MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Islamic State

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

SEN. BARBARA BOXER, (D) CALIFORNIA: Nice to be with you Ed.

SCHULTZ: How do you think we should be handling this crisis right now and
are your expectations of the Congress at this point?

BOXER: The congress has to hold together and back the President on this. I think the President has been working very hard to put together a coalition to go against ISIS. Now, let`s -- you know, we forget sometimes who ISIS is, and what they believe in. They believe, if you don`t see the world as they do in terms of this very strict interpretation of Islam, OK? That you either convert or they kill you, I mean this is an incredible terrorist organization.

We`ve seen the way they act. The way they have treated people who are just innocent, freelance journalist beheading, two Americans. Our President is the commander-in-chief. ISIS is an imminent treat. We ought to be backing the President. He has got nine nations now to help us. He`s got NATO to help us. He`s going to the U.N. to get them to help us. The Arab league has said we have to take actions.

So he`s pulling together the world -- you would think that the Republicans would be heart of that world coalition because no one will be left -- faith in this world if we don`t bear down on this group.

SCHULTZ: Yet, we don`t hear from the other side, work with the President to protect this country. I don`t hear that.

BOXER: No, you`re right.

SCHULTZ: And that bothers me as an American tax payer that gaining political points is far more important...

BOXER: Right.

SCHULTZ: ... than protecting the country right now. Now, at least the attitude that the Republicans are showing out there, they`re pointing their finger at the President is what they`re doing.

BOXER: Look Ed, they have said it. You have to see what people have said. When Mitch McConnell said, I have one priority and that`s making this President look bad.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

BOXER: Trying to defeat him in his last election. That`s what they care about and now, all they care about is taking back the Senate. That`s all they care about.

So, if there`s one point in history -- and it`s coming tomorrow night, when this President is going to go out to the American people and I can tell you, he has worked hard to get the world united here. The people of this country are going unite behind him, and frankly if they don`t act as if they`re part of this fabric of this nation against ISIS I think they will suffer. I hope they will suffer because this is a time for us to put aside the D label, the R label, the I label, whatever label we hide behind and be Americans who want to standup to this treat, but not do it the way we did Iraq, with walking into the middle of the civil war. That`s not what we`re doing Ed.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

BOXER: You know, we`re going forward and we have combat boots on the ground in Iraq that are not our combat boots. So, I think this President knows what he`s doing. He is deliberative. You`re right he does wear a tan suit once in a while. But let me tell you, he is decisive once he has all the facts on his plate and I want a deliberative president.

We know what happens if you don`t look at all the unintended consequences. We were in Iraq with losing 4,000, tens of thousands injured, some -- the worst injuries imaginable and.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

BOXER: ... to no end.

SCHULTZ: Senator, do you want to vote in the Senate on this?

BOXER: I don`t mind voting at all.

SCHULTZ: OK.

BOXER: But I want to make a point here.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

BOXER: No president has ever had to have a vote when he`s just doing air
strikes.

SCHULTZ: OK.

BOXER: . in history, number one. Number two, we`ve never had a vote unless the president asked for vote in history. So, those are two things we have to remember.

SCHULTZ: OK.

BOXER: And the third thing I want to point out. I did vote to go after the terrorist groups that are coming after us. I did -- I voted no when the Iraq war

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

BOXER: I voted yes to go after al-Qaeda.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

BOXER: And this group ISIS or ISIL however you call them. They`re a definite out-group of the al-Qaeda. So, I feel I have cast my vote but I don`t mind voting at all. I know how it...

SCHULTZ: All right.

BOXER: ... feel about this. We`ve got to stop them with the world coalition and that`s what the President is doing. It would be nice if the Republicans joined our coalition.

SCHULTZ: Senator Barbara Boxer with us tonight here on the Ed Show, thanks
so much.

BOXER: Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source