MSNBC "Tucker" - Transcript

Interview

MR. CARLSON: We begin with the Democrats and the ongoing race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Joining me now, an Obama supporter, Congresswoman Betty McCollum.

Congresswoman, thanks for coming on. I appreciate it.

REP. MCCOLLUM: Well, thank you for inviting me.

MR. CARLSON: So Obama's appeal to women weaker than we thought. That's the lesson from New Hampshire, it seems like.

REP. MCCOLLUM: Well, Senator Obama had basically the same percentage among women in Iowa as he did in New Hampshire.

MR. CARLSON: Huh. Well, but he lost by more than 10 points to Hillary Clinton. That obviously made the difference. Is there going to be a retooling of the Obama message to women going into the later states?

REP. MCCOLLUM: Well, Senator Obama has been consistent in his message of wanting to provide an opportunity for health care, for making sure that America looks forward in the future for better opportunity for everyone -- men, women, children, young and old.

MR. CARLSON: And yet it's clear that the Clinton campaign saw an opening on the gender question. There were targeted mailings right before the election this Tuesday from the Clinton campaign attacking Obama for the weakness of his support of abortion. They singled out partial-birth abortion, saying he was not enthusiastic enough about protecting the right of women to have partial-birth abortions. Is he enthusiastic about protecting that right, and was that a fair attack?

REP. MCCOLLUM: I did not see that mailing at all, and I do know that in a straw poll that was done by -- I believe it was Planned Parenthood -- that a lot of people thought that his stance for protecting a woman's right to choose was a good stance and they were satisfied with his position.

MR. CARLSON: Huh. So as far as you know, he is a firm supporter of the right to partial-birth abortion.

REP. MCCOLLUM: I'm not familiar with the piece that you were referring to. I'm supporting Senator Obama because I do know that, being with him in Iowa, I saw so many people so excited with so much enthusiasm about this country having a new generation of leaders and the issues that he spoke to that they cared about, dealing with the economy, with access to higher education. The crowds were very excited about his leadership for America in the future.

MR. CARLSON: I mean, do you think it's tougher for him going on into February 5th to engage Hillary Clinton directly? I mean, there's a lot of evidence, anecdotal, but I think some statistical, that the perception she was being beat up on by the press and, to some extent, by his campaign angered people, mostly female voters, into supporting Hillary Clinton. I mean, can he take her on without driving people to his opponent?

REP. MCCOLLUM: Well, we are so fortunate to have in Senator Obama a candidate who wants to talk about what he envisions for America, what America can be, when we focus on making sure that everyone has access to education, how America can be a stronger nation when people are not worried about how to afford health care, and how we can be moving so much farther in what we can do to make ourselves less energy-dependent.

So those are the issues he's talking about. That's been the focus of the campaign, what Senator Obama thinks bringing America together, uniting Democrats, Republicans, independents, young and old, all across America, bringing people together for a stronger America.

MR. CARLSON: What do you think of this? Some of the harshest attacks against Obama have come not from Hillary Clinton herself but from her surrogates. The latest comes from the attorney general of the state of New York, Andrew Cuomo, who says this. I want to read you his quote: "You can't shuck and jive at a press conference. All those moves you can make with the press don't work when you're in someone's living room." You can't shuck and jive. What do you think of that?

REP. MCCOLLUM: I'm sure that Governor -- Attorney General Cuomo, being from New York, is going to be supportive of Senator Clinton. And I have no comment on what he chooses to say. I'm focused on talking to voters about what I see is an enthusiastic campaign for new leadership.

MR. CARLSON: The Obama campaign today, with much fanfare, announced the endorsement of Senator John Kerry. They're doing it in South Carolina. Kerry lost South Carolina in the primary and the general election. How does that help, getting his endorsement?

REP. MCCOLLUM: Well, Senator Kerry has been an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq. And Senator Obama, one of the reasons why I find him such a good candidate to be supporting is his opposition to the war in Iraq. I didn't vote for the war in Iraq. And I think he showed great judgment in speaking out against it early on.

MR. CARLSON: All right, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Democrat of Minnesota. I appreciate it, Congresswoman. Thanks for coming on.

REP. MCCOLLUM: Thank you.

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