Reporter Says Senator Heitkamp “Bolted” Away From Questions About Kavanaugh
FILE -- Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-S.D.) during a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 12, 2018. Heitkamp is one of three Democrats who are up for reelection in states President Donald Trump carried and voted to confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch. (Tom Brenner/The New York Times)
Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s campaign and political allies are aggressive in mining her opponent Kevin Cramer’s many, many interviews with the media for content they can pitch to national media outlets.
But even as Heitkamp uses that strategy, she herself hides from questioning. Not just here in North Dakota where she largely refuses to make herself accessible in the way Cramer does, appearing on talk radio shows such as mine to take unfiltered questions from the public. She also avoids questions in Washington D.C.
According to CNN correspondent Manu Raju, Senator Heitkamp “bolted” from questions about embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh:
Heidi Heitkamp, vulnerable Democrat from ND, not eager to answer questions from reporters about her views now on Kavanaugh. Only would say all allegations need to be “looked into” as she bolted out of the Senate next to an aide
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 24, 2018
This isn’t the first time Heitkamp has run away from reporters asking about Kavanaugh. Back in June a reporter for Roll Call noted the Senator was “practically jogging” to avoid talking with the press:
"…vulnerable North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, whom the White House has signaled it will lean on, walked quickly — practically jogging — to get to her next destination as a throng of reporters asked her about Kavanaugh." #NDSen #NDpolhttps://t.co/khcZgyCKBs
— Rob Port (@robport) July 10, 2018
Practically. Jogging.
Cramer has made some headlines in the last week or so with some provocative comments about the Kavanaugh situation, but however you feel about those comments we can at least give the guy some credit for putting his views out there in front of voters. As opposed to Heitkamp who seems to couch every statement, every maneuver, in a political calculation.
