MSNBC "The Ed Show"- Transcript: Scott Walker
Interview
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I`m joined tonight by Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan. Congressman, good
to have you with us tonight. Your reaction to Scott Walker`s handling of
these questions about homosexuality and whether it`s a choice or whether
you`re born gay. I mean, it`s almost ignorant bordering on insulting as I
see. Your thoughts?
REP. MARK POCAN, (D) WISCONSIN: Yeah. It`s pretty basic stuff. So I
mean, clearly he`s either in extreme pondering mode or unfortunate
ignorance mode. But neither is, especially electible in November election.
So, I think, you know, he`s trying to appeal to every extreme person he kin
in Iowa to try to win that primary. If he doesn`t win Iowa, he`s toasted.
And he`s just going to whatever it takes to try to get elected.
So, you know, this is just another one of those situations where again, he
knows better but he`ll do whatever it takes to become president.
SCHULTZ: Well, what about him as a candidate, does this prove that maybe
he`s not very well fought out that he maybe a good presenter but policy
wise, he really doesn`t know.
POCAN: You know, over and over, he`s had these foot and mouth problems,
you know? He said that the single greatest active foreign policy by
President Reagan was firing the air traffic controllers the fact that he
can handle ISIS because he stood up to a 100,000 union protesters.
He was asked what evolution and he told the reporter, "I`m going to pant on
that one." I mean that`s your inside voice not your outside voice. This
is a guy who really, you know, did all right here in Wisconsin. We had a
recall and that actually made him stronger because fundamentally people in
Wisconsin didn`t think that was nice.
And we`re fundamentally nice people in the upper Midwest as you know Ed.
But when it comes to this sort of either pondering or ignorance that`s been
coming out of the Walker campaign, he`s not showing that he`s a very
electible candidate.
SCHULTZ: Well, earlier today, Governor Walker signed a bill banning
abortions after 20-weeks of pregnancy. Is the timing of this just a
political play to win favor from the conservative base? What do you make
of it?
POCAN: You know, I think every decision he makes when he has juice in the
morning, he tells people it`s Florida juice because he needs votes in
Florida not California. If he`s having eggs, he tries to decide if that`s
going to offend anyone because they`re unborn eggs. I mean, this is a guy
who wants to be president so desperately, he will say anything and do
anything to get elected. But people will figure that out. And I think
ultimately that will be his demise.
SCHULTZ: I think it needs to be pointed out again that in the recall that
he won, 70 percent of his commercials were actually running against the
recall convincing the people of Wisconsin that the recall should not have
taken place that they hired him to do a job. He should have the full four
year to finish the job.
And Tom Barritt, of course, was outgunned financially some 10 to 1. And
most of the money came from out of state. I mean, do you think that`s a
story that needs to get on the national level so they put Walker in some
perspective?
POCAN: Absolutely. In fact, you know on Election Day 70 percent of the
people said they didn`t like the idea of a recall. And yet, I think
President Obama on the exit polls was up 7 points in the exit polls for
people who just voted to keep Scott Walker. I mean clearly it wasn`t about
ideology, it was people in the upper Midwest thought that we have a normal
election process to get rid of a governor and that the recall wasn`t nice.
And that fundamentally just didn`t connect with the public.
And as you said, they expect millions and millions of dollars telling the
public that it wasn`t nice to recall someone. And that was effective.
And, you know, so people look at Scott Walker on paper and he looks like a
good candidate, but those of us who, you know, been with him for a decade
or two can tell you a whole lot more.
SCHULTZ: Yeah. Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin good to have you on
tonight. Thanks so much.
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