>> Eric: AS NOTED EARLIER IN THE HOUR, TUESDAY'S VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WAS MARKED BY CIVILITY AND QUESTIONABLE CLAIMS FROM BOTH CANDIDATES.

ADD IN PLENTY OF SPARRING OVER DISASTER RELIEF FOR HURRICANE HELENE VICTIMS AND THE ESCALATING CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS WE HEAD INTO THE FINAL MONTH BEFORE THE ELECTION, A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.

SO LITTLE TIME FOR THIS DISCUSSION TO TAKE PLACE.

REPUBLICANS UP TONIGHT, BRIAN MCDANIEL, FORMER LEGISLATIVE STAFFER NOW LOBBYIST AND STANDUP COMEDIAN.

WELCOME BACK AUSTIN ALTENBURG, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY FOR FORMER WISCONSIN GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER AND SENATOR JOHNSON.

FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER IS WINTANA MELEKIN, PARTY ACTIVIST AND VETERAN NOW OF REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR'S REELECTION CAMPAIGN.

DO YOU PROGRESSIVES KIND OF WORRY THAT KICKK CHANEY IS ALL OF A SUDDEN ENDORSING KAMALA HARRIS?

BACK IN THE DAY HE WAS LIKE THE DEVIL INCARNATE FOR DEMOCRATS.

>> I STILL THINK HE IS BUT I THINK IT'S MORE EVIDENCE THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS FALLING APART AND THEIR COALITION IS JOINING OURS BECAUSE WE ARE BUILDING A ENTED THAT FITS MORE FOLKS.

I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT AND OTHER DEMOCRATS WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR VALUES AHEAD.

>> Eric: IS THIS REPUBLICANS FOR HARRIS A THING?

>> I MEAN, IT'S NOT A REAL THING.

WHAT IT REALLY IS IS REPUBLICANS REJECTING DONALD TRUMP.

A LOT OF THAT IS BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP DOESN'T WANT THEM AND DOESN'T PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS IN A LOT OF RESPECTS.

I'M NOT THINKING THAT THIS IS ALL OF A SUDDEN FORMER MORE MODERATE REPUBLICANS BECOMING DEMOCRATS, THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC THING.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK, AUSTIN?

>> I WOULD AGREE 100%.

THERE'S ALSO SOME DEMOCRATS THAT HAVE GONE REPUBLICANS, TALK ABOUT TULSI GABBARD FOR ONE, SHE WAS IN PARTY LEADERSHIP, FOR GOODNESS SAKES.

AND KICKK CHANEY AND LIZ CHANEY THEY REPRESENT A BYGONE ERA OF POLITICS.

>> TULSI GABBARD IS NO DICK CHANEY AND I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT A COALITION THAT GOES FROM BERNIE SANDERS TO KICK CHANEY, IT SAYS SOMETHING -- AND MANY ARE FINDING THEIR WAY TO SAY I CAN'T VOTE FOR THAT AND KAMALA HARRIS IS SERIOUS ABOUT TRYING TO DO IT DIFFERENTLY.

>> Cathy: WHAT WOULD YOU THINK IF HARRIS WINS, I BELIEVE SHE SAID SHE MAY PUT SOME REPUBLICANS IN THE CABINET.

WHAT WOULD BE - WHAT WOULD YOU THINK OF LIZ CHENEY WOULD END UP IN THE CABINET?

>> I THINK THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING IDEA, IT WOULD DEPEND WHERE AND WHAT ROLE, I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS LIZ CHENEY AND HARRIS, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENCES IN POLICY, THEY BOTH SAY SO.

BUT I HINK IN THE RIGHT AREA, A LOT OF DEMOCRATS AND I THINK HAM OF KAMALA HARRIS HAS PROVEN AND THIS HISTORICALLY IM WALZ HAS AS WELL THE MORE VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES MAKES US BETTER.

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING PEOPLE ON THE TEAM TO LUNCH TO IDEAS.

>> Cathy: SO THERE WAS A DEBATE ON TUESDAY.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT?

>> I THINK JD VANCE DID A FANTASTIC JOB.

I THINK THE DEMOCRATS CLEARLY HAD A GOAL TO PAINT HIM AS CHAOTIC AND THEY WANTED TO CONTINUE HAT NARRATIVE AND HE COMPLETELY REBUFFED THAT NARRATIVE.

HE WAS CALM, HE WAS COLLECTED, HE ARTICULATED HIS POLICY POSITIONS IN A WAY THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN A WHILE.

HE ARTICULATED THIS NEW REPUBLICAN VISION OR THIS EVOLUTION THAT THE PARTY'S UNDERGONE IN A WAY THAT I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN ON A NATIONAL STAGE BEFORE AND I THINK IT WAS A REALLY STRONG MOMENT FOR IMHIM.

>> Eric: HOW ABOUT WALZ HAVES VANCE HERE, WHAT DID YOU THINK?

>> YEAH, I THINK WALZ DID A PHENOMENAL JOB AND I THINK ONE THING TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT JD VANCE WENT IN THERE HONESTLY PRETENDING TO BE WALZ, PRETENDING TO BE THIS PERSON OF SUBSTANCE AND CHARACTER BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE TOP OF THE TICKET IS A COMPLETE FAILURE AND HE KNOWS THAT TIM WALZ IS VERY CREDIBLE AND RESPECTABLE AND HONEST AND HE TRIED TO REPLICATE THAT.

HE WASN'T ABLE TO DO IT AS GOOD AS WALZ AND I FEEL LIKE ALZ IS GOING TO BE, IS A GREAT ADDITION AND IS GOING TO HELP US GET TO THE VICTORY.

>> WELL, I THINK, I DO THINK TIM WALZ DID A REALLY GOOD JOB.

I THINK THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS TO GRADE DEBATE PERFORMANCES.

ONE IS WHO IS THE BEST MOST POLISHED YALE DEBATER AND THEN WHO LEAVES PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT WHAT THEY STAND FOR AND I THINK TIM WALZ DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THAT.

I THINK IT WAS INTERESTING TO WATCH JD VANCE SPEAK IN A POLISHED WAY BUT VERY DISHONEST ABOUT POLICIES HE AND TRUMP REPRESENT FOR THE FUTURE.

>> AS A STANDUP OMIC, JIM GAFFIGAN, WHAT DID YOU THINK >> WELL, I MEAN, HE NAILED THE MANNERISMS FOR SURE.

I THINK IT WAS VERY FUNNY AND PROBABLY EVEN TIM WALZ THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY FUNNY.

BUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, TYING BACK TO THE LAST TOPIC, THE JIM GAFFIGAN TIM WALZ WAS NOT THE TIM WALZ THAT WAS ON TAGE FOR THE DEBATE.

THAT TIM WALZ HAD BEEN KIND OF OVERLY PACKAGED.

YOU COULD JUST HEAR THAT HE WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, BUTTE BEGINNING HAD TOLD HIM TO SAY AND IT REALLY TRIPPED HIM UP, TOOK AWAY HIS GLASSES SO HIS EYES WERE LOOKING BULGEY SO WHILE I THINK WHILE HE HAS DONE AND THE ROLLOUT OF TIM WALZ HAS GONE VERY SMOOTHLY I THINK THIS KIND OF PUTS A STOP TO HIS USEFULNESS AND NOW YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT BE TRUMP, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT BE HARRIS AND VANCE AND WALZ ARE GOING TO GO INTO THE BACKGROUND WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, NORMAL FOR VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.

>> Cathy: BEFORE WE GET OFF THIS TOPIC, THOUGH, WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT JD VANCE DIDN'T BRING UP ISSUES LIKE WALZ'S LEADERSHIP DURING THE UNREST AFTER GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH?

THE FEEDING OUR FUTURES SCANDAL, I MEAN, THERE WERE THINGS WE WERE THINKING WERE GOING TO COME UP.

>> NOT AT ALL AND I THINK IT WAS EXTREMELY SMART NOT TO.

IT'S NOT ABOUT WALZ, IT'S ABOUT HARRIS.

AND HE FOCUSED ON THAT 100% OF THE TIME.

HE MENTIONED.

FACT THAT SHE'S BEEN THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS SO IF WE'RE UNHAPPY WITH WHERE THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, SHE'S HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND SHE HASN'T AND THAT'S WHAT HE FOCUSED ON.

>> Eric: HAVE YOU DETECTED WHERE HARRIS HAS MOVED TO THE MIDDLE A BIT?

>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO NOT NOTICE.

YEAH.

>> Eric: AND YOUR REACTION TO THAT IS WHAT?

>> I FEEL LIKE I ALSO SAW THAT WITH JOE BIDEN AND THEN I SAW HIM BECOME PRESIDENT AND DO THINGS LIKE STUDENT DEBT RELIEF, I SAW HIM FUND HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITIES AND UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND WHILE I WOULD PREFER FOR FOLKS TO CAMPAIGN ON THE LEFT I DO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WITH HARRIS AS A WIN OF THE MAJORITY OF CONGRESS WHICH LEADS TO THE PROGRESSIVE POLICIES I WANT TO GET DONE, SO I SEE A BIGGER PICTURE.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

I WONDER, BY THE WAY, I WANT TO GO BACK TO WALZ FOR JUST A MOMENT HERE AND HELP ME OUT, IF YOU WOULD.

SO DAVID AXELROD, FORMER OBAMA ADVISOR, WAS CRITICAL OF WALZ'S PERFORMANCE DURING THAT DEBATE AND HE THOUGHT HE NEEDED MORE SEASONING WHEN IT CAME TO TV INTERVIEWS WHICH HE DOESN'T DONE MANY AT ALL, NOW HE'S GOING TO DO 60 MINUTES, HE'S GOING TO DO JIMMY KIMMEL AND SOME OTHER HINGS.

DO YOU THINK THAT'S HELPFUL, HURTFUL, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?

>> I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND I THINK HE'LL O WELL.

>> Cathy: KEPT HIM UNDER WRAPS TO THIS POINT.

>> WELL, IT'S ALSO BEEN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME WITH A LOT GOING ON.

SO I THINK THIS IS ALL PLAYING OUT GIVEN THAT IT'S ESSENTIALLY A 100-DAY CAMPAIGN AND HE HADN'T EVEN BEEN PART OF IT THAT WHOLE TIME, I THINK THEY'RE TAKING THE STEPS AND HE'S OUT THERE AND TALKING TO PEOPLE.

AND INTERVIEWS, GREAT, HE'LL DO FINE.

>> Eric: SAY, AUSTIN -- WELL, GO AHEAD, BRIAN.

>> I WAS GOING TO SAY I DON'T THINK IN THAT DEBATE THAT WOULD GIVE PEOPLE CONFIDENCE THAT HE COULD BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SHOULD SOMETHING TO HAPPEN TO KAMALA HARRIS AND IT'S UNFAIR TO ASSUME HE WOULD BE EXPECTED TO BE THAT.

BUT THE WAY WHEN WE GOT THE QUESTION ABOUT CHINA AND TO NOT HAVE THE QUESTION ABOUT CHINA AND TO KIND OF SAY I'M JUST A KNUCKLEHEAD WHO GOT WRAPPED UP IN THE RHETORIC, THAT IS WHAT NEEDS THE SEASONING.

GOING ON PERSONALITY PROGRAMS IS ONE THING, GOING ON SOMEPLACE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GET HAMMERED WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT ALL THE THINGS YOU TALKED ABOUT, THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT AND I DON'T THINK THAT HE'S READY FOR THAT.

>> Eric: AUSTIN, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING LET'S EXPAND THE MAP, COMPETE IN IOWA, TEXAS, FLORIDA, EVEN NEBRASKA, APPARENTLY THERE'S AN INDEPENDENT SENATE CANDIDATE THERE DOING WELL.

IS THERE ANY PROSPECTS FOR THOSE TO BE IN PLAY HERE AT THE END?

>> I DON'T BELIEVE SO, I THINK YOU CAN LOOK AT WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING AND WHERE THE CANDIDATES ARE GOING.

HARRIS IS PARKING HERSELF IN MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

AS SHE SHOULD, SHE'S TRYING TO SHORE UP HER BLUE WALL.

TRUMP IS GOING TO NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA.

WISCONSIN IS GOING TO BE A TOSSUP IN HER BLUE WALL, WE'LL SEE, THE POLLS SHOW IT'S A DEAD HEAT.

>> Eric: WHY IS HE GOING TO CINCINNATI AND CLEVELAND?

>> SPECIFICALLY I DON'T KNOW BUT I THINK WHAT'S INTERESTING IS YOU'RE SEEING BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE STATE LEVEL PARTIES, FLORIDA, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD NOT BE ON ANYBODY'S BINGO CARD RIGHT NOW FOR A CONVERSATION BUT WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS DONE IN FLORIDA AND WITH THE ABORTION INITIATIVE ON THE BALLOT THERE ARE DYNAMICS THAT ARE IN PLAY THAT BECAUSE OF THE ORGANIZING AND BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING FOR DEMOCRATS AROUND THE COUNTRY IN SURPRISING STATES THAT JUST PUT THINGS IN PLAY IN A WAY THAT MIGHT NOT SURPRISE -- MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE.

>> YEAH, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE.

I THINK THE MAP HAS EXPANDED.

I THINK WHAT HARRIS AND WALZ ACCOMPLISHED IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME VERY MUCH PUTS MORE STATES IN PLAY PARTICULARLY IN TEXAS AND SOME OF THE STATES YOU LISTED.

YEAH, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MAY NOT AUTOMATICALLY BE GOING THERE BUT WE ARE SEEING GROUND WORK, WE'RE SEEING IT IN THE LEVEL OF VOLUNTEERS SIGNING UP, LEVEL OF REQUESTS FOR SUPPLIES AND I THINK THAT WE WILL SEE NOT A CLOSE RACE BUT ACTUALLY A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL LEAD WITH WHAT HARRIS AND WALZ HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD.

>> Cathy: I'M CURIOUS AND I DIDN'T LISTEN, O SORRY, THE MPR DEBATE TODAY BETWEEN ANGIE GAG AND JOE TEIRAB, ANY FIREWORKS AT ALL?

>> I DON'T KNOW IF I'D CALL IT FIREWORKS, I LIVE IN THE SECOND SO I'VE BEEN KIND OF LIVING AND BREATHING ALL OF THIS.

IT'S REFRESHING TO HAVE TWO CANDIDATES WHO HAVE GOOD BACKGROUNDS, KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, CAN ACT IN A RESPECTFUL WAY AND CAN DO -- EACH OF THEM CAN DO THE JOB.

SO DOWN THERE WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT THIS AND THE DEBATE TODAY, I THINK I WAS KIND OF YELLING A LITTLE BIT SAYING, OH, YOU MISSED THAT, YOU COULD HAVE HIT A LITTLE ARDER ON THIS.

BUT FOR THE MOST PART I THINK THAT IF REGULAR CITIZENS WERE WATCHING THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED.

>> Eric: I'M GETTING A HOOK.

>> Cathy: YEA