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Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Barbour on CNN talking about elections

Missisippi Gov. Haley Barbour spoke Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday night on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" about what the results of Tuesday's elections mean.

Below is a transcript provided by CNN of the conversation:

Full Transcript

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And joining us now, two governors. A Democratic Governor, Martin O'Malley of Maryland, and Republican Governor, Haley Barbour, of Mississippi.

Governors, thanks very much for coming in.

GOV. MARTIN O'MALLEY (D-MARYLAND): And thank you.

BLITZER: Governor Barbour, how much of a referendum if at all are the elections tonight for President Obama?

GOV. HALEY BARBOUR (R- MISSISSIPPI): I think it's too much to say it's a referendum on President Obama. But I think - do think his policies are having a tremendous impact on these elections.

And that these -- his policies are hurting Democrats, both in Virginia and in New Jersey where people are concerned about jobs, about spending, about debt. And all they're hearing from Washington is about health care reform that's going to cost more money, drive up their health insurance rates. And about energy policies going to cost more money, cost jobs, make energy more expensive. That's not helping the Democrats. It's hurting the Democrats.

BLITZER: What do you think, Governor O'Malley.

O'MALLEY: Well, I think on the contrary.

I think that most people understand that President Obama inherited a huge mess, an economy that was in shambles. And if you look at the progress that's been made. I mean, eight months ago all of the economists were talking about us teetering on the brink of depression. Now we're seeing the start of a recovery. And most of the debate is over how quickly is it happening.

And so these governors who were up -- our Governor Corzine in New Jersey has had to make tough decisions in a very, very tough economy that was not the making of President Obama. But I think he's made tough decisions. He's governed well. And then if you look at Virginia...

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: All right. Let me interrupt for a moment, Governor O'Malley, because in New Jersey Obama carried that state by more than 15 points. In Virginia, he carried the state by six points. Yet the two Democratic candidates, there especially in Virginia, and maybe in New Jersey, they're poised potentially to lose.

O'MALLEY: Well, but that's how -- the races are certainly close, because these are some of the toughest times economically. We've never seen this sort of -- haven't seen this sort of unemployment in 30 years. But if you look at John Corzine's race a few months ago, everybody was counting him out. And now it's a -- a virtual dead heat.