MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript: Minimum Wage

Interview

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MATTHEWS: Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina is assistant Democratic leader of the Democratic Party and a long-time advocate of raising the minimum wage. Also joining us now is NBC News political reporter Kasie Hunt. Kasie, hold on. I want to go to the congressman on this for a minute.

Congressman, I`m curious, is this going to be an issue for the Democrats or a victory? Which -- because it can`t be -- if you win, you win before November, before the House adjourns.

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D), SOUTH CAROLINA: Right.

MATTHEWS: If you don`t win, you talk about it. What`s the goal, win or talk about it in the election?

CLYBURN: It`s always to win. I would much rather see the people on Main Street of America, those hard-working men and women, get the raise that they deserve. That`s why we are doing this.

We believe that to raise the minimum wage will lift a couple of million people out of poverty. It will affect, as we said earlier -- 60 percent of the people who are affected by the minimum wage are women. And we -- so many of those women are heads of households. So that`s what we want to do. We want to give America a raise, and we`ll worry about the politics of it later.

MATTHEWS: Well, let me ask you about the politics of it, because I got to talk about it now, because I`m not sure this thing can win.

You have got 199 members of your caucus. The Republicans have 232. They - - you need 218.

CLYBURN: Right.

MATTHEWS: So, you need at least -- if you get every single Democrat, man and woman, you get -- you`re still short 19.

CLYBURN: Yes.

MATTHEWS: How are you going to get those Republicans, the moderate Republicans, reasonable Republicans, mostly from the Northeast and Midwest, to vote with you? How do you put the pressure on these guys to sign your petition?

CLYBURN: I do believe that, if all the Democrats were to sign this discharge petition -- and I have already heard there are two or three Republicans who said they are open to this -- then I believe that the pressure comes from the voters.

Over 70 percent of the American people say that we ought to raise the minimum wage. And so it won`t be us doing it. We will have done our part when we sign. I was number 111 today, which means we only need 107 more. So I would hope that we can get to that, because all we are asking is for a vote, and then let the people decide whether or not they want to vote for it, but just bring it to the floor. And that`s all this does.

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you -- well, you are an expert at politics and civil rights. I have great respect for you.

CLYBURN: Thank you.

MATTHEWS: But let me suggest some street tactics. Why don`t you go into those districts, in those suburban districts around Philly, with Meehan`s district and Fitzpatrick and to Gerlach, go to those districts, go to Peter King out there in Long Island, go into their districts and to talk radio, put a tag team in there, a bunch of your leaders, women, too, especially women, and get in there and talk it up?

And then go into the guy`s office and say, are you going to sign or not? And when he says no, you come out and say he refused to sign. Build on the fact that he is refusing you, not wait for the guy -- hit him for not signing now. What is going to change between now and November? Make him say no. And when he says no, you nail him. Just a thought.

CLYBURN: Well, I think you -- oh, I agree with you.

We do plan to do that. And we do plan for our challengers out there to raise this issue, run on this issue. And I really believe it is a winning issue. We have seen that even in a statewide race down in Kentucky. The lady down there who is running for United States Senate is pushing the minimum wage as one of the things that she is for.

I believe this is a winning issue for any of our people who are challenging out in those districts like Pennsylvania and New York.

MATTHEWS: OK.

Congressman Clyburn, I want you to watch now what governor -- the governor of Connecticut was a powerhouse here on last night. He came on last night. I mean, I had -- I couldn`t stop him.

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: Here is how he made his case. He was fighting with Bobby Jindal down at the White House. He came on here last night and kept the fight going. Here is how he made the case, machine gun-style, on HARDBALL last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. DANNEL MALLOY (D), CONNECTICUT: Let me point this out.

The people who will benefit the most are women. And women support it by 79 percent. We need to move people out of poverty. We particularly need to move women out of poverty.

Women in our country deserve to work 40 hours a week and not live in poverty.

Women in our country deserve a minimum wage that will allow -- lift them out of poverty to raise their children, to raise their families, and to contribute.

Either you`re for women, either you`re for building a middle class, or you`re against it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: Pretty good, huh, Congressman?

CLYBURN: Absolutely. I could not have said it better myself.

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: Well, you might well after --

(CROSSTALK)

CLYBURN: I think that he --

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Just listen to this guy.

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: I love the way that -- let`s bring in Kasie Hunt on the numbers.

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MATTHEWS: Yes, he is in a right-to-work state.

Congressman Clyburn, you got -- you are hopeful of this happening, right?

You think we`re getting a higher minimum wage, for the women especially?

CLYBURN: Oh, I really do believe it`s possible to do.

I think you are exactly right. Both of you, I think, are right on the money. We have to create a climate among the electorate to make them clamor for this. We are not going to be able to make it happen ourselves. All we can do is get our people to sign, get our challengers to run on this issue. And those of us here need to go out there in the hustings and help them make this the issue that it can be.

And if we do it, then I do believe that we can see some people saying to Mr. Boehner, you got to bring this to the floor.

MATTHEWS: Well, HARDBALL supports a $10.10 national minimum wage, sir.

Now it is official. You heard it here.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Thank you, Congressman Jim Clyburn.

Great respect for this fellow.

Thanks for coming on.

CLYBURN: Thank you for having me.

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