CNN’s Cuomo, Lemon: Democrats ‘Way Out There’ to Endorse Felon Voting

CNN hosts Christopher Cuomo and Don Lemon on Tuesday expressed bewilderment after 2020 Democrat presidential candidates Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) said they are open to allowing convicted U.S. citizens — including the Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev — to vote from prison.

A partial transcript is as follows:

CHRIS CUOMO: Top 2020 Democratic hopefuls have been following Bernie Sanders’ lead on many progressive policy stances. But last night, Senator Sanders said that people in prison, even terrorists like the Boston bomber, have the right to vote while they’re in prison. D-Lemon, what’s your take?

DON LEMON: I was stunned, as you could see. You could see on our faces and the responses. Listen, I’m glad we asked the question, I’m glad you asked the question first to Bernie and then we talked to the other candidates, the subsequent candidates who came on. It’s interesting. I think you were right that it’s going to be a campaign for those who said either “yes, they should be able to vote, even the most awful people among us, or we should have a conversation about it.” I think it’s going to be an issue here.

CUOMO: Senator Kamala Harris said that she has now revised her opinion and saying those who are in prison, “no, they don’t get to vote.”

LEMON: No. Well, last night that’s not what she said. But listen, she can revise her position and change her mind or maybe she just didn’t get it out last night. But I think that is going to be an issue. And I think it’s an interesting subject or question to debate. But I think most people in America feel like once you paid your debt to society, maybe you should have the opportunity to go out and vote, and at least exercise your constitutional rights. But if you’re in prison, if you have committed a crime, like the Boston Marathon bombings, or if you assaulted or abused a child, I don’t think most Americans would want people like that to vote.

CUOMO: You know what it frames? It frames the proposition for voters as these people are way out there in the Democratic party. Whoa, have they gone far left.