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Democrats Racing Clock in Minnesota

Aired November 01, 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: The Democrats are also racing the clock and the calendar, launching what they call a fritz blitz in Minnesota. Walter Mondale's abbreviated campaign for the U.S. Senate seat is just a few days old, yet near the halfway mark till Tuesday's election.
Our national correspondent Bob Franken is covering the race and joins us with more from Minneapolis.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And Walter Mondale has been out pressing the flesh. It's called retail politics, and he was doing so yesterday. By now, we all know that a week ago, Senator Paul Wellstone, who was the incumbent senator, died in a plane crash. Walter Mondale hastily recruited to replace him after 18 years from the last time he ran for political office. But he's shown that he can still go out there and do the glad handing. It was done in downtown Minneapolis.

Now he's taking his show on the road. He's going to be in the Duluth, Rochester area, doing the same thing, as he quickly travels the state there.

KAGAN: His Republican opponent, Norm Coleman, also out there and running a bunch of ads. I want to look at one of them. He goes right to the family for this one. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, it's me again. I thought of something else I wanted to tell you about my dad. I told you he's smart, he's nice, and when he says he's going to do something, he does it. If he says we're getting ice cream, he doesn't stop until we get it. If he says we're bringing hockey back, he doesn't stop until we get it. He's like that all the time. You know the best thing about my dad? He's got a really good heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: One of the best things about Norm Coleman might be Sarah Coleman. A star is born, I believe.

FRANKEN: What's interesting about this is of course campaigns these days usually have a much harder edge. But the problem is that given the circumstances here, everybody's going to have to tread very softly. You can't tread much more softly than that. KAGAN: But in items of bringing out the big guys, there will be a Republican blitz in Minnesota this weekend. I guess it looks like a who's who coming to town.

FRANKEN: It is, starting with Dick Cheney, who's in town today, the vice president, of course, who was, in effect, disinvited from the Paul Wellstone memorial earlier this week, is coming in today. He'll be campaigning. Tomorrow, it's the first lady. She doesn't do that much separate campaigning, but she will be here tomorrow for Norm Coleman, and she's followed by her husband on Sunday, President Bush, who, of course, is dropping down in just about every state where there's a toss-up -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Bob Franken in Minnesota, thank you so much.

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 November 1, 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: The Democrats are also racing the clock and the calendar, launching what they call a fritz blitz in Minnesota. Walter Mondale's abbreviated campaign for the U.S. Senate seat is just a few days old, yet near the halfway mark till Tuesday's election.
Our national correspondent Bob Franken is covering the race and joins us with more from Minneapolis.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And Walter Mondale has been out pressing the flesh. It's called retail politics, and he was doing so yesterday. By now, we all know that a week ago, Senator Paul Wellstone, who was the incumbent senator, died in a plane crash. Walter Mondale hastily recruited to replace him after 18 years from the last time he ran for political office. But he's shown that he can still go out there and do the glad handing. It was done in downtown Minneapolis.

Now he's taking his show on the road. He's going to be in the Duluth, Rochester area, doing the same thing, as he quickly travels the state there.

KAGAN: His Republican opponent, Norm Coleman, also out there and running a bunch of ads. I want to look at one of them. He goes right to the family for this one. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, it's me again. I thought of something else I wanted to tell you about my dad. I told you he's smart, he's nice, and when he says he's going to do something, he does it. If he says we're getting ice cream, he doesn't stop until we get it. If he says we're bringing hockey back, he doesn't stop until we get it. He's like that all the time. You know the best thing about my dad? He's got a really good heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: One of the best things about Norm Coleman might be Sarah Coleman. A star is born, I believe.

FRANKEN: What's interesting about this is of course campaigns these days usually have a much harder edge. But the problem is that given the circumstances here, everybody's going to have to tread very softly. You can't tread much more softly than that. KAGAN: But in items of bringing out the big guys, there will be a Republican blitz in Minnesota this weekend. I guess it looks like a who's who coming to town.

FRANKEN: It is, starting with Dick Cheney, who's in town today, the vice president, of course, who was, in effect, disinvited from the Paul Wellstone memorial earlier this week, is coming in today. He'll be campaigning. Tomorrow, it's the first lady. She doesn't do that much separate campaigning, but she will be here tomorrow for Norm Coleman, and she's followed by her husband on Sunday, President Bush, who, of course, is dropping down in just about every state where there's a toss-up -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Bob Franken in Minnesota, thank you so much.

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