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CNN Live At Daybreak
What's on Tap in D.C. Today?
Aired October 07, 2002 - 06:04 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: President Bush is taking his case against Iraq prime time tonight.
For that, and a check on what else is on tap in Washington today, our D.C. bureau producer, Paul Courson, joins us live by phone.
PAUL COURSON, CNN WASHINGTON BUREAU PRODUCER: Hi, Carol.
COSTELLO: Good morning -- Paul. Everyone is getting ready to hear the president's speech tonight. Is he still working on it?
COURSON: I would presume so. President Bush plans to deliver what's been promoted as a major speech on Iraq. He closed last week with a trip to the Bush family compound up at Kennebunkport, Maine, where no doubt he was putting the final touches on his remarks. He returned here to Washington over the weekend.
Now, Carol, the speech, by the way, does not come out of D.C. The president travels to Ohio, Cincinnati, with the speech, taking the case outside the Washington Beltway and directly to the American people, as the White House has described it.
Our White House reporters will be working to learn details of what he plans to say. The speech is scheduled for a minute past 8:00. That gives the networks and the stations time to I.D. and do a little newsbreak and an intro to him. That's 8:00 Eastern Time tonight.
COSTELLO: OK.
COURSON: By the way, on Capitol Hill, Carol, the Senate today continues to debate its possible resolution regarding U.S. action against Iraq.
COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you what congressional leaders will be listening for in the speech, as will the rest of us. Do you think the president will tone down the rhetoric about a regime change in Iraq and just concentrate on ridding Saddam Hussein of his biological and chemical weapons?
COURSON: Well, many of the top officials in the Bush administration have been pushing for a regime change in Iraq. They've been stressing the need for it, and I'm sure the White House has been giving congressional leaders guidance as to what the speech will contain. It could either be an affirmation of these statements from Bush administration officials that we need to achieve a change in Iraq, or some other guidance that the speech will contain tonight for the American people. COSTELLO: We'll be listening closely, of course.
Let's talk about the U.S. Supreme Court. It opens for business again today. What will be on the agenda?
COURSON: Right. The Supreme Court comes back today, a number of cases on the agenda. One of them is California's three strikes law. It calls for mandatory prison terms for repeat offenders.
The case challenging that law involves a man whose third strike happened to be the theft of more than $100 in videotapes from a department store. I think it was a Kmart. His lawyer and supporters say the three strikes law does not distinguish between violent repeat offenders and those like this case that the high court will review.
COSTELLO: Well, I can see you have a busy day on tap. Thank you, Paul, Courson, for joining us live by phone.
COURSON: Take care.
COSTELLO: Yes, we'll see you again tomorrow.
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 October 7, 2002 - 06:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is taking his case against Iraq prime time tonight.
For that, and a check on what else is on tap in Washington today, our D.C. bureau producer, Paul Courson, joins us live by phone.
PAUL COURSON, CNN WASHINGTON BUREAU PRODUCER: Hi, Carol.
COSTELLO: Good morning -- Paul. Everyone is getting ready to hear the president's speech tonight. Is he still working on it?
COURSON: I would presume so. President Bush plans to deliver what's been promoted as a major speech on Iraq. He closed last week with a trip to the Bush family compound up at Kennebunkport, Maine, where no doubt he was putting the final touches on his remarks. He returned here to Washington over the weekend.
Now, Carol, the speech, by the way, does not come out of D.C. The president travels to Ohio, Cincinnati, with the speech, taking the case outside the Washington Beltway and directly to the American people, as the White House has described it.
Our White House reporters will be working to learn details of what he plans to say. The speech is scheduled for a minute past 8:00. That gives the networks and the stations time to I.D. and do a little newsbreak and an intro to him. That's 8:00 Eastern Time tonight.
COSTELLO: OK.
COURSON: By the way, on Capitol Hill, Carol, the Senate today continues to debate its possible resolution regarding U.S. action against Iraq.
COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you what congressional leaders will be listening for in the speech, as will the rest of us. Do you think the president will tone down the rhetoric about a regime change in Iraq and just concentrate on ridding Saddam Hussein of his biological and chemical weapons?
COURSON: Well, many of the top officials in the Bush administration have been pushing for a regime change in Iraq. They've been stressing the need for it, and I'm sure the White House has been giving congressional leaders guidance as to what the speech will contain. It could either be an affirmation of these statements from Bush administration officials that we need to achieve a change in Iraq, or some other guidance that the speech will contain tonight for the American people. COSTELLO: We'll be listening closely, of course.
Let's talk about the U.S. Supreme Court. It opens for business again today. What will be on the agenda?
COURSON: Right. The Supreme Court comes back today, a number of cases on the agenda. One of them is California's three strikes law. It calls for mandatory prison terms for repeat offenders.
The case challenging that law involves a man whose third strike happened to be the theft of more than $100 in videotapes from a department store. I think it was a Kmart. His lawyer and supporters say the three strikes law does not distinguish between violent repeat offenders and those like this case that the high court will review.
COSTELLO: Well, I can see you have a busy day on tap. Thank you, Paul, Courson, for joining us live by phone.
COURSON: Take care.
COSTELLO: Yes, we'll see you again tomorrow.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
