MSNBC "The Ed Show" Interview - Transcript

Interview

MSNBC "The Ed Show" Interview - Transcript

"The Ed Show" Interview With Rep. Darrell Issa

Interviewer: Ed Schultz

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MR. SCHULTZ: Let me turn to Republican Congressman Darrell Issa of California.

There are a number of those in the Congress who think that the United States should be more hawkish in this situation. Congressman Issa is going to be joining us in just a moment.

The president has taken quite a bit of criticism from those on the right who think that he hasn't injected himself enough, that he hasn't led this potentially revolutionary move. When you've got 17 people getting killed on the streets of Iran, obviously these people are making a statement. And some in the Congress think that the president should do more, short of military action, I would think.

Congressman Issa joins us now here on "The Ed Show."

Congressman, what should President Obama be doing? Many have said that he's not doing enough. Where do you stand on this?

REP. ISSA: Well, the president is playing catch-up right now. The biggest challenge is that he didn't get into the story earlier. In the House, Congressman Mike Pence really led, having the House denounce the violence against protesters. That's really what the president has to do. He has to catch up on that, on the human rights part of it.

Senator Bayh just talked about the fraudulent election. I wouldn't go there. I don't think the president has to get into the internal politics of the election, but he has to stand up for people being oppressed.

Remember, this is a regime that is killing people in Israel. It's caused Palestinians to kill fellow Palestinians. It backed the revolution, the civil war in Lebanon. There's 30 years' worth of history of this regime helping foment violence around the world. So it is one where we should not be ambiguous about their repression of their own people.

MR. SCHULTZ: Well, Congressman, what are the magic words? What do you want to hear President Obama say or do? You say he's doing catch-up. What's his play right now? What do you want him to do, short of military action, I assume?

REP. ISSA: Well, first of all, I think he should go to the United Nations with a resolution denouncing this, because Iran, for better or worse, does want to be part of the league of our nations, and they do look to the United Nations. That's where we could look at the Security Council and even the General Assembly and denounce the violence against the individual citizens there. That's a real threat. It has real teeth to the people running Iran, because they don't want to be isolated.

As Senator Bayh said, and rightfully so, we could look at getting with our allies and suspending gasoline as a form of bringing them simply to stop killing their own people on the streets. But, like China after Tiananmen Square, we have say that this has to change, that people have human rights and have civil rights, even in this country, and we stand for that.

MR. SCHULTZ: So I'm hearing you, Congressman, say that you think that President Obama should encourage revolution in that country.

REP. ISSA: No, not at all.

MR. SCHULTZ: Okay.

REP. ISSA: Just like in China; we did not back Tiananmen Square and talk about the people who gave their lives there from a standpoint of revolution. We talked about the ability for people to express and have freedoms. And China is not perfect, and they've got a long way to go, but after Tiananmen Square they began looking at a new bargain, a new way of doing business in China. China's still a mess, but at least in China there's communication.

In Iran, they've shut down communication. They've thrown the American journalists out. That's where we can go to the United Nations and to the countries around and say, "We only expect you to treat your own people civilly. If they're non-violent, you have to be non-violent." We can do this. We can do this with the many nations surrounding them.

MR. SCHULTZ: Okay, Congressman, good to have you on with us tonight.

REP. ISSA: Thank you, Ed.

MR. SCHULTZ: Thanks so much for your opinion.

END.

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