t blame them. I really don`t blame them. And he ran a dirty campaign, quite frankly. I don`t think Corzine needed to go there with the fat joke. You know I mean that`s what he was presenting.
BEHAR: Do you think that had something to do with the reason he lost?
RHODES: It`s what everybody ended up talking about. Instead of how to bring jobs to New Jersey or lower property taxes. Everybody was saying oh my god, John Corzine --
BEHAR: I think it`s because they didn`t like Corzine, it had nothing to do with the fat joke.
RHODES: He`s not the most -- you wouldn`t want to have dinner with John Corzine.
BEHAR: No?
RHODES: No.
BEHAR: Have you had dinner with him?
RHODES: No.
BEHAR: But I read that you said that the governor races yesterday were a vote for Obama. Now he lost - we lost --
RHODES: Oh but I said that it`s a change election. See I really think that New Jersey was voting for change and Virginia was voting for change. I think Virginia made a huge mistake. The kind of change they`re going get is going to be you know, women are chattel and you know--
BEHAR: In Virginia?
RHODES: They`re still fighting the civil war in Virginia and they`re making progress. Virginia is one of the best managed states in the United States. Because they had 12 years of Democratic governors. They had Tim Kaine who was a phenomenal governor. And they have -- who is leaving you, Mark Warner. They had Mark Warner and so they`re finances in Virginia are really, really solid. The thing on the ballot is a transportation issue. There`s a lot of traffic in Northern Virginia mostly. And so they were upset about transportation. This guy that won, Bob McDonald, that won, Bob McDonald, I mean Bob McDonald likes when you and me were chattel, he liked when you and me couldn`t own things and couldn`t vote that`s who Bob McDonald is.
BEHAR: Oh, those were the days.
RHODES: But you know he ran as a moderate. That`s the thing that nobody want to talk about. Bob McDonald decided to put all the social issues aside and run with Bob loves jobs. Or Bob for jobs. I mean, he ran as a complete moderate. Never talked about social issues. Which is what these conservatives are harping on and they`re going to lose.
BEHAR: Well do you think that all this kind of like tea partying that`s going on, and the Palins, the Limbaughs, the Becks, are they harming the Republican Party?
RHODES: Listen Joy I think that`s what - you know the one race that they inserted themselves in a big way,
BEHAR: 23rd district.
RHODES: New York.
BEHAR: That was an interesting thing.
RHODES: That was a talk radio race. That`s what that was. They needed to win one so Beck and Rush and Sean, and Mark Levin, who believe it or not is like in bunker in his bedroom somewhere planning all this. Landmark legal foundation is his, you know, screaming and yelling I am a Sean Hannity everyday telling them what to say. And so they`re very coordinated. They picked this New York 23rd race and decided they would back the conservatives. See there was a Republican and a Conservative. So they backed the conservative. This guy, Hoffman, no one knew him. He`s an accountant. He was a CPA.
BEHAR: Why didn`t they back the Republican?
RHODES: Because they wanted to show that the Republican Party is no longer their party. That the Republican -- they`re running away from bush.
BEHAR: Do they want a third party? Do they want a third party?
RHODES: They do. They can`t get anybody elected for dogcatcher. If you read "the New York Times," David Brooks, is a conservative, he`s a Republican - see now you have to differentiate. He wrote a column saying these guys couldn`t get anybody elected to dog catcher with their 600, 700 radio stations. And so --
BEHAR: You know I wonder if that`s true. But that could be sour grits on (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
RHODES: No, New York 23.
BEHAR: Listen I`m still worried about them but sit tight. We have more with you. We`ll be back in a minute. Don`t go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BEHAR: I`m back discussing last night`s election results with Randi Rhodes, a nationally syndicated talk show host. So Randi let`s talk about Maine. Maine voted to repeal a law that would allow gay marriages. Did that surprise you at all?
RHODES: You know, Joy, I think Madison is rolling over in his grave. You know the reason why we have a legislative branch and the reason why they make the law is so that the majority can never be tyrannical over the minority. And every time you put one of these things on the ballot you get all this money coming in from out of state, from out of district, you know, from all over the place affecting these questions that should decided by state legislature or our federal government, quite frankly.
Barack Obama was at the human campaigns right dinner not too long ago and he was the keynote speaker. And he made news that day because he said would end don`t ask don`t tell. But the other news he made was that he was going to work to repeal DOMA, the Defensive Marriage Act. And that`s really where it belongs, legislated in the house and senate and signed by the president and get it done.
It`s surprising to me, all these conservatives with their values. They pick and choose from the constitution what they like. The 14th amendment applies to other people besides George Bush. The 14th amendment is equal protection and belongs to everybody. All rights commonly available to you, to me, and to everybody that`s watching are available to all people. Regardless -- that`s why it was very important that the hate crimes legislation for the first time Barack Obama put the whole GLBT, transgendered, too, into federal law. That was the first time there was ever a law that mentioned in federal law gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people. Now, he`s got to -
BEHAR: But why is it that whenever they put it on a ballot, a proposition or anything it dies?
RHODES: Well so much money in the district. I mean you have church money coming in which, you know, separation of church and state. They kind of like it, but, you know, then the churches get involved and they -- they like their tax exempt status but don`t want to stay out of politics. So you get this money coming in from people. I think Maine saw -- even this Hoffman guy in New York 23, all the money came from outside the district. Maine, same thing. It came from this group, something like people for the defensive marriage, or something like that. It`s out of state money.
BEHAR: It always fascinates me how heteros are upset about gay marriage. As if my husband is a drunk and he beats me, but it`s because Frank and Larry are getting married I`m having a problem.
RHODES: Well when I was married I used to tell my husband used to say, what I need is another wife. You -- you`re too much for me to do. Get somebody else.
BEHAR: But do you think this Maine vote is going to stop the momentum of gay rights or another little glitch?
RHODES: You know like I said, when you leave it to the public -- the public is never going to vote themselves higher taxes but they want better schools. Public is never going to vote other peoples` rights when they`re not part of that group --
BEHAR: But you know in this country we don`t know what we`re getting for taxes. You know when you go to Europe, you have health care, and you`ve got trains running all over the place. You get your money`s worth.
RHODES: Joy, you have socialism.
BEHAR: I know but that`s why people don`t want to pay taxes here`s because we don`t get much for it.
RHODES: Well I think we do. I mean you know, we`re in New York City and have the most amazing mass transportation. We have -- I can come from D.C. To here in, you know, two hours.
BEHAR: Big deal, but you can`t go to Chicago really easily.
RHODES: That`s what Warren Buffett is building.
BEHAR: Good for him. Thanks, Randi. Thank you and thanks to all of my guests tonight. Good night, everybody.
