MSNBC "Morning Joe" - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC "Morning Joe" - Transcript

MR. SCARBOROUGH: Let's bring in right now Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., and also from The Washington Post --

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Great to have you.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: -- editorial board, Jonathan Capehart; not only the tie, but look at the silk handkerchief.

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Oh, I just think it's perfect.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: Oh, it's dashing.

MR. CAPEHART: I wear it for Mika, Joe.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: I know you do. I know you do.

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Oh, Jonathan, thank you.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: All right, Jesse, good to see you.

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Great to have you on.

REP. JACKSON: Thank you, guys.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: What do you think about a Chicago guy making history, like Barack Obama has done? Is he going to be able to translate that --

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Close the deal.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: -- into a general election victory?

REP. JACKSON: You know, this is a very exciting moment, not only for Chicagoans but for all Americans. And yesterday we had a watershed moment in the Illinois delegation where we all began trying to put our differences aside. We began a reconciliation process.

And so when we saw the Hillary Clinton and the Barack Obama dynamic taking place, and now we see people who have been fighting each other for a year and a half -- I mean, they've been faxing, they've been e-mailing, they've been text messaging, they've been fighting on street corners, they've been going door to door -- but now we're at the part of reconciliation.

Hubert Humphrey once said, Joe, "In the final analysis, we have to forgive each other, redeem each other and move on." A lot of reconciliation has been taking place at this convention. We have to move on.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.

REP. JACKSON: And the truth be told, historically -- and Robert can probably attest to this -- the Democratic Party has been too small to win a national election. It's why we have to unite at our national convention, allow the nominee the latitude to reach out to independents and to Republicans to create a new majority. And I think Barack Obama, beyond tonight's speech, is going to accomplish that.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: And, you know, Jesse, also last night I was struck by the generational aspects of this. And, of course, a lot was made of the differences that you and your father had, what, about a month ago. God help me if anybody ever put a microphone on either of my parents, to have them talking about (me ?). (Laughter.)

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Oh, your parents are fabulous.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: Yeah, but keep the microphones away from my parents. I love them, just like you love your dad. But, hey, you and I, we look at race a lot differently than our parents look at race, right?

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Or grandparents.

REP. JACKSON: Well, we certainly do.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: And listen, your dad's been a civil rights leader for years, but he grew up in a different world than you and I grew up in.

REP. JACKSON: But, you know, when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, he began by paying homage to another generation, the generation of Americans who fought in the Civil War. He talked about Abraham Lincoln. That was the setting of that particular speech. And then he talked about right now. He talked about the issues that confront Americans right now. He talked about a promissory note. He talked about a bounced check.

He refused to believe that the great vault of opportunity of this nation was bankrupt. And so he began speaking to this generation. And 45 years later, here we are discussing some of those issues about a blank check. We're talking about bounced checks. We're talking about an inability for the American government to invest in basic ordinary needs of ordinary Americans.

And so I think tonight, hopefully tonight, we'll see a bridge between the generations, but we'll also see a projection that my children will be able to look back at this hour and say, "Wow, Barack Obama was speaking not only poetically, but he was also speaking substantively about his hour, about his (faith ?), and about the politics of what's taking place in this country."

MR. SCARBOROUGH: Jonathan Capehart, what does Barack Obama have to do tonight, not to make history -- he's already done that -- not to nail down the base -- he's already done that --

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Close the deal.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: -- but to pick up votes in West Virginia and Pennsylvania and Ohio and Michigan and Wisconsin rural areas? What's the message he delivers?

MR. CAPEHART: I think he has to -- excuse me. I think he has to show the American people, those in the stadium and those who are watching at home -- those are the most important people to reach -- that he understands, not just here -- (points to head) -- but here -- (points to heart) -- the problems that they have, the struggles that they're going through, and the concerns that they have about their present, but also their future and their children's futures.

One of the criticisms -- one of the knocks against Senator Obama is that there's no meat on the bones; there's not enough substance there.

He's too up here and not enough down here. And I think, after going through the last three days, and in particular the set-up by Senator Clinton in her speech and last night's speech by President Clinton, if anyone is still out there who doesn't believe that Senator Obama has programs and platforms for Democrats -- and I'm talking about the sort of reconciliation that's still going on within the Democratic Party -- that if those folks still, after hearing from the Clintons making the case for Senator Obama, then the Democrats are in big trouble. So that's why tonight Senator Obama has to, I guess, basically close the loop that's been set up for him by Senator Clinton, Senator Biden and President Clinton.

MS. BRZEZINSKI: But I wonder -- we have to go to break, but Robert, really quickly, will he be able to connect in that way --

MR. GIBBS: Absolutely.

MS. BRZEZINSKI: -- and explain to people that he understands them --

MR. GIBBS: Yes.

MS. BRZEZINSKI: -- with 75,000 people, such a big forum, as opposed to a more intimate setting?

MR. GIBBS: Look, I think he's going to be talking to millions of Americans individually tonight about the pain that they feel in their lives and what we can do to bring jobs back to this country and create a better life.

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Most agree the key is they have to believe it, and he has to do it tonight.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: Jesse, good to see you again. We need to get you on our show a lot more.

MS. BRZEZINSKI: We'd love it.

REP. JACKSON: Hey, Joe, thanks. Thank you guys for having me. I'll be back.

MS. BRZEZINSKI: We love it. Thank you for coming in.

MR. SCARBOROUGH: Hey, will you tell Mika --

MS. BRZEZINSKI: What?

MR. SCARBOROUGH: -- I was a member of Congress once? (Laughter.)

MS. BRZEZINSKI: Oh, good lord.

REP. JACKSON: You've got a much better job now. (Laughter.)

MR. SCARBOROUGH: Good to see you again, Jesse. Thank you so much. Say hi to your dad for us.

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