MSNBC - Transcript
Interview
MSNBC - Transcript
MS. BREWER: They made history as Congress's only "sister act," but now sister lawmakers Linda and Loretta Sanchez are finding themselves in opposing camps in the 2008 presidential race. One is backing Barack Obama; the other has come out for Hillary Clinton. Joining me now, Congressman Linda Sanchez, who supports Barack Obama, and her sister, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, who supports Hillary Clinton.
Well, what were the holidays like over the dinner table with the two of you talking about who you're supporting for the Democratic nominee?
REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ: Well, it's been very interesting because, of course, we have a very large family, and over the holidays we have a good discussion. And I was the first one to enter Congress, about six years ahead of Linda. And the Clintons have been very good to us. My family has met them several times. They came in to campaign for us. Hillary and I have been on the campaign trail for many candidates over the years. And of course, we know that she's very experienced and she's very competent.
And so -- but I think it was a little difficult for Linda to decide to break away from the family, but, you know, all our candidates are Democratic candidates.
REP. LINDA SANCHEZ: I have to jump in and say --
MS. BREWER: Yes, go ahead.
REP. LINDA SANCHEZ: -- our whole family has not decided on who they're going to support, so I think it's taking a bit of a liberty to say that I'm going against the family, that everybody's on board with Hillary. I don't think that's true. I think a lot of our family members, like a lot of voters, have yet to make up their mind.
And I think people are starting to look at Barack Obama and he's gaining momentum. And they're seeing somebody who's got all of the great component parts to be a great president and a great leader. I mean, he's got conviction and principle, sound judgment, intelligence. He's got the ability to inspire others and to get the best work out of them and to get them to cooperate.
So I think it's still very fluid and very much up in the air who our family members --
MS. BREWER: But is it like a constant campaign when you get together for Thanksgiving or whatever, that the two of you are trying to strong-arm your cousins and aunts and uncles?
REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ: No. We talk about --
REP. LINDA SANCHEZ: No. We talk about all kinds of issues. We talk about the economy. We talk about education. You know, and everybody -- we come from a family of seven. Everybody has their unique perspective. And I think that, you know, we all are thoughtful in listening to the points that everybody brings up.
But it's not confrontational and it's not, you know, an ugly type of exchange of information --
MS. BREWER: I hate to use your first name -- I hate to use your first names, because I think it shows, typically, a lack of respect, but because you're both Congresswoman Sanchez --
REP. LINDA (?) SANCHEZ: No, please do.
MS. BREWER: Okay. So, Loretta, let me ask you about this.
REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ: Yes.
MS. BREWER: Hillary Clinton -- wow, we're showing some really crazy video just panning around here. I don't know what this is that we're showing, but it's -- were you getting dizzy by that? I was getting a little dizzy by that.
Loretta, let's talk about Hillary Clinton. Here it was, she voted for war authorization in 2002, and yet you were in the House, you faced the same vote she did, and you voted against the Iraq war. Wasn't that a sticking point for you when it came to deciding who you would support to be the Democratic nominee?
REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ: Absolutely. You know, there was a lot of information. A lot of us did a lot of work on that. Everybody -- I think there were a lot of people who were very thoughtful. They did their homework. Hillary came to a different conclusion than I did. Many times -- my sister and I come to a different conclusion on different issues. That doesn't mean that we're adversarial. It doesn't mean that we're negative towards each other. And you know, I think people don't realize -- I mean, Barack Obama has said, "Well, I was against the war," but you know what, he wasn't under the pressure that was going on in the Congress at the time.
MS. BREWER: Ladies, let me interrupt here for just -- let me interrupt for one minute, because the one person we're not talking about in this discussion is John Edwards. He's in South Carolina right now. He's speaking at this King Day rally, King Day at the Dome. Let's listen to him for a moment, and then I'll come back to you.
JOHN EDWARDS (Democratic presidential candidate): (Video live from South Carolina.) (In progress) -- about the progress that we've made in America. It's a good thing. I also am proud to be on the stage with a woman who has an opportunity -- (cheers) -- to speak on behalf of so many women whose voices have been left unheard, whose voices have been muffled. All of these things show the progress that we have made in the United States of America. My brothers and sisters, we have progress left to make. We have work left to do.
And I want to say to everyone, whether you're here supporting Senator Obama -- (cheers) -- whether you're here supporting Senator Clinton -- (cheers) -- or whether you're here supporting me -- (cheers) -- every one of us, all three of us, are on the journey with you, on the march to equality and justice and fairness in the United States of America. (Cheers.) And we are in this cause together every step of the way.
I had the privilege about a year ago of speaking at the Riverside Church in Harlem, a place where Dr. King had spoken 40 years ago. And he had come there to speak about the war in Vietnam. And the words he used, he said there comes a time in all our lives where, if we stand quiet, if we stand silent when our conscience tells us to speak, that our --
(End of Edwards live video segment.)
MS. BREWER: Senator John Edwards speaking today at that King rally in Columbia, South Carolina, where all three major Democratic candidates are addressing the sizable crowd out there.
Let's go back to Congresswomen -- both of them -- Sanchez from California.
I'm curious, Linda; when it came to deciding to take a different stance than your sister, to support someone different, why not Edwards? Why was it Obama that you chose and not John Edwards?
REP. LINDA SANCHEZ: I look at Barack Obama and I listen to him and I like his specific policy proposals on everything from getting the economy going and helping struggling Americans to improving education. I've worked with him on a couple of issues in a bicameral way. And I just look at him and I see the makings of a once-in-a- generation leader. I mean, he's got this ability to analyze problems, to focus on what solutions are and to bring people together to unite them behind common ways to solve those problems. And I just look at him and think of him as the perfect type of person that we want to see as president, somebody who can unite this country and bring us together all pulling in the same direction for the best good of this country overall. That is inspiring to me.
MS. BREWER: Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, thank you both for your time today. I'd love to be part of one of those political dinners around your household. It must be a lot of fun.
REP. LINDA SANCHEZ: We'll invite you and you can come --
REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ: We'll invite you. And you'll see that usually she's on the minority side and the majority of the family is going to go with Hillary.
MS. BREWER: Oh, you know --
REP. LINDA SANCHEZ: I would wager that that's not the case, but we'll see on Election Day.
MS. BREWER: We'll take a vote from all the other family members and see who comes out on top on that one.
Thank you, ladies.
REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ: I know Mom's with Hillary.
END.
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