MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Secretary gates says it could take up to three years to complete the withdrawal. I don"t think the American people are in the mood for any of that kind of stuff. We"re going to know early on whether we can get this thing done or not. That"s how I feel.

Joining me now is New York Congressman Gregory Meeks. He sits on the House Foreign Relations Committee and also Financial Services. Congressman, good to have you in the house tonight.

REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D), NEW YORK: Good to be with you, Ed.

SCHULTZ: The Congressional Black Caucus is starting to play pretty tough with the White House for now creating jobs fast enough and some of the numbers that have been out there in the inner cities have been tough. Does this give you some leverage in dealing with the president on Afghanistan? Or are they two completely different issues?

MEEKS: I think they"re completely different issues. The Congressional Black Caucus, we"re going to do our job. The president has his job. Our job is to make sure we do what"s in the best interest of our constituents.

SCHULTZ: If he"s sending 30 billion dollars and a bunch of more troops over to Afghanistan, doesn"t that make the case that he has to do more here at home, and free up some of that bailout money to start creating jobs? What do you think?

MEEKS: I think the indication is that the money is the bailout money

· or the money that is being paid back by the banks, with the interest, that that money should be utilized to help create the jobs in America that we need to do.

At the same time, I am reminded of the fact that there is a direct connection between 9/11 and Afghanistan. And I know that when 9/11 initially happened, the congress was just about 100 united on going to Afghanistan. What divided us was Iraq. We should have been in there dealing with Afghanistan, because that"s where the problem had existed and continues to exist.

SCHULTZ: Do you support the president on this move? Can you go along with him?

MEEKS: I"m going to continue the ask the questions. I asked questions during the hearing when Secretary Clinton and Gates and the admiral was there. I"m going to--this is one of the most serious votes that one has, when you"re talking about escalating and sending one"s loved ones to war.

SCHULTZ: This is interesting. Let"s see, Pat Leahy said that he"s reserving judgment. Byron Dorgan told me today on the radio he"s reserving judgment. Dick Durbin is reserving--is this the Washington answer?

MEEKS: No--this is the hardest--when I decided to vote for Afghanistan, it was a hard decision. Against Iraq, the hardest decision. This is the hardest decision that I think a member of Congress has. You have to dot your I"s and cross your T"s and try to be as sure as you possibly can.

SCHULTZ: This commitment has been made, congressman. They"re going.

MEEKS: They have to come to the congress to fund it and ask for the money. Therefore, my job is to ask the legitimate questions, to make sure that I"m doing right thing, or what I believe is the right thing on the behalf of the constituents that I represent, and the people of the United States of America.

SCHULTZ: So you"re reserving judgment tonight, and you can"t totally commit behind the Afghan commitment?

MEEKS: I will tell you that I like what the president said. I will tell you that some of the questions I asked during the hearing was--I got the answers that I thought were good. But I still have more deliberations to do. And I am concerned about particularly the connection of Afghanistan to Pakistan. Because in Iraq, we didn"t know whether there was weapons of mass destruction. In fact, we knew--based upon the information I had, there was none. In Pakistan, we know there"s weapons of mass destruction.

SCHULTZ: Is bin Laden relevant to you?

MEEKS: Bin laden is--as a symbol, he"s relevant. But to me, what"s more relevant is the fact that we have these borders between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Pakistan has nuclear weapons. And I know those in the Taliban would love to get their hands on those nuclear weapons. That"s the danger to this country. As a member of Congress, that"s my first obligation.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Meeks, good to have you with us tonight. Thank you so much.

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