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American Morning
Democratic Party Divided by War Issue
Aired October 07, 2002 - 08:18 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Not surprisingly, if you were watching television yesterday, the question of war dominated the Sunday talk shows. It's the issue right now proving to be somewhat of a divisive one for the Democratic Party.
Our senior analyst Jeff Greenfield here with the highlights from yesterday.
Good to see you.
A lot of talk from yesterday -- good morning.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think you sort of stole my lead because I do think the most intriguing conversation had to do with the home front on Iraq, and specifically about Democrats showing some pretty clear divisions within some of the party's most important voices.
We start with House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, with a strong statement of support for the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D-MO), MINORITY LEADER: Everything that I think about it was changed by 9/11. This was the seminal event. This was the ultimate wakeup call. Now, if you're worried about being in a world of terrorists and terrorism and you're especially worried about them getting their hands on weapons of mass destruction, your first candidate for where they could get those weapons or parts of those weapons is Iraq.
That's why Iraq is a problem. They have flouted U.N. resolutions for 12 years. We have to deal with it and I've said many times diplomatically if we can, militarily if we must.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: I should mention that Gephardt also criticized his fellow House Democrats who'd gone to Baghdad and made statements against the war.
Now, on the other hand, from Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, he also weighed in with some criticism of the House Democrats who went to Iraq and he promised to support some resolution, but with some important qualifications.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. THOMAS DASCHLE (D-SD), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Obviously I want to do as much as I can to, as I said, to go back and tie down the language a little bit more, if we can. But at least, at the very least, to be able to state where I would improve the language if we're not successful in making the improvements.
But the bottom line is, Tim, we want to move on. We've got to support this effort. We've got to do it in an enthusiastic and a bipartisan way and I think that will be done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: Now, as you heard a few months ago from Senator Ted Kennedy, who is probably the leading voice of Democratic liberals, a flat no on support. He was on "Fortune."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Saddam Hussein is a dangerous figure. He's got dangerous weapons. But the administration hasn't made the case that this is a clear and present and imminent danger to the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: So take your pick, Democrats here, here and here.
HEMMER: Such a division right now in the Democratic Party. Do we see some sort of split or do we see the Republicans in essence -- elections are a month away, Jeff.
GREENFIELD: Yes, they are.
HEMMER: Are they taking advantage of it?
GREENFIELD: Well, I think the best way to answer that question is to listen to the words of Senate Republican leader Trent Lott from "Fox News Sunday."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRENT LOTT (R-MS), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Senator Daschle did not join the bipartisan group that came together last week. There were modifications made in the resolution the president originally asked for. They took out the reference to the region and directed it only at Iraq, required additional reports to the Congress and urged that we reached out to the United Nations. This was a very good and responsible effort in a bipartisan way.
Senator Daschle can't figure out quite what to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: I think he answered your question pretty well there, Bill.
HEMMER: Yes, I'd say you're exactly right. what about tonight, though? I mean if we're looking back at Sunday, yesterday, I mean this time tomorrow, it's going to all reflect upon what is spoken tonight at Cincinnati.
GREENFIELD: Right. And I think the best way to think about it is to consider what the probable purpose of the speech. Go back to September 12. Bush goes before the U.N. That was a body deeply skeptical about any unilateral moves. And he casts this whole attack on Saddam solely in terms of the insult to the international community. He defines his policy not as an American stand, but an international one.
Now, tonight the president's job is domestic, in my view, to cast his policy in terms that are free from political calculations. We've heard a whole lot about the politicization of this war. Now, I'm not a betting person because I have the Yanks. But if I had to bet, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear praise from the president from Representative Gephardt for supporting him, maybe praise from Senator Lieberman for supporting the resolution and an insistence that this is life and death stuff way bigger than any midterm elections, because in making his speech free of politics, he further helps istle (ph) those Democrats who are not supporting him.
HEMMER: Very true. Very true. We'll hear it all tonight.
Did the Anaheim Angels really beat the New York Yankees?
GREENFIELD: They beat them like (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HEMMER: Is it really true?
Thank you, Jeff.
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 - 08:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Not surprisingly, if you were watching television yesterday, the question of war dominated the Sunday talk shows. It's the issue right now proving to be somewhat of a divisive one for the Democratic Party.
Our senior analyst Jeff Greenfield here with the highlights from yesterday.
Good to see you.
A lot of talk from yesterday -- good morning.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think you sort of stole my lead because I do think the most intriguing conversation had to do with the home front on Iraq, and specifically about Democrats showing some pretty clear divisions within some of the party's most important voices.
We start with House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, with a strong statement of support for the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D-MO), MINORITY LEADER: Everything that I think about it was changed by 9/11. This was the seminal event. This was the ultimate wakeup call. Now, if you're worried about being in a world of terrorists and terrorism and you're especially worried about them getting their hands on weapons of mass destruction, your first candidate for where they could get those weapons or parts of those weapons is Iraq.
That's why Iraq is a problem. They have flouted U.N. resolutions for 12 years. We have to deal with it and I've said many times diplomatically if we can, militarily if we must.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: I should mention that Gephardt also criticized his fellow House Democrats who'd gone to Baghdad and made statements against the war.
Now, on the other hand, from Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, he also weighed in with some criticism of the House Democrats who went to Iraq and he promised to support some resolution, but with some important qualifications.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. THOMAS DASCHLE (D-SD), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Obviously I want to do as much as I can to, as I said, to go back and tie down the language a little bit more, if we can. But at least, at the very least, to be able to state where I would improve the language if we're not successful in making the improvements.
But the bottom line is, Tim, we want to move on. We've got to support this effort. We've got to do it in an enthusiastic and a bipartisan way and I think that will be done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: Now, as you heard a few months ago from Senator Ted Kennedy, who is probably the leading voice of Democratic liberals, a flat no on support. He was on "Fortune."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Saddam Hussein is a dangerous figure. He's got dangerous weapons. But the administration hasn't made the case that this is a clear and present and imminent danger to the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: So take your pick, Democrats here, here and here.
HEMMER: Such a division right now in the Democratic Party. Do we see some sort of split or do we see the Republicans in essence -- elections are a month away, Jeff.
GREENFIELD: Yes, they are.
HEMMER: Are they taking advantage of it?
GREENFIELD: Well, I think the best way to answer that question is to listen to the words of Senate Republican leader Trent Lott from "Fox News Sunday."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRENT LOTT (R-MS), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Senator Daschle did not join the bipartisan group that came together last week. There were modifications made in the resolution the president originally asked for. They took out the reference to the region and directed it only at Iraq, required additional reports to the Congress and urged that we reached out to the United Nations. This was a very good and responsible effort in a bipartisan way.
Senator Daschle can't figure out quite what to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREENFIELD: I think he answered your question pretty well there, Bill.
HEMMER: Yes, I'd say you're exactly right. what about tonight, though? I mean if we're looking back at Sunday, yesterday, I mean this time tomorrow, it's going to all reflect upon what is spoken tonight at Cincinnati.
GREENFIELD: Right. And I think the best way to think about it is to consider what the probable purpose of the speech. Go back to September 12. Bush goes before the U.N. That was a body deeply skeptical about any unilateral moves. And he casts this whole attack on Saddam solely in terms of the insult to the international community. He defines his policy not as an American stand, but an international one.
Now, tonight the president's job is domestic, in my view, to cast his policy in terms that are free from political calculations. We've heard a whole lot about the politicization of this war. Now, I'm not a betting person because I have the Yanks. But if I had to bet, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear praise from the president from Representative Gephardt for supporting him, maybe praise from Senator Lieberman for supporting the resolution and an insistence that this is life and death stuff way bigger than any midterm elections, because in making his speech free of politics, he further helps istle (ph) those Democrats who are not supporting him.
HEMMER: Very true. Very true. We'll hear it all tonight.
Did the Anaheim Angels really beat the New York Yankees?
GREENFIELD: They beat them like (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HEMMER: Is it really true?
Thank you, Jeff.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
