Mike Pence is upholding the longstanding Republican tradition of catering to whomever he thinks he is speaking to at the time. Pence's book says one thing, and probably the record as his claims involve White House counsel. Still, suddenly he can't remember ever hearing about the whole scheme he was formerly proudly telling us he refused to participate in.
When it comes time to testify, I hope that Pence feels it is in his best interests to stick with the written record.
Here's Pence on this Sunday's Meet the Press denying he knew about the fake electors plot until "after the fact," despite the fact that in his own book describes him asking the Senate parliamentarian on January 3rd about "alternate electors."
"FMR. VICE PRES. MIKE PENCE: I just heard what was being talked about in the press at the time, Chuck, but I thought it was important. Look, I – in January of 2017, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Under the Constitution, states certify elections. And, while there were irregularities in states, maybe a half a dozen states around the country that changed the rules in the name of Covid, we challenged those in sixty court cases. Once the courts had reviewed those and the states certified them, I wanted to make sure that – that we were – we were operating on January 6th in a way that was consistent with the Constitution, consistent with the laws of the country. And, and that's the reason that I sat down with the parliamentarian. I looked through the process. I was determined to hear the objections that Republicans were planning to bring, Chuck, and many did bring. I mean, you remember, Democrats brought objections to electoral college votes in three of the last four elections that Republicans prevailed. There's nothing –
CHUCK TODD: Right. Under the law –
FMR. VICE PRES. MIKE PENCE: – unusual about that –
CHUCK TODD: Right. None of it – right, they all –
FMR. VICE PRES. MIKE PENCE: So, I did ask the parliamentarian–
CHUCK TODD: Yeah, under the law.
FMR. VICE PRES. MIKE PENCE: I did ask the parliamentarian very directly, Chuck. I asked her, because I was hearing rumors. I was reading in the newspaper that there were alternate electors. I just – I asked her point blank –
CHUCK TODD: Was anybody in the White House telling you this?
FMR. VICE PRES. MIKE PENCE: – "Are there any other electors from any state?" And she said there was not. I don't recall that. I just remember hearing it in the public –
CHUCK TODD: Okay.
FMR. VICE PRES. MIKE PENCE: – and I wanted a definitive answer whether or not the parliamentarian had received any additional electoral votes. She had not. So, as you know, we actually changed the language as those electoral college votes were recorded. But, look, you know, Chuck, I've told you many times. I said it again at the Iowa State Fair. I had no right to overturn the election. The Constitution is quite clear. As vice president, my job was to preside over a joint session of Congress where the Constitution says the electoral college votes shall be opened and shall be counted."
Todd pressed Pence on Trump's statement that "he never asked you to disregard the Constitution and that he never said that you were too honest," and whether either of those statements were true, and Pence just continued with the weasel words and refused to directly answer Todd's question. Pence also went after Trump's "crackpot lawyers" again when asked whether he thought Mark Meadows "served the president well."
