Joe Biden: The 2019 "60 Minutes" interview - CBS News (video plus transcript)

[Celerity]

Joe Biden defends his son Hunter's Ukraine dealings, answers for his gaffes in 60 Minutes interview

The former vice president also calls on President Trump to release his tax returns, and explains why his children won't have White House offices

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joe-biden-interview-full-transcript-watch-video-norah-odonnell-60-minutes-exclusive-2019-10-27/

Joe Biden spent eight years as vice president under Barack Obama and 36 years in the U.S. Senate. He has been leading the Democratic field for the 2020 presidential nomination, but the race is tightening. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have energized the young, progressive wing of the party and argue that Biden's policy proposals don't go far enough.

But his most powerful and vocal opponent is the president of the United States, who is facing an impeachment inquiry over whether he pressured the Ukrainian government to dig up dirt on Biden and his son, Hunter. We talked with Joe Biden at his home in Delaware earlier this week where we covered a wide variety of topics, including why Democrats should be excited about voting for a candidate who is about to turn 77 years old.

Norah O'Donnell: The Democratic party has had Jack Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama. This is your third run for president. Why Joe Biden?

Joe Biden: Well, because I think, as I said we need somebody who, on day one, knows exactly what to do. Can command the world stage. No one wonders whether I know a great deal about these issues and foreign policy and domestic policy. They're things I've done.

Norah O'Donnell: And that might be one of the criticisms too, that you're offering essentially four more years of a Obama-like administration.

Joe Biden: Well, let me tell you something, I-- I love the fact that, all of a sudden, the Democratic party doesn't think Obama was that great a president. I-- I find that fascinating.

Norah O'Donnell: Some have asked, why hasn't President Obama endorsed you? You guys served together for eight years.

Joe Biden: Because I have to own-- I wanna earn this on my own.

Norah O'Donnell: Did he offer to endorse you?

Joe Biden: No, we didn't even get there. I asked him not to. He said, "Okay." I think it's better-- I think he thinks it's better for me. I have no doubt when I'm the nominee he'll be out on the campaign trail for me.

Today marks 99 days until the Iowa caucuses, the first Democratic contest. Despite his strength in the polls, Joe Biden tends not to draw a lot of young people to his campaign events, a problem some of his competitors don't have.

Norah O'Donnell: Your opponents, because they're promising so much change, they seem to be igniting the Democratic base that turns out in the primary, younger voters.

Joe Biden: The fact of the matter is that if you take a look at who votes in these primaries, overwhelmingly, people over the age of 50 who vote in these primaries. I want more young people engaged. I want them voting. But the idea that this is the way in which it's gonna change is-- by just making the most far-reaching assertions you can make. I mean, let's talk about Medicare For All. Do you think there's been any truth in advertising on that It's gonna raise taxes on middle class people, not just wealthy people.

Norah O'Donnell: You're talking--

Joe Biden: So--

Norah O'Donnell: --about Elizabeth Warren?

Joe Biden: Well, I'm not only talking about-- even Bernie acknowledges you gotta raise taxes.

snip

video and full transcript at the link above

[UncleNoel]

1. I'll say it again here. Her hostility was palpable...

Hard-eyed, frozen face deliivering Trump talking points.

Especially hostile when Biden good-humoredly tossed her questions back at her, deslivering his own message.

He did good.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Caught her on the evening news last week

looks like a deer caught in the headlights. seems to me to be overcompensating. journalism is not about being the fierce opposition, being tough on people. it's about communicating the truth, teasing answers that reveal details. Sometimes three softball questions followed by a hard high slider will get you more revealing answers than total in yer face. Scott Pelley knew what he was doing. You'd never know from his newscast that he was a solid Republican. Because he parked it at the door. Even Dan Rather in his pre-1987 years was a partisan enigma on air.

i think and hope Norah O'Donnel's tenure is short lived. She is making a mess of journalism.

[Kahuna7]

10. She's always hostile. That seems to be her stock and trade. nt

[trueblue2007]

15. she was VERY hostile. I can't stand her. She's a hateful woman.

[George II]

2. It was a good interview. It answered a lot of questions, even those unspoken.

[UncleNoel]

3. As morning Joe said, He passed the test.

[Gothmog]

17. Trump is an idiot

Link to tweet

?s=20

[question everything]

4. I admit, I was taken aback when he mentioned his daugher

I did not know that he and Jill have a daughter, Ashley Blazer who is a social worker.

[UncleNoel]

5. All about her here (with a photo)

https://heavy.com/news/2019/06/joe-biden-daughters/

It was news to me, too!

[highplainsdem]

7. K&R! Thanks, Celerity!

[SunSeeker]

8. Hell yes I want 4 more years of Obama!

Suggesting he will govern like Obama is not a critique, it's a compliment!

Norah O'Donnell doesn't get it.

[Demsrule86]

9. when I see Norah, I turn off the TV...she is awful and was her usual snotty self yesterday.

[Cha]

20. My sister in San Diego loved the

interview and has now decided on Biden. I was asking her if the interviewer was hostile or some word like that and she said "no".. lol.

I told her they usually are with Dems.. and then I mentioned Steve Kroft interviewing President Obama.

People really do see things differently! omg!

[iwannaknow]

11. Let's bring back the Fairness Docrine

I find it appalling and outlandish that one candidate should be given all this free prime time.

[Demsrule86]

13. Kidding right?

[iwannaknow]

16. No I'm not kidding.

There used to be a rule called the Fairness Doctrine that if one candidate got X minutes of TV time, all other candidates would be entitled to the same. Of course that practice has hence gone by the wayside. I'm not blaming CBS, nor anyone else. CNN has hosted a lot of town halls, but as far as I know, they have given the same opportunity to all the candidates. And that's how it should be done. Perhaps 60 Minutes plans to do something similar. in which case I would applaud them.

[Demsrule86]

19. Oh please...this is a primary.

[book_worm]

18. You don't think Elizabeth Warren will not have her chance on 60 Minutes?

and it will probably be even closer to the Iowa caucus.

[Gothmog]

12. Joe was great

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

14. Opinion: Biden must do more of this, @JRubinBlogger writes

Link to tweet

Biden openly ridiculed Trump’s claim that Russian intervention was a hoax. “He’s an idiot — in terms of sayin’ that. Everybody knows this,” Biden responded. “Everybody knows it. Nobody doubts it.” He shrugged off Trump’s attack on his integrity (“It’s comin’ from a man with no integrity”). And as noted above, he flat-out dared Trump to release his taxes: "You want to deal with corruption? Start to act like it. Release your tax returns or shut up.”

Biden also seemed more comfortable and less defensive about his center-left philosophy. He managed to brush off Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax proposal and weak tea (“I don’t oppose a wealth tax. I propose changing the whole tax system. The tax I would put on the wealthy will in fact cost more than 2 percent”). He proposed raising capital gains tax rates back to the previous top marginal rate for wages (39.8 percent). And he skewered the credibility of candidates offering Medicare-for-all without showing their math. (“Do you think there’s been any truth in advertising on that? It’s going to raise taxes on middle-class people, not just wealthy people.”)