MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" - Transcript

Interview

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REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: Thank you, Rachel.

I have a great idea.

MADDOW: OK.

SCHAKOWSKY: I think every woman voter should be required to see these 13:00 of what you said before you vote. What do you think?

MADDOW: See, if I was -- this is why I`ll never run for office I would be the kind of tyrannical governor, who would say that, yes, that`s the law and I`m going to make you watch.

SCHAKOWSKY: But that it will be free. You won`t have to pay for it.

MADDOW: That`s fair enough. That`d be the moderate thing about me.

SCHAKOWSKY: That`s right.

MADDOW: In terms of what is happening with this in Washington, do you think that at the federal level at least, and for state level Republicans who have federal ambitions, do you think they are changing their mind about this, that they`re having second thoughts?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, I think they are certainly has been a backlash. I don`t know if they`re getting e-mails quite as clever as some of the governors you read from wonderful women who are writing those clever
things. But I definitely think that women have been expressing themselves in no uncertain terms that they are not going to accept going back, they`re not going to accept these ridiculous restrictions.

I mean, imagine the idea of having to tell your boss that you -- using birth control not to control birth, but for some acceptable medical condition it`s ridiculous. And so, people, women see on the horizon at the
federal level, too, that this may just be the beginning and we`ve got to stop it right now. And Republicans are beginning to get a little scared.

MADDOW: It is really interesting, though, to see the divide between Republicans in the states and the kind of I think Republican awakening that you are hinting at there. Certainly that we`ve seen in terms of
Republicans backing off some of these issues in Congress. I mean, the Jan Brewers and Bob McDonnells and Tom Corbetts of the world -- they are really steaming ahead with this.

I mean, Sam Brownback said when he was asked about this current bill that`s going through the legislature, if he would sign it and he said, I haven`t read it, but I`m sure I will. I`m paraphrasing what he said. I said that I would sign anything pro-life that got to my desk.

(CROSSTALK)

MADDOW: I wonder -- do they have a different calculus on these things?

SCHAKOWSKY: You know, for the moment, they do. But you`ve had on your show and others have some of these wonderful state legislators, women, who are speaking out and I think that what you see happening at the federal level is going to catch up with these governors at the state level as well.

The absurdity of some of these proposals and laws now -- we have many of them enacted in law. When women have to be subjected to these kinds of non-medical, the suddenly we`ve got OB-GYN legislators telling doctors what to do. I really do think there will be a backlash at the state level, too, that`s going to -- I think unelect some of the legislators who have proposed these crazy laws and I think the governors, too, will feel the heat. I can`t imagine anything else.

MADDOW: I know that this morning I was told you were at a protest with Planned Parenthood supporters outside of Mitt Romney`s campaign stop in Rosemont, Illinois. What was that like?

SCHAKOWSKY: Yes. Well, that`s in my district, and we decided to help greet the Romney supporters, if not Romney himself, we had the president of Planned Parenthood of Illinois and myself, and about a dozen women holding signs that says, "Keep your mitts off our birth control," and lots and lots of media out there with us -- just to continue to send the message that women are simply not going to go along with Mitt Romney who said that he`s just going to stop funding -- what did he say?

He`s going to end Planned Parenthood, get rid of it, those were his words. And just kind of a flip comment, oh, yes, we`re going to get rid of it. Meaning, he was going to defund the $75 million, which is 0.002
percent of the federal budget from Planned Parenthood.

MADDOW: Heading in the Illinois primary, it has been strange to see Mr. Romney trying to out-flank Rick Santorum on the right, saying Rick Santorum is too liberal on the issues like reproductive rights and Mitt
Romney wants to be seen as more right wing than Rick Santorum on these issues? What do you think that`s gong to do to the Illinois vote?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, you know, the problem for Mitt is he needs to double down on this, because in 2002, he actually sought the support of Planned Parenthood, when he was running for governor. So I think he feels
like he needs to prove himself by even moving more to the right.

It will be very interesting to see, Rachel, how this plays out in Illinois. We have a somewhat of an upstate/down state difference in the voters. But the other thing about Illinoisans and Chicagoans is they like
authenticity. You know, we`re a pretty straightforward bunch here, and I`m not sure if Mitt Romney, with the fakeness that he projects, it will be attractive to the voters here.

MADDOW: Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois -- thank you so much for your time tonight. I really appreciate it.

SCHAKOWSKY: Thank you.

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