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CNN Live At Daybreak
Minnesota Senate Race
Aired November 04, 2002 - 06:05 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to begin, though, with a look at perhaps the most high-profile Senate race in the nation. Bob Franken in Minnesota, where, as we told you, former Democratic Vice President Walter Mondale has returned to the election trail for the first time in two decades, and a big debate up this morning -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Huge, because, as you pointed out, it is too close to call. The polls statistically, insignificant, leans one way or the other.
We're at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, where this morning in about four hours, there is going to be a debate -- make that five hours, going to be a debate; the only debate in what has turned into a five-day campaign against Mondale, who hasn't done a debate like this since 1984 -- Walter Mondale and his Republican opponent, Norm Coleman.
Now, yesterday was also an intense day of campaigning, particularly for Coleman. As you pointed out, President Bush made a visit here, a visit that he decided he would make in the wake of the death of former Senator Paul Wellstone, for whom Mondale is a stand- in.
In any case, Norman Coleman has been, at 53 years old, talking about the future a lot, and this is a way of avoiding the word, "age."
And President Bush used that same word when he was talking about Coleman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Many of you have been working hard over the last months, weeks and days to support the Coleman candidacy. You've been putting up signs, you've been dialing the phones, you've been sending the brochures in the mail. Don't stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: That was President Bush, of course, saying get out the vote -- get out the vote for the future, as he said, the future being Norm Coleman.
Well, the man who has the long past (ph) that Coleman is really obliquely referring to is Walter Mondale. Mondale was out campaigning yesterday. He was in the northern part of the state before returning to Minneapolis to prepare for the debate.
Meanwhile, one of his campaign commercials has come out, emphasizing what he prefers to call "his experience."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTER MONDALE (D), MINN. SENATE CANDIDATE: We have a lot of problems confronting our nation -- the possibility of war, the growing threat in Korea, a serious threat of terrorism clearly around. We've got a stumbling economy. We're not supporting our schools. We need social security that's certain. We need Medicare coverage of pharmaceuticals. We've got a system of regulation of corporations that allow the cheaters to continue to cheat; that's got to stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Mondale has been campaigning on the issues, Catherine. Coleman has avoided any negative campaigning. It's been a five-day campaign, but five days refreshingly clear of the attack ads -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: And tiptoeing around the age issue, weren't they, Bob? All right, Bob Franken, 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 November 4, 2002 - 06:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to begin, though, with a look at perhaps the most high-profile Senate race in the nation. Bob Franken in Minnesota, where, as we told you, former Democratic Vice President Walter Mondale has returned to the election trail for the first time in two decades, and a big debate up this morning -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Huge, because, as you pointed out, it is too close to call. The polls statistically, insignificant, leans one way or the other.
We're at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, where this morning in about four hours, there is going to be a debate -- make that five hours, going to be a debate; the only debate in what has turned into a five-day campaign against Mondale, who hasn't done a debate like this since 1984 -- Walter Mondale and his Republican opponent, Norm Coleman.
Now, yesterday was also an intense day of campaigning, particularly for Coleman. As you pointed out, President Bush made a visit here, a visit that he decided he would make in the wake of the death of former Senator Paul Wellstone, for whom Mondale is a stand- in.
In any case, Norman Coleman has been, at 53 years old, talking about the future a lot, and this is a way of avoiding the word, "age."
And President Bush used that same word when he was talking about Coleman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Many of you have been working hard over the last months, weeks and days to support the Coleman candidacy. You've been putting up signs, you've been dialing the phones, you've been sending the brochures in the mail. Don't stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: That was President Bush, of course, saying get out the vote -- get out the vote for the future, as he said, the future being Norm Coleman.
Well, the man who has the long past (ph) that Coleman is really obliquely referring to is Walter Mondale. Mondale was out campaigning yesterday. He was in the northern part of the state before returning to Minneapolis to prepare for the debate.
Meanwhile, one of his campaign commercials has come out, emphasizing what he prefers to call "his experience."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTER MONDALE (D), MINN. SENATE CANDIDATE: We have a lot of problems confronting our nation -- the possibility of war, the growing threat in Korea, a serious threat of terrorism clearly around. We've got a stumbling economy. We're not supporting our schools. We need social security that's certain. We need Medicare coverage of pharmaceuticals. We've got a system of regulation of corporations that allow the cheaters to continue to cheat; that's got to stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Mondale has been campaigning on the issues, Catherine. Coleman has avoided any negative campaigning. It's been a five-day campaign, but five days refreshingly clear of the attack ads -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: And tiptoeing around the age issue, weren't they, Bob? All right, Bob Franken, 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.
