MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript

Interview

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REP. KEITH ELLISON (D), MINNESOTA: Doing well, Reverend. Good to see you. Good job.

SHARPTON: Good to see you.

During the last election, the midterm elections, Republicans promised to focus on jobs since they took control of the House. They"ve done nothing about it. Are you getting any support from them across the aisle on your legislation?

ELLISON: Well, I"m certainly going to encourage them to participate in helping put Americans back to work. I mean, the problem with the economy, the reason why you don"t see a lot of companies hiring people, is because there"s slack consumer demand. People can"t buy stuff. So, if people can"t buy stuff, then you"re not going to see businesses add people on to meet those consumers" needs.

So, the public sector needs to get involved and get some people back to work. Three million more Americans back to work, doing everything from fixing up trails, fixing up roads, fixing up public buildings like schools which are crumbling all across America. You know, we also need to get our infrastructure in order, but then putting people in classrooms to help out teachers who are already stressed with so many kids in a classroom.

And the fact is--

SHARPTON: Congressman Ellison, as you"re developing this plan and coming up with legislation, have you gotten just any one Republican to say, "I"ll support that bill"?

ELLISON: No. But you know what? I"m going to keep on asking them. I"m not just going to take no for an answer. I"m going to give them a chance to do the right thing.

SHARPTON: All right. Let me ask you another question.

ELLISON: And if they don"t want to do it, they"re going to be cleared.

SHARPTON: Is there a Republican bill to create jobs in the Congress? Have you heard of any Republican, one Republican that has a job creation bill that they"re proposing before the Congress?

ELLISON: No, they don"t have any jobs bills. Full stop.

SHARPTON: So, the Progressive Caucus jobs tour continues through August? You"ve attended two events in Minneapolis and Detroit. What are you learning and what do you hope to accomplish by the tour?

ELLISON: We"re learning that Americans believe that Congress needs to be creating some jobs.

When we were in Minneapolis, one lady came up and said, who worked for Walmart, that she has three cards. One card she has is her Walmart ID. Another one is her personal ID. And the last one is her welfare card, because she can"t afford to take care of her family on wages they pay her. She"s a manager and makes $9.80 an hour.

Then another young man told us, that because of a good union job, he"s mother was able to put him through school, through a divorce.

And so, we heard--and then in Detroit, we hear people are dealing with foreclosure, how public services are not being provided for across the city of Detroit, because the city just doesn"t have the revenue to do all the things that the residents need the city to do.

SHARPTON: Yes. But, Congressman, to be honest, I"m sure you heard in Minneapolis and Detroit, people are saying, we need you to give more tax cuts to the rich, so it could trickle down? I"m sure that happened, right?

ELLISON: You know what, Reverend? We didn"t hear that. You know,

strangely, we did not hear any trickle down philosophy. What we heard is -

you put America back to work and Americans will be able to pay the taxes they need to pay for government services, to cut the deficit, do anything that is need to be done.

What we got to do is put Americans back to work.

You know, people have been out of work for the longest period of time since the World War II and even the Great Depression. People have been out of work, their skills are deteriorating, they need jobs now, and even the unemployed are being the victims of discrimination.

SHARPTON: That"s right.

ELLISON: Some employers are saying, if you"re unemployed we don"t want to hire you any more. This is wrong.

(CROSSTALK)

SHARPTON: Before I let you go, I have to ask you this, Congressman. Last night on this program, I interviewed Lynne Torgerson, who"s running against you in 2012. Her entire platform is based on anti-Muslim fearmongering.

And she says you support Sharia law over the U.S. Constitution. I asked her three times if she had any evidence to support that charge. She finally came up with this answer.

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LYNNE TORGERSON: He was asked approximately a month ago in a public forum, what he believes, whether he believes--does he believe that the U.S. Constitution should be supreme in the United States or Sharia law? What Mr. Ellison did is actually refuse to answer the question.

SHARPTON: I just played you the tape where he said that to you, so we should not believe what we just saw and heard him say?

TORGERSON: The question posed to Mr. Ellison was: what should be supreme, the U.S. Constitution or Sharia law? He did--he will not say --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHARPTON: H do you respond to an opponent who continues to throw such absurd charges at you?

ELLISON: Well, obviously, the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It"s also the bedrock of American law.

But it"s really all about division, Al, because tomorrow night when people assemble in the Bronx, New York, in Hostos Community College, to talk about jobs, our fourth site on the jobs tour, they don"t care about religion, they don"t care if you"re Muslim, Christian, Jew, black, white, they want jobs.

And so, Lynne doesn"t want to talk about jobs because that"s not on her agenda. That"s not on the Republican agenda. But jobs is on our agenda and we"re going to keep the focus on jobs. Good jobs now. New York City, the Bronx, Hostos Community College tomorrow, 5:30, be there.

SHARPTON: All right. Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, thanks for joining us.

ELLISON: Absolutely. Thank you.

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