INTERVIEW WITH GREG ORMAN (I-KS) CANDIDATE FOR U.S.

SENATE
UP WI TH STEVE KORNACKI , AUGUST 24, 2014
STEVE KORNACKI: Greg, thanks for taking a few minutes this morning. So, let`s just understand
where you`re coming from here ideologically. Because you - I think six years ago when Pat Roberts
was last up for reelection, you were initially - you were interested in running against him as a
Democrat. Now you`re running as an independent. Why aren`t you a Democrat anymore?
GREG ORMAN (I), KANSAS SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, you know, I`m fiscally responsible and
socially tolerant and have never really felt like I had a perfect home in either party. Historically I`ve
tried the Republican Party, I`ve tried the Democratic Party. And I`ve just finally decided that if we`re
going to change things in Washington, we`ve got to attack the two- party system and stop supporting
it.
KORNACKI: Do you want - because look at those numbers and it just screams out, if this is a one-on-
one race, you have a real shot here to knock off Pat Roberts. If it`s a three-way race, it`s muddled, and
it`s a lot more complicated for you. Do you want your Democratic opponent to drop out of this race?
ORMAN: Well, we actually think that our message resonates with Kansans from across the political
spectrum. And we think we can win a three-way race. So, from our perspective, our job is really just to
go out, talk to Kansans, deliver our message to them and make sure that they have the opportunity to
make an informed decision in the fall. And I think if they have that opportunity, I think they`re going
to see that they like what they`re hearing from our campaign.
KORNACKI: I should note that we reached out to Chad Taylor and invited him on the program and
we`d extend that invitation for the future as well. But Greg let me ask you, if you are successful, the
million dollar question, I think, everybody will be asking you during this campaign is, you`re going to
have to choose sides in the Senate. Do you want to give - do you want to vote to give Democrats
control of the Senate or Republicans control of the Senate. Even if you an independent, if you are
elected, you could have the deciding vote after this fall`s election. Which side would you vote for?
ORMAN: Well, you know, I think that`s a great point, Steve. And ultimately, if I get elected there`s a
reasonable chance that neither party will have a majority in Washington. And if that`s the case, what
I`ve said is I`m going to caucus with whichever party is willing to actually go to Washington and start
trying to solve problems as opposed to just pleasing the, extremists in their own base.
KORNACKI: But you - looking at those two parties right now, do you have a sense which one has
done a better job of that?
ORMAN: Well, you know, frankly, I think both parties have been sending extremists to Washington.
People are more interested in pleasing the partisans in their own base and really not solving problems.
And I think both parties are actually guilty of that sort of behavior. Really I think in an attempt to make
sure they win elections and not solve problems for the American people.
KORNACKI: Let`s try to nail you down on a few issues here. The Affordable Care Act, obviously
everybody talks about it a lot. People who say repeal the Affordable Care Act. Is that something you
agree with?
ORMAN: Well, you know, I look at this issue a little differently. We had a health care affordability
issue before the Affordable Care Act and we have health care affordability issue today. I run
businesses. And every year the first question we have to answer before we can decide what kind of
raises we can give our employees is how high have health care costs gone? And every year they just
keep going up. So, I think we have a real issue with health care in this country, and I think the
Affordable Care Act has just been a lightning rod for political criticism and for political positioning on
both sides.
KORNACKI: But Greg, but Greg it`s the law. So do you want the law to stay on the books and to
work to try to improve the law or do you want the law off the books?
ORMAN: Well, as long as the president is in the White House, I think it`s impractical to say that the
law is going to go off the books. So, I think what we ultimately need to do is look at the things that are
driving health care costs in this country and try to solve the problem in a real rational common sense
way as opposed to positioning for political gain here.
KORNACKI: Kansas, your state, Sam Brownback, the Republican governor, very conservative
Republican governor, has refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, that`s an option
that the states have. Do you want your state - do you want Kansas to expand Medicaid under the
Affordable Care Act?
ORMAN: Well, you know, I think the message that Governor Brownback has sent to the working poor
in Kansas is, if you have a health care crisis, your best solution is to quit your job. And I think that`s a
bad message to send. I think we have a real issue in Kansas with our critical access facilities that are
now underfunded as a result of Governor Brownback`s decision. And so, ultimately I think he`s made
a poor decision there.
KORNACKI: So, you would like it expanded. On the question of immigration, this has been the issue,
one of the issues that seems to have paralyzed Washington. A bill passed the Senate last year, it`s
languishing in the House that would provide a path to citizenship, it would boost up border security
and provide a long-term path to citizenship, somewhere in the neighborhood of ten to 13 years for
undocumented people who meet certain thresholds and pay certain fines. Is that legislation that you
would support in the Senate?
ORMAN: Well, and Steve, I think you raised a critical point there, which is it does boost border
security. And so, we`ve talked about our immigration reform and said it needs to be tough, practical
and fair. It does need to boost border security, but it also needs to be practical. We have got over 11
million people living in this country, and it`s just impractical to say that we`re going to send them all
home. And frankly, in Kansas, there are whole industries and whole towns like Garden City and Dodge
City that would be absolutely devastated if we made decisions like that. But I also think it needs to be
fair to taxpayers. And what I mean by that is, I think if you`re here on an undocumented basis, you
should have to register with ICE, you should have to pay a fine or perform some community service as
an acknowledgment that the law has been broken. And then I think if you obey our laws, you hold
down a job, you pay taxes, you should be able to stay here.
KORNACKI: All right, Greg, and one quick final question. Are you voting for Sam Brownback or
Paul Davis for governor?
ORMAN: You know, I`m not making that decision public. I think your voting behavior is ultimately a
private behavior. I`m looking for people who want to go to Washington and in this case go to Topeka
and solve problems, work in a bipartisan way, understand that Kansas .
KORNACKI: All right.
ORMAN: Has a long tradition of bipartisanship. And that`s what I`m looking for in elected officials.
KORNACKI: All right. My thanks to Greg Orman, Senate candidate in Kansas for joining us this
morning. I appreciate that.
Up next, the latest on the biggest earthquake to hit northern California in 25 years as soon as we come
back.