MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Jeff Merkley

Interview

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MELBER: I`m joined by Senator Jeff Merkley who`s called the Kavanaugh  investigation a type of cover-up and he`s trying to make a legal  intervention to stop the confirmation vote itself.

I begin with your rebuttal to what we just heard, your response to the  chairman of this committee, Grassley, saying that we are on the precipice  of destroying Brett Kavanaugh.

SEN. JEFF MERKLEY (D), OREGON: Think about the contrast from 1991. When  Anita Hill came forward, there was a thorough background investigation  reopened. There were three days of testimony. There were multiple,  multiple witnesses. In this case, not a single individual that Debbie  Ramirez said, "Talk to these people." She gave a list of 20 people, not  one was talked to.

Dr. Ford said here are eight people who have corroborated information, not  one was talked to. The FBI is not at fault here. They can only talk to  people as instructed by the White House in this situation. It`s not a  criminal investigation. They are serving at the call of the president.  The president gave a scoping document, as it`s referred to, that basically  rigged the situation so that not one of those 28 individuals with  corroborated information had a chance to tell their story and provide that  information to the U.S. Senate.

MELBER: I wonder what you think is the reason for the shift as I mentioned  in our lead report tonight from last Thursday, exactly a week ago, where  there was a concentrated effort to have a restrained or even respectful and  rational approach to Dr. Ford to what we`re seeing now? My job is to  report the news. We search for all sorts of ways to make sense of it, to  come up with words and storylines.

What I`m about to show you, Senator, a colleague of yours. My words, not  yours, sir, can only really be described as a type of long-running tantrum  that Senator Lindsey Graham has been having. More from him today, as well  as Mitch McConnell. Take a look.

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MELBER: What is your view of that rhetoric, this effort to tap into a kind  of anger over this? If a Martian landed today and followed the body that  you serve in the Senate, they would think this man was about to lose life,  limb, and home, lose his career, when in fact he has at least a standing  chance, a decedent chance, 48 to 48 of being promoted to one of the most  powerful lifetime posts in the country.

MERKLEY: No, absolutely. Think about the fact that there are so many  things that are disturbing here. One is that in 2006, he did a number of  presentations that according to senators like Senator Durbin who were there 
were at best misleading, but pretty much outright lies. And then again in the hearing last week, numerous instances of misleading the Senate or lying to the Senate.

And then, of course, we have this fact that several women came forward at  great personal risk to share their story. And how are they being treated?  They are being treated as if they are criminals by this Republican  majority. They brought in a prosecutor. That whole setting last week that  you gave a better description of it, a nicer description of it but they  basically brought in a prosecutor to put her on trial.

MELBER: To cross-examine Dr. Ford.

MERKLEY: Yes, to cross-examine Dr. Ford. So the treatment of women here - - I can tell you so many women have called my office to share their story,  have written to my office to share their story of the fact that they were  assaulted at some point in their life, often not sharing it with anyone,  often have reverberations for years and years and years.

It was a gutsy thing for women who are treated often by powerful white men  as if they are the problem, instead of an honest presenter of information.  And what happened? Well, this group of white Republican men, they are 11  in the committee, persuaded to treat these individuals as if they are  dishonest, unacceptable, and even as if they are the criminal that needs to  be prosecuted. It`s a horrific, horrific conduct by my colleagues.

MELBER: Well, you put it in the wider context, Senator which is how it`s  impacting people across the country, as we continue to reckon with how to  adjudicate these issues. And it doesn`t mean we know where every single  one of them lands. We certainly, I think to your point, need to afford  fairness and respect throughout the process. And some of that is certainly  lacking right now.

Senator Jeff Merkley, thanks for spending time with us tonight.

MERKLEY: You`re very welcome.

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