ABC "Good Morning America" - Transcript

Interview

MS. SAWYER: Senator Joe Biden joins us this morning from Wilmington, Delaware. Good morning to you, Senator. Welcome to the official race.

SEN. BIDEN: Good morning, Diane.

MS. SAWYER: I think we've got to hear you say it --

SEN. BIDEN: How are you -- (laughter) --

MS. SAWYER: Officially here. Are you in?

SEN. BIDEN: Oh, it is official. I'm the 800th candidate. (Laughter.) I am in.

As you know, you've got to file the formal papers to meet the legal requirements to be able to raise money, and that's what I've done today. Everybody else calls it exploratory. I'm not exploring. I'm in. And, this is the beginning of a marathon.

MS. SAWYER: I want to get back to politics in a moment. But first, I want to ask you about something that was in the newscast this morning about Iran. And Iran's new role in Iraq. And you have been taking such a leading position on Iraq. What do we do about Iran? Reports this morning that Iran may have been behind that attack in Karbala in which some of the insurgents managed to disguise themselves as Americans; actually posed in vans and get inside a meeting room where they unleashed their firepower. What does the U.S. do about Iran?

SEN. BIDEN: Well, I think first of all, the one thing to do about Iran is to sit down and talk with them. You know, we did that when we were involved in Afghanistan. Everyone forgets. Iran sat at the table with regard to Afghanistan, along with five other powers. The Baker commission, every former secretary of state has come forward and said, the international community, the U.N., should call for a regional conference bringing in all the powers.

Because what's going to happen is you're going to see the same thing happening with the other powers getting involved to protect their interests as they see it; Sunni, Shi'a, et cetera. And we have to, within Iran, pursue anyone --

MS. SAWYER: But --

SEN. BIDEN: -- anyone who kills American soldiers.

MS. SAWYER: But is talking to Iran really going to stop them from taking advantage of a situation that has them in the catbird seat now, to move into Iraq?

SEN. BIDEN: Well that -- you just made the point. They're in the catbird seat because our policy in Iraq is flawed. Instead of escalating the war in Iraq, which will do us no good, we should be insisting on a political settlement between the Sunnis and the Shi'as. That's the only way this is going to end, Diane. But as long as that civil war is going on, all the parties in the region are going to be involved in what they believe protecting their interests.

Right now, Iran has it just nice. We're spending our blood and treasure. They're making it worse for us. And the only thing that worse for them is if we were not there and it devolves into a full- blown chaotic situation. And then their interests are very much at stake, because they've have great population flows in their direction to stabilizing them. We ought to be bringing all the parties together at one table, like we did in Dayton to settle the Bosnia accords, because there is no military solution to Iraq.

MS. SAWYER: I want to ask you about what you have said about one of your opponents in this race, in the primary race, Senator Hillary Clinton. And she has, of course, talked about a proposal to cap American troops and also threaten Iraqi leaders with cutting off of funds if they don't meet some of the benchmarks. You are quoted as saying in the New York Observer that the results of her position would be quote, "nothing but disaster."

SEN. BIDEN: Well, I -- look, I have great respect for Hillary Clinton. She and I have been almost in lockstep in most of these foreign policy issues. But I think it would be a disaster, if that is her plan, to one, cap the American forces. I think we should lower American forces. And two, cut off funding for the local Iraqi forces. They're the people we're supposed to be training so that we can rely on them to aid us in the efforts that we undertake.

MS. SAWYER: But she --

SEN. BIDEN: So to do both simultaneously I think is counterproductive --

MS. SAWYER: -- she has --

SEN. BIDEN: -- if that's what her position is. That's what the reporter told me.

MS. SAWYER: Yes, but she has said that she believes she is the best position to be able to lead this country for the next term. Why is she not in the best position?

SEN. BIDEN: Of course.

MS. SAWYER: What about her?

SEN. BIDEN: Well, there's isn't any -- she is fully qualified to be president. She is an absolute -- we have a heck of a field out there. And she is clearly the frontrunner. But the next president of the United States, because of the policies of this president, is going to have no margin for error. He or she, the moment they take office, is going to have to figure out how to extricate us from Iraq without making the Middle East even more destabilized. And I think I have the most experience there. I'm the only one that's laid out a detailed plan. And I've done that for the last nine months.

And -- but that will be for the voters to decide --

MS. SAWYER: -- (Inaudible.) --

SEN. BIDEN: -- who's more qualified to deal with that, me or Hillary. I think she's a first-rate person.

MS. SAWYER: Two quick questions. Quick questions. Senator Obama.

SEN. BIDEN: Sure.

MS. SAWYER: Two years in the Senate. You've been 34 years in the Senate.

SEN. BIDEN: (Laughter.)

MS. SAWYER: Is he too inexperienced?

SEN. BIDEN: No -- look -- this guy's incredible. He is really bright. He's fresh. He's new. He has great ideas. And the question will be whether or not on the campaign trail he fleshes out his ideas. I think experience does matter, but you'd expect me to say that. But you know, it also relates to judgment, as he says. And so, the folks are going to look at all of us. But he is a real star.

MS. SAWYER: Final --

SEN. BIDEN: He's a really incredible person.

MS. SAWYER: Final quick question. The Washington Post says your friends have told you that you have to learn to put a sock in it. And not talk so much. (Laughter.)

SEN. BIDEN: (Laughter.)

MS. SAWYER: And that you're taking their recommendation to heart.

SEN. BIDEN: Well, I am taking their recommendation to heart, but what I'm not going to do is, I think one of the reasons we're in trouble is we've reduced the political discussion to soundbites. The American public is a lot more sophisticated than we all give them credit for. And on complicated issues, I'm going to give them straight answers. And if it takes them more than three minutes, I'm going to do it. I think we're in trouble because we haven't thought very much. We don't trust that they have the judgment to make difficult decisions. They do. And they want to hear answers, I believe.

MS. SAWYER: Well, thank you, Senator Biden. And it's great to have you with us this morning.

SEN. BIDEN: Thank you, Diane.

MS. SAWYER: And only 600 plus days to go here.

SEN. BIDEN: (Laughter.)

MS. SAWYER: Thank you.

SEN. BIDEN: With only 800 candidates. (Laughter.)

MS. SAWYER: (Laughter.) Thank you.

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