Transcripts

Nearly complete transcript of Alison Lundergan Grimes on “The Last Word” with Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC, 10 p.m. EDT, Aug. 28, 2014 (Questions and some answers are paraphrased, and appear in italics)

Koch recording shows Mitch McConnell saying things he’s never said in Kentucky before: What we have seen over the course of the past year is just how out of touch Mitch McConnell is with the people of Kentucky and nationally … not his job to create jobs … saying barriers for women have been lowered … not all students deserve to go to Yale ... promising further gridlock if re-elected … What this audio demonstrates, it’s further promises by Mitch McConnell that he will fight for the millionaires and billionaires in Washington if re-elected at the expense of hurting, hard-working Kentuckians. The distinction between us, well, it couldn’t be more clear. Mitch McConnell wants to work for the Koch brothers, for millionaires and billionaires; I want to actually work for the people of Kentucky.

What has he been saying in Kentucky about minimum wage? “Well, these audio recordings, they go farther than any stump speech Mitch McConnell has ever offered … McConnell's votes on all three issues mentioned above … What these tapes reveal is that if re-elected he won’t even consider a vote to increase the minimum wage, he won’t even consider a vote to extend unemployment insurance benefits; he won’t even consider making college more affordable for our students . . . He wants to shut the government down . . . He wants to continue to support Wall Street; I want to have the backs of our students, 360,000 college students in the commonwealth who are struggling with the crushing burden of student-loan debt.

McConnell says he won’t shut down government as part of a policy to attach riders to funding bills; how do you interpret that? (Grimes shakes her head) Well, after 30 years of Mitch McConnell being in Washington, D.C., Kentuckians, those all across this nation, can no longer trust him. This is the same guy who said he wouldn’t allow the Farm Bill to lapse on his watch, and it did; this is the same guy that said he wouldn’t allow the government to shut down, and he did. … We need a senator that can reach across the aisle and work with Democrats Republicans and independents to bring people together, to grow the middle class and put hardworking Americans back to work. You don’t do that (three examples) … Listen, I don’t think I’m in the minority; I believe the majority of Kentuckians believe in these common-sense solutions as to how we grow the middle class and finally get Washington working … 30 years of Mitch McConnell is long enough; if you want a vote on (three things above) … come and join and be part of this effort: the nation needs to rise up with us (gives address of website)

McConnell has been a different senator each decade; people who voted for him in the '90s don’t have the same senator: Thirty years of Mitch McConnell, and Kentucky ranks at the bottom of every national indicator that’s out there; indeed, Washington isn’t working for Kentucky, for this nation … It’s not who’s in the White House, whether it be a Democrat or Republican of whoever he or she might be in the future … After 30 years he’s the one that’s out of touch, he’s the one who has literally gone Washington; he’s the one who is so out of step with the values we have in the commonwealth of Kentucky, he’s willing to choose millionaires and billionaires over the hardworking people here in this state.

Does him linking you to Obama hurt? What are your main disagreements, if any, with Obama? Well, Mitch McConnell wants to run this race against anyone but me … The gridlock, the mess that he’s created in Washington, well, it’s why the president is wrongly ruling by executive order … The people of Kentucky, they know that I’m a strong, independent Kentucky woman who will do what’s right for the people of this state; you seek to have the best interest of this state at heart, and I’ll work with you, but you seek to strike at the good jobs that we have here in Kentucky and you will find no stronger opponent. Mitch McConnell, again, he has no record to run on; he wants to make this race about anything but his 30 years in Washington, his failed leadership his backing of the millionaires and billionaires instead of the hardworking people here in the commonwealth of Kentucky.

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