MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Benghazi

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Well, let`s go to one of those congressional members on the Democratic side who`s out there to protect President Obama. Congressman John Garamendi of California who sits on the Armed Services Committee. Congressman, good to have you with us tonight. John, how are you doing?

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI, (D) CALIFORNIA: I`m doing very well, Ed. This thing is just going on and on to boredom actually. The Armed Services Committee actually did a hearing and the result was there`s nothing here. That obviously a great tragedy, but Ed, during the George W. Bush period, there were 13 attacks on various embassies and consulates around the world, 60 people died. In Karachi, there was a death of one of our diplomats and those were not investigated during that period of time because we`re -- it was a tragedy. And also, keep in mind that in the 2012 budget, the president proposed 1.8 billion for security.

The House Republicans came back with 1.4 and ultimately round up with the $200 million less money than President Obama wanted to secure it. Why? Because the Republicans refused to provide the money for a security. Do that have something .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

GARAMENDI: . to do with Benghazi? Maybe.

SCHULTZ: Congressman, not one Democrat has stepped out and said there might be something here. What do you make of that?

GARAMENDI: We have much more important things to do. This has been investigated, as you said, eight times before. This will be the ninth time. This is old, old news. And in fact, it`s a tragedy. It was a serious tragedy. Could it have been prevented? Perhaps, but it did happened. Now, what do we need to do going forward? Do we need to investigate it again? No. What we need to do is what you said a moment ago and that is to focus on jobs in this nation.

We had to focus for a moment under Republican budget that just passed the House of representative which close a major, major hole in the construction industry in this nation by basically not .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

GARAMENDI: . funding transportation and a host of other things.

SCHULTZ: Congressman, what about this renewed fascination with Benghazi? Do you -- can you honestly say that there`s absolutely nothing in these emails that would warrant anytime -- any type of extra effort or investigation because the White House may have lied and mislead the American people.

GARAMENDI: Well, I don`t think -- we certainly didn`t see the White House lying at all. They were trying to get the story out just a moments after it happened. They didn`t have all the information. We`ve known that, that`s in the testimony. That`s well-known by everybody. But I think one of the interesting thing that`s going to happen is going to be a fight in the Republican caucus.

Darrell Issa has been on this issue for years. And now, they pinpointed another fellow to take up a special committee. We`re going to have to watch and see how these two committees work together. My guess is that`s going to be a .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

GARAMENDI: . draw between the two committees.

SCHULTZ: OK. Congressman John Garamendi who sits on the Armed Services Committee in the House. Congressman, good to have you with us tonight. Appreciate your time.

GARAMENDI: Always Ed.

SCHULTZ: Let me turn .

GARAMENDI: Sure.

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