MSNBC "Rachel Maddow Show"-Transcript

Interview

MSNBC "THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW" INTERVIEW WITH REP. DANNY DAVIS (D-IL) INTERVIEWER: RACHEL MADDOW

MS. MADDOW: I'll take off my hat to welcome now Illinois Democratic Congressman Danny Davis, who was offered the Senate spot by Governor Blagojevich before Roland Burris.

Congressman Davis, thank you so much for joining us tonight.

REP. DAVIS: Well, thank you very much. It's a pleasure.

MS. MADDOW: Congressman, am I right that you turned down Governor Blagojevich when he offered you this Senate nomination last month?

REP. DAVIS: Well, that is correct. An emissary of the governor's did, in fact, come to my office. We had a conversation. He indicated that the governor wanted to appoint me to the position. I said, "Give me a day to think about it." And after thinking about it for a day, I said, "Thanks, but I have to decline at the moment because of all the circumstances surrounding the situation."

MS. MADDOW: Did you think at the time that there was no chance that you would actually be seated as senator even if you had said yes to the governor?

REP. DAVIS: No, I did not think that there was no chance. However, I did think that it may have taken longer than what it appears to be taking now. In addition to that, I also thought of what would happen in the next two years as I would decide to run for election, whether or not the environment would be conducive to my being elected.

MS. MADDOW: Are you surprised at the way this has unfolded over the past couple of weeks? It now does look like Roland Burris will probably be seated. I have to ask you if you regret not accepting the offer yourself.

REP. DAVIS: Oh, no, I don't regret that at all, because I felt that I had so many other things that I really was working on, that I was concerned about, that I didn't want to have to spend so much time responding to reporters' inquiries about why I took the position, what kind of deal did the governor and I reach, and all of those kind of things. So I decided that it was not in my best interest at the moment, nor in my political interest at the moment, to take the position, as much as I would have liked to.

MS. MADDOW: Do you think that there are now ethical problems surrounding the decision to seat Roland Burris? There's certainly a legal discussion to be had, but there's also just an ethical and patriotic discussion to be had as well.

REP. DAVIS: Well, I think that there are discussions to be had about the governor, and those are going to continue. But as I've said from the very beginning, Roland Burris has an impeccable public career -- 20 years as a statewide elected official, never any hint of any impropriety, scandal, or anything close to it. And so there's no reason at all for Roland Burris not to be confirmed.

MS. MADDOW: When you look, though, at the difference between the way that you approached the offer from Governor Blagojevich and the way that Roland Burris approached it, are you proud of his decision? Do you think that he made the right choice? Do you think that, even though there's been no taint on him throughout his long public career of service, do you think that this reflects poorly on him at all that he is going ahead and that he will, looks like, be appointed by Blagojevich under these circumstances?

REP. DAVIS: I really do not think it does. The difference between Roland's position and my position was that the circumstances of our being were different. Roland is retired. You know, I guess he's practicing law or doing some other things, but he did not hold a public position, and so it wouldn't interfere with that part of his life, where in my case it would have, and I would have been deterred from some other things.

So I think it speaks well for Roland, quite frankly, in terms of wanting to assure that the best representative was put forth to handle the situation at the moment, who also happens to be -- is, in fact, an African-American, which will assure that there is African-American representation in the Senate.

MS. MADDOW: One last question for you, Congressman Davis. You have been in Illinois politics a long time and you know all the players involved here very well. Those of us outside of Illinois, looking in on the situation, I think, are starting to conclude that Blagojevich's -- Governor Blagojevich's political acumen, his just plain skill as a politician, is something that should not be trifled with. Do you see this, the way this has unfolded, as just a real statement of his political skills?

REP. DAVIS: Well, I think it's a statement of his political skill. But also he's always contended that he was innocent, and many other people have taken the position that you're innocent until proven guilty. And up to this point, he has not been indicted nor has he been proven guilty of anything.

MS. MADDOW: Illinois Democratic Congressman Danny Davis. Sir, we're very grateful for your time tonight. Thanks for joining us.

REP. DAVIS: Thank you.

Source