A fictional account of how a pro-life democrat could make Washington work for the people. VMM interview Jan 9, 2019.
VMM NEWS MORNING SHOW, JANUARY 9, 2019. NOON.
NOON ANCHOR (NA): One congresswoman from New Jersey is making waves bashing both parties, as she stated this morning.
TV CLIP
T: The president has handled this wrong from the start, and I will not make any excuses or apologies for him. But this request for appropriation is arguably within his authority. Misguided, but standard practice for this administration. Was the democratic leadership surprised by this? Of course not. Where the democratic leadership has failed is taking advantage of Trump’s dug-in position. Give him his wall today, but we should ask for the moon… and he’ll agree to it. The wall is everything to him, and a Pyrrhic victory for him is better than caving in.
LL: A what?
T: P-Y-R-R-H-I-C. look it up. He’ll burn the place down before he gives up his wall, and then he’ll say he won.
END TV CLIP
NA: Who is Honoria Torres? A third term democratic congresswoman from New Jersey, a former teacher of history and a middle school administrator, and one of only four pro-life democrats in the House. She’s a maverick. She’s confident, and she says she’s a democrat in her DNA. But she does not come without controversy.
Our Washington correspondent, Hiro Mizuto, caught up with the congresswoman less than an hour ago.
HIRO MIZUTO (HM): Congresswoman Torres, thank you for speaking with us.
T: My pleasure.
HM: That was quite a bombshell this morning.
T: We all have a responsibility, Hiro. America has spent the last century feeding and protecting the world. We have created the opportunity for real economic independence for our citizens, and we have shown, donated, and spread this prosperity to hundreds of millions of others beyond our borders. That’s why people risk their lives to come here. Think about it. Most of that moral capital has been written in the blood of the best men and women who have served in foreign lands, from Europe to the Far East, and most recently in the open wound of the Middle East and terrorism worldwide. It’s not about money. It’s about freedom. It’s about the pursuit of happiness, the ideal that life’s goals can be idealized, and from that we bring value to the republic.
HM: But the shutdown…
T: I stand by my statement. This is not something that happened overnight. We have a path, but we play to cameras instead. The talking heads talk, and elected officials are speaking, right now, to an empty chamber. Sure, the hyperbole and rhetoric are recorded for posterity in the Congressional Record, but the real meat is cut out here. In the public eye. Both parties have failed in leadership. There is an irresistible force and an immoveable object. Let’s find a compromise where the American people win. Give him the wall. Democrats then control the law around immigration reform. Work. Compromise. Stop the nonsense.
HM: What is your message to your fellow congress members?
T: We have some new members, thank goodness, who have strong convictions. I ask them all to remember our history. To my progressive friends, capitalism works; socialism and communism have been proven failures. Americans sacrifice for individual freedoms, not collectivism. And certainly not for mob rule or those antifa cowards. To my alt right colleagues, there is no place for racial or social animus, or hatred, and it should never be ignored or excused. And we should all never give an open window to tribal divisions that spit on the Constitution. To everyone who has rigid views that effect society: there is a seat for you if you change your heart, but if you break the law and impinge on a single decent American’s rights you will not enjoy the consequences. America does not honor cowards who wear masks or hoods. Cease and desist.
HM: Does this animus exist in Congress? Both houses?
T: I think it does. It’s threatening. Party politics requires loyalty, right? But if a member of either party does not tow the line, every time, they are ostracized. So that member has less reason to be friendly, to enjoy a certain, uh, comity with members. I believe most members act as if their constituents want outrageous behavior. I don’t believe that’s the case. Our constituents want consistent good judgment. I think that’s why my district voted for me. And I plan to give them just that. Hard work, good judgment, and effective legislation with an eye to the future generations of Americans.
HM: Until next time, Ms. Torres.
T: It’s Mrs; thank you, Hiro.
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