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CNN Live Today
Critical Debate for Senate Seat from Minnesota
Aired November 04, 2002 - 10:07 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: We're going to turn to another big political test, and that is a test for one of the nation's most- watched political races. It is just an hour away, a debate between Walter Mondale and Norm Coleman.
And that's going to happen in St. Paul, Minnesota. That is the city where Norm Coleman used to be the mayor, and where we find our Bob Franken this morning.
Bob -- good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
And we're surrounded by partisans on both sides; I have to say mainly Norm Coleman, the Republican partisan. As you can hear (UNINTELLIGIBLE), we do have a few Mondale supporters here.
Anyway, in back of me is the Fitzgerald Theater, where the debate will take place in less than an hour. Of course, it's been a remarkable campaign, the death of Paul Wellstone (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a five-day campaign, which perhaps unprecedented, a debate (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the candidates the day before the election.
Now, the governor, who is Independent Jesse Ventura, and he's a little bit bent out of shape right now, has decided that he is going to hold a news conference at the exact same time in the statehouse just down the street, where he is going to announce his appointment to fill up this brief interim for the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Minnesota.
He originally said he was going to appoint a Democrat. He got upset after the memorial service for Paul Wellstone (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So, now he is going to appoint somebody. He's been soliciting requests from the people around the state to be a regular person (UNINTELLIGIBLE), he got several hundred. He's going to make his announcement at the very same time this debate is started.
The debate between 74-year-old Walter Mondale (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a political debate since 1984, who will be putting his experience as a former vice president and a former senator, against Norm Coleman...
KAGAN: All right, well, you have heard of "Where's Waldo?" That would be "Where's Bob?"
We swear that Bob Franken was somewhere amidst all of those Coleman supporters. Bob, you couldn't tell, but it was impossible to hear you. I know what you said was absolutely brilliant, probably the best live report of your entire career. We've heard not a word. So, we will get back to you.
Good for Norm Coleman. He has plenty of supporters there in anticipation of the debate. That's going to start in about 50 minutes.
So, Bob, we will get back to 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 - 10:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to turn to another big political test, and that is a test for one of the nation's most- watched political races. It is just an hour away, a debate between Walter Mondale and Norm Coleman.
And that's going to happen in St. Paul, Minnesota. That is the city where Norm Coleman used to be the mayor, and where we find our Bob Franken this morning.
Bob -- good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
And we're surrounded by partisans on both sides; I have to say mainly Norm Coleman, the Republican partisan. As you can hear (UNINTELLIGIBLE), we do have a few Mondale supporters here.
Anyway, in back of me is the Fitzgerald Theater, where the debate will take place in less than an hour. Of course, it's been a remarkable campaign, the death of Paul Wellstone (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a five-day campaign, which perhaps unprecedented, a debate (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the candidates the day before the election.
Now, the governor, who is Independent Jesse Ventura, and he's a little bit bent out of shape right now, has decided that he is going to hold a news conference at the exact same time in the statehouse just down the street, where he is going to announce his appointment to fill up this brief interim for the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Minnesota.
He originally said he was going to appoint a Democrat. He got upset after the memorial service for Paul Wellstone (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So, now he is going to appoint somebody. He's been soliciting requests from the people around the state to be a regular person (UNINTELLIGIBLE), he got several hundred. He's going to make his announcement at the very same time this debate is started.
The debate between 74-year-old Walter Mondale (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a political debate since 1984, who will be putting his experience as a former vice president and a former senator, against Norm Coleman...
KAGAN: All right, well, you have heard of "Where's Waldo?" That would be "Where's Bob?"
We swear that Bob Franken was somewhere amidst all of those Coleman supporters. Bob, you couldn't tell, but it was impossible to hear you. I know what you said was absolutely brilliant, probably the best live report of your entire career. We've heard not a word. So, we will get back to you.
Good for Norm Coleman. He has plenty of supporters there in anticipation of the debate. That's going to start in about 50 minutes.
So, Bob, we will get back to 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.
