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CNN Live At Daybreak

What's on Tap for D.C. Today?

Aired July 31, 2002 - 06:08   ET

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


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us now on the phone is our Washington deputy bureau chief Steve Redisch with a look at what's on tap there today.

Good morning -- Steve.

STEVE REDISCH, CNN WASHINGTON DEPUTY BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: And, of course, the big thing that's happening today is the Senate Armed Services Committee meeting on U.S.-Iraq policy.

REDISCH: It's basically the start of a national debate over whether the United States should go after Iraq.

Senator Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will hold these hearings. A litany of analysts will be appearing before the committee, most of them familiar to CNN junkies who keep watching people like Jeffrey Kemp (ph) and Fahud Johnny (ph) come on and talk about what's going on, both in the Middle East and the Gulf. And basically, it's a fact-finding session for the committee.

COSTELLO: Yes, we're showing a picture of Joe Biden now. He's presiding over the committee meeting, right?

REDISCH: Yes he will, he and the full Senate Armed Service -- Foreign Relations Committee, rather.

COSTELLO: Got you. And there will also be an update on Operation Enduring Freedom from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

REDISCH: From the war that might happen to the war that's actually going on, both Secretary Rumsfeld and the commander of Operation Enduring Freedom, General Tommy Franks, will brief the Senate Armed Services Committee on the progress of Enduring Freedom, what's going on in the war in Afghanistan, and perhaps maybe get a glimpse of when it might end.

COSTELLO: Hopefully soon. When is Donald Rumsfeld going to get that thing off his hand?

REDISCH: I have no idea. He has been in a cast now for at least -- for about a month. He had some surgery, and I don't know when it's going to come off.

COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk a little sports now, because you know, I love the Redskins, I miss the Redskins. They are going to Japan to play?

REDISCH: Sports and foreign relations, it's the America Bowl over in Osaka, and the Redskins have been invited with their new head coach, Steve Spurrier, and it's aside from talk of war, aside from prescription drugs and the Senate finishing up their work, it's the talk of Washington.

COSTELLO: Yes, what -- are they going to wear their Redskins uniforms, and what...

REDISCH: They're going to -- they're going debut new -- well, new-old uniforms. They are going back to what they wore in the '60s to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the team.

COSTELLO: Oh, I see. And who are they going to play?

REDISCH: The San Francisco 49ers.

COSTELLO: Oh, OK. So that should be exciting.

REDISCH: Yes.

COSTELLO: All right, Steve Redisch, we'll let you go. I know you have a busy day ahead, so we'll let you get out of the house and down to the Washington bureau.

REDISCH: Talk to you later.

COSTELLO: All right.

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