Sanders: I Don’t Regret ‘Damn E-mails’ Comment
BORGER: “Clinton is leading Sanders nationally by more than 30 points. So, I asked the senator whether the magic from the summer was gone?"
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SANDERS: "Nope, absolutely not. Let's go back six months and let's look at Bernie Sanders announcing his candidacy and being 3 percent, 4 percent in the polls. No money in his campaign, no volunteers, no political organization. Running against a woman who is enormously well known whose husband was president of the United States. What's --"
BORGER: "That would be Hillary Clinton?"
SANDERS: "Yes -- I don't want to say so. If you say it, I'll agree."
BORGER: "OK."
SANDERS: "Look, we started off six months ago, be honest, Gloria --"
BORGER: "Right."
SANDERS: "What did the media consider Bernie Sanders, a fringe candidate, right? Not a serious candidate. Be honest. That was the case. Now, you are saying, you haven't fight won this thing yet. That tells me we've made real progress in six months."
BORGER: "So, Hillary Clinton has 31 endorsements from people in the Senate."
SANDERS: "Yes."
BORGER: “And you don't have any. “
SANDERS: “That's correct.”
BORGER: “What does that show? “
SANDERS: “ It tells you that one of us is a candidate of the establishment, one of us is involved in establishment politics and establishment economics, and it says that maybe the other candidate is prepared to take on the establishment. “
BORGER: “That would be you?”
SANDERS: “That would be me. Yes, I think that's probably right.”
BORGER: “Before we get to the contrast between you and Clinton, I want to talk about Hillary Clinton's damn e-mails, as your -- to quote you.”
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SANDERS: “The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails.”
CLINTON: “Thank you.”
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SANDERS: “Same thing. What I said during the debate, same thing, is I think the American people get tired of seeing front page stories from the media day after day about e-mails. They want to know why their kids can't afford to go to college. They want to know why they can't afford health care, why we have a grotesque level of income and wealth inequality. That's what they want.”
BORGER: “But they want to know about their presidential candidates.”
SANDERS: “Sure, they do. But day after day after day? That's why I said enough with the e-mails. Now, there is a process under way. There is a process, an investigation. Let it take its course. I'm not involved in that.”
BORGER: “What is legitimate for the process to investigate?”
SANDERS: “Let the -- I honestly don't know. “
BORGER: “National security?”
SANDERS: “Sure, all of those issues. You know, it's not something I have paid a whole lot of attention to.”
BORGER: “There are issues of trust with Hillary Clinton. And you sort of gave her a pass during the debate. You know, do you regret that?”
SANDERS: “No. I do not regret that at all. I mean, I cannot walk down the corridors in Capitol Hill without being really begged by the media to attack Hillary Clinton. They want to make this personal. It's easy to cover. I choose not to do that. Let's talk about the economy. Let's talk about Wall Street. Let's talk about climate change. Let's talk about education. Frankly, that is what the American people want to hear discussed.”
BORGER: “Let me talk to you about the issues between you and Hillary Clinton.”
SANDERS: “Yes. “
BORGER: “Because she has recently come to oppose the Pacific trade deal, come to oppose Keystone as the president opposes Keystone. “
SANDERS: “Yes.”
BORGER: “Has vowed to take on big banks. How should voters view these changes?”
SANDERS: “Fair question.”
BORGER: “You like it?”
SANDERS: “Good question.”
BORGER: “Thank you. (Laughter) How should voters view those changes?”
SANDERS: “What you should see is how do you feel about U.S. trade policies? That's the first question. Do you think it's good? The question is, who is out front on this issue? Who has consistently been opposed to trade policy? I think the answer is pretty obvious. I am glad, by the way -- let me be frank -- that Hillary Clinton came on board in opposition.”
BORGER: “Does it tell you anything about her?”
SANDERS: “That's what the American people have to decide.”
BORGER: “What do you think?”
SANDERS: “I'll let the American people decide. I'm not voting for Hillary Clinton. Let me be clear. You got a breaking news story here, I am supporting Bernie Sanders.”
