joe biden was trusted. he's the guy who always took the train from washington back up to wilmington. >> because? >> because that's where he lived. >> and because his two kids were orphaned. >> his kids were orphaned. his first wife died in a tragic accident. he's the kind of guy who liked to ride the train, who liked to talk to people on the train. his dad was a car dealer. he's an average guy. he went to state schools. he knows how to speak the real language. the onion newspaper, the humor newspaper, they've got a guy they call onion joe biden, and he's a guy with tattoos and a muscle tee who's always polishing his pontiac. that's an exaggeration, but on the other hand, that's who joe biden is. and the other thing about joe biden -- and i think the senator will agree with me -- he was one of the best informed, most detail focused guys. he was chairman of the foreign relations committee, chairman of the judiciary committee. this is not just a show horse by any means. >> it helps if you're 29 years old when

if joe biden-- >>> -- [overlapping dialogue] >> if joe biden had said-- >>> with a slight -- >> if joe biden had said what you are praising clint east woord for saying to that chair, you would be all over him. >> sean: can you imagine if any republican said as joe biden dhere, have you an african-american -- first time an african-american, he's articulate, he's clean... well spoken. >> he would be drummed out of public life. some of those words are actually code words, for african-american. but joe biden can say it. i know have you always wanted to interview the president. you should do the empty chair interview. a full hour of you and the empty chair. >> sean: my interview with reverend jeremiah wright. i did the one interview in the last election psyche welreverend jeremiah wright, the last interview he did. march of 2007. >> you are saying-- >>> you didn't even i. i have to go back -- >> you don't have it in the archives? >> sean: i look a little younger, but it was me. let's talk about, you know, i see marco rubio and -- a cast of rising mia love, who we just had on -- rising stars

if joe biden-- >>> -- [overlapping dialogue] >> if joe biden had said-- >>> with a slight -- >> if joe biden had said what you are praising clint east woord for saying to that chair, you would be all over him. >> sean: can you imagine if any republican said as joe biden dhere, have you an african-american -- first time an african-american, he's articulate, he's clean... well spoken. >> he would be drummed out of public life. some of those words are actually code words, for african-american. but joe biden can say it. i know have you always wanted to interview the president. you should do the empty chair interview. a full hour of you and the empty chair. >> sean: my interview with reverend jeremiah wright. i did the one interview in the last election psyche welreverend jeremiah wright, the last interview he did. march of 2007. >> you are saying-- >>> you didn't even i. i have to go back -- >> you don't have it in the archives? >> sean: i look a little younger, but it was me. let's talk about, you know, i see marco rubio and -- a cast of rising mia love, who we just had on -- rising stars

that is something i don't see joe biden doing as well and we of course have the paul ryan/joe biden debate coming up which will be a huge proving ground. james, i wonder in terms of bill clinton, how does the administration best use him apart from dispatching him out to florida and so forth? are there marching orders they should give him in terms of things to focus on? >> how to use him best. four words. as much as possible. the guy is a political person and you're right, i agree with you absolutely. he possesses the numbers, he possesses -- it's underneath his skin, waiting to bubble out, and people like him. they like him because they know he means it. politicians, a lot of terrible people can mean it. hitler meant it. stalin meant it. on the other hand, franklin d. roosevelt and john f. kennedy meant it. just meaning it isn't enough. but there is a kind of ardor, a kind of passion that emerges from deep inside. we teach students to find themselves inside, to access themselves and then at the proper moment onstage, to let it emerge and it emerges genuinely. that's when we believe them. t

if joe biden-- >>> -- [overlapping dialogue] >> if joe biden had said-- >>> with a slight -- >> if joe biden had said what you are praising clint east woord for saying to that chair, you would be all over him. >> sean: can you imagine if any republican said as joe biden dhere, have you an african-american -- first time an african-a articulate, he's clean... well spoken. >> he would be drummed out of public life. some of those words are actually code words, for african-american. but joe biden can say it. i know have you always wanted to interview the president. you should do the empty chair interview. a full hour of you and the empty chair. >> sean: my interview with reverend jeremiah wright. i did the one interview in the last election psyche welreverend jeremiah wright, the last interview he did. march of 2007. >> you are saying-- >>> you didn't even i. i have to go back -- >> you don't have it in the archives? >> sean: i look a little younger, but it was me. let's talk about, you know, i see marco rubio and -- a cast of rising mia love, who we just had on -- rising stars in the (-- r

biden. >> well, look, i respect joe biden. but those of us who were in congress knew joe biden. we knew joe biden as a person who is a very nice guy, by the way. he is very likeable. but tends to be wrong on the major policy issues. he was wrong frankly on just about every major policy issue. he is even wrong when he disagrees with president obama. so, you know, those of us that knew him were always kind of shocked as to how he is portrayed as this great expert on foreign policy. don't get me wrong. he was the chairman of the committee, but he was always wrong on the policy. that does not take away, however, from the fact that joe biden is a very good debater and a very likeable individual. he is a wonderful guy. the kind of guy that you want to go and have a cup of coffee with. but not the kind of person you want dictating the policies of the united states. >> at least that's what republicans would say. we have to be fair here. i was just wondering something about mitt romney. he is not out campaigning. he's been holed up in

and then, karl, vice president joe biden. >> absolutely. >> bill: we know sometimes joe biden goes off the reservation. he's for real. my home state of delaware, we love him because joe is very authentic. >> he's literally the most authentic vice president we've literally ever had. >> bill: last night his job was to tell, i think the world who barack obama really is from somebody who has been up close and worked with him and been there with him when he made all of the tough decisions. here karl is joe biden talking about barack obama's backbone. >> time and time again i witnessed him summon it. this man has courage in his soul compassion in his heart and a spine of steel! >> it was a really good speech. you know, what was interesting if you compare that to the republican convention, the republican convention, the spin was they're trying to personalize the candidates because people don't like them, right? the big mistake that they made in doing only that was that people -- they're not just looking to like mitt romney. in order to cast their ballot for him. they want to know the directio

joe biden knows that story. he's lived it. our vice president joe biden. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the vice president of the united states, joe biden. [ cheers and applause ] >> hello, my fellow democrats! and my favorite democrat. jilly, i want you to know that beau and hunt and ashley and i, we're so incredibly proud of you. you know, we admire the way -- with every single solitary young person -- and they're not all young, walk into your classroom, you not only teach them, you give them confidence. you give me confidence. and the passion. the passion she brings to try to ease the burden on the families of our warriors. jilly, they know you understand them. and that makes a gigantic difference. and, folks, i tell you what, it was worth the trip. to hear my wife say what i've never heard her say before. she's always loved me. if that's the case, why in the heck did it take five times of asking you? and that's true. five times. i don't know what i would have done, kiddo, had you on that fifth time said no. i love

what about joe biden in 2016? >> joe biden november 6th. my mom, my entire family, making sure we re-elect the president. look, we have a team we're running against. mitt romney, he said his foreign policy expense -- give me a break. you've been following international relations for a long time. you have mitt romney who in 24 hours visiting our closest ally offends not only the prime minister but all brits. so, i mean, we have important issues about foreign policy, both domestically to discuss in 60 days. you're going to see the vice president and president do that. >> beau biden, good luck to your dad today. >> thank, andrea. >>> women are center stage as republicans attack abortion and reproductive rights especially pl funding for planned parenthood. >> this past year women learned when we're not at the table we're on the menu. so why are we having to fight in 2012 against politicians who want to end access to birth control? it's like we woke up on a bad episode of "mad men." >> your new president could be a man who stands by when a publi

joe biden understands this. it's what you learn growing up in scranton, pennsylvania, and claymont, delaware. >> it was a neat place to grow up. i mean, we thought it was, and still do, think it's completely normal. four kids, three bedrooms, mom and dad, and of the probably 16 years i lived in that house, there was a relative at least 14 of those years living with us full time. my parents never doubted for a second i could be president or vice president. there was this notion that nobody is better than you, you're no better than anybody else, but nobody is better than you. and in this country, you can be anything you want to be. >> and i think that sense of optimism is what he feels for america. >> his parents taught him the fundamental truths that make this country special. basic beliefs that have defined what it has meant to be middle class for generations. >> middle class wasn't a number, it wasn't your net worth. it was more a value set. it's the idea that everyone in this country who works at it can do wel

about joe biden, richly reported, well-written. we saw him out hammering this theme, osama bin laden is dead, general motors is alive. tell me about joe biden and the difference he makes compared to most vice presidents. >> he's the number one surrogate for this campaign and this candidate. in some ways he embodies the spirit in good and bad ways of 2012 more than mitt romney or barack obama. neither one of them are dirt fighters. they don't get down in the mud with gusto. joe biden is a guy who is like the id. he's, he has the much, from the gut. he can throw a punch in the gut and still smile at you after he hits you there, that's kind of an incredible skill in politics, he's a guy with longstanding real appeal to white working-class voters. where the obama's campaign greatest weakness is with that class of voters and older white voters, those are the primary targets for the romney/ryan campaign. and biden speaks to that group in a lot of ways more comfortably, more persuasively than president obama does himself. so he'll in a lo

what are the similarities between ted olson and joe biden? >> they are are about the same age and ted olson is one really good debater. i hope joe biden shows more than ted olson because he is one of the best litigators in america. he has studied joe biden's tapes and records and style and ted as you know is one of the best litigators in america and pretty good at adapting to that. >> chris: have you got lines already prepared? attack lines? >> i'm not the a line guy. you know me well. i don't try to be anybody other than who i am. i believe in what i believe and i do what i do and i really believe in the policies we are providing that we are pursuing. and at the end of the day i'm just going to go in there and be me. >> chris: i know you were hoping that joe biden makes one of his occasional gaffes. >> he doesn't do that in debaits. the gaffes he is kind of ledgentary for this. that is not in these situations. he is a disciplined person when speaks in these kind of situations and doesn't produce gaffes in these moments. those are when is off

at times as somber as joe biden gets, as modulated as joe biden gets and as fiery as he gets all in the same speech. he tried to use his voice and his volume as an effective tool. you see there the embrace from his wife, dr. jill biden. and again, his role tonight drumming up excitement for the main event, the address by the president here in a few minutes. we're going to have one interim speaker, dick durbin, from illinois. and as we shift our focus ahead to the president claiming nomination for a second time, we want to bring in white house correspondent kristen welker who is mercifully in from the road as long as the president is in from the road. no rest for the weary. she's out first thing in the morning. kristen, column in "the new york times" this morning and i read this back to the first lady during our interview today described the president as proud yet humble, confident yet scarred, a dreamer, mugged by reality. and if all of that is true and if the democrats have done their best possible job laying out the predicate to go forward, starting with your road trip tomorrow, what

at times as somber as joe biden gets, as modulated as joe biden gets and as fiery as he gets all in the same speech. he tried to use his voice and his volume as an effective tool. you see there the embrace from his wife, dr. jill biden. and again, his role tonight drumming up excitement for the main event, the address by the president here in a few minutes. we're going to have one interim speaker, dick durbin, from illinois. and as we shift our focus ahead to the president claiming nomination for a second time, we want to bring in white house correspondent kristen welker who is mercifully in from the road as long as the president is in from the road. no rest for the weary. she's out first thing in the morning. kristen, column in "the new york times" this morning and i read this back to the first lady during our interview today described the president as proud yet humble, confident yet scarred, a dreamer, mugged by reality. and if all of thats true and if the democrats have done their best possible job laying out the predicate to go forward, starting with your road trip tomorrow, what ca

you might remember a way that in may vice president joe biden went on meet the press and said this about marriage equality in the united states i am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men women marrying women and heterosexual men and women are entitled the same exact rights all the civil rights all the civil liberties and quite frankly i don't see much of a distinction beyond that whether a mentor and not by coming out in support of marriage equality before the president had vice president joe biden forced president obama's and and just three days later the president himself was ready to make the same proclamation at a certain point i've just concluded that. for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that i think same sex couples should be able to get married and with that the president pull the united states right into the twenty first century at least they're going to this topic endorsing equal rights to married couples regardless of their sexual orientation and also picked up a lot of support both money volunteers and votes from the community t

they're working it hard and on larry's point about joe biden, that was as good as he can speak. he was direct. sober. he resisted the tendency he has to shout. he didn't do that so much. took directly on the bain argument, accused mitt romney of not understanding what the auto industry meant to america. said he thought about it the the bain way, which was balanced sheets. you mentioned the point about osama bin laden. the emotional moment about the troop was meant to contrast on the republican ticket. >> yeah, we did hear earlier this week that corporations were not people and yet, we also heard gm essentially referenced as a person. gm is alive. >> exactly right. look, both sides are a little silly with that argument. corporation, mitt romney is right. corporations are composed of human beings who organize themselves to make profits and pay themselves and pay their shareholders and all that. that's kind of a partisan tool. quote from mitt romney, but that was joe biden at his best tonight and i think in the same way that the republican ticket was very happy with the spectacular

you often hear the story from joe biden. just a kid from scranton, p.a., trying to make it in the tough, tough world. that's the message he'll resonate on the president's policies toward the folks not born with a silver spoon in their mouth. it will be interesting to see how he does that tonight, how fiery the rhetoric can be. it has been fiery in the past. most interestingly enough, with joe biden, the most important thing he can do for president obama is not have a gap tonight and also reiterate the message he's fighting for those who are not of means, who are not of extreme wealth. that's what his position here is for, president obama. it's something he's quite good at and enjoys to do. >> steve, you had some thoughts on joe biden. what have you got there? >> i think there's a fascinating subtext to his speech tonight because there's sort of a tradition, a more moderate tradition with re-election conventions. part of it is their vice president gets a chance to make the point, hey, i'm in line for the next election. there'

is the white house not using joe biden to best effect? are they afraid to have joe biden go out and do interviews? >> i don't think so at all. i think joe biden is out there at campaign stops all over the country. he draws big crowds and everybody is very enthusiastic to have him. joe biden is a great leader in our country. he's authentic. he says it the way he sees it. >> if the president is re-elected, if he is or if he isn't, is joe biden a likely contender in 2016 if he wants to, or would you expect that hillary clinton or some of the younger faces we've seen, corey booker going to the iowa delegation breakfast the other day or today, rather, is a key indicator? >> we have many good choices in the democratic party but let's get through this election first and elect this extraordinary president who in no ordinary time was able to pull us from the brink of depression, job creator from day one, more jobs in the private sector in one year than in the eight years of the bush administration. one election at a time. >> democratic leader nanc

>> i think joe biden was joe biden tonight. the guy you get to like. he's the brother who sings at the wedding. the guy in the family who always goes a bit over the top, but the love is manifest. i think his loyalty to the president couldn't have been more on display tonight. i think he gave barack obama who can be a cool customer a much more human face tonight. i think that's always what joe biden has brought to this partnership. sfl. >> chris, what is important about the vice president using the president's first name, how he sees him daily. all that personal stuff about how close they are just as friends, as men. what's important about that? >> well, it's -- it's not exactly a bromance, but you know, the modern vice presidency is two doors away from the presidency. it used to be the vice president was somebody who had an office up in the senate as presiding officer. in fact in lincoln's day, went back to maine after he was elected. now the vice president is a junior partner. joe biden actually works right around the corner from the oval office. and

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vice president joe biden nominated and accepting. here are the highlights of night three. >> the current right wing tea party dominated republican not only has hasn't learned from mistakes of the past they're determined to repeat them. we will not let that happen. >> one side of the campaign we have a president who has made america lead like america again. and what is there on the other side? an extreme candidate lacking the judgment and vision so vital to the oval office. the most inexperienced foreign policy to run for president and vice president in decades. >> and barack obama is the kind of leader my he father brought wrote bchl he does what is hard. he does what is right. >> congressman ryan says he wants medicare to be around for his grandkids. well... if that is the case, he had better vote for barack obama. >> this man has courage in his soul, compassion in his heart and a spine of steel. and, because of all of the actions he took, because of the polls he made and determination of american workers and unparallelled bravery o

thank you, joe, for being tough but fair. >>> coming up, there was one word joe biden literally loved saying last night. what was it? literally it was the word. he loves saying the word literally. this is "hardball," the place for politics. >>> bill clinton threw out more specific numbers in one speech last night than the republicans did in the entire week in tampa. >> a reasonable plan of $4 trillion of debt reduction in a decade. for every $2.5 trillion of cuts. >> not that the republicans did not have a plan to solve the nation's economic problems. >> we are going to solve this nation's economic problems. we need to stop spending money we don't have. we will not duck the tough issues, we will lead. >> and as a last resort, we will use magic. >> back to "hardball." speaks of clinton's speech, you may have caught this snapshot of hillary clinton making her diplomatic address. she was in southeast asia. before watching, the secretary of state had this to say about the remarks. quote, i received the as-prepared version which i am anxious when i can to compare with the as-delivered vers

vice president joe biden forced the president's hand on marriage equality a different vice president or i should say a vice presidential nominee could conceivably forces and on this issue to paul ryan was in colorado recently a state that's poised to become the first in the nation to legalize and regulate marijuana ryan was asked by a local news affiliate what his views were on medical marijuana and here's what he said. one of those questions you want to him to answer was about medical marijuana medical marijuana is a hot button issue here in colorado and across the nation it's up to colorado to decide. marijuana. you think look my personal position on these issues have been let the states decide what they want to do with these things as in if the states votes are legalized medical marijuana and paul ryan is ok with it that makes a vice presidential nominee paul ryan the first candidate for the executive branch in history to say that the fed should stop their crackdown on medical marijuana when it's legalized by the states it also puts ryan and odds of president obama who has used hi

thank you, joe, for being tough but fair. >>> coming up, there was one word joe biden literally loved saying last night. what was it? literally it was the word. he loves saying the word literally. this is "hardball," the place for politics. [ male announcer ] wouldn't it be cool if we took the nissan altima and reimagined nearly everything in it? gave it greater horsepower and best in class 38 mpg highway... ...advanced headlights... ...and zero gravity seats? yeah, that would be cool. ♪ introducing the completely reimagined nissan altima. it's our most innovative altima ever. nissan. innovation that excites. ♪ throughout our entire lives. ♪ one a day men's 50+ is a complete multi-vitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. ♪ it has more of seven antioxidants to support cell health. that's one a day men's 50+ healthy advantage. [ male announcer ] finally, mom's oven-baked tastes straight from the microwave. like oven-roasted chicken in a creamy alfredo sauce. marie callender's new comfort bakes. it's time to savor. marie callender's new comfort bakes. you misare you

let's talk a little about joe biden. candy crowley is here. it's interesting, jessica yellin, our chief white house correspondent is hearing he's going to talk a little bit about some of the experience he's had with the president, what he's learned about the president over these past four years, he'll share some anecdotes and focus a little bit on the big decisions that the president's made. he's trying to tee-off, the president, obviously in a very strong way. this is an important speech for joe biden personally as well. >> it is. it sounds a little bit like michelle obama's speech when she tried to link policy and the person. so this is also a guy joe biden, the vice president who's been in on some of these decisions, he had a famous phrase which i guess we can't repeat on television to describe when health care passed. what's interesting about this through the prism of joe biden is this is a man who has not ruled out a 2016 run. so a lot will be looked at in this speech. this has been a man who's been quite loyal to president obama, done hi

. >> joe biden stuck to the line which has become a catch phrase for him. >> osama bin laden is dead and general motors is alive. >> democrats hope be energy and momentum of these last few days will carry forward now that the conventions are over and the fall campaign begins. the president says that this election is still about hope. >> if you share that hope with me, then i ask you tonight for your vote. >> president joe biden says that americans never lost faith. >> you never quit on america and you deserve a president that will never quit on you. >> supporters know that the path to victory starts with the party base. >> we are the ones that have to make it happen. >> this is encouraging you to work harder? >> i'm going to start before the week is out. >> there are 61 days left until election day. >> that means that there is no time to waste. both candidates will be campaigning today in new hampshire. >> we know that there are a lot of people out there that do fact checking on convention speeches. paul ryan came under scrutiny but what are they saying about the president's speech l

let's talk a little about joe biden. candy crowley is here. it's interesting, jessica yellin, our chief white house correspondent is hearing he's going to talk a little bit about some of the experience he's had with the president, what he's learned about the president over these past four years, he'll share some anecdotes and focus a little bit on the big decisions that the president's made. he's trying to tee-off, the president, obviously in a very strong way. this is an important speech for joe biden personally as well. >> it is. it sounds a little bit like michelle obama's speech when she tried to link policy and the person. so this is also a guy joe biden, the vice president who's beenn on some of these decisions, he had a famous phrase which i guess we can't repeat on television to describe when health care passed. what's interesting about this through the prism of joe biden is this is a man who has not ruled out a 2016 run. so a lot will be looked at in this speech. this has been a man who's been quite loyal to president obama, done him

paul ryan is 27 years younger than joe biden. he has youth going for him. does biden have the speed and accuracy. finally, not like the old days. look look back at some real television history. 1956, john gets arrested in 1964 our own dan rather gets bounced in 1968. hi, i'm chris matthews. welcome to the show. with us today, john heilemann, katty kay, helene cooper and joe klein. first up, mitt romney may not have been the love of their life, now he is out in the arena has the republican's champion, a political gladiator who has now thrown down his gauntlet. >> this president can ask us to be patient. this president can tell us it was someone else's fault. this president can tell us that the next four years he'll get it right. but this president cannot tell us that you're better off today than when he took office. chris: john, that is it, that's the gauntlet, can the president and what will he do to answer that charge that he has not made things better? >> is a perennial questions in elections and the case of romney against obama. explicitly and implicitly

is studied joe biden's tapes and record and joe biden's, john style and said, as you know, one of the best litigators in america and is good at adapting to that. chris: have you got lines already prepared, attack lines. >> i'm not a "line" guy, i'm more of a gut guy. i'm more of a -- you know me well, i don't try to be anybody other than who i am. i believe in what i believe. i do what i do, and i really believe in the policies we're providing, we are pursuing. and, at the end of the day, i am just going to go in there and be me. >> chris: are you hoping joe biden makes one of his -- >> i don't think he will. he doesn't do that in debates, the gaffes, he's legendary for this, that is not in these kinds of situations, he's a very disciplined person when he speaks in these kind of situations and doesn't produce gaffes in these moments, those are when he's off the cuff, on the stump, out giving speeches. >> chris: you are not counting on one. >> no. >> chris: thank you so much for talking with us. >> thanks, chris, appreciate it. >> chris: with that interview we have now talked with both