MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

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Great to have you both tonight.

Senator Whitehouse, you"ve introduced a resolution to take cuts to Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid--those been fits benefits off the table. So, basically, as we know it tonight, from what stands in front of us--do you think that the president should take McConnell"s offer at this point? What do you think?

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D), RHODE ISLAND: I think it"s too early to tell. The devil is going to be in the details of that offer. Any offer that comes from a minority leader who"s avowed primary purpose is not to solve the deficit problem, not to deal with the war in Afghanistan, not to bring jobs back to the American economy, but to cause the president of the United States not to be re-elected, any proposal from somebody in that mode is something that"s going to take a little bit of close scrutiny before you want to sign onto it.

SCHULTZ: So, McConnell has lost credibility with you?

WHITEHOUSE: Well, it"s a question of what his priorities are, and if that"s his priority, then thing that is he proposes need close scrutiny. I don"t want to kick the idea to the curb. It could be a solution to this, but we really need to see the details. And I think--

SCHULTZ: Congresswoman Edwards, $4 trillion is a heck of a lot of money. Are you one of the 77 that signed off to this letter that Keith Ellison told me about today?

REP. DONNA EDWARDS (D), MARYLAND: I have. And, of course, my principal concern has been protecting against cuts to Medicare and Social Security benefits. I"ve made that very clear, sent a letter actually last week to the president to that effect.

What I want to be clear about, though, is that we aren"t going to do anything that constrains the president"s hands. So, I"m actually looking forward to hear--hearing from him about his response to the McConnell proposal.

What I will say is Republicans are all over the map. I think in fairness to the president, he doesn"t know with whom to negotiate. Does he negotiate with Boehner, who seems to not control his conference?

SCHULTZ: Sure.

EDWARDS: Does he negotiate with McConnell, who only carries a little minority in the Senate?

SCHULTZ: So, would your advice to the president right now be patient on this offer?

EDWARDS: I think this time requires a lot of patience. I think what we do know is that those of us who have already voted for a clean debt ceiling that doesn"t constrain the president and that carries us forward over this next couple of years, year and a half period is the way to go.

And we"ve done that. And so, I"d like to see the Republicans put on the table a clean debt ceiling vote, because that"s the responsible thing to do.

SCHULTZ: John Boehner said the debt limit is the president"s problem.

Here"s that sound bite. I want your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOEHNER: Where"s the president"s plan? When is he going to lay his cards on the table? This debt limit increase is his problem, and I think it"s time for him to leave by putting his plan on the table, something that the Congress can pass.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHULTZ: Senator, what"s your reaction to that?

WHITEHOUSE: Well, we"ve tried plan after plan. The most recent one has been the Democratic Senate budget, which actually provides more deficit reduction than even the House Republican plan, which does it fairly. Even-steven between revenues and spending cuts, and which importantly protects Social Security and protects from any Medicare benefit cuts.

So, there"s a way to do it. It"s not hard to do. The problem has not been a lack of initiative by the president. The problem has been this absolute, extreme intransigent on the Republican side.

SCHULTZ: Yes.

WHITEHOUSE: And as Representative Edwards said, their inability to get their own house in order and their own interest groups speaking to the same tune.

SCHULTZ: The other day, Senator, the White House made the statement that they thought that they were on the high ground right now. Does that appear apparent to you tonight?

WHITEHOUSE: Well, I think if they keep Social Security protected, that will leave the high ground. I think there"s a real danger of slipping on Social Security, and I would urge that there is a Web site nosocialsecuritycuts.com. And anybody who wants to become a citizen co-sponsor of a resolution against cutting Social Security benefits can just go to nosocialsecuritycuts.com and make their own voices heard in this debate.

SCHULTZ: And, Congresswoman, what is your response to Mr. Boehner saying that the debt problem, that"s the president"s problem?

EDWARDS: Well, it"s very disappointing. I mean, the problem of raising the debt ceiling to meet the full faith and credit obligations in the United States as the president has acknowledged is an American problem and it requires all of our leaders on the same page about doing that. And so, I think it"s really irresponsible, and it may show a little bit of bad faith in approaching this and now coming up with, you know, some secret deal contingency plan.

We need leaders of good faith on the line for the American people. Raise the debt ceiling and meet the obligations and protect Medicare and Social Security benefits.

SCHULTZ: Do you have more faith in the president tonight than a few nights ago, Congresswoman Edwards?

(CROSSTALK)

SCHULTZ: Do you feel like he"s not throwing the Black Caucus and the Progressive Caucus under the bus?

EDWARDS: I think the president has had and rightly so a strong message and unified message from the Democrats in the House of Representatives about our desire to protect Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid from benefits cuts, especially while the 2 percenters are getting away with having the rest of us bear the burden.

And so, I think the president has a strong hand right now. And he understands that this is actually not about politics. It"s about our obligations.

SCHULTZ: Four trillion dollars is a heck of a lot of money. If the Republicans ever took at that deal, that would hurt a lot of folks.

Congresswoman Edwards, Senator Whitehouse--great to have you with us tonight. I appreciate your time.

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