Fox News Channel "Strategy Room" - Transcript

Interview

Fox News Channel "Strategy Room" - Transcript

MR. WALLACE: Of course, Barack Obama's not the only Democrat seeking office this fall. So how will his candidacy impact the congressional campaigns? Let's ask New York Senator Charles Schumer, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Gentlemen, welcome.

REP. VAN HOLLEN: Good to be with you.

SEN. SCHUMER: Good morning.

MR. WALLACE: So let's get you to answer the question.

Senator Schumer, start with you. As you project the races now, how many seats are Democrats going to pick up in November?

SEN. SCHUMER: Well, it's hard to pick a number right now because it's always changing. But we're in good shape in the 12 seats that we occupy that are up. Of the 23 Republican seats that are up, we are significantly ahead in five, we're even in three, we're close in three, and there are another three or four where we're not out of the ballpark.

MR. WALLACE: Are you saying that there's a possibility that Democrats could get 60 seats and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate?

SEN. SCHUMER: It is a possibility. It is less like than not, but it's a possibility.

MR. WALLACE: Congressman Van Hollen, now, you picked up how many seats last time?

REP. VAN HOLLEN: We picked up 30 seats last time.

MR. WALLACE: Which is a big, big gain.

REP. VAN HOLLEN: It is.

MR. WALLACE: And usually you can't have two big gains in a row.

REP. VAN HOLLEN: Well, that's exactly right. We are confident we're going to break the historical pattern this time. As you said, usually when you have a big wave, as we had in 2006, the wave comes in, and then the wave goes out a little bit. So we're in a position now where we can beat that historical pattern by picking up seats. We, of course, won three special elections in difficult territory -- Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi. Now we need to expand that campaign again.

Again, we don't have a particular number of seats we think we can pick up right now. But we are confident we will break that historical curse and actually expand our majority going forward.

MR. WALLACE: Congressman, how do you answer those voters out there who say, look, I'm a little scared of giving either party complete control of Congress; it's clearly going to be a Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate, so maybe it would be safer, just for checks and balances, to have a Republican president?

REP. VAN HOLLEN: Because we need to get things done on the important issues that people care about, which are going to be the ideas that are contested in this election. If you want to expand access to health care and children's health care where we tried to push for health care for 10 million more kids, or if you want to make sure that we end the tax giveaways to the oil and gas industry and use that money for renewable energy and energy efficiency, you need expanded majorities to work with the new president, Barack Obama and vice president, Joe Biden.

And so if you want to end the gridlock and the status quo that you see in Washington today and move forward on an agenda for change, you need to support that effort by not only electing Barack Obama and Joe Biden but also expand the majorities in the House and Senate.

MR. WALLACE: But Senator Schumer, and I don't mean this facetiously, some people out there say, I like a little gridlock in Washington. I don't want one party just having its way.

SEN. SCHUMER: Traditionally, people have because they've been pretty happy with the status quo. If you look at the 2000 election, 2004 election -- are you happy with the state of the country? Yes. The majority were. When a majority, and an overwhelming majority are unhappy with the direction of the country, they don't want gridlock. And that's why we think we can pick up a whole lot of seats.

In very conservative states like Mississippi, people want change. People prefer what a generic Democrat would do -- health care, education, energy policy -- than a generic Republican -- strong military, family values. In previous years, they preferred the generic Republican by 10 or 15 points.

MR. WALLACE: Let's talk about Barack Obama. He is, after all, a figure this week.

Congressman, how much can he do? Really, what I guess I'm asking is, when it comes down it, do you think he's got big, long coattails, or do you think in the end he isn't going to have an enormous impact, people are going to vote in their congressional district based on local issues?

REP. VAN HOLLEN: I think in many districts, he's going to boost the prospects of our candidates because we expect a larger turnout. A lot of people, who have been on the political sidelines not participating in elections before, are going to come forward, a lot of young people. Clearly, in those areas where you have large African- American communities, I think there will be an extra-large vote. So there are many congressional districts around the country where I think it will be a boost.

I also think it's a two-way street. We have lots of candidates running in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania that are going to give a boost to the Barack Obama campaign. So it's a two-way street, and I think both campaigns benefit.

MR. WALLACE: Senator, is that one of the reasons so many of the superdelegates at the end broke for Obama because they felt that he could expand the pie, get more money, more people in the process and actually would help in the House and the Senate?

SEN. SCHUMER: Yeah. Look, our map, Obama helps. When you have so many seats up, we're in good shape. But the reason I'm cautious is because many of our battlegrounds are in deeply red states. But Obama runs better in those states. In the South, he runs better with African-American voters. He runs very well in the mountain, more libertarian West. He does well in Alaska and Oregon and Colorado and Minnesota.

And I think the reason there's unity here is a little sort of broader. We know we have to bring change to this country. And this is not even a political issue for us. I mean, obviously, it's your own ideological views. But I think people in that convention hall, certainly Chris and myself, we feel an anguish that this country's been taken in the wrong direction, and McCain would continue to do that. We have to change.

Now, obviously, we have to do it in a thoughtful and careful way. We can't do it in a way of just expanding big government to all ends of the earth. But we do need change, and that's what's bringing about the unity with Bill Clinton, with Hillary Clinton and with all the delegates, more than any other single factor.

MR. WALLACE: Senator Charles Schumer, Congressman Chis Van Hollen, we want to thank you both for coming in today.

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