John Heilemann: Last Night Was All About Kamala Harris, That’s Why We Didn’t See Beyoncé or Taylor Swift

Wallace John Heilemann I ░░░░░░░░ at the program at ░░░░░░░░ beginning of the night ░░░░░░░░ I wasn t sure ░░░░░░░░ Leon Panetta and Ruben ░░░░░░░░ fit in I ve ░░░░░░░░ ve had the privilege ░░░░░░░░ speaking to both of ░░░░░░░░ They re incredible But ░░░░░░░░ Kamala Harris got into ░░░░░░░░ national security section not ░░░░░░░░ her credentials but her ░░░░░░░░ of Trump s it ░░░░░░░░ clicked into place And ░░░░░░░░ heard in Leon Panetta ░░░░░░░░ remarks something that I ░░░░░░░░ sure we ve all ░░░░░░░░ privately from the kind ░░░░░░░░ men and women who ░░░░░░░░ t want to politicize ░░░░░░░░ former national security agencies ░░░░░░░░ this scathing indictment of ░░░░░░░░ s lack of fitness ░░░░░░░░ did you think of ░░░░░░░░ presentation last night Heilemann ░░░░░░░░ Nicolle happy Friday by ░░░░░░░░ way I thought that ░░░░░░░░ ve covered Leon Panetta ░░░░░░░░ my entire career in ░░░░░░░░ administrations and that he ░░░░░░░░ not Oprah Winfrey and ░░░░░░░░ s not he s ░░░░░░░░ Bill Clinton he s ░░░░░░░░ Barack Obama he s ░░░░░░░░ Michelle Obama he s ░░░░░░░░ he s not a ░░░░░░░░ wattage star I think ░░░░░░░░ that was by intent ░░░░░░░░ think there was a ░░░░░░░░ a very good reason ░░░░░░░░ we didn t see ░░░░░░░░ or Taylor Swift or ░░░░░░░░ else last night This ░░░░░░░░ supposed to be a ░░░░░░░░ last night was going ░░░░░░░░ focus on Kamala Harris ░░░░░░░░ Harris alone And Leon ░░░░░░░░ is the perfect surrogate ░░░░░░░░ that because he is ░░░░░░░░ who though most Americans ░░░░░░░░ not who don t ░░░░░░░░ in the political world ░░░░░░░░ t know Leon Panetta ░░░░░░░░ a guy who has ░░░░░░░░ Republican administrations He served ░░░░░░░░ administrations started his career ░░░░░░░░ the Nixon administration has ░░░░░░░░ in at the CIA ░░░░░░░░ served at the Pentagon ░░░░░░░░ served at the OMB ░░░░░░░░ served in the White ░░░░░░░░ He s someone who ░░░░░░░░ terms of understanding the ░░░░░░░░ between the executive function ░░░░░░░░ the military and the ░░░░░░░░ operations and the Hill ░░░░░░░░ maybe as well versed ░░░░░░░░ as credible more credible ░░░░░░░░ credible as anybody on ░░░░░░░░ arguably more credible than ░░░░░░░░ currently living And so ░░░░░░░░ me I thought this ░░░░░░░░ the kind of surrogate ░░░░░░░░ want here which is ░░░░░░░░ whose credibility is unimpeachable ░░░░░░░░ someone who also is ░░░░░░░░ going to be anyone ░░░░░░░░ is going to steal ░░░░░░░░ of the limelight that ░░░░░░░░ be focused on the ░░░░░░░░ tonight And I thought ░░░░░░░░ did a great job ░░░░░░░░ terms of how he ░░░░░░░░ the argument I mean ░░░░░░░░ paper it is the ░░░░░░░░ argument to be making ░░░░░░░░ a guy like Leon ░░░░░░░░ And if you put ░░░░░░░░ together with Adam Kinzinger ░░░░░░░░ have a a very ░░░░░░░░ 1 2 punch on ░░░░░░░░ national security front I ░░░░░░░░ from last night in ░░░░░░░░ of doing the work ░░░░░░░░ want to get done ░░░░░░░░ her.”