MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Economy

Interview

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REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY, (D) ILLINOIS: Thank you, Ed.

SCHULTZ: Your response to this constant drumbeat that seems to be taking place on the right by the conservatives who say we need a replay?

SCHAKOWSKY: The only words that I ever want to hear again from Dick Cheney and all those neocons is an apology, that`s what I want to hear, for getting us into the most consequential and far reaching foreign policy debacle perhaps in the history of this country.

But, Ed, I want to you to know there`s good news in a poll that was taken that most people support the Obama approach rather than the Cheney approach. Only 20 percent of Americans believe that we should have left our troops in Iraq. And 67 percent of Americans think it`s because this historic battle that`s been going on, sectarian battle. But also, the Iraq war that exacerbated everything and made it worse, and as you said was based on really two lies; that Saddam Hussein had anything to do with Al Qaeda; and two, that there were weapons of map distraction.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

SCHAKOWSKY: Two things we hear over and over again.

SCHULTZ: Congresswoman, Iraq belonged to the leadership of Maliki. He wanted us out. Correct me if I`m wrong. He came to Washington and he told members of Congress, "You signed it, you`re getting out." President Obama was saying, "Wait a minute. Let`s make sure we do this right." and they could not come up to a forces agreement because of the immunity to protect American soldiers in a conflict. Is that right or is that wrong? Because it seems like the conservatives are leaving that out.

SCHAKOWSKY: No, that is absolutely correct. Barack Obama was negotiating with Maliki. And let`s remember, there`s a lot of bad guys in Iraq and Maliki is a problem that we have right now. But it was really a problem started under George Bush and Dick Cheney when they absolutely decimated the hornet`s nest and opened up sectarian violence in Iraq, they got rid of all of the Sunnis that -- and any power that they had. And Maliki now wants to continue that and not have a unity government. And certainly did not want the United States of America to be there.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

SCHAKOWSKY: Plain and simple.

SCHULTZ: And Congresswoman, finally, I know that Congressional leaders met with the president this afternoon to talk about the situation in Iraq. Are Congressional members supporting the president and his move to put 300 troops over there, which really is a move for protection in case we have to totally exit out of there. The support on Capitol Hill, characterize it for us.

SCHAKOWSKY: Well, I really can`t characterize it yet until we have a caucus and we talk about what the options are. But as I said, I think the American people and the Democrats want to see what the President is saying and to do the sensible thing. The kinds of options that Dick Cheney would have us do would be putting us back into Iraq .

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

SCHAKOWSKY: . making more troops in Afghanistan, and creating more dead Americans and Iraqis and Afghans as well.

SCHULTZ: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky in Chicago here on the EdShow. I appreciate your time tonight. Thank you so much.

SCHAKOWSKY: Thank you, Ed.

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