MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Joining me now live from Chicago is Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.

Congresswoman, your response to some of the Republicans that are out there just ripping into the president, calling him a failure, and also basically their campaign against Chicago.

What‘s your mood at this hour, Congresswoman?

REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: Well, imagine had the president not gone to Copenhagen. Then, of course, they would have blamed him for not working hard enough for getting the Olympics. There‘s no way for him to win.

And I‘m just proud of the president of the United States, Michelle Obama, the mayor of Chicago, the people of Chicago who worked so hard and so long. And of course I‘m disappointed, but, you know, the president, again was a class act when he congratulated Rio de Janeiro. South America has never gotten the games before. We were...

(CROSSTALK)

SCHULTZ: But Congresswoman, what about the political reaction? What about the Republicans actually campaigning against the United States and downtalking Chicago? How do you feel about that?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, you know, first of all, I feel really bummed today. You know, when we were standing out on the plaza with hundreds and hundreds of happy Chicagoans hoping to hear the good news, it was so incredibly disappointing and really deflating for all of us, because we know that Chicago is the greatest city in the world. And it would have been a great host for the Olympics. But to hear the Republicans...

SCHULTZ: Yes. What went wrong in your opinion? Yes, what went wrong?

What didn‘t...

SCHAKOWSKY: You know, I don‘t think anything went wrong with our effort and our bid. I really, frankly, think that it was mainly that they decided that South America, that Brazil, a rising country not at the place where Chicago is now, could benefit very much from the Olympics. But you‘re right, the Republicans are just naysayers whatever this president does.

SCHULTZ: At everything. At everything.

SCHAKOWSKY: And how dare Rush Limbaugh--how dare he say that this president goes around talking about how bad our country is. He has finally been able to establish us as real participants in the world community. And if anything would have stopped us from getting it, it‘s the last eight years, where we have turned off the rest of the world.

SCHULTZ: And finally--well, what about that? And finally, Congresswoman Schakowsky, is this part of a political hangover? That maybe America just isn‘t as popular as it used to be with all the things that took place over the last eight years?

What do you think?

SCHAKOWSKY: You know, it may be that, but I really do think that it was more a choice for giving Latin America a chance, giving Rio a chance. I really feel that Chicago benefited just from being in the competition and having the light shone on our great city. So, I don‘t think it really was so much a putdown of Barack Obama, the United States of America. I really don‘t think so.

SCHULTZ: OK. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, thanks for your time tonight.

I appreciate it so much.

SCHAKOWSKY: Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source