We’ll admit it up front: there’s not much redeeming social value in the story we’re about to present you. Let’s just call this political entertainment of the pugilistic sort between two people who clearly have little use for each other.
Over the course of a longish segment on today’s With All Due Respect, Trump surrogate Boris Epshteyn and Gary Johnson backer Liz Mair engaged in a running battle. The barbs came fast and furious, with, among other things: Mair—playing the sexism card—ripping Epshteyn for interrupting her; Boris noting Mair’s fascination with the word “butt” and taunting her over not having a job this election cycle; and Mair suggesting that Boris had trouble keeping up with the news. At the end, when John Heilemann facetiously observed that it had been a real “lovefest,” Mair retorted “I don’t do the loving, I do the hating.”
The fiery Mair made the news at least twice this year, getting fired from Scott Walker’s campaign after only one day on the job for calling Americans “morons” and hashtagging Iowans’ support of ethanol subsidies #brainless. And in August, Mair called Trump a “loudmouth dick” on live national TV.
Note: Mair continued to jab at Boris after the show, tweeting “Always amusing ‘debating’ Boris and remembering back in 08 when he reported to me @RNC.”
Note: guest Lis Smith, a Dem strategist, was an innocent bystander to the brawl.
JOHN HEILEMANN: And joining us from Washington, DC former RNC online communications director Liz Mair. Liz, you are vociferously, and sometimes saltily, anti-Trump.LIZ MAIR: And anti-Clinton, to be fair. I hate everybody, this cycle.JOHN: You’re in favor of Gary Johnson, right?LIZ: Yes, that’s right.. . .BORIS: I was shocked by the way Tim Kaine carried himself –LIZ: Boris, I think you –BORIS: Liz, I let you talk, so I’ll talk now, so –LIZ: Boris, you’re the king of interrupting everybody. I mean, you should take tips from Kellyanne Conway about not interrupting all the women all the time. You are a bit like Tim Kaine here.. . .BORIS: I was the one talking. Here’s what I was going to say before Liz decided to jump back in.. . .LIZ: And last night he outlined a totally different policy to what Trump has. Which is excellent–BORIS: It is totally consistent —LIZ: Boris, Boris! Boris, can you avoid interrupting people for like half a second? Because every time I see you on TV, this is all I see you do.BORIS: I used to see you on TV more.. . .LIZ: At least Gary Johnson is somebody who understands that Russia is instinctively disinclined to be our friend, no matter how much we kiss their butts, which is something Donald Trump keeps trying to do and keeps thinking that he’s going to make pals with Vladimir Putin if he keeps doing it.BORIS: Absolutely, not. You couldn’t be more wrong, Liz.LIZ: Well that’s actually completely inaccurate, Boris. Boris, I know that you spend a lot of time on TV so it’s hard to keep up on the news and what your candidate actually says. But the reality is your candidate spends more time kissing Vladimir Putin’s butt than just about anything else these days.BORIS: You just love saying the word “butt,” do you? Maybe that is why you are not on a campaign. this cycle. Moving on.LIZ: That’s an interesting characterization. No, I’ve been on campaigns this cycle, in fact I ran the super-PAC that did the most damage to your candidate which is why you’re pissed off at me.. . .JOHN: There is just so much love in this room. Everybody is like just loving each other so much. It’s just a big, huge lovefest. Boris Epshteyn –LIZ: I’m in DC so I don’t need to be part of your lovefest. I don’t do the loving. I do the hating.JOHN: Well, okay, that’s a perfect self-characterization. Liz, you said it. Not us.
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