MSNBC Hardball-Transcript

MSNBC Hardball-Transcript

MATTHEWS: We‘re joined now by Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Good evening, Congresswoman.

REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: Good evening, Chris.

MATTHEWS: Do you commit as Democrats to voting on a cutoff of funds as well as a nonbinding resolution against the surge?

WATERS: I absolutely am opposed to continuing the funding of this war. And I am going to vote against funding for this war. And I know that there are other progressive members of our House that‘s going to do it.

The nonbinding resolution is neither here nor there. Certainly, we can support something that‘s very simple, that said no escalation of this war, no increase in the troops, but that‘s not the test. The real test is whether or not you will continue to fund Bush‘s war by voting for his appropriation.

MATTHEWS: Do you believe the president has the constitutional authority to launch a war against Iran without congressional approval?

WATERS: Oh, absolutely not. As a matter of fact, General Clark and some others saw this coming, and they have been talking with many of us about directing our attention toward the fact that the president was moving toward Iran.

And so many of us are saying to the president, through letters and through actions, don‘t do it, Mr. President. Don‘t—we believe that you should be involved with diplomatic efforts with Iran. We cannot afford to sustain this war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and go into Iran and then take on Syria. This doesn‘t make good sense. We can‘t afford to do that.

MATTHEWS: Can you get a majority even of your own party on a binding resolution or binding bill to cut the funding for the war in Iraq?

WATERS: I don‘t think so. I think that our members are very, very careful, and very concerned. Our members have wanted very much to try and support the president. After 9/11, they did give him their trust and their support, and he has let us down. He has not only misled us, he has made so many mistakes, they have made a real debacle of this war.

And so they want to send a message to the troops that they support them, they want out of the war, and when it comes down to whether or not they will vote for funding, that‘s a tough one for them, and many of them will not want to cut the funding.

MATTHEWS: Hey, it‘s great having you on, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, an historic figure from California.

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