Joe Biden returned to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night for a conversation, and once again, a comedian asked better questions than most professional journalists.
"After the Obama-Biden administration took power in 2009, there was a lot of criticism that y’all didn’t investigate some of the activities of the Bush administration, and it was felt that it was time perhaps to move on and heal the country, especially in a time of economic crisis like that,” Colbert said.
“Would the Trump administration be investigated for some of their behavior? Because there are some fragrantly corrupt actions being taken by the Trump administration. Can you say now that you would be open to investigation of the people who have danced with the law if not been proven to have broken it?”
Biden said what he always says.
“Number 1, I will appoint an inspector general to take a look at where every single dollar in the stimulus package and whatever recovery occurs, if it does, between now and January. … I think there’s too many cozy relationships out there," he said.
“In terms of having the Justice Department go look at an individual or whatever, the Justice Department is not my lawyer. This Justice Department has turned into the president’s private lawyer. He is, or she is, the people’s lawyer — the people’s lawyer — not answerable to the president saying, ‘I want you to investigate so-and-so.'”
“I will lay out broad assertions about ‘take a look at the antitrust laws — are they being applied? — take a look at the following things.’ But the idea of saying, ‘I want you to go take a look at’ — uh, I’m not going to name — but somebody in the administration …”
“Pompeo, I would say — just pick a name out of the hat,” Colbert urged him.
“There’s a couple I could pick. But that’s not what I’ll do. That will be for the professionals in the Justice Department,” Biden said.
They also discussed the veepstakes.
"What I'm looking for [is] somebody who can complement or make up for shortcomings. You want to have somebody who feels completely comfortable disagreeing with you," he said. (Can you imagine? That's just crazy talk!)
Colbert tried to get Biden to admit Amy Klobuchar is in the running to be his Vice President.
"No one has been vetted," Biden said.