>> IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT WE WILL TALK TONIGHT ABOUT THE BIBLE AND THE POWER THAT MONEY PLAYS IN POLITICS.
MAYBE WE WILL CALL THIS THE RENDER UNTO CAESAR EDITION.
WE HAVE A LOT TO COVER.
JOINING ME TO DISCUSS THE CAMPAIGN ARE MY COLLEAGUES AT THE ATLANTIC.
SHE IS A SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST FOR CNN AND A POLICY COLUMNIST.
AND HE IS A WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR REUTERS.
WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I WANT TO START WITH YOU.
YOU WROTE ABOUT JOE LIEBERMAN DYING THIS WEEK.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT HIM AND HIS ROLE IN POLITICS.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT I AM THINKING OF AS THE DEMISE OF THE CENTRIST.
LIEBERMANN WAS PART OF A GROUP THAT REALLY NO LONGER EXISTS.
PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL IN THE SENATE BUT ARE LEAVING.
WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS AND WHAT WE WILL WANTS -- WOULD ONCE CALL MODERATE REPUBLICANS.
>> SHE HAD A REAL WARM PERSONALITY AND WAS KIND OF A THROWBACK TO A MUCH LESS ANGRY TYPE OF POLITICS.
JOE LIEBERMAN WAS GENEROUS AND DECENT BUT ALSO VERY STUBBORN AND INFURIATING TO PEOPLE.
HE WAS NOT TERRIBLY POPULAR IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
HE RAN AS AN INDEPENDENT.
>> ARE THERE ANY PEOPLE LIKE HIM LEFT?
CAN YOU THINK OF ANYONE?
>> IT IS HARD TO THINK OF ANYBODY WHO IS THAT MODEL OF POLITICS WHILE -- NOW.
THERE IS NOBODY WHO WANTS TO BE RUNNING ON A NO LABELS PARTY.
THERE IS SUCH PARTISANSHIP.
IT IS BASED ON POLICY.
PART OF THE IMPULSE IN TRUMP'S VERSION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS THAT PARTY IS MUCH MORE RADICAL.
THIS KIND OF POLITICS OF COMBAT AND PERSONAL DESTRUCTION REALLY RULES THE DAY.
YOU HAVE HAD THAT COME INTO POLITICS.
>> SPEAKING OF POLARIZATION AND ANGER, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT RONNA MCDANIEL AND THE REVOLT OF THE ANCHORS.
THAT IS WHAT I AM CALLING IT.
A MOVIE THAT YOU WOULD NOT GO SEE.
WE SOUGHT THIS INCIDENT WHERE SHE WAS HIRED AND THEN FIRED BY NBC.
THE FORMER RNC CHAIR.
WHY DID RONNA MCDANIEL FIND HERSELF TO BE THE OBJECT OF DERISION AMONG JOURNALISTS?
>> I THINK IT WAS NOT CERTAINLY THAT SHE IS REPUBLICAN.
AND NOT EVEN THAT SHE HAS TIES TO TRUMP.
BIG BECAUSE SHE HAD SUCH SPECIFIC INVOLVEMENT IN TRYING TO OVERTURN THE ELECTION.
THAT IS CERTAINLY WHAT THE ANCHORS OBJECTED TO AND WHY PEOPLE WERE SAYING THEY WERE FLUMMOXED BY HER.
>> THIS IS A PERSON WHO LITERALLY TRIED TO CONVINCE CANVASSERS TO NOT CERTIFY THE RESULT IN THE MICHIGAN RACE.
THE QUESTION IS, AND THIS IS, I DON'T WANT TO TURN IT INTO A JOURNALISM ETHICS SEMINAR.
BUT WHERE IS THE LINE?
A LOT OF PEOPLE HIRE PEOPLE OF VARIOUS STRIPES TO DO COMMENTARY ON POLITICS.
BUT WAS THIS KIND OF AN OVERREACTION ON THE PART OF JOURNALISM?
>> WE HAVE SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS SAYING WE SHOULD NOT TRY TO NORMALIZE THE EVENTS OF JANUARY 6.
TRYING TO OVERTURN AN ELECTION.
THERE WAS THIS THOUGHT BY MAKING THIS HIGHER, SHE HAD A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE EVENTS OF THAT DAY.
TO DO THAT WOULD BE TO ABDICATE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DEMOCRACY AND THE TRUTH.
>> YOU ARE THE ANTHROPOLOGIST OF WASHINGTON.
WAS THIS AN EFFORT BY NBC OR AN INDICATION THAT IN BUSY -- NBC THOUGHT TRUMP WILL BE THE LIKELY WEATHER AND THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE THEIR PEACE WITH HIM?
>> IT COULD BE.
I AM A POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR TO MSNBC BUT I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
I THINK IT WAS A CLUMSY EFFORT.
BUT I THINK IT IS AN EFFORT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT SOMEONE WHO HAS SOME KIND OF VIABILITY.
SHE IS NOT THAT KIND OF PERSON.
AT THE TIME THERE WERE A LOT OF SPONSORS AND FUNDRAISERS WHO SAID WE ARE NOT TOUCHING THESE PEOPLE.
THEY WANT TO RUN AS FAR AWAY FROM IT AS HAPPENED.
MANY PEOPLE WANT TO RUN BACK.