MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript

Interview

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REP. LAURA RICHARDSON (D), CALIFORNIA: That`s correct.

I think when you look at President Obama`s slogan of fired up and ready to go, I think the base is ready to go, but they`re certainly not fired up. And although they may still have hope, they don`t see any
change. And so because of that, you`re going to see a lot of people who, yes, he`s the first African-American president, we`re glad about that, we`re celebrating that, and we want to see some of the change that we talked about.

And I think people are very hurting, as you heard in your earlier segment coming up. And I think they want to see that real change.

SMERCONISH: But, Ed, in firing up one component of his core constituency, he runs the risk of alienating perhaps another element of the constituency that he needs to win in 15 months.

ED SCHULTZ, HOST, "THE ED SHOW": Well, I think that the Congressional Black Caucus has sent a very strong message to the White House, Michael.

But the fact of the matter is, what are their options? Are they going to go support Governor Perry? The fact of the matter is, we are living in some radical times right now, and this president is dealing with a landscape that no other president has had to deal with when it comes to obstruction. So I view his speech coming up on jobs as a last-ditch effort to deal with the Republicans.

And I think that the Congressional Black Caucus and the black community doesn`t want to hear this, but this is a time where patience is going to have to be used, in a sense, because the president is exhausting
every olive branch he can to show the country that he`s doing everything he can to work with the other side to create jobs.

And everybody in this country feels a hell of a lot different when they`re collecting a paycheck. And right now, we have obstruction in Washington that`s taken place that is not making it possible for the
president to move forward on his agenda on jobs. And that`s really the crux of the whole thing.

Nobody`s base is going to feel good if they`re not working.

SMERCONISH: Ed, we had a good conversation at the outset of the program. Eugene Robinson essentially encouraged the president to throw the long ball in his remarks next week. I said, if he throws the long ball,
he`s ceding the middle ground, the reasonable ground, to the intransigence.

He now becomes part of the intransigence. Would you share that assessment?

SCHULTZ: Well, I think independent voters are unemployed as well, and I think that middle-class families are struggling.

And I think that there is no question that we have got an economic divide in this country that the president ought to be able to easily identify on the campaign trail. But he`s got an image problem right now.
And this White House has got an image problem right now that they don`t fight hard enough.

And I think a lot of these job fairs that are taking place, these congressional members are hearing the same thing. I heard it yesterday down in New Orleans. They do want more out of the White House when it
comes to fighting, but fighting the Republicans on what they`re trying to do to middle-class families. And I think that`s where the level of frustration sets in.

SMERCONISH: Congresswoman, what specifically would you like to hear from the president? Are you looking for words? Are you looking for actions? A combination of both? Where does it begin?

RICHARDSON: I am looking for help and I think the American people are looking for help.

Let me just point out a couple statistics for you. The president talks about how we were able to increase Pell grants. And that was great. But the real is, in the U.C. system and Cal State system right here in
California, simultaneously, they increased tuition by 20 -- I`m sorry, excuse me, by 40 percent over the last three years.

See what does that say to our young people? In the African-American community, 39 percent are unemployed, between the ages of 18 and 25.

So, when you get to what Ed said -- and I`m glad to participate with you this evening, Ed -- is that the issue is they`re not going to go someplace else. They`re not going to vote for a Republican. The problem
is: are they going to come out and vote?

Because without having a job, without having food on the table, without having something to look forward to --

SCHULTZ: Yes.

RICHARDSON: -- people are disillusioned. And I don`t see -- I don`t think you`re going to see not only minorities, young people in general that were a huge base for President Obama. I don`t think you`re going to see people sleeping, you know, in church halls and on grandma`s couch to be able to come out and advocate. They`re concerned and they can`t even afford to get there if they wanted to.

SCHULTZ: Well, Congresswoman, I think the president, his campaign is going to have to make the case that things could be worse, if the Republicans get in charge. And they continue to favor the corporations and
the wealthy in this country, the middle class will be gone. And the opportunity for those young Americans that you`re talking about, that`s going to change.

And the facts of the matter is, is that we are facing some very radical times in this country when it comes to an agenda about what our priority list is. The president`s juggling a lot right now. As far as the unions are concerned, they`re going to be there for this president.

If we`re concerned about turnout, this is what President Obama is going to have to do. He`s going to have to convince them that the alternative is a hell of a lot worse. It`s not a very good platform to be
on right now. But he`s going to have to explain the obstructionism that he is facing right now.

SMERCONISH: Congresswoman, allow me to show you --

RICHARDSON: Well --

SMERCONISH: -- what the Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said on the president`s relationship with the African-American community. And you can respond to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR KASIM REED (D), ATLANTA: Look, the president were to start speaking directly to African-Americans about what he is doing for them, what he has done for them, as the first African-American president, that
during a general election campaign, that that could have very adverse results. And I believe that black people understand that. I think they understand it well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMERCONISH: And I think, Congresswoman, he was responding in part to words like your own where you said, hey, I don`t even hear President Obama use African-American as an expression any longer. The political dynamic of what would happen if he began speaking in those terms? We have just a minute, take it and respond.

RICHARDSON: Well, first of all, clearly, the president didn`t run a campaign the first time as saying only talking about African-Americans. And I don`t think he`s going to be re-elected by doing it either.

But what I would venture to say to you is that all of the Americans, whether they`re African-American, Latino or Caucasian, in my district, even in the most affluent area, an unemployment rate is at 10 percent. Of young whites, 18 to 25, they have unemployment of 23 percent.

So I would venture to tell you that a lot of people are hurting. He`s going to have to speak to all of us.

SMERCONISH: Got it.

RICHARDSON: And by speaking to us, only then will he get the ready to go fired up.

SMERCONISH: Thank you, Congresswoman.

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