>>> NOW WE TURN TO SOMEONE RUNNING A MAJOR PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN WITH DECADES OF
EXPERIENCE AS AN AIDE TO
POLITICIANS IN BOTH PARTIES.
NECESSARY CHARGE OF ONE OF THE
BIGGEST BUDGETS IN POLITICS.
KEVIN, HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
SHOULD I MENTION YOU SERVED AS
DEPUTY MAYOR.
DEPUTY MAYOR. LET’S GET INTO IT.
THERE ARE REPORTS YOUR CAMPAIGN
ALREADY HAS PEOPLE TALKING TO
JOE BIDEN’S BACKERS TO TRY TO
RECRUIT THEM IF HE GETS OUT.
WHAT ARE YOU TELLING THEM?
>> WE’RE TALKING ON EVERYONE.
I THINK THE IDEA BEHIND THIS
CAMPAIGN IS THAT YOU CAN RUN A
NATIONAL PRIMARY CAMPAIGN.
NOT ONLY CAN YOU RUN ONE BUT WE
HAVE TO RUN ONE.
WE ARE UP AGAINST A FORMIDABLE
PRESSES WHO IS DOING EVERYTHING
HE CAN TO WIN THIS ELECTION.
ON MIKE BLOOMBERG MADE A
COMMITMENT TO RUN WITH THE SAME
TIME RUN THE GENERAL EXIT
STRATEGY SO WE COULD BEGIN IN
NORTH CAROLINA, MICHIGAN AND
WISCONSIN.
WISCONSIN. >> ARE YOU TELLING THE BIDEN
FOLKS THAT YOU’RE THE NATURAL
ALTERNATIVE?
ALTERNATIVE? >> I HAVE ENORMOUS RESPECT.
I THINK HE IS ONE OF THE MOST
DECENT SERVANTS THIS NATION HAS
HAD.
HAD. I WOULD NEVER SAY A NEGATIVE
THING ABOUT HIM.
THAT SAID, WE HAVE, SINCE 1976,
A PRETTY CLEAR TRACK RECORD THAT
YOU HAVE TO WIN EITHER IOWA OR
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
NEW HAMPSHIRE. IF YOU DON’T WIN UP WITH OF
THOSE TWO STATES, YOU DON’T GO
ON TO BE THE NOMINEE.
I THINK THAT’S TRUE FOR FOLKS IN
THE EARLY PROCESS.
YOU’RE SAYING BIDEN IS TOAST IF
HE DOESN’T WIN NEXT WEEK.
>> I’LL SAYING ANYONE WHO
WHOONLT AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE
STATES IS TOAST NEXT WEEK.
>> HISTORICALLY THAT’S BEEN
TRUE.
TRUE. LET’S GET INTO MAYOR BLOOMBERG’S
POLICIES.
POLICIES. YOU MENTIONED, ONE OF THE ONES
THAT’S GOTTEN NOTE OF ATTENTION
IS STOP AND FRISK WHICH WAS
RULED TO BE RACIAL PROFILING.
FOR FOLKS OUTSIDE NEW YORK WHO
DON’T REMEMBER, WE’LL SHOW YOU
SOME OF THE STATISTICS HERE.
THE VAFLT MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE
STOPPED WERE MINORITIES.
BLACK OR LATINO, 87%.
THAT’S PART OF WHY COURTS STRUCK
DOWN PARTS OF IT WHY.
WAS IT IMPORTANT TO MAYOR
BLOOMBERG TO RUN THIS POLICY AS
MAYOR?
MAYOR? >> MIKE CAME MAYOR IN 2002
SHORTLY AFTER 9/11.
AND THERE WERE STILL 800 MURDERS
IN NEW YORK CITY.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE MURDERED ON
THE STREETS OF NEW YORK WERE
YOUNG MEN OF COLOR AND MIKE WAS
DETERMINED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT.
IT. GETTING GUNS OFF THE STREET.
REDUCING MURDERS IN HALF WAS AN
IMPORTANT PART OF.
.
. THAT.
THAT. --
-- >> SO WE’LL DEAL WITH THAT AND
THEN GO FORWARD.
YOU VIEW, AND YOUR CAMPAIGN’S
POSITION IS THAT RACIAL
PROFILING, THE STOP AND FRISK
POLICING LOWERED THE MURDER
RATE?
RATE? THAT’S YOUR CONTENTION?
>> HAD PITS MIKE WOULD DO
EVERYTHING HE COULD.
WHAT MIKE LATER SAID IS THAT HE
GOT IT WRONG.
>> NO, NO.
>> LET’S SEE WHAT HE LATER SAID.
>> I’M ANSWERING --
>> I’M ASKING YOU --
>> I’M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
>> DID IT LOWER THE MURDER RATE
IS MY QUESTION.
WHAT MIKE BLOOMBERG DID IN TERMS
OF 12, 13, 14 DIFFERENT POLICY
THAT’S HE PUT IN PLACE REDUCED
MURDER BY HALF WHILE HE WAS
MAYOR.
MAYOR. HE ALSO REDUCED THE POPULATIONS
IN THE PRISONS.
HE BROKE THE RULE THAT YOU HAD
TO INCREASE THE PRISONS TO
REDUCE THE CRIME RATE.
IT WAS PROVEN CORRECT THROUGH
IN58thIVE FROM ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE SAYING
IT WAS ONE OF THE POLICY THAT’S
DROVE THE MURDER RATE DOWN.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. MIKE WAS NOT WILLING TO TURN HIS
BACK ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN
NEW YORK CITY TO PEOPLE OF
COLOR.
COLOR. >> YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE OF
COLOR.
COLOR. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY STOPS THERE
WERE UNDER THAT POLICY?
>> HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.
>> IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK?
>> ANY HIGHER HANDLE THE THAT?
>> I DON’T HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF
ME.
ME. I KNOW MIKE ENDED THEM BEFORE HE
LEFT.
LEFT. >> I HAVE THE NUMBER IN FRONT OF
ME.
ME. >> GOOD.
>> GOOD. >> 5 MILLION STOPS AS MENTIONED.
VAST MAJORITY, BLACK AND BROWN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. I WANT TO LOOK AT THE MAYOR,
WHEN HE HAD THE POWER, I
UNDERSTAND MAYBE HE’S CHANGING
AS A CANDIDATE.
WHEN THEY HAD POWER, TAKE A
LISTEN TO HOW HE EXPLAINED HOW
NECESSARY THAT POLICY, THOSE 5
MILLION STOPS OF BLACK AND BROWN
NEW YORKERS WAS.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> THEY JUST KEEP SAYING, IT’S A
DISPROPORTIONATE PERCENTAGE OF A
PARTICULAR ETHNIC GROUP.
THAT MAY BE.
BUT IT IS NOT A DISPROPORTIONATE
GROUP OF THOSE WHO WITNESSES AND
VICTIMS DESCRIBE.
VICTIMS DESCRIBE. IN THAT CASE, I THINK WE
DISPROPORTIONATELY STOP WHITES
TOO MUCH AND MINORITIES TOO
LITTLE.
LITTLE. >> IS THAT STILL HIS POSITION?
>> NO.
>> NO. MIKE SAID HE GOT IT WRONG.
YOU CAN KEEP ASKING AND I’LL
KEEP TELLING YOU.
WHAT HE DIDN’T GET WRONG WAS HE
WAS ONE OF THE FEW PUBLIC
OFFICIALS WHO CARED TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
HE MIGHT BE THE ONLY PUBLIC
OFFICIAL WHO TOOK ON THE NRA IN
THE WAY THAT HE DID.
HE WAS THE ONLY MAYOR AT THE
TIME, WHILE THE PRISON
POPULATION WAS GOING UP 6% OVER
HIS EARLY YEARS, REDUCED IT BY
36%.
36%. HE’S THE ONLY PERSON --
>> YOU SAID I KEEP ASKING THE
QUESTION AND I’M NOT SURE WHAT
YOU MEAN BY THAT.
THIS IS NOT A QUESTION THAT WILL
GO AWAY.
GO AWAY. NOT ON THIS PROGRAM AND NOT ON A
LOT OF PROGRAMS.
THIS IS RECORD OF HOW HE
GOVERNED.
GOVERNED. SO THE QUESTION IS NOT JUST THE
5 MILLION STOPS BUT WHETHER THIS
IS HOW HE WILL GOVERN IF HE GETS
POWER OR WHETHER WE ARE SUPPOSED
TO, WE IN AMERICA, SOCIETY,
JOURNALISTS, ET CETERA, SUPPOSED
TO TAKE HIS WORD NOW.
LET ME PLAY SOMETHING ELSE FOR
THAT YOU I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
I HOPE YOU AGREE THIS TOP SIC
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. >> YEAH, YEAH YOU’RE GETTING A
LOT OF TIME BUT ALSO SOME FACTS.
YOU SAID HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.
IT IS 5 MILLION.
>> I’M DOING THE MATH ACCORDING
TO THE DATA IN NEW YORK.
LET ME PLAY FOR YOU, I THINK
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
A BROOKLYN RESIDENT YOU MAY HAVE
HEARD OF, WHO SPOKE TO THE "NEW
YORK TIMES" OF HIS EXPERIENCE
UNDER THIS BLOOMBERG POLICY.
NOT THAT HE WAS STOPPED ONCE OR
TWICE OR TEN OR 20 TIMES BUT 60
TIMES.
TIMES. HE SAID HE DID NOTHING WRONG.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> I WAS SO CONFUSED.
I THOUGHT YOU HAD TO DO
SOMETHING FOR THEM ON REALLY
STOP YOU.
STOP YOU. AFTER THAT, I SAW THAT YOU DON’T
HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TO GET
STOPPED.
STOPPED. THEY NEVER SAY THIS IS WHY I’M
STOPPING YOU.
STOPPING YOU. WHEN YOU’RE YOUNG AND YOU’RE
BLACK, NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK,
YOU FIT THE DESCRIPTION.
FROM THE TIME I WAS 15 TO 18, I
WOULD SAY I WAS STOPPED,
QUESTIONED AND FRISKED, AT LEAST
60 TO 70 TIMES.
I NEEDED A BREAK FROM COPS.
THE ONLY WAY COULD I GET THAT
WAS TO STAY HOME.
>> WHAT DOES MAYOR BLOOMBERG SAY
TO HIM?
TO HIM? >> I THINK MIKE WOULD SAY HE WAS
WRONG.
WRONG. MIKE GOT IT WRONG.
AND I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE IN
LIFE WHO GET THINGS WRONG.
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU.
I’VE GOTTEN A LOT OF THINGS
WRONG IN LIFE.
AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO TALK
ABOUT.
ABOUT. WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS NOT
TO TURN YOUR BACK ON PEOPLE WHO
ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS IMPORTANT
ISSUES.
ISSUES. LOTS OF POLITICIANS WERE MORE
THAN WILLING TO TURN THEIR EYE
ON THE NUMBER OF GUNS ON THE
STREETS IN MAJOR CITIES AROUND
THE COUNTRY.
THE COUNTRY. MIKE DID TAKE ON THE ISSUE OF
TRYING TO GET GUNS OFF THE
STREET.
STREET. HE ALSO TOOK ON THE ISSUE OF
DISCRIMINATION AND EMPLOYMENT.
I SAT WITH A NUMBER OF YOUNG
PEOPLE SAY WHO BENEFITED FROM A
PROGRAM MIKE STARTED CALLED THE
YOUNG MEN’S INITIATIVE.
IT WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO
ADDRESS DISCRIMINATION IN ISSUES
SUCH AS HOUSING, SUCH AS
EMPLOYMENT.
EMPLOYMENT. AND WORKED TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM
GOING BACK TO PRISON.
IT WAS 12 PEOPLE WHO HAD
PARTICIPATED IN A PROGRAM MIKE
BLOOMBERG CEDE, WHICH WAS
ADOPTED BY BARACK OBAMA.
SO MIKE DID HUNDREDS OF THINGS
BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZED THAT A LOT
OF MAYORS AROUND THE COUNTRY,
CERTAINLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
AT THE TIME, HAD TURNED ITS BACK
ON YOUNG MEN OF COLOR IN TERMS
OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND ALL
THE OTHER DISCRIMINATIONS.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, VIOLENCE.
>> PART OF WHAT WE’RE SHOWING
YOU IS WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE OF
COLOR AND REPRESENTED BY
ORGANIZATIONS, AS YOU CAN, WHY
IT WAS SO CONTROVERSIAL.
SO THE QUESTION OVERHANGING ALL
OF THIS, AND I WANT TO GIVE TO
YOU ADDRESS, THAT’S WHY WE’RE
GOING IN DEPTH.
DID IT CHANGE BECAUSE HE’S
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND NOW
HE’S CLAIMING HE’LL DO SOMETHING
ELSE IF HE GETS POWER, WHEN HE
HAD POWER, HE RAN IT THIS WAY
AND DEFENDED IT THROUGHOUT, AND
DEFENDED AS YOU KNOW, RECENTLY,
BEFORE HE RAN EVEN AFTER LEAVING
OFFICE.
OFFICE. AND GOES TO SOMETHING ELSE
BROADENING TO A WIDER TOPIC.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO PRIMARY
VOTERS WHO ARE CONCERNED THAT
THE RISE OF DONALD TRUMP’S
REPUBLICAN PARTY WHEN YOU HAVE
SOMEONE WHO WAS REPUBLICAN
MAYOR, AND TAKE A LOOK, FOR
EXAMPLE, AT THE PAST CONVENTION
WHEN’S HE WAS RUNNING AND
ADVOCATING AND ENDORSING
REPUBLICANS FOR PRESIDENT.
HOW DOES THAT MENTION CHANGE?
>> NEITHER AMERICA NOR PRESIDENT
BUSH EVER STOPPED BELIEVING IN
US.
US. >> GOVERNOR PATAKI.
>> OUR PARTY EMBODIES THE BEST
THIS COUNTRY WHO IS THE OFFER.
THAT MAN IS JOHN KERRY.
>> THANK YOU TO THE REPUBLICANS
FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS VOTE OF
CONFIDENCE IN OUR CITY.
>> OBVIOUSLY, HE HAS EVERY RIGHT
TO SUPPORT WHOEVER HE WANTS.
WHAT’S THE MESSAGE TO GRASSROOTS
DEMOCRATS ABOUT THAT HISTORY?
>> LET’S POINT POUT MIKE
BLOOMBERG INSTITUTE ON THE STAGE
FOR HILLARY CLINTON AND ENDORSED
BARACK OBAMA TWICE.
LET’S GO BACK TO WHAT 9/11 WAS.
NEW YORK CITY BID FOR TWO
CONVENTIONS IN ONE OF THE WORST
PERIODS IN NEW YORK CITY.
WE BID FOR THE DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTION, THE REPUBLICAN
CONVENTION.
CONVENTION. NEW YORK CITY A CITY ON ITS
KNEES.
KNEES. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID
ANSWER THAT QUESTION WHEN MIKE
WAS MAYOR IN 2002 AND PUT
TOGETHER A $20 BILLION PACKAGE,
TO COME BACK STRONGER AND BETTER
THAN EVER BEFORE.
MAYOR LaGUARDIA ONCE SAID, THERE
IS NO DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN
WAY TO PICK UP THE TRASH.
HOW DO YOU MOVE THE CITY
FORWARD?
FORWARD? I THINK MIKE HAS ALWAYS DONE
THAT.
THAT. >> IN FAIRNESS, YOU’RE
EMPHASIZING THAT HE FOUGHT
AGAINST TRUMP.
AGAINST TRUMP. IS PART OF MESSAGE ABOUT ’04?
YOU KNOW POLITICS WELL.
THIS WILL COME UP.
IS PART OF MESSAGE THIS ’04,
THAT DID HE FOR NEW YORK, NOT
FOR BUSH?
FOR BUSH? >> MY ARGUMENT IN TERMS OF
MIKE’S 12 YEARS IN OFFICE AS THE
MAYOR OF NEW YORK, HE WAS THE
GREATEST MAYOR NEW YORK CITY
EVER HAD.
EVER HAD. HE BROUGHT IT BACK IN ITS
200-YEAR-OLD HISTORY.
200-YEAR-OLD HISTORY. IT WAS REMARKABLE.
AND IT TOOK WORKING WITH
EVERYONE.
EVERYONE. DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS IN
ALBANY, OUR STATE CAPITAL, AND
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS IN
D.C.
D.C. I THINK QUITE FRANKLY AS YOU
LOOK FORWARD, MIKE IS RUNNING
FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
FOR PRESIDENT.
FOR PRESIDENT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WILL
TAKE A LOT.
I THINK THAT’S WHY MIKE IS
RUNNING NATIONALLY.
RUNNING NATIONALLY. WE HAVE TO PULL A LOT OF FOLKS
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO PULL THE
PARTY TOGETHER.
PARTY TOGETHER. MIKE HAS BEEN A DEMOCRAT THE
MAJORITY OF HIS LIFE BUT WE HAVE
TO PULL INDEPENDENTS.
>> LET ME GIVE YOU ONE MORE
QUESTION THAT I BET YOU WON’T
ANSWER.
ANSWER. >> I’LL ANSWER ALL YOUR
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> HERE IT IS.
AS MENTIONED, YOU HAVE ONE OF
THE BIGGEST WAR CHESTS IN
POLITICS.
POLITICS. MAYOR BLOOMBERG HAS SAID PART OF
HIS AD SPENDING AND BEING AROUND
THE COUNTRY WILL HELP BLUNT
DONALD TRUMP EITHER WAY.
AND WE’RE HEARING A LOT OF
DEMOCRATS DISCUSSING YOUR
CAMPAIGN EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE NOT
RUNNING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
IS THERE A SCENARIO WHERE MIKE
BLOOMBERG EVER GETS OUT OF RACE
BEFORE THE CONVENTION?
>> WE’RE CLEARLY RUNNING TO BE
THE PARTY’S NOMINEE.
OUR VIEW IS YOU NEED THE LARGEST
AND MOST DIVERSE POLITICIAN.
HE IS FAR MORE.
IN THE SIX BATTLE GROUND STATES
RIGHT THROUGH NOVEMBER WITH THE
IDEA THAT IF MIKE IS NOT THE
NOMINEE, THAT THOSE OFFICES, THE
WORK AND THE CANVASSERS ARE DOWN
THERE.
THERE. WE HAVEN’T, WE’VE ONLY SIGNED IN
THE BATTLE GROUND STATES.
>> WELL, IT’S REALLY
INTERESTING.
INTERESTING. IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT APPROACH
TO THE CAMPAIGN.
OF COURSE HE HAD A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO BUSINESS AND YOU’RE
RUNNING POTENTIALLY TO BE THE
NOMINEE AGAINST SOMEONE WITH A