CNN "American Morning" - Transcript

Interview

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CROWLEY: Welcome back. Let's just say that last night the last big night of the primary season did not go the way establishment Republicans wanted it to go. Christine O'Donnell is a tea party rock star now. She'd been basically shunned by the GOP, but she won the party's Senate primary in Delaware without their help last night. Thanks to a big assistance from Sarah Palin.

Come November, the Republicans and the face of the Senate may never be the same but a lot of people that Delaware race means the Senate will not go democratic, rather Republican. Could the House go Republican?

Here to break it down for us, Congressman Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Congressman Mike Pence, chairman of the House Republican Conference. Thank you both for being here.

I know we're not talking about your side of the hill, as we say, but I have to get your impressions on what last night meant. First, let's talk about what it meant for Democrats.

Congressman Van Hollen, what does the win - is it clearly a big night for the tea party? What's the message for Democrats in those victories?

REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D), MARYLAND: Well, Candy, we saw similar patterns in the House races that we saw in the Delaware senate race and the New York governor's race. And I have to say, I think voters are going to look at this and it's going to be a wake-up call. Because what we just saw was the complete purging of moderates and independents out of the Republican party.

Mike Castle is somebody who has been a voice of moderation. He has been a pragmatist. He's been somebody who is willing to work across party lines. And what happened in Delaware, just sends a message that there is no room, no room at all for that kind of moderation and independence in the Republican Party and I think that that's going to be a wake-up call to voters in these swing districts. Because swing district voters - they're moderate voters. They are those independent voters and they're going to see this huge swing to the right and they're going to say we don't want to go way over there.

CROWLEY: Congressman Pence, you are one of those listed in a tea party press release today of those that were backed by the tea party. So I know that you have friendly and good relationships with those who identify themselves as tea partiers. But I wonder, you know in politics, perception is everything, and I assume that you'll argue that these are not right wing extremists who have been nominated. But perception is a lot in politics. And don't you all at this point have a perception problem with some of your candidates?

REP. MIKE PENCE (R), INDIANA: Well, look - Candy, there's a party that has a problem out there today. And frankly, it's - it's the Democratic party on Capitol Hill and it's this administration. The American people are tired of the borrowing and the spending and the bailouts and the takeovers. And they're looking for men and women all over the country that are willing to come to Washington, D.C. and rein in this federal government.

You know, Christine O'Donnell ran a competitive primary, won yesterday. And you know, I have every confidence that upbeat positive mainstream conservative message you saw her delivering this morning here on CNN that she delivered all over Delaware is going to continue to resonate.

And, you know, for those who are willing to write off this race now. I think electing Christine O'Donnell in Delaware or a Republican senator in Delaware, it's about as crazy as electing a Republican senator in Massachusetts. Who'd thunk it? Look, the American people want change. They don't want more of the same run away federal spending that frankly characterizes the last administration has gone on steroids in this administration. And they want people that are willing to come to Washington, D.C. and bring that change about.

CROWLEY: Let me just ask you, though. And a lot of Republicans have said, "look, these are not, you know, some sort of extremists. These are mainstream Republicans. Mainstream America." Is it mainstream to want to overturn health care reform, which is one of O'Donnell's positions? Is that a mainstream position to you?

PENCE: Oh, Candy, I'll tell you what. Come on out to Indiana real soon and walk up and down the streets of Muncie and ask people whether they agree with me that we need to repeal Obamacare, lock, stock, and barrel. People don't like to be told that they have to buy health insurance whether they want it or need it or not. They don't want this government takeover of healthcare. I think there's a broad and decisive majority in this country of Republicans, independents and many Democrats, who want to scrap that bill and start over.

So you bet, I think that's a mainstream position. But you know, the American people are saying enough is enough to the spending, the deficits, the debt, the takeovers, the bailouts. I think Christine O'Donnell's message was emblematic of that. Andy Harris' message is emblematic of that in Maryland and I think it's why the American people are being drawn to these good candidates.

CROWLEY: Let me get Congressman Van Hollen in here because I think it is true that if you look broadly at some of the polls, there is a lot of unrest among Americans who do worry we're spending too much and we haven't got a lot of bang for our buck when it comes to bringing down unemployment. Is it possible for all the Democrats' glee at some of the opponents that they're drawing that you are underestimating this move, what seems to be a real movement, not just tea party, but a conservative movement across the country. Could you be underestimating that?

VAN HOLLEN: Well, what we've got, Candy, is the fact the economy is still not back where we want it to be. We're a lot better off than we were 20 months ago, but we're not where we want it. People are looking at that situation and venting their frustration in many places. But the question they're going to face is what's the best way forward?

And with these tea party candidates, you've got a group of people who take the position that we should return to a period of time like the previous eight years where big money, special interests called all the shots in this country, at the expense of taxpayers, at the expense of workers.

Look, let's take Wall Street reform for an example. Right there, we tried to learn the lessons of the past to make sure that the American taxpayer's never put on the hook again to pay for bad decisions on Wall Street. And now you've got these Republican candidates out there who say, hey, let's get rid of Wall Street reform.

Let's do the work that the big lobbyists were not able to do and go back to the status quo where Wall Street firms made bad decisions and held the rest of the economy hostage. So this notion that there's absolutely no role for the government to help regulate some of the big money special interest that had benefited greatly from the Bush administration policies. I think is something that the American people are not going to go for.

And what we saw last night was just one more example of this energy that the Republican Party had hoped to harness, but which has turned out to be a runaway horse.

CROWLEY: Congressman Van Hollen.

HOLLEN: And they don't know what to do with it. And I think the voters are going to send a signal, they're OK with moderation. They're OK with debate, but man, they don't want to go way over the cliff.

CROWLEY: Congressman Van Hollen, Congressman Pence, as always, I have many more questions and no more time. Thank you very much for joining us. I appreciate it.

HOLLEN: Thank you, Candy.

CROWLEY: It is 44 minutes after the hour.

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