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I've waited years for this,
but senator Hillary Clinton |
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has finally agreed to sit
down with me one on one |
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on the day she
announces for president. |
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I'm Chris Matthews,
let's play Hardball. |
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Welcome to Hardball,
I'm Chris Matthews. |
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With us here in the studio for
the first time ever on the show, |
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I'm pleased to be joined
by the junior senator |
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from the state of New York,
Hillary Rodham Clinton. |
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Thank you.
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Senator, may I say,
you're great. |
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Thank you, Chris.
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Now, in order to book you I had
to agree to some ground rules, |
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which I'll be honest, I'm
not totally crazy about. |
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But, as we say in the business,
you're a tough cat, |
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and you're great.
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Again, Chris, you're too kind.
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No, no, you're too kind.
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And as I've mentioned
already, you're also great. |
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But this is Hardball, I've
gotta as you some questions. |
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Uh-oh.
|
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Here it comes.
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This one was actually written
by a member of your staff. |
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You're somehow able to juggle
so many demanding roles: |
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Senator, wife, mother, author,
jurist, statesman, |
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philosopher, teacher,
inventor, warrior, |
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astrophysicist, explorer,
stunt pilot, |
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deep sea diver,
motor cross racer. |
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I guess I don't have a question
exactly, except to say: |
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You're great.
|
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Gosh, Chris, thank you.
You flatter me. |
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Now, I have some questions, too.
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Is it alright if
they're about Iraq? |
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That depends.
May I see them? |
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No.
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No.
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No.
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This one's okay.
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Along with senator Joe Lieberman
you're probably the leading democratic |
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supporter of
the war in Iraq, |
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but this week you
reversed your position. |
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What changed
your mind? |
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As you know Chris,
I've just returned from |
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a fact finding
tour of Iraq, |
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and what I saw there made me
realize we were on the wrong course. |
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What is it you saw in Iraq?
-This. |
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It's from the
International Herald Tribune |
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Hillary's Support of War
Hurts Her with Party Base; |
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Obama Surges to Lead
in Latest Poll of Democrats |
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That's not good.
|
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And this newspaper is
what you saw in Iraq? |
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Exactly. It came free in my hotel
room along with U.S.A. Today. |
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So, what's your
new plan for Iraq? |
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Chris, this week I'll introduce a resolution
calling for a greatly speeded up withdrawal |
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of U.S. forces with a
specific trigger mechanism. |
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For every 1 point increase in
senator Obama's pole numbers, |
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7,500 U.S. troops will
have to be withdrawn. |
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Of course, if his pole
numbers should collapse, |
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or, if he drops out of the race,
the troops can stay in Iraq. |
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I get it, but what about those
democratic primary voters |
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who are still upset about
your initial vote for the war? |
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Chris, I think most
democrats know me. |
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They understand that my support
for the war was always insincere. |
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Of course, knowing
what we know now, |
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that you could vote against the
war and still be elected president, |
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I would never have
pretended to support it. |
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Uh-huh.
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I mean, for heaven's sake,
look at my record. |
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I don't even support
necessary wars. |
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But a lot of democrats like the fact
that Obama was always against the war. |
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Chris, let me say something
about senator Obama, |
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for whom I have
the greatest respect. |
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He seems to take positions
based on studying an issue |
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and then following
his convictions. |
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Which is perfectly alright.
|
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But suppose he were to go to Iraq
and conclude that the war was necessary, |
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after all, he might
decide to support it. |
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Can we really trust
someone like that? |
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I never looked
at it that way. |
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Whereas with me,
the democratic base knows |
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I'm not going to reverse my
stance on the war a second time. |
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Unless, of course,
they want me to. |
