MSNBC Hardball with Chris Matthews - Transcript

MSNBC Hardball with Chris Matthews - Transcript

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL. Minnesota state legislator Keith Ellison won his district‘s Democratic primary for the U.S. Congress this Tuesday, and if he wins the general election this November, he will make history as the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress.

Mr. Ellison, welcome, and joins us. Is there any significance in your religion or should we just ignore it?

KEITH ELLISON (D-MN), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think that the main purpose of the campaign has been to unite people around things that we all share. I think what we have been trying to do is draw people from diverse sections of the community to support the campaign. So ultimately, I didn‘t run as a Muslim. I ran as a person to represent the Fifth Congressional District. That‘s what I am going to do.

MATTHEWS: Do you have any more understanding as an American Muslim of what the anger is about, the resentment toward the Western part of the world is from Islam?

ELLISON: I don‘t think that there is anger from Islam toward the West. I think there are certain individuals who have some angry positions, and they are expressing themselves, but I wouldn‘t say that Islam in general is hostile towards the West. In fact, most of the Muslims I know are proud Americans and feel good about our people—the people of this country and just want to see—they may not agree with the Bush administration, but certainly are loyal to America.

MATTHEWS: Well, when we were hit on 9/11, and we just marked that horror this past weekend, one of the stories that grabbed everybody was there was some people in the Islamic world, certainly in Tehran, who were supportive of us, big demonstration on our behalf, maybe a million people. But there were also people in the Palestinian territories who were out there hooting and hollering with delight at the thought of 3,000 Americans dying—you know, falling from hundred-story buildings and being burned alive. And they were enjoying it publicly. So there is hatred out there towards us, isn‘t there?

ELLISON: Well, there is hatred out there towards us, but it‘s not a matter of religion. You know, it‘s simply not because the people are Muslims. That‘s not why they have their hostilities.

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about our current politics. You are running for Congress. You are in a Democratic district. Marty Sabo was there a long time. You have a good chance to win this seat. Would you like to use your membership in the House to begin an impeachment proceeding against the president?

ELLISON: I would be supportive of that.

MATTHEWS: What impeachable crimes has he committed as you see it right now?

ELLISON: Well, I‘m very concerned about violations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. I‘m concerned about the prewar intelligence that was used to go into Iraq. I have reason to believe that the administration knew that there were—that some of the reasons they offered were not accurate. I‘m also very concerned about the—what I believe is the condoning of torture. Those are just a few.

MATTHEWS: What makes you think that they lied about the evidence that got us into war?

ELLISON: Well, I think the Downing Street memo seems to indicate that there was a plan. I think the things Richard Clarke said indicate that there may have been a plan even before 9/1. The treatment of Ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife raised real concerns. And so those are just a few things.

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about the Nation of Islam. Do you think that Mr. Farrakhan is an anti-Semite?

ELLISON: You know, I think that he is, but he really—he doesn‘t live in this district. I don‘t know him personally. And I think that it‘s sort of a red herring in this election to raise—to mention (inaudible).

MATTHEWS: No, I wouldn‘t raise it with anybody else, but apparently you wrote an article as a student defending him against that charge.

ELLISON: Well, you know, the article was written—I‘m 43. The article was written when I was 23. Chris, I hope you and I get to grow and evolve.

MATTHEWS: Hey look, I‘m all for it. It‘s just how you clarify it, sir. That‘s all I‘m here for. If you clarify it and say you don‘t believe that anymore, that‘s clear as a bell for me. Is that your position?

ELLISON: My position is that there were some anti-semitic things, certainly, that were said. And if you say those things I assume you believe them.

MATTHEWS: OK, your position in the Democratic Party, do you think the Democrats should call for an immediate pullout of U.S. forces from Iraq?

ELLISON: Yes, I do.

MATTHEWS: And what about those people that have been dependent on us over there? How do they deal with the situation once we leave?

ELLISON: Well, I think we should pull out militarily. I think we should re-engage diplomatically. I think we need to look at Iraq as much more of a diplomatic problem than as a military problem. I think it‘s very clear that the forces that are fighting there need to be brought together. We need to reach a political solution. I don‘t believe we are going to find ourselves reaching a military solution in that area.

In fact, in July about 110 people, on average, per day died there. I think we do need to understand that the military solution is probably not going to be the thing to bring peace to Iraq.

MATTHEWS: Well good luck in your general election. Keith Ellison, state legislator, running for the United States Congress as a Democrat in Minnesota.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14851545/