TUSCUMBIA – The Young Democrats held a rather unusual political rally this past Friday. In normal times, such events would be held inside to hear local candidates for office speak to their constituents about the upcoming elections. But with COVID-19, everything has changed. So they conducted their event at the Alabama Music Hall, outside. It was a “drive-up” rally. Several hundred cars parked out in front of a big stage like they were at a concert or a drive-in movie theater to listen to what their candidates had to say. It was really pretty neat.
The big event of the evening came when former Alabama state Senator Roger Bedford introduced the Guest of Honor, United States Senator from Alabama, Doug Jones. Before the event The Quad Cities Daily had a chance to speak with Senator Jones and get his take on the state of the Nation, the COVID-19 pandemic response, and his race for reelection this November.
QUAD CITIES DAILY – Could you please sum up whatโs going on in Washington?
SENATOR JONES – Itโs pretty crazy up there. Itโs been really disappointing. Whatโs happening up there should not be happening and thatโs the bottom lineโฆ It should not be happening. We should not have to be forced into making any kind of nominationโฆ And itโs just that simple. Itโs too close to the election and the American people deserve a say.
QUAD CITIES DAILY – How do we reconcile it? Long termโฆ Are you in favor of going back to a 60 vote majority to pass and to seat Supreme Court justices?
SENATOR JONES – I think that horse is out of the barn. I would love to see it changed back to 60 votes, quite frankly. I think Mitch McConnel has eroded the great institution of the Senate. Itโs no longer the great deliberative body. Itโs a partisan rubber stamp. I donโt see it happening. Republicans are not doing it and I donโt seen enough Democrats in favor of a 60 vote requirement. If they get control of the Senate, I think there would be only a few Democrats that would vote for itโฆ I think overwhelmingly, most would not. At least not if thereโs a Democratic President. They might if Donald Trump is reelected.
QUAD CITIES DAILY – Whatโs going on with these confabs with the Joint Chiefs and transition of the Presidency if Biden wins?
SENATOR JONES – Lookโฆ I think thereโs just a lot of talk. Thereโs a lot of uncertainty and the President is stoking these fears. When he says he would not agree to a peaceful transition of power if he loses, lookโฆ Thatโs concerningโฆ Thatโs very concerning. But youโd have a lot of pushback from Republicans on the issue of that subject. and there should be pushback by the Republicans. At the end of the day, though, this Republic is going to survive. The Constitution is going to be there. And we will survive. We will have a President. It may be Donald Trump. It may be Joe Biden. But the fact is, we are going to have a President, and there will be a peaceful transition of power if thatโs what the Electorate calls for. I am convinced of that. But we still need to be on guard! We need to be on guard about what happens on Election Day to make sure that those elections are free, fair and done appropriately.
QUAD CITIES DAILY – About your race here in Alabama. Your account, versus Tommy Tubervilleโs account.
SENATOR JONES – Look, I believe that weโre going to win this race. I believe that weโve done so much for the people of Alabama in every Zip Code. It doesnโt matter whether itโs veterans, teachers, hospital workers, union workersโฆ Businesses, small businesses in Alabama. We have been everywhere for all people. thatโs why you see all these signs and t-shirts that say, โONE ALABAMAโ, because thatโs who we represent. And Iโve got a record that Iโm very, very proud of. Not everybody agrees with me on everything. But the one thing that I do Know, is that when I decided to run for this office, I got prepared on the issues. I was a lawyer, so there were some things that I knew about and there were others that I didnโt know about but I studied and I ran and I learned and I discussed those issues. Tommy Tuberville just doesnโt do that. He is running as a matter of his ego. He doesnโt care about the issues. Heโs not prepared to be a U.S. Senate candidate, much less a United States Senator! He thinks that just being a member of the Republican Party gets him across the finish line. And Iโve got news for himโฆ Alabamaโs got a lot more independent strength than he thinks! And for the first time in 2017, that independent strength came forward. It was a close race. It was a tough race, but the people of Alabama decided that โwe want to move forwardโ and we donโt want the โsame-old, same-oldโ. So, at the end of the day, the people of Alabama recognize that Iโve got their back. Iโm working for them. And he (Tuberville) is only in the race to do one thingโฆ Have Donald Trumpโs back. And Donaldย Trump may not even be President. But thatโs his whole thing. He has no substance what ever! Look, this guy doesnโt even know what the Voting Rights Act was. OK, yโall have heard that audio. You know, youโre running for the United States Senate from the birthplace of the Voting Rights Actโฆ And he doesnโt have a clue? I meanโฆ Come on! Thatโฆ Right there should disqualify him. The Republicans should pick someone who t least has got a clue and tell him to get out of the race. I know thatโs being quite facetious. But the fact of the matter is, somebody who doesnโt have a clue what the Voting Rights Act is, has no business even being a candidate for the U.S. Senate from the Sate of Alabama. We need to be extending the Voting Rights Act, not trying to stammer around trying to explain your position.
QUAD CITIES DAILY – What about his statement that $6-hundred dollars a months is too much money for those people displaced from their jobs due to the corona virus pandemic?
SENATOR JONES – Itโs absurd! Itโs โtoo muchโ for people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, but Tuberville didnโt mind taking his $5-million dollar payout when he quit at Auburn, he didnโt mind taking a $250-thousand a year โno-showโ job at Auburn, and still draws $8-hundred dollars a week, maybe from Retirement Systems of Alabama! Itโs crazy! That shows how out of touch he is with issues and the people of this state. People have lost their jobs and are still hurting. We hear from people all the time. Our unemployment has gone down, but thereโs still a lot of people hurting. Thereโs ย a lot of people here who the economy wasnโt working for when there was lower unemployment, and itโs for sure not working them now. They need healthcare, and they need unemployment. As for COVID, Iโm not really optimistic about a new stimulus/recovery package. McConnell has shown no urgency to do that. None! The House of Representatives passed a bill in May, stating that COVID was going to be with through the Summer and beyond. But McConnell showed no urgency. and now heโs looking to get a Supreme Court seat filled. Thereโll just be another continuing resolution to keep the government open past the election, and the he will recess until November.
