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CNN Live At Daybreak
Interview with Neal Boortz
Aired September 26, 2002 - 06:32 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: That brings us to nationally- syndicated radio talk show host Neal Boortz.
Good morning, Neal.
NEAL BOORTZ, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: He's near, yes. Hi.
COSTELLO: He's near. Neal is near. Well, I know what side you're going to take. Need I ask?
BOORTZ: How do you know?
COSTELLO: I do know. You're not going to take Tom Daschle's side, are you?
BOORTZ: Oh, gee, I don't think so, no. No, but although Bush did -- I mean, in that speech to those military men, it did -- if you just take that one sentence, he was saying the Democrats don't care about national security. OK, so, Daschle takes one sentence and fires off on it.
The truth is, though, the Democrats -- for instance, they're trying to reword the resolution to protect one senator in danger, Paul Wellstone in Minnesota. They're trying to protect him. That's politics. They're trying to protect government labor unions on the homeland security bill. That's politics.
So, politics is an overriding concern with the Democrats in the issue of homeland security, but of course, they care about homeland security.
COSTELLO: Well, of course, they do. So, does...
BOORTZ: But they're putting politics in the mix, too.
COSTELLO: Well, of course, but so is President Bush, wouldn't you say?
BOORTZ: Well, sure. Sure, but I don't -- I think that it's a little bit more egregious on the side of the Democrats. For instance, when they're trying to protect government labor unions, instead of giving Bush the power he needs...
COSTELLO: Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. You could also say the Democrats are just trying to temper the resolution, so that you don't give the president the full power to do whatever he wants in Iraq. BOORTZ: They have one particular senator, Paul Wellstone, who is in trouble in Minnesota, and there are specific efforts being made to write that resolution around Paul Wellstone to give him cover.
COSTELLO: But there's got to be more involved in this than just that.
BOORTZ: Well, there's always more involved.
COSTELLO: Of course, there is.
BOORTZ: But I mean, they've made it clear. They are protecting their guy in Minnesota. They have a one seat advantage in the Senate, and they have to protect that. They're talking about regime change in the Senate. They're afraid.
COSTELLO: Regime change in the Senate.
BOORTZ: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK.
BOORTZ: Wouldn't that be nice.
COSTELLO: We have solicited e-mails from our viewers to help in this healthy debate that we're having right now.
BOORTZ: Oh, you must have some picking on me.
COSTELLO: Well, of course, we always have some picking on you...
BOORTZ: Oh, OK. OK.
COSTELLO: ... and me, by the way.
But this one says: "From the beginning, the Bush administration has not permitted criticism, such as 'you're either with us or against us'." Do you remember that comment?
BOORTZ: Yes.
COSTELLO: "Large sections of the world do not like to give a blank check to this administration."
So, they're in essence saying that Tom Daschle was right to become upset.
BOORTZ: They shouldn't have a blank check, but they are not in a position to permit or not permit criticism. This is America. Permit is the wrong word. Have they responded to criticism? Yes. Permit it? Of course, they permit it. This is America.
COSTELLO: Well, I was just saying that the president is so popular right now, that many Democrats have been afraid to speak out on this issue, to criticize the president because, you know, they have political campaigns in the future to run. BOORTZ: Oh, yes. You mean, the Democrats are afraid that they might go against popular will? Wow! That's a scary thought, isn't it?
COSTELLO: As a Republicans would be if they were in the same boat.
BOORTZ: Oh, as they have been many times.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
BOORTZ: Sure.
COSTELLO: Exactly. OK, here is another one.
BOORTZ: Ah, the dangers of a democracy.
COSTELLO: Here's another one. Robert and Wanda from Oklahoma City write, "The president is obsessed with hyping the war with Iraq and raising midterm campaign money."
BOORTZ: OK, Robert and Wanda from Oklahoma City?
COSTELLO: Yes.
BOORTZ: OK, how far outside of Oklahoma City do they live? The president is obsessed with protecting America against a terrorist attack. I guess in Oklahoma...
COSTELLO: Well, he is making an awful lot of campaigns stops across the country for Republican candidates.
BOORTZ: Oh, and Clinton didn't do that when he was facing elections?
COSTELLO: We're not talking about Clinton. We're talking about President Bush.
BOORTZ: I understand, and that goes with the territory. You make campaign speeches when a campaign is around. That's part of the game.
COSTELLO: OK, here's another one, Neal. This is from Richard from Pembroke Pines: "The recent remark by the president is just another tactic to bully the Senate into giving him the power to attack Iraq. He's going to do it one way or another. He wants the oil."
BOORTZ: Oh, it's all about the oil, isn't it? Oh, gee! Yes, it's not about the attacks on the World Trade Center, it's not about the attack on the Pentagon, it's not about nuclear and chemical and biological weapons, it's all about oil. How easy that is to say. How trite that is to say.
COSTELLO: Part of it has to be about oil, though, right?
BOORTZ: What? COSTELLO: Part of it is about oil.
BOORTZ: Oh, are we suggesting here that if there was not oil under the ground in Iraq, we would not care about his development of weapons of mass destruction?
COSTELLO: Isn't that why we went and fought Iraq in the first place, you know, back in 1999?
BOORTZ: Gee, I thought we fought Iraq, because they invaded a sovereign country.
COSTELLO: But oil had a lot to do with the first Persian Gulf War. Come on.
BOORTZ: Oil -- look, oil has a lot to do with everything we do in our daily lives. Carol, you couldn't have washed your hair this morning without oil. How are you going to heat the water?
COSTELLO: OK.
BOORTZ: I don't have that problem.
COSTELLO: OK, we've got to wrap it up. I wish we could debate all morning long, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BOORTZ: Well, I keep asking you to come by the radio show.
COSTELLO: I'd love to stop by the radio show.
BOORTZ: Open door.
COSTELLO: OK.
BOORTZ: Open door.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Neal.
BOORTZ: OK.
COSTELLO: Perhaps I will stop by this morning and surprise you.
BOORTZ: I'll await that with pregnant anticipation.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Neal. We'll catch you again on Tuesday.
BOORTZ: Bye-bye.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired September 26, 2002 - 06:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: That brings us to nationally- syndicated radio talk show host Neal Boortz.
Good morning, Neal.
NEAL BOORTZ, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: He's near, yes. Hi.
COSTELLO: He's near. Neal is near. Well, I know what side you're going to take. Need I ask?
BOORTZ: How do you know?
COSTELLO: I do know. You're not going to take Tom Daschle's side, are you?
BOORTZ: Oh, gee, I don't think so, no. No, but although Bush did -- I mean, in that speech to those military men, it did -- if you just take that one sentence, he was saying the Democrats don't care about national security. OK, so, Daschle takes one sentence and fires off on it.
The truth is, though, the Democrats -- for instance, they're trying to reword the resolution to protect one senator in danger, Paul Wellstone in Minnesota. They're trying to protect him. That's politics. They're trying to protect government labor unions on the homeland security bill. That's politics.
So, politics is an overriding concern with the Democrats in the issue of homeland security, but of course, they care about homeland security.
COSTELLO: Well, of course, they do. So, does...
BOORTZ: But they're putting politics in the mix, too.
COSTELLO: Well, of course, but so is President Bush, wouldn't you say?
BOORTZ: Well, sure. Sure, but I don't -- I think that it's a little bit more egregious on the side of the Democrats. For instance, when they're trying to protect government labor unions, instead of giving Bush the power he needs...
COSTELLO: Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. You could also say the Democrats are just trying to temper the resolution, so that you don't give the president the full power to do whatever he wants in Iraq. BOORTZ: They have one particular senator, Paul Wellstone, who is in trouble in Minnesota, and there are specific efforts being made to write that resolution around Paul Wellstone to give him cover.
COSTELLO: But there's got to be more involved in this than just that.
BOORTZ: Well, there's always more involved.
COSTELLO: Of course, there is.
BOORTZ: But I mean, they've made it clear. They are protecting their guy in Minnesota. They have a one seat advantage in the Senate, and they have to protect that. They're talking about regime change in the Senate. They're afraid.
COSTELLO: Regime change in the Senate.
BOORTZ: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK.
BOORTZ: Wouldn't that be nice.
COSTELLO: We have solicited e-mails from our viewers to help in this healthy debate that we're having right now.
BOORTZ: Oh, you must have some picking on me.
COSTELLO: Well, of course, we always have some picking on you...
BOORTZ: Oh, OK. OK.
COSTELLO: ... and me, by the way.
But this one says: "From the beginning, the Bush administration has not permitted criticism, such as 'you're either with us or against us'." Do you remember that comment?
BOORTZ: Yes.
COSTELLO: "Large sections of the world do not like to give a blank check to this administration."
So, they're in essence saying that Tom Daschle was right to become upset.
BOORTZ: They shouldn't have a blank check, but they are not in a position to permit or not permit criticism. This is America. Permit is the wrong word. Have they responded to criticism? Yes. Permit it? Of course, they permit it. This is America.
COSTELLO: Well, I was just saying that the president is so popular right now, that many Democrats have been afraid to speak out on this issue, to criticize the president because, you know, they have political campaigns in the future to run. BOORTZ: Oh, yes. You mean, the Democrats are afraid that they might go against popular will? Wow! That's a scary thought, isn't it?
COSTELLO: As a Republicans would be if they were in the same boat.
BOORTZ: Oh, as they have been many times.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
BOORTZ: Sure.
COSTELLO: Exactly. OK, here is another one.
BOORTZ: Ah, the dangers of a democracy.
COSTELLO: Here's another one. Robert and Wanda from Oklahoma City write, "The president is obsessed with hyping the war with Iraq and raising midterm campaign money."
BOORTZ: OK, Robert and Wanda from Oklahoma City?
COSTELLO: Yes.
BOORTZ: OK, how far outside of Oklahoma City do they live? The president is obsessed with protecting America against a terrorist attack. I guess in Oklahoma...
COSTELLO: Well, he is making an awful lot of campaigns stops across the country for Republican candidates.
BOORTZ: Oh, and Clinton didn't do that when he was facing elections?
COSTELLO: We're not talking about Clinton. We're talking about President Bush.
BOORTZ: I understand, and that goes with the territory. You make campaign speeches when a campaign is around. That's part of the game.
COSTELLO: OK, here's another one, Neal. This is from Richard from Pembroke Pines: "The recent remark by the president is just another tactic to bully the Senate into giving him the power to attack Iraq. He's going to do it one way or another. He wants the oil."
BOORTZ: Oh, it's all about the oil, isn't it? Oh, gee! Yes, it's not about the attacks on the World Trade Center, it's not about the attack on the Pentagon, it's not about nuclear and chemical and biological weapons, it's all about oil. How easy that is to say. How trite that is to say.
COSTELLO: Part of it has to be about oil, though, right?
BOORTZ: What? COSTELLO: Part of it is about oil.
BOORTZ: Oh, are we suggesting here that if there was not oil under the ground in Iraq, we would not care about his development of weapons of mass destruction?
COSTELLO: Isn't that why we went and fought Iraq in the first place, you know, back in 1999?
BOORTZ: Gee, I thought we fought Iraq, because they invaded a sovereign country.
COSTELLO: But oil had a lot to do with the first Persian Gulf War. Come on.
BOORTZ: Oil -- look, oil has a lot to do with everything we do in our daily lives. Carol, you couldn't have washed your hair this morning without oil. How are you going to heat the water?
COSTELLO: OK.
BOORTZ: I don't have that problem.
COSTELLO: OK, we've got to wrap it up. I wish we could debate all morning long, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BOORTZ: Well, I keep asking you to come by the radio show.
COSTELLO: I'd love to stop by the radio show.
BOORTZ: Open door.
COSTELLO: OK.
BOORTZ: Open door.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Neal.
BOORTZ: OK.
COSTELLO: Perhaps I will stop by this morning and surprise you.
BOORTZ: I'll await that with pregnant anticipation.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Neal. We'll catch you again on Tuesday.
BOORTZ: Bye-bye.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
