CNN The Situation Room-Transcript

Interview

CNN The Situation Room-Transcript

MALVEAUX: Senator John Edwards. Thanks so much for joining us here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Now a lot of people have really set up this race as one Hillary Clinton versus Barack Obama but these poll numbers show you second to Hillary Clinton and neck and neck with Obama.

If Hillary Clinton and her folks are watching now and they see these poll numbers, what is the message you have for her today?

JOHN EDWARDS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh, it's the same message I would have to anybody. I think it's pretty clear that this is a very competitive race. I've been moving up. We have some momentum now. I'm ahead in Iowa according to the public polls. I'm obviously right in the thick of things in New Hampshire. We have moved up significantly there.

So I think this is going to be a serious race where voters get a chance to look at the differences in our positions and our personal characteristics to be president.

MALVEAUX: Do you think the media has essentially written you off as number three a little bit too soon here? Because it looks like we've got a three way race and you're just climbing up close to Clinton.

EDWARDS: Oh, I think it would be a foolish mistake to write anybody off. We're very early in the campaign. I started in a strong place. We had a great fundraising quarter. I'm ahead in Iowa which is the place of the first caucus. Right in the midst of things, obviously, in New Hampshire and we've moved up there.

So I'm out there talking about the things that matter. Real, universal health care plan, changing the way we use energy and a real plan to get out of Iraq. MALVEAUX: And obviously another thing that matters to the American people is Iraq. Let's take a listen at what President Bush said today.

GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. PRESIDENT: Congress' most basic responsibility is to give our troops the equipment and training they need to fight our enemies and protect our nation and they're failing in that responsibility. And if they do not change course in the coming weeks, the price of that failure will be paid by our troops and their loved ones.

MALVEAUX: Now Senator Reid has actually gone as far as saying that he would support cutting off most funding for the Iraq War if the original legislation is vetoed. Do you think that that's gone too far? Should Senator Reid cool it at this point?

EDWARDS: No. What I think is the president is dead wrong. He is just dead wrong. He is just dead wrong. If the president vetoes the bill that provides funding for the troops, that President Bush is not providing support and funding for the troops because he is the one who stopped the funding and I think it's the responsibility of the Congress if he does that to stand firm, stand strong, send him another bill that provides funding for the troops by provides to start bringing the troops home.

That's what Congress should be doing. They should be strong.

MALVEAUX: So would you support Senator Reid's bill if it came to the president, if it came to Congress, saying we're not going to support most of the funding for the Iraq War, as he has suggested.

EDWARDS: I tell you what I support. What I support is sending a bill to the president that provides for a drawdown of the troops of Iraq.

If the president vetoes that bill, I would send him another bill that provides for a drawdown of the troops in Iraq. This president has to be forced to change course. The Democratically-controlled Congress can do that. He has made mistake after mistake after mistake and he has to be stopped and we have to be strong.

MALVEAUX: So you would not support Senator Reid's bill cutting off most of the funding for Iraq?

EDWARDS: I can't tell from the way you're describing it and from the description I've heard enough about the specifics. I think that what we ought to be doing is standing firm, standing strong and forcing this president to start drawing down troops.

MALVEAUX: I want to go to Syria here. As you know, Speaker Pelosi is in Syria. She is not traveling in any official capacity. She has no negotiating power. Some people look at this as simply political theater. A stunt.

Do you think that's right?

EDWARDS: I think that what America should be doing on the issue of Iraq is dealing directly with both the Syrians and the Iranians.

And I don't know precisely what Speaker Pelosi is going to do in Syria but we as a nation should be engaged with both the Iranians and the Syrians directly and to help him stabilize Iraq. Both countries have an interest in a stable Iraq. They don't want refugees coming across their border. They don't want economic instability and they don't want to see a broader Middle East conflict.

And I think it make sense to not - on some ideological basis not deal with them but to engage with both of them directly.

MALVEAUX: You're doing well in terms of poll numbers. You're also doing well in terms of fundraising.

How much of this do you think is the result of you being so forthcoming and all the well-wishes that have been given to your wife's recovery?

EDWARDS: Oh, I don't have any way of knowing that.

I suspect that there's been a lot of attention. I think people take their vote for president very, very seriously and I think a lot of what the attention has been is they've looked at both the things I want to do as president and looked at me and Elizabeth as human beings and made judgments and I suspect it's the result of that. Time will tell.

MALVEAUX: Thank you very much, Senator Edwards.

EDWARDS: Thanks for having me.

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