Ayotte Attempt to Focus on “Local Issues” Fails As Reporters Ask Again and Again Why She Won’t Do Her Job
Back home in New Hampshire, Kelly Ayotte tried the Republican “strategy” of focusing on local issues but shockingly, it didn’t work. As reporters asked question after question about her continued obstruction of the Supreme Court nominee, Ayotte, who has previously been described as “visibly agitated” when confronted with tough questions, was hustled out of the scrum by a staffer.
When asked by a reporter if she was concerned about alienating independent voters with her obstructionist stance, Ayotte interrupted with a testy “Can I just say, um, I take the position that I think is the right position.” Ayotte then walks away mid-rambling answer after being pressed on her desperate spin about meeting with Merrick Garland just to tell him that she will not even consider his nomination to the Supreme Court.
Click here for video or see excerpts below:
REPORTER 1: “I’m just wondering what, what type of feedback you will have been getting kind of personally and from voters, emails, phone calls saying ‘we support you,’ ‘we don’t support you’? How […]” AYOTTE: “I, uh, you know, I get mixed opinions on obviously, with issues like this people have different opinions on it. Um and, you know, certainly I, I respect, uh, people in New Hampshire. We, we always have different, um, people have different views depending on what the issue is. Um and certainly we’ve gotten mixed, uh, mixed perspectives on this as well.” REPORTER 1: “I mean, do you worry that it might alienate some strictly independent voters? Or voters who, like Josh had made, ‘I’m with you […]'” AYOTTE: “Look, can I just say uh, I, I take the position that I believe is the right position. And, um, obviously different issues, uh I made that decision.”
[…]
REPORTER 2: Is there a meeting with Mr. Garland scheduled? I know you said you’d be willing to […]” AYOTTE: “Uh, I, uh, I believe it’s scheduled?” REPORTER 2: “It is? Do you […]” AYOTTE: “We were, uh, the White House had reached out and we said we were being willing to meet. I haven’t you know, we’re here for two weeks so I haven’t looked exactly when that is, but my understanding is that […]”REPORTER 2: “There is meeting scheduled?” AYOTTE: “Yes. I don’t know, I don’t know offhand when it is but I’ve been told by my office that we’ve set it up and come to a mutual time. I just haven’t looked at when that is. It would be when I return, uh, to D.C. obviously.” REPORTER 2″And you would still say, ‘look, my position is no hearings and no vote.'” AYOTTE: “Uh, I’m going to speak with him and I’m going to obviously, um, take the opportunity to meet with him, so. [Exits]”
