1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 2: Joining us now for more here in balance of Power 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:13,040 Speaker 2: is Democratic Senator of Illinois Dick Dervitt, who chairs the 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 2: Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator, Happy election day, Thank you so 5 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 2: much for joining us. I'm not sure your degree of 6 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 2: confidence at this hour of Kamala Harris's ability to win 7 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 2: this election. But if she does so, to what extent 8 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 2: do you think the Dobbs decision and the Supreme Court 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 2: will have played a role in that. 10 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: I think it's a major factor. I can just tell you. 11 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 1: It motivates not just women to vote for Kamala, but 12 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: a lot of men are joining in the ranks. And 13 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: I see it with younger voters too. They look at 14 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: the actual cases of these women facing miscarriages, trying to 15 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 1: find competent physicians, and states where their criminal penalty is 16 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: being threatened, and they understand that they don't want to 17 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: be in that position. It doesn't sound like America to them, 18 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: and it doesn't sound like it to me either. 19 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 3: Well, how you feel about things going into this election day, Senator, 20 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 3: You've had a couple of them in your career. Illinois 21 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 3: is not a swing state. It's not going to be 22 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 3: one of the states likely to decide the balance of 23 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 3: power in Washington on Capitol Hill or the next president. 24 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 3: So where are you looking. 25 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: Well, I'll tell you what I'm looking for, and I've 26 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: seen it this last weekend and before. We have literally hundreds, 27 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: if not thousands of Illinois volunteers who are going into 28 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: Wisconsin to help Tammy Baldwin in the Michigan to help 29 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: olssa slutkin, into Pennsylvania, to help Bob Casey in the 30 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: bottom line, to make sure that Kamala is elected president. 31 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 1: These are real volunteers who care and are making personal 32 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: sacrifices to help. I don't know what's going on the 33 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: other side. There's no evidence of this similar and undertaking. 34 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: And you can't buy this kind of support. It's like 35 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: comparing mom's apple pie is something you bought at a store. 36 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: It just isn't the same thing. These folks really care, 37 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: and if we do well in the blue arrange the 38 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: blue wall that they talk about here, I think it'll 39 00:01:58,280 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: be because of this factor. 40 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 2: Well, as you raise the likes of incumbent Senators Tammy 41 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: Baldwin and others who are facing tough re election fights 42 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 2: today as well, Senator It raises the question of even 43 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: if Kamala Harris is able to pull off this victory, 44 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 2: the prevailing wisdom is that you will become a member 45 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: of the minority, that the Republicans will be able to 46 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 2: flip the Senate as they only need to pick up 47 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 2: net two seats. How would Washington work in that scenario. 48 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: Where are the areas for cooperation? 49 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: That's a very good question, But I'm not going to 50 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: concede your point that it's going to be a Republican Senate. 51 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: We need one or two breakthrough and I can point 52 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: to the states you can too that are possibilities. If 53 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: God forbid, the Republicans take control of the Senate and 54 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: Kamala is our president, it's going to be a matter 55 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 1: of negotiating questions like filling vacancies and judge ships and 56 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: working together. I hope we can find that common ground. 57 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 3: Well how much, Senator, then, will the top of the 58 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 3: ticket help to determine the balance of power in the 59 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 3: US Senate? When we look at some of the Senate 60 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 3: races in the Blue Wall states, for instance, how close 61 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 3: they are Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin. Will the presidency help to 62 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 3: decide the balance of power in your chamber. 63 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: Well, I think you addressed that earlier in the program. 64 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: In some years, it appears that it helps, in some 65 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: it hurts. I will just tell you that those three 66 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: senatorial candidates and many others we talked about, certainly have 67 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: a strong record and a strong message to bring to 68 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: the voters. Kamala is put together an amazing campaign in 69 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: a little over one hundred days that she's been the nominee, 70 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: and I think the fact that she's inspired so many 71 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: volunteers to go door to door in these states going 72 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: to make a definitive difference in the Senate races as well. 73 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: Well. As we watched all of this and the issues 74 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 2: voters will be considering as they make their choices up 75 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 2: and down the ballot, Senator, do you feel that the 76 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 2: Harris campaign has done an adequate job addressing all of them? 77 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 2: We obviously have heard a lot of her argument around 78 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:59,279 Speaker 2: reproductive freedom, especially casting Trump as a threat to democracy. 79 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 2: Talking about the economy, Yes, but so too has Donald Trump, 80 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 2: who has cast a lot of blame for the last 81 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 2: four years, and the inflation people have experienced on her 82 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: in this administration. Seeing goes for the border. Are those 83 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 2: the issues that she risks losing on if that's how 84 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: it turns out tonight. 85 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: I don't think so, and I'll tell you why. From 86 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: the beginning, Kamala has made the economy the issue. That's 87 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: what the voters are saying, and she's backing them up 88 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: by saying that'll be a high priority in her administration. 89 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 1: But I'll also tell you when she talks about the 90 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: management style of Donald Trump, the question about the future 91 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: of our democracy is at stake here. He's a candidate 92 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: who's running and basically says, if I lose, it means 93 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: that there is cheating and somebody stole it from me. 94 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: He's stuck with that story for four years, the big lie. 95 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: This is an even bigger lie if he does. And 96 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: that's similar circumstance. So I think she's talking about our democracy, 97 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: which is a fundamental issue at stake in this election. 98 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 3: Well, with that said, Senator, and based on your perch 99 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 3: on the Judiciary Committee, Donald Trump appointed over two hundred 100 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 3: federal judges in his term. 101 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: What would a. 102 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 3: Trump two point oh mean for the US judiiary. 103 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: Well, that's a good question. Under the rules of the Senate, 104 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: for example, we have something called a blue slit, which 105 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: means that both parties and their senators have quite a 106 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: bit of a say as to whether a nominee is 107 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: going to move forward, So there has to be compromise 108 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: in that regard. But I will tell you that Donald Trump, 109 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 1: with the help of Democrats, had two hundred and thirty 110 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: four nominations filled in his four years. We have filled 111 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: two hundred and thirteen under President Biden and have another 112 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: twenty plus on the calendar for the remainder of the year. 113 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: So we can matching. I hope we do well. 114 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 2: If we consider as well the highest court in the land, 115 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 2: the Supreme Court. Senator there is a chance the next 116 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,799 Speaker 2: president will have some vacancies to fill. Would a President 117 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 2: Harris have difficulty doing so depending on what the Senate 118 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 2: majority looks like. 119 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: Well, it is a simple majority in the Senate when 120 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: he comes to filling the Supreme Court vacancies, and that's 121 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 1: why Trump was able to put three anti choice justices 122 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: on the Court. If we're going to move forward and 123 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: the circumstances you're describing with President Harris and a Republican Senate, 124 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: there will have to be compromises made. The only way 125 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: we can pass something, even by majority in the Senate Senator. 126 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 3: The last time we sat down with you was in 127 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 3: Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. One of the big 128 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 3: storylines going into the DNC it was the protest vote 129 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:30,600 Speaker 3: that we saw materialize in the primaries, the uncommitted vote 130 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 3: that Joe Biden withstood and faced in many cases from 131 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 3: Arab American voters and others who were not happy with 132 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 3: many progressives not happy with the policy in Israel. Expectations 133 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 3: for widespread protests that the DNC never materialized, though, And 134 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 3: I wonder if you see that being a risk tonight 135 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 3: for Kamala Harris or if this is a media narrative. 136 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: There are so many elements go into this decision making process, 137 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: but the fear at the outset was that there would 138 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: be a boycott support of Democratic candidates over Middle Eastern issues. 139 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: I think once Donald Trump was articulate in his own 140 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: way as to where he stood, people realize there's too 141 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: much at stake to lose this series over that issue. 142 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: It will affect some voters, for sure, but I think 143 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: by and large we understand that Kamala Harris as a rational, 144 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: thoughtful approach to this which wants to end the conflict 145 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: soon and help on a humanitarian side as quickly as possible. 146 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 3: Any election day rituals, superstitions you want to share with us. 147 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: Senator, there's a great delicatessen in Chicago called Manny's, and 148 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm on our way there now. Every election day for 149 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: the last twenty plus years, I've gone there and I'm 150 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: looking forward to Cornby sandwiches. 151 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 3: That sounds good. I hope you have a great lunch, Sir, 152 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 3: Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. We thank you.