Subject: RE: Video Request: Tom Cotton on Hugh Hewitt
From: "Yoxall, Collin" <[email-masked]>
To: "Bhatnagar, Akshai" <[email-masked]>, Research_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2016 08:03:16 -0700

Interesting conversation. Talked a lot about a piece in the Times Of London about Chinese military modernization and used Bob Gates' words about the President's decision to send an additional 250 troops to Syria to train rebels.

Hewitt: I'm having the nike founder on next hour. Maybe you can learn something about running!
Cotton: tell him to bring back air zoom elite shoes. Been looking for years for a replacement pair!

Hewitt: Canadian hostage beheaded by islamists in the Philippines. Don't hear a lot about a threat in that area?
Cotton: Still an ongoing threat. It's a hard country to govern. It highlights how ISIS has spread. Shows how savage these people are.

Hewitt: POTUS sent an additional 250 special ops soliders to Syria, do we have boots in the phillipines?
Cotton: We do. Have cooperation with philipino military. Have know people who have done rotations there.

Hewitt: is the additional troops too little too late?
Cotton: bob gates said something that I thought POTUS often will do the right thing but do too little too late and it undercuts the goal he is going after. Look at Syria or South China Sea.

Hewitt: long piece in Times of London about China is remaking the Chinese military. Do you think threat there is as big as writer makes it out to be?
Cotton: PLA has gone a big modernization campaign in past 25 years, since Persian Gulf. Was focused interior. As they have consolidated control, are frustrated by US presence in the Pacific. President wants to push Chinese influence out into the world and become a superpower. Chinese modernization is a threat to US interests.
Hewitt: why does china need a standing army?
Cotton: They are worried about their own people. Also surrounded by countries that have ill will toward them: Vietnam, Russia and india. This is all about territory.
Hewitt: last question. Power being taken away from PLA general by changing command structures. Is that okay?
Cotton: no b/c Chinese president has consolidated more control than any Chinese leader since mao. Not good for US interest or the region. Army use to be a check on the communist regime.

From: Bhatnagar, Akshai
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2016 9:35 AM
To: Yoxall, Collin; Research_D
Subject: RE: Video Request: Tom Cotton on Hugh Hewitt

Watch here<https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/videos/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NjE2Nzc2MTgsImVtYWlsIjoiYmhhdG5hZ2FyYUBkbmMub3JnIiwiaWQiOjMxMTg3NiwiZG93bmxvYWRhYmxlIjp0cnVlfQ.JzInZ4lDejs37ggQfVTCvqkZ8-OAo1GF5CRwcWuKhgU>

From: Yoxall, Collin
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2016 9:31 AM
To: Research_D
Subject: Video Request: Tom Cotton on Hugh Hewitt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saaTPnfOybw

Thank you!

Collin Yoxall
Research Associate, DNC
Office: 202-863-8126 X8126
Mobile: 334-703-1690
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>