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Obama Endorses Clinton. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired June 09, 2016 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[14:00:00] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Anticipation maybe he would come into the White House Briefing Room to make that announcement. We're told he will not do that. This is the announcement from the president of the United States. The president makes the official announcement on video that you just heard.

Senator Ben Cardin is joining us, Democrat of Maryland.

I know you must be very excited by this late breaking development, senator. What's your reaction?

SEN. BEN CARDIN (D), SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Well, Wolf, people were asking whether the Democratic Party will be united. I think President Obama answered that. We're not only united, we're eager for this campaign. We're very proud of our candidates during the primary. They had more that united us than divided us. And now we're united to make sure we win in November. It was a great day and, yes, I am very excited by the president's comments.

BLITZER: We're also getting word, another tweet that Hillary Clinton, senator, just put out. Quote, "honored to have you with me POTUS. I'm fired up and ready to go."

And we're also getting word that the president and Hillary Clinton will go out on the campaign trail, start campaigning together in Wisconsin on Wednesday, June 15th. That's the day after the Democratic primary in the District of Columbia.

What do you want Senator Bernie Sanders to do next, Senator Cardin?

CARDIN: Well, I'm proud of Senator Sanders. He ran a great campaign. He - the issues that he raised are critically important issues to our party and to our country. I know that his energy that brought so many new participants into the process, that he was going to help us make sure we have that participation in the general election.

Look, we are together. Our party is together. Look on the other side with the Republicans who are fighting among themselves. We know that we have a message for the American people. And, more importantly, Senator Sanders' points is about equality and opportunity. Those points are going to be critical in our campaign in November.

BLITZER: You think the president will be able to help Hillary Clinton recreate that Obama coalition that got him twice elected president of the United States? CARDIN: There's no question that President Obama knows how to connect

with the American people and that he will be incredibly important to get people to participate in this election. You know, we saw in our midterm elections the drop-off of participation. Well, this is a presidential election. And President Obama is going to make sure that his voice is heard and his voice is heard for the type of progress that we've made during his term as president - terms as president and that needs to be carried forward by a President Clinton come next January.

BLITZER: You've heard Donald Trump say he's going to go after those Bernie Sanders supporters as well. He makes the point that he and Bernie Sanders agree on the issue of trade and other issues. Is that realistic in your mind that a significant percentage of Bernie Sanders very ardent supporters might not necessary support Hillary Clinton but instead Donald Trump?

CARDIN: You know, we're very confident that the type of motivation that Senator Sanders gave for people participating, they were the issues that we find very comfortable in the Democratic Party. They're not in the Republican side. They're not with Donald Trump. We're going to do very, very well.

I think our point is to make sure people have hope and understand that this election is about their future and that they need to participate. If we get that message through, the Sanders supporters are going to be very much helpful for us winning in November.

BLITZER: Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, thanks very much for joining us.

CARDIN: Good to be with you.

BLITZER: All right, so we've got the big, breaking news. By the way, here are live - these are pictures - I don't know if this is live - but these are pictures of Senator Sanders with Harry Reid, the Democratic leader, the minority leader, up on Capitol Hill. Yes, these are live pictures. This follows the earlier meeting. Let's listen in, see if they talk.

QUESTION: What do you want to tell Senator Reid and, Senator Reid, what do you want to tell Senator Sanders?

SEN. HARRY REID (D), MINORITY LEADER: OK, you guys, we're not going to take any questions. That's kind of the deal that I made and Bernie said (INAUDIBLE). (INAUDIBLE) for now. We'll have time to answer questions, but not now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, everybody.

QUESTION: Senator Sanders, you'll come talk to us in the hall afterwards?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone, thank you. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, guys, (INAUDIBLE). UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone (INAUDIBLE) back out through the doors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) walk back (INAUDIBLE). Turn around and head out in that direction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone includes everyone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Sorry.

(CROSS TALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You too. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just wonderful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. Thank you very much, everyone.

BLITZER: You heard Harry Reid say no questions. They're not going to take questions. But you saw the photo-op. The Senate Democratic leader, the minority leader, Harry Reid, and Senator Bernie Sanders. Another important meeting going on right now. The entire effort designed to try to unify the Democratic Party right now to go ahead in this challenge to work together among the Democrats to support Hillary Clinton in her battle - upcoming battle against the Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

This is an important day because the president of the United States, following his Oval Office meeting with Senator Sanders, has now officially come out and endorsed Hillary Clinton in a video that you just saw here on CNN. A video released by the Hillary Clinton campaign. President Obama endorses Hillary. Hillary Clinton tweeted, quote, "I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office." That statement coming from the president of the United States. The president also saying she's "got the courage, the compassion and the heart to get the job done. I have seen her judgment. I have seen her toughness. I have seen her commitment to our values up close and I've seen her determination to give every American a fair shot at opportunity no matter how tough the fight. That's what's always driven her and still does."

[14:05:36] You're looking at live pictures from the Briefing Room at the White House. Expect Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, to come in and elaborate on this decision by the president. A very historic decision by the president to go ahead today and announce this endorsement for Hillary Clinton.

Michelle Kosinski is our White House correspondent.

Michelle, what are you hearing behind the scenes on the timing, this decision by the president to go public with this endorsement?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and, Wolf, for this to be released on Twitter, too, very interesting. I mean we've never seen anything like that before. Presidential endorsement of the former secretary of state and it's released on her Twitter. That's how we first get wind of this.

But, you know, we've known for days now that the White House has been working on this. And when you look at the video, you see that this is well produced. There was music in the background. This was done well ahead of time, but not quite sure when it would be released. You heard in that video the president say, you know, I met with Bernie Sanders this week, giving them some cushion on the production of this of when it would happen exactly. That's a strong indication there that they themselves weren't even sure up until today.

And that's what we're been hearing behind the scenes, too. We did know that they might try a sort of softer endorsement, something on social media, depending on how this meeting went today between President Obama and Sanders. That's how important this discussion was. And it was a long one. It was more than an hour long.

But what we saw in this endorsement was not something kind of leading up to a fuller endorsement that would be more of a campaign style event with the president side by side with Clinton. We saw a full throated endorsement in this video release today. I mean the president making very clear that she is the number one qualified person for the job.

And as we're listening to it, we're thinking, oh, well, he's not going to say anything about Sanders. I haven't heard any mention of Sanders. But and then there it was. He also included the campaign that Sanders has run up until this point, wanting to compliment him. In the past few days, Wolf, it's been interesting to see.

I mean what a difference a day makes. Yesterday the White House would not even acknowledge that Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee. Now we see this endorsement. Yesterday, the White House was effusive in its praise for Sanders. So they want to include everyone. They don't want this to be a winner and a loser in the Democratic race. They want everybody to be a winner. That's how they want to put this out there as a unified Democratic Party, Wolf.

BLITZER: They certainly are doing that. And the Hillary Clinton campaign announcing that next Wednesday the president and Hillary Clinton, they'll campaign together in Green Bay, Wisconsin, according to the statement just released by the Hillary Clinton campaign. They'll discuss building on the process we've made and their vision for an America that is stronger together. So they will jointly go out on the campaign trail next Wednesday beginning in Wisconsin.

If you missed it, here is the historic video released by the Clinton campaign of the president of the United States enthusiastically endorsing Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: More than a year now, across thousands of miles and all 50 states, tens of millions of Americans have made their voices heard. Today, I just want to add mine. I want to congratulate Hillary Clinton on making history as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States. Look, I know how hard this job can be. That's why I know Hillary will

be so good at it. In fact, I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office. She's got the courage, the compassion and the heart to get the job done.

And I say that as somebody who had to debate her more than 20 times. Even after our own hard-fought campaign, in a testament to her character, she agreed to serve our country as secretary of state. And from the decision we made in the situation room to get bin Laden, to our pursuit of diplomacy in capitals around the world, I have seen her judgment. I have seen her toughness. I have seen her commitment to our values up close. I've seen her determination to give every American a fair shot at opportunity, no matter how tough the fight was. That's what has always driven her and it still does.

So I want those of you who have been with me from the beginning of this incredible journey to be the first to know that I am with her. I am fired up. And I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary.

[14:10:05] I also want to thank everybody who turned out to vote and who worked so hard for our candidates. This has been a hard-fought race. I know some say these primaries have somehow left the Democratic Party more divided. Well, you know, they said that eight years ago as well. But just like eight years ago, there are millions of Americans, not just Democrats, who have cast their ballots for the very first time. And a lot -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, so there's the president of the United States. He says I'm with her. I'm fired up. I can't wait to get out and campaign with her. He will next Wednesday in Wisconsin. Just got a tweet of former President Bill Clinton saying, "thank you, Barack Obama."

Mark Preston is joining us. He's our CNN Politics executive editor.

Mark you're getting information on the Sanders - on what the Sanders campaign knew about this, what's going forward next. What are you learning?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well, Wolf, no question. What we just heard from President Barack Obama right there was very important at the very end. He talked about how the Democratic Party was divided eight years ago and how quickly they came together. That's when Hillary Clinton abandoned her bid for the White House and, of course, endorsed him.

Now, I just spoke to a senator, Senator Sanders, a senior aide on his campaign and let me just read to you just a little bit of our discussion. He said that the president's endorsement of Secretary Clinton was expected and he described Senator Sanders meeting with the president today as very good and very positive. So clearly Senator Sanders knew this was coming. This was not a surprise to the campaign.

As for how they feel about the campaign at this moment, he described it as a very hard-run campaign and emphasized that they're going to compete in the District of Columbia primary. We heard Senator Sanders say that after he left the White House. But he said that they're also very proud of what Senator Sanders accomplished. As for going forward, this aide told me that there are a lot of discussions going on right now and there will continue to be discussions with the Clinton campaign about how to ensure that Senator Sanders' goals for a progressive agenda are addressed. This source noted this is the reason why Bernie Sanders ran for president, wants to push these issues to the forefront and they feel very good about how they've done so, Wolf.

BLITZER: They should indeed. All right, Mark Preston, thanks very much.

I want to go back up to Capitol Hill. Jeff Zeleny is outside Senator Sanders' office up there.

There's a lot of history that we all know involving the president of the United States, the former secretary of state. When the president so enthusiastically, just moments ago, on that Hillary Clinton campaign video, endorsed Hillary Clinton, it brought back, Jeff Zeleny, some memories of a different period eight years ago. Eventually, she came out and enthusiastically endorsed him.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: No doubt about it, Wolf. This week in history eight years ago has been really quite remarkable all week long, how it's playing out in a similar type of fashion after such a hard-fought and long Democratic presidential campaign that ran from all 50 states, all corners of the country. Of course the difference here is, there's a Democrat in the White House and that's Barack Obama. And seeing him endorse her there in that video, Wolf, I think really completes the circle here of their relationship.

Some eight years ago - I remember this week very, very well, when she finally came out and said that, you know, she was supporting him and then they traveled the following week to Unity, New Hampshire, Wolf. But I can tell you, in those opening days, there was not a lot of unity, there was more tension than unity. A lot of voters and supporters in the crowd there of hers said, we will never vote for Barack Obama. And there was so much anger out there.

So I think that, you know, what I see from Senator Sanders at this point, Wolf, is different than that. We saw him leave his Senate office building here, his office just a short time ago. He's in with Harry Reid now. But, Wolf, he had a smile on his face and he had a bit of joy in his step.

I think it's important to remember, he never expected to do this well. And I'm not, you know, surprising that. He has told me that on multiple occasions that he did not expect to sort of build this type of movement a year or so ago when he got in this race, but he thought that Hillary Clinton should be challenged. And, Wolf, challenge her he absolutely has. The direction and agenda and policy focus of this Democratic Party is different than from a year ago when she jumped into this race here. He has pushed it without question to the left more liberal, more progressive in terms of minimum wage, in terms of health care, other things. So I think that Senator Sanders' role in this campaign has been pretty remarkable.

But seeing the president out today and seeing him campaigning next week in Wisconsin, Wolf, that's going to be something else. He has been waiting for this moment to campaign against Donald Trump. We all remember that moment back in 2012 when he walked into the White House Briefing Room to talk about his birth certificate with Donald Trump. It's personal for President Obama. This campaign for the next five months is personal. It's his legacy, yes. But defeating Donald Trump, in his minds, is very, very personal.

Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, I've spoken with his - some of his top advisers, the president of the United States. They say he will do everything he possibly can to help Hillary Clinton become the next president of the United States.

[14:15:01] ZELENY: Indeed.

BLITZER: And help re-establish, recreate that so-called Obama coalition that got him twice elected.

Stand by, Jeff.

David Chalian is with us, as well. He's our political director.

David, as they say in real estate, location, location, location. In politics, also. Explain the reasons why on Monday Hillary Clinton will campaign in Ohio, on Tuesday she will campaign in Pennsylvania, and then on Wednesday, together with the president of the United States, they will both go out in Wisconsin. Why these three states?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Listen, this is where the battle is going to be fought, Wolf. This is the battle to 270 electoral votes. And we know, looking at the 2012 map, that the Democrats have this slight edge right now electorally. But we also have seen the success that Donald Trump has had with white working class voters coming out in big support for him throughout the nomination season. And so he and his team, when you talk to them, the first place they look is sort of that swath of the map from Pennsylvania, to Ohio, up to Michigan, over to Wisconsin, as the place that if they can take those four states, which were blue and in Barack Obama's column and flip them, they are going to win the presidency that way. That upper Midwest region is critical for them.

Now, obviously, other states, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, there will be lots of areas around the country where this battle is joined. But to see Hillary Clinton as you said, hit Ohio, hit Pennsylvania, and then with the president go to Wisconsin, a big high profile day for her. The first time out on the trail with President Obama and they choose Wisconsin where, you know, where Donald Trump actually was defeated and perhaps one of the weakest moments of his campaign, they want to go there and have an exclamation point that - that this was a state that she lost to Bernie Sanders and this is a state where she plans to make a general election stand. So I think - I think that is a big - a big moment there as to why they chose Wisconsin. BLITZER: Yes, a very important moment indeed. I suspect the first of

several opportunities that the president will have to go out together with Hillary Clinton out on the campaign trail.

We also know, David, what are you hearing, the latest - Donald Trump said the other day on Monday, maybe as early as Monday, he was going to deliver what he called a major speech going after not only Hillary Clinton but Bill Clinton, as well. He clearly wants to rain on her parade a little bit right now. What are you hearing about that speech?

CHALIAN: Listen, Donald Trump gave us a little preview of what that speech is going to be. He says that he's going to make a case from now through the election that he believes that the Clintons have sort of profited from their positions, whether as former president or even as a sitting secretary of state, that they have been sort of lining their pockets with their positions of power and positions of connectedness. And he wants - he is going to go after - he's going to go after the Clinton Foundation. He is going to go after some of their personal relationships in the - in the world of the Clinton Foundation while she was serving as secretary of state. I am sure we will hear that time and time again.

And by the way, the other thing that Donald Trump has told us is that he was also, he said, eager for President Obama to join the campaign trail because now he feels he's got another target to go after. He says he hasn't really taken it to President Obama, but now that President Obama's endorsed Hillary Clinton, is going to get out on the campaign trail, I am sure that we are going to see Donald Trump take the case against President Obama as well since, obviously, one of the key Republican arguments that may find resonance among independent voters is, do you want another four years of this? Now, it's a tough question to ask as President Obama's approval ratings have been ticking up, but now that he joins the political fray, will Donald Trump be able to sort of draw him into battle, as well?

BLITZER: Good point, indeed.

David Axelrod is with us, as well. he's our senior political commentator, a former senior adviser to President Obama. He's joining us on the phone.

David, your reaction to the video just released by the Clinton campaign formally showing the president enthusiastically endorsing Hillary Clinton?

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR (via telephone): Well, it's obviously a big plus for her and it comes on top of a statement by Bernie Sanders that must have been very heartening, as well. What you're seeing here is the consolidation of the Democratic Party. And one of the values of President Obama hanging out and not endorsing a candidate until this point has been that he can play a larger role in reunifying the Democratic Party as this primary season draws to a close. So this is a big day for her.

[14:20:07] You know, it's - it's so interesting, Wolf. You know, you think about this process and how dynamic it is. A month ago it looked like Donald Trump was about to consolidate the Republican Party as all the Republican candidates fell by the wayside and he became the presumptive nominee of the party, and Hillary Clinton looked to be struggling with her nominating process and Bernie Sanders and how quickly things can turn around. She had a huge day on Tuesday and now this big enforcement, which will pay dividends down the line, obviously, in terms of the president's campaigning. It wasn't a surprise, but the timing of it adds to a sense of momentum for her.

BLITZER: It - the timing is a little bit of a surprise. We anticipated it would happen, of course, the president endorsing Hillary Clinton. But the - the way they did it, the fact that they did it on social media, they released a video, they released the tweets and I just want to point out, David Axelrod, momentarily we're told Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, will be walking into the White House Briefing Room to giving us some more details on the decision making process, how the president came forward. So if I interrupt you, you'll know why I am.

AXELROD: OK.

BLITZER: Were you surprised in the format that they used to make this formal endorsement?

AXELROD: Well, you know, this is obviously in line with the way Barack Obama has communicated with his supporters from the beginning of his presidential campaign back in 2007. But it's particularly important because of the important role that social media has played in the campaign of Bernie Sanders. And it's meaningful that a number of seconds of this video were devoted to the Sanders campaign and the role that Bernie Sanders has played in this election. It's obviously no coincidence that it comes out after the meeting between President Obama and Bernie Sanders. And I think this is in part a way of reaching his supporters, giving them their due for the movement that they've built, and the great campaign that he's run, and sending a message that we're all together now.

BLITZER: So you would anticipate after, let's say, I suspect not necessarily before Tuesday the Democratic primary in Washington, D.C., the last contest of this election of this primary season, but at some point Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton getting together, as well.

AXELROD: Well, Bernie Sanders said he was going to do that today and I expect that that will happen. I know their staffs have been talking and, you know, what's clear is, he wants to have an imprint on the platform of the party, he wants to have an imprint on rule reforms moving forward. I think he will get that.

But what he made unequivocally clear in his statement today is that he is going to be out there and out there vigorously in the fall campaign helping Hillary Clinton and opposing Donald Trump. And it's an important signal.

I don't think, Wolf, that that immediately means that every supporter of Bernie Sanders transfers over to Hillary Clinton. This will be a process of grieving the loss of their - for their candidate and adapting to the race that's now at hand. And some of them won't come, but most of them will, but certainly it sends a strong signal to those supporters of Bernie Sanders if he fully embraces Hillary Clinton's candidacy and devotes himself to campaigning in the fall. And it seems clear from what he said today that that is in the offing.

BLITZER: We're showing our viewers some video. You'll remember it, David. Back in June 27, 2008, when Hillary Clinton went out and campaigned for then-Senator Barack Obama, Unite for Change. You remember that slogan very well. Are we going to see a similar image -

AXELROD: In Unity, New Hampshire. We -

BLITZER: That's correct.

AXELROD: I was on that trip. We - to use a term of art (ph), we shlepped (ph) to rural New Hampshire, to Unity, New Hampshire, because it was a great symbol. She had won the New Hampshire primary. And New Hampshire was a swing state. And we went to Unity. And that was where they - where she made her formal endorsement. She indicated her support earlier.

You're going to see, I suspect, a similar event somewhere in this country before long with Bernie Sanders. And, obviously, there's a plan for the president to appear with her.

BLITZER: All right. Hold on. All right. Here's Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary. We'll get details. Let's listen what he says.

[14:25:08] JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I appreciate your patience on the schedule today. Obviously both Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton had announcements that they wanted to make today and so I was doing my best to get out of their way and give them the opportunity to go first. And now I am here to answer any questions you may have about their announcements or any other topics maybe on your mind today.

So, Kevin, do you want to start?

QUESTION: Sure, Josh. Thank you.

So I guess let's just start with the obvious. Could you give us a little bit of the readout of what - what the president and Senator Sanders talked about during that hour-long meeting? Did they make any requests of each other?

EARNEST: Well, obviously, the president was pleased to have an opportunity to welcome Senator Sanders to the White House and congratulate him on the remarkable success that he enjoyed in the context of his Democratic - his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president. Senator Sanders competed in every state across the country and earned more than 10 million votes for his campaign. That's a remarkable accomplishment and the president complimented him and congratulated him on his success.

I think you could describe the conversation as a friendly conversation that was focused on the future. Part of that future conversation was about the importance of the upcoming general election. You've heard the president say on a number of occasions how important it is to him personally that he be succeed in office by a president who is committed to building on the remarkable progress that our country has made over the last seven and a half years. So that certainly was an important part of the conversation.

But it went beyond that. There also was a conversation about the long- term future of the Democratic Party. And Senator Sanders' campaign enjoyed so much success because he was able to inspire a lot of young people, both Democrats and independents, to support his campaign and to be engaged in the political process. That's a good thing. And President Obama and Senator Sanders had an opportunity to talk about what work they could potentially do together in the future to ensure that the Democratic Party of the 21st century is diverse and vibrant and inclusive. That's been a long-stated goal of President Obama and obviously President Obama had his own success in building a coalition that involved a lot of young Americans and not all Democrats. Senator Sanders built on that progress and they're hopeful that they'll be able to work together in the future, not just at the national level, but also at the state and local levels, as well.

QUESTION: Did they make any requests of each other?

EARNEST: Well, I'm going to do my best to try to protect their ability to have a private conversation, but I think what is clear is that there's a lot of agreement about the way forward. Obviously, there's a lot of agreement when it comes to the future of the Democratic Party that I just described. There's also a lot of agreement about the highest priorities that the next president will have to grapple with.

And so these priorities range from issues like addressing economic inequality and countering the influence of special interests in our politics. These are, obviously, issues that Senator Sanders discussed quite extensively on the campaign trial, but these are also issues that President Obama has had an opportunity to address and, as you heard from Senator Sanders in the driveway a couple of hours ago, there also was a discussion about other issues, like expanding economic opportunity for the middle class, making sure that we keep our commitment to our veterans, making sure that we give college graduates in this country the opportunity to succeed and not just be weighted down with extraordinary debt.

So, again, these are all issues that President Obama has spent the last seven years fighting for and Senator Sanders has spent a significant amount of time talking about these issues, too. Not just in the context of his presidential campaign, but in the context of his decades in public service.

QUESTION: And I'm sure the president gave the senator courtesy of letting him know that he would be endorsing Secretary Clinton in the coming moments or hours. Could you just provide a little bit of how the president broke that to him? I'm sure it was probably expected. But - and what was the response? And is the president disappointed that Senator Sanders did not go outside of the White House and in talking to reporters did not endorse Clinton?

EARNEST: Well, let me start by saying that, no. The - Senator Sanders I think has been quite clear that he intended to compete for votes in the upcoming District of Columbia primary that's scheduled for Tuesday. So I don't think anybody has the expectation that Senator Sanders was going to deviate from that plan.

[14:30:01] At the same time, to go back to your first question, the president's had the opportunity to speak to Senator Sanders now three times in the last week and as a result of those conversations I think it's fair to say that Senator Sanders was not at all surprised by today's announcement.