CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Rep. James Clyburn (D) South Carolina Is Interviewed About Joe Biden And Bernie Sanders

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Let's get some more on this. Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina is joining us. He's the House Majority Whip, the number three Democrat in the House of Representatives. And he is now officially publicly endorsing Joe Biden.

Congressman thanks so much for joining us. Tell us why you think Joe Biden has what it takes to win the nomination, the Democratic presidential nomination, especially in light of the very impressive momentum we're seeing for Bernie Sanders.

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC), HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP: Well, thanks very much for having me, Wolf.

You know, I've known Joe Biden for a long, long time. I have been here in the Congress for 28 years. I spent all of those 28 years working very closely with Joe Biden. But I knew him before I came to Congress. You know I use to teach history. I spent time studying the history almost everyday some aspect of it. I used to spend a lot of time with Joe, with him talk about Delaware's role in the Brown v. Board of Education, those are five case. South Carolina's role, and how our states were so similar.

A lot of people don't realize it, but Delaware is number eight in percentages of African-American votes. So we look at his experiences, his comfort levels with dealing with diverse issues, and diverse people with diverse backgrounds. Joe knows the people that I try to represent, and that to me is very important.

And if you look at his record, I'm proud of his record. He wrote the Violence Against Women Act. He wrote the bill that extended the Voting Rights Act for 25 years. He has been a partner with Barack Obama for the eight years in the White House.

And we were putting together the Affordable Care Act. He worked very hard on that. And I worked with him. He has some colorful language in describing what we had just done when we pass the bill. And so Joe has the background and the experience. I'm very comfortable with the fact that I think he is the best.

BLITZER: So here is the question, Congressman, and you and I have known each other for a long time, would it have been better for him if you had come out a week ago or two weeks ago or three weeks ago and endorsed him instead of waiting till now. There's been early voting in South Carolina going on as you know.

CLYBURN: Yes, it would have been better for him and me maybe, but it would not have been better for the South Carolina Democratic Party. We have this primary in the preprimary window, and I was asked way back when the decision was made not to go out so early making my endorsements or undercutting the primary itself, because it might discourage participation. So I tried not to get out in front of that.

I promised the television sponsors or partners with the Congressional Black Caucus Institute that I would wait until after the debate before I make myself public. And that's what I did, because it's not just about me or even about Joe Biden.

It's about building a strong Democratic Party in South Carolina. It's about Jaime Harrison and those others who will be running for the congressional and legislative seats. That's one reason that I think Joe is best, because I think he is the best person for us to be running with if we want to keep the House and get the Senate back and elect legislators all down the line. So that's why I am doing it.

BLITZER: Jaime Harrison is challenging Lindsey Graham, the incumbent senator from South Carolina.

As you know, the former vice president is confident, he is very confident that he will win South Carolina on Saturday. But he also says it's just as important that he wins even by only one point. Do you agree? Would one point be enough to propel him into Super Tuesday which is three days later? [17:15:03]

CLYBURN: One point may be a win, but I don't think is the propel - propelling that we need. I want to see a much bigger victory than that.

I want South Carolina to play it's usual role. When Bill Clinton came to South Carolina he had lost eight contests. And we propelled him into the presidency.

And Barack Obama came to South Carolina, he had just lost New Hampshire the week before, and lost it big. But we propelled him into the nomination and the presidency. So I want to see a big vote for Joe Biden because that then, it will propel him into the nomination and the presidency. And one point victory is not good enough, I don't think.

BLITZER: Yes. Well, what happens if Vice President Biden doesn't win in South Carolina, will he still have a path forward?

CLYBURN: Well, I'm not doing all those analyses. To me, emotionally, I wouldn't see a way forward, but that's a decision he'll have to make, that's the decision that his campaign will make. And I think that they're the ones who are keeping up with the fund-raising and with all other activities involved in the campaign. But as for me, I think that it would be tough if he were to lose South Carolina.

BLITZER: South Carolina clearly a critical right now for several of these candidates.

I know you got to run, but one final question, congressman, before I let you go. If Bernie Sanders were to win the Democratic presidential nomination, will you support him?

CLYBURN: Absolutely. I'm going to support whoever the nominee is. That's not my problem. But I don't want to see us winning the presidency and then losing legislative seats, losing the House of Representatives, not being able to win the Senate.

We won the presidency with Barack obama, and then in 2010 we lost sight of the fact that it was a time to redistrict, and they lost legislative seats. And look at what happened to the redistricting. The legislators at the state level by and large, they decide what the congressional lines will look like.

So we need to win legislative seats, congressional seats, Senate seat, we need to get Jaime Harrison elected. And we got two outstanding young people running for Congress in South Carolina. And we got some great young people running for legislative seats. So we need to have a ticket that's very strong to win those seats as well.

BLITZER: So, just to press you on this point, if, you know, Bernie Sanders were atop the ticket, let's say, you fear that others down ballot as they say could suffer if a self-described Democratic socialist were the presidential candidate? CLYBURN: That's what they are telling me. I've talked to these candidates. I just left Texas. I was there with -- down with Colin Allred, with Marc Veasey, Eddie Bernice Johnson, and all of them tell me that Eddie Bernice is tired (ph), she don't get re-elected, not a problem.

I think Veasy will be fine. I think Colin Allred will have a challenge. And we've got districts in Illinois, Colorado and New York and California where I really believe we could put ourselves in jeopardy if we are not careful with the way we run the campaign in the fall.

BLITZER: Clearly elections matter, and it's one thing to be in the minority of the House of Representatives, another thing to be in the majority. You clearly like being in the majority and you want to retain. That put you on the status.

CLAYBURN: I love being whip. And I love Nancy Pelosi being Speaker of the House. If we lose the House, no more Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House, no more Jim Clyburn as Whip of the House. I don't want to see that.

BLITZER: Yes. All right, Congressman Jim Clyburn, as usual, thanks so much for joining us.

CLYBURN: Thanks for having me.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source