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Will Americans Respond to Bush Message?

Aired October 08, 2002 - 11:08   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you have been with us for much of the morning, you know that President Bush is in Tennessee this morning after making his case against Iraq before a prime-time audience last night. Mr. Bush calling Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein a murderous tyrant who poses a threat to the U.S.
Our White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is traveling with the president, she joins us from Alcoa, Tennessee. A geography lesson, I understand just outside Knoxville, Tennessee -- Kelly, good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Well, White House officials are feeling quite good about the reaction so far to the president's speech. In fact, senior officials believe the president's words will help him get overwhelming support in the Congress for a resolution authorizing the use of military force, if necessary, to deal with Iraq.

The bigger question, though, how will the American people respond, because White House officials have watched support diminishing over the past several weeks for any possible military action.

Just take a look at a recent CNN "USA Today" Gallup Poll. When people were asked, "Would you support sending in U.S. ground troops into Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein," 53 percent saying they favor that. That is down from 57 percent in September.

And so that is why we are going to see the president continuing to use the bully pulpit to make his case about why he believes Saddam Hussein poses an urgent threat to the U.S. and the world. He did that a short time ago at this event, which we must add is namely political, fully paid for by the Republican Party. The president here in Tennessee hoping to elect Congressman Van Hilleary to become the next governor of the state of Tennessee.

In his remarks, though, the president talking, saying that military action is not imminent and it is not unavoidable, but he is making the case that the U.N. must act. He says if it does not, the U.S. will act, but the U.S. won't have to act alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a man who said, I promise you I won't do this. Yet for 11 years, he's defied resolution after resolution after resolution. It's his choice to make, and the U.N. can show whether or not it's the United Nations, or the League of Nations. They get that choice to make too. It's their choice, but my message and the message from the Congress, people of both political parties, will be for the sake of peace, and I emphasize for the sake of peace. If they won't deal with this man, the United States of America will lead a coalition to disarm him, for the sake of peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The White House officials say the focus right now will be in the Congress, and also on the diplomacy going on behind the scenes up at the United Nations. U.S. officials say they are making progress, but still no agreement yet on a tough new U.N. resolution, one which the White House wants to include the threat of military force against Saddam Hussein -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Kelly, give us a little insight on the story behind the story, and that is, if it was such a -- and it was an important speech last night -- why did the president do it from Cincinnati, Ohio, and not from the White House?

WALLACE: Well, two reasons. U.S. officials say the president really wanted to speak directly to the American people from a place around the country that really reflects America, and speaks kind of in the middle of the nation's heartland, but also another key point, Daryn.

White House officials very sensitive to criticism from Democrats and others that this administration is using the Iraq issue for political gain.

Of course, the elections just several weeks away. Now the administration completely denies that it is using this for political gain, so the administration, though, still wanting to find a place, Cincinnati, Ohio, a state where there really isn't any major competitive race going on for the November elections. So part politics, but also a way to talk directly to the American people -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Kelly Wallace in Alcoa, Tennessee today. Kelly, thank you.

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 8, 2002 - 11:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you have been with us for much of the morning, you know that President Bush is in Tennessee this morning after making his case against Iraq before a prime-time audience last night. Mr. Bush calling Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein a murderous tyrant who poses a threat to the U.S.
Our White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is traveling with the president, she joins us from Alcoa, Tennessee. A geography lesson, I understand just outside Knoxville, Tennessee -- Kelly, good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. Well, White House officials are feeling quite good about the reaction so far to the president's speech. In fact, senior officials believe the president's words will help him get overwhelming support in the Congress for a resolution authorizing the use of military force, if necessary, to deal with Iraq.

The bigger question, though, how will the American people respond, because White House officials have watched support diminishing over the past several weeks for any possible military action.

Just take a look at a recent CNN "USA Today" Gallup Poll. When people were asked, "Would you support sending in U.S. ground troops into Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein," 53 percent saying they favor that. That is down from 57 percent in September.

And so that is why we are going to see the president continuing to use the bully pulpit to make his case about why he believes Saddam Hussein poses an urgent threat to the U.S. and the world. He did that a short time ago at this event, which we must add is namely political, fully paid for by the Republican Party. The president here in Tennessee hoping to elect Congressman Van Hilleary to become the next governor of the state of Tennessee.

In his remarks, though, the president talking, saying that military action is not imminent and it is not unavoidable, but he is making the case that the U.N. must act. He says if it does not, the U.S. will act, but the U.S. won't have to act alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a man who said, I promise you I won't do this. Yet for 11 years, he's defied resolution after resolution after resolution. It's his choice to make, and the U.N. can show whether or not it's the United Nations, or the League of Nations. They get that choice to make too. It's their choice, but my message and the message from the Congress, people of both political parties, will be for the sake of peace, and I emphasize for the sake of peace. If they won't deal with this man, the United States of America will lead a coalition to disarm him, for the sake of peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: The White House officials say the focus right now will be in the Congress, and also on the diplomacy going on behind the scenes up at the United Nations. U.S. officials say they are making progress, but still no agreement yet on a tough new U.N. resolution, one which the White House wants to include the threat of military force against Saddam Hussein -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Kelly, give us a little insight on the story behind the story, and that is, if it was such a -- and it was an important speech last night -- why did the president do it from Cincinnati, Ohio, and not from the White House?

WALLACE: Well, two reasons. U.S. officials say the president really wanted to speak directly to the American people from a place around the country that really reflects America, and speaks kind of in the middle of the nation's heartland, but also another key point, Daryn.

White House officials very sensitive to criticism from Democrats and others that this administration is using the Iraq issue for political gain.

Of course, the elections just several weeks away. Now the administration completely denies that it is using this for political gain, so the administration, though, still wanting to find a place, Cincinnati, Ohio, a state where there really isn't any major competitive race going on for the November elections. So part politics, but also a way to talk directly to the American people -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Kelly Wallace in Alcoa, Tennessee today. Kelly, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com