MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

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REP. KEITH ELLISON (D), MINNESOTA: Always a pleasure. How are you doing, Ed?

SCHULTZ: Great. Agree or differ me, what do you think, does Michele Bachmann have the national prowess to mount a campaign? What do you think?

ELLISON: I think she has as good of a shot as anybody who has thrown their hat out here. And I think that she"s demonstrated an ability to raise money. And she"s articulated a clear agenda. Now I disagree with 100 percent of that agenda, but she has articulated a clear agenda. I think that it is a mistake to say that she"s not viable. And in fact, I encourage Michele to run because if she really believes in the values that she shares with the rest of us, she should put them to the test by putting in front of the American people. Let"s just see if in fact Americans will support a candidate who believes that Wall Street reform should be repealed.

Let"s just see if Americans want to support a candidate who opposes "Don"t Ask, Don"t Tell." Let"s just see if nobody thought that the stimulus was a good thing, all those roads, bridges and jobs, let"s see somebody run against those things particularly in a couple of years when those projects have been completed. Let"s just see if people want a candidate who"s against stopping people for being excluded for pre-existing conditions. I think she should put her ideas in front of the public and see how far they go and I"ve--I dare her to run.

SCHULTZ: Yes, she is going to introduce a bill, repealing Wall Street reform.

ELLISON: Right.

SCHULTZ: It"s pretty much predictable. How much support do you think she would get? And you know, there"s going to be some Palin followers and some Bachmann followers. Where would they go? Would this create a divide?

ELLISON: Well, I don"t know. I can tell you this that Sarah Palin is essentially become sort of a celebrity. She"s more of a TV personality. She"s demonstrated a distinct distaste for governing. I don"t think she really wants to run anything other than her promotional agency, but Michele Bachmann is a real politician. And she"s been a state senator. She"s raised a lot of money as a state--as a U.S. congressperson and she"s a real candidate. So I wouldn"t--I think that Michele Bachmann would be viable, and I think that Sarah Palin better not try to challenge Michele Bachmann because she would probably end up on the losing end of that. Of course, maybe Michele Bachmann doesn"t agree--I mean maybe Sarah Palin doesn"t agree, so I"ll just let the two of them fight it out.

SCHULTZ: Keith Ellison, let me ask you one more question, Congressman, your thoughts on John Boehner. Will he be the same speaker that he was minority leader?

ELLISON: Well, you know what, John Boehner, I think is a person who"s a responsible republican. What that means is that he"s for cutting taxes, he"s for the corporate community, he"s for industry, he"s not so much for working people, and--but he"s a traditional corporate republican.

SCHULTZ: Yes.

ELLISON: And I think he"s going to be dealing with some people who are not of that ilk on the radical extreme, and I"m curious to see how he"s going to manage those people. I think he"s got his hands full and his caucus is not going to demonstrate the same kind of discipline that it has in the past and his leadership talents are going to be sorely pressed.

SCHULTZ: Well, rule number one for 2011 on this show and on the Ed Schultz radio show, there are still Republicans. Congressman, good to have you with us tonight. Thanks so much.

ELLISON: Thank you.

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