MSNBC "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" - Transcript

Interview

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REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D), SOUTH CAROLINA: Well, thank you so much for having me back, Keith.

OLBERMANN: And joining us as well, a target of the Chamber of Commerce campaign, Congressman John Boccieri of Ohio.

Congressman, I appreciate your time tonight, too.

REP. JOHN BOCCIERI (D), OHIO: Thank you, Keith.

OLBERMANN: We"ll get to the chamber, but I want to begin with Congressman Clyburn on Mr. Murdoch"s News Corp. A million to the RGA, $1 million to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is bankrolling $75 million attack--what is the Democratic strategy, the political strategy, for dealing with a media outlet that has now put its money where everybody has known its mouth has always been?

CLYBURN: Well, this is the same. I think we know the definition of fair and balanced. Fair to the Republican Governors Association and you balance that out with the United States Chamber of Commerce. That"s what"s going on here. It is absolutely a shame.

And I would hope that the American people looking in on this kind of activity will begin to focus on the fact that we now know why we can"t get this economy moving as fast as people would like. We have created legislation to make it in America. And the other side that"s been fighting that legislation, I think they voted against it 11 different times. That is an outrage.

We, now, in South Carolina, where I"m from, we see jobs going overseas. We see what has happened to our textile mills. It"s all because there was this plan to export jobs. And the chamber, Donohue, a guy that I have lot--I know very well--and I can"t understand him saying that it enhances competition to get rid of jobs in local communities.

We"re trying to create jobs in the communities where people go to the polls to vote, where people really need to uplift themselves, do good for their families. And here, we see them being denigrated and every attempt that"s made to uplift these people now being outsourced.
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Outsourcing jobs like this is absolutely the worst thing that you can do to local communities throughout this country. And I really believe that people are beginning to focus on this. And they"re going to rise up by November the 2nd. And they are going to show that make it America is what it"s all about.

OLBERMANN: Congressman Clyburn, is there a legislative response to the idea that there is a national cable news outlet that goes beyond having a point of view and actually starts to shill for partisan causes and actually starts to donate to partisan groups of one party?

CLYBURN: Well, I don"t know that there"s one yet. That"s one of the reasons I have always been a little bit upset about us getting rid of the Fairness Doctrine.

I do believe that there needs to be a very critical look taken, especially at FOX News and what they"re doing. They are absolutely undermining democracy in this country. They are drowning out the voices of what I would call the ordinary person in this society. That is not what our country is all about.

We should be about encouraging people to be a part of the governmental process, rather than going out, targeting the folks that they are voting for, for defeat, and using foreign money to do it. That is absolutely incredible.

OLBERMANN: All right. And to that point and to the chamber, Congressman Boccieri, "The Plum Line" reported today that you had a uniquely personal kind of response to this news about where the chamber gets its money, their attacks on you. Can you share that personal response with us?

BOCCIERI: Well, Keith, I you never dreamed I would see the day when the United States Chamber of Commerce is using foreign money to launch domestic attacks against Americans. This is unbelievable to me, that we would allow foreign governments to influence our elections. The community I represent in northeast Ohio has lost hundreds of thousands of jobs that have been shipped overseas.

And now, the very same multinational corporations that took our jobs overseas are using foreign governments and foreign entities and the United States Chamber of Commerce to launch attacks against the member of Congress who"s trying to bring those jobs back. I mean, it is unbelievably unprecedented.

I believe the Citizens United decision ahs handed the electoral keys of government over to big corporations. It"s as if the Supreme Court allowed the Chamber of Commerce to roll up to the drive-thru window and super size the campaign contributions.

The most I can get from one individual in these contributions, they are barely rare, is $2,400. Well, the chamber can turn to a foreign entity and say, we need $240,000 to take out this member of Congress who thinks that you should be playing by the same rules as Americans do.

OLBERMANN: Mr. Boccieri, what do you need from the national party right now in terms of trying to push back some of that tidal wave?
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BOCCIERI: Well, I hope that there"s going to be some investigations. Keith, I put my life on the line for this country. And I never dreamed I would have a foreign government now, while I"m serving our government in the United States Congress launching attacks against me because I believe that America should grow it, build it and assemble it here in our own country. I never dreamed that this day would come.

There should be investigations. There should be reports given. And the Chamber of Commerce needs to own up and answer to the American people, to suggest that we--they shouldn"t open their books, that they shouldn"t disclose this and be transparent while they"re purportedly spending millions of dollars is just outrageous.

OLBERMANN: Mr. Clyburn, last point, can Congress do what Mr. Boccieri needs? Is there an investigation possible of the money that goes in to the Chamber of Commerce?

CLYBURN: Oh, sure. But not between now and November 2nd.

OLBERMANN: Yes.

CLYBURN: That"s the problem here. All of this damage will be done over the next four weeks. Then we"ll come back in January with a new Congress. Yes, there will be some kind of investigation.

I think Senator Franken has talked about filing their formal complaint. But then it will be too late for people like John Boccieri who I think has served two tours on behalf of this country. Joe Sestak, the highest ranking military person to ever served in United States Congress having this stuff (INAUDIBLE) -- that is absolutely incredible. And the American people should reject this on November 2nd.

OLBERMANN: The House whip, Jim Clyburn, Congressman John Boccieri--thank you both for your time, gentlemen.

BOCCIERI: Thank you, Keith.

CLYBURN: Thank you.

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