On the show last night, we played a snippet of a speech then Congressman Mike Pence (R-Indiana) gave at a Tea Party rally in March 2011.
In that speech, Pence says a government shutdown is fine with him. For those who can't watch clips online, it goes like this:
REP. MIKE PENCE: If liberals in the Senate would rather play political games and shut down the government instead of making a small down payment on fiscal discipline and reform, I say shut it down!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CHANT: Cut it or shut it! Cut it or shut it! Cut it or shut it!
Right after we aired that tape, the eagled-eyedJames Carter wrote to ask if we recognized anyone in the background of that video. It took a minute, but I got it. After the jump, the answer to the challenge -- and what the mysterious person in the background has been saying lately about a government shutdown.
OK, first, the mystery person applauding and chanting along is E.W. Jackson, Virginia's way-out-there Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. Last week at a debate, Jackson started off talking about the sequester, and kept going:
I think Democrats and Republicans are going to all have to come together and realize we are doing a disservice to the people of Virginia and the people of this country. We don't need a government shutdown.
I'll put the video from that debate below. Jackson talks about the sequester and the government shutdown starting around minute 14. The question -- about the "federal fiscal threat to the Commonwealth" -- starts around 10:40 and is answered first by Democrat Ralph Northam.
