MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC "The Ed Show" Interview With Rep. Chaka Fattah

Interviewer: Ed Schultz

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MR. SCHULTZ: Joining me now is Congressman Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania.

Congressman, great to have you with us tonight. I'm passionate about this. It's starting early on. I think the Democrats ought to be embracing competition here, because if you're expecting Arlen Specter to be a great Democrat from Pennsylvania, this is the best way to ensure it. What are your thoughts on this?

REP. FATTAH: Well, look, I appreciate your passion for it. The reality is that we have one quarterback on this team. His name is Barack Obama. He's the leader of our party. He has said that he's going to support Senator Specter for election. He's going to support him in the primary and in the general. I'm on the team. I'm wearing that uniform.

And moreover, I like what Senator Specter did when he, for saving American jobs, put his own job at risk by voting for the stimulus plan, by stepping up to the plate, saying that his party was asking too much of him to stand in the way of putting 3 (million) to 4 million more Americans back to work and voting for the stimulus plan, and the work that he's done in health care. The New York Times said when you look at what he's done to move health care research forward, the question of party label is just too small a question.

But I think if Joe Sestak, who I know and I like and I admire, if he wants to run, he should run. Nobody's promised anyone a free primary, and I think sometimes a primary can help get you ready for the general election. But we should never become the party or the group like the Club for Growth. They were running Pat Toomey against Arlen Specter, saying because he -- they wanted Specter to put party over country. We should not be in the same position.

MR. SCHULTZ: But Congressman, also the Democrats across the country can't be the party of the rubber stamp. Competition is a great thing. Arlen Specter hasn't proven himself as a great Democrat. Joe Sestak has. It would seem to me that Pennsylvanians would want this competition. And who knows? It may be a couple more people jumping in as well.

Is President Obama making the pick too early here? Because you've got employee free choice. You've got health care. You've got trade issues. Arlen Specter has never been the Democrat that the Democratic Party needed. He's always kind of floated off and drifted off on the big issues.

Now, I'm asking you tonight, do you think the president may have made a mistake by hitching his wagon to Arlen Specter too early?

REP. FATTAH: Look, when Governor Rendell, when President Obama, when myself, Congressman Fattah from Philadelphia -- I've been a Democrat for a very long time, all of my life -- we're supporting Arlen Specter because he is important to the Democratic agenda in the Senate. We have the first term of President Obama. We have the opportunity to have 60 votes in the Senate. It's a critical time. It's not a time to be -- it's not about, you know, who's got the title. It's about having the 60 votes.

MR. SCHULTZ: You bet.

REP. FATTAH: One senator is not enough to make anything go or not go.

MR. SCHULTZ: Well --

REP. FATTAH: We need Arlen Specter. He's part of the team. He helped move the stimulus. He voted for children's health care. He voted for stem cell research.

MR. SCHULTZ: But he voted against -- Congressman, respectfully, he voted against the Obama budget. And it's a vote that definitely (is ?) support the president wants.

I don't understand why this early support. It looks like, you know, we're anointing Arlen Specter instead of letting the process play out.

Now, I want to ask you this about Democrats -- or should I say that middle-of-the-roaders or moderate Republicans that switched in the last election in Pennsylvania, where do you think those voters are going to go? Do you think they're going to go with Arlen Specter, or are they going to go with a guy like Joe Sestak, who has been a centrist on issues as well?

REP. FATTAH: Well, let me just tell you this. We have Senator Bob Casey, who's pro-life. We've got Senator Arlen Specter, who's pro-choice. We have a party in Pennsylvania that is a big tent, and there's room for both Arlen Specter and for Bob Casey and for people like Ed Rendell and myself and for all of us to work together.

We have a situation here where, if there's going to be a primary, no one is opposed to Congressman Sestak if he wants to run. And, you know, he's a great guy. Democrats have spent a lot of money to win that seat that he's sitting in. It was held by a Republican.

MR. SCHULTZ: That's right.

REP. FATTAH: If he runs for Senate, it could put the seat in jeopardy. But he has an opportunity if he wants to run. There's going to be a primary. Senator Specter is taking all comers. The only thing he wasn't willing to do is have a narrowly constructed Republican constituency that doesn't represent the state in a primary decide his political fate.

MR. SCHULTZ: All right.

REP. FATTAH: He's not asked for a free ride in the Democratic primary, and Joe's got every right to run if he wants to run. And you've seen that I've already made a decision.

MR. SCHULTZ: I have.

REP. FATTAH: But you think it's a great idea.

MR. SCHULTZ: I have. I have made a decision. I love the competition. I don't like the idea that the president and the vice president have come out and taken a page out of the good-old-boy network --

REP. FATTAH: (Inaudible.)

MR. SCHULTZ: -- and said, "Oh, Arlen's our guy."

REP. FATTAH: And President Obama has made a decision and Governor Rendell has made one. I've made one.

MR. SCHULTZ: Well, I think it's wrong.

REP. FATTAH: I know, but don't -- if you can make one, we can make one.

MR. SCHULTZ: Yes, you can.

REP. FATTAH: And we'll let the voters decide in the primary.

MR. SCHULTZ: Well, there is a difference. You guys vote on stuff. I don't. (Laughs.)

REP. FATTAH: Well, that's what we're looking at, Arlen Specter and his vote.

MR. SCHULTZ: Congressman Fattah, I appreciate your time tonight. I really appreciate you coming on and sticking up for Arlen Specter. Let's see how it all plays out. I appreciate it very much.

REP. FATTAH: Thank you.

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