Did Biden want the job or not?
Here’s Biden on NBC’s Meet the Press on June 22: And here’s the transcript: MR. WILLIAMS: Senator Biden, I don’t mean to interrupt. SEN. BIDEN: No, I understand. MR. WILLIAMS: You’re in the news yourself this past week. SEN. BIDEN: Uh-oh. What did I do? MR. WILLIAMS: You interested in the vice presidency? SEN. BIDEN: ...
Here's Biden on NBC's Meet the Press on June 22:
Here’s Biden on NBC’s Meet the Press on June 22:
And here’s the transcript:
MR. WILLIAMS: Senator Biden, I don’t mean to interrupt.
SEN. BIDEN: No, I understand.
MR. WILLIAMS: You’re in the news yourself this past week.
SEN. BIDEN: Uh-oh. What did I do?
MR. WILLIAMS: You interested in the vice presidency?
SEN. BIDEN: I am not interested in the vice presidency.
MR. WILLIAMS: You’re not interested in the vice presidency.
SEN. BIDEN: I’m not interested.
MR. WILLIAMS: MEET THE PRESS, April 29th, 2007, Tim Russert asks Joe Biden, "You interested in being vice president?" "No, I will not be vice president under any circumstances." But in a different answer, you answered you’d have to say yes. I don’t know, so…
SEN. BIDEN: Well, no. The bottom–look, the–when I was asked that question, I thought I was still going to be president. Now–number one, I, I am not interested in being vice president. I’ve let the candidate know. If the candidate asks me to be vice president, the answer is I got to say yes. But he’s not going to ask me. Look, you cannot walk away…
MR. WILLIAMS: Now…
SEN. BIDEN: …when your party–if the party nominee asked him to be vice…
MR. WILLIAMS: Is that a rule out or a rule in?
SEN. BIDEN: No, it–no, it’s–I don’t–I’m not interested. I’m–my–I answer your question honestly.
MR. WILLIAMS: But if asked?
SEN. BIDEN: Unlike most other people, I’m being straight with you. If asked, I will do it. I’ve made it clear I do not want to be asked.
MR. WILLIAMS: Do not want to be asked. But if asked, the answer, of course, would be yes.
SEN. BIDEN: Of course it would, because the–if the president–if the presidential nominee thought I could help him win, am I going to say to the first African-American candidate about to make history in the world that, "No, I will not help you out like you want me to"? Of course, I’m–I’ll say yes.
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