MSNBC Interview - Transcript
Interview
MS. MITCHELL: And for more on the Democrats' reaction to all of this, let's bring in Florida Congressman Robert Wexler, a strong supporter of Barack Obama.
REP. WEXLER: Thank you.
MS. MITCHELL: Congressman, thanks for joining us today.
Let me play for you what Rick Davis said on the "Today" program about who started this racial conversation. Let's listen.
RICK DAVIS (John McCain campaign manager): (From videotape.) We didn't draw first blood. I mean, this campaign has been rough and tumble since the day Barack Obama got his nomination, and we've withered under the attacks of the Obama campaign on a daily basis. Barack Obama himself, from his stage every night, attacks John McCain, and we feel like it's time to make sure that we contrast this ad, which is an important part of our campaign, contrasts John McCain and Barack Obama on the issue of drilling, on the issue of raising taxes on energy. We're against those things -- we're for drilling, we're against raising taxes, and Barack Obama is the opposite. We think it's fair game to point those things out.
MS. MITCHELL: Okay. Is it fair game, Congressman Wexler?
REP. WEXLER: Well, issues and differences in issues are fair game; both the New York Times and the Washington Post both commented recently that the McCain campaign has run a series of negative TV commercials that have either distorted or, in totally false fashion, presented Barack Obama's record. So what the McCain campaign is saying may sound nice, but it, again, does not comport with what it is doing.
The American people who have seen the ads know that the McCain campaign is running a series of negative ads on energy, on the Iraq war and on other issues. What's Barack Obama doing today in Florida? He's talking about a second emergency economic stimulus package, a positive economic message, talking about the need to provide American families with a $1,000 stimulus payment to help them get through the winter to pay for additional gasoline prices or heating oil, and also the need to invest $50 billion in a infrastructure package so that we create a million jobs in America. We've already lost half a million this year.
MS. MITCHELL: Well, let me show you --
REP. WEXLER: So compare the two messages.
MS. MITCHELL: -- let me show you what happened when Barack Obama tried to give that very speech today. This is what happened down in Florida.
(Begin videotaped segment.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: What about the black community?
SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D-IL) (Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.) Excuse me.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: What about the black community?
SEN. OBAMA: Excuse me, young man. This is going to be a question-and-answer session, so you can ask a question later. Let me make my statement. Why don't you all sit down -- (cheers, applause) -- then you can ask a question. That's why we're having a town hall meeting. Sit down.
(End videotaped segment.)
MS. MITCHELL: Such is life on the campaign trail. And, in fact --
REP. WEXLER: Yes.
MS. MITCHELL: -- when the young man did ask the question, he challenged Barack Obama for not being aggressive enough in support of issues of relevance to, as he described it, the black community -- Katrina, the situation in subprime mortgages. We then looked up his website, and it said that they came from a Marxist African American group, so we're not sure -- (chuckles) -- what the criticisms are and how Barack Obama -- you know, he handled it and he responded to them.
REP. WEXLER: But --
MS. MITCHELL: The issue of race front and center now in the campaign. It's the elephant in the room, it's what everyone is talking about, and talking about it because of what the McCain campaign said yesterday.
REP. WEXLER: Well, two things, Andrea. Number one, what that tape shows me is Barack Obama is in my home state in Florida having a town hall meeting with people. And unlike some previous people running for president, Barack Obama doesn't screen the questions. He doesn't have planted people in the audience. He's engaging --
MS. MITCHELL: Well, neither does John McCain, that's for sure. John McCain takes it from all sides when he's out on the road, too.
REP. WEXLER: I'm not -- yes, I'm not suggesting otherwise. But this is what makes a good give-and-take.
With respect to the issue of race, Barack Obama, in both his professional life and his political life, has devoted himself to bridging the divide between people of different races, different ethnicities. That's the essence of his message. And what is undeniable, however, is that in that context, Senator Obama's statements -- there have been a series of negative TV commercials by the McCain campaign itself -- and also, we cannot deny a smear campaign that has been ushered in by opponents of Senator Obama like we've never seen before in American politics.
MS. MITCHELL: Okay, thank you very much, Congressman Robert Wexler.
REP. WEXLER: Thank you.
MS. MITCHELL: Of course, the McCain camp says that they have no connection to those other smears, but --
REP. WEXLER: But --
MS. MITCHELL: -- it remains to be seen. But --
REP. WEXLER: -- if I may. You know, the same thing was said about the campaign against John Kerry by President Bush -- "oh, we had nothing to do with that campaign." What Senator Obama is showing the American people is he is not going to be smeared. He's going to lay out the facts straight.
MS. MITCHELL: Okay. The attacks and the counterattacks. And they will continue on the campaign trail. Thanks so much, Congressman Wexler.
END.
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