MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript

Interview

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REP. JARED POLIS (D), COLORADO: Yes, he ought to be able to find out who did it. You know, we"re talking about an office with six people, eight people, 10 people, tops. Find out what the computer terminal was, who was in the office at the time--you get it down to two, three people. You find out, you take quick action.

The real problem is--I mean, how many Republican staffers are out there have these kinds of crazy ideas that are so far removed from the American mainstream and contrary to our American values.

MATTHEWS: Let me go to Clarke Cooper in that. You represent gay Republicans in your organization and you do a great job of it. There are still these throwbacks in these offices of Republican--one senator.

R. CLARKE COOPER, LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS: Not at all. In fact--

MATTHEWS: Not at all?

COOPER: No. No.

MATTHEWS: What if this didn"t happen?

COOPER: Hey, this is one bad apple and Senator Chambliss himself said, "I will not tolerate any sentiment like that." And I just want to--
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MATTHEWS: So, why does he--why doesn"t he find out who did it?

COOPER: Well, he"s going through the due process. In fact, I think it"s actually appropriate that the sergeant at arms investigate the I.P. address. And, by the way, he doesn"t have the six-rate staffer. Senator Chambliss has 42, 44 staffers.

MATTHEWS: Nobody--no, no, you are--you are playing defense here, Clark, and I don"t know why. This apparently came from his--his Atlanta office.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: It didn"t come from his Washington office, or any committee of staffers. It came from one office in Atlanta and somebody in the office did it. Why doesn"t he call up his office, talk to his chief of staff and find out who did it? Why does he bring in the Democratic-appointed sergeant of arms who doesn"t even know the people in the office?

Wouldn"t you, if you were the boss, want to find out immediately, and find out who did it immediately, and take responsibility and not try to outsource it?

COOPER: Of course, of course. So, I"m not going to--I"m not Senator Chambliss but I would presume that this staffer probably won"t have a job in the near future. It"s a no-go. I don"t think any member, House, Senate, Republican or Democrat, would tolerate it.
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MATTHEWS: How many days do you think--how many weeks, do you think, he should have to find out who did it?

COOPER: Oh, I don"t know. I would say that this is going to be probably taken care of very quickly. I"m not going to guess as to the process or time line for the sergeant at arms. What they"re probably doing is looking to make sure that they have this airtight so that they can actually move forward and take--correct the personnel actions.

MATTHEWS: The Hill has changed from when I worked there.

In my day, a politician--Congressman, you get in here. You are responsible for everybody who works in your office. They serve at your pleasure. It"s not a civil service. You don"t have to go through the procedures. You find out who did it and you nail them.

Your thoughts, Congressman?

POLIS: I was going to say, you know, first of all, Clarke has a tough job being a member of a club that doesn"t want him as a member. But moving beyond that, again, this is something that if it takes more than a couple of days, it begins to get suspicious. So, I mean, look, a benefit of a doubt, another day, two days. If it takes beyond that--I mean, what"s the problem?

There"s a number limited of suspects, you talk to them. Was it an intern? Was it a paid staffer? I don"t know. What are the values of the people in your office? What"s the procedure you"re going to put in place in the future to make sure your office knows not to do this kind of thing?

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