DAVID SHUSTER: It was just 15 months ago — November 2010 — when House Democrats suffered a crushing a defeat, losing 63 seats and handing control of the chamber to the GOP. Looking ahead, the Democrats will need to gain 25 seats to take back the House and regain control of the legislative agenda.
In our fourth story in the "Countdown" — there's some new polling that is giving Democrats high hopes for taking back the house this November. And that is fueling some drama in the political fight over a proposed oil pipeline that would run down the middle of the United States.
A recent poll shows more voters believe Republicans in Congress have brought the wrong kind of change to the country than the right kind, 31 to 12 percent and that's a stark contrast to what voters thought would happen soon after Republicans took control. After the last congressional elections, 25 percent thought Republicans would bring the right kind of change, versus 20 percent who thought they would bring the wrong kind.
And it gets worse for the GOP. In a recent poll by voters, by an 11 point margin, voters say they prefer Democrats to take control of the House, rather than see Republicans maintain control. To that end, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has unveiled its first list of candidates for the 2012 edition of the "Red to Blue" program, which is an effort to offer assistance to what they've identified as the most competitive Democratic campaigns in their "Drive to 25."
One issue that will certainly be at the forefront of many of these fights — the Keystone XL oil pipeline. President Obama rejected the proposal to build a pipeline through the United States, linking Alberta's oil sands with the Gulf of Mexico. But on Sunday, with polls showing a strong majority of American's supporting the pipeline, House Speaker John Boehner said his party is going to continue its push through bills that would get around the administration's rejection.
(Excerpt from video clip) JOHN BOEHNER: If it's not enacted before we take up the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs act, it will be part of it.
SHUSTER: As the political maneuvering continues today, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox, director of the anti-drilling documentary "Gasland," was arrested while trying to film a congressional hearing on the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Republicans on the committee objected to filming, and instructed Capitol Hill police to arrest Fox when he refused to leave. Fox did not have proper credentials, but an ABC News crew — which did — they were also denied access.
Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who has served in the House for two decades called the arrest an outrage. Saying in a statement, "It is a matter of routine that all sorts of people photograph and record our proceedings. Most of them are not accredited. I cannot recall anyone questioning their right to be there. I cannot understand why any chairman, for any reason, would order the arrest of a noted filmmaker who was only recording the hearing and not in any way disrupting it."
Joining us now, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair, Congressman Steve Israel. Congressman, thanks for your time tonight.
STEVE ISRAEL: Great to be with you.
SHUSTER: First, on the pipeline. A poll just conducted by the National Journal found that 64 percent of Americans support the pipeline, 22 percent oppose, 13 percent undecided. And among self-identified Democrats, 51 percent support the pipeline, just 33 percent oppose it. I appreciate the environmental concerns, but is it wise, politically, for Democrats to fight this thing? Don't the Republicans have you cornered?
ISRAEL: No, they don't have us cornered. In fact, I would imagine that if you polled the American people before the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the majority of the American people might have supported that, and then — when the well erupted — the vast majority of the American people said, "Wait a minute, maybe we shouldn't go that fast. Maybe we understand that before you can approve something you have to prove that it is safe." That's my first point.
Let me give you my second point. These Republicans, this is why they are so — they are sliding down this hill. This is why the bottom is dropping out of them, because they are hypocrites. When in the history of tax cuts did the Republican party ever condition a tax cut on an oil pipeline or on anything else?
SHUSTER: Right, but now they're backing away from — they're now backing away from attaching it to the whole issue of tax cuts. Boehner's now saying, "Well, we'll just attach it to the energy bill," and get around the president that way.
ISRAEL: This is why the American people no longer trust them and this is why there's this buyers remorse. This is not an issue. This is not how you expand an economy. This is how you try and arrest your free fall in the polls. This has nothing to do with jobs, it has nothing to do with the economy. This is a political stunt by the Republicans. They started, specifically by saying, "We'll only do a tax cut for the middle class if we get this oil pipeline." Then they got burned on that. They've got to begin working with Democrats to expand our economy and not to continue to — to increase the political stunts that they've been doing for the past year.
SHUSTER: Given the stunts, though, that — obviously — they're going to try to pull — your "Drive for 25," what are the issues you want those competitive lawmakers to try and campaign on?
ISRAEL: Well, job creation and reinvesting in the middle class. We are in the business of reigniting the American dream and we have work to do.
The Republican party has proven — time and time again, since they took the majority of the House of Representatives, just over years ago — that every time they have a choice between the privileged and the private sector, the privileged and the middle class, they choose the privileged.
They have made choices, every step of the way, to end Medicare; to shut down the federal government over a woman's right to get health care from Planned Parenthood; to take Medicare away from seniors in order to fund tax breaks for big oil companies. So, our candidates around the country are focusing on — how do you reignite the American dream, rebuild the middle class and restore economic strength?
SHUSTER: Are they particular districts, though, where you are concentrating your efforts in? And what kind of candidates are you hoping for in those races?
ISRAEL: Look, we need 25 seats to take the House back and this House is in play. Now, I'm not saying we're going to win the majority, but it is going to be razor close. And why will it be razor close? Because of the quality of candidate that is running. We have seats in play all over the country and our candidates are problem solvers. They are mayors. They are police chiefs.
We have a guy named Jose Hernandez running in California. He is a NASA astronaut. He's the son of migrant workers, didn't speak English as a child. Applied to NASA, got rejected, kept applying and finally became an astronaut and served on the International Space Station.
We have Val Demings, who is the first African American woman police chief in Orlando, who managed a 40 percent reduction in crime. These are people who aren't about left or right. They are about moving forward, reigniting the American dream, rebuilding the middle class and solving people's problems.
SHUSTER: Let's assume that the Democrats — the strategy, the "Drive for 25" works — and you do take control back of the House and the Democrats hold the Senate and also the White House. What do you think should be the top legislative agenda a year from now?
ISRAEL: Rebuilding the middle class and reducing debt. Here's the formula — it's very simple — you cannot reduce debt without growth, you cannot have growth without jobs, you cannot have jobs without investment.
And so, as opposed to Republicans — who believe that an economic strategy is taking Medicare away from seniors — our economic strategy will be a growth strategy. Making investments to make it easier for young people to go to college, for people to get retrained in their careers, putting people back to work, rebuilding the infrastructure of this nation and reducing our deficit.
SHUSTER: Congressman, there are a lot of lawmakers out there who would not want the job of the DCCC, given some of the approval ratings that President Obama has had to contend with and, sort of, the difficult election landscape. How's it going? Any regrets that you have?
ISRAEL: Well, have you watched the Republican debates? Every time the Republicans debate each other, not only does the President do better — because the American people are now paying attention to the alternatives to the president — but House Democrats do better.
Also — look, our battle space, in our "Drive for 25" — in some cases, it overlaps with the president, in other cases we're going to run our own campaign.
Bottom line is this: when faced with a candidate — a House Republican candidate — who was willing to take somebody's Medicare away from them in order to fund tax breaks for big oil companies, in those districts, people are going to vote for somebody who is going to protect Medicare and rebuild the middle class. They're not going to vote a tea party Republican who consistently made the wrong choices.
SHUSTER: Democratic Congressman Steve Israel. He runs the DCCC, the organization responsible for the Democrats trying to take back control of the House. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us, we appreciate it.
ISRAEL: Thank you.
SHUSTER: You're welcome.
