MSNBC Hardball - Transcript

MSNBC

SHOW: HARDBALL 18:00

BYLINE: Chris Matthews; Andrea Mitchell; Norah O'Donnell; Howard Fineman; Ron Reagan; Patrick Buchanan; Campbell Brown; David Shuster

GUESTS: Laura Ingraham; Ken Blackwell; Susan Collins; Eileen Melvin; Martin Chicon; Neil Bush; Pierce Bush

HIGHLIGHT:
Coverage of the Republican National Convention.

BODY:
MATTHEWS: It's a familiar story around the country. They're trying to make it a two-person race. Anyway, thank you, Andrea.

Right now we're joined by a person who must be called I think a Republican moderate up in Maine. Senator Susan Collins of Maine. Thanks for coming on tonight, Senator. What do you think of what the secretary of state of Ohio said that the president has to offer some recognition, perhaps for the first time tonight of the people who are suffering economically?

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS ®, MAINE: I listened to what the secretary of state said and I agree with him that it's important that the president recognize that the recovery while robust has not been even across the country.

MATTHEWS: Well, that's true according to the polls by the way. We have an NBC/"Wall Street Journal" poll out just this week that said that by 60 percent to 30 percent the American people believe we do have a recovery. I mean, people are accepting that. That's kind of a mixed argument, but the issue as to who benefits is definitely seen as unequal.

Let me ask you about the speech last night. Did you think Zell Miller was a little too rip-snorting?

COLLINS: Was a little too-I couldn't hear you unfortunately.

MATTHEWS: Rip-snorting? It's a cowboy term.

COLLINS: It was certainly a tough and forceful speech. I thought the part of the speech that was most effective was when he went through all of the weapon systems that John Kerry had voted against and talked about how important they had been to our troops. That part of the speech I thought was a devastating indictment of Senator Kerry's record on defense issues.

MATTHEWS: Well, you served with Senator Kerry as well as with Senator Miller. Do you believe John Kerry when you look up to vote every time you vote on an authorization or appropriations bill or on defense, do you see him as a predictable opponent of weapons systems?

COLLINS: I see him as someone who has a history of voting against weapons systems, but I'm more concerned about his recent vote against the $87 billion that our troops really needed in Iraq. Regardless of what your position is on the war in Iraq, surely everyone should be united in making sure that our troops have the protective gear and other equipment that they need to be safe.

MATTHEWS: That vote was about 80-20. Do you ever vote a vote simply to symbolically chastise a policy, not to prevent money from being spent, which that vote by Kerry did not do, it wasn't decisive, do you ever vote against something simply to say you don't like the policy?

COLLINS: Not on something like that. Not when it really matters. And it really mattered to get that money to our troops.

MATTHEWS: OK. Well, it's great having you on, Senator Susan Collins. We like having you on HARDBALL. NBC's Campbell Brown is on the convention floor with a delegate from Pennsylvania-Campbell.