MTP Transcript for Feb. 4, 2007

MR. RUSSERT: Let me ask you about an interview on “ The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”  Here’s the clip right here.

(Videotape, January 10, 2007)

SEN. EDWARDS: Could I have beaten Bush?

MR. JAY LENO: Yeah.

SEN. EDWARDS: Oh, yeah.

(End of videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: “ Could I have beaten Bush? Oh, yeah.”  How could you have beaten Bush, and John Kerry and John Edwards together couldn’t beat him?

SEN. EDWARDS: Oh, I—first of all, I wouldn’t take that too seriously. I was on Leno, remember? I, I don’t think I know, looking back, what would have happened if, if we—either—anybody besides John Kerry, including me, had been the nominee. You, you have to have confidence when you’re running for president that you could actually be president.

MR. RUSSERT: Looking at the race now, you have Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina. Is that your strategy, roll through those four states and lock up the nomination?

SEN. EDWARDS: My strategy is to demonstrate to voters and caucus-goers that I am prepared to be president of the United States, and I’m what we need as president of the United States, and that I’m doing it because I want to serve my country. That’s my strategy. And that I want every voter, every—one of the reasons I’m glad you’re having me on the show for the whole time is I want every voter in, in any of these states and in America to know where I stand, to know what I would do as president of the United States, and to know what the differences are between me and the other candidates. I think that, that I start off in a very strong place, but that’s why we have campaigns.

MR. RUSSERT: What is your biggest difference with Hillary Clinton?

SEN. EDWARDS: I think we have a difference about what we’re—from what I’ve heard—from—about what we ought to do in Iraq right now. We have a difference, at least up until now, about how we feel about the vote that we cast with respect to, to Iraq. I don’t know whether Senator Clinton will have a universal health care plan. I have—if she does, I haven’t heard it yet. She might. I think that—I think there are substance differences.

MR. RUSSERT: And differences with Barack Obama?

SEN. EDWARDS: Less so. I think that Barack Obama, because he is relatively new to national politics, it’s, it’s not as clear to me where he stands on, on, on issues. And, and no, I’m not faulting him for that, I just—I think he just hasn’t been around as long, so he doesn’t have as long a track record, so.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you think two years in the U.S. Senate is enough experience to be president of the United States?

SEN. EDWARDS: I don’t think the test should be how many years you’ve been in the United States Senate. I think the test is do you have the depth and maturity and the personal characteristics of leadership that America needs in its president? And I think that test will be applied to me, to Senator Clinton, to Senator Obama, and every other person running.

MR. RUSSERT: What’s the most important lesson you learned from running for president in 2004?

SEN. EDWARDS: That what America needs is leadership, not politicians. We need a leader who has strong—a strong sense of beliefs.

MR. RUSSERT: Are you a different candidate?

SEN. EDWARDS: A leader—oh yeah, of course. Yeah. I hope so. I know a lot more, I’ve worked a lot harder, I’ve seen what’s happening around this country, and I’ve spent about half my time either overseas or working on issues overseas. I think I have a, a different level of maturity.

MR. RUSSERT: Colts vs. Bears?

SEN. EDWARDS: I wish the Panthers were playing. I, I—I’m going to be for the Colts. My mother...

MR. RUSSERT: There goes—there goes the Illinois primary.

SEN. EDWARDS: I know. So be it. I’ll live with that. Senator Obama’s running anyway. My mother went to high school with Jimmy Orr, who used to be a wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts, so I’ve always been sort of fond of them.

MR. RUSSERT: I won’t get to Boston College, North Carolina...

SEN. EDWARDS: Please.

MR. RUSSERT: ...but that, that’s coming. Senator John Edwards, we thank you very much for coming on here and sharing your views.

SEN. EDWARDS: Thank you, Tim.

MR. RUSSERT: And our Meet the Candidate series will continue as we talk to the candidates between now and 2008 election. We’ll be right back.

(Announcements)

MR. RUSSERT: That’s all for today. We’ll be back next week. If it’s Sunday, it’s MEET THE PRESS. Congratulations number 34, Thurman Thomas, Buffalo Bills, heading for the Hall of Fame.

MR. TIM RUSSERT:

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