MSNBC "Decision '08" Interview - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC "Decision '08" Interview - Transcript

MR. OLBERMANN: We're joined now by Representative Loretta Sanchez of California, who endorsed Hillary Clinton earlier this week, and by Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, who's been campaigning for Barack Obama in South Carolina.

And thank you both for joining us.

REP. CUMMINGS: It's good to be with you.

MR. OLBERMANN: Let me --

REP. SANCHEZ: Thank you.

MR. OLBERMANN: -- bring up Tim's (Russert's) point first to you, Congressman Cummings. What do you need to hear from the Clinton campaign relative to the issues of divisiveness and race to make this last week feel a little bit better?

REP. CUMMINGS: First of all, I think we need to look at what happened in South Carolina today. We have a group of young people -- 52 percent of the whites are for Obama. And basically what they're saying is that "We want to do away with this race-type politicking." And the fact is that that's what's happened.

And Tim is absolutely right. I personally get tired of hearing people dismiss Barack Obama as if parts of his life don't matter. Here's a man that's more than a great orator. He's also a father. He's also one who has practiced civil rights law, gave up probably a $500,000 salary to go into the streets and help people, and then to be a state legislator.

And what happens is that when young African-Americans and others -- it's just not African-Americans, but it's young whites and others -- who are striving to be the best that they can be, when they hear somebody referred to as a "young man," as if there is nothing else to their lives than just the fact that they can speak, then that is a bit insulting.

MR. OLBERMANN: Representative Sanchez, 70 percent of people speaking to the exit pollers suggested that Senator Clinton had unfairly attacked Senator Obama; Senator Clinton not necessarily personally, but her campaign had. And obviously a lot of the focus of that subject had been the president's conduct in South Carolina. As a supporter of Senator Clinton, is it incumbent upon the campaign to rein him in to some degree as you move towards Super Tuesday?

REP. SANCHEZ: Well, first of all, I think that Hillary Clinton is the most capable candidate that we have running, and that's the reason that I've endorsed her. And, you know, it's not bad to have Bill out there for you.

If the country would remember that under the Clintons we were in a dire situation -- we inherited that from the Republicans -- and it was President Clinton and it was a Democratic Congress that got it back into shape to have the largest economic expansion that we've ever seen in this nation. The times were good for people who had money and all the way through the economy, the middle class and down, even into some of the areas that I represent in Orange County.

And so when I see that, I think it's great to have Bill stand up and say, "You know, this is about the economy. We need to have a program. Hillary has a program to do that." I mean, I would love to have Bill Clinton coming out and helping me on a campaign. I think he's a real asset.

MR. OLBERMANN: But Representative Sanchez, by the same token, today, in discussing Senator Obama in South Carolina and the anticipation of a victory, which we now are projecting as a substantial one, President Clinton made a comparison to Jesse Jackson's two victories in the caucuses of the 1980s. And that -- would you want that to be placed in the middle of your campaign, even by a former president?

REP. SANCHEZ: What I would say to people, and I tell them all the time, you know, we hold elections in the United States because we don't have coronations. Hillary's got to fight for this. If Barack Obama wants it, he has to fight for it also. And it's a long way. This is a marathon. This is not just a little short race around the block.

Now, Hillary's won several times. Now Barack has won in a place, you know, where people really came around him to give him that win. But wait until they get to California. I mean, in California, we go for women. We send the most women to the Congress. We send great women to the Senate.

And so I believe that when we look at the capability of Hillary Clinton that California will go strong for her. There's tons of delegates in my state. And then tonight I'm in Colorado campaigning for Hillary, and it's the same way. I mean, people are really speaking up to putting in experience.

REP. CUMMINGS: Keith, can I --

MR. OLBERMANN: Forgive me, Representative Cummings. We're out of time. We have to go to a commercial or they come and they drag us off without our wallets.

REP. CUMMINGS: I understand.

MR. OLBERMANN: Representative Loretta Sanchez of California and Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, we thank you for the all- too-brief time tonight. And best of luck to both of you and your campaigns.

Source