MSNBC "Decision '08" - Transcript

Interview

MS. O'DONNELL: With the Democrats taking over here in Denver, the Republicans are prepping for their convention in Minnesota next week.

Senator Amy Klobuchar is a Democrat from Minnesota and a big supporter of Barack Obama. She's actually going to be one of the speakers tonight here in Denver and joins us here.

Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Well, thank you, Norah. I'm sure it wasn't the MSNBC crew that took down that sprinkler.

MS. O'DONNELL: (Laughs.)

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: I just wanted to clarify that for the record.

MS. O'DONNELL: No, it was not us who were causing damage there. You're going to be inside the Pepsi Center tonight speaking. The goal of the Democrats tonight is really to talk about the biography of Senator Barack Obama. Why do you think it is that so many Americans still don't know that much about Barack Obama or that there's this segment of even, like, Michigan Democrats that don't yet know enough about him?

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Well, you know, this is our opportunity this week, and we're so glad that Americans are tuning in to this convention. They were focused on the Olympics. I know I was. And now it's time to focus on this important historic election.

And I think when people get to know Senator Obama like I do, his family, his beautiful kids, where he came from, really from nothing, and really has lived the American dream, I think it's going to be a very good thing for the people of this country, because you have to understand where someone's coming from to understand where they're going. At least that's what we think in our state.

And I just think it's a big night. I personally am going to be talking about his work with ethics reform, something important to me. When I left Minnesota with my family and our college dishes and our shower curtain from 1985, packed in our Saturn, I wasn't even out of the driveway and Barack Obama called me and said, "We've got to get the freshmen together, the senators, on the ethics bill." And by the time we got to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, we had them all on a conference call. By the time we got to Washington, we had a plan and we got the bill passed.

MS. O'DONNELL: I said just a short time ago Michigan Democrats. What I meant was Reagan Democrats, who many people think Joe Biden will appeal to as the new vice presidential pick. I know that you spoke just with Senator Biden yesterday. What did you talk about? What did he say?

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Well, he is obviously very excited. We talked about the fact that I want him to come to Minnesota, particularly northern Minnesota, which isn't a lot different, parts of it, Duluth and the iron range, than Scranton, Pennsylvania -- his background, his working-class background, having his dad as a car salesman, commutes every day back and forth to his family in Delaware. I think that's going to be very appealing to the people in my state.

MS. O'DONNELL: Is he going to be the attack dog that people say Barack Obama has not yet done enough forcefully when it comes to John McCain?

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Well, first of all, I think Barack Obama has run a tremendous campaign. He has brought the people in this country together, brought in independents, young people. He wouldn't be where he is today if that wasn't the fact.

But what I think Joe Biden will bring to this is an ability to really show the differences between John McCain and Barack Obama. I keep saying, you know, four more years of the Bush policies that you see with McCain will be like that TV Land where you keep seeing the "Leave It To Beaver" reruns over and over and the "Gilligan's Island" reruns. We'll never get off the island.

It's time for change in this country. And I think Joe Biden -- he does it, but he does it with a smile. And he'll be able to bring that to the American people.

MS. O'DONNELL: I know your party is focused on celebrating, trying to show unity. But there's a lot of buzz about this psycho- drama between the Clintons and the Obamas. In Politico today, Politico.com is reporting that Bill Clinton has made it clear that he is not happy about his speech that he is giving on Wednesday, that he wants to focus on national security -- he doesn't want to focus on national security, which is the theme on Wednesday. He wants to talk more about economic policies and things that happened in the '90s.

Let me read you what Politico is reporting. Quote: "This is an especially sore point for Bill Clinton, people close to him say, because among grievances he has about the campaign Obama waged against his wife is the belief that the candidate poor-mouthed the political and policy successes of his two terms." That's why he wants to talk about his two terms on Wednesday night.

What's going on? I mean, why is this still going on between --

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: You know, these reports are always going on. You're going to see people trying to undermine things. What I know is tomorrow night Hillary Clinton is going to have a lengthy speech. I know she's going to be gracious. I've talked to people close to her. She's been the one running in this race. She's going to bring people together. And Bill Clinton is a fantastic campaigner. He believes in this country. He believes in it from his heart.

So I really disregard some of the reports back and forth, this aide saying this, this aide saying that. The proof's going to be in what they say Tuesday night, what they say Wednesday night. I know they're going to get behind this ticket.

MS. O'DONNELL: Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, we'll be in your state next week.

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: You will. And we're going to welcome the Republicans with open arms because they're going to spend a bunch of money in our state of Minnesota.

MS. O'DONNELL: (Laughs.) That is important for your state. Thank you so much, Senator.

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Thank you.

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