MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

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SCHULTZ: Jim, congratulations. Take a victory lap tonight.

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC), MAJORITY WHIP: Well, thank you so much for

having me. And thank you so much for all the help you gave in helping us

educate the American people as to what it was we were trying to do.

I think over the next couple of weeks people are going to look in on this

thing and they are going to be amazed as to how in touch with middle

America this legislation is. It"s kind of amazing to me the letters I"m

getting today.

Now, some I wouldn"t talk about on this show. But I"m hearing from more

people now who want to know, when can I sign up for this thing? When are

you going to get this out to us in the public?

For the first time, I know now that my child can come on to my insurance

policy. For the first time, I can keep my child who wants to go to a

graduate school on my policy.

These things are going to resonate with the American people in a way that

nothing has in a long, long time. And those people who are--got all this

gloom and doom about what"s going to happen to Democrats in November,

you"re going to be hear a different tune very soon.

SCHULTZ: Congressman Clyburn, you were one of the first to come out and

support Barack Obama on the campaign trail, and you took a lot of heat for

it because there were a lot of questions about his experience and a lot of

people didn"t know him. In fact, when he jumped into the race, only 18

percent of African-Americans knew who Barack Obama was. But you were out

there early with him.

How do you feel about it tonight?

CLYBURN: Well, I think President Obama has demonstrated in the last few

weeks exactly what people voted for. Now, people had some problems early

on because during the campaign, people forget that all those economic

problems came about in the waning days of the campaign.

President Obama was talking about reforming our health care system. He was

talking about how he was going to expand the economic opportunities in this

country. Nobody was talking about having to rescue an economy from a cliff

that it seemed to be headed toward.

And so, he did first things first. And now that we"ve got things

stabilized, and in some areas beginning to grown again, President Obama is

now concentrating on things like health care. And I want to tell you,

education as well.

I think a lot of people did not focus on the fact that in this

reconciliation bill that we passed with 220 votes last night--

SCHULTZ: Student loans.

CLYBURN: -- is a big uptick in Pell Grants in for students who would like

to go to post--secondary education. An uptick for historical-backed (ph)

colleges and universities. Over $2 billion for them--minority-serving

institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, school construction. All this

is in this reconciliation bill as well.

And I think when people see what we did last night, they are going to be

very, very happy with the fact that President Obama has now got the country

moving fast in a new direction.

SCHULTZ: Well, Congressman, he didn"t do it without you and Nancy Pelosi

and Steny Hoyer over in the House. You"re the whip. You counted the

votes. You got people in line. You explained it to them.

And you deserve a great deal of credit. And I know it means a lot to you.

And I took to heart your comment last night here at the press conference

that we covered here live when you said that you have enjoyed every minute

of it.

CLYBURN: Absolutely.

SCHULTZ: And you"ve got to enjoy the run. And you"ve definitely done

that.

Congratulations, Congressman. Thank you.

CLYBURN: Well, thank you so much. Thank you.

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