MSNBC "The Ed Show" -Transcript

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Let me turn to Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois tonight to address the politicization that"s taken place surrounding this entire event that unfolded on Christmas day and the aftermath of it all. Congresswoman, nice to have you with us tonight.

REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D), ILLINOIS: Thank you, Ed. Happy New Year.

SCHULTZ: Happy New Year to you. We rearranged government to handle this, so these agencies could talk to one another. Your take at this hour on what we know?

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, I think the one that keeps Americans shaking their head is that this young man"s--this terrorist"s father actually made a report. This was no ordinary guy. And turning in his son and saying that he was worried about it, that is, to me, the most obvious lapse. How come that didn"t get translated into this kid"s visa, the ability of him to travel to the United States, his appearance or lack of on a watch list?

I assure you, and the chairman of the Intelligence Committee on which I serve has said that we"re going to be looking into all of that. But I think the underlying issue of communications has to be reinforced. You"re right. We did set up the Director of National Intelligence for that very purpose.

SCHULTZ: To handle this. You know, pick up the phone and call the Director of the National Intelligence, let him know what the heck is going on here. I want to ask you about this--where was all this during the Bush/Cheney years? Here we have new screening. We have new detection methods. We have air marshals now, international cooperation. Lists are being redone. And by the way--and this is not getting enough play, in my opinion--the president of the United States has targeted 14 countries that if you"re traveling from that country into the United States, you"re going to get checked out big-time.

Where"s Dick Cheney on this, congresswoman? Where were they on that?

SCHAKOWSKY: He is--first of all, he is so far off base right now. I think all of us ought to be acknowledging the rapid response of the president of the United States and all of those under him in order to make immediate changes. You"ve listed some of them. Those lists are being scrubbed. People are being updated. There are pat downs in 14 countries that are coming into the United States. All of those things have happened in the last few days, really.

During the Bush administration, which of course is the time when we had the biggest terrorist attack in the history of the United States, -- the vice president has a lot to explain, why now? He would be coming out and targeting the president of the United States for being somehow not serious about addressing this problem? It is absolutely shameful that he"s doing this kind of fear mongering, that he"s raising these questions about the fitness of the president of the United States to protect us. It"s unprecedented and it"s certainly unwarranted.

SCHULTZ: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, thanks for joining us tonight.

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