MSNBC "Interview With Senator John Barrasso" - Transcript

Interview

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MS. O'DONNELL: Wyoming's Republican Senator John Barrasso has been one of the president's chief critics. He joins me now.

Senator, why don't you buy that argument that, if the president were essentially to weigh in on behalf of and embrace Mousavi, then that would allow the regime to denounce these protesters, denounce Mousavi as just puppets of America?

SEN. BARRASSO: Norah, we're going to be accused of interjecting ourselves whether we do or do not. The Iranian supreme leader, who controls the military, controls the media, is going to continue to lie to the Iranian people -- lie to them about the protesters, lie to them about what American stands for, and lie about nuclear weapons. So I think we ought to speak the truth.

MS. O'DONNELL: What are you suggesting the president should say?

SEN. BARRASSO: Well, he'll have an opportunity to speak for himself, and I'm sure he will. I would say it's unacceptable what's happening on the streets of Iran, what -- the people are being suppressed by the government. You know, you look at this, you know, young woman who was killed, the young man who was killed. The family came to claim the body, Norah. They wanted a $3,000 fee to claim the body. They call that a "bullet fee."

These people are thugs. They are ruthless. You know, these are not people that we're going to be able to negotiate with and work with. And I know the president wanted to extend a hand. He did extend a hand to the people of Iran earlier in his administration. He was met with clenched fist. So I think that's what we're dealing with: thugs who are absolutely ruthless to their own people, and they feel that way about people all around the world.

But I'm encouraged by the fact that the Iranians are saying things like -- well, frankly, they're condemning France, condemning England, condemning Greece, condemning us. You know, that gives us an opportunity worldwide to go to the United Nations and say, "Look, we need to condemn what's happening in Iran." We need to speak out in terms of the freedom of those people who are marching on the streets.

MS. O'DONNELL: Senator, but some of the criticism from the right, neoconservatives, I think you would agree, has been over the top. I mean, in particular, The Weekly Standard, Bill Kristol and Stephen Hayes, have called President Barack Obama a "de facto ally President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei." Do you agree with that, that he -- that the president is an ally, de facto ally of Ahmadinejad?

SEN. BARRASSO: I agree with what passed the House of Representatives over the past week by -- only one person voted against it -- which is, it is time for us as America to stand up against the violence against the people of Iran, stand up with those people who are looking for the rule of law and freedom and democracy, and speak up for free elections.

And they didn't have that in Iran. So the people are marching. But it has a lot to do -- way beyond the elections, it has to do with a high poverty level, high unemployment. We have a whole young group, this next generation who are protesting because of what their life is like, and they see no future in Iran.

MS. O'DONNELL: Senator, did you listen to the president's speech in Cairo?

SEN. BARRASSO: Yes.

MS. O'DONNELL: The reason I ask that is because the White House is pointing out that the president has already addressed these issues, and he said, quote, about all people in the Middle East, they all "yearn for certain things: The ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed. Confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice. Government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people. The freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideals. They are human rights." Is that what you want to hear from the president? Because he's already said it.

SEN. BARRASSO: He said it before we've seen violence in the streets. There are (sic) violence in the streets going on right now in Iran. And I think it is time to speak up against this incredible injustice, express the outrage, and say what's happening there is unacceptable.

MS. O'DONNELL: I understand that. And I think the president has done that, and the White House has done that. But I'm not sure I get from you an argument about why the president should get in the middle of -- allow the U.S. to become a political football, allow the U.S. to be some -- seen as someone who's embracing the opposition, Mousavi, because then this administration can just say it's the United States meddling in our affairs, and essentially paint these people like Mousavi as just an American stooge.

SEN. BARRASSO: We're going to be -- we're going to be -- we are going to be accused of meddling whether we do or not. No matter what we do, the supreme leader in Iran is going to claim that America has been involved and America has meddled. I think it's time to show principle. And the president will have a chance to speak for himself. And I'm sure that he will today during his White House press conference on this as well as on health issues.

You were just talking with Ed about health issues. We had a -- you know, we had a bipartisan breakfast, 18 members of the Senate today, Republicans and Democrats, talking about health care. And, you know, we all agree that this needs to be a bipartisan proposal. When you're talking about changing one-sixth of the economy and affecting the personal lives of everyone in America, it's not going to be a -- it shouldn't be a vote down partisan lines. It should be bipartisan, broad support.

MS. O'DONNELL: Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming. Senator, as always, great to have you on. Thanks so much.

SEN. BARRASSO: Thank you, Norah.

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