'Meet the Press' transcript for August 24, 2008

MR. TOM BROKAW:  Our issues this Sunday:  Obama chooses his running mate.

(Videotape)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL):  With Joe Biden at my side, I am confident we can take this country in a new direction.

(End videotape)

MR. BROKAW:  An exclusive interview with the co-chair of the committee that vetted the vice presidential candidates for the Obama campaign, the daughter of our nation's 35th president, Caroline Kennedy.

Then, can Hillary Clinton bring her supporters into the Obama camp, and which issues will top the legislative agenda for our next president?  We asked the convention chairwoman and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

And in our political roundtable, can the pick of Joe Biden help Obama with undecided voters?  And McCain and Obama clash over who's more in touch in tough economic times.

(Audiotape)

Unidentified Reporter:  How many houses do you and Mrs. McCain have?

SEN. JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ):  I think--I'll have my staff get to you.

(End audiotape)

(Videotape)

SEN. OBAMA:  If you don't know how many houses you have, then it's not surprising that you might think the economy was fundamentally strong.

(End videotape)

MR. BROKAW:  Insights and analysis from Gwen Ifill, moderator of PBS' "Washington Week" and senior correspondent for PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer"; Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek magazine; and Chuck Todd, political director for NBC News.

But first, joining us here at the Pepsi Center in Denver, a woman who had a tough assignment as co-chair of the selection process for Obama's running mate search, Caroline Kennedy.

Your work is now done, welcome back.  We've just checked the records, this is the third time you've been on MEET THE PRESS--first in '02, then in '03.  And we're glad to have you back.

MS. CAROLINE KENNEDY:  Thank you.

MR. BROKAW:  You're famously reserved, shy about public appearances, but you've been very conspicuous in the Obama campaign.  Can we expect to see a lot more of you in the coming months?

MS. KENNEDY:  Well, I can't think of anything more important that I could be doing, so, so I'm happy to be part of this campaign.  I think he'll make a tremendous president, tremendous leader.  I saw that during the vice presidential process.  And my whole family, my children are so excited about this, this election, so it's, it's great for me to be part of it.

MR. BROKAW:  Caroline Kennedy in the media campaign, appearing in television ads for Senator Obama, is that a possibility?

MS. KENNEDY:  All of you know, whatever I can do to help, I'm, I'm right there.

MR. BROKAW:  Let's talk about the vice presidential selection process.  You, with Eric Holder, were co-chairs of the so-called "vetting process," going through prospective candidates, taking a look at--describe how it worked. Were you like CPAs doing a kind of clinical analysis of their balance sheet in terms of personality and politics and financial statement?  Or were you offering broader political judgments about need and fit?

MS. KENNEDY:  Well, I think it's really a process, for me, that was wonderful to be part of, because I really came away thinking, once again, that there are so many great people in public service.  And so that was reassuring, because often people think, `Oh, well, you know, there's not going to be anybody great to pick.' But we had a number of wonderful choices that I think that Joe Biden is--was absolutely the best.  And the great thing, also was to watch Senator Obama work through this process because I had seen him, obviously, campaigning out there in front of the big crowd, but to see him in a small meeting and the kind of questions he asked and the way that he listened and brought people together and really thought about sort of the challenges that we're facing in this country economically and around the world and who could be the person to really help him govern and who could step in and be president, that was really sort of the emphasis of the process.

MR. BROKAW:  And in those meetings with him, did he give you a list of names and say, `These are the eight or nine or 10 or 12 I'd like you to consider,' or did he say, `These are the qualifications I'm interested in'?

MS. KENNEDY:  Well, since, since we didn't really talk about it all the way along, why would I do that right now?  But, I mean, it is a confidential process.  But I can tell you that, that as enthusiastic as I was about Barack Obama as president going into that process, and I was really honored to be part of it, I think that, that really it was about the values that the Democratic Party stands for, and that he stands for.  It's, you know, how to change the direction of this country, who can help do that, who's got the relationships and the experience to, to help him govern, you know, both domestically and, and as well as around the world.  And so I think it was really a process for him to go through and think about, and, and we helped as much as we could.  And then he ultimately decided that Joe Biden was really the, the best person for him to have as a partner.

MR. BROKAW:  He was, he was at the top of your list as well as Senator Obama's?

MS. KENNEDY:  Of course.  Well he would be at the top of any list, right?

MR. BROKAW:  Three weeks ago when I interviewed Senator Obama in London, I asked him about Hillary Clinton as a prospective vice presidential candidate, and he said of course she is.  There's been a fair amount of confusion since then about whether in fact she was ever taken seriously.  Her people are saying she was never vetted, and now there's a report today that she says she didn't want to be vetted unless she was going to be chosen.

MS. KENNEDY:  Well, I'm not--you know, I don't know all about that.  But I can tell you she is obviously serious candidate, tremendous groundbreaking figure.  Everybody admires her greatly.  I'm confident, and she's already been out there campaigning for Senator Obama.  She--he is going to need her in the Senate.  You know, she ran a fantastic campaign.  I'm a huge admirer of hers. So, so I think it will be great all around.

MR. BROKAW:  Did you hear from a lot of people, including your own family members, about recommendations that they had or ideas that they might have had?

MS. KENNEDY:  My family is so shy, you know?

MR. BROKAW:  Yes, I can imagine.

MS. KENNEDY:  Of--yeah, I did, and we really...

MR. BROKAW:  There were no cousins who said, "Put my name out there."

MS. KENNEDY:  Yeah, put my name on, yeah.  No, "I know you're doing this to put your name on," that kind of thing.  Yeah.  No, there was a--you know, we reached out, obviously, I heard from my family, and I trust their judgment a lot.  And then, you know, we went around and talked to a number of colleagues, groups, people who care, women, lots of different kinds of people, and then, you know, I did get a lot of unsolicited suggestions, a lot of people nominated themselves.  Not you, but others, so, you know, your name came up.

MR. BROKAW:  My name came up?  In a dismissive and derisive fashion, of course.

MS. KENNEDY:  Yeah, right.

MR. BROKAW:  But one of the most historic selections was when your father chose LBJ and surprised everyone, including his brother, Bobby Kennedy.  Was that ever a model for you to go completely unconventionally and find somebody like Hillary Clinton or someone who would be outside the conventional thinking?

MS. KENNEDY:  Well, I think, you know, Lyndon Johnson was also the majority leader of the Senate, tremendous experience, really knew how to get things done, and I--so I think in that way people hold up that choice as one of the most successful, and obviously he brought Texas along with him, which was a--hugely important.  So, so I think that's held up as one of the really great choices in the vice presidential selection process.  So I hope that we've done as well as that, and I think we have, in Joe Biden.

MR. BROKAW:  Senator McCain's campaign is already out with an ad about the selection of Joe Biden.  We want to just share that with you and with our viewers for a moment, because this has been their reaction so far, trying to take advantage of it from their point of view.

(Videotape from McCain campaign ad)

Narrator:  What does Barack Obama's running mate say about Barack Obama?

Unidentified Man:  You were as asked, "Is he ready?" You said, "I think he can be ready, but right now I don't believe he is.  The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training."

SEN. JOE BIDEN (D-DE):  I think that I stand by the statement.

Narrator:  And what does he say about John McCain?

SEN. BIDEN:  I would be honored to run with or against John McCain because I think the country's better off.

SEN. JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ):  I'm John McCain, and I approved this message.

(End videotape)

MR. BROKAW:  Two questions:  Were you aware that Joe Biden had made those remarks about Senator Obama in the course of the debate?  And secondly, do you think it'll have much impact, that kind of an ad?

MS. KENNEDY:  Well, I think, you know, what it really shows is that Barack Obama has the confidence and the judgment to pick somebody who really is experienced and who is someone who is, you know, independent and going to speak their mind and really bring a huge amount of, of judgment and knowledge to all these issues, and also that he has the ability to reach across the aisle and work with the Republicans.  And he knows John McCain, and obviously we need everybody in this time.  Our problems are really serious.  So the more bipartisan kind of leadership we can have, the relationships are there.  But I think Joe Biden also knows the weaknesses, and, and I think he understands exactly what's wrong with the policies that John McCain is putting out.  So I think that in that way, too, he'll be a huge asset.

More from NBC News broadcasts Col. Jack Jacobs: Failure and tragedy at Fort Hood   20 years later, Wall’s fall still being felt   Army chief: More troops needed in Afghanistan Army releases names of Fort Hood fatalities House stages Saturday health showdown Warship built from Twin Towers’ remains Follow on Twitter: NBC News | msnbc

MORE FROM MEET THE PRESS

Meet the Press Section Front

Nov. 8: Casey, Barbour, Rendell, roundtable, Brokaw Nov. 1: Tim Geithner, David Plouffe, roundtable Oct. 25: Cornyn, Schumer, Burnett, Sorkin, roundtable Oct. 18: Jarrett, Dodd, Kyl, Shriver, Podesta Oct. 11: Levin, Graham, McCaffrey, Myers, roundtable Oct. 4: Ambassador Susan Rice, roundtable Sept. 27: Bill Clinton, Paterson, Kyl, Webb Sept. 20: President Obama, Sen. Graham, Rep. Boehner, roundtable Sept. 13: Durbin, Cornyn, Dean, Gingrich, roundtable Sept. 6: Axelrod, roundtable Meet the Press Section Front   Add Meet the Press headlines to your news reader: