CNN’s Dana Bash: Sen. Reid Told Me His Proudest Accomplishment Was Encouraging Obama to Run for President

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Dana Bash ░░░░░░░░ me David Axelrod and ░░░░░░░░ Jeff Zeleny is still ░░░░░░░░ as well Dana let ░░░░░░░░ talk to you about ░░░░░░░░ know the relationship I ░░░░░░░░ here we re looking ░░░░░░░░ the president who spent ░░░░░░░░ in the U S ░░░░░░░░ and now paying honor ░░░░░░░░ homage to the late ░░░░░░░░ leader Talk about their ░░░░░░░░ and how they learned ░░░░░░░░ one another with their ░░░░░░░░ of leadership how President ░░░░░░░░ is likely to pay ░░░░░░░░ to Harry Reid today ░░░░░░░░ they are both men ░░░░░░░░ the United States Senate ░░░░░░░░ of the Senate And ░░░░░░░░ Reid became Senate majority ░░░░░░░░ not because he was ░░░░░░░░ amazing speaker not because ░░░░░░░░ these are in his ░░░░░░░░ words not because he ░░░░░░░░ the best looking or ░░░░░░░░ the best resum He ░░░░░░░░ me this explicitly a ░░░░░░░░ years ago when I ░░░░░░░░ in Las Vegas seeing ░░░░░░░░ it was because he ░░░░░░░░ hard and he learned ░░░░░░░░ ropes and he learned ░░░░░░░░ rules specifically in the ░░░░░░░░ like nobody did And ░░░░░░░░ allowed him to climb ░░░░░░░░ ranks once he got ░░░░░░░░ the Senate because he ░░░░░░░░ how to get things ░░░░░░░░ by studying extremely hard ░░░░░░░░ because of the relationships ░░░░░░░░ he forged First and ░░░░░░░░ within his democratic caucus ░░░░░░░░ loyalty that he engendered ░░░░░░░░ people because he said ░░░░░░░░ and over again that ░░░░░░░░ was a two way ░░░░░░░░ That was true for ░░░░░░░░ lawmakers he served with ░░░░░░░░ even especially the staff ░░░░░░░░ worked for him It ░░░░░░░░ remarkable to see the ░░░░░░░░ of people who worked ░░░░░░░░ him for decades who ░░░░░░░░ consider themselves to be ░░░░░░░░ this unique club because ░░░░░░░░ the most part there ░░░░░░░░ this again this loyalty ░░░░░░░░ was a two way ░░░░░░░░ And so that is ░░░░░░░░ m sure the kind ░░░░░░░░ thing that we re ░░░░░░░░ to hear from President ░░░░░░░░ and then from former ░░░░░░░░ Obama I can tell ░░░░░░░░ of all of his ░░░░░░░░ senator Reid told me ░░░░░░░░ wasn t the ledge ░░░░░░░░ accomplishments he was most ░░░░░░░░ of it was the ░░░░░░░░ that he encouraged then ░░░░░░░░ Obama to run for ░░░░░░░░ Did he ever give ░░░░░░░░ detail on what that ░░░░░░░░ was like I mean ░░░░░░░░ try to use our ░░░░░░░░ of how specifically you ░░░░░░░░ Harry Reid delivered his ░░░░░░░░ to then senator Obama ░░░░░░░░ running just by looking ░░░░░░░░ the picture of them ░░░░░░░░ in the Oval Office ░░░░░░░░ did he ever give ░░░░░░░░ about exactly what he ░░░░░░░░ how he encouraged him ░░░░░░░░ he was able to ░░░░░░░░ his arm so to ░░░░░░░░ Well I m going ░░░░░░░░ punt that to David ░░░░░░░░ David was no doubt ░░░░░░░░ of those conversations But ░░░░░░░░ speaking it was that ░░░░░░░░ invited the senator to ░░░░░░░░ office and this was ░░░░░░░░ a time like Jeff ░░░░░░░░ just said where Hillary ░░░░░░░░ was the person everybody ░░░░░░░░ was going to be ░░░░░░░░ nominee and other very ░░░░░░░░ established senators were in ░░░░░░░░ running and other candidates ░░░░░░░░ he said you really ░░░░░░░░ consider running and by ░░░░░░░░ accounts then senator Obama ░░░░░░░░ taken aback The one ░░░░░░░░ conversation I can relay ░░░░░░░░ you that he told ░░░░░░░░ senator Reid told me ░░░░░░░░ on