MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" - Transcript:

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. 

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