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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