Dan Caplis Show, Cory Gardner, October 29, 2020
Station: KHOW, 630 AM
Show: Dan Caplis
Guests: Gardner, Cory
Date: October 29, 2020
Topics:
CLIP-CGardnerCAPLIS102920.m4a
[00:00:00] Anywhere in the history, the United States and one of the most effective senators overall in America, Senator Cory Gardner, the most effective first term senator in the history of the United States and one of the most effective senators overall in America. Senator Cory Gardner. Senator, welcome back to The Dan Karplus Show. We have Dick Wadhams in the House today.
[00:00:22] Hey, guys. How are you?
[00:00:23] Hey, Gary. We are living the dream, my friend. And while I really appreciate the time, we know how busy you are. And we played a lot of sound yesterday of your takedown of Jack Dorsey from Twitter. But for those who weren’t with us then, can you describe your encounter with him and how he nonanswers your great questions?
[00:00:44] Well, look, you know, I think we had a great opportunity to hear from the CEOs of Google, Facebook and Twitter, Jack Dorsey in particular, to talk about why it seems like conservative speech in particular is either shadow band or band outright or labeled as misleading or misinformation. And in this particular case, I simply asked Jack Dorsey a question. Does he believe that the Holocaust happened? He said yes. Does he believe people who say the Holocaust didn’t happen or spreading misinformation? He said yes. And then I said, Ben, why on earth do you not label the ayatollah of Iran for denying the Holocaust exist and for threatening to wipe out the nation of Israel when the president of the United States tweets get labeled? He does not label the ayatollah of Iran denying that millions of people were slaughtered. Right.
[00:01:33] Right. And there’s no good answer to that. Right.
[00:01:35] So there’s no good answer. In fact, he you know, again, he said that doesn’t meet their three standards of misinformation. Manipulated media or public health is particularly covert as it relates to covert or civic integrity or reelection interference. Now, I’m sorry, but allowing somebody to especially the ayatollah who is hell bent on destroying the United States and Jews around the world, including Israel. How that is not a public health threat or a matter of civic integrity. I do not know how it’s not hateful conduct. Another thing that was used to take down a comment today about border security.
[00:02:13] But, Corey, I got to tell you, I seldom have ever seen somebody take down somebody in power like that, like you did. I mean, I’ve heard that audio so many times today because it really was a I think, one of the critical moments of that of that hearing yesterday. I mean, you made the point so, so clear. And he what he really was, I thought, kind of gasp grasping. He must, as you were laying out the case, he could tell where you were going to go and he probably wanted to dove off the table.
[00:02:45] Yeah. At that point, I mean, you wanted to throw the question itself, you know, because there was no good answer to that. But but, Senator, let me shift gears for a second, if I may, because it seems to me one of the most despicable things I’ve ever seen in politics is the way, in my opinion, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats now have intentionally deprived the American people of the stimulus they desperately need during Colvard because they think it will help them defeat Donald Trump. But what’s your take on that? And do you do think. Do you think rather there’s going to be stimulus any time soon?
[00:03:21] Well, I do think there will be stimulus, but you’re exactly right. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer intentionally inflicted pain on the people of this country for their own political gain. We had a bill on the floor of the Senate last week that included relief for small businesses through the paycheck protection program, that included money for education, that included extended and enhanced unemployment benefits for people out of work. That included ten billion dollars for the post office, that included money for vaccination dissemination for personal protective equipment. Nobody disagrees with those things, and yet they wouldn’t even vote on it to allow a debate to proceed. I mean, they could have a lot of debate to proceed. They could have offered the House Heroes Act as an amendment, but they wouldn’t even debate. They voted against it. Hook, line and sinker, because Chuck Schumer said power is more important than people. And that’s what he did to say don’t vote for this now. Wait till after Election Day. It said it’s disgusting that they would play that kind of political gamesmanship while real Americans are hurting.
[00:04:24] Yeah, Cory. I mean, it’s they have no shame. I mean, they really don’t. And the way that Biden has gotten away with this notion that he doesn’t have to answer the question on court packing. I mean, the media has largely let him get away with that, just like they did Hickenlooper in the debates. You did a great job driving that question with him and all in the debates and including holding him accountable for opposing the Kofod relief bill that you talked about in the Senate that. There were times I wondered if if Hickenlooper was even understanding what you were talking about it.
[00:05:07] No, look, think it is clear that he is unprepared and doesn’t know the issues. You can hear that and his answer on the Electoral College and the national popular vote. You can hear that in his responses to legislation that is actually running TV ads against me on when I turned to him and asked him what was in the bill.
[00:05:27] He’s running a TV ad against me with. He couldn’t describe the contents of the bill. I don’t know. Over a year ago, he said he’d make a lousy senator if he wasn’t cut out for it. He proved himself right every time.
[00:05:37] Well, look at this, guys. I mean, even The Denver Post. Wait, which is, in my view, totally. And Hickenlooper is pocket. Even The Denver Post had to step up yesterday and say, well, wait a second, because hyp a Hickenlooper, as you know, had refused to tell the Post what his position was on expanding the size of the U.S. Supreme Court, said, I’ll tell you after the Barrett confirmation. So they went back to him and now he won’t comment. Right. All right. And to me, that is just so insulting to each and every voter that he is so arrogant that he thinks the voter doesn’t even deserve to know his position on a critical issue. Right.
[00:06:13] Or you remember what Joe Biden said. The American people don’t deserve to know. And that’s exactly the mantra of John Hickenlooper. They don’t deserve no on court packing. He wants to kill 230000 energy jobs. He wants to raise their taxes. And he won’t tell us what he did on those ninety one private trips that he took around the globe that were outside the statute of limitations. Look, there’s a lot of questions that he has not answered, and a lot of that is the responsibility of the media. That is simply refused to ask John Hickenlooper the tough questions.
[00:06:42] And the irony the contrast, of course, is you look at Senator Gardner, you look at you and and your M.O. has always been I mean, from the time you first appeared on the public scene in Colorado until today, you do not duck the tough questions. You take him head on and you have this record of having a consistent profile in courage. And I look at the Amy CONI Perret nomination as part of that. And you never flinched. I mean, you did not hesitate. You know, you stepped up and you just said, hey, this is what we were elected to do. She’s a superior nominee. This is what I’m going to do. Political consequences be damned. You’re going to do the right thing. And you did. And as a result, I mean, look at this. America is going to be better off for decades to come. So you contrast that kind of integrity with what we get from Hickenlooper. And it’s it’s sick.
[00:07:35] Well, look, we need to make sure that we can continue the kind of work that we’ve been able to do for the people of Colorado getting successes like the Bureau of Land Management headquarters or recent passage of a bill to save people’s life and prevent a death by suicide, and the creation of the nine eight eight to a three digit national suicide prevention hotline. But you know, the way to do that is to make sure that everybody gets out and votes of people who are listening to this. This interview that haven’t voted yet. They need to fill out that ballot. I’d be honored if they fill it out for Cory Gardner, but they need to get it to a drop box as soon as possible.
[00:08:08] You know, Cory, I don’t know if you happen to see it, but I read my last column in The Denver Post that talked about how can Hickenlooper is the worst candidate we’ve seen in Colorado. And it really is true and down deep. I think a lot of Democrats know that this guy is not worthy of this office. They’re going to their partizan corner on this on this race. But that I think about his opponents in the primary, they must look at this guy and say he doesn’t deserve this. And while they disagree with you on the issues, they respect you in terms of your depth and what you’ve been able to accomplish as a senator. I mean, I would hate to be in that position if I were a Democratic voter or one of the Democratic activists or one of the former Democratic candidates to have such an embarrassment on the ballot in this election.
[00:08:56] I mean, I really feel that. Yeah. Look, the people of Colorado deserve a fighter. They deserve somebody who’s not going to sit in in Washington like John Hickenlooper, but who’s going to bring some Colorado with them like like I have for the last six years. And, you know, that’s why I’ve tried to break down the power structures in Washington. I’m not there for the cocktail circuit. I’m not there for the social circuit or the happy hours. I’m there to get work done for the people. John Hickenlooper, you can see it this time as governor, liked the high life. He liked the fancy jets. He liked the private dinners and the Massarotti limousines. And there’s going to be plenty of that in Washington. We don’t need somebody who’s going to sit in there.
[00:09:33] Well, and, Senator, to wrap it up today, and you’ve been so generous with your time, and I don’t want to refer to this as a closing argument because I’m hoping we can get you back before Election Day. But if you would take a second and just remind folks, because life is so busy. But when you talk about us, as Dick alludes to the breadth and the depth of your accomplishments, you know, across the policy spectrum, you know, for every corner of Colorado and. Defies any kind of box, ideological box that anybody wants to put you in. You just went back there and you delivered for Colorado’s. So can you give folks who may not be dialed in every day? You know, just a quick rundown of some of those key accomplishments.
[00:10:16] Well, thank you, Dan. I’m the third most bipartisan member of the United States Senate passed legislation that required sanctions for the first time ever against North Korea to stop their illegal nuclear weapons program passed. Our first ever generational approach to China and how we’re going to have a free and open Indo-Pacific in the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act passed legislation to get more men, more women and minorities into the STEM fields in education and through the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act. Just a couple of months ago passed the most significant conservation bill, the Great American Outdoors Act, that this country has seen in over 50 years with the nine eight eight suicide prevention bill. The legislation that completed the V.A. hospital in Aurora to get the last final piece of funding to make sure that that happens, returned to the millions of dollars to western Colorado through a project called Anvil Points, money that should have been returned a long time ago to fill John F. Kennedy’s promise to begin construction on the Arkansas Valley conduit in from Pueblo to Lamar. Fifty thousand people clean drinking water opened up the U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs. The Bureau of Land Management in in Grand Junction moved it out of Washington. And there’s a lot more where that goes from. But it’s just work for all parts of our state. As you know, I 70 doesn’t end at Vail. It doesn’t indice, Strausberg. We need somebody who’s going to represent all know.
[00:11:39] It truly is stunning what you’ve been able to accomplish in this relatively short period of time. And I don’t think there’s anybody in the Senate now other than maybe Mitch McConnell, who’s the majority leader. And I don’t know that he could match your record over that time. But but all I can say is outstanding work. And I know you guys are working 24/7, and I hope you can join us before Election Day.
[00:12:03] Well, thank you. I was up at four thirty this morning for an interview, and I think the only people up at that time are the dairy farmers that I grew up with.
[00:12:09] So it looks like they’re in decline. I was up. That’s right. That was the Fox interview, wasn’t it? That was what I was. You got it. So I thought, yeah, yeah.
[00:12:21] Dixie’s everything. Senator, thanks again. And I hope we talked before November 3rd day.
[00:12:28] Thank you very much. I look forward to Dan Red. Me. Thanks.
