MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript: Republicans Meeting With Netanyahu

Interview

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I`m joined now by U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel of New York.
Congressman, you`ve been around a long time to know. What is Boehner up
to? What was he up to in cooking this deal in the first place to secretly
bring Netanyahu into your chamber without ever telling the president?

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: Well, it`s embarrassing for the bi --
non-partisanship that we have between the Republicans and Democrats, but
for the Republicans to go beyond our politics and bring it over to Israel
and to bring our friendship and our loyalty to that great country and to
this type of thing over here, it just doesn`t make any sense at all.

You know, I couldn`t figure this out, but Chris, when you look at this, it
could be an old class B movie, something that Woody Allen would have had,
because I didn`t find out until recently that the Israeli ambassador comes
from Florida. He`s formerly a Democrat, (sic) a Republican activist, as
his father was. So he goes over to Israel, and now he`s coming back here
playing friendship with his Republican partners and either to help Mitt
Romney or to help his buddy Bibi over there.

But all of this is at the historic friendship of two democracies that are
joined at the hip. It`s not worth the little political advantages that
they can achieve.

MATTHEWS: Well, this kind of politics reminds me of the guy that he used
to work for. That`s Newt Gingrich. I mean, this seems a little bit not
even gimmicky, but nasty.

What`s going to be the scene like next week when the prime minister of
Israel shows up in what looks to be a partisan situation? Will members of
the Black Caucus be there? Will members of the Democratic Party show up?

RANGEL: Well, that`s exactly the kind of questions -- and I`m glad youa
didn`t use the word "boycott" because we don`t want to be considered
boycotting a world leader, and certainly not the leader of a country that
we affectionately support as being in our national security interests.
There`s no one that believes that they can injure Israel without injuring
the United States of America.

But having said that, there are just a lot of people that believe that,
Don`t put us in the position to have to select between the political effort
being made by Republicans here and the president of the United States. You
know, we don`t -- I could have differences with the president, and
foreigners can have differences with the presidents, but they don`t state
those differences with the support of the American people and the United
States Congress. You don`t do this in the House of Representatives. It`s
wrong to do it.

So a lot of people are not going to be there, but I thought -- and I hope
this is not over -- that a bunch of Senate Democrats says, Listen, we`ve
got to find some way to get out of this. Why don`t you come over? We have
a private meeting. We talk. Then you go back to Israel, get involved in
your election, and said you talked with both of us. But don`t have it as
though that if you`re not there in the House of Representatives that you
boycotted Israel.

It`s just so totally unfair, and it takes a lot of chutzpah for someone to
want to fight my president in my House of Representatives. And I`ve been a
long-time friend of Israel not just because I`m fond of their democratic
ideals, but because our security in America depends on their security in
the Middle East.

MATTHEWS: Well, you sound like a lot of Democrats tonight. Thank you so
much, U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel of New York.

RANGEL: Thank you, Chris.

MATTHEWS: Thank you, Charlie Rangel.

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