Listen as Larry spoke with Rep. Dave Brat regarding the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise in Alexandria, Virginia.
O’Connor: Tell us first, what the mood is like on Capitol Hill amongst your fellow Congressmen, fellow Republicans. I know everyone is saying, ‘oh he was targeting Congressmen’. No, he was targeting Republicans and it has to weigh even more so on your shoulders when you see this sort of thing happen.
Rep. Brat: Yeah no, that’s right. It goes both ways. And I taught ethics for 20 years [inaudible] before I did economics and all that business. So, we need to come up with some rules in this city that are for real. That hold us all accountable to some ethical standard. And one rule is, not going after personalities anymore. It’s done. You can fight on policy, argue your policy is better but this demonizing individuals and running negative ads … I’ve never run a negative ad I liked yet. And all sides need to just stop it right now. Fight hard on the policy, what you believe in, explain to people why it’s bad. But yeah, the evidence is rolling in, it’s getting more than unhealthy. There is evil in people’s hearts and we need to do all we can to love one another instead of hate.
O’Connor: And before people mishear you or take what you’re saying and jump to the wrong conclusions, I know that you are a liberty loving American and you’re in no way suggesting that there should be some law set forward by our government to infringe on the way people want to debate politically. You’re just saying that amongst your colleagues there should be some basic understanding that there are lines that you don’t cross, right?
Rep. Brat: Right, right. And you got it. Thanks for drawing attention to that. I’m a Constitutional guy. I’ve got James Madison in my district. So, the First Amendment stands, but ethics is always circumscribed within that and we’ve lost ethics.
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