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Opinion: Mike Pence has a tough job as clean up man to Donald Trump
FARMVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 04: Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence listens during the Vice Presidential Debate with Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine at Longwood University on October 4, 2016 in Farmville, Virginia. This is the second of four debates during the presidential election season and the only debate between the vice presidential candidates. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Opinion: Mike Pence has a tough job as clean up man to Donald Trump

Vice President-elect Mike Pence has a tough job. He went on ABC "This Week" and spoke to host George Stephanopoulos Sunday morning about everything from plans to repeal and replace Obamacare "right out of the gate," to whether or not President-elect Donald Trump will make good on his promise of making Mexico pay for a border wall. And his appearance on Sunday news shows is absolutely crucial because Mike Pence is the clarifier. And his job will be seemingly never-ending.

Take Trump's comments and promises to Carrier Air Conditioning Corp., the details of which remain sketchy, which led the company to decide to keep 1,000 jobs in Indiana after they considered moving them across the border into Mexico.

Even avowed Trump supporters balked at what Trump's conversation with the business must have been, with longtime defender Sarah Palin insisting the deal looked a lot like "crony capitalism." Cue Mike Pence, who has to cerebrally break down for a nervous American public that Donald Trump is absolutely not doing what he skewered Hillary Clinton for doing during the election. Pence downplays the deal, saying it was just one American reaching out to another, requesting they trust that under a Trump administration, the economy will improve:

And we are asked to trust Mike Pence that he is telling the truth, and that the man famous for the art of the deal wasn't actually intervening in the market and picking winners and losers but, rather, was just playing George Bailey pleading with the townspeople to keep their money in the old Bailey Savings & Loan.

Pence does an admirable job cleaning up these public relations messes. He's seems like a sharp and reasonable man. And a patriot. Unfortunately, his boss exacerbates people's concern and adds to the hypocrisy when he suggests that companies should be forewarned (i.e. threatens them) that should they move their operations overseas, they will be slapped with a 35 percent tax. Is it reasonable to assume that he may have gently mentioned this to Carrier Corp.? And do we want our president threatening businesses? Is this the "broad shouldered" style of leadership Mike Pence discussed with Stephanopoulos Sunday morning?

And then there's this, from Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse:

Good question. Chances are that once this reality sinks in to the general electorate, people will begin to question why they're being taxed more. Perhaps it's the price we have to pay to get the economy moving domestically again. Mike Pence will surely be there to calm fears and explain it all.

See clips from his interview on ABC "This Week" below.

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