MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show"- Transcript: Interview with Amy Klobuchar about US-Cuba Relations

Interview

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MADDOW: Is Congress going to stand in the way? Can Congress block
the opening of the U.S. embassy in Havana or the Cuban embassy here? Can
Congress block the confirmation of the U.S. ambassador to Cuba?

I mean, what`s happened, this almost unimaginable progress after this
half century, right? This is something President Obama has done on his
own. He obviously wants supportive action from Congress, whether or not he
gets it, could they actually stop what he is doing and what he plans to
continue to do if they set their minds to it?

Joining us now is Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who has proposed
legislation to end the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.

Senator Klobuchar, it`s great to see you. Thanks for being here.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D), MINNESOTA: Well, thank you, Rachel.

By the way, I loved the break-in on the World Cup. You do have a
second career as a sportscaster.

MADDOW: Unfortunately when I get excited talking about sports, I flap
my hands like a seal having a seizure. So, I can`t -- I don`t think it`s
going to happen.

KLOBUCHAR: It was good.

MADDOW: All right. Well, let me ask but this Cuba situation. What`s
the worst-case scenario? How badly could Congress screw this up? Screw up
what President Obama wants to do if Congress really set their mind to it?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, the House has made one negative vote about the
president`s executive order, but I don`t think you would see that it in the
Senate in terms of ever getting to the 60-vote margin. I`m carrying the
bill to lift the embargo. I`ve got Senator Enzi, Senator Flake. We`ve got
17 cosponsors now on the bill, and many more who have said they want to get
to and also who have said they`ll vote for it even if they don`t get on.

So, I really see the momentum as pushing Congress. We know there are
some people that are seriously opposed to this. But more and more people
are coming on board.

These are as you point out, 11 million people 90 miles off our shore.
I was there in the spring and the people are ahead of their government.
All over the place you see artwork with the date, December 17th. It
doesn`t mean much to us but to them, that is the date the presidents
announced they wanted to work to normalize relations between our countries.

This is a country that wants to start doing business and we see great
opportunity for the U.S. I`m up here in northern Minnesota, northwestern
Minnesota. You don`t see opposition here. You see opportunity and
potential.

MADDOW: This is one of those issues on which Washington politics
around this issue and some parochial politics around this issue are very,
very dug in. But the public opinion and Cuba, the public opinion in
America, broadly speaking, the public opinion among Cuban Americans, is
very, very supportive of this kind of change. But again, entrenched
interests very much want to stand in the way.

How do you see that negotiation sort of happening between overall
public opinion and the people who care so much about stopping us?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, I think people are going to have to listen to their
constituents. Their constituents want to visit Cuba and they want to
freely visit Cuba. Their constituents wanted to do business in Cuba.

And we really what`s happening now is the president has made this
announcement. Under the law, he gives few weeks notice to Congress and
then he can open the embassy. As you point out, that building is already
there.

And, by the way, there are dozens of flag poles right near that
building and that is because during the Bush administration, they started
running electronic ticker tapes on the top of our then, not the embassy but
our building with phrases about buying things and what it means to be
American, Castro got ticked off. He put up those flag poles, surrounded
black flags around it so no one could see it. That actually happened.

The flags are still down but the flag poles are there and it is a
symbol of what`s been the conflict between two countries. This
announcement today will not only ease the beginning of these negotiations
that can lead to lifting the embargo and change to the human rights
policies but it also is a major, major symbol for change. And I think it
is a really exciting day for both countries.

MADDOW: Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, thank you so much for
being with us. It`s great to see you. And thanks a lot.

KLOBUCHAR: Well, thank you. And I`m looking forward to that game
Sunday night.

MADDOW: Sunday night, me too! Exactly.

Seriously, if you didn`t already have plans to watch it, you now have
plans to watch it. It is not like you get a choice or you have some other
thing you`re going to do. I don`t care. Sunday night. You`re watching
the World Cup final. You are. You are.

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