Interview With Rep. Jim Clyburn
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. You're looking at the inside of the Bear E Patch Cafe, which is where we've been hanging out for the last couple of days here in Charleston, South Carolina. The food is very good, and we're very grateful for the hospitality. Ron Brownstein says, we can stay forever.</s>O'BRIEN: We'd all gain a lot of weight. In less than 23 hours, the polls will open here in South Carolina. This is a state with a very strong record in picking the GOP nominee. In these final hours, Newt Gingrich is gaining momentum. We want to talk about all of these developments with Democratic congressman, Jim Clyburn, of South Carolina. He's joined the panel. It's nice to have you, sir. Thanks for being with us.</s>REP. JIM CLYBURN, (D) SOUTH CAROLINA: Thank you so much for having me.</s>O'BRIEN: OK. So, clearly, part of the message out of last night is that Republicans are very divided in who they're supporting. And even if you look over the last 36 hours, now you have Santorum winning Iowa, Romney winning in New Hampshire. A lot of people are saying Gingrich could win here in South Carolina. What does this mean for the Democratic strategy? And who do you want to go against?</s>CLYBURN: Well, I don't think we're in the business of picking our opponent, but I do believe that we are seeing a lot of definition coming to this campaign. But I would caution all Democrats that this election is going to be won or lost based upon what's happening within people's families, within their homes, and I would not get to caught up on which room. I think it's all about the kitchen table and all these issues about what may or may not take place in bedrooms. It will not carry the day for us.</s>O'BRIEN: One of the things you could tell in this debate last night was all of the candidates were trying hard to attack each other less and focus on President Obama. I want to play a little bit of what Mitt Romney said. I want to focus on his business career and success. Let's play this.</s>MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You're a speaker four years.</s>NEWT GINGRICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Right.</s>ROMNEY: I was in business 25 years.</s>GINGRICH: Right.</s>ROMNEY: So, you're not going to get credit for my 25 years, number one. Number two, I don't recall a single day saying, oh, thank heavens, Washington is this for me. Thank heavens, I said, please get out of my way. Let me start a business and put Americans to work.</s>O'BRIEN: He got some boos last night, but that was one of just a couple lines where he got applause, which is I'm a businessman, I can fix the economy. Ultimately, isn't this what people are going to vote on?</s>CLYBURN: Well, being a businessman is one thing. How you employ business practices is still another. And I think that what he's going to have to answer for is not so much for the businesses that he ran, but what he did with his income. Did he re-invest in these communities? Did he, in fact, help (ph) the economy or whether or not the jobs that were created, these 120,000 jobs, I'm beginning to believe that those jobs were created somewhere offshore where his money was. And that's what he's going to have to answer for.</s>ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Congressman, one of the biggest issues that President Obama has to face, dealing with blue collar workers, White, blue collar workers. When you look at Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, even Virginia, you talk about Florida, move out west to Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, do you believe President Obama can make a stronger argument appealing to those workers than someone like Mitt Romney with the amount of money that he has, the kind of companies that he created, and laying off people as well? Who makes the stronger argument to that working man, working woman?</s>CLYBURN: Well, look, we have to remember that White, blue collar workers have always had a problem with the Democratic line for a long time now since the 1960s, and that's not going to change with Obama. I think that the extent to which he can get those blue collar workers to think beyond the social issues, get to the bread and butter issues, demonstrate that he is, in fact, growing this economy, getting them back to work because their bookkeeping takes place around the kitchen table. They are concerned about people's bottom lines, whether or not Romney made millions. They'll be concerned whether or not they can educate their children, pay their bills and enjoy a two-week vacation --</s>O'BRIEN: I know David Frum wants to jump in, but we're going to hit a commercial break. We're going to ask you to stick around with us, Congressman, if you will.</s>CLYBURN: Sure.</s>O'BRIEN: When we come back, we'll continue our conversation right after this. Stay with us.