AT THE PERSONAL SIDE OF CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT -- WHO SAT DOWN WITH UNDECIDED VOTERS AT THE AIRPORT DINER.
THOSE GUESTS GOT DEMOCRAT AMY KLOBUCHAR TO OPEN UP ABOUT AN EMBARRASSING MIX-UP DURING HER FIRST DAY IN THE SENATE.
AND THE PEOPLE WHO TAUGHT HER TO SPEAK UP FOR HERSELF AT A VERY YOUNG AGE.
IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THE YOUNG AMY KLOBUCHAR HAD A TEACHER WHO OPENED UP A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY.
SEN. KLOBUCHAR: I HAD THIS TEACHER IN FOURTH GRADE WHO WAS SO GREAT ABOUT TRYING TO MAKE YOU SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF.
WE WOULD GIVE SPEECHES AND PRESENTATIONS.
SHE WOULD SIT AT THE OTHER END OF THE CLASS AND YELL I CAN’T HEAR YOU.
LIKE A LOT OF GIRLS BACK THEN, YOU DIDN’T THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE PRESIDENT.
I REMEMBER IN HIGH SCHOOL THE GOAL WAS TO HAVE LONG HAIR OR HAVE A HAIRCUT LIKE DOROTHY HAMILL’S.
TO GO ON YOUR ROOF AND GET REALLY TAN IN THE SUMMER, WHICH IS REALLY BAD FOR YOU.
MARRYING YOUR HIGH SCHOOL PROM DATE.
I DID NOT DO THAT.
MY PROM DATE WAS GAY ACTUALLY , TURNED OUT TO BE GAY.
ADAM: KLOBUCHAR IS QUICK WITH A JOKE BUT SHE’S KNOWN AS A GET-THINGS-DONE KIND OF SENATOR.
WHILE SHE STARTED IN POLITICS EARLY IN LIFE, SHE REALIZED THE TRUE IMPACT OF PUBLIC POLICY WHEN SHE BECAME A MOM.
SEN. KLOBUCHAR: WHAT REALLY MADE ME SEE THE VALUE OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND GETTING THINGS DONE WAS WHEN OUR DAUGHTER WAS BORN, AND SHE WAS REALLY SICK.
SHE COULD NOT SWALLOW.
IT WAS A COMPLETE SHOCK.
WE DID NOT KNOW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
SHE WAS BORN JUST A FEW WEEKS EARLY.
THEY DIDN’T KNOW IF SHE WAS GOING TO LIVE.
THEY THOUGHT SHE HAD A TUMOR.
THEY THOUGHT SHE HAD SOME KIND OF GENETIC DISEASE.
SHE WAS IN INTENSIVE CARE.
I GOT KICKED OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, THEY HAD THOSE INSURANCE RULES.
THEY KICKED ME OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AND I SAID TO MY HUSBAND I BET THIS WOULDN’T HAPPEN TO THE WIFE OF THE HEAD OF THE INSURANCE COMPANY.
SHE WAS GETTING A LITTLE BETTER AND I JOINED FORCES WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE LEGISLATURE AND I TESTIFIED.
WE PASSED ONE OF THE FIRST BILLS IN THE COUNTRY GUARANTEEING NEW MOMS AND THEIR BABIES A 48-HOUR HOSPITAL STAY.
I LEARNED TWO THINGS FROM THAT.
IF YOU TALK ABOUT REALLY EMBARRASSING THINGS IN FRONT OF LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES OF MEN THEY ARE LIKE OK, WE DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH THAT.
THE SECOND IS THERE’S PEOPLE, NO ONE COULD SAY THEY WERE AGAINST THE BILL.
THEY WERE TRYING TO DELAY IT.
I BROUGHT A BUNCH OF PREGNANT FRIENDS TO THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
THEY OUTNUMBERED THE LOBBYISTS.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AUGUST 1, THEY WERE TRYING TO GET IT A YEAR DELAYED, THE LOBBYIST.
MY FRIEND SAID NO, THAT IS WHAT THEY DID.
THEY MADE IT FOR WHEN THE GOVERNOR SIGNED THE BILL.
ADAM: KLOBUCHAR’S DAUGHTER IS NOW IN HER 20S AND A REGULAR AT THE SENATOR’S SIDE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
AS IS HER HUSBAND, JOHN.
SEN. KLOBUCHAR: HE’S A 7.5 YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME, HE DOESN’T LOOK LIKE IT.
WHEN WE WENT ON OUR HONEYMOON, WE WENT TO VISIT MY RELATIVES IN SWITZERLAND.
I WAS 33, HE QUALIFIED FOR A YOUTH RAIL PASS.
>> HOW DID YOU MEET?
SEN. KLOBUCHAR: WE MET AT 8 -- WE MET AT A BAR.
[LAUGHTER] THERE WAS A POLITICAL CONFERENCE , WALTER MONDALE WAS HOSTING IT.
WE STARTED TALKING AND HE WAS REALLY INTERESTED.
I WORKED FOR MONDALE AT THE TIME.
THEN WE MET AND THAT WAS FUN, AND THEN WE HAD SOME MUTUAL FRIENDS, THEY GOT US TOGETHER AT A POOL HAL WE WENT ON OUR FIRST DATE, WE WERE GOING TO DOUBLE DATE WITH A
FRIEND OF MINE.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO INVITE SOMEONE FOR HER.
THAT GUY HAD A GIRLFRIEND OR SOMETHING.
THE THREE OF US WENT TO WAYNE’S WORLD.
[LAUGHTER] IT WAS FUNNY.
ADAM: SPEAKING OF FUNNY, KLOBUCHAR’S BEEN ABLE TO FIND QUITE A BIT OF HUMOR IN HER TIME IN THE SENATE.
SEN. KLOBUCHAR: MY FIRST DAY IN THE SENATE I WENT AND GOT SALAD AND SOUP.
I WAS IN THIS BEAUTIFUL ROOM.
THE SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON STATE GRABS MY ARM AND SAYS AMY, YOU TOOK THE ENTIRE BOWL OF THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING AND YOU ARE ABOUT TO EAT IT.
FROM A NORTHERN CLIMATE I THOUGHT IT WAS WILD RICE SOUP.
I SAID THAT’S WHAT WE DO IN MINNESOTA.
WE EAT THE THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING.
THERE ARE HORRENDOUS BURDENS, AND THERE ARE BURDENS ON THE CITIZENS.
IT IS YOUR JOB TO MAKE LIVES BETTER FOR THEM.
IF YOU DON’T ENJOY IT, PEOPLE WILL KNOW YOU DON’T.
IF YOU DON’T ENJOY BEING WITH PEOPLE I DON’T THE YOU SHOULD HAVE THE JOB.
A LOT OF THIS IS BRINGING PEOPLE WITH YOU.
WHETHER IT IS WITH THE STORIES, HUMOR, OR KNOWING THEM PERSONALLY, OR EMPATHY FOR THEIR SITUATION, EVEN IF THEY ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR HOW YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
GOVERN.
ADAM: SHE’S ALSO EXPERIENCED HER SHARE OF HEARTBREAK.
HER DAD WAS A CELEBRATED SPORTSWRITER WHO COVERED THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS BUT HAD A DRINKING PROBLEM.
>> IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN POINT TO A REASON THAT MOTIVATED YOU TO RUN?
SEN. KLOBUCHAR: WHEN I LOOK BACK AT MY LIFE, I WAS NOT ANOINTED TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
MY LIFE WASN’T ALWAYS COMPLETELY EASY.
MY DAD STRUGGLED WITH ALCOHOLISM MY WHOLE LIFE, GROWING UP.
HE HAD 3 DWI’S BY THE TIME I GOT MARRIED.
THAT WAS WHEN HE WAS GIVEN A CHOICE, JAIL OR TREATMENT, AND HE CHOSE TREATMENT, AND IT CHANGED HIS LIFE.
THAT REALLY AFFECTED ME.
IN HIS WORDS HE WAS PURSUED BY GRACE AND IT HAS REALLY SHAPED A A LOT OF THE WORK I HAVE DONE AS A PROSECUTOR AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE GET TREATMENT AND THINGS LIKE THE OPEN TOY -- OPIOID
EPIDEMIC.
AND HE’S NOW 91, AND HE’S IN ASSISTED LIVING.
HE GOT LATE-ONSET ALZHEIMER’S.
IT DIDN’T AFFECT MOST OF HIS LIFE.
HE HAS THIS AMAZING SET OF JOKES AND HUMOR.
HE RECALLS THIS EVEN THOUGH HE MAY NOT REMEMBER WHO PEOPLE ARE.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO HE INTRODUCED ME TO A NURSE AT THE PLACE AND SAID THIS IS MY DAUGHTER, SHE HOLDS AN OBSCURE JOB IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
HE HAS THIS BANK OF THINGS THAT HE STILL REMEMBERS.
ADAM: KLOBUCHAR IS AN AVID CYCLIST AND ALSO ENJOYS HIKING.
SHE HIT THE TRAILS HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE EARLIER THIS YEAR.
SEN. KLOBUCHAR: THEN WE WENT HIKING IN THAT PACK MONADNOCK , DID I SAY IT RIGHT?
WE DID THAT, AND IT WAS HILARIOUS.
I READ IN THE GUIDEBOOK, IT WAS EASTER, IT WAS A NICE DAY.
I SAID WE WILL GO THIS ROUTE AND GET EXERCISE.
THERE IS A RANGER THERE AND THEY SAY THE ROAD YOU CANNOT DRIVE UP THE ROAD.
I THINK HE MEANT YOU CAN WALK UP THE ROAD.
YOU CAN’T DRIVE.
I SAID WE ARE NOT USING THE ROAD.
WE GO ON THIS HIKE AND THERE IS ICE AND SNOW STILL UP THERE.
WE ARE SCRAMBLING, IT IS REALLY HARD.
WE GET TO THE TOP AND THERE ARE ALL OF THESE SENIOR CITIZENS WHO WALKED UP THE ROAD