Todd claims GOP has nothing to do with Jackson, jokes they will blame him for inflation

For her Friday show on MSNBC, MTP Daily Host Chuck Todd tried his hand at comedy because he confidently announced that Republicans would blame Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the inflation because they have it. The “Republican” approach to panel discussions was given by former party chairman Michael Steele who agreed and claimed that Jackson’s confirmation hearing would give Republicans a better chance of raising money.

After Democratic strategist Adrian Ellard announced that Republicans would be unable to attack Jackson’s merits, he turned to Todd Steele and announced:

I put it this way: If Republicans can attack inflation, they will inflation, but there they are, because they, I mean, they really don’t have a win here … they just want to keep an issue alive that they think can help, and, I guess it’s trying to commit a crime, what do they think here, like, if you know-you know–, at least put that quote, “quote in the news”.

Steele agrees: A lot of money is being raised, I mean … “

Todd then dismissed Senator Josh Howley’s concerns about Jackson and his record about Jackson and child porn peddlers, and refused to confirm Steele’s acquittal. “Well, Howley apparently only seems interested in raising funds for her … just get one out today,” he quipped.

After some crossstacking, Steele returned to his original words and agreed with Todd that Republicans would use the hearing to make unrelated allegations:

Precisely, so about all this money, about how they can leverage that. They know that even if you don’t have a movie or a mannequin confirming their support for the judge, they will be there, so McConnell knows that and what he says is a complete deal. So the question for Republicans is how do we make it a placeholder – in terms of the other descriptions we’re pushing, whether it’s about crime, whether it’s about inflation, as you say, if we can attack him he had a case. –

After Todd interrupted, Steele then echoed Allard to make sure he knew he was “facing”, “That’s what they want to be able to do and that’s fine, that’s right because at the end of the day they can’t raise a question.”

Ironically, it was the Democratic Allard who came closest to accurately explaining the Republican view than both Anchor and the former RNC chair, as he warned in the segment that Republicans would attack Jackson for being soft on crime and for representing Gitmo prisoners.

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Here is a transcript of the March 18 show:

MSNBC MTP Daily

3/18/2022

1:50 PM ET

Chuck Todd: Let’s talk about the confirmation hearing. Adrienne, it seems, does it, even Mitch McConnell said he’s going to be sure. So, what is the goal? Let me ask you this question, what is the goal of the Democrats in this confirmation hearing? Do you expect anything serious to protect him from attack?

Adrian Ellard: Yeah, look we know that Josh Howley, Ted Cruz, is going to be the Republican out there who’s going to attack his record. They are softening on the crime of missing what they think. He represented some of the prisoners in Gitmo that they were going to talk about. But for us as Democrats, we want to talk about his qualifications and his experience, and I think what you don’t see from Republicans is attacking his credentials to stay in court. You know, we’re ready, I’m actually working with several outside teams right now for next week. We are prepared to respond accordingly to the attacks, but we do not want to escalate those attacks either, we want to make sure that he, his own words, what he said before the hearing next week, that his own words are put forward. That is, again, we focus on his qualifications and his experience and he is exceptionally qualified to be on the court.

Todd: Michael, I – I sort it out: If Republicans could attack inflation, they would have inflation, but there they are, because they, I mean, they really don’t have a win here.

Michael Steele: There is no victory here.

Todd: They just want to save an issue they think might help, and, I think, trying to make it a crime, what do they think here, like, if you know – you know – at least that quote, Quote “in the news”.

STEEL: It’s in the news, it’s in the news– it’s coming down to the base. A lot of money is being raised, I mean-

Todd: Well, Howley seems to be interested in raising funds, apparently.

Steele: All right, Josh Howley.

TODD: – Just put one out about this today.

Allard: Surprise, surprise.

STEELE: Okay, so about all this money, about how they can leverage it. They know that even if you don’t have a movie or a mannequin confirming their support for the judge, they will be there, so McConnell knows that and what he says is a complete deal. So the question for Republicans is how do we make it a placeholder – in terms of the other descriptions we’re pushing, whether it’s about crime, whether it’s about inflation, as you say, if we can attack him he had a case. –

Todd: I mean, I’m getting yummy, but it looks like they want to.

Steele: That’s all they want to do, and that’s fine, because at the end of the day, they can’t question his qualifications.