Susan ferrechio discuss the political career of Vice President joe biden. Bob using the cspan video library, we welcome susan, chief Congressional Correspondent for washington examiner. We want to turn back to what joe biden said on the senate floor. It is my view that particularly if the reality of a divided government during the time of great change at the Court Continues in the next administration, future confirmations must be conducted differently than the precedings ones. Mr. President , the president s intentions on the existing process which exploded during the thomas nomination fight make restoration of what came before judge thomas nomination even if it was desirable, a practical impossible bill. Having said that, mr. President , we face one immediate question, can our Supreme Court confirmation process sow discord and bitterness in an Election Year . Mr. President , history teaches us this is extremely unlikely. Some of our nations most bitter and heated confirmation fights have come in president ial Election Years. A bruising confirmation fight over roger taunys nomination in 1836. The senates refusal to confirm four nominations by president ler in 1844, the single vote rejection of nominees badger and black by lame duck president s filmore and buchanan in the mid19th century and narrow approval of justices lamar and fuller in 1888. These are just some examples of these fights in the 19th september try. Overall, where one in four Supreme Court nominations has been the subject of significant opposition. The figure raises to 12 when such nominations are acted upon n president ial Election Years. Host that was in june, 1992 and 18 years later, that is where we are at. Bob the process is even worse. Back then they didnt get rid of the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees. This is a partisan environment when you have a new Supreme Court nomination and now we are so close to the election and now it is even more charged based on racial unrest in this country on top of a pandemic and we were headed for a bumpy ride to the election and not got bumpyier. Host we are hearing remarks from bidens remarks. How is it playing out in todays environment . Susan part of the ongoing partisan battle whether the senate should take up a Supreme Court nominee. At the end of 2016 when republicans did not take up the rland nominee and leader mcconnell often cited the biden rule. There is no such thing as the biden rule but what he was referring to was speech we listened to from joe biden in 1992 when he talked about the difficulty and advised against taking up Supreme Court nominees during an Election Year. It definitely played in to that decision in 2016. And of course, now we hear it amended by the majority leader, Mitch Mcconnell, in that this only should apply if the parties are opposite in the white house and the senate. Otherwise, you should move ahead with the nominee and if you look at the statistics for such nominations, that does bear out. If it is the same party, they move ahead with the nomination but opposite party, thats when you end up not taking the nomination. The reason is, its a political calculation. Democrats would be doing, i believe, the exact same thing right now if they had the opportunity to fill this pretty rare vacancy on the Supreme Court to share the outcome for decades to come. And thats what republicans are doing, a political calculation. Each party makes it and thats what you heard in bidens speech in 1992. Thats what you are hearing from republicans in the senate. Host Georgetown University law school in march of 2016, about a month after the death of justice scalia, this from then Vice President joe biden. Let me set the record straight, if the president consults and cooperates with the senate or moderates his selections, then his nominees may join my support as did justice contendy and justice souter, end of quote. I made it clear that i would go forward with the confirmation process as chairman even a few months before a president ial election. If a nominee chosen with the advice and not merely the consent of a senate, just as the constitution requires. My consistent advice, the president s of both parties including this president has been that we should engage fully in the constitutional process of advice and consent. And my consistent understanding of the constitution them is the senate must do so as well, period. They have an obligation to do so. Because there is no vacancy after the thomas confirmation, we cant know what the president and senate might have done. But heres what we do know. Every time as the Ranking Member or chairman of the Judiciary Committee, i was responsible for eight justices and nine total nominees to the Supreme Court, more than i hate to say this, anyone alive. [laughter] vicePresident Biden i cant be that all. Some supported it, a few voted against. And during all that time, every nominee was greeted by committee members. Every nominee got a committee hearing. Every nominee got out of the Committee Even if they didnt have sufficient votes to pass within the committee, because i believe the senate says, the senate must advise and consent. And every nominee including Justice Kennedy in an Election Year, got an upanddown vote. Host that is then Vice President joe biden during the fight over judge garland that never received a hearing or a vote on the senate floor. Take us back to what you heard from the Vice President four years ago. Bob any time that a politician and he says i have been absolutely clear, when a politician says there, there is murkyness. E said advice, consent and selection of moderation. How much did the Obama Administration advise with the republican consent and how much moderation was merrick garland. Many people said was he was a moderation. But this is politics that susan was talking about and it was an Election Year and Mitch Mcconnell decided that he was not going to move on that nomination and not going to be hearings on that nomination. That was backed by his Committee Chairman at the time, chuck grassley. Therefore, the nomination didnt go through. A lot of people thought the republicans would bend. There is a different timing. That was in february and march. Here we are much later in the Election Year and thats where democrats are certainly pointing that out and the differences. Both sides are having to adjust and clarify what they have said over the last four years and now obviously going back all the way for biden, decades on what he has said and he has said a lot because he served six terms in the senate and two terms as Vice President. What he has said on Supreme Court nomination has varied a bit as it has for republicans, too. Host we will come back to the Supreme Court nominations. Joe biden ran for the u. S. Senate when he was 29. You have to be 30 years old to be sworn in. And shortly after ta, his wife and daughter killed just before christmas and back in 2006, we sat down to talk with him about that tragedy. VicePresident Biden they were Christmas Shopping headed back toward my home in the station wagon. No one knows but pulled out of an intersection in a semirural. Tractor trailer came down the hill and broadsided them. I never wanted to know and i didnt want to pursue if anybody made a mistake. My wife and daughter were on one side of the car and killed immediately. My two boys were on the other side of the car and thank god for my vol up tear maremen and used the jaws of life to get my sons out. My whole career is sort of i owe the volunteer firemen, they saved my life, home in a fire and incredible people. And that happened on december 18. My sons were badly injured. My son beau was in a body cast, both legs and arms. Fully recovered thank god and hunter had a frurd skull, was banged up as well, but he recovered fully and both grown men and i am proud. Host where were you . I was here, using senator byrd office interviewing perspective staff and i got the call while i was doing that and had some young person call me and say there was a slight accident and young woman, volunteer from the campaign. I just knew. Said she dead, isnt she . No, no, senator. But she was. Ook, you have been through a lot of this yourself in your personal life. And we both know tens of thousands of people going through what you and i have been through without the kind of support you and i have had. But it does make you realize how many truly courageous people are out there. Host 2006 interview. Susan, that clearly shaped his early Senate Career and for a while he considered stepping down not taking the seat. Susan he was sworn in the hospital rooms with their sons there. It defined him as a politician and continues to define him as a candidate for president. As it probably would anybody to go through an experience like that to lose his wife and daughter and his two sons grateful injured while he was taking office. It absolutely defined him. And the way it continues to define him now and make him a candidate that is more human to voters. You often hear politicians are trying to show their relateable side when they run for office. You watch the Campaign Videos at the conventions and hear the testimonials about them and certainly President Trump and his campaign are trying to humanize him more. I think the reason he does stems back to that absolutely horrible tragedy that started right at the beginning of his own political career. Host bob, your thoughts as you listen to that. Bob it is an emotional interview and he was in pain then and still in pain now. You are never going to forget and it is how you relate to life and others going through tragedy and someone who wanted to run for president and ran several times for president , you want to show empathy. And he really has an ability to do that. He has flaws as a candidate. He has made a lot of gaffes but he shows empathy and relates to people and thats why he won the nomination this time around and he is leading the race now, long way to go. But i do this think those experiences, tragedy in his family life, beau passing away, it has a pro found effect on anybody and it did on joe biden. Host you mentioned campaigns, he has run on three separate occasions but first announcing ack in 1987 and we were in wilmington, delaware. VicePresident Biden 15 years ago we said the key to restoring confidence in our traditions and institutions was public first who would stand up and tell the American People exactly what they saw. And what i said that day in 1972, i mean to be that candidate and with the griss of god and the support of the American People, i mean to be that kind of president. Host susan, why did he run and why did his campaign flame out . Susan he was compelling at the time and exciting candidate. He shook up that race getting in as someone young and compelling from delaware. I think he probably could have gone pretty far in that primary, but he was derailed and the issue was about a speech he delivered that people accused him of plagiarizing. And that ended it and he returned to his perch on the Senate Judiciary committee where he had become chairman. A lot of people had thought he would be an exciting new person to run for person and shake you sudden ace and all of a it was over based on the accusation that he plagiarized his speech. Host we were with joe biden in New Hampshire in april of 1987, one of those town Hall Meetings and house parties and he had this exchange. Lets watch and get your reaction. [indiscernible question] vicePresident Biden i went to law school on a full academic scholarship and only one in my class. And first year in law school i didnt want to go to law school and ended up in the bottom 2 3 and i decided to stay and went back to law school. And i won the International Moot Court competition and outstanding student in the Political Science department. I graduated from three degrees. And i would be delighted to sit down and compare my i. Q. To yours. Im not questioning your i. Q. When people are legitimated to office in recent years indiscernible] vicePresident Biden it seems to me if you can speak you are a liability to the Democratic Party. Heartless ave become tech noc rmp arch tmp s. We have never as a party moved nation by 14 points [indiscernible] we got involved and no one asked dr. King what his legislative agenda. Womens movement did not move with a Constitutional Movement but marched to change attitudes and this party better understand full well its about time we change our attitude and we begin to change the attitudes of americans about what their responsibilities are to the poor and responsibilities are to other people and what our responsibility in the world is and that requires change in attitudes. Frank, you will see my 15point plans and 19point position papers and will make a position. Who knows more about Foreign Policy, gary or me and Dick Gephardt or i know more about economic policy. But ultimately frank, this country needs a leader and leader change attitudes. In the wake of ronald reagan, the only thing he knew how to do was the one thing that is now devalued hat is being so much. Susan now that he is running again at his age its not as big of an issue and not have come up. But you heard him on the defense really talking to the report he and that was a long and very defensive sort of speech there he gave. And he does that a little bit now on the campaign trail. There are clips of him going at it with reporters who are just asking standard questions but he gets very defensive. And almost seems to be on the attack a little bit against the reporter. And that is about biden at least in my experience covering him, he does respond that way when he is on the defensive. When he feels like the question is not a fair one and good at filling in and filibustering and getting defensive at the same time. And thats what you saw in that clip. Host lets turn to another chapter as the chair of the Senate Judiciary committee and set the stage for Clarence Thomas and the entry of anita hill. Bob this was a very controversial time during the 1990s and Clarence Thomas was viewed as extremely conservative, but an africanamerican republican. And then you had really the circus atmosphere of anita hill testifying claiming that thomas had said things that he adamantly said he did not. And went lieu the rocky nomination process and joe biden got criticism from the right and the left and it continues to dog him to this day of how he handled the hearing and this was one of the defining moments of that Political Year and it was something that had repercussions for year to come. Host lets take you back to october of 1991, the Senate Judiciary committee and the question of what evidence should or should not be allowed. VicePresident Biden it is appropriate to ask can professor hill anything any member wishes ask her, to plum the depths of her credibility. It would be appropriate to ask her about mr. Singleton. But it is inappropriate to represent what mr. Singleton says via an affidavit. There is a distinction. So you can ask anything you want and ask her what santa claus said or didnt say. Whether she spoke to him or not, but its inappropriate to introduce an affidavit from santa claus prior to every member in this committee having an opportunity to check it out for the following reasons. We may find out that santa claus is not real. Therefore, it may not be very relevant whether or not santa claus said something or not. We are all lawyers on this committee with one or two exceptions there is a zinc shon between a, being able to ask a question, between being able to ask a question to determine the credibility of a witness and epresenting what an individual said they said or said they offered or said they thought about the motivation of the witness. There is a zinchings. You can ask anything you want about credibility. You cannot represent via an affidavit or a sworn statement or a statement as to what the individual being asked about thinks. If that is the case, ask the committee to bring that witness forward. And then we will sit down and renegotiate with among ourselves and with the white house, how many witnesses we are going to half. Host as you look at that, members of the Judiciary Committee, they were all men. And that came up again more recently in the nomination of supreme naugh to the court. Bob republicans then subsequently changed the makeup of their side of the Judiciary Committee after that. And its a very different time. When you look at these clips of the 1990s and you had controversies regarding bill clinton, it was a very different time where the woman making the accusation, the own us was on her to prove it. That has changed since then and some people argue that the pendulum has swung too much and other people say it is perfectly right. Hat came up with kava nmp augh about accusation he said were peru and almost took his nomination down. Host senator biden played a key role in the crime bill that bill clinton signed as president. Susan crime was a really big topic in the 1980s and 1990s and dem cats were eager to try to become the party of reducing crime. Thats a reputation ta the republicans had and democrats were trying to seize it from the g. O. P. And one way was to pass a crime reform bill by changing sentencing laws, particularly for drug issues because drugs were plaguing big cities leading to murder and assault. So they were going after sentencing and going after the types of crimes that were being punished and the length of sentences for those crimes and biden led the way on that as trying to be tough on crime democrat. Host this from november 18 on the senate floor in 1993. The consensus is a, we must take back the streets. It doesnt matter whether or not the person that is accosting your son or daughter or my son or daughter, my wife, your husband, my mother, your parents, it doesnt matter whether or not they were deprived as a youth, doesnt matter whether or not they had no back grouped that enabled em to become socialized into the fabric of society. Doesnt matter whether or not they are victims of society. Not my mother, shoot my sister, beat up my wife, take on my son. So i want to ask, what made them do this . They must be taken off the streets. Thats number one. There is a consensus on that. Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee, the democratic president of the United States of america. Democratic attorney general, the republican leader, republican leader, senator hatch, republican senator from texas, we all agree on that. We can find folks on the right libertarians wing, and left wingers who say no, thats not what we should do. I acknowledge it was not that consensus in the 1960s. There is today. There is a second thank we have agreed upon that unless we do something about that cadre of young pell, tens of thousands of them born out of wedlock without sprferings without any conscience developing because they literally i yield myself three more minutes, because they literally have not been socialize dollars, they literally have not had the opportunity. We should focus on them now, not out of a liberal instinct for love, brother and humanity, although i think thats a good instinct but simple pragmatic reasons. If we dont, they will or a portion of them will become the predators 15 years from now. And madam president , we have predators on our streets. Host bob, two decades later how has that debate evolved and changed . Ob his use of predators and leftwingers. He wouldnt go after them like trum would go after rightwingers. It did include the assault weapon ban which biden is sticking by. This has changed and joe biden answered questions during the primary process and those words that he used back then. It has really changed because that led to what critics say led to the Industrial Complex and criminal Justice Reform one of the rare bipartisan bills that passed in the Trump Administration where it eased sentencing and you see both democrats and republicans like rand paul and mike lee and that keem jeffries, take the lead on this type of bill and move it and it was supported widely. That shows you it was a different time and constituents were raising Major Concerns about crime in the mid1990s, but now a lot of constituents are saying these sentences for minor offenses are ridiculous and needed to be adjusted and that law was signed into law by President Trump. Host another moment in the Clinton Presidency is his impeachment. In november of 1998, after House Democrats picked up five seats, then senator biden with these remarks at the National Press club. Study the National Commentary by stories and others and carefully consider what my responsibilities would be as a juror and judge. And what would become the trial of the century if articles of impeachment are sent over to the senate. And i believe i have done everything i can think of, Everything Possible to ensure im ready to address one of the most difficult decisions that macon front me as a United States senator. While the debate about the president s conduct rages on, there is one area where almost everyone agrees and that is the need to conclude this episode as quickly and as efficiently as possible. I do not mean that the people in congress are to rush to judgment. After a year obsessed with this subject, we are beyond rushing. The consensus im referring to is the need for all involved to act with sober deliberations and also with the sense of urgency as we approach the final stages of this difficult and divisive controversy. If a recent election result told us anything, if elected first learned anything it was that the American People want the house to end the political posturing and get on with the process and resolve the issue so we can then get on with the nations business. The American People based on polling data and the ultimate poll elections seem to have made up their mind on this issue. Now its time for members of the house to make their minds up. If they reach a different conclusion, then the polls indicate that the American People have reached, they, the house members, in my view, must convince the American People that they reached a different conclusion, if they dor, through a fair and deliberative process. As professor black would say, from a stance of presumed political neutrality. Im here today to call for bipartisanship in the impeachment process. Its an easy concept to say and articulate, one that everyone will nod their head to say theyre for, but actions speak much louder than words. Host susan, that was 22 years ago. Put that moment into some historical perspective, if you would. Susan i covered that impeachment and most recent impeachment of President Trump and you know, you heard biden calling for bipartisanship and you also heard republicans with President Trump calling for bipartisanship during those proceedings, but over that twodecade lapse in time, the senate and the house have both become in my view much more partisan. And it was interesting listening to bidens tone way back then, there was more cooperation between the democrats and republicans on the impeachment process for bill clinton. He was impeached by the house and acquitted by the senate and as biden said, the democrats did much better in the election following because voters didnt like impeaching the president. He saw the political consequences of what was going on with impeachment because it is often political. And here we are two decades later and much less cooperation between republicans and democrats. More partisan. Impeachments are partisan. No question. And even though the clinton impeachment was based on personal behavior and i know thats not what the accounts of impeachment but his behavior in the oval office with an intern. The two parties did cooperate more and you heard the tone with biden talking about how we should cooperate and democrats would weigh the charges if there were any with very careful consideration. It was just a Different Senate and different house at the time and it just kind of just reflecting on that and shows how long biden was there for because you see the evolution of the two chambers and him as a politician. Heast host we move from bill clinton to the election of george w. Bush and the events on september 11, 2001, which led to the debate in the u. S. Senate in part on the war powers resolution and u. S. Troops moving into iraq a vote that biden said he later regretted. But in october of 2002, this is what he said. In my view and what has been stated, the threat to the United States is weapons of mass destruction program. The relevant u. N. Resolution are related to chemical and biological weapons and the fact that we use the con junktive clause, the word and and not the word or which means the authorization we are giving to the president is tied to the president of the United States in the context of enforcing the u. N. Regular ress likes. This is not a blank check. It is an authorization the use of force if necessary to compel iraq to disarm as it promised after the gulf war. Some in the administration argued that the standard objective should be the end of saddam husseins regime. Regime change as embodied in the position on iraq liberation act. Indeed an effort could result in regime change. After all, such an effort would force saddam to make a hard choice, give up his weapons or give up power and he has made the wrong choices many times before. In his own words, the president said, taking these steps would also change the nature of the iraqi regime itself. America hopes the regime will make that choice. But this resolution does not make saddams refusal removal its explicit goal. To have done so would run the risk of alienating other countries and support we need to disarm iraq and possibly rebuild it and it would weaken our hand at the united nations. Host that resolution did pass and joe biden was the chair of the Senate Foreign relations committee. Were democrats worried about looking weak on this issue . Bob there is a difference between house and senate democrats. Nancy pelosi was against the war and most House Democrats. Some prominent democrats did vote for it. In the senate, most democrats did vote for it and there was a historic vote in so many ways because it started a war and it really hurt Hillary Clintons chances arguably. Had she voted against the iraq war, maybe barack obama does not run against her and quite possibly she becomes president in 2008. Joe biden as you saw with that clip, he was very hawkish. I remember watching the hearings back then and thinking wow, he is really for this and history changed and the intelligence was flawed and obviously it led to many thousands of deaths both from the u. S. Perspective and abroad in civilians and thats why Hillary Clinton and joe biden had to say they made a mistake and i think you will see as far as Foreign Policy in the upcoming debates, the former defense secretary that served in various administrations has been critical of joe biden and his big vote, including the iraq war vote. Host saying joe biden has been wrong on every Foreign Policy issue in his public life. Bob gates is a very respective figure and joe biden had to back away whether the crime bill, iraq, and he is going to have to answer those questions of how can we how can the United States and voters put him in the white house when he is faced with these key president iallike decisions as a senator and voted in a way that he later regretted. Host in 2008, barack obama selected him as his running mate and making an appearance in springfield, illinois in 2008. Let me tell you about obama. You learn a lot about a man when you campaign with him, when you debate him 12 or 13 times, when you hear him speak and see how he thinks and watch how he reacts under pressure. You learn about his mind and i think the quality of his heart. Ladies and gentlemen, no one knows better than i do the president ial campaigns are crews i believes which you are tested and tested every single day. Over the past 18 months i have watched barack meet those challenges with judgment and steel in his spine. [cheers and applause] he has inspired millions of americans, millions of americans to this new cause. And during those 18 months, i must tell you, frank, i have been disappointed in my friend john mccain who gave into the right wing of his party and yielded to the swift politics that he so once deplored. Campaign for president are a test of character and leadership. And in this campaign, one candidate, one candidate has passed that test. [cheers and applause] host august 23, 2008, susan, the reporting indicating that senator biden wasnt interested being on the ticket. His wife saying, you need to do it. Susan it was a bit of a a surprise because i dont think. E was a first surprise i remember at the time there were people he would pick Hillary Clinton. They couldnt divide between the two. I think it was very interesting the part where he is criticizing john mccain. As you know cindy mccain, john mccains widow is endorsing biden for president. So there are long ties between the mccain and biden took him on. He was good for the role of Vice President for obama because he people looked at obama as a young candidate for president. Hillary clinton ran against him as the more experienced candidate as the person who could answer the call at 3 00 a. M. Biden came with tremendous Foreign Policy experience. The two were opposed on the iraq war and he had his decades in the senate, his years as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. And he came with a lot of experience, a lot of respect and little bit more moderate than president obama. The presidency, the winning the Broad Spectrum of people getting to win in november. And that was part of the motivation behind biden and turned out to be a successful relationship between the two of them and one that i think is benefiting joe biden right now as he runs for president. Host as we mentioned, joe biden was sworn in in january of 1973 as junior senator from delaware. His final speech on january 15, 2009 as a senator and at the time Vice President elect. Senator biden i was prepared to walk away. And mike ed kenned fritz hollings, inouye. Uit, they they convinced me to stay six months. That . Member ne of the people of the senator, robert c. Byrd, in the rain, drove to wilmington, delaware, stood Memorial Service outside a Catholic Church for my deceased wife and daughter in the cold soaking rain. See me. Ce to got back in the automobile and washington, d. C. Remarkable place, gentlemen, ladies. Healed, this place became my second family. I suspected this for it. I needed and for that i will be forever grateful. Grateful. So to the people of delaware who of given me the honor serving them, theres no way i ever express to them how much its meant to me. My staff, past and present, here on the floor past and present, dedicated to this institution run, including the young pages who hopefully go and home wanting to come back one spots, i thank you for everything youve done for me. Suspect youve done for me more than youve done for most. Steve from the floor of the senate in 2009. As you listen to that, he was among the longest serving u. S. Senators. His relationship like across the party aisles . Bob he had a very good across the party aisle. We just wrote a story saying republicans who served with him in the senate would be willing deal with him. Maybe the white house didnt but theyd , they liked joe biden and they would work with him. Some degree. Certainly when you look back at in this fiscal showdowns the Obama Administration, there were times when Mitch Mcconnell, the minority leader at the time, to work with barack obama, but he would work with joe biden. And mcconnell would go in a room and they would hash out a fiscal deal and then, bumpy, but ld be then they would pass it. So his relationships, certainly like he did with john mccain. The other e knows on side of the aisle they are going to get attacked. As you play within the rules and dont go overboard. And joe biden, generally overboard. Idnt go and even when he was attacking republicans, it wasnt personal. Liked him. And i think thats why he has ontinued to have good relationships with republicans and the media, even though hes ot done a lot of media this year, lets face that, but he him. N engaging way about that helped barack obama get bills that maybe he wouldnt able to get to his desk because joe biden went to apitol hill, he liked hashing those deals with democrats and republicans, and for the most successful. Steve of course, one of the most significant bills, the assage of the caroline garcia, a. Affordable care act,. C. A. , passed along a party line. And this ceremony, remarks by the Vice President. Biden many, many en and women will feel the pride in watching you sign this bill knowing their work, their has helped make this day possible. Mr. President , youre the guy made it happen. [applause] and so, ident biden mr. President all of us, press and elected officials this town over the years and weve seen some incredible things happen. Ut you know, mr. President , youve done what generations of but great men ry do. Women have attempted to republicans as well as democrats, theyve tried before. Knows the story. Starting with teddy roosevelt. Tried. They were real, bold leaders. Ut mr. President , they fell short. You have turned, mr. President , the right of every american to and the Decent Health care into reality for the first time in american history. [applause] biden mr. Nt president , i have gotten to know to enough that you want me stop because im embarrassing you. Not stop. You made a promise to all americans when we moved into this building. Mr. President , you are to remyself literally about to make history. Our children and our going to ren, theyre grow up knowing that a man named the final a put girder in the framework for a ocial network in this country to provide the single most important element of what people that is access to good health. [applause] march, 2010. Susan ferrechio, 10 years later, this is part of the campaign and later the Supreme Court this year. The speaker p its huge. Biden has a lot of credibility on health care. That is classic biden during his time in the white house with obama. I think he actually helped came across a who at professorial and looking down nose. Intellectual. Biden would get up there and this and get like obama laughing. Health care is major. Biden hink really helped as a candidate because he was instrumental, obviously, in obamacare. S and in talking about what health forward, d be moving biden has moved to the left of bamacare and looking for more universal health care for all americans, wanting to expand obamacare. What. Not sure into he doesnt want to dismantle it completely. Been ct is obamacare has dismantled by both parties over the past decade. It. Repealed parts of whats left really is the medicaid expansion, preexisting conditions and some other bill. R parts of the so biden has to come up with a plan if hes elected on what to sort of what the pieces that are left of obamacare. Course, you have, as you said, the looming court fight, maybe decide to this and set in motion what the the president t will do moving forward on health care. If you look at the polls, health top issue. Top three issue. Hisbiden has made it one of signature issues as a candidate, and he does so with great having been behind the passage of obamacare. After the month obamabiden ticket reelected in 2012, the sandy hook shooting resulted in the deaths of 26 people, mostly preschool, indergarten, and Elementary School students. On december 20 of 2012, this with Vice President biden. [video clip] Vice President biden we will be talking to other stakeholders as well. Have a we have to comprehensive way in which to murder of the mass ur children that we saw in connecticut. But thats not the only reason. Want to talk to you all about the way weve always talked in the past. We sat down. Were ready with the crime bill years ago and everybody an ght that was just exercise to reach out and pretend we cared about what you thought. The police organizations, were the organizations who came with d and not only dealt the punishment, incarceration side of it, youre the ones that came up with the idea of community policing. Of came up with the ideas reaching out, having drug courts. You were the you know better needed out what is there and what, i think, the public has learned about you is more wholistic deal with to violence on the streets in our than you are given credit for. I know you well. Youre the first group with whom the president giving his charge along with some of our cabinet colleagues here. I re the first group that wanted to speak with. The id like to do is president is absolutely committed to keeping his promise that we will act and we will act in a way thats designed, even one s he says, we can save life, we have to take action. And there are a number of things you know because ive spoken all over so many years and continue that relationship years that t four there are some things we can immediately do. Need your oing to help. We see no reason why the assault weapons ban. Frankly, you guys helped me write in the original crime bill. Steve thats following the mass shooting at sandy hook Elementary School in connecticut. Obama cusack, did the white house act . Where is that debate today . Bob well, they did. Certainly. To act, steve, it was a massive lobbying battle where you had the white the pitted against National Rifle association and one of the biggest legislative certainly ive ever seen. And there was a push for a ackground check, as joe biden mentioned, the assault weapon ban was in consideration. Art of the issue and why the n. R. A. Won was because democrats took too long. And was so much outrage orror over sandy hook and it affected obama and biden. Obama who doesnt show emotion that much. But then the legislative process ook over and the hearings and the markups and then as you move such a tragic event, political momentum seemed to away. And democrats were not able to ass it and it led to obama giving a very, very tense press democrats failed to pass the legislation. Nd he was extremely angry because now, they did some executive action, but compared compared to n and loophole and n assault weapon ban and ackground checks that you had, the democrat joe manchin and pat toomey of pennsylvania teaming this to to try to get pass, it never did. The executive action is just not legislation. And certainly if joe biden were president and democrats hold the house, which theyre expected to, and win the kind of a jump ball at the moment, joe biden would be under tremendous would make i think t this is a long agenda and he would be pushed by his Progressive Left to do a lot of stuff. Of course, the big question will back the he will elimination of the legislative filibuster. He hasnt gone there yet. The death of r john lewis. Joe biden has yet not yet mbraced getting rid of the legislative filibuster. Steve and were hearing joe biden on the campaign trail also talk about the reauthorization the violence against women act. This is what he said back in movingf 2013 as that was forward. The President Biden thats fundamental premise and the overarching reason why john and others and i started so many years ago to draft legislation called the violence act. St women it passed 19 years ago and shortly thereafter have a hotline where women in help. Ss could call for i remember john when we did that it will as like, well, be useful. Im not so sure how much it will used. Well, the truth of the matter is, its been used a lot and lives. Lot of over two million women have the have had the courage, courage to try to get out of abuser, escape from the prison of their own and to pick up that phone call, call to a line that you endno idea who on the other was going to answer and to say, im in trouble. Me . You help can you help me . Those men who would say when we started this, why didnt leave . St well, if they had onethird the those that those women, two million women had when they picked up the phone and called, to expect, we t would be a whole lot better nation. Build a network of shelters that are immediately available to women in need because we that the vast majority f children who are homeless on the street, as nancy knows and others, were there because their abused. Were life e fleeing for your with only the clothes on your ack and your child in your arms. The shelter is their own lifeline and its worked. That from 2013. Susan ferrechio, what are you earing from the thenVice President . Susan this is a really interesting speech he delivered. Tried to sort of comess reputation when it to women. Anita hillack on the hearings. And some complaints that he defend anitaugh to hill. During those hearings by sure ng or making several corroborating witnesses ppeared, by stopping the republican attacks on her redibility during the hearing process. You know, he had the famous followup call with anita hill. He could zed and said have done a better job, could have done a better job finding witnesses, getting them to testify, stopping republicans from attacking her. Ut that was a moment for him during the anita hill hearings. He sort of had the turnaround issues involving women. And he pushed for the violence gainst women act for several years before it finally became law. And he calls it his signature a senator. As what it did was it criminalized exual and physical assaults against women on the domestic level, which, you know, at the was harder to press charges against somebody, say, a husband r boyfriend, in those domestic situations. This free throw advised more protections for women for those attacks and assaults and there is a real push by reauthorize it with some additional protections i think have become controversial and harder to get across the finish line. Ut it was a defining achievement for the vice resident and it helps kind of refurbish his reputation as a senator who did care about the oncerns of women because, remember, he started in 1973, and during his time on the Judiciary Committee there were the committee n and he actually went out and serve ed two senators to on that panel after the anita hill hearings to try to change things in the senate. Course, it was a mostly male senate, a mostly white senate. The violence against women act is something that he look, this and say, is something that i championed, that i passed, that i wanted to reauthorized to protect women. And thats what you heard in those remarks. Course, that same issue came out in the final year of his vicepresidency, april of 2016, this is what joe biden said. Vice President Biden i got a with every ean this fiber in my being and when i leave this office im setting up foundation to continue this. I have a goal and i believe it met. E a new general generation, we reached a point although well never youviolence overall when rop off your daughter or vulnerable son and homosexual campuses, that youre not going to have that worrying in the back of your mind. Is my daughter or son one in five . R one in if shes transgender, does she bisexual, a or 30some percent chance of being abuse . M of folks, im going to thank you, particularly the champions of change, for us to ing a little bit closer the goal. Im often asked, why am i so passionate about this . Think maybe god forbid my or was abused or my sister my deceased wife or my wife. I am passionate about this a truly was raised by raceful man who never, never raised his hand to any one of his children or anybody, i am aware of. Man. S a big would talk about not one of my of my friends and everybody hung out at our house would not be able to fathers mantra. The greatest sin of all sins is power. Se of and the cardinal sin among those his hand to raise a woman or a child. As you listenack, to that in 2016, your thoughts . Biden, l, remember, joe he has long been against bullies. Its not like anyones probully. But joe biden to this day is a stutterer. Hes said he was bullied. On. As picked and so, you know, in that speech, hes talking about, different youre just in any way, then you can bad hings can happen to you from predators or from bullies, whether its remember, joe out ahead of barack obama on gay marriage. Within the e grief white house because he was, i believe, on meet the press and got out ahead of barack obama where the Democratic Party was evolving on marriage. So, i mean, joe biden, youve seen it with his rhetoric over couple years against men d trump is that both have basically at times said, well, ill take you out in the because beat you up, joe biden sees trump as a bully nd, of course, trump is a counterpuncher and hes responded in kind. I think youre going to see that back f volatile type of and forth, certainly, in the debates. Steve susan ferrechio, we of ed about the selection joe biden by barack obama as rung maitd. Runningmate. During the eight years, how did the relationship evolve . Great question because it did evolve. I think joe bidens role expanded over his time in the white house. This earlier in the program about how important it was for to have biden as a key point person on certain issues. And, of course, working with congress was probably the number one role for biden in importance in getting legislation passed because, remember, democrats at the time, first, they had control of the full congress and the white house, which is when you can get your things passed. Light. E the green and then they didnt have the have control of the house anymore and suddenly you had to negotiating. And you needed someone who could work across the aisle. Been biden has always rated as a basically as a moderate when you look at his days. Record these his past voting record. Hes just a little to the left f jon tester right now whos one of the key moderates in the senate right now. Rated. How he was he knew how to work across the aisle then as a moderate and he those ose skills, relationships. Night in back door meetings trying to get these guy. , he was the goto president obama was not interested in building relationships with members of congress. Not often lamented i was that way and they wished he was a president who was there more on but joe biden filled that role and he helped get that done and he became more more important as that relationship developed during his wo of them during vicepresidency. He was a important point person Foreign Relations because of his experience during the senate. And obama relied on him for that. Were just good friends. I think obama i think obama ushed biden more to the left, theres no question about that. As you would probably expect iven he was working underneath president obama. But i think they became good friends over the course of their years, which isnt always he case with president ial and vicepresident ial relationships. More nk hes became he came to trust biden more and he became more he started to on him more the longer they were together in the white house. Teve there was this moment in one of the final public moments, t was a surprise moment in which Vice President biden was brought to the state dining room. The president ial medal of freedom. He then Vice President with these remarks. Vice President Biden i know it president s heart. Says, whataying that omes from the heart is the heart. Mr. President , you have creeped into our heart. You and your whole family. Mom. Ding and you occupy it. An amazing thing that happened. Smart you were. I knew how honorable you were. From how decent you were the couple years we worked in the senate. Of. Ew what you were capable ut i never fully expected that youd occupy the bidens heart from hunter, ashley, my sister, us. Of all of us. President , i im you. Ted to im indebted to your friendship. Family. Bted to your humorous note. Lunch. Having we talk about family an awful lot. Six months in, president looked at me. Ou know, joe, you know what surprised me . Ow weve become such good friends. [laughte [laughter] surprised you . Obama. Ts candid and its real. And mr. President , you know as a breath in me, i will be there for you. Its reciprocal. And i want to thank you, all, so much. Very, very all of you. [cheers and applause] from the white house january 12, 2017. Susan ferrechio. Susan what a moment. It was just what i was just prior to that clip about the elationship between the two of them. I was thinking back to beau funeral and president bama gave a heartfelt eulogy there for beau biden. Moment. Touching president obama was able to deliver that eulogy. Relationship. Se i think leaving off from that clip, as we lead off from there, 100 sure that the party biden as nt obama saw the democratic nominee for president in 2020. That moment there, that Pivotal Moment there in the relationship between the two of of to be seen as sort of the conclusion of career. Political at least a lot of us saw it that way at the time. And that he was not going to run for president. Just based on his age. Or his qualifications popularity. It just seemed logical that would be the end of the career joe biden. But what happened was the opposite. Ranumped in the race and he and even when he first started running, i dont think he was everybodys first choice because he wasnt progressive enough and they were hoping for a more progressive none of those candidates had the right kind of you tion of voters that need to win the primary. And it just became increasingly lear that the only person who biden. Et that was joe i was surprised that obama didnt endorse him earlier on hes en, of course, endorsed him now, obviously, and they are good friends and they did work well together. Dont im not sure that bidens politics and his age and what the party was looking for or what even president obama was looking for. Cant speak for the president. But thats just the sense i got way the hing the nominating process unfolded and how those endorsements came in. Bob cusack, a quick followup on that point. Bob certainly i think the relationship grew. In the beginning, sometimes biden would publicly obama would publicly get annoyed by biden, especially after biden made a quip about john roberts. Real estate sligsship the relationship grew. It had its limits because obama want biden to run in 2016 and he didnt endorse him in the beginning. Said oh, i didnt want the endorsement. Oh, yeah right. To give it going until he had the nomination. Now youre going to, of course, trail just like he was at the convention making he case for his now close friend. Steve in the interim, of course, between the vicepresidency and candidacy the biden nt was foundation, the death of his son, which certainly framed the and the idential years cancer moon shot. This is a speech that he delivered as former vice in september of 2018. Something ent biden remarkable has happened in my life and in jills life. Educator her whole life. Her, teaching is not is. She does, its who she ive been in public life since i since 26 years of age. P until now, when people have opportuned us at the diner, the grocery store, in a train, in city or country, they tend to ask us about what we engaged in our lives. Her in education and opportunities. Me about Foreign Policy or issues. Tional or wrims or womens rights. Been engaged in. And but something has changed. It was only late in my career, exact, four years ago, son, beau, utiful of diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma. With cancer. Impact onh a profound my family. Whereas in the first years of my career, people would want to about everything from civil rights to human rights. O the war in iraq and afghanistan. Thats when i would be grabbed at the airport or walking down the street. Go and this i is not hyperbole everywhere i matter what country i am in, whether im at an airport, mall with my grandchildren or meeting foreign as i recently did in copenhagen, dealing what putin do, undermining nato. Almost the first thing everybody talks to me about this is not hyperbole almost everybody to talk about, first thing, can we talk about cancer . We talk about cancer . Steve that from two years ago. Cusack, again, from the political issues to the personal biden. Ve of joe bob well, i mean, everybodys everyones been affected and knows someone cancer or died from cancer. Certainly that clip is very compelling. Believable ry because cancer is so prevalent. And its worth noting that joe able to, with members of congress, pass the 21st century cures act. Bill and at rtisan times it looked like it was very was actually going to get to the president s desk. And joe biden got it there with help of members on both sides because, again, this that affectsething everybody on both sides of the aisle and that was a big that joe biden. In for steve susan ferrechio, joe years old in 8 november. Why did he enter this race in 2020 . Well, thats a terrific question. I think he saw an opportunity. Field saw a wideopen frontrunner. Lear normally when politicians decide to jump in, they have to weigh the possibilities. Sawi think biden accurately a pathway to win. And, you know, these political this ons die very hard in town. People will keep going. When its not realistic to do so. Joe biden saw a real shot and it was there. It, too, at the very beginning. I saw the other candidates and i know the lay of the land for the and its real its formulaic how it unfolds. It was an opportunity for him. Because he was an experienced legislator but he was president obamas Vice President. Been a ver has truly political successor to president obama. Hillary clinton couldnt pull it off. Joe biden could say, i was his Vice President. Resident obama was the most popular politics. And biden was his Vice President. Ambitious. Been hes run for president before. Was never able to pull it off. A chance. E saw and he also saw that why should factor. Everyone thought, well, hes too old. Well, how old is President Trump . Couple years apart. Same with other candidates, other leading politicians. The leadership of the house and the senate. They cant accuse biden being too old. Theyre all the same age. He was able to do it. I think there were some people that didnt want him to do it. In alked about that already the program. But hes a politician. Hes ambitious. For himself. Chance steve you pointed out his first announcement in 1989. Delaware. Ton, he is from scranton. He formally entered this race in in may of 2019. Vice President Biden i ought to toetotoe with the g. O. P. T cant be that way on every single issue. Look at the recovery act. The cornerstone of the nations the mic recovery, from depth of the greatest financial crisis short of a depression hat we ever faced in our history. And thats a big reason, big reason we now have had 10 years uninterrupted Economic Growth. Applause]d but we need it. Find t to republicans in the United States senate to get it passed. Them, my job to find persuade them. I did. They did. Than e country did better it has before [cheers and applause] more. One more aside. I know President Trump likes to take credit for the economy and Economic Growth and the low numbers. Ent look at the facts, not the alternative facts. President trump inherited an economy from obamabiden was given ton that him. Just like he inherited Everything Else in his life. [cheers and applause] like just like Everything Else hes been given in his life, hes in the process squandering that as well. Applause]d look, recover act helped save ruin. Ation from economic to get down to get down to we had to get the work done. We had to bring a few republicans along. F we hadnt done it, we could have had another Great Depression or economic ruin. Working together matters. It matters. Their rican people want government to work. And i dont think thats too much for them to ask. Philadelphia. Om bob cusack, what strikes me two things. First, so much has happened from to where we are in the fall of 2020. But also in that speech, joe iden is looking beyond the primary. And taking aim directly at the president , which we will likely debate. The upcoming bob yes, thats right. He spent a lot of his early days he announced going after trump and basically that was his big argument that he was going one that could beat trump. Listen, i thought he was going race, despite his age. I wasnt so sure he could actually win the nomination with the party moving a bit left, certainly Bernie Sanders being in the of new faces, kamala pete buttigieg. I didnt see a clear path specially because he had fundraising problems. The democratic process went hrough the process the Democratic Party went through the process. He ended up winning i think, because people thought, ok, hes got the best chance to beat the president. Steve and final question for you. Of susan ferrechio, we have tried o compress a 47year career into 90 minutes using the cspan video library. Bidens ok back at joe public career as a senate, as a president ial candidate, as vice of ident, and look at some these moments, what stands out and what strikes me the most . Think the human side in all of the clips you played. Relatable he how is and how people see him as likable. You elect a president , likability is a huge issue. Democrats like to play out the that the president now, President Trump, is not likable. Can is someone people relate to. Hes someone with a heart, who cares about people. One of the reasons why mitt did not win in 2012, voters on their exit question hey thought democrats cared about them more and democrats know that. They know one way to get the you care. O show i think thats something thats come across. Its sort of evolved i guess in biden, as a senator, and then as Vice President and now as a residential candidate, someone who cares and can get things done. Teve bob cusack, whats your takeaway . Bob i agree with susan, he definitely connects with people. Thats important. Vote on personality more than policies. For the most part. But at the same time, those also show a career politician. And a president ial candidates who are insiders generally dont do well. Obviously, President Trump, candidate, washe the ultimate outsider. Ad never run for any political office. Barack obama, yes, he served in the senate, state senate, hes outsider. Usually if youre the outsider, opposed to win as lots and lots of washington experience. Youre seeing from the trump campaign, theyre certainly this president as certainly unorthodox and as the outsider, even though hes been president for nearly four years. Steve bob cusack is the editor n chief of the hill newspaper, thehill. Com. Susan ferrechio is the chief correspondent for washington examiner. To both of you, we thank you for your time and for your insights. Steve. Anks, susan thanks a lot. Of the video from joe biden, his public life, is available on our website cspan. Org. And our campaign coverage, cspan. Org campaign2020. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] gs kapgs performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] first president ial trump vice sident president is campaigning through this vaccine. Its reckless. It is is for political reasons. Iden, his whole deal is catastrophic shutdown. R. Biden again in his own words, quoted by bob woodward, he president knew back in february that this was an accumulate ngerous kabul disease kuhn indicatable disease communicable disease. It. K about across in the the dinner around table because of his recklessness