MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC "THE ED SHOW" INTERVIEW WITH REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD)

INTERVIEWER: ED SCHULTZ

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MR. SCHULTZ: The Republican fear machine is back in action today. For more on that, let's bring in Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Now, I think, Chris, Congressman, you are the perfect interview on this story tonight. Your job is to go out and get Democrats elected. And I would guess that the last thing you want to talk about is torture. Now you can go out there and say, "Well, we've got an investigation going on. Let's just do the due diligence of this whole thing. And, by the way, we brought you some health care." What about that?

REP. VAN HOLLEN: Well, Ed, you're right. I think the president handled this masterfully last night. He said, "I have put an end to waterboarding. I think it's torture." He said, "The legal questions will be handled by Eric Holder. We won't criminalize policy differences."

But the Justice Department will look into the legal questions. And let's move on and talk about the real challenges the country is facing right now on the economic front. Let's talk about health care, because right now thousands of people around this country, as they lose their jobs, they're losing their health care. He has a plan to deal with that. Let's get the economy out of the ditch.

So I think the president made it absolutely clear he's turning the page on the policies of the last administration. He is going to uphold the values of this country. We're not going to engage in waterboarding torture, just as Churchill did not engage in it during World War II. Now let's get on and tackle these big important issues on the economy.

MR. SCHULTZ: Congressman, what does it tell you that the president just happened to stumble across an article where he found out that -- and supported his case -- that Winston Churchill didn't torture the Nazis when he had an opportunity? I mean, if that's not proof positive that this guy does his homework, I don't know what is.

REP. VAN HOLLEN: Well, it certainly is, Ed. And this president is a student of history and he's perfectly willing to say, you know, "This is what happened in the past. These are the values and our tradition. Let's not throw all those values out the window right now." And we know the Republicans were just laying in wait, trying to use this issue, as you know.

They already started running an ad today invoking the pictures of 9/11 and suggesting that the Democrats are somehow weak on national security when, in fact, this president, through his words last night, through his actions with respect to Afghanistan and Pakistan, has clearly demonstrated that we inherited a lot of problems in the last administration when it came to national security. After all, they essentially took their eye off the ball in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and now he's having to remedy that situation. So he's been very strong on national security.

MR. SCHULTZ: But now your competition, Congressman, is out there fear-mongering again, trying to scare the American people. Here's their latest commercial. Here it is.

(Begin videotaped segment.)

ANNOUNCER: Just what is the administration's over-arching plan to take on the terrorist threat and to keep America safe?

MAN'S VOICE: (Inaudible) -- two-page memo, quote, "high-value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qaeda organization that was attacking this country."

(End videotaped segment.)

MR. SCHULTZ: Are you kidding me? When I saw that today, I couldn't believe it. That's their answer, after everything we've been through? After we've rendered judgment, that's where they want to take America right now? This is right out of the book that Dick Cheney -- Dick Cheney is running the GOP right now.

What do you think, Congressman?

REP. VAN HOLLEN: Ed, you're -- look, this is Dick Cheney. This is Karl Rove. This is the last eight years. This is what they tried in the last election. This is what they tried in 2006. The American people are a lot smarter than that.

What you've got now is a Republican Party in Washington, the Republican leadership, that is not only out of touch with all the American people; they're out of touch with Republicans around the country, which is why, as Arlen Specter said the other day, 200,000 Pennsylvania Republicans switched parties in the presidential election to vote for Barack Obama.

You've got a shrinking Republican Party around the country. You've got a geographically isolated Republican Party that's mostly in the South, mostly white men in the South. And the fact of the matter is, instead of waking up and saying, "We've got to look for a different solution; we've got to look for positive ideas," they keep trying the old thing. And that old playbook means they're going to keep shrinking further and further.

MR. SCHULTZ: So, quickly, Chris, do you welcome that commercial? Do you think that commercial helps you?

REP. VAN HOLLEN: Well, I don't think that -- that commercial doesn't add anything to the dialogue in this country.

MR. SCHULTZ: No, it doesn't add anything to it.

REP. VAN HOLLEN: But from a pure -- but Ed, from a pure political point of view, yes. What it says to the American people is, "These guys continue to be out of touch."

MR. SCHULTZ: "We're still dumb." (Laughs.)

REP. VAN HOLLEN: They're continuing out of touch. Let's deal with the economic crisis. Let's not just be the party of no. But what it says is they got nothing but the old tired, you know, fear- mongering. People aren't falling for this. And the president was spot-on last night when he addressed all these issues.

MR. SCHULTZ: Will Arlen Specter help? Will he help you in Pennsylvania?

REP. VAN HOLLEN: Well, I certainly think he will help in the Senate in terms of getting the 60 votes that we may need to move on issues like health care, move on issues like energy policy, because what he did when he voted for the economic stimulus plan was said he did understand that we've got to do something to turn this economy around.

And instead of welcoming that, the Republican Party in Pennsylvania said, "Hey, we've got an opponent who's going to run against you." So as they said at the White House the other day, the president and the vice president when they met with Arlen Specter, "We welcome him on the team, and hopefully he will work with us to make sure that we address these big issues."

MR. SCHULTZ: Chris Van Hollen, always a pleasure. Great to have you with us tonight. Thanks so much.

REP. VAN HOLLEN: Good to be with you, Ed.

MR. SCHULTZ: You bet.

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