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Interview with Barack Obama
May 20, 2008 3:16 PM
See transcript below of my interview today with Sen. Barack Obama. Tune into WORLD NEWS WITH CHARLES GIBSON tonight to see the full report.
JAKE TAPPER: What is your reaction to the news that Sen. Kennedy has a brain tumor?
BARACK OBAMA: Well, it's heartbreaking. Ted Kennedy is not only a giant of the Senate but he's a good friend. You couldn't have a better supporter than Ted Kennedy. And I had spoken to him just a couple of days ago, right after the seizure and had been staying in touch with Vicki. We were a little more optimistic at that point. Obviously the news came in today and it's a lot worse, but he's a fighter. He's been fighting on behalf of working families all his life, (he's been working for) civil rights for people who don't have a voice in Washington. It's a testament to how beloved he is that you are seeing well wishers from across the aisle from everyone in political life and Massachusetts. I hope he will be O.K. and I will do everything I can to make sure his family has support at this difficult time.
TAPPER: The statement from the hospital made no mention of surgery, which may indicate doctors don't hold out much hope that would be a successful course of action. What's your understanding of the treatment he will pursue?
OBAMA: I'll leave that to the doctors to talk about but obviously it's a serious situation. Vicki and the rest of the family are going to need a lot of support at this time. Ted Kennedy has supported so many people, including me, through the years, we have to be there for him during this difficult time.
TAPPER: Sen. McCain today criticized you for flip-flopping on whether the embargo against Cuba should be lifted and criticized your willingness to sit down with raoul castro as naïve. Your response?
OBAMA: This is a typical approach of John McCain and that is to distort my record and embrace George Bush's record. The fact is, eight years go John McCain suggested maybe we should lift the embargo and since that time nothing's change. We don't see more freedom for the people of Cuba but John McCain is embracing the same no talk, hard line attitude that has led to no progress and no improved conditions of the Cuban people for 50 years.
Let's be very clear about what I've said. We should look at loosening up remitances and travel restrictions for Cuban Americans so they can travel to the island, be with their families, and send money there as a gesture of good faith as Fidel Castro is transitioning. I also think we should open direct talks with Cubans without any preconditions but with a whole lot of preparation. Unless they release political prisoners, start instituting free press, and other steps to democratize the island, we won't lift the embargo. But we are looking to normalize the situation. That's common sense. That's the new approach to foreign policy that is needed because the last eight years won't work for the next president and John McCain keeps embracing policies that don't work and that is part of what this election will be all about.
TAPPER: You're likely to be the Democratic nominee but you will also likely lose Kentucky overwhelmingly tonight, and one of the reasons for the likely loss is what's been evident in previous primaries -- Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia -- your message is not resonating with white working class voters. Do you acknowledge that this is a problem and how do you intend on remedying that for the general election?
OBAMA: I really think that has been overstated. It hasn't been a problem in Virginia or a problem in Iowa or a problem in Minnesota. In fact, in Indiana we did almost as well as Sen. Clinton in many of these areas and that fact is, when you look at recent polls coming out of Pennslyvania, where this was supposed to be an enormous problem, I'm up significantly over John McCain. Sen. Clinton is a formidable candidate. It shouldn't be surprising there are a number of voters who would like to see her as a nominee. That doesn't mean they won't support us in a general election anymore than it meant they get a large proportion of African American voters that African Americans wouldn't vote for Sen. Clinton if she ended up being the nominee.
TAPPER: Do you agree with Sen. Clinton's complaint that she has been the victim of a sexist media in this campaign?
OBAMA: No doubt there are certain burdens for Sen. Clinton running as a formidable but first time frontrunner as a woman in the same way I've got to deal with some issues as an African American. Ultimately, I think the American people are fair minded and for those who would not vote either for myself or Sen. Clinton because of gender or race there are those who are excited about the prospects of the first woman or African American (nominee). There is no doubt there have been occassions where Sen. Clinton has had to overcome particular hurdles and that is part of the groundbreaking nature of her campaign.
TAPPER: In recent days, it has seemed that some of your staffers and supporters have walked back from your statement that you would be willing to meet with the leaders of rogue nations, countries hostile to the U.S., without preconditions. Your foreign policy adviser Susan Rice said you wouldn't necessarily meet with Ahmadinejad, Sen. Daschle said of course there would be conditions -- (Obama interrupts)
OBAMA: You know, Jake, I have to say I completely disagree that people have been walking back from anything. They may be correcting the characterizations or distortions of John McCain or others of what I said. What I said was I would meet with our adversaries including Iran, including Venezula, including Cuba, including North Korea, without preconditions but that does not mean without preparation.
TAPPER: Well, what's the difference?
OBAMA: There's a huge difference. When you talk about Iran, for example, the Bush administration's position has been we won't have talks with Iran until they agree to everything we want to them to agree to. That's not diplomacy. That's asking them to do what they say and then acknowledge we are willing to meet with them. That's not how diplomacy works. That's not how Ronald Reagan operated with Gorbachev or Kennedy with Khruschev or Nixon with Mao.
There are a whole seris of steps that need to be taken before you have a presidential meeting but that doesn't mean you expect the other side to agree to every item on your list. That has been the attitude of the Bush administration and that will change when I'm President of the United States. What we are doing now hasn't worked. Iran is stronger now than when George Bush took office. The Cuban people are no more free than when George Bush took office. The one area we saw progress, North Korea, and that is in direct proportion to the Bush administration's reversing itself and participating in the six-party talks when early on they refused and (North Korea) developed nuclear weapons they didn't have when George Bush took office. We will return to common sense, bipartisan approach to diplomacy that existed before George Bush. In fact, his father practiced the same diplomacy I'm talking about.
- jpt
May 20, 2008 in Weblogs | Permalink | Share | User Comments (45)
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Senator Obama has been more than fair to the racists. He doesn't owe them anything, yet he maintains a respectable distance between his campaign and the race card which would be sooo easy to pull.
This is a reflection of how he would deal with our adversaries. He would be stern and humble, yet realistic. There is no progress without diplomacy and that is just what Obama has to offer.
Posted by: Gabriel | May 20, 2008 5:05:43 PM
Senator Obama has been more than fair to the racists. He doesn't owe them anything, yet he maintains a respectable distance between his campaign and the race card which would be sooo easy to pull.
This is a reflection of how he would deal with our adversaries. He would be stern and humble, yet realistic. There is no progress without diplomacy and that is just what Obama has to offer.
Posted by: Gabriel | May 20, 2008 5:05:35 PM
Karen, insulting Clinton supporters will not get them to vote for Obama. Obama supporters had better start thinking for themselves.
Posted by: tww | May 20, 2008 5:03:10 PM
Hillary sid, "DUCK! Incoming sniper fire! Oh Wait, its a little girl reading a poem. I am ready to be your commander in chief."
Posted by: power2people | May 20, 2008 4:28:18 PM
fat cat:
it is clear that you have no idea what you are talking about.
it's Obama and ONLY Obama who is willing to track down bin Laden wherever he is and pursue him and bring him to justice.
it's bush's war in iraq and scare tactics re: iran that is keeping us from that actual goal.
please read up on what you are saying, as you appear ignorant and ill-informed.
Posted by: invisible_hand | May 20, 2008 4:24:08 PM
Iran let the hostages go becasue Carter was gone. Carter made the deal with the Shah. Reagan had nothing to do with it. Remember, North and Reagan dealt with them later.. I mean real deals, for arms. Every hostage came home alive. that was Carters goal. He did it.
Posted by: power2people | May 20, 2008 4:23:49 PM
@Karen,
How arrogant and elitist you are.
How transparant you are.
You'll need us if he becomes the nominee.
Look like you don't like us anyway,,,so we will not support him in the GE.
Good luck!
Posted by: catleya | May 20, 2008 4:21:26 PM
PA voted for Clinton not for Obama. Nobody wants Obama. The media is pushing him, but Democrats won't support him in the GE.
Posted by: libre | May 20, 2008 4:13:43 PM
karen said: "Are you guys intentionally misspelling words so the Hillary Clinton's CORE group can follow?"
How elite of you.
Posted by: cappamore | May 20, 2008 4:10:35 PM
Obama said:
It shouldn't be surprising there are a number of voters who would like to see her as a nominee.
That does not mean they won't support us in GE anymore than it meant that get a large proportion of AA votes that AA wouldn't vote for Sen. Clinton if she ended up being the nominee.
No, finally he admitted race plays in this election but Clintons are not allowed to say it.
Posted by: catleya | May 20, 2008 4:08:35 PM
Hi ABC,
Are you guys intentionally misspelling words so the Hillary Clinton's CORE group can follow? Are you nervous if you spell everything correctly they will start thinking you are ELITE as well? Go back and check this document for spelling errors again.
Posted by: Karen | May 20, 2008 4:03:58 PM
.... but were the delegates always
UP FOR SALE to the highest bidder?
Isn't this akin to the selling of the presidency?
To me something smells rotten about
this. really really rotten!
Posted by: earful | May 20, 2008 3:49:36 PM
spock,
PA was smart enough not to go for bush the last 2 elections. PA will again choose the better candidate by going for Obama. There is no real comparison when you compare OLD man mc-more-war to Obama. This country cannot survive another bush term which is what mc-more-war would provide. Voters will realize this in the next couple months. Obama 2008!!
Posted by: pt | May 20, 2008 3:46:03 PM
bhrandonb -
You don't know what I was talking about? Then, ask your political Jesus his understanding of national security and threat of Iran.
On a different note, if you do not know what you are supporting, why are you supporting him any way??????
Posted by: fat cat | May 20, 2008 3:44:50 PM
I see Obama wants to pull a Carter and tell Cuba to release their political prisoners, like Carter, but what happened was Castro emptied his jails of everyone and sent them here!!
He is dangerous, whats even scarier is that he will not talk to Americans but will talk to murderers!!
By the way another difference between Soviets andIran, Soviets did not want to commit suicide.
Also the EU was talking to Iran without preconditions. and see where that got!!
Obama is a joke!
Posted by: spock | May 20, 2008 3:43:23 PM
Obama said:
THAT’S NOT DIPLOMACY. THAT’S ASKING THEM TO DO WHAT THEY SAY AND THEN ACKNOWLEDGE WE ARE WILLING TO MEET WITH THEM. THAT’S NOT HOW DIPLOMACY WORKS. THAT’S NOT HOW RONALD REAGAN OPERATED WITH GORBCHEV OR KENNEDY WITH KRUSCHEV OR NIXON WITH MAO. THERE ARE A WHOLE SERIS OF STEPS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN BEFORE YOU WOULD HAVE A PRESIDENTIAL METING, BUT THAT HAS TO BE SETTING AN AGENDA AND FAITH AND HAVING A CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATION.
------
I wish you would have asked him the follow up question of what the goal of these talks would be. Once we get past the preparation and agenda (but not preconditions!) and faith and have the conversation.
At the Texas debate Obama said:
" [Obama] Because the problem is, if we think that meeting with the president is a privilege that has to be earned, I think that reinforces the sense that we stand above the rest of the world at this point in time. And I think that it's important for us in undoing the damage that has been done over the last seven years, for the president to be willing to take that extra step.
That is the kind of step that I would like to take as president of the United States. "
He wants to meet with Ahmadinijad and Castro just to prove the US does not hold itself above the rest of the world. He wants to meet with them to take the aura of privilege away from meeting POTUS.
Posted by: MayBee | May 20, 2008 3:43:23 PM
Nancy - I'm a white working class rural Indiana mom and proud supporter of Obama.
Maybe you should go light on the stereotypes?
Posted by: Lynne | May 20, 2008 3:43:23 PM
Why can't Obama honestly address questions about his failure to connect with white working class voters? His assertion about Indiana is patently false--he lost that demographic 70/30 there and only partially compensated for it with a super majority in the african american vote. In fact, since his bone headed comments before Pennsylvania, the erosion of his support with white working class voters has been startling. Citing results in the Iowa caucus may make him feel better, but it is not going to help him win in November. Neither is this white woman Dem.
Posted by: Nancy | May 20, 2008 3:41:36 PM
Even there are the usual uninformed bloggers on here that like to bash, I'd like to point some major things Senator Kennedy has done. He always fought for raising the minimum wage which the republicans always fought against. He was a major sponsor of the family-leave-act which republicans also fought against. He has always fought to improve the health-care of all Americans. Our prayers are with you Senator Kennedy.
Posted by: pt | May 20, 2008 3:40:28 PM
I don't think Obama is anti Muslim. The problem is that many Americans are ignorant because they accept what the media has given them. Many Americans believe that to be Muslim is to be an enemy of America. As evident of this, tell me how many muslims actually have positive roles on television. More often the roles they play are terrorist in nature.
Posted by: K Eldridge | May 20, 2008 3:35:28 PM
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