MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: On Marco Rubio's Presidential Bid

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Joining me tonight, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of
Florida. She`s the Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Congresswoman, always a pleasure, good to have you with us.

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, (D) FLORIDA: And me as well, good to be
with you.

E. SCHULTZ: In a statement today from -- you bet. A statement today from
the Clinton campaign is that, Hillary Clinton is on record stronger than
ever saying that she is all for same-sex marriage.

Now, the divisions are the separations of issues that certainly starting to
play out early here. Is Rubio on the wrong side of where the people are on
this issue and other issues as you see it?

D. SCHULTZ: Of course he is. I mean, Hillary Clinton, yesterday came out
strongly in favor of marriage equality because she is embracing a position
that she firmly believes in and that is mainstream.

Marco Rubio has embraced the extreme on this issue. He opposes marriage
between anyone based on who they love as opposed to making sure that we can
allow people to have marriage equality...

E. SCHULTZ: Yes.

D. SCHULTZ: ... and be fully recognized under the Constitution.

He opposes making sure we can treat people equally at the workplace. He
opposes letting gay couples who are loving and want to open their homes to
an adopted child. He opposes allowing gay adoption. I mean, this man is
completely out of touch with the mainstream...

E. SCHULTZ: Well, he...

D. SCHULTZ: ... and how he completely ignored where we -- how far we`ve
come.

E. SCHULTZ: He is afflicted to the states on this issue, legally. I mean,
on same-sex marriage, what is that stand? What kind of position is that?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well, if he`s afflicted to the states, in our state,
the courts have rules that gay couples can adopt children. We used to have
a ban on gay couples adopting.

We have the court`s rule that gay couples can legally marry. So even in
his home state, he is still opposing polices that have already become
recognized under the law in our state.

When you`re president of United States, you are president of everyone. And
to have a candidate who says that they will not treat everyone equally
under the United States Constitution and give everybody the same rights...

E. SCHULTZ: Yeah.

D. SCHULTZ: ... is outrageous.

E. SCHULTZ: This is a new strategy, I`ve never heard this one, "Because
I`m younger, I`m better". I mean that`s basically where he is coming from.
I mean, is he inline with younger voters? It`s almost an admission. You
know, I`m young and inexperienced but I`m better than out there right now.
Is he inline with young GOP voters?

D. SCHULTZ: I mean, of course not. He`s not inline with younger voter`s
period. I mean, if you ask younger voters, younger voters really are less
likely to look at issues through a partisan lens, that`s why overwhelming
majority of young voters support gay rights and marriage equality, support
making sure that we can make college more affordable.

Marco Rubio voted to cut Pell Grant and against legislation that would make
college more affordable. They`re for making sure that we can help people
reach the middle-class and Marco Rubio embraces tax cuts for the wealthiest
Americans, and supports increase in taxes on the middle-class.

And by the way, Ed, to add insult to injury, Marco Rubio represents
Florida. A state with a huge population of senior citizens and he has
supported...

E. SCHULTZ: Yeah.

D. SCHULTZ: ... ending Medicare as we know it and things that Social
Security is upon this team (ph) and that we should move toward
privatization. So he`s out of touch with older voters...

E. SCHULTZ: ... Yeah.

D. SCHULTZ: ... younger voters, he`s just out of touch.

SCHULTZ: Well, I remember when John Kerry ran in 2004, they just worked
him over for a flip-flop. I mean, I hope the Democrats don`t let anybody
forget what Rubio has done on immigration.

He ran from his own position.

D. SCHULTZ: That`s right.

E. SCHULTZ: He ran from his own bill.

D. SCHULTZ: Absolutely.

E. SCHULTZ: He took political pressure and he couldn`t stand up to it.
So, tell me, is that conviction or is that political pressure, a guy that`s
going to do some wind sailing?

D. SCHULTZ: What that is, Ed, is evidence that he cannot hack the pressure
of the presidency because last time I check, there`s a little bit of
pressure on the President of the United States.

E. SCHULTZ: Yeah.

D. SCHULTZ: If this guy could not even hack, standing by his conviction
for a bill he authored and push through the Senate, abandon the -- as soon
as his Tea Party extremist base blows in the wrong direction, then how is
he going to hack the presidency?

He should grow a spine and standup for the courage of his convictions. He
represents a huge Hispanic population, millions of immigrant families who
would benefit from comprehensive immigration reform. And he, basically,
told them, go back where you came from.

I recognized that he supports some reform but now, he`s embraced with...

E. SCHULTZ: All right.

D. SCHULTZ: ... the Tea Party effort to just to shut the borders down and
deport people.

E. SCHULTZ: Wrong side of the issue, no doubt. Congresswoman Debbie
Wasserman Schultz...

D. SCHULTZ: ... Absolutely.

E. SCHULTZ: ... always a pleasure. Good to have you with us tonight.

D. SCHULTZ: Thanks.

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