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ARTICLE SO MUCH IN "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" LAST WEEKEND.
BEN, LET ME GET TO YOU FIRST.
SOME OF THESE CURRENT AND FORMER
OBAMA AIDES THINK THIS IS EARLY
FOR ALL OF THE BUZZ ABOUT
HILLARY CLINTON.
>> I THINK THEY ARE LESS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHATTER,
WHICH IS PRETTY INEVITABLE.
SHE'S THE OBVIOUS FRONT-RUNNER.
THAN THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE
ASSOCIATED WITH HER
INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND HER, A
GROUP TO RAISE LARGE AMOUNTS OF
MONEY AND A GROUP TO DO
GRASSROOT RESPONSES.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2007, SHE BUILT
THIS BIG MACHINE AND IT'S
HAPPENING NOW AND IT'S THE
STRUCTURE THAT GETS AHEAD OF
WHAT -- AND I DON'T THINK
ANYBODY HAS REALLY ANSWERED THE
QUESTION WHICH IS IF SHE WAS
GOING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT, WHY
WOULD SHE DO THAT?
>> HAVE YOU SEEN A MESSAGE OR
SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE OUT THERE
ALREADY DEVELOPING FROM HER
SUPPORTERS, AMY?
>> WELL, I THINK YOU MENTIONED
THE EVENT TODAY.
THEY WOULD REALLY LIKE US TO
FOCUS ON THOSE EVENTS THAT SHE'S
DOING.
SHE HEALTH AN EVENT WITH BILL DE
BLASIO AND TALKING ABOUT INCOME
INEQUALITY, A BIG BUZZ WORD FOR
DEMOCRATS.
SHE'S PROBABLY WISHING THAT
THOSE WERE GETTING THE ATTENTION
INSTEAD OF SOME OF THE POLLS OUT
THERE.
>> OVER THE YEARS, BEN, IT'S
NEVER TOO EARLY, YOU CAN'T --
YOU'VE GOT TO GET TO THIS
PROCESS OF ESPECIALLY A
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, YOU'VE
GOT TO GET IN THERE EARLY AND
YOU'VE GOT TO WORK LITERALLY
EVERY DAY UNTIL THE ELECTION.
>> YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BIT OF
DAMNED IF YOU DO AND DAMNED IF
YOU DON'T.
IF THERE WAS NO INFRASTRUCTURE,
PEOPLE WOULD SAY WHY AREN'T YOU
CREATING SHADOW GROUPS TO
ORGANIZE ON YOUR BEHALF.
PERHAPS THE REASON PEOPLE ARE
BELLY ACHING IS OBAMA AIDES ARE
GOING ON THE RECORD TO TAKE
SHOTS AT HER ORGANIZATION NOW.
>> ARE THEY CONCERNED THAT MAYBE
SHE'S GETTING TOO MUCH EXPOSURE,
AMY?
>> I THOUGHT THAT.
AND I THOUGHT BEN'S STORY WAS
REALLY INTERESTING IN TERMS OF
WILLING TO GO ON RECORD.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A WAY TO GIVE
HER OPERATION A LESSON BUT ALSO
MIGHT BE SOME OBAMA DEMOCRATS
ARE HOPING TO SEE SOME
CHALLENGER AND TO HAVE A DEBATE
ABOUT WHAT THEY STAND FOR,
LOOKING AT SOMEONE LIKE
ELIZABETH WARREN, SOMEONE ON THE
LEFT TO CHALLENGE HER.
>> THERE'S A REAL AMBIVOLENCE
AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO BEAT
HILLARY CLINTON IN 2007, 2008,
WHETHER THEY WANT OBAMA TO BE
THE PRESIDENT BETWEEN TWO
CLINTONS.
OBAMA HIMSELF DOESN'T CARE THAT
MUCH.
HE DIDN'T GET TO BE PRESIDENT BY
DEVOTING TO CARRYING ABOUT OTHER
PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGNS.
BUT I THINK -- BUT I THINK AT
SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, IF SHE'S
THE NOMINEE, IT WILL KICK IN,
THAT SHE CAN SECURE HIS LEGACY
IF SHE'S THE NOMINEE DO
EVENTUALLY GET ON BOARD, THERE'S
A LOT OF AMBIVALENCE AROUND
OBAMA NOW.
>> WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT SHE
GIVES A SPEECH BEFORE A TRADE
ASSOCIATION OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT, THOSE ARE CLOSED DOORS TO
THE MEDIA BUT THEN AFTER SHE
OPENED IT UP TO Q & A.
WERE YOU A SURPRISED ABOUT THAT,
AMY?
>> IT'S REALLY THE FIRST TIME
THAT SHE ADDRESSED BENGHAZI,
SAID IT WAS HER BIGGEST REGRET.
I THINK THAT GOT A LOT OF
ATTENTION.
ALSO OPENING IT UP TO PRESS.
MOST OF HER PAID SPEECHES ARE
NOT OPENED TO PRESS.
>> BEN, YOU HAVE A QUOTE IN
THERE FROM ONE OF HER TOP AIDES
WHO SAYS THIS -- AND I'LL PUT IT
UP ON THE SCREEN -- "HILLARY
CLINTON IS NOT A CANDIDATE
UNLESS AND UNTIL SHE IS I WON'T
COMMENT ON IT.
I RESPECT BEN LA BOLT BUT I
THINK MANY ON THE PRESIDENT'S
TEAM WOULD SAY DOING SO ANYONE
WOULD SAY DOING SO THIS FAR OUT
WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE.
DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE OBAMA CAMP AND THE
HILLARY TEAM?
>> THERE ARE SUPPORTERS OF
CLINTON WHO THINK THEY ARE
GETTING OUT TOO EARLY AND
SUPPORTERS OF OBAMA WORKING FOR
THESE NEW CLINTON INSTITUTIONS.
IT'S THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
IT'S GOING TO BE MESSY.
>> IF FOR SOME REASON, AMY, SHE
DECIDES NOT TO RUN AND IT'S NOT
FOR SURE THAT SHE WILL RUN, SHE
MAY DECIDE SHE DOESN'T WANT TO
GO THROUGH IT AGAIN, IT'S A WIDE
OPEN FIELD FOR THE DEMOCRATS,
ISN'T IT?
>> THERE WAS A GOOD STORY IN
"THE WASHINGTON POST" ABOUT
MARTIN O'MALLEY LAYING THE
GROUND WORK TO A POTENTIAL RUN.
>> HE'S THE GOVERNOR OF
MARYLAND.
>> FUTURE SECRETARY OF HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF
MARYLAND PROBABLY DON'T KNOW WHO
HE IS.
BEN, WALK US THROUGH THAT WIDE
OPEN FIELD.
>> THERE'S NOT SO MUCH THERE.
I THINK THE SMARTEST THING
ANYONE HAS DONE IS ELIZABETH
WARREN.
SHE'S A REAL POLICY PERSON WITH
A REAL POLICY AGENDA.
SHE'S BEEN PUSHING HER WHOLE
CAREER.
ALSO, HILLARY CLINTON'S
STRONGEST BASE OF SUPPORT, THE
REASON SHE COULD BE A STRONG
CANDIDATE, IS AMONG WOMEN AND
ELIZABETH WARREN COULD ALSO
SAY -- IT NO LONGER BECOMES, I
COULD BE THE FIRST WOMAN
PRESIDENT IN THE PRIMARY.
THE SMARTEST THING ELIZABETH
WARREN DID WAS SAY I'M NOT
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
EVERYBODY IS LEAVING HER ALONE.
DOESN'T MEAN SHE CAN'T CHANGE
HER MIND.
>> AMY, I'M NOT HEARING JOE
BIDEN'S NAME.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF WHAT ABOUT
JOE BIDEN, ESPECIALLY AMONG HIS