Rep. Kingzinger: I hope President Obama rewrites the speech and comes to work with the Republicans

This morning on "Early Start," Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) previews President Obama's State of the Union address and solutions for the economy.

Rush transcript available after the jump.

RUSH TRANSCRIPT

BERMAN: So, everyone is talking about the president's tone. There were some Republicans who were not happy with the tone of the inaugural address and we're getting some previews about how the president may sound tonight. And Glenn Thrush at "Politico" says that his sources say the president will pay lip service to bipartisanship, but don't expect anything like the call for peaceful collaboration that defined his first to a joint session of Congress in 2009.

KINZINGER: This is more of the same. I mean, and this is what's sad. I think this is an opportunity. The president has an amazing opportunity to say big things, to call Republicans and Democrats together, to say, look, both sides are going to have to accept things they don't want in order to solve the huge problems in this country and, frankly, for future generations. I mean, that's what's missing, the discussion of what happens next with the next generation of Americans and, unfortunately, you know, to descend back to partisan rhetoric when you have such an amazing opportunity here.

I sat, you know, 30 yards from the president in the inauguration and I really did expect him to talk about those big opportunities, something large, and didn't hear it. I just heard some rhetoric.

And, again, tonight, I hope if his goal is right now to do this partisan speech, I hope he changes his mind today and rewrites the speech and comes to work with the Republicans.

BERMAN: There are issues on both sides of the aisle.

KINZINGER: Sure.

BERMAN: You look what's happening with the audience tonight, with the Republican congressman from Texas bringing Ted Nugent, a rocker and gun rights advocate who's had some really harsh things to say about the president. Does that set the right tone?

KINZINGER: Well, look, I mean, that's - you know, each congressman gets to bring one person with them. I'm bringing my sister tonight. In my mind, it's that we have really big issues. A $16.5 trillion debt that youth have to pay for, we've got an energy crisis in this country. We have a jobs crisis in the country. There's a lot that needs to be done. There's a real opportunity to come together.

And trust me, the tone out here has to change. The personal has to go away and we have to work together.

BERMAN: But don't you think bringing Ted Nugent could be seen as a little provocative.

KINZINGER: Well, look, bringing - again, he has his choice. I'm not going to criticize him on the air, but I will say, in the big picture, this is a huge deal tonight, a huge opportunity for both sides to come together.

I'm a member of a group called No Labels, which brings Republicans and Democrats together to say let's find common-ground solutions, because, frankly, our kids and grandkids, which I don't have yet, but I will someday, I hope, are relying on this -

BERMAN: How is the No Labels thing going so far? Are you encouraged, discouraged? It's been going on for a few months now.

KINZINGER: No, I'm very encouraged. It's an opportunity again for both sides to come together and have these discussions that need to happen. And so, no budget, no pay. This is an idea out of No Labels, and I think this is the beginning of shifting the tone in Washington from the personal to actually getting some things done.

BERMAN: You are on the foreign affairs economy.

KINZINGER: I am.

BERMAN: Overnight, we had news that there's explosion in North Korea, some kind of nuclear test we suspect. What are your feelings about that?

KINZINGER: That's scary. You know, once again, at a point in the sequester of hollowing out our military. We have to have a real discussion tonight with how to avert that, but have real cuts, and this is pretty scary. So -

BERMAN: It's interesting. You know, Congressman Matt Cartwright brought up the sequester also on the issue of North Korea.

KINZINGER: Yes. I think this is important. It's important for us to work together to avert the cuts to the military, but have real cuts because right now, our spending cut is out of control.