MSNBC "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" - Transcript

Interview

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Thus, lots to talk about tonight with Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont and member of the health, education, labor and pensions, the HELP Committee.

Senator, thanks for your time tonight.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: Good to be with you, Keith.

OLBERMANN: More on New Orleans in a moment. Let me start with Washington.

SANDERS: Well, Keith, I just want to say one thing. I am very glad that you focused on New Orleans, because should our right wing friends talk about death panels, the truth is that today, this year, 45,000 had Americans are going to die-if you can believe it-because they don't get access to a doctor when they should. And we saw some of that in New Orleans.

This is an outrage for a civilized country like the United States, and, obviously, that is why we need a national health care program.

OLBERMANN: I have to ask you, the question I was going to ask you at the end about that. Do you think that your colleagues in the Senate who are opposed to correcting the situation that we just saw a glimpse of and we're going to get a firsthand accounting of in a moment-do you think they don't know about this or they've chosen to ignore it?

SANDERS: Maybe a combination of factors. Let's not forget that the insurance companies and the health care industry are spending over $1 million a day on lobbying, huge amounts of campaign contributions are coming in to Capitol Hill. And if you think that that doesn't have an influence on how people vote, you'd be mistaken.

OLBERMANN: All right. To the events in Washington, you met with the majority leader today, as I understand it. Is there any word on when we can expect him to bring the health care bill to the floor for debate? Is it this week?

SANDERS: Well, I think he's waiting for the CBO report to come out.

And he wants to move it, I think, as quickly as possible.

I'll tell you something: I am a strong advocate of a Medicare for all single-payer system. And I-the more I see discussion out here, the more I believe that is the only way, in the end of the day, that you're going to have universal comprehensive and cost effective health care. But we're not going to get that, unfortunately.

So, what we have got to do is fight for the strongest possible legislation that we can, which includes a very strong public option, which is the only way that I know you're going to get cost containment and that you're going to give people a choice about going outside of a private insurance company at a time when many people have misgivings about what private insurance companies are doing.

OLBERMANN: You heard the minority leader say that the GOP hopes to delay this debate with amendment, six weeks more on the floor. Are there other things that we should expect from that side? Or is it basically just the-that, eventually, we'll get around to seeing the kitchen sink thrown on to the Senate floor?

SANDERS: Well, Keith, it is unbelievable. I think most Americans don't understand that quite honestly-and I say this as an independent, not as a Democrat-the function of the Republican Party in this session is really nothing more than obstructionism, to slow down anything that will bring progress and maybe credit to the Obama administration or to Democrats. We're looking at an all-time world's record, as I understand it, of 87 either filibusters or objections to unanimous consent. So, in other words, their job, whether it's extending unemployment compensation, health care, global warming-slow it down, slow it down, beat it.

OLBERMANN: Senator Conrad, meanwhile, said that the health care bill can't pass the Senate without-or with something like the Stupak Amendment in it. What are your thoughts on that?

SANDERS: I disagree. Just take a deep breath and think about it. You have millions of women who vote Democratic, have fought their entire adult lives for the right of a woman to choose with regard to abortion.

Can you imagine, after eight years of fighting against the Bush administration and anti-choice president that it would be a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress that would take away the rights of millions of women to exercise their choice in this issue? That is-it just ain't going to happen. I can't imagine that happening.

OLBERMANN: Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the HELP Committee -

it's always a great pleasure to have you with us and great insight, and great thank for your time tonight, sir.

SANDERS: Thank you, Keith.

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