CNN "Lou Dobbs Tonight"-Transcript

Interview

CNN "Lou Dobbs Tonight"-Transcript

Joining me now, another outstanding congressman, Walter Jones, who attended today's hearings on the Border Patrol agents.

Congressman Walter Jones, good to have you with us.

REP. WALTER JONES (R), NORTH CAROLINA: Lou, thank you very much.

DOBBS: Let me ask you the same question I asked Dana Rohrabacher.

Any surprises today for you in anything you heard?

JONES: Well, no surprises because, obviously, Mr. Sutton didn't appear, nor did any of his staff. But what pleased me was Bill Delahunt, the subcommittee chairman, who feels as passionate about this issue, Lou, as you, myself and all of my colleagues who have been working so hard to make this White House awaken.

DOBBS: This, again, it's, you know, it is -- it's almost inexplicable. The United States Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security, one of its agencies, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the way in which they have responded to the inquiries of Congress, you know, and the inquiries of the public, the national news media.

What is going on here?

JONES: Lou, in my opinion, this White House is too close to the Mexican government. I cannot believe that the Mexican government would be so interested in a known drug smuggler and to care so much about what's going to happen with him. And the fact is that if the president can give a commutation to "Scooter" Libby -- who ought to be in jail -- and these two Hispanic-Americans who try to protect American citizens from poison, meaning drugs, coming across the border and he will not even give them consideration, it's an injustice like I've never seen before.

DOBBS: The head of the Border Patrol Council, representing the Border Patrol agents; the appellate attorney for former Agent Ramos -- these are eloquent statements today...

JONES: Absolutely.

DOBBS: ...and lay out a clear case for -- to investing this prosecution.

Are you going to continue? JONES: Lou, I hate to say this, but the Democratic Party, which is now in control of the House and Senate, have done more to help us expose the injustice than my party did when we were the majority.

And I am pleased to say Chairman Conyers has told me that he plans -- and Mr. Delahunt announced today -- that there will be a full blown hearing in September of this year or early October. And Mr. Sutton will be subpoenaed to come to testify if he won't come voluntarily.

DOBBS: Well, good for you.

Good for Congressman Conyers.

Good for Congressman Delahunt, leading the subcommittee in Foreign Affairs.

JONES: Yes, sir.

DOBBS: The idea that these men have to be imprisoned, in the case of Ramos, for more than six months, as Congressman Rohrabacher pointed out during the hearings today, when it is a clear, clear issue that the president of the United States and his attorney general should take up and reconcile for the American people, I mean that just makes you gut sick.

JONES: So, Lou, I'm going to tell you, I don't know how the president can sleep at night, quite frankly, knowing that the American people -- and I want to thank you and your staff and CNN, truthfully, for being so out front for well over a year on this issue, by keeping this alive to inform the American people of the truth and inform the American people of the injustice.

I do not know what's wrong with this White House. I used this term the other day in an interview. I think almost that Rip Van Winkle must be heading the government.

DOBBS: Well, this -- this government has, in so many ways, Congressman, as you know -- it has failed to represent the interests of working men and women in this country, their families. Our educational system is under challenge. Illegal immigration is so -- this administration has the temerity to talk about comprehensive immigration reform when it is dealing with nothing comprehensively.

JONES: Absolutely. And, Lou, that, again, is why we believe that there is a serious, serious problem in what this federal prosecutor did in West Texas and how they gave this immunity to a drug smuggler -- a known drug smuggler.

And it's going to get exposed. And I thank god for the leadership in the House and Miss. Feinstein, Senator Feinstein...

DOBBS: Absolutely.

JONES: ...who's held hearings. And I know what's going to happen on our side in late September and October. And we're going to bring justice to these two men that should never have been sent to federal prison.

DOBBS: Congressman Walter Jones, we thank you for being with us.

JONES: Thank you, Lou.

DOBBS: Appreciate it.

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