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EVERYBODY I CAN TALK TO TO
UNDERSTAND THIS.
>> THAT WAS THE GENTLEMAN FROM
FLORIDA, REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN
FRANCIS ROONEY MEMBER OF THE
HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
A FRIEND OF THE SHOW WHO IS WITH
US NOW.
"THE WASHINGTON POST" CALLED
THIS A SMALL CRACK IN THE G.O.P.
FIREWALL, THE QUESTION IS ARE
THERE MORE REPUBLICANS TO FEEL
THE WAY YOU DO THAN ARE SAYING
IT?
>> I DON'T KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO
FIND OUT.
LELAND: ARE THEY TALKING TO YOU
OR TEXTING YOU?
>> THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO TALK
THAT HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU
KNOW A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE
HAPPENED, SYRIA AND MULVANEY'S
COMMENTS THERE YESTERDAY ARE
PROBABLY GOING TO DRIVE SOME
PEOPLE TO RETHINK JUST A LITTLE
MORE.
I WAS SHOCKED AT THOSE.
LELAND: WHY DO YOU THINK THEY'RE
SO HESITANT TO SPEAK OUT IN THE
WAY THAT YOU HAVE IF THEY
BELIEVE THE SAME THING?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT GETS INTO THE
BIG PICTURE OF THIS WHOLE ENTIRE
JOB AND HOW IT'S SO STACKED
AGAINST TAKING RISK AND SO
DEPENDENT ON THE QUEST FOR
REELECTION AND RAISING MONEY AND
NOT WANTING TO OFFEND ANYBODY.
IT'S NOT, I DON'T THINK, WHAT
THE FOUNDERS HAD IN MIND WHEN
THEY RISKED THEIR FORTUNES TO
START OUR COUNTRY.
LELAND: THEIR LIVES, THEIR
FORTUNE AND SACRED HONOR.
SPEAKING OF SACRED HONOR.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAY THAT
EITHER MICK MULVANEY WAS LYING
NOW OR THE WHITE HOUSE IS LYING
THEN WHEN THEY SAID NO QUID PRO
QUO OR THERE'S NOT.
IS THIS A DEFINING MOMENT OR ONE
MORE DATA POINT.
>> LIKE I SAID YESTERDAY IT
CLEARS THINGS UP MORE THAN THEY
WERE BEFORE.
THE PRESIDENT WAS SAYING NO QUID
PRO QUO.
I WAS GIVING THE BENEFIT OF THE
DOUBT AND HEARING THE TESTIMONY
FROM THE TESTIMONY, AND TURNS
OUT THERE WAS A CLEARER QUID PRO
QUO BY HIS CHIEF OF STAFF.
LELAND: ARE YOU MOVING TOWARDS
THE DEMOCRATS HAVE A POINT OR
CLOSE ARE TOWARDS THIS IS JUST A
POLITICAL HUNT FOR THE
PRESIDENT'S HEAD?
>> NO, I THINK THAT MULVANEY
CLARIFIED, THERE IS A POINT
THERE, AND THE STUFF WE CONTINUE
TO HEAR MORE AND MORE ABOUT
GUILIANI AND RICK PERRY AND
STUFF CREATING SOME
NONPROFESSIONAL DIPLOMATIC
CHANNEL, I DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT
KIND OF STUFF AND WHEN I HEARD
THE DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS
LIKE DR. HILL AND GEORGE, THE
OTHER GUY, AND NOW WE'RE GOING
TO HEAR BILL TAYLOR NEXT WEEK, I
THINK THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD BE
DOING THEIR JOB.
LELAND: ARE THERE OTHER
REPUBLICANS WHO ARE PERHAPS
OPEN-MINDED TO COMING OVER TO
YOUR SIDE ON THIS, BUT AREN'T
SAYING IT RIGHT NOW?
>> I HOPE SO.
I HOPE SO.
LELAND: HAVE THEY SAID THAT TO
YOU?
IF THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT?
>> NOT IN SO MANY WORDS.
LELAND: YOU FEEL YOU'RE ON AN
ISLAND HERE?
>> I FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN ON AN
ISLAND.
WHEN PAUL RYAN COULDN'T PASS TO
PROTECT THE ISLAND OFF SHORE
DRILLING, AND WHEN I ASKED, SHE
DID.
LELAND: YOU CAME, AMBASSADOR TO
THE SEA, AND I WANT TO SERVE AND
THAT'S WHAT THE FOUNDERS
ENVISIONED YOU'VE BEEN HERE
SINCE 2017 CAME IN AS A FRESHMAN
IN JANUARY.
DO YOU NEED A THIRD TERM?
DO YOU WANT ONE?
>> I DON'T REALLY THINK I DO.
I DON'T REALLY THINK I WANT ONE.
I CAME HERE TO GET THE MONEY FOR
THE EVERGLADES PROJECTS
LANGUISHES ARE TO MANY YEARS AND
TO TRY TO GET THIS OFF SHORE
DRILLING BAN PASSED TO PROTECT
FLORIDA THAT JEB, AND THE
PRESIDENT GOT DONE IN 2006.
I THINK I SAID THREE TERMS, I
THINK LESS THAN TWO.
WE'VE GOT THAT FOR THE
EVERGLADES AND THE PROJECTS
UNDERWAY.
LELAND: JUST TO BUTTON THIS UP,
IF WE PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF
REPUBLICANS NOT RUNNING IN 2020,
DO WE ADD YOUR PICTURE THERE?
>> YES, YOU DO.
AND I WANT TO BE A MODEL FOR
TERM LIMITS.
I'M THE ONE THAT CAME UP WITH A
TEMPERATURE LIMITS THAT DOESN'T
NEED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
THIS IS PUBLIC SERVICE, NOT
PUBLIC LIFE.
LELAND: WHERE IS THAT MODEL
MISSING IN CONGRESS?
YOU'RE ANNOUNCING YOUR
RETIREMENT AFTER TWO YEARS,
NOBODY DOES THAT.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE ON THE
GRAPHIC THAT WE JUST PUT UP ARE
FROM DISTRICTS THAT ARE
INCREDIBLY TIGHT.
SWING DISTRICTS AND A LOT OF
FACES YOU PUT UP WILL HERD AND
OTHERS WHO WON BY A POINT, HALF
A POINT.
YOUR DISTRICT IS REPUBLICAN PLUS
22.
YOU COULD BE THERE FOR AS LONG
AS YOU WANT.
>> WHICH IS A PROBLEM.
I THOUGHT THE IDEA WAS YOU DO
YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE AND LEFT,
YOU ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU WANT TO
ACCOMPLISH AND I'M ALSO TIRED OF
THE INTENSE PARTISANSHIP THAT
STOPS US FROM ACCOMPLISHING THAT
NEEDS TO BE SOLVED.
LELAND: ARE YOU TIRED OF HAVING
TO ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP DOES?
>> NO, I DON'T--
>> YOU DON'T MIND IT?
>> I CALL IT LIKE I SEE IT.
YOU'RE CLEARLY NOT TOEING THE
PARTY LINE WHEN IT COMES TO
IMPEACHMENT.
DOES THAT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO
WITH IT, YOU DON'T LIKE BEING
FORCED THAT WAY?
>> NOT AT ALL.
I'VE DISAGREED WITH THE
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP ON A LOT
OF THINGS.
LELAND: YOU HAVE.
>> GOING BACK TO THE SECURE ACT
THREE YEARS AGO I WORKED WITH
THE FLORIDA DELEGATION.
LELAND: SOME AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT
THE TERM LIMIT.
>> NOR ARE THEY HAPPY ABOUT
EMERGENCY DECLARATION, AND I
VOTED AGAINST BOTH.
LELAND: DO YOU FEEL THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT MAKES IT FREE YOU
UP?
>> IT WAS SOMETHING I WAS GOING
TO DO ANYWAY.
LIKE WE TELL OUR KIDS YOU HAVE
TO DO THE RIGHT THING AN AT ALL
TIMES.
LELAND: THE COUNTRY IS WATCHING
AND THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND FOR YOUR SACRIFICE.