MSNBC Interview - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC INTERVIEW WITH REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D-NY)
SUBJECT: CAROLINE KENNEDY INTERVIEWER: MONICA NOVOTNY

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MS. NOVOTNY: Well, here's what we know for sure, Caroline Kennedy is no longer a candidate for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. Here's what we don't know. Why did she drop out? She says it was because of personal reasons. Caroline's cousin, Robert Kennedy Jr. on "Morning Joe" this morning suggested Senator Kennedy's seizure played a role while the AP cites a friend who says it was a separate personal matter altogether. But NBC political director Chuck Todd reports that she was uncomfortable by the fact that Governor Paterson was, perhaps, being pushed into appointing here.

New York Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks joins us now.

Congressman, great to see you. Even as those reports, those early reports were coming out last night, you were saying this doesn't make sense, in fact, one New York paper quoted you as saying, the folks that I talked to in the governor's office that I trust told me it's not true.

What happened? Was the governor's office completely blindsided by this?

REP. MEEKS: Well, apparently, I think, that it was a very fluid situation last night and when I initially spoke to that reporter it was around 9:30-10 o'clock and from all sources that I had talked with at that time it was not true even in reaching out to some others, and then from what I learned later on somewhere early in the morning, 2- 2:30 area, I was told that she had changed her mind and that she decided not to pursue it.

MS. NOVOTNY: And you were certainly not alone, congressman. So many journalists out there, so many people that we were all checking with all had very similar reactions to you, saying our sources are telling us this is not the case and many thought it was just a rumor.

Is there fallout for Governor Paterson here?

REP. MEEKS: No. I think that Governor Paterson -- what he did was and he was considering who to select as he will make an announcement shortly, he had nothing to do with this, and you know, some were speculating something else earlier, but it's clear now that Governor Paterson had nothing to do with it. It's something internal with Caroline Kennedy and I think that you could expect Governor Paterson as he said all along that once Senator Clinton was confirmed, which means that there now is a vacancy in the United States Senate that he will fill that position.

So he's going to do what he has to do in very short order and name someone.

MS. NOVOTNY: Congressman, let me ask you because Governor Paterson had said early on in the process that you would be one of the people that he wanted to talk about as he made this decision. I don't know if you've had that conversation. What advice will you give him now if he calls on you?

REP. MEEKS: Well, it's the same advice that I've been giving him all the time that he has to select someone that he knows who will be able to do the best for the State of New York, to deliver for the people of the State of New York in this day of change as we have with our new president here in Washington, DC.

MS. NOVOTNY: Should it be a woman?

REP. MEEKS: Well, I think that it can be, I mean, you know, we've got some great women candidates that could really do a good job, when you think of some of my colleagues, for example, Carolyn Maloney and you have one person who happens to be a labor leader, I hear her name mentioned, but we have some great candidates and we have great male candidates also.

So I still think that now that Caroline Kennedy is out of it, the governor has the opportunity to sit down in short order as he has and he's been talking to people back and forth. He's going to make the decision and I believe he's going to make the decision that he thinks is the best for the State of New York, the person that can get the job done for all of the people of this state.

MS. NOVOTNY: Congressman Meeks, if you get any early tips on it, please let us know, we're anxiously awaiting the decision. Thanks so much for your time, sir.

REP. MEEKS: I will definitely do that.

MS. NOVOTNY: And you mentioned Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, we're going to be speaking to her this hour, so stick around for that as well.

END.

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