‘Collectively, We’re All Guilty’: Capitol Hill Reporter Admits the ‘Kay Granger Story’ Fell Through the Cracks

MATTINGLY My panel is ░░░░░░░░ with me now and ░░░░░░░░ want to read some ░░░░░░░░ the Congresswoman s statement ░░░░░░░░ she says in part ░░░░░░░░ ve been navigating some ░░░░░░░░ health challenges over the ░░░░░░░░ year However since early ░░░░░░░░ my health challenges have ░░░░░░░░ making frequent travel to ░░░░░░░░ both difficult and unpredictable ░░░░░░░░ this time my staff ░░░░░░░░ remained steadfast continuing to ░░░░░░░░ exceptional constituent services We ░░░░░░░░ seen this over the ░░░░░░░░ of the last I ░░░░░░░░ been here for 15 ░░░░░░░░ years where you have ░░░░░░░░ member or two kind ░░░░░░░░ almost every single Congress ░░░░░░░░ is in this spot ░░░░░░░░ one seems particularly bad ░░░░░░░░ when you realize where ░░░░░░░░ s been the last ░░░░░░░░ months BEAVERS Yeah I ░░░░░░░░ gone are the days ░░░░░░░░ a senator or member ░░░░░░░░ sort of wither away ░░░░░░░░ die in office with ░░░░░░░░ know with health questions ░░░░░░░░ performance questions arising Kay ░░░░░░░░ was a top Republican ░░░░░░░░ the Appropriations Committee and ░░░░░░░░ March she resigned from ░░░░░░░░ that committee after they ░░░░░░░░ the government I think ░░░░░░░░ before she resigned there ░░░░░░░░ questions about her health ░░░░░░░░ people sort of it ░░░░░░░░ a low sort of ░░░░░░░░ of is she up ░░░░░░░░ it she stepped back ░░░░░░░░ then she sort of ░░░░░░░░ in the following months ░░░░░░░░ that and she wasn ░░░░░░░░ showing up to votes ░░░░░░░░ I think that this ░░░░░░░░ just one of those ░░░░░░░░ about concerns of whether ░░░░░░░░ s transparency with the ░░░░░░░░ Is she able to ░░░░░░░░ the people of her ░░░░░░░░ And I think one ░░░░░░░░ those reports had talked ░░░░░░░░ how her local office ░░░░░░░░ shuttered around MATTINGLY Yes ░░░░░░░░ Thanksgiving and some of ░░░░░░░░ constituents were calling we ░░░░░░░░ just getting voicemails So ░░░░░░░░ think this is a ░░░░░░░░ dialogue that s happening ░░░░░░░░ the tail end of ░░░░░░░░ Biden concerns about his ░░░░░░░░ fitness We also saw ░░░░░░░░ with Dianne Feinstein in ░░░░░░░░ Senate and a few ░░░░░░░░ people MATTINGLY And I ░░░░░░░░ that s my question ░░░░░░░░ coming off of the ░░░░░░░░ that everyone was forced ░░░░░░░░ have after a debate ░░░░░░░░ Yeah MATTINGLY which totally ░░░░░░░░ the shape of the ░░░░░░░░ race Are we in ░░░░░░░░ different moment now Nichols ░░░░░░░░ re still as reporters ░░░░░░░░ limited resources and limited ░░░░░░░░ to report all these ░░░░░░░░ out That said we ░░░░░░░░ have gotten the Kay ░░░░░░░░ story I mean like ░░░░░░░░ ll own part of ░░░░░░░░ as someone that spends ░░░░░░░░ time on the Hill ░░░░░░░░ know collectively if we ░░░░░░░░ all guilty like you ░░░░░░░░ individually it s hard ░░░░░░░░ parse out guilt Should ░░░░░░░░ be stronger local news ░░░░░░░░ Texas Yes Right Would ░░░░░░░░ have sniffed it out ░░░░░░░░ there s no mechanism ░░░░░░░░ our Constitution to really ░░░░░░░░ of catch this or ░░░░░░░░ it from happening It ░░░░░░░░ on the press corps ░░░░░░░░ we you know we ░░░░░░░░ have to figure out ░░░░░░░░ to figure it out ░░░░░░░░ it takes real reporting ░░░░░░░░ This is real resources ░░░░░░░░ have to call up ░░░░░░░░ in the offices You ░░░░░░░░ to talk to their ░░░░░░░░ You have to talk ░░░░░░░░ her colleagues You have ░░░░░░░░ get the story Not ░░░░░░░░ to do It s ░░░░░░░░ obvious in retrospect but ░░░░░░░░ of us had the ░░░░░░░░ or the resources to ░░░░░░░░ it And you know ░░░░░░░░ owe a portion of ░░░░░░░░ blame WEIGEL Yeah it ░░░░░░░░ an appeal to decorum ░░░░░░░░ that decorum is doing ░░░░░░░░ in Washington any favors ░░░░░░░░ this is not a ░░░░░░░░ story but especially Democrats ░░░░░░░░ is Democrats ideally want ░░░░░░░░ to trust the elected ░░░░░░░░ of the people trust ░░░░░░░░ people that you send ░░░░░░░░ Congress not a billionaire ░░░░░░░░ things behind the scenes ░░░░░░░░ one thing you can ░░░░░░░░ have in the private ░░░░░░░░ is a CEO who ░░░░░░░░ t show up for ░░░░░░░░ meetings or do any ░░░░░░░░ and secretly has a ░░░░░░░░ running things You can ░░░░░░░░ do that You can ░░░░░░░░ Congress This has been ░░░░░░░░ and Democrats have started ░░░░░░░░ deal a little bit ░░░░░░░░ this with getting rid ░░░░░░░░ some of the ranking ░░░░░░░░ in a fairly painful ░░░░░░░░ but after really good ░░░░░░░░ from Politico and others ░░░░░░░░ how there are members ░░░░░░░░ Congress David Scott and ░░░░░░░░ Ag Committee who were ░░░░░░░░ to do the job ░░░░░░░░ niceness with which we ░░░░░░░░ reporters are handling these ░░░░░░░░ members of Congress and ░░░░░░░░ way the staffs are ░░░░░░░░ them is really hurting ░░░░░░░░ credibility of the institution.”