Video: Terry McAuliffe Says He’s “Very Concerned” with Situation in Virginia; Reiterates that Northam, Fairfax Should Resign; Says “Green New Deal” Has Great “Aspirational” Goals but Somewhat “Unrealistic”; Tired of “Litmus Tests”; etc.

Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe on “Morning Joe” this morning (see video, below; bolding added by me for emphasis):

• “Sure, I’m very concerned [that this whole situation could help Republicans this November]. When I left office a year ago, our party was in the best shape it had ever been in…We were poised this year to pick up a seat [sic] in the House and the Senate, which would give us control of both chambers. I do think…we will get there, we need to get past the problems and situations we’re dealing with today…But we’ve got to move on, we’ve to get through this; the investigation, there is one in Massachusetts right now, I know Duke University has opened one as it relates to the Lt. Governor. We’ve just got to deal with these issues and we’ve got to get back to governing; that’s what people elected them to do.”
• Joe Scarborough asks, Would it be better for the Democratic Party to ask Ralph Northam and Justin Fairfax to leave the party so not to hurt Dem candidates running this year? McAuliffe somewhat dodges – “The ultimate issue comes down to what’s good for Virginia…what is in the best interest of your citizens?…We need to lead…The governor has decided he’s going to stay, so I want to work with Ralph, we’ve just got to move forward. We do have important elections coming up, where if we get both chambers things that we’ve tried to do forever, we will be able to actually get done – some real crime legislation, some real gun legislation, we get background checks done in Virginia, we can really move on things that we’ve tried, which we haven’t been able to do.”
• Scarborough follows up, asks if McAuliffe still believes both Northam and Fairfax should step down. McAuliffe responds, “Sure they should, we should move on, appreciate all the great service…[but] if we’re going to be embroiled and the press is going to continue to write about this every single day, we’re not going to be able to move on with things we need about affordable health care, fixing our roads…”
• On a possible run for president, McAuliffe reiterated that he’ll decide by March 31.
• On the “Green New Deal,” McAuliffe said “parts of it I certainly do…it’s climate change, it is a real issue…they are some great aspirational goals…I like to talk about things we can actually get done…all these litmus tests, this and that…[says he agrees with this morning’s Washington Post editorial on the “Green New Deal”]…there are things in there that are very bold but unrealistic… “
• On “Medicare for All,” McAuliffe said he strongly supported the Affordable Care Act, that “every single American should have quality health care…all these people with these names and these litmus tests; folks, put out realistic plans of where you want to go, what you want to do, what you’ve actually done and not talked about it…What’s the most practical thing to help Americans today get access to healthcare and make it cheaper…and better-quality care? Right now, it’s dealing with what we have in front of us in the Congress and dealing with Obamacare and taking it to the next level.”
• On North Korea, McAuliffe said: “I would certainly have a clear idea before I got on that plane and I went over to Hanoi for this meeting of what exactly was going to happen. I think it’s great that we’re having an open dialogue with North Korea. After the first meeting, I think we gave a lot away and we didn’t get anything in return, nothing verifiable, how do we denuclearize…So why is the president of the United States putting this brutal dictator, reprehensible leader, on a world stage and putting him at this level?...You get to meet with the United States of America, the greatest nation on earth, if you’re coming to the table and you have actionable items. I don’t see that with this president. Every day…we wake up, his mood swings, his temper tantrums…that is not how you govern.”