MSNBC - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC - Transcript

Q: Joining us now is Obama supporter Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. And Senator, some Democrats have been suggesting today that in this sort of game of chicken that John McCain blinked first and lost. Is that your view?

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: You know, we are dealing with this enormous financial problem here with these proposals, with $700 billion, so I think the best thing that Barack Obama has done and why the nation has faith in him and why he has done very well in terms of credibility and what he stands for as a leader is that he has treated this seriously. He hasn't played a bunch of political stunts.

And what John McCain tried to do was -- said, "Hey, I'm going to come in and somehow fix this," when, in fact, negotiations had been going on for a week. He was not part of them. And then he came into that meeting. Clearly, it didn't go well. And I think the best proof is in the pudding. He couldn't get his own troops in line and then he left and went to the debate like he should have.

And the second thing I'd say is I have no idea why he called that debate off in the first place. I have no idea why he didn't want to do it. We're 40 days before an election choosing the leader of our country. And I think it's very important this debate goes forward and I'm glad it is going forward. Senator Obama always wanted it to go forward.

Q Senator, do you have a position yet on the bailout package?

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Again, the devil's in the details, Harry (sp). I want to see what happens, but I'll tell you this: I have said from the beginning --

Q Well, then -- well, then wait a second -- wait a second, then. It it's -- fair point, the devil is in the details.

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Yes.

Q: But then why should John McCain have to take a position, then, before he looks at the details?

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: You know, I wasn't actually criticizing McCain for not taking a position on the actual plan. It was that he claimed that he could come in and fix everything and he clearly didn't.

I believe that a plan should, first of all, have much more -- have much more oversight than the original Bush plan did. They put all the power in one person, in Secretary Paulson. I've always questioned at our Joint Economic Committee the $700 billion and why we can't do that in some kind of installments. I think it's very important to do something on executive pay and have some kind of upside possibility for the taxpayers instead of them having all of the burden here. I think that's very similar to what you've heard from Senator Obama from the very beginning.

So I don't criticize anyone for not saying where they are until they see what the plan is, but the difference here is Senator Obama has laid out what he wants to see. He's been very clear that he doesn't want to mix politics into this. And instead, Senator McCain really grandstand (sic) here and I don't think it's going to go over very well with the American people.

Q: Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, a Democrat. Senator, thanks for coming on. We appreciate it.

SEN. KLOBUCHAR: Well, it was great to be. I look forward to the debate tonight.

Q: We do as well, Senator Klobuchar.

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