MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" - Transcript

Interview

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Joining us now is seven-term Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Democrat of
Wisconsin, who as of today has announced she`s entering the race for United
States Senate from Wisconsin.

Congresswoman Baldwin, thank you for your time tonight.

REP. TAMMY BALDWIN (D), WISCONSIN: Well, it`s a pleasure to join you, Rachel.

MADDOW: You have been in the middle of the fight against union rights all year. What did you make of the president and vice president name-checking that and bringing it up the way they did in their Labor Day
speeches?

BALDWIN: It was music to my ears. I have been in the front seat witnessing what has happened in the state of Wisconsin as progress that this state has made over decades was peeled back. And what happened is
that the people of the state decided that if their leaders were not listening to them, they were going to speak out, and it has been incredibly inspiring to me.

But, you know, we`ve been talking about why this is so important, why collective bargaining rights and the right to organize, but also we`re fighting right now, as you`ve been talking about, for the very survival of
the middle class. It used to be that if you worked hard and played by the rules, you could get ahead.

And I hear day after day by -- from Wisconsin families and individuals who are playing by the rules and are working hard, but they are not getting ahead. People are trying to save for their kid`s college, people having to dip into their retirement savings just to pay bills when they are just a few years away from retirement.

The suffering is real, and the disconnect that we see both in the city of Madison at the state capitol and in Washington, D.C. is outrageous. And that`s why I`m running for the U.S. Senate.

MADDOW: The last election in November 2010 was a very Republican election across the country, but it was particularly so in Wisconsin. Russ Feingold lost his seat. The legislature went basically completely red.
Obviously, Scott Walker was elected governor.

Why do you, as a Democrat, think that you will have a real chance at this Senate seat in this next election?

BALDWIN: Well, as we`ve seen as Wisconsin has been on the national stage, people want to be heard and they want their leaders fighting for them. And that`s not what is happening in Madison. It`s not what is
happening in Washington, D.C.

I think the voters thought they were getting something different than they did in the midterms last year, but we see Wisconsin citizens coming alive, getting involved, and I think that`s a sign of what`s to come.
People need a voice and a fighter in Washington. The middle class needs a fighter in Washington. We`ve had great representation from Senator Herb Cole, who has been a champion of the middle class and children and seniors. We need to continue that tradition in Wisconsin, and that`s why I`m running for the U.S. Senate.

MADDOW: In terms of your decision to get in here -- seven terms in the House, why do you think this fight will be better waged by you in the Senate than where you are now?

BALDWIN: Well, first of all, I have to say that the honor of being able to represent all of the working families in the state of Wisconsin would be enormous, and I was exploring whether or not I should run for reelection to the House or pursue a Senate seat, I had the chance to really travel the state, got a chance to speak with people all over.

We`re in an epic struggle. This is really, in my mind and many others, about the survival of the middle class. This is about when we look at issues like reducing our debt and that`s certainly something we must do
-- it`s about demanding shared sacrifice, not just letting the people who have had the privilege of climbing the ladder of success stand by the wayside. We all have to come together to respond to the problems that we face.

And I think now is the moment, especially given what`s been happening in my state and people reengaging and understanding that they must speak out in order to be heard and understanding that they need a strong voice in the U.S. Senate.

MADDOW: Tammy Baldwin, Democratic congresswoman from Wisconsin and now a candidate for U.S. Senate in that state -- thank you for your time. I appreciate you being with us on this night after you`ve announced. Good luck.

BALDWIN: Thank you so much.

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