Coronavirus vaccine meeting could be pandemic turning point
New York Magazine claims the U.S. had a vaccine in the month of January; reaction and analysis from Baylor College of Medicine's Dr. Peter Hotez on ‘America’s Newsroom.’
MSNBC political contributor Anand Giridharadas accused the GOP of wanting to pursue a policy seeking the death and suffering of Americans from the coronavirus pandemic.
The conversation began after MSNBC anchor Yasmin Vossoughian played a clip of a woman in a food bank line who broke down in tears after a reporter asked if that was the only way she could get food on the table and how lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been failing to pass another round of COVID relief for struggling Americans.
MSNBC'S ANAND GIRIDHARADAS: AMERICANS' 'FREEDOM OBSESSION' BLINDS THEM TO OTHER 'THREATS'
"Look at that woman's face, listen to her. There are millions of people she speaks for and we're having these technocratic conversations about committees and this and that," Giridharadas began. "I mean, I understand that the real blame here is Mitch McConnell, is the Republicans, is the president, is the party that does not want to help people, that is working on one side to actually make sure that the pandemic kills as many people as possible. That seems to be the logical consequence of their policy and then to make sure that all the people who managed to survive it despite their policy suffer economically and beyond."
The MSNBC pundit then took aim at Democrats, accusing them of "not meeting this moment with the muscularity required, the rhetorical muscle required."
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"Why aren't we hearing thundering speeches from Joe Biden, from Pelosi, from Schumer making this case that it bends public opinion, forces Republicans into a corner," Giridharadas explained. "This is not about Medicare-for-all right now. We're not talking about sweeping social policy... This is emergency relief in the worst crisis since the Great Depression and we're having this little Washington committee talk instead of talk of muscularly dealing with the restoration of some balance in people's lives, some stability, food on people's tables."
Giridharadas's remarks received zero pushback from Vossoughian, who later carried on with the conversation.