>>> WELCOME BACK. COLORADO DEMOCRATIC SENATOR AND
POTENTIAL 2020 CANDIDATE MICHAEL
BENNET MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT LAST
NIGHT BUT NOT EXACTLY ONE WE
WERE EXPECTING.
WERE EXPECTING. HE REVEALED THAT HE WAS RECENTLY
DIAGNOSED WITH PROSTATE CANCER.
BENNETT IS STILL COMMITTED TO
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IF HES
CANCER FREE.
CANCER FREE. MICHAEL BENNET JOINS ME NOW IN
HIS FIRST TV INTERVIEW.
THANKS FOR DOING THIS.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, CHUCK.
>> HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
DO YOU FEEL ANY DIFFERENT
KNOWING THIS DIAGNOSIS?
>> NO BUT I FEEL OVERWHELMED AT
HOW LUCKY I AM.
WE CAUGHT IT EARLY.
AND I GOT INSURANCE, SO -- ON
THE POINT ABOUT FEELING
DIFFERENT, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT
POINT.
I FEEL FINE.
I FEEL PERFECTLY FINE.
IF I HADNT HAD THAT SCREENING AS PART OF A PHYSICAL, IENING
AS PART OF A PHYSICAL, I WOULDNT KNOW THAT I HAD CANCER.
>> DID YOU DO THIS PHYSICAL
BECAUSE ITS YOUR ANNUAL --
>> IT WAS MY ANNUAL PHYSICAL AND
I WENT IN AND I FELT FINE -- I WONT GIVE YOU THE DETAILS, BUT
YOU GOT TO GET SCREENED.
>> AND YOU TALKED ABOUT YOU --
YOU CLEARLY CALLED JOHN KERRY,
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, YOU CLEARLY
HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
HE WENT THROUGH THIS DURING HIS
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.
>> I HAVENT TALKED TO HIM.
BUT IM LOOKING FORWARD TO
TALKING TO HIM.
HE WAS DIAGNOSED AFTER HE WAS IN
THE RACE.
JOHN KERRY IS A MACHINE AND HE
ALWAYS HAS BEEN.
>> HES A FITNESS BUFF.
>> HE WAS 59 THEN.
IM 54 TODAY.
I THINK ITS GOING TO BE FINE. >> SO YOUR -- YOU GET CANCER.
>> SO YOUR -- YOU GET CANCER FREE, YOURE 100% IN.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
I PUT MY FAMILY THROUGH ENOUGH.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I DONT WANT TO GET OVERLYSAY, I
DONT WANT TO GET OVERLY INVASIVE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY LIFE
HERE, BUT WAS THIS A -- THIS MUST -- YOU TELL YOUR FAMILY YOU
WANT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT, YOU
TELL YOUR FAMILY THAT I HAVE
CANCER.
>> ITS PRETTY AMAZING. SUSAN, MY WIFE IS UNBELIEVABLE.
AND SHES GOT HER OWN CAREER.
AND OUR DAUGHTERS ARE 19, 18 AND
14.
14.
AND I CALLED MY DAUGHTER TODAY AND I SAID, HOW IS IT GOING?AY
AND I SAID, HOW IS IT GOING? EVERYBODY HAS BEEN PRETTY NICE
TO ME BUT IT IS A LOT TO PUT ON
YOUR FAMILY.
AND IM NOT A SOCIOPATH.
I CARE ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL.
I THINK THEYRE COMMITTED TO
TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
HERE.
>> THERES -- I IMAGINE ANY TIME
ANYBODY HAS ONE OF THESE YOU
HEAR THE "C" WORD, IT DOES SORT
OF REORIENT YOU MAYBE ANT WHAT
YOU WANT TO DO.
DID THIS -- DOES THIS FOCUS YOU MORE TO RUN?DOES THIS FOCUS YOU
MORE TO RUN? >> SO THE BEST EXCUSE FOR NOT
RUNNING WOULD BE THIS.
IT GIVES ME A --
>> ITS YOUR OUT. >> ITS MY FREE PASS.
AND THATS NOT HOW I FELT.
I FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS SOMETHING I REALLY WANT TOHIS
IS SOMETHING I REALLY WANT TO DO.
DO.
I THINK IVE GOT SOMETHING TO
CONTRIBUTE.
WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT THE
COUNTRY NEEDS US TO FOCUS ON
WHICH IS THE FACT THAT INCOMES HAVE NOT RISEN FOR 90% OFCOMES
HAVE NOT RISEN FOR 90% OF AMERICANS OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS
AND THATS WHERE THE FOCUS NEEDS
TO BE IN THIS CAMPAIGN AND WE NEED TO BE DISCIPLINED ABOUT IT
OR WE COULD LOSE TO DONALD
TRUMP.
NOBODY NEEDS TO WORRY ABOUT ME.
WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE GUY
WHOS IN THE WHITE HOUSE WHO
SPENT HIS ENTIRE TIME AS PRESIDENT, TRYING TO TAKE AWAY
INSURANCE FROM TENS OF MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE, WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE
THE KINDS OF SCREENING THAT I
HAD.
>> YOU SAID THAT ONE OF THE
REASONS YOURE REINTRODUCING
MEDICARE IS AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS, IT REINFORCES YOUR VIEW ON
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE.
I DO THINK THERES A DIVIDING
LINE IN THE DEMOCRATIC FIELD
WHICH IS IS IT OBAMACARE, THE
INFRASTRUCTURE AND YOU IMPROVE
UPON THAT OR YOU SAY, WIPE IT
CLEAN, START FROM SCRATCH, WHERE
ARE YOU?
>> I THINK IM MORE TOWARDS TRYING TO USE THE FRAMEWORK THAT
WE HAVE.
WE HAVE.
BUT I DONT FEEL LIKE THAT HAS TO BE WHERE WE STOP. THAT HAS
TO BE WHERE WE STOP. LOOK, I AM FOR UNIVERSAL CARE.
EVERYBODY IN AMERICA SHOULD HAVE
HEALTH INSURANCE.
WE NEED TO SPEND LESS AS A COUNTRY AND OUR FAMILIES HAVE TO
SPEND LESS ON HEALTH CARE AND WE
NEED TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND
THERES A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF
WE NEED TO DO.
I THINK WE SHOULD STOP TALKING
ABOUT IT AS THE AFFORDABLE CARE
ACT, THIS IS AMERICAS HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM AND HOW ARE WE GOING
TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEM?
AND I HAPPEN TO THINK WE HAVE A
BETTER SHOT OF DOING IT WITHOUT RIPPING OUT WHAT WE HAVE ROOTUT
RIPPING OUT WHAT WE HAVE ROOT AND BRANCH.
AND BRANCH.
I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO
DISAGREE WITH ME.
OBVIOUSLY BERNIE HAS A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.IE HAS A DIFFERENT
POINT OF VIEW.
>> WHY YOU?
AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN YOU
RUN FOR PRESIDENT, YOU GOT TO
MAKE THE CASE OF WHY DO YOU THINK YOURE THE PERSON THAT CAN
DO IT THAT MAYBE -- IM NOT
ASKING YOU TO DEMEAN, BUT WHY --
>> I GUESS I WOULD SAY A COUPLE
THINGS.
IVE WATCHED THIS FEEL ROLL OUT
AND A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE ARE MY
FRIENDS.
>> JOHN HICKENLOOPER, YOUR FORMER BOSS.ENLOOPER, YOUR
FORMER BOSS. >> AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY WAS
HE THAT BAD A BOSS THAT YOU HAVE
TO RUN AGAINST HIM FOR
PRESIDENT.
WERE VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
THATS NOT THE ISSUE.
I HAVE -- LOOK, WHAT COMPELS ME
IS THE IDEA THAT -- OUR JOB AS AMERICANS IS TO PROVIDE MOREAS
AMERICANS IS TO PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PEOPLE
COMING AFTER US.
THIS ECONOMY IS NOT WORKING FOR
MOST AMERICANS.
MOST AMERICANS.
IT HASNT WORKED FOR MOST
AMERICANS FOR 50 YEARS.
AND THE DEMOCRACY CANNOT BE
SUSTAINED WHEN THERE IS NO
ECONOMIC MOBILITY, WHEN NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU WORK --
>> YOU THINK OUR POLARIZATION IS
DRIVEN BY THIS ECONOMIC
INEQUALITY?
>> I THINK IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT.NK IT HAS A LOT TO DO
WITH IT. AND THE DESTRUCTION OF YOUR
INSTITUTIONS HAS A LOT TO DO
WITH IT.
I THINK IVE GOT THE DISCIPLINE TO STAY FOCUSED ON THAT AND TO
TRY -- NOT JUST A MESS ONAGE ON
THAT, BUT A SET OF POLICIES THAT
COULD CHANGE THE OUTCOME FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THEY ARE UNWELCOME TO ACCEPT THE
IDEA THAT THEY HAVE TO LIVE IN AN ECONOMY WHERE NINE OUT OF TEN
AMERICANS CANNOT BENEFIT WHEN WE
HAVE ECONOMIC GROWTH.
>> I HAVE GOTTEN IMPRESSION THAT
THE LONGER YOU STAY IN THE SENATE, ALMOST THE ANCHORGRIER
YOUVE GOTTEN.
YOUVE GOTTEN.
YOU THOUGHT BEING THE SON OF A DIPLOMAT, YOU WERE RAISED TO TO
BELIEVE HOW THE UNITED STATES
SENATE SHOULD BE.
HOW DO YOU GET THE PUBLIC TO CARE ABOUT THE PROCESS OF THE
DEMOCRACY.
DEMOCRACY.
>> I THINK THEY NEED TO CARE
ABOUT THIS.
BECAUSE THE SENATE, WHETHER THE
SENATE IS DYSFUNCTIONAL AND A MESS --IS DYSFUNCTIONAL AND A
MESS --
>> LOOK AT YESTERDAY.
YOU GUYS CHANGED THE RULES.
NOBODY CARED ANYMORE.
WE DIDNT EVEN HAVE -- I HAD TO -- WE HAD TO FIGHT TO GET IT
IN OUR SHOW.
>> I DONT KNOW WHERE TO START
HERE.
WE SPENT FOUR MONTHS -- WERE STILL SPENDING TIME ON- WERE
STILL SPENDING TIME ON $6 BILLION FOR THE PRESIDENTS
WALL, THATS HOW THE GREATEST
NATION IN THE WORLD IS SPENDING
OUR TIME AS A DEMOCRACY.
CHINA USED MORE CONCRETE BETWEEN
2011 AND 2013 THAN WE DID IN THE
20th CENTURY.
WEVE GOT TO CHANGE THE
CONVERSATION THAT WERE HAVING
AND PART OF IT IS ABOUT FIXING
OUR INSTITUTIONS.
EVEN THOUGH NO ONE CARES ABOUT
PROCESS, THIS IS OUR MECHANISM
FOR MAKING DECISIONS IN A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, IN OUR
EXERCISE IN SELF-GOVERNANCE, THE
DECISIONS ARE MADE IN
INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE SENATE AND
WHEN THEYRE BROKEN AND CORRUPT
AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, THAT
SHOULD BE AN INVITATION NOT TO
BE REPELLED BY THAT BUT AN
INVITATION TO SAY HOW DO WE COME TOGETHER AS AMERICANS AND FIXOME
TOGETHER AS AMERICANS AND FIX THIS?
THIS?
WE HAVE TO FIX IT.
IF WE CANNOT -- IM TELLING YOU THIS, CHUCK, WE CANT SUSTAINOU
THIS, CHUCK, WE CANT SUSTAIN ANOTHER TEN YEARS LIKE THE LAST
TEN YEARS.
WE HAD A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT
FOR A BIG PART OF THAT TIME, BUT HE WAS DISABLED IN THE LAST SIXT
HE WAS DISABLED IN THE LAST SIX YEARS AT LEAST IN THE
LEGISLATURE BY THE TYRANTS WHO
MAS KA RAID AS THE FREEDOM CAUCUS.RAID AS THE FREEDOM
CAUCUS.
>> YESTERDAY YOU APOLOGIZED FOR
GOING ALONG WITH HARRY REIDS
IDEA.
WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE WARNED
THAT ONCE YOU GO ONE NOW, THERES OTHER CYNICS WHO SAY
MITCH McCONNELL WAS GOING TO
CHANGE THE RULES ANYWAY.
>> I HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY
THAT, THAT IT WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN ANYWAY.
YOU HEARD McCONNELL YESTERDAY
SAYING THIS HAS BEEN A GAME OF
PREEMPTIVE RETRIBUTION.
THATS MY WORD, NOT HIS WORD.
>> THAT IS TRUE.
>> AND ITS WHAT ITS BEEN. WHEN HE SAYS I DIDNT ALLOW
MERRICK GARLAND TO GO, WHICH IS
THE BIGGEST FOUL BY FAR THAT HAS
HAPPENED IN THE LAST DECADE, AND THATS MITCH McCONNELL WHO DIDAND
THATS MITCH McCONNELL WHO DID IT, BUT HE SAID THE REASON HE
DID IT WAS HE KNEW IF THE SHOWE
WERE ON THE OTHER FOOT, THE
DEMOCRATS WOULD DO IT.
THATS THE SAME AS SEEING WE HAD TO INVOKE THE NUCLEAR OPTIONHAD
TO INVOKE THE NUCLEAR OPTION BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE DONE IT.
TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN YOUR HISTORY, WE HAVE FOUND WAYS TO
COME TOGETHER AND PRESERVE THE
DECISION-MAKING OF THESE
INSTITUTIONS AND WEVE ALLOWED OUR FAILURE TO BECOME ALLOWED
OUR FAILURE TO BECOME A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHESY.
SELF-FULFILLING PROPHESY. THE KIDS IN MY HOLD SCHOOL
DISTRICT WHO ARE COMPLETE
IGNORED BY ALL THIS CANNOT
AFFORD --
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT JOHN
HICKENLOOPER.
WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AGAINST EACH
OTHER?
>> YEAH, BUT I DONT THINK
EITHER OF US THINKS WERE RUNNING AGAINST EACH OTHER.
>> DONT YOU HURT EACH OTHER A
LITTLE BIT?
>> WE PROBABLY HURT OTHER ON THE
MARGIN.
WE GOT DIFFERENT APPROACHES AND EXPERIENCES AND AS IVE SAID TOD
EXPERIENCES AND AS IVE SAID TO OTHERS, I THINK THE LARGEST
OBSTACLES THAT JOHN HICKENLOOPER
ARE GOING TO FACE IN THIS RACE
ARE NOT EACH OTHER.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
>> THE BIGGEST THING YOURE
CONTENDING WITH IS YOUR HEALTH,