Yeah, thats for sure. Thats kind of the story of your life and this is part of it. Welcome to the axe files. Good to see you again here in your hometown in las vegas. Let me ask you and you watch the news from washington these days and find yourself saying, man, id love to be back there now. I believe in the Old Testament verbiage that theres a time for sowing, a time for harvesting, reaping. I enjoyed every minute of the senate but thats not where i am now. The senate is not my senate, and its really been damaged significantly. What do you think now as youre watching the story of the moment which is this ukraine story unfold . Are you shocked, are you surprised . No, theres nothing in this administration that surprises me anymore. The answer is no. Its not often in the history of the United States a president selfimpeaches. You cant go to a Foreign Government and have them investigate your opponent. So his answer is, yeah, so i did it and i was investigating corruption. And then came out and said china should do this as well. Theres a brazenness to his response. When you have not one whistleblower and now theres two, maybe three who have alleged with their whistle blowing that crime has been committed, and all you have to do is have a basic understanding of the law in america, and you cant do what he did and go unpunished. Do you think that he was withholding aid as leverage to pressure the ukrainians . Of course. Thats what he did. The evidence is very clear. So you concur with Speaker Pelosi in beginning these impeachment proceedings . I think nancy pelosi when i was leader she was speaker for the first time. Ive never worked with anyone as visionary as she is, and she has absolute control of her caucus. She has set an example for everybody else. The president suggested this week that shes also guilty of treason and called her nervous nancy. But she hasnt looked nervous to me at all. Nancy pelosi is true patriot. I found her to be someone who really understands the issues and somebody who is courageous enough to carry them forward. She doesnt do anything on the fly. She is prepared and has her troops in order before she does anything. The consensus opinion, and trump has amplified this is that if this were to go to the United States senate, that theres almost zero chance that he would be convicted because it would require 20 republicans to concur. Is that your read as well . One of the things that im disappointed in about washington is what the senate has become and also disappointed with what the republican senators have not become. They have not become the republican senators who did what they thought was the right thing to do. And these republicans are afraid to speak out against things he does that are absolutely wrong and they know theyre wrong. The omperson weve gotten to say anything is mitt romney and sasse has said something of nebraska. Other that that, they dont say anything. If there is an impeachment trial and the evidence is compelling do you think there will be some republicans that will vote for conviction . That depends on what evidence that is put forward. Its not that simple. You know, i served as a juror on the impeachment of bill clinton. Its a very formal proceeding and a lot depends on how well the managers do to presenting that case to the senate. So, yes, i think a dees want case can be presented to the sept but unless something changes dramatically, the republicans are afraid trump will question them in a primary and and theyre more afraid of being reelected than doing the right thing for the country. Lindsey graham was someone you worked closely with across the aisle and youve said nice things about him in the past. Hes become a very staunch supporter of the president. I just told you have zero problems with the phone call. To impeach any president over a phone call like this would be insane. Its amazing what happened to him when john mccain died. He suddenly was no longer a john mccain republican. He became a South Carolina i want to get reelected republican. And he is a tote and fetch guy for the president. I said such admiration for him. Im so disappointed in what has happened to him. His whole personality has changed since john passed. Setting aside the substance of these matters you have to acknowledge he has i always call it a ferrule genius but his strategy here is to say im not corrupt, theyre corrupt. Theyre the ones guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors, and its to muddy the waters. Its a cynical strategy but might it be an effective one . I used to think that donald trump was not too smart. I certainly dont believe that anymore. I dont think hes ipt lecktually a powerhouse but hes basically a very, very smart man. No matter what the subject any argument he involves himself in its on his terms. If youre always arguing against him, he never, ever is willing to debate an issue on terms that arent his. So how do you deal with that, if youre a candidate running, for example, how would you advise they deal with that . What i say initially and say it right here on your show anyone who thinks trump is going to be beaten easily should have another thing coming. He is a man who has a stalwart 40 people out there who will vote for him no matter what he does. As donald trump said i could shoot somebody in times square, they would still support me. Thats sad but probably true. So i number one, i repeat he is not going to be beaten easily. Hes going to take a campaign of wisdom and patience but he is beatable for sure. You mentioned the bill clinton impeachment trial in 1998. There is this theory that is somewhat myth and reality that republicans paid a price for that in the fall of 1998 and that they lost seats in their election. They should have gained seats. Are there risks here for democrats . David, ive heard that argument and i dont agree with it. And heres why. The reason that bill clinton didnt get hurt on impeachment because it was such a weak ground. It was a sexual relationship supposedly with a girl in the white house. It wasnt supposedly. He acknowledged it eventually. Yeah, but it wasnt as if he was bringing her to the lincoln room. It was an issue dealing with impeachment people felt it wasnt Strong Enough to bring an impeachment proceeding. With whats alleged against trump it is cleary a crime what hes done. And i think its a tremendous difference. This whole thing at its core an attempt to weaken joe biden as a candidate whos leading him in the polls right now. And he has thrust front and center these questions about hunter biden. These questions of corruption have been debunked by a lot of the media. But there are these questions why hunter biden was even involved in ukraine. Is this going to be a problem for biden in the longterm, this repetitive meme out there . Joe biden has a lot of strong suits. But one of the things that joe biden is admired for is his life story. Hes had a lot of lot of difficult times in his life. And i think for now someone to pick on as remaining son that he basically helped raise after the boys mother was killed, i think theyve gone too far. I dont think anyones going to accept the fact that joe bidens son is some kind of person thats going to drag down joe biden. I dont think so. But you would agree it probably wasnt that prude want for hunter to be accepting large fees from a ukrainian oligarch while his father was vice president. I think its not something thats going to help joe. Coming up on the ax e files. I can remember the first time i heard his name. I said what are you talking about . Barack obama, what kind of name is that . Is your daughter ok . Thats where i felt relief. 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Every curve, every innovation, every feeling. A product of mastery. Lease the 2019 es 350 for 379 month for 36 months. Experience amazing at your lexus dealer. So i want to talk to you about this 2020 race. Where do you think the race is right now . Well, its joe piebidens ra to lose. She was taking tens of thousands of selfie pictures with people every time she gets a chance, so shes doing very well. You said shes doing well here in nevada. Shes doing very well in nevada. I recall getting a call from senator barack obama in spring 2006 and he came from a meeting with you. He said he inkurmged me to run for president. I can remember the first time i ever heard his name. I was in the house gym. I was a retired member, i was in the senate but i went to the house gym for many years. He said ive got the greatest person going to run for the u. S. Senate. And i said who could that be . He said his name is barack obama. I said what are you talking about . Barack obama, what kind of a name is that . Thats exactly what i said to him. I say this about barack obama, but understand his response to me was not done in a form of being a braggart, being c conceited. He was giving a speech and i walked to his desk and i was standing and i said, senator, that was a really good speech. He looked at me so seriously and he said yes, i have a gift. Now, i know that sounds like who the hell does he think he is, but think about that. This man has a gift of communication. He has that. Before he came to the senate he wrote a couple of books. Who wrote a book about his growing up and they were best sellers. And he didnt have somebody write the book. He wrote it. So i had a sense that barack obama, it was a time for someone as articulate as he, someone who could really command an audience, i just felt it was a time for barack obama he also opposed the iraq war which was an asset. You also had something to do with Elizabeth Warren being where lElizabeth Warren is righ now. You recruited her, head of the Oversight Panel on the bank bail out. You recruited her on the senate race. I read some stuff, basically a couple of reviews of her book and i was fascinated about that. The two income trap about the middle class. So i called her and she said she was doing a party for some of her students at her home. And i called her, you know, i dont have a very loud voice and she couldnt hear me very well. She said whos this, and i said im the majority leader of the sept. I said i want you to come visit me in washington. So she came down, brought her daughter with her. Told her i want to put her on my debt commission, and she said ill take it, and she was immediately confirmed as a chair of that board and did such a good job. She was good. So good that we did the don frank wall street reform bill and she came up an i. D. To have a Consumer Affairs department. Right. And we thought that would be a good spot for her. President obama wanted to put her there. And he did to set the thing up. But we couldnt get her the job because some republicans and frankly a couple of democrats opposed her. Why did they oppose her . Well, she damn sure knew more than they knew and they were afraid of her. She knew wall street, and wall street they were up in arms she mind ruin our country. I think she proved that what they should have done, they should have given her the job. Because they didnt give her the job, we had a run for the senate. She said shed still be there if theyd given her the job. But they didnt do that. I think shes overcome a lot of the concern people had about her. She was in the sen. I put her on the banking committee. Some people said you shouldnt do that, shes a flamethrower. She never surprised anybody, never surprised the Ranking Member of the committee of the bank. Shes a team player. You put her in leadership as well. Sure did. As Linden Johnson said hed rather have them inside of the te tent because its better to have them pissing out then pissing in. And theres a concern as well expressed by some establishment democrats that she is too far left. I think thats lets just wait. For example, medicare for all, asked how do you feel about i said what we need to do first is make sure obamacare is strengthening. Republicans have done everything they can to hurt it. Lets strengthen it. We almost got the public option the first time. Thats not what shes saying, though. I think give her some time. I think shes not in love with that. I think youll wait and see how that all turns out. So you think shes more pragmatic in. I know shes more pragmatic. Do you think the party itself, theres this lament the party is drifting left. You and i have been involved in politics for a long time. I know whats happening now is no different than whats happened in years past. Primaries theyre always pulled to the left, thats what parties to do the candidates. So when you decided to retire from the senate, you said i want to go out on the top of my game, i dont want to be a 42yearold trying to become a designated hitter which i loves a baseball fan. I love the reference and i know youre a baseball fan as well. But joe biden and Bernie Sanders are older now than you are then, and as we speak senator sanders are recovering from a heart attack and we obviously wish him for a speedy recovery. But let me ask you an indelicate question. Knowing what you know about that job, are they too im not really concerned about age. You know, you take president carters now 95 years old, still very active. Im not really sold on a certain age means youre not qualified for the job. I think the race is joe bidens to lose. Ahead on the axe files. Im the only senator in the history of the world that learned to thats some great paint. Thats some great paint. 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Shed gone through some of his belongings and sent me pictures of me in searchlight. I couldnt believe thats how i was raised. I couldnt believe it. I mean, the house was just made out of railroad tiles that had been picked up from the railroad. No running water. And no inside toilet of course. And i didnt realize until i saw this picture, damn, i didnt realize it was that bad. It was a mining town that got down on its luck. The number one industry when i was a boy there was prostitution. At one time there were 13 brothels in searchlight, 13. And how many people in the whole town . 200. Because it was during the time when they had military bases in southern nevada. And on payday that place would be like Grand Central station. Did you know as a kid what was going on . Well, yes, i did. But i thought its not much different there than anyplace else. Im the only senator in the history of the world that learned to swim in a house swimming pool. And they moved the pool in order to accommodate the brothel. Thats true. Tla only had school up to 8th grade. And no kindergarten. But you had to hitchhike 45 miles to go to high school. So i didnt do it every day, but i did do it. As a young kid you came to henderson right outside of las vegas where you 46 miles away. And some things happened there that were life changing. One is you met your wife, landra. Tell me about that. You know, i came over from searchlight dressed different than the other kids. My hair wasnt the same. But people were pretty nice to me. And ive had a lot of elections, but the most important election in my life i w