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CNN Sunday Morning
Profile of Mike Burgess, OBGYN-Turned-Congressional Candidate
Aired November 03, 2002 - 08:05 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Most candidates for Congress are experienced politicians who know how to deliver votes. Mike Burgess is an exception. He's a political novice who knows how to deliver babies. Our Bill Schneider gives us a look at a grassroots campaign in the heart of Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Politicians are expected to deliver for their constituents. Well, here's a new one: A politician who delivers his constituents -- literally.
MIKE BURGESS (R), TEXAS CONG. CANDIDATE: Hi. I'm Mike Burgess. I'm a recently unemployed health care provider who is currently your Republican nominee for Congress.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Burgess is an obstetrician. That gives him some unusual ties to voters in this suburban Dallas district.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can ask anyone at the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), there's probably someone who had a baby delivered by Dr. Burgess.
SCHNEIDER: He even delivered his opponent's baby.
PAUL LEBON (D), TEXAS CONG. CANDIDATE: Twelve years ago this Friday night, Mike and I together delivered my son.
SCHNEIDER: Burgess has the kind of grassroots support most politicians can only dream of.
BURGESS: I delivered 3,000 babies in the community. Those families work with me, and we work hard to get the job done.
SCHNEIDER: It helped Burgess pull off a stunning upset in the Republican primary last spring. He defeated Dick Armey's son, who was running to succeed his father. That bothered Dr. Burgess.
BURGESS: It didn't seem like the American way to do things, to hand something from father to son.
SCHNEIDER: Why would an established physician with a successful practice and a brand new hospital decide to take on the challenge of politics?
BURGESS: Something happened in September, 2001 that changed my focus on the world. I saw my president get up on that pile of rubble in New York, and he spoke to me out of the television screen. And it was a moving experience for me.
SCHNEIDER: His Democratic opponent, who calls Dr. Burgess a friend, is practical.
LEBON: I don't want to change the world or change the country. I just want to fix this transportation mess that has been created by this regime that's been in power here.
SCHNEIDER: Dr. Burgess understands constituency service.
BURGESS: Transportation is the number one issue in this district, and certainly that will be my number one issue in Washington, D.C. next year.
SCHNEIDER: But he also understands the personal meaning of what he is doing.
BURGESS: You know, it's so strange, I used to talk to people in practice as an OBGYN about the change, and now at 50 here I am.
SCHNEIDER (on camera): To many people, switching careers from doctoring to politicking sounds like a step down. For Dr. Burgess, after September 11 of last year, changing from private practice to public life feels like a step forward.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Louisville, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Candidate>
Aired November 3, 2002 - 08:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Most candidates for Congress are experienced politicians who know how to deliver votes. Mike Burgess is an exception. He's a political novice who knows how to deliver babies. Our Bill Schneider gives us a look at a grassroots campaign in the heart of Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Politicians are expected to deliver for their constituents. Well, here's a new one: A politician who delivers his constituents -- literally.
MIKE BURGESS (R), TEXAS CONG. CANDIDATE: Hi. I'm Mike Burgess. I'm a recently unemployed health care provider who is currently your Republican nominee for Congress.
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Burgess is an obstetrician. That gives him some unusual ties to voters in this suburban Dallas district.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can ask anyone at the (UNINTELLIGIBLE), there's probably someone who had a baby delivered by Dr. Burgess.
SCHNEIDER: He even delivered his opponent's baby.
PAUL LEBON (D), TEXAS CONG. CANDIDATE: Twelve years ago this Friday night, Mike and I together delivered my son.
SCHNEIDER: Burgess has the kind of grassroots support most politicians can only dream of.
BURGESS: I delivered 3,000 babies in the community. Those families work with me, and we work hard to get the job done.
SCHNEIDER: It helped Burgess pull off a stunning upset in the Republican primary last spring. He defeated Dick Armey's son, who was running to succeed his father. That bothered Dr. Burgess.
BURGESS: It didn't seem like the American way to do things, to hand something from father to son.
SCHNEIDER: Why would an established physician with a successful practice and a brand new hospital decide to take on the challenge of politics?
BURGESS: Something happened in September, 2001 that changed my focus on the world. I saw my president get up on that pile of rubble in New York, and he spoke to me out of the television screen. And it was a moving experience for me.
SCHNEIDER: His Democratic opponent, who calls Dr. Burgess a friend, is practical.
LEBON: I don't want to change the world or change the country. I just want to fix this transportation mess that has been created by this regime that's been in power here.
SCHNEIDER: Dr. Burgess understands constituency service.
BURGESS: Transportation is the number one issue in this district, and certainly that will be my number one issue in Washington, D.C. next year.
SCHNEIDER: But he also understands the personal meaning of what he is doing.
BURGESS: You know, it's so strange, I used to talk to people in practice as an OBGYN about the change, and now at 50 here I am.
SCHNEIDER (on camera): To many people, switching careers from doctoring to politicking sounds like a step down. For Dr. Burgess, after September 11 of last year, changing from private practice to public life feels like a step forward.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Louisville, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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