Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

President Obama Holds News Conference; Interview With Congressman Trey Radel

Aired October 08, 2013 - 15:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So there the president of the United States at length responding to the criticism he's been getting from Republicans in the House of Representatives in the Senate, 65 minutes, 15-minute opening statement.

Then he answered reporters' questions, a lot of reporters' questions on a whole host of the aspects involving the government shutdown and the need to raise the nation's debt ceiling, even a question as far as the international response to what's going on and a strong defense of the most recent commando raids in Somalia and Libya.

Lots to dissect, lots to assess. Stephanie Cutter is here. She's one of the co-hosts of "CROSSFIRE." S.E. Cupp is here as well. Gloria Borger is here. We will bring in our correspondents, Jim Acosta, Dana Bash, Christine Romans as well.

But, Gloria, very quickly to you.

I did not hear the president budge on the key issue right now as far as the speaker of the House, John Boehner, is concerned. Boehner says, we have to negotiate the debt ceiling resolution. We have to negotiate raising of the -- ending the government shutdown.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Right.

BLITZER: The president basically saying, all that is up for negotiation, but not within the context of these two ransom demands, as he calls them.

BORGER: Right. Right. This was not an olive branch kind of a press conference. This was a president sort of hanging firm.

And if you were to do kind of a word cloud about the words that the president was using at this press conference, it would be hostage, ransom, nuclear bomb, insane, catastrophic, chaos, just a few of the words -- of the words that he was using.

STEPHANIE CUTTER, CO-HOST, "CROSSFIRE": The better ones.

BORGER: He did indicate that he thought John Boehner ought to hold a vote today, pass a clean resolution, and then he said, look, I'm willing to do -- I'm willing to talk to you guys about anything afterwards. There seemed to be a little wiggle room on whether there could be a short-term continuing resolution and debt ceiling, wrap it into one, and then attach some kind of a process to move forward on that, which is an idea that some Republicans have circulated.

But his bottom line was, look, either you're going to negotiate or you're not going to negotiate. Either we're going to talk or we're not going to talk. And until we fund the government and make sure we pay our credit card bills, sorry.

BLITZER: S.E. Cupp, did you hear anything new, anything positive, anything that would encourage Republicans to say, well, there's a deal there, we just have to finesse it a little bit?

S.E. CUPP, CO-HOST, "CROSSFIRE": No. This was the president's attempt to look open and fair-minded and negotiable. I'm here, I'm willing, I'm ready, come to me.

But, apparently, reportedly, he called Speaker Boehner's office earlier today just to tell him, I'm not going to negotiate on this.

Look, the president's position on the debt ceiling is the extreme position. The debt ceiling is something that is routinely negotiated. It's been negotiated a number of times. And most Americans, if you look at any number of polls, believe that the debt ceiling should be attached to spending cuts, because for all of the president's real world examples of defaulting on your mortgage and failing to pay off your car note, the real world example is that people understand you only up your credit line as a result of good financial behavior, not profligate spending with no checks in sight.

So, that analogy doesn't work for the American people. And his unwillingness to negotiate on this issue really puts him in the extreme minority on this issue.

BLITZER: As you know, Stephanie, the Republicans think they have a very strong talking point when you hear the speaker say, I just want to have a conversation. I want to negotiate. And then the president basically says, on these two fundamental issues, no negotiation.

CUTTER: Well, I think what the president did today is clarify a couple of facts for the American people.

And that is, you know, if you want to negotiate, pay your bills. Turn the lights back on in the government. And then we can sit down and negotiation. But do your job. I'm not going to do your job for you.

And let's be clear about what the debt limit is. The president said this in his press conference. This is money already spent. This is not upping your credit card limit. It's already spent. You have already charged this. And you have to pay it. And Congress is the one that obligated that spending.

You know, what they're trying to do, it's also not exactly clear what Republicans want here. They're no longer talking about Obamacare. And that's why we shut down the government. And, as the president said, Democrats have been trying to negotiate over a long-term budget that would reduce the deficit, put important reforms in place for Medicare and Medicaid, cut spending, and pay our bills for months. We have tried to negotiate 19 different times, and Republicans have shut that down.

And now, with the debt ceiling looming, they want to talk, they want to negotiate? You know, I know the president said extortion several times, but that's what this is. It's extortion.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: We have a Republican congressman, Trey Radel, joining us from Florida right now.

I know you're from Florida, but you're here in Washington in the Congress, Congressman.

I assume you were listening to the president of the United States. Did you hear something encouraging from him that would lead you to believe this government shutdown will end and the nation's debt ceiling will be lifted?

REP. TREY RADEL (R), FLORIDA: No.

He had a press conference to talk about what he was not going to talk about. Look, if I can just have a moment of honesty and then be a policy nerd for a second, look, this entire place is failing the American people, period.

There's a real conversation that needs to be had here, where the adults need to come to the table, as Republicans are asking, and let's talk about what matters. And that's this, to be that policy nerd for a second.

Every single dollar that this government receives simply goes to Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security. Pretty much everything else is borrowed. And unless we do something about this, in the big picture with Obamacare and with entitlements, in the future, short future, we may not have any of these things that the poor, the needy, and our seniors are dependent on.

The adults need to come to the table here. And that's really all we're asking.

BLITZER: Well, so, what's your proposal, Congressman? How would you get the government fully operational once again right now?

You know the positions of both sides, the speaker's position. You know the president's position. How do you fix this?

RADEL: Well, how do you fix it? I'm here nine months. And I promise you I'm working as hard as I can. But I think that the adults need to come to the table here.

And every time that you hear the president say that he's not going to negotiate, not going to talk, I'm sorry, but this is democracy. Republicans are a small part of this picture. The Democrats are in the Senate and the White House. Democracy works through compromise, through talking, and through negotiating.

And that's what we need to do. And you know what? In the past, with Clinton, with Bush, and with Reagan, deals were made and done, including under President Obama, over the debt ceiling and things like a C.R.

BLITZER: Would you be willing to accept some other concessions from the president, but forget about Obamacare for now, in order to vote for favor of legislation in the House of Representatives that would end the government shutdown?

RADEL: I'm open to all ideas here. That's why I keep going back to the really big picture here, which is not to throw out -- go on CNN, throw out talking points to you about Obamacare or this or that.

The big picture is how we are responsible to the American people. My door is open to President Obama and any Democrat that I'm serving with today to find ways, to find solutions and get something done here.

BLITZER: And on the debt ceiling, are you open to voting in favor of raising the debt ceiling by October 17?

RADEL: We will see. I want to make sure that -- again, I cannot stress this enough -- the adults come to the table here, we find some solutions and move forward in a way that is responsible to you.

BLITZER: One final question, Congressman. You appreciate what could happen to the overall U.S. economy, so many of the middle class, your constituents out there, if the U.S. defaults on some of its financial obligations?

RADEL: I understand that.

And I understand the ramifications of what we're looking at on both sides of the issue. I understand the ramifications that if we don't do anything, our government, our country is going to be in a terrible, terrible, awful situation.

We default, again, a pretty bad situation. I think that we're willing -- I know that we're willing to be able to come to the table, get something done, and make sure that we do not have catastrophic consequences for our country and our economy.

BLITZER: Because when you said "We will see" when I asked you if you're willing to vote to raise the debt ceiling, that leaves open the possibility you wouldn't vote for it.

RADEL: Wolf, you know, we will see. I want -- I'm not going to sit here and speculate, but I know what else I'm not going to do. I'm not going to accept that this president or Harry Reid simply shutting the door on all of our faces.

This is democracy. This is about compromise. This is about working together when you have a divided government. Seriously, is that too much to ask? I know that I'm a freshman here, but, really, is it too much to ask for a little compromise, some negotiation, to put us on a better, more sound path for the American people? I don't think so.

BLITZER: Congressman Trey Radel, Republican of Florida, thanks very much for joining us.

RADEL: Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity.