SUCCESS CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF HELPING STUDENTS MEET THEIR GOALS.

>> CATHY: BUT FIRST, MINNESOTA GOVERNOR AND DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR VICE-PRESIDENT TIM WALZ CAMPAIGNED IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA THIS WEEK.

IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT HE'S BEEN ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WITHOUT VICE-PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS SINCE SHE PICKED HIM AS HER RUNNING MATE.

MEANWHILE, HARRIS IS ALSO IN PENNSYLVANIA GETTING READY FOR A DEBATE WITH FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ON TUESDAY.

JOINING US VIA ZOOM WITH HER THOUGHTS ON POLITICS FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE IS ANGELA GREILING KEANE.

SHE'S THE NEWS DIRECTOR AT BLOOMBERG GOVERNMENT, A FORMER WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, AND A NATIVE OF THE GREAT STATE OF MINNESOTA.

IT'S BEEN A LONG WEEK HERE, ANGELA.

HOW ARE YA?

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> IT'S BEEN A LONG SUMMER IN POLITICS.

>> Cathy: IT HAS BEEN.

TELL ME ABOUT THIS UPCOMING TRIP.

OBVIOUSLY GOVERNOR WALZ WAS IN PENNSYLVANIA IN THE INTRODUCTION THERE BUT HEARD IT'S GOING TO GO TO VEGAS, RENO AND TEXAS?

>> HE IS REALLY A KEY PART OF THE HARRIS-WALZ CAMPAIGN.

I WAS AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION TWO WEEKS AGO AND HE REALLY STOLE THE SHOW WITH HIS SPEECH, SO IT COMPLETELY MAKES SENSE THAT THEY ARE PUTTING GOVERNOR WALZ ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN KEY STATES THAT THEY WANT TO WIN.

TEXAS IS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISING, IT'S A STATE THAT DEMOCRATS ALWAYS SAY THAT THEY EXPECT TO TURN BLUE.

THEY HAVE SENATE RACE THERE THAT'S AT LEAST INTERESTING, IF NOT COMPETITIVE, BUT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE SENDING HIM TO SPEND TIME IN TEXAS SHOWS HAT DEMOCRATS MUST HAVE SOME NUMBERS THAT THEY THINK MAKE THEM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MAKING INROADS IN THAT STATE.

>> Eric: I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TUESDAY DEBATE AND I WONDER IF AS MUCH OF THE PREPARATION GOES TO CRAFTING NICE STATEMENTS, SHORT STATEMENTS AS SOUND BYTES TO BE PLAYED ON THE NEWS AFTER THE DEBATE IS OVER.

I WONDER IF YOU CAN TELL US WHAT KIND OF PREP IS GOING ON.

>> YEAH.

KAMALA HARRIS RIGHT NOW IS IN PITTSBURGH, SHE'S BEEN THERE ALL DAY BUT DIDN'T MAKE ANY PUBLIC APPEARANCES.

SHE APPARENTLY IS HOLED UP DOING DEBATE PREPMENT THIS DEBATE IS AMAZINGLY IMPORTANT.

WE ALL REMEMBER THAT THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OF HAD THIS SEASON IS THE REASON SHE IS THE CANDIDATE AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET SO SHE NEEDS TO THINK ABOUT WHAT SHE SAYS.

SHE'LL BE EXPECTED TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON POLICY THAN SHE HAS SO FAR BUT HER DEMEANOR AND CERTAINLY THOSE ZINCKERS, STAYING CALM WHILE DONALD TRUMP MOST LIKELY WILL NOT BE CALM, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY AND CAN MAKE OR BREAK THE DEBATE FOR HER.

>> Cathy: SOMEBODY USED TO TELL ME THAT THE FIRST HALF HOUR OF A DEBATE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT, IS THAT RIGHT?

>> I THINK SO.

PEOPLE HAVE SHORT ATTENTION SPANS.

MORE OF THE POPULATION THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE UNITED STATES IS ON THE EAST COAST SO THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO TUNE IN EARLY.

PEOPLE ON THE WEST COAST MIGHT COME IN LATER BUT THE FIRST HALF HOUR IS WHAT WILL LEAVE THE IMPRESSION -- OF COURSE THE OTHER THING THAT CAN LEAVE AN IMPRESSION IS A GAFF.

IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, IF THAT MOMENT SHOULD GO VIRAL, THAT WILL SURRENDER ANY GOOD FEELINGS FROM EARLY IN THE DEBATE.

>> Eric: WHAT ABOUT EARLY VOTING?

HOW IS THAT AFFECTING THINGS AND HAVE THE REPUBLICANS DECIDED THAT EARLY VOTING IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST?

>> I THINK THE PARTY OPERATIVES HAVE CERTAINLY DECIDED THAT.

THEY KNOW HOW IT WORKS AND EVERY VOTE COUNTS IN STATES LIKE PENNSYLVANIA THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, BUT DONALD TRUMP HAS STILL BEEN ERRATIC ON WHAT HE SAID ABOUT EARLY VOTING THAT'S UNLIKELY TO CHANGE BUT I THINK THE PARTY VERALL UNDERSTANDS THAT IT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THEIR STRATEGY, PARTICULARLY IN THE STATES THAT ARE DOING TO BE CLOSE.

>> Cathy: SAY, LET ME ASK YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS U.S. HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAING -- ISSUING SUBPOENAS TO GOVERNOR WALZ AND THE MINNESOTA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE FEEDING OUR FUTURE SCANDAL.

THIS IS OF COURSE A REPUBLICAN-LED COMMITTEE.

I PRESUME IF HE WASN'T ON THE TICKET, THEY WOULDN'T CARE ABOUT THIS?

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT INVESTIGATION, DO YOU KNOW?

>> I THINK THAT'S FAIR TO ASSUME.

THE REPUBLICANS HAVE -- ANY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HAS SUBPOENA POWERS SO NOT JUST REPUBLICANS, THEY JUST HAPPEN TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE HOUSE RIGHT OW BUT WE SEE THESE SORT OF THINGS WHEN THEY WANT TO SHED LIGHT ON AN ISSUE.

OBVIOUSLY IT'S AN EFFECTIVE TACTIC, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT SO IT'S WORKED FOR THEM.

AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE, FORMER NEW YORK GOVERNOR, ANDREW CUOMO IS TESTIFYING NEXT WEEK ALSO IN N OVERSIGHT HEARING ABOUT THE COVID DEATHS THAT OCCURRED IN NURSING HOMES IN NEW YORK BACK IN 2020, SO OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES HAVE WIDE RANGE TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY WANT AND OFTEN IT IS A WAY TO BRING SOMETHING THEY WANT INTO THE HEADLINES.

>> Eric: AS YOU TALK TO VOTE YEARS AND OPENTIVES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, ARE YOU GETTING THE IDEA THAT IT'S BASE ECONOMY A KIND FLIP RIGHT NOW OR WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THE STATE OF THE RACE IS?

>> THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE?

I THINK THE A TOSS-UP AT THIS POINT.

THERE'S TOO MANY VARIABLES TO KNOW F IT'S LEANING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

POLLING FOR THE MOST PART IS FAVORING HARRIS BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT POLLING IN THE LAST SEVERAL LECTION CYCLES HAS BEEN UNRELIABLE.

REPUBLICANS ARE LESS LIKELY TO RESPOND TO POLLS THAN DEMOCRATS AND AS POLLING CHANGES, AS PEOPLE'S PHONE USE CHANGES, IT'S HARDER TO GET ACCURATE READS VIA POLLS SO I THINK THAT BOTH CAMPAIGNS THINK IT'S A TOSS-UP.

THEY ARE CERTAINLY -- NETS ONE OF THEM IS RUNNING THAT I CAN THEY ARE THE LEADER.

THEY'RE ACTING AS AN UNDERDOG WOULD, ATTACKING THE OTHER ONE, THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE FROM CANDIDATE WHO DO NOT THINK THEY HAVE IT LOCKED UP.

>> Cathy: ANGELA, ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

>> GREAT