On whether shes a progressive. Im in a getting things done mode and im a progressive. And on bringing down Health Care Costs. Pharma thinks they dont washington. They dont own me. And first veto. The senate votes to block the Emergency Declaration. And mr. Trump strikes back. Congress has the freedom to pass this resolution. And i have the duty to veto it. Ill talk to one of the 12 republican senators who voted against the president , pat toomey of pennsylvania. And the terror attack in new zealand. How White Supremacy is being driven by a dark, internet culture. Joining me for insight and analysis are jose diazbalart. Anchor on telemundo and nbc news. Yamiche alcindo. White house correspondent. Arthur brooks. President of the American Enterprise institute. And susan page, Washington Bureau chief of usa today. Welcome to sunday. Its meet the press. From nbc news in washington, the longest running show in television history, this is meet the press with chuck todd. Good sunday morning. Happy st. Patricks day. The race for the democratic nomination has been going on for some time now. But beto orourkes announcement on thursday, fairly or not, seemed to signal that the starting gun, at least on the Campaign Part of it, had just gone off. There have been a handful of eagerly awaited candidacies that matched the frenzy preceding his announcement. Ted kennedy was the presumed candidate against president carter right until he announced. Three decades later, a firstterm senator barack obama rode his announcement enthusiasm all the way to the white house. And twice the prospect of a Ronald Reagan candidacy generated huge republican excitement. In 1976 when he lost the nomination to president ford and then in 1980 when he won the presidency in a landslide. The orourke candidacy and the vanity fair cover story has drawn comparison. The gifted athlete like reagan. Or the lights that flame out like john edwards. However orourkes candidacy begins, its in full glare of a fascinated media. Well make or break the future in this country. In iowa trailed by crowds and cameras, beto orourke is making it official. Hes running. After an Early Morning announcement im running to serve you as the next president of the United States. That glossy vanity fair story saying im just born to be in it. And the expected attacks from the president. A lot of hand movement. Ive never seen such hand movement. I said is he crazy or is that just the way he acts . While others run on signature policy proposals, orourke is belting on a National Unity message an avoiding specifics. If you have all the answers why show up . If youre not going to listen and to learn, what is the use of campaigning. He was once for medicaid for all. Thats one of the ways to ensure we get the guaranteed highquality health care for every american. Im not sure thats the fastest way to get there. And he declined to say if President Trump should be impeached. I leave it to congress. Where the power resides in our constitution. One thing orourke did make clear he plans to run to the right of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on economic issues. He is responding why the Diverse Party should select a white nominee and responded to the criticisms about these comments in iowa about his wife. My wife, raising, sometimes with my help, you ulysses and molly and haley. Not only will i not say that again, but i will thoughtful the way i talk about our marriage and the way i acknowledge the truth of the criticism that i have enjoyed white privilege. Other democrats are raising money off of orourkes new candidacy. Im delighted we have so Many Democrats who want to take on President Trump. The more the merrier. Do you have a comment on beto orourke getting into the race, senator . Anybody can run. And then, joe biden nearly slipped up and declared himself a candidate a bit early. I have been criticized by the new left. I have the most progressive record for anybody running for anybody that would run. Biden, clearly arguing electability, as democrats decide whether the 2020 race is about ideological transformation, generational change or simply who can win . The most electable progressive. The progressive part is important. How important is the electability to you . Its huge. Yesterday, i was in waterloo, iowa. Good to be back there. And i grabbed a few moments with orourke. On his first weekend of campaigning. His campaign kicked off four months after his loss to senator ted cruz which yesterday was one of his favorite applause lines because its one of the best cases he could make. Because it was the best showing a democrat had in texas in decades in an election. When i heard you saying, you came up short. What if you hadnt . Would you be in waterloo . I might be in waterloo. I dont know if i would be in waterloo and all of the communities ive been in, to run for president. I was running to serve my state in the United States senate. And i made the commitment that i was going to serve every one of the six years in public trust. I have an opportunity, now, to do something that i think the country badly needs or maybe i should put it this way. I get a chance to be part of something that the country badly needs. Thats come together at this very divided moment. Not just coming together for the sake of it. Although thats part of it but coming together to achieve the really Ambitious Goals together. Youre not the first to say im going to bring this country together. A lot of people put their hope and thought and people thought he was the answer to do that. Why didnt that happen in obamas eight years . What was hard and why do you think youll be able to do it . I dont know. I know that president obama worked incredibly hard to find Common Ground with republicans and democrats alike. Took a message to the entire country. But ill say he was able to achieve a heck of a lot in those eight years. Domestically you look at the accordable care act. Millions of americans who lead better lives, many of the lives saved because of that legislation. In foreign policy, you prevented iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. And there were little and, perhaps, smaller victories along the way. All i know is that everyone ive met, the most partisan democrat, the most hard core republican wants to see us come together. They want to make sure we get something done. They dont want the perfect to become the enemy of the good. If we wait until we are in office to begin this work, it will be too late. It has to start now in the way that we campaign. You admitted that, hey, youre in a party right now that isnt necessarily interested in a white male candidate. And youre a disadvantage in that. And the coverage of your campaign, some people have criticized oh, hes getting coverage that others are not getting. You tried to answer some of the criticism. What do you say to it . I would never begin saying i am at any disadvantage at all. As a white man, who has had privileges that others could not depend on or take for granted, ive clearly had advantages over the course of my life. I think recognizing that and understanding that others have not doing everything i can to ensure there is the opportunity and possibility for advancement for everyone is a big part of this campaign an a big part of the people that comprise this campaign. I think this is the best field that weve ever seen in a nominating process. I think the diversity of background, expertise, that is brought to bear on these problems is exceptional. And i know at the end of the day well be on the same team. Im excited about that. Thats the way im going to continue to run. But ill tell you, i also happen to be the only candidate from the United States mexico border at a time that that dominates us. And theres one candidate that can talk about the impacts that immigrants have had on safety and security as well as our success and strength. I ran for statewide office in what was thought to be a red state and that state is in play by some peoples estimation. Theres some things, perhaps, to you know, will be different about this candidacy from the candidacy of others. If thats better or worse, i dont know. Were going to get a lot of time. Let me ask you this question. People are trying to get to know who you are. Give me three or four books that you read that would say, if you read those books you will get an idea of how i think. The odyssey is my Favorite Book of alltime. Its got so many stories within the story. Ultimately about homecoming, family and friendship, adventure and struggle and loss. Im in the middle of reading uninhabitable earth, which clearly describes the consequences of inaction. Im reading articles by an economist named darrick hamilton that talks about how wealth is accumulated in this country, that disproportionately favors white households at the expense of black households and lays out policy proscriptions for coming back. And im reading a book by Joseph Campbell about the power of myth and the universality of human experience. Its a great way to escape from the immediate world and get to something deeper. At the same time, further away. Those are a few books. Good luck staying isolated right now. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you, chuck. That was former congressman, beto orourke, with that quick pullaside interview with me yesterday in waterloo, iowa. If youre into politics there was no better place to be in iowa or New Hampshire when a president ial race begins. Theres no better place to be than waterloo, and i sat down with amy klobuchar. We sat down at the Screamin Eagle bar and grill. I asked her when she decided to run for president. She said it was in college, but distinctively she noted not at birth. You made a reference to born. Do you feel born to do this . Thats the beto line. It is the beto line. You brought it up. I have a lot of respect for beto. Its great to have some texas in this race. No. I wasnt born to run for office just because growing up in the 70s in the middle of the country, i dont think many people thought a girl could be president. I wasnt born to run. But i am running. You said during your announcement, we shouldnt wallow over whats wrong. Is there anything Donald Trumps done as president , you know, that wasnt bad . Well, i am glad hes pushing on venezuela right now. I think thats really important. You have a dictator in place there thats got to go. I think there are a number of things that hes said he wants to do like bring down Prescription Drug prices that i agree with. He doesnt have the will to get it done, whether its the people around him whispering, dont take on the pharma companies. Or the inability to work with congress to pass legislation. Simple drug prices. Tripling or quadrupling it doesnt make sense. We can bring down the prices. You brought up venezuela. What would be your line on a military interception. Hes using motorcycle gangs. Its clear people are getting killed there. What point do you think its a United States problem, too . Right now, its our problem in that we need to push for humanitarian aid. We need to make sure that were im glad that we have recognized who should be the president here. Im also glad that were trying to push maduro out. But the answer here is to make sure that we are working with our allies, pushing for democracy in some kind of a negotiated agreement. The military should be on the table but i dont see that we use it now. General Stanley Mcchrystal has a question that he always asks in job interviews. I have picked it up and i have used it and its this. What would someone who does not like you say about you . I think youve heard some of it. Some people might say i can be too tough and i push things too hard. Thats a fair criticism. But i do it for a reason and i do it because i want to have High Expectations for myself and for the people around me and for our country. And i think those expectations have fallen in the last few years. And we need to get them to the place where america is again, the beacon of democracy in a country that can be respected along the world. And in our own nation, that has the backs of people. How important do you think it is for the Democratic Party to dominate somebody that isnt a white male . I dont think there should be one litmus test. But i think our ticket should reflect the country. And i like to say, may the best woman win. The country or the party . The majority of the Democratic Party is female, not male. Is that the case . For the country, a woman can well represent men. And one of the things that bothers me is hear things people dont think that. In my own state, i have won with women and ive won with men. Ive won every congressional district, including michele bachmanns. I have done it by not just running as a woman. I am proud to be a woman candidate. But by looking at what unites us. Going where its comfortable and uncomfortable. When you look at 2018, we have a road map. A number of incredible women won including two new congresswomen in iowa, including the new governor of kansas, laura kelly. President s have a lot of things they promise when they run. Were talking about various issues. The reality is this. The first issue you pick, the first big issue you pick is the best chance that you have to get passed and Everything Else decreases. What is number one in your mind that you know, it will be the hardest thing to do, health care was obamas, what is yours . Bringing down Health Care Costs with muchneeded changes to the Affordable Care act. That would be pharmaceutical prices. I have been on this for over a decade. Neither during democratic or republican administrations have we had any significant votes in the congress. Pharma may think they own washington. They dont own me. This would be to negotiate lower prices under medicare, less expensive drugs from canada, stopping the pay for delay practice the bill that i have with senator grassley. I would push those. I would also on day one, put us back into the International Climate change agreement. Let me go to health care. What that sounds like and i have heard you said this before. You love medicare for all but you have to what you think you can do. Sounds like youre the candidate of obamacare. And it sounds like you believe, make obamacare work first. I believe in bringing out universal health care to all americans. Were not there yet. You want to use the structure of obamacare . Yes, i do. And the fastest way to get there is with the public option. You can do it with medicaid and with medicare. I would get that done in the first year as president. Theres no reason we cant do that, as well as immediately using costsharing things in iowa that would help where they have had major issues with the premiums. What do you tell folks who say, no no no no, stop that. Obamacare isnt the answer. Go to medicare for all. What do you tell them . We tell them we had major successes on the Affordable Care act. We made sure kids stay on their parents insurance until theyre 26. We have stopped people from being thrown off their insurance over preexisting conditions. And finally, theres apparently going to be another conversation in the Republican Party for reparation for descendants of slaves. Where do you come down on that . We have to help the communities that have been affected by racism. It doesnt have to be a direct pay for each person. What we can do is invest in the communities. Acknowledge whats happened. That mean better education. That means looking at for the whole economy. Community college, one year degrees. Minimum wage. Child care. Making sure that we have that shared dream of opportunity for all americans. And ill tell you this, we may look different. We may pray different. But we all have that shared dream of america. And that is not being sent to many communities right now in this country. And it is hurting, not just them, it is hurting our whole country. Is a reparations debate a good debate . Or is it one that can get taken out of context . I think these debates are actually good to have. Its good to have a debate on the environment now, so we can make the case, you know what . Economically, when your Home Insurance goes up by 50 , we have a problem. Its an economic problem with Climate Change. When we have the weather coming down from mississippi coming down from minnesota where i have met with the weather experts, this stuff is happening and you have hurricanes battering florida and you have wildfires in colorado and california, these are debates we have to have. We have to have a debate on race, yes. But im tired of admiring the problem. Lets get the solutions in place. Thats whats cool about the fact that we have leadership in the house thats finally pushing through ethics bills, trying to get the dark money out of politics. Were in a different place after 2018. But right now its just going to be proposals passing one house, being squashed down by President Trump. This is our moment to get it done in 2020. Senator klobuchar talked about if she is in favor of adding members to the Supreme Court. We talked about the death penalty. And about the label progressive. You can see the entire interview with all of my sit downs as we go through the president ial interviews on meet the press. Com. Shoutout to my friend ivan from the screaming eagle. Beto is in. Whats that mean for the one name thats unannounced, joe biden. When we go to break, i asked democratic voters what theyre looking for in a candidate. What ma