Interview With Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: And good evening from Detroit, where round two of the CNN Democratic debates is almost here. I'm Anderson Cooper. Thanks for joining us.</s>ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: And I'm Erin Burnett. And here we are in Detroit. In the spirit of hometown hero Joe Louis, there is a heavyweight here tonight, as well as a lot of challengers who are ready to go. They have landed punches on him the last time they met. So the question tonight for Democrats is, which Joe Biden will show up, the one that Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker knocked around the debate stage in Miami, or the one who made his bones under pressure so many times before that? That is, of course, the big question and just one of many things we will learn tonight on that debate stage. We also will see how Senator Harris defends for new health care plan just rolling out this week. And we will also find out whether Vice President Biden's message, his message of moderation still resonates, especially after last night. Progressives Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders dominated proceedings last night. Biden, after all, of course, is, according to polls, the overwhelming front-runner when you look at those polls, both against fellow Democrats and when you look at the one-on-ones against President Trump, even after his performance last time. But a second shaky debate appearance could change that. So it is no overstatement to say that the stakes tonight are very, very high, as we count down to this crucial debate and what will be a another pivotal night tonight -- Anderson.</s>COOPER: Yes, certainly Erin, so much to watch for. I'm here right now with a Biden supporter and his guest tonight, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Mayor Bottoms, thanks so much for being with us.</s>KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS (D), MAYOR OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Thank you.</s>COOPER: David Axelrod framed the importance for the vice president tonight. He said the big question he has to resolve is if he's up to this thing, if he's vigorous, and if he is engaged. That was the knock on him really in the last debate. Is he going to do that tonight?</s>BOTTOMS: I think he will definitely do that tonight. Immediately after the last debate, we saw the Joe Biden that we know. We saw Joe Biden push back hard. I think what happened during the first debate was, it caught him by surprise. He's a statesman. So he didn't expect a friend to attack him. That being said, he came back stronger. He's been strong. And it's the Joe that we know. And I think the more he speaks about his policies, and not focus on the attacks, I think the more he will continue to resonate with voters.</s>COOPER: How much do you expect him to try to focus on President Trump, which is -- in his address in his video coming into the race announcing his determination to run, it really was focused on President Trump and what he believes President Trump has done to the country and how Joe Biden wants to change that?</s>BOTTOMS: Trump is the enemy. It won't be the other people standing on the stage. This is about winning in 2020. And we have talked about this circular firing squad and to be very careful that we don't kill each other off in the same way that we sent Hillary Clinton into the election in November of 2016 limping. She was damaged. So I hope that will not happen tonight. I think we can talk about policies. I think that we can be strong and be forceful without tearing each other down and doing the party and the country harm.</s>COOPER: But, certainly, as you know, for some of these folks, this is their last night on this debate stage. Some of them are not going to make it to the next debate. And a lot of those people are going to do whatever they can get to that next debate stage. And if that means going after the perceived front-runner, they're going to do it.</s>BOTTOMS: I understand. But you have to remember Joe Biden has been a presidential candidate before. And so for anyone who's hoping to be president, it doesn't end here tonight, if that's your destiny. I think that it's important that we consider the future of this country, the future of this world. We need the strongest candidate that we have to go up against Donald Trump, a candidate who can take Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, even Georgia and North Carolina.</s>COOPER: Let me play that moment that you talked about with Kamala Harris in the last debate for our viewers. Let's just watch it.</s>SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on segregation of race in this country. And it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing. And, you know, there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools. And she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me.</s>JOSEPH BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's a mischaracterization of my position across the board. I did not praise racists. That is not true. The busing, I never -- you would have been able to go to school the same exact way, because it was a local decision made by your city council. I did not oppose busing in America. What I opposed is ordered by the Department of Education. That's what I opposed.</s>COOPER: And, obviously, it went on from there. You said that he was surprised, that he didn't expect somebody he considered a friend to do this. In the world of politics, obviously, there's friendships and then there's politics. And running for the president is the most intense thing there is. I guess the criticism of -- one of the criticisms of Vice President Biden, and that is, if he wasn't prepared for what was probably a pretty predictable line of attack from Kamala Harris, how can he be prepared to deal with Donald Trump on the stage?</s>BOTTOMS: Even as we just watched that clip, that's a moment. It's a very small moment, a very short period of time. I wouldn't judge someone on a 30-second exchange. That was a great debate. Kamala Harris is a great debater, but we're not looking for a great debater. We're looking for someone who can beat Donald Trump in November of 2020. And that's Joe Biden.</s>COOPER: Mayor Bottoms, I appreciate it. A lot to watch for tonight. Thank you very much.</s>BOTTOMS: Thank you. Thank you for having me.</s>COOPER: Always good to talk to you. We're going to take -- obviously, a lot to look for over the next two hours. Let's go back to Erin right now.</s>BURNETT: All right, and we are going to be here with our panel in just a couple of moments, as we are getting ready to watch for this crucial debate and what will be coming in just a moment. We will be right back.