Interview With Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano
BLITZER: Spotlight right now on Texas, only eight days before the critical Texas primary. Our brand-new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows the Democrats are in a very tight race in Texas, with Obama now holding a very slight edge over Hillary Clinton. Our survey gave Clinton a narrow advantage last week. The margin of error clearly in effect right now. The Arizona governor, Janet Napolitano, is working to try to help Obama win in Texas and elsewhere, even though her endorsement did not help him in her own state.</s>BLITZER: Let's get some scrutiny from the Arizona governor, Janet Napolitano. She's here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Governor, thanks for coming in.</s>NAPOLITANO: Thank you.</s>BLITZER: By the way, is that a problem for you that you endorsed Obama before the primary in Arizona? The people , the Democrats who voted, endorsed -- basically supported Hillary Clinton. Is that going to force to you change your vote as a superdelegate?</s>NAPOLITANO: No, for a number of reasons. I endorsed shortly before our primary. And even in that two-week period, we picked up 11, 12 points. And he clearly was closing the gap. And the independents can't vote obviously in the Arizona primary. But our superdelegates will be divided between Clinton and Obama.</s>BLITZER: So, you're staying with Barack Obama?</s>NAPOLITANO: I am.</s>BLITZER: All right. Here's what is Hillary Clinton said about him earlier today. I will play this little clip.</s>NAPOLITANO: OK.</s>CLINTON: The American people don't have to guess whether I understand the issues or whether I would need a foreign policy instruction manual to guide me through a crisis or whether I would have to rely on advisers to introduce me to global affairs.</s>BLITZER: All right, the implication is that he's not ready on day one to be the commander in chief.</s>NAPOLITANO: Well, I was listening. And it sounds familiar. And I wonder if the same thing was said about Bill Clinton in 1992.</s>BLITZER: Well, I covered that campaign. There were similar statements made.</s>NAPOLITANO: Exactly. But one of the things you want and I think the American people are looking for is a new vision, a new face. They don't just want the same old, same old out of Washington. Why? They're not happy with what's come out of Washington, D.C. They're not happy with the gridlock. They're not happy with the progress our country is making. They're actually looking for something new.</s>SANCHEZ: So, you think he's totally ready on day one, even though he's got a limited amount of foreign policy experience, to go in there and take charge?</s>NAPOLITANO: He is ready. And not only that. This campaign has been a test. These candidates have been out in front of the public for a year now, debating, arguing, campaigning, persuading voters. And he has shown time and time again that he has a vision for the country, where we ought to go, and he unites people behind it.</s>BLITZER: Have you seen that photo circulating on the Web now with Obama dressed in sort of Kenyan Muslim garb that's been circulating? The Clinton campaign is not saying whether or not -- there it is behind you, if you want to take a look. You see it right there. What do you think of this development, sort of I guess the implication being to reinforce this notion that he is, at least on his father's side, there's some Muslim ancestry there?</s>NAPOLITANO: Oh, I think it's irrelevant to the issues of the campaign. And I know there was some back and forth today. The Clinton campaign says they had nothing to do with it. I take them at their word. We need to move on. The people of the United States, people out in Arizona aren't interested in a photo. What they're interested in is a president who will lead, who will help them deal with the economy, with health care, with foreign policy, and, by the way, with a new vision for the war in Iraq.</s>BLITZER: We spoke the last time when you were here. Arizona is a border state. On the issue of driver's licenses with Barack Obama, I know you disagree, because you just told us the last time. But when you heard what he was saying on illegal immigration in the last debate with Hillary Clinton, was there anything else that caused you to be concerned, because he takes a very shall we say liberal stance on how to deal with comprehensive immigration reform?</s>NAPOLITANO: Oh, I wouldn't say it's a liberal stance. I would say it's a stance not uncommon with Hillary and not uncommon with John McCain. It means comprehensive immigration reform. It means enforcing our immigration law, enforcing at the border, but also in the interior of our country, particularly against employers who continue to hire illegal labor, and really looking at the labor aspects of this. So, we're very consistent on that part.</s>BLITZER: So, you're comfortable with what you heard at that the last debate?</s>NAPOLITANO: I am.</s>BLITZER: On the issue of illegal immigration?</s>NAPOLITANO: I am. Immigration is not a driver's license issue. It's a labor issue. It's a crime issue. That's where we ought to focus.</s>BLITZER: Here's another clip of what Hillary Clinton said over the weekend, referring to a mailer that had been sent out from presumably the Barack Obama campaign on her position on NAFTA. Watch this.</s>CLINTON: Shame on you, Barack Obama. It is time you ran a campaign consistent with your messages in public. That's what I expect from you. Meet me in Ohio. Let's have a debate about your tactics and your behavior in this campaign.</s>BLITZER: She says he was distorting, that mailer, her stance on trade.</s>NAPOLITANO: Well, A, I think the mailer was not a distortion of her stance on trade. But, B, just the word, the language used and whatever, it really is the expression of a frustrated candidate trying to pierce through. And what Barack Obama has done so well and will do well is he just offers people a new change, a new voice. And I will tell you, there's a hunger for that around this country. And a new voice can be associated with pragmatism and getting things done. Just because it's new doesn't mean it can't be effective.</s>BLITZER: Janet Napolitano speaking with me a little while ago. Tomorrow, by the way, right here in THE SITUATION ROOM, we will be leading -- we will be speaking with a leading Hillary Clinton supporter about foreign policy and other hot topics on the campaign trail. The former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, she will be with us live tomorrow in THE SITUATION ROOM. The politics of jobs and free trade. Clinton and Obama have lots of bad things to say about the pact now. But what about NAFTA? Are they telling it like it is? And animal rights activists are outraged. One country now says it's OK to kill elephants. You're going to find out who and why and a lot more -- right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.