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CNN Live Today

America Votes: Senate Races

Aired October 29, 2002 - 11:19   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: Let's go ahead and bring Bill Schneider back in to talk about some other election-related items, these much closer given that it is coming next week.
Bill -- are you still with us?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I am indeed.

KAGAN: The president started that ceremony by asking for a moment of silence for Senator Paul Wellstone, who, of course, with his wife and daughter and five others, was skilled in a plane crash last week in Minnesota. But in what might be an embarrassing moment, as I understand it, Vice President Cheney has been uninvited to the Wellstone service -- memorial service today.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. The Wellstone family has said that they think the vice president's attendance at tonight's memorial service might not be appropriate.

The service itself has become a political issue, because a lot of Democrats in Minnesota are upset that Republicans have already begun criticizing Walter Mondale, who has been asked to take Wellstone's place on the ballot. He hasn't agreed to do that, and he won't, he says, until after the memorial service.

But they came out of the box immediately and started criticizing Walter Mondale, who, in 1984, he talked about raising taxes. They said that he favored privatizing social security, although the Democrats say that that he was on a commission that recommended that. He dissented from that position.

But the politics started immediately. Democrats in Minnesota thought it was inappropriate, and, therefore, they said they didn't think Dick Cheney should be at the funeral.

KAGAN: Well...

SCHNEIDER: Now, Republicans are saying that's a political act, and the Democrats are politicizing the memorial.

KAGAN: Let's get right to some facts so we can understand why it's such a sensitive time. Obviously, this is a tragic time for the Wellstone family and five other families. But if you look at what the Senate race comes down to, you can see why the Democrats so badly want a candidate they believe is going to win and why the Republicans want to win that seat, as well. SCHNEIDER: That's right. It's a very close balance. The Democrats have a majority of exactly one, and that's only because Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become the single Independent in the Senate.

So, the entire balance of power and the next two years of the Bush agenda are at stake in this election.

KAGAN: Real quickly, we want to look at some seats in trouble. First, Republican seats in trouble.

SCHNEIDER: Well, this is Arkansas and Colorado. Those are the two Republican seats most in trouble.

Arkansas, the incumbent senator, Tim Hutchinson, fighting to keep his seat, but the latest polls show the state may go Democratic to Mark Pryor, the attorney general.

Colorado, a very close race between the incumbent senator, Wayne Allard, and his challenger, the Democrat Tom Strickland, a rerun of the race six years ago. Both of those we'll be looking at very carefully.

KAGAN: And then ones to watch, Republicans.

SCHNEIDER: These are Republican seats that we're going to keep an eye on, but so far, it looks like they may stay in Republican hands. New Hampshire, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee -- all of those seats are in Republican hands, could change. We'll be watching all five of those you see on the screen right now.

KAGAN: It's not like the Democrats will be sleeping easy until next Tuesday as well, so let's look at some Democratic seats in trouble.

SCHNEIDER: It's amazingly symmetrical. There are two Democratic seats in trouble, just like there are two Republicans. The Democrats, the seats are Missouri, where Jean Carnahan -- the widow of Mel Carnahan who was appointed, she never got elected -- she is running to get elected to that seat against Jim Talent, a Republican. He now looks like he might pick it up, and that's a Republican gain to balance the Democrats' gain in Arkansas.

South Dakota, that's one of the closest races in the country. That's still a toss-up in which lots and lots of money will be spent.

KAGAN: And just real quickly, Democratic races to watch.

SCHNEIDER: There are five of those: Minnesota, the one with Walter Mondale possibly on the ballot; New Jersey, where Frank Lautenberg stepped in to replace Bob Torricelli; Georgia; Iowa; and an interesting race in Louisiana, which is a primary. You've got Mary Landrieu, the incumbent Democrat senator, and three Republican opponents. The issue is: Will she be held below 50 percent? If she is, there will be a runoff in Louisiana on December 7, and the whole process could stretch out for another month. How about that? KAGAN: Which would be joy to political pundits like you. Bill Schneider...

SCHNEIDER: Happy Halloween.

KAGAN: Yes, absolutely. Thank you so much. We'll be seeing you from now on through election week -- appreciate that.

SCHNEIDER: Sure, Daryn.

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 29, 2002 - 11:19   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go ahead and bring Bill Schneider back in to talk about some other election-related items, these much closer given that it is coming next week.
Bill -- are you still with us?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I am indeed.

KAGAN: The president started that ceremony by asking for a moment of silence for Senator Paul Wellstone, who, of course, with his wife and daughter and five others, was skilled in a plane crash last week in Minnesota. But in what might be an embarrassing moment, as I understand it, Vice President Cheney has been uninvited to the Wellstone service -- memorial service today.

SCHNEIDER: That's right. The Wellstone family has said that they think the vice president's attendance at tonight's memorial service might not be appropriate.

The service itself has become a political issue, because a lot of Democrats in Minnesota are upset that Republicans have already begun criticizing Walter Mondale, who has been asked to take Wellstone's place on the ballot. He hasn't agreed to do that, and he won't, he says, until after the memorial service.

But they came out of the box immediately and started criticizing Walter Mondale, who, in 1984, he talked about raising taxes. They said that he favored privatizing social security, although the Democrats say that that he was on a commission that recommended that. He dissented from that position.

But the politics started immediately. Democrats in Minnesota thought it was inappropriate, and, therefore, they said they didn't think Dick Cheney should be at the funeral.

KAGAN: Well...

SCHNEIDER: Now, Republicans are saying that's a political act, and the Democrats are politicizing the memorial.

KAGAN: Let's get right to some facts so we can understand why it's such a sensitive time. Obviously, this is a tragic time for the Wellstone family and five other families. But if you look at what the Senate race comes down to, you can see why the Democrats so badly want a candidate they believe is going to win and why the Republicans want to win that seat, as well. SCHNEIDER: That's right. It's a very close balance. The Democrats have a majority of exactly one, and that's only because Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become the single Independent in the Senate.

So, the entire balance of power and the next two years of the Bush agenda are at stake in this election.

KAGAN: Real quickly, we want to look at some seats in trouble. First, Republican seats in trouble.

SCHNEIDER: Well, this is Arkansas and Colorado. Those are the two Republican seats most in trouble.

Arkansas, the incumbent senator, Tim Hutchinson, fighting to keep his seat, but the latest polls show the state may go Democratic to Mark Pryor, the attorney general.

Colorado, a very close race between the incumbent senator, Wayne Allard, and his challenger, the Democrat Tom Strickland, a rerun of the race six years ago. Both of those we'll be looking at very carefully.

KAGAN: And then ones to watch, Republicans.

SCHNEIDER: These are Republican seats that we're going to keep an eye on, but so far, it looks like they may stay in Republican hands. New Hampshire, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee -- all of those seats are in Republican hands, could change. We'll be watching all five of those you see on the screen right now.

KAGAN: It's not like the Democrats will be sleeping easy until next Tuesday as well, so let's look at some Democratic seats in trouble.

SCHNEIDER: It's amazingly symmetrical. There are two Democratic seats in trouble, just like there are two Republicans. The Democrats, the seats are Missouri, where Jean Carnahan -- the widow of Mel Carnahan who was appointed, she never got elected -- she is running to get elected to that seat against Jim Talent, a Republican. He now looks like he might pick it up, and that's a Republican gain to balance the Democrats' gain in Arkansas.

South Dakota, that's one of the closest races in the country. That's still a toss-up in which lots and lots of money will be spent.

KAGAN: And just real quickly, Democratic races to watch.

SCHNEIDER: There are five of those: Minnesota, the one with Walter Mondale possibly on the ballot; New Jersey, where Frank Lautenberg stepped in to replace Bob Torricelli; Georgia; Iowa; and an interesting race in Louisiana, which is a primary. You've got Mary Landrieu, the incumbent Democrat senator, and three Republican opponents. The issue is: Will she be held below 50 percent? If she is, there will be a runoff in Louisiana on December 7, and the whole process could stretch out for another month. How about that? KAGAN: Which would be joy to political pundits like you. Bill Schneider...

SCHNEIDER: Happy Halloween.

KAGAN: Yes, absolutely. Thank you so much. We'll be seeing you from now on through election week -- appreciate that.

SCHNEIDER: Sure, Daryn.

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