THINK HERE IN CALIFORNIA, WE’RE
ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT HAVING KAMALA
HARRIS BE THE NEXT VICE
PRESIDENT.
>> THE FIRST CALIFORNIAN, I
THINK THIS WAS THE FIRST
DEMOCRAT WEST OF THE ROCKIES, I
THINK, IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN.
SO IT WAS SORT OF EXTRAORDINARY
THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTIER
HADN’T GONE WEST IN SO LONG.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE
IDEALOGICAL ISSUES.
LOOK, CALIFORNIA IS BEING A VERY
BLUE STATE, BUT THERE ARE BIG
DIVISIONS ON THE BLUE SIDE OF
THE EQUATION HERE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE
PROGRESSIVE SORT OF PRAGMATIST
DIVIDE HERE?
AND I THINK SHE’S SOMEBODY THAT
HAS TRIED TO STRADDLE THE FENCE
THERE.
AND SOMETIMES THAT CREATES
PROBLEMS.
AND SOMETIMES THAT CREATES
COALITIONS.
>> LOOK, SENATOR HARRIS HAS
PROVEN THAT SHE UNDERSTANDS HOW
TO GET THINGS DONE.
WHEN SHE WAS D.A., SHE WASN’T
JUST PROSECUTING, SHE WAS
ESTABLISHING NEW PROGRAMS TO
MOVE YOUNG, MOSTLY YOUNG MEN,
MOSTLY YOUNG MEN OF COLOR, AWAY
FROM THIS LIFE WHERE SHE WOULD
END UP IN THIS PIPELINE TO
PRISON.
AND SO SHE’S DONE IT ALL.
AND IT TAKES A WHILE.
CHRIS, AS YOU -- I MEAN, CHUCK,
AS YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TIME TO
GET THINGS DONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN
YOU’RE DEALING WITH A LARGE
BUREAUCRACY.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WE JUST
RECENTLY FILED AND GOT A
SETTLEMENT IN THE FIRST
DESEGREGATION CASE IN CALIFORNIA
IN A LONG TIME.
UP IN MARIN COUNTY, WHICH IS A
WEALTHY PART OF SAN FRANCISCO.
GUESS WHO STARTED THE BUREAU
THAT GAVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY?
KAMALA HARRIS STARTED THE
CHILDREN’S JUSTICE BUREAU IN THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH LETS
US FOCUS ON CRIME PREVENTION AND
PROTECTING CHILDREN.
THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN
PHENOMENAL.
SO SHE’S DONE A LOT, AND WE’RE
ALL GOING TO BE CRITICIZED FOR
HAVING DONE OR NOT DONE
SOMETHING.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, WHEN
YOU LOOK AT HER OVERALL RECORD,
SHE’S BEEN A FIGHTER IN AND OUT,
AND SHE HAD THE CONFIDENCE OF
THE MAN THAT’S GOING TO BE THE
NEXT PRESIDENT.
I THINK THAT SPEAKS WELL FOR
KAMALA HARRIS AND JOE BIDEN, AS
WELL.
>> I’M CURIOUS, NOW THAT YOU’VE
BEEN IN THIS POSITION OF STATE
ATTORNEY GENERAL, DID YOUR VIEWS
OF SOME OF THE CRITIQUES OF HER
TENURE CHANGE YOURSELF?
FOR INSTANCE, NOT BEING THERE,
YOU THINK BOY, WHY DID THIS
HAPPEN, AND NOW ARE YOU MORE --
MAYBE IT’S SYMPATHETIC TO MAYBE
SOME OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SHE
FOUND HERSELF IN?
>> YEAH, WELL, I’VE ALWAYS --
WHEN I TALKED ABOUT A.G. KAMALA
HARRIS, SPOKEN ABOUT THE THINGS
SHE DID THAT TOOK THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL,
AND TODAY, WHAT WE CAN TALK
ABOUT IS ALL THE THINGS THAT
SHE’S LEFT IN PLACE, THE
CHILDREN’S JUSTICE BUREAU, OUR
OPEN JUSTICE DATABASE SYSTEM,
WHICH LETS US IN CALIFORNIA
TRACK CRIME AND STATISTICS ON
CRIME SO WE DON’T HAVE TO GUESS
IN CALIFORNIA WHAT’S HAPPENING
WITH REGARD TO HOMICIDES OR
LOCAL CRIMES.
SHE ESTABLISHED THAT FOR THE
STATE, WHICH IS A GREAT TOOL
THAT PEOPLE CAN USE TO FIND OUT
WHAT’S GOING ON WHEN IT COMES TO
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
ALL THOSE THINGS SHE LEFT IN
PLACE HAVE MADE CALIFORNIA AND
THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE A BETTER PLACE.
SO I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU, IF YOU
WERE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS
LEFT A MARK, JOE BIDEN FOUND
HER.
AND IN A WAY, I THINK JOE BIDEN
IS REALLY HAPPY THAT HE’S ASKING
HER TO BE THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE AND NOT HER ASKING HIM
TO BE A VICE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE.
SHE WAS TOUGH, AND SHE ALMOST
BECAME THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE.
>> THERE MIGHT BE AN OPEN SENATE
SEAT IF THIS TICKET WINS, IF THE
GOVERNOR ASKS YOU TO FULFILL IT,
WOULD YOU CONSIDER IT?
>> WELL, LOOK, THERE’S SO MANY
GREAT CANDIDATES IN CALIFORNIA.
THAT’S THE ANSWER YOU’LL GET
FROM ALL OF US.
RIGHT NOW THE GOAL IS NOVEMBER.