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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
Kissinger Resigns From 9/11 Commission; Law Resigns As Archbishop
Aired December 13, 2002 - 17:00 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Judy. We're standing by for that news conference during this hour. We expect it to begin in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the home town of the Senate Republican leader. Once t does, we'll go there live. Does he deserve a second chance? WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Breaking news, will Trent Lott leave his leadership post? Just ahead, the Senator holds a hometown news conference.
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MINORITY LEADER: I think that that's the best place to answer questions.
BLITZER: Cardinal Law is out but some alleged abuse victims say it's too little, too late.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clean house. Don't stop with the cardinal. Let's clean the slate.
BLITZER: A deadly disease and a risky vaccine. The president makes a tough decision.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will receive the vaccine along with our military.
BLITZER: Now, it's your turn.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS live from the Persian Gulf. Reporting from Doha, Qatar, here's Wolf Blitzer.
BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. We begin with breaking news back in the United States. During this hour, we're standing by to hear from the Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott. His recent comments have been denounced by some as racist. Let's go right to CNN's Gary Tuchman. He's in Pascagoula, Mississippi standing by for that news conference. Gary, give us a little preview what we expect to hear.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Trent Lott has come home to give what he calls a more thorough explanation and apology for what happened this past Thursday at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party and perhaps what's happened earlier in his career. We come to you from the Lafonte (ph) Hotel in Pascagoula. This is the only hotel of any size in this small city of 26,000 people where Trent Lott grew up, where his parents grew up, and where he feels very comfortable.
There will be a lot of reporters here and a lot of Trent Lott supporters who are already coming into the back of the room to watch the news conference and perhaps also asking some questions and offering some support. We've seen a couple of people who are against what Trent Lott said this past Thursday, but most of the people are strong supporters of Trent Lott.
The Senate majority leader is in Key West this morning, was on vacation, and he met reporters there and all he said was he was holding a news conference later but he did make it very clear that at this point he had no intention of resigning his leadership post.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOTT: This is a place where we've been once before and we do enjoy it. This time, obviously, it's been very difficult to really enjoy it but it's a beautiful area and I know that the people here enjoy it thoroughly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you making a decision (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
LOTT: Well, I want to just announce that my wife and I will be flying back to my home state this afternoon, Mississippi, and I will have a press statement at that time and we'll take questions from the media, both local media and national affiliates, and my staff office in Washington will be contacting all of the networks and the media outlets so that we'll have a full complement there. I think that that's the best place to answer questions. I'm just going --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Lott, this is a diverse community.
LOTT: I understand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LOTT: Oh, absolutely. This is a fantastic area.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you spoken with the president the last day or two?
LOTT: Yes, I did speak to the president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday or today?
LOTT: Yesterday and the president said, as he should, that I have apologized for what I had to say which was the appropriate thing to do and I'm going to expand on that even more this afternoon at the press conference. Thank you all very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: So this is the setting, a small ballroom in a small hotel in this Gulf Coast town in Mississippi. The room is filling up. The news conference expected to start about 30 minutes from now. I just talked to one of the people who works here in the hotel and he says he's never seen anything like this before in Pascagoula. He said you see stuff like this in Washington, maybe New York City, but never in our small little town of Pascagoula. We'll have live coverage when the news conference starts -- Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Gary, have you had a chance to speak with average people out there outside of that ballroom setting at that hotel and get a little flavor what the mood is on the streets of Pascagoula?
TUCHMAN: We definitely have, Wolf, and what we're seeing in Pascagoula is the same kind of split we've seen in other parts of the country. A lot of people who strongly support their Senate majority leader, their Senator but others who are very critical of what he has said and what he has done, but there is a sign on the marquee, this hotel marquee outside here and it says: "We love you Trent." Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Gary, we'll be coming back to you, of course, as this hour unfolds. Let's go to Washington now where we have reporters standing by. Jonathan Karl is up on Capitol Hill. Suzanne Malveaux is over at the White House. First, to Jonathan Karl who's been following this story from Day One. Jon, what are you hearing the mood on Capitol Hill, what do Democrats and Republicans want Senator Lott to do?
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's clear that for many Democrats, no matter what Senator Lott says it will not be enough. As a matter of fact, we've learned that there have been high level negotiations, high level discussions among top Democrats here in the Senate about a censure resolution or a resolution condemning Trent Lott's remarks. The Democrats are considering introducing when the Senate reconvenes in January.
But more importantly are the Republicans. They are the ones that must decide whether or not they want to keep Trent Lott as their leader, and what I've heard over and over again from key Republicans is that Trent Lott must come across first and foremost as sincere and also passionate in apologizing and expressing an understanding that he has caused hurt with his remarks. They are looking for that. They're looking for Trent Lott to put this whole controversy aside, something he clear has not been able to do yet despite repeated attempts to apologize -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And just to be precise on this point, Jonathan, nothing you're hearing would suggest that he is going to step down as the leader of the Republican Party in the Senate. It appears clear he will try to fight this battle.
KARL: That is exactly right. His advisers are adamant that he will not resign from his leadership post, certainly not at this event.
BLITZER: All right, Suzanne Malveaux is over at the White House. The president spoke out on this matter yesterday hammering the Senate Republican leader. What do they expect to hear at the White House? What do they want to hear Senator Lott say Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well they definitely want Senator Lott to strongly denounce his comments. They also want him to make clear his position on race relations in the country. President Bush strongly admonished Lott for his comments before publicly they followed up with a phone call, the administration hoping that would be the end of all this.
White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer was pressed earlier today whether or not the president believed that Lott was sincere in his apology and Fleischer did not comment on that. He only said well, let's listen to Lott's words to the press conference, but clearly the White House is hoping that this will take some of the pressure off the administration and that this will be resolved as quickly as possible -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Suzanne, stand by. We're going to be getting back to you as well. But, I want our viewers to listen precisely to the statement that Senator Lott made last Thursday that got him into so much trouble. It was a statement at a birthday party celebrating Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOTT: I want to say this about my state. When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it and if the rest of the country would have followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Joining us now from Sacramento, California, is Ward Connerly. He's the chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute, always well known as an outspoken conservative Black leader. Mr. Connerly thanks for joining us. You've called on Senator Lott to step down as the Republican leader in the Senate, why?
WARD CONNERLY, AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INST.: I think that he has mortally wounded himself and makes it very difficult for us to look to him as a leader to guide us through the next several years as this nation deals with the issue of race based preferences and all of the manifestations of race and ethnicity.
The Supreme Court is going to be handing down a very momentous decision in several months and I don't see how Senator Lott can be effective as he has to navigate all of this. He's going to be co- opted by the Congressional Black Caucus and others, I believe, and so I think it's in his best interest, it's certainly in the nation's best interest in my view and certainly in the president's, that Senator Lott step down.
BLITZER: You're referring to the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action at universities around the United States. You mean that to say that if he stays on, your concern since you oppose the affirmative action policies that he might have to bend over backwards in order to satisfy the more mainstream civil rights leaders in the African-American community, is that your concern?
CONNERLY: Precisely. Shelby Steel (ph), a brilliant columnist, often talks about White guilt and I think that Senator Lott to prove that he is no racist, which I don't believe he is, Senator Lott is going to have to defer to these interests far more than is in the best interest of the nation. He will not be able to be a principal leader on the issue of race and this issue cries out for principle and I think he's squandered all opportunity for him to be that leader. Once you ring the bell on something like this, you can't un-ring it.
BLITZER: But doesn't everybody deserve a second chance? Yes, he had a -- he made a gaff, a bad gaff in that statement he made last Thursday but overall wouldn't you argue that his record, at least on major civil rights issues over these past decade or two, has been from your perspective fair and decent?
CONNERLY: I would agree with that and I think that we are a very forgiving people but even when you are forgiven you often pay a price for things that you do and I'll tell you I can not listen to the words that you just played, the statement you just played, and come away feeling warm and cozy about those words.
I don't know what he could have meant by those problems. Was integration a problem? Sure, it's been painful as we have made the transition from segregation and Jim Crowe to the society that we have now, but I certainly wouldn't want to do it any other way.
BLITZER: Well, the bottom line in other words, what you're saying is that you do believe that was a racist statement that he made last week.
CONNERLY: Supporting segregation need not be racist. One can believe in segregation and believe in equality of the races, so it doesn't necessarily make it racist but I think it's certainly a poor direction for this nation to have pursued namely segregation.
I won't say that he's racist. I don't think he is. I think one could believe in equality of the races as he has talked about and believe that the races should remain separate and not have a notion that Black people are inferior for example. But I just can not reconcile those words that he said. I don't know what he could have meant by all of these problems.
BLITZER: All right, Ward Connerly, I want you to stand by as well. We're all going to listen and watch the news conference that Senator Lott will be having shortly within the next 20 minutes or so in Pascagoula, Mississippi. We'll see what he says. We'll see the case he makes. We'll try to better understand where his mind was when he uttered those words last week. Ward Connerly thanks for joining us from Sacramento.
On this note, Senator Lott will have that statement followed by a question and answer session with reporters in Mississippi at 5:30 p.m. Eastern, a little while from now. Of course, CNN will bring that to you live. We will be going back there as soon as it begins.
Trent Lott is not the only person in deep trouble today as a result of some statements that he has made. There's news today about the resignation of an embattled religious leader. Cardinal Bernard Law has stepped down as the Archbishop of Boston. The news provoked strong emotions from those who say they've been victims of sexual abuse by priests in Law's archdiocese.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER FULCHINO, ALLEGED VICTIM: It's the start of healing, a start to healing myself and all these people over here. I hope people can find the strength to come out and be strong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Bill Delaney and Jason Carroll are now standing by in Boston. They've been following the story. Let's begin with our Boston Bureau Chief, Bill Delaney -- Bill.
BILL DELANEY, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Wolf, you know for 18 years as archbishop here in Boston, many of those years Bernard Cardinal Law was respected, even loved. Now, he's resigned in disgrace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELANEY (voice-over): Once considered a cardinal most likely to become the first American pope instead Archbishop Bernard Law of Boston's resignation accepted by Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Law's auxiliary bishop Father Richard Lennon, appointed apostolic administrator while a permanent replacement is found.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today is a very difficult day for people throughout the Archdiocese of Boston but we are going to continue in our efforts to implement comprehensive policies and education programs and outreach to victim survivors to make sure that we don't find ourselves in this situation again.
DELANEY: Healing for many victims of sexual abuse though not yet, maybe not ever.
PATRICK MCSORLEY, ALLEGED VICTIM: They've taken care of these priests all those years while these priests were out molesting children. Now, I think it's time to put the focus on the victims and stop trying to take care of the victims and make up for what they did in the past.
MITCHELL GARABEDIAN, ATTORNEY FOR VICTIMS: There's enormous rot, enormous decay within the Archdiocese of Boston. We've all seen that for years and now it has to cleanse itself and this isn't going to be a magic wand where everything's okay now. All of a sudden it's going to be Monday morning and it will be fine.
DELANEY: For Catholic lay people like members of the Voice of the Faithful group also, a sense if this is a new beginning it's only a beginning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The church of the 21st Century has to be open to the full involvement of the laity in the governance and guidance of the institution.
DELANEY: Cardinal Law was to return to Boston, the city he left just a week ago this weekend, cardinal for life, archbishop no more.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DELANEY: Most Sundays for so many years now, Cardinal Law has said mass at Holy Cross Cathedral. He will not this Sunday. It will be said by the new apostolic appointee here, auxiliary Bishop Richard Lennon -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bill Delaney in Boston, Bill thanks very much. For a reaction to Cardinal Law's decision to step down, let's go to CNN's Jason Carroll.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Standing before a group of reporters and members of the Catholic community stood two generations of alleged abuse, Thomas Fulchino and his son Chris both say they were abused when they were children by different priests in Boston and they say Cardinal Bernard Law's resignation is a move that will help them heal.
C. FULCHINO: And I'm glad that the cardinal did resign. I'm glad that this day has finally come.
CARROLL: It's a day only Chris' mother seemed to know would eventually come.
SUSAN FULCHINO, MOTHER OF ALLEGED VICTIM: I think mums have this intuition, just this sense, and I quite honestly felt that he would resign and it would be accepted.
CARROLL: The Fulchinos live with the pain of what happened every day. Thomas says when he was 12, he was abused by Father James Porter who was later convicted and defrocked for abusing children. Fulchino's faith shaken again many years later after learning his son, Chris, who at the age of 13 says he was abused by defrocked priest John Geoghan (ph). Geoghan is now serving a ten-year sentence for molesting other children.
C. FULCHINO: Every day I relive the torment that happened that day. The memories just keep running right through my head and it just doesn't stop and there's no way of stopping it and I hope that today will help that.
THOMAS FULCHINO, ALLEGED VICTIM: I'm still having problems with that, that maybe I could have done something or have been there but that's, you know, that's something that I'm going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. CARROLL: Cardinal Law moved Geoghan to the Fulchino's parish even though there were previous allegations of abuse. The archdiocese says Geoghan was reassigned only after receiving counseling. But to the Fulchinos what Law did was not only a sin, but a crime.
S. FULCHINO: Cardinal Law knowingly put a pedophile in my church and didn't give me a chance to know about him and took this little boy's happiness.
CARROLL: The Fulchinos say Law's resignation isn't the end but hopefully the beginning of true reform and reconciliation.
C. FULCHINO: It's just the stepping stone and there's many more steps that we have to take for healing. It just can't stop here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: There is concern among victims and some parishioners as well, concern that now that Cardinal Law has resigned, public scrutiny will begin to fade. They say public scrutiny is the only thing that will lead the church to reform itself -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jason Carroll a very difficult and painful story for everyone concerned. Thanks very much for that report. Vaccination nation, the president makes it official.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: As commander-in-chief, I do not believe I can ask others to accept this risk unless I am willing to do the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We'll talk to someone who's already gotten the vaccination. Did she have a bad reaction? Find out when we come back, plus...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're always going to get criticized no matter what you do and nobody with a half a brain is going to take this idea that he needs to resign seriously.
BLITZER: Will he or won't he? Trent Lott responds to calls for his resignation. Hear it first live on CNN. We're standing by for his news conference in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're standing by awaiting the start of a news conference. The Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott from Mississippi under fire for recent comments, controversial comments many have considered to be racist. Now he wants the country to hear him out. We'll go live to the news conference as soon as Senator Lott takes to the microphone.
But there's other news we're following today. President Bush made it official. He's going to go ahead and recommend vaccinations for smallpox, but not necessarily for everyone. We'll hear from someone who recently did get such a vaccination. We'll also hear from one of the top experts in the country on infectious diseases. But we begin with our Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen for the details -- Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what the president announced is that for the first time in 30 years, hundreds of thousands of Americans will be getting smallpox vaccinations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN (voice-over): One American who says he's definitely getting the smallpox vaccination, President George W. Bush.
BUSH: This particular vaccine does involve a small risk of serious health considerations. As commander-in-chief, I do not believe I can ask others to accept this risk unless I am willing to do the same. Therefore, I will receive the vaccine along with our military.
COHEN: So, does that mean everyone should get the vaccine, the president's answer no.
BUSH: Neither my family nor my staff will be receiving the vaccine because our health and national security experts do not believe vaccination is necessary for the general public.
COHEN: But the president added that he wouldn't stop the general public from getting the vaccine.
BUSH: There may be some citizens who insist on being vaccinated now. Our public health agencies will work to accommodate them but that is not our recommendation at this time.
COHEN: Instead, the president says only some people in high risk jobs need the vaccine. Military troops would have to get it and healthcare workers could get it if they wanted. Receiving the vaccine poses some risk of illness or even death and given that risk the president says the public doesn't need the vaccine because there's no specific threat that anyone is going to use smallpox as a weapon. So, he's telling the military and asking doctors and nurses to get the vaccine just in case.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: Half of all Americans are believed to have no immunity against smallpox because they never received vaccinations. The other half, those over 30 may have limited immunity from shots received long ago -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Elizabeth Cohen thanks very much for that report and we'll have more coming up on this decision by the president to recommend these vaccinations, but I want to go back to the White House. First of all, Suzanne Malveaux is standing by with some breaking news -- Suzanne. MALVEAUX: Well yes, we have just learned that Dr. Henry Kissinger, who had been appointed to the 9/11 commission, that is the commission to investigate any type of misinformation or mishaps leading up to the September 11th attacks has quite frankly said that he is not going to be fulfilling that position. He sent a letter to the president. We are just getting this now. He is saying that the reason why is to remove any questions about even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
He was prepared, as he informed the White House counsel from the beginning, to submit all relevant financial information to the White House as well as to the independent review, and at the end of the procedure, consistent with submissions to any other members of the joint commission.
He says, he goes on to say: "It has become clear, however, that although specific potential conflicts can be resolved in this manner, the controversy would quickly move to the consulting firm I have built and own. To liquidate Kissinger Associates can not be accomplished without significantly delaying the beginning of the joint commission's work. I have therefore concluded that I can not accept the responsibility you proposed," the controversy being just be on the board of several different organizations.
Whether or not there was an apparent conflict of interest by serving on the 9/11 commission as well as whether or not he could be as forthcoming with those type of documents with that financial information that would be required. Now, the president responding to this, a statement released just moments ago.
It says: "It is with great regret that I accept Dr. Kissinger's decision to step down as chairman of the national commission to investigate the events of September 11, 2001 and the years that led up to that event." It goes on to say: "As I stated at the time of his appointment, Dr. Kissinger is one of our nation's most accomplished and respected public servants.
I thank him for his willingness to consider serving this country once again. His chairmanship would have provided the insights and analysis the government needs to understand the methods of our enemies and the nature of the threats we face. My administration will work quickly to select a new chairman whose mission will be to uncover every detail and to learn every lesson of September 11th, even as we act on what we have learned so far, to better protect and defend America."
That a statement from the president released just moments ago, Wolf, again a controversy around Dr. Kissinger's appointment to the September 11th commission, that controversy being just whether or not there would be an apparent conflict of interest with his role in a number of organizations and also with being chairman of a board of many of those organizations as well as how forthcoming he could be out of that commission's inquiry -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Suzanne, the second such resignation within only a few days. George Mitchell, the former Democratic Senate majority leader offering his resignation as the vice chairman only the other day. We're going to continue to follow this. Senator Lott, though, is walking into the room and he'll be speaking. He'll be speaking about this momentarily. I want to go to the news conference in Pascagoula as soon as it begins.
But the fact that there's these two resignations, first Senator Mitchell, now the former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a double barrel dose of embarrassment I presume for the White House -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Well, the administration certainly has a lot of cleaning up to do. It really needs to find out where, what direction it's going to take in terms of the September 11th commission. As you know, Wolf, it was quite controversial from the very beginning, this White House not really being very enthusiastic about forming this commission to begin with.
It felt that it had adequately explored the type of questions that came about in terms of what type of intelligence failures there were when it came to 9/11, but it had been the families of those victims of September 11th who came forward, who pressed the Bush administration that they still had questions that were unanswered that they wanted this independent commission. The White House giving into that saying yes, we'll go ahead. We'll go forward with this commission, appointing Dr. Kissinger and then realizing shortly afterwards quite a number of questions that were coming up.
So, controversy surrounding that appointment and finally Dr. Kissinger saying himself that it was just too great; that he indeed would not take on that position, take on that responsibility so the administration in a position now needing to find the leader of the September 11th Commission and to do so rather quickly.
BLITZER: Another embarrassment obviously for the White House. I remember interviewing only a couple weeks ago both Secretary Kissinger and Senator Mitchell on CNN's "LATE EDITION," both of them right after the appointment but the hammering away, the editorials that were criticizing Secretary Kissinger in particular because of a potential of a conflict of interest obviously had their impact.
He's walking to the podium right now, Senator Lott, so let's go to Pascagoula, Mississippi. He's obviously got a lot of friends in that room where he's about to make a statement and then answer reporters' questions, and of course we'll listen in right now.
(INTERRUPTED BY BREAKING NEWS)
BLITZER: Let's get some reaction from around the country. First let's go to San Francisco, that's where Shane is standing by. You heard what Senator Lott said. Shane, how do you react?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think he -- it seems to me to be pure Republican back peddling and damage control. I'm not at all convinced. And the way he sort of named all of his African-American friends and the people he's employed over the years to sort of make up for putting his foot in his mouth. I agree with what Nancy Pelosi said, that you can't escape the sentiment that came out of his mouth. There's no denying it. He made the exact same comments 20 years ago and I think the majority of the American people saw through what he was saying today. And are convinced. And I think he should step down, but I'm pretty sure he won't.
BLITZER: Let's get some other reaction. In Chicago, Darlene. You listened to what Senator Lott had to say. How did you respond?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought his remarks were inappropriate, very insensitive. I'm disappointed that he did not resign. I don't think someone can make a remark like that light hearted without it coming from somewhere. You don't attend an event and make a light handed joke about something that important and that serious, especially in this day and age when we have to be more sensitive and aware of how we relate to other people.
And I'm just very disappointed that he did not resign and his apology is too little, too late. The more someone goes on and on and on and gives excuses for their actions and their words, to me just means that they are guilty and he's just digging a deeper hole and I'm very disappointed that he just didn't resign and leave. You can't be a Senate Republican leader making those kind of remarks. So I'm very disappointed.
BLITZER: All right. Darlene, stand by because I want to give our viewers the results of our Web question that we put up on the screen throughout this hour.
The question was are you satisfied with Trent Lott's latest apology? And the answer so far on the Web page cnn.com/wolf, 39 percent of you say yes, you are satisfied, 61 percent of you say no. Remember this, is not a scientific poll. The poll, the "Web Question of the Day."
Senator Trent Lott saying he is not going to resign. He's insisting he made a wrong statement. He apologized for the wrong words, but he's insisting he's going to try to fight this battle.
We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: That's all the time we have today, I'll see you Sunday on late edition, non Eastern. Among my guests, the former secretary of state, Henry Kissinger. LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE begins right now.
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Archbishop>
Aired December 13, 2002 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Judy. We're standing by for that news conference during this hour. We expect it to begin in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the home town of the Senate Republican leader. Once t does, we'll go there live. Does he deserve a second chance? WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice-over): Breaking news, will Trent Lott leave his leadership post? Just ahead, the Senator holds a hometown news conference.
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MINORITY LEADER: I think that that's the best place to answer questions.
BLITZER: Cardinal Law is out but some alleged abuse victims say it's too little, too late.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clean house. Don't stop with the cardinal. Let's clean the slate.
BLITZER: A deadly disease and a risky vaccine. The president makes a tough decision.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will receive the vaccine along with our military.
BLITZER: Now, it's your turn.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is a special edition of WOLF BLITZER REPORTS live from the Persian Gulf. Reporting from Doha, Qatar, here's Wolf Blitzer.
BLITZER: Thanks for joining us. We begin with breaking news back in the United States. During this hour, we're standing by to hear from the Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott. His recent comments have been denounced by some as racist. Let's go right to CNN's Gary Tuchman. He's in Pascagoula, Mississippi standing by for that news conference. Gary, give us a little preview what we expect to hear.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Trent Lott has come home to give what he calls a more thorough explanation and apology for what happened this past Thursday at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party and perhaps what's happened earlier in his career. We come to you from the Lafonte (ph) Hotel in Pascagoula. This is the only hotel of any size in this small city of 26,000 people where Trent Lott grew up, where his parents grew up, and where he feels very comfortable.
There will be a lot of reporters here and a lot of Trent Lott supporters who are already coming into the back of the room to watch the news conference and perhaps also asking some questions and offering some support. We've seen a couple of people who are against what Trent Lott said this past Thursday, but most of the people are strong supporters of Trent Lott.
The Senate majority leader is in Key West this morning, was on vacation, and he met reporters there and all he said was he was holding a news conference later but he did make it very clear that at this point he had no intention of resigning his leadership post.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOTT: This is a place where we've been once before and we do enjoy it. This time, obviously, it's been very difficult to really enjoy it but it's a beautiful area and I know that the people here enjoy it thoroughly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you making a decision (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
LOTT: Well, I want to just announce that my wife and I will be flying back to my home state this afternoon, Mississippi, and I will have a press statement at that time and we'll take questions from the media, both local media and national affiliates, and my staff office in Washington will be contacting all of the networks and the media outlets so that we'll have a full complement there. I think that that's the best place to answer questions. I'm just going --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Lott, this is a diverse community.
LOTT: I understand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
LOTT: Oh, absolutely. This is a fantastic area.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you spoken with the president the last day or two?
LOTT: Yes, I did speak to the president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday or today?
LOTT: Yesterday and the president said, as he should, that I have apologized for what I had to say which was the appropriate thing to do and I'm going to expand on that even more this afternoon at the press conference. Thank you all very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: So this is the setting, a small ballroom in a small hotel in this Gulf Coast town in Mississippi. The room is filling up. The news conference expected to start about 30 minutes from now. I just talked to one of the people who works here in the hotel and he says he's never seen anything like this before in Pascagoula. He said you see stuff like this in Washington, maybe New York City, but never in our small little town of Pascagoula. We'll have live coverage when the news conference starts -- Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Gary, have you had a chance to speak with average people out there outside of that ballroom setting at that hotel and get a little flavor what the mood is on the streets of Pascagoula?
TUCHMAN: We definitely have, Wolf, and what we're seeing in Pascagoula is the same kind of split we've seen in other parts of the country. A lot of people who strongly support their Senate majority leader, their Senator but others who are very critical of what he has said and what he has done, but there is a sign on the marquee, this hotel marquee outside here and it says: "We love you Trent." Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Gary, we'll be coming back to you, of course, as this hour unfolds. Let's go to Washington now where we have reporters standing by. Jonathan Karl is up on Capitol Hill. Suzanne Malveaux is over at the White House. First, to Jonathan Karl who's been following this story from Day One. Jon, what are you hearing the mood on Capitol Hill, what do Democrats and Republicans want Senator Lott to do?
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's clear that for many Democrats, no matter what Senator Lott says it will not be enough. As a matter of fact, we've learned that there have been high level negotiations, high level discussions among top Democrats here in the Senate about a censure resolution or a resolution condemning Trent Lott's remarks. The Democrats are considering introducing when the Senate reconvenes in January.
But more importantly are the Republicans. They are the ones that must decide whether or not they want to keep Trent Lott as their leader, and what I've heard over and over again from key Republicans is that Trent Lott must come across first and foremost as sincere and also passionate in apologizing and expressing an understanding that he has caused hurt with his remarks. They are looking for that. They're looking for Trent Lott to put this whole controversy aside, something he clear has not been able to do yet despite repeated attempts to apologize -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And just to be precise on this point, Jonathan, nothing you're hearing would suggest that he is going to step down as the leader of the Republican Party in the Senate. It appears clear he will try to fight this battle.
KARL: That is exactly right. His advisers are adamant that he will not resign from his leadership post, certainly not at this event.
BLITZER: All right, Suzanne Malveaux is over at the White House. The president spoke out on this matter yesterday hammering the Senate Republican leader. What do they expect to hear at the White House? What do they want to hear Senator Lott say Suzanne?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well they definitely want Senator Lott to strongly denounce his comments. They also want him to make clear his position on race relations in the country. President Bush strongly admonished Lott for his comments before publicly they followed up with a phone call, the administration hoping that would be the end of all this.
White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer was pressed earlier today whether or not the president believed that Lott was sincere in his apology and Fleischer did not comment on that. He only said well, let's listen to Lott's words to the press conference, but clearly the White House is hoping that this will take some of the pressure off the administration and that this will be resolved as quickly as possible -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Suzanne, stand by. We're going to be getting back to you as well. But, I want our viewers to listen precisely to the statement that Senator Lott made last Thursday that got him into so much trouble. It was a statement at a birthday party celebrating Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOTT: I want to say this about my state. When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it and if the rest of the country would have followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Joining us now from Sacramento, California, is Ward Connerly. He's the chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute, always well known as an outspoken conservative Black leader. Mr. Connerly thanks for joining us. You've called on Senator Lott to step down as the Republican leader in the Senate, why?
WARD CONNERLY, AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS INST.: I think that he has mortally wounded himself and makes it very difficult for us to look to him as a leader to guide us through the next several years as this nation deals with the issue of race based preferences and all of the manifestations of race and ethnicity.
The Supreme Court is going to be handing down a very momentous decision in several months and I don't see how Senator Lott can be effective as he has to navigate all of this. He's going to be co- opted by the Congressional Black Caucus and others, I believe, and so I think it's in his best interest, it's certainly in the nation's best interest in my view and certainly in the president's, that Senator Lott step down.
BLITZER: You're referring to the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action at universities around the United States. You mean that to say that if he stays on, your concern since you oppose the affirmative action policies that he might have to bend over backwards in order to satisfy the more mainstream civil rights leaders in the African-American community, is that your concern?
CONNERLY: Precisely. Shelby Steel (ph), a brilliant columnist, often talks about White guilt and I think that Senator Lott to prove that he is no racist, which I don't believe he is, Senator Lott is going to have to defer to these interests far more than is in the best interest of the nation. He will not be able to be a principal leader on the issue of race and this issue cries out for principle and I think he's squandered all opportunity for him to be that leader. Once you ring the bell on something like this, you can't un-ring it.
BLITZER: But doesn't everybody deserve a second chance? Yes, he had a -- he made a gaff, a bad gaff in that statement he made last Thursday but overall wouldn't you argue that his record, at least on major civil rights issues over these past decade or two, has been from your perspective fair and decent?
CONNERLY: I would agree with that and I think that we are a very forgiving people but even when you are forgiven you often pay a price for things that you do and I'll tell you I can not listen to the words that you just played, the statement you just played, and come away feeling warm and cozy about those words.
I don't know what he could have meant by those problems. Was integration a problem? Sure, it's been painful as we have made the transition from segregation and Jim Crowe to the society that we have now, but I certainly wouldn't want to do it any other way.
BLITZER: Well, the bottom line in other words, what you're saying is that you do believe that was a racist statement that he made last week.
CONNERLY: Supporting segregation need not be racist. One can believe in segregation and believe in equality of the races, so it doesn't necessarily make it racist but I think it's certainly a poor direction for this nation to have pursued namely segregation.
I won't say that he's racist. I don't think he is. I think one could believe in equality of the races as he has talked about and believe that the races should remain separate and not have a notion that Black people are inferior for example. But I just can not reconcile those words that he said. I don't know what he could have meant by all of these problems.
BLITZER: All right, Ward Connerly, I want you to stand by as well. We're all going to listen and watch the news conference that Senator Lott will be having shortly within the next 20 minutes or so in Pascagoula, Mississippi. We'll see what he says. We'll see the case he makes. We'll try to better understand where his mind was when he uttered those words last week. Ward Connerly thanks for joining us from Sacramento.
On this note, Senator Lott will have that statement followed by a question and answer session with reporters in Mississippi at 5:30 p.m. Eastern, a little while from now. Of course, CNN will bring that to you live. We will be going back there as soon as it begins.
Trent Lott is not the only person in deep trouble today as a result of some statements that he has made. There's news today about the resignation of an embattled religious leader. Cardinal Bernard Law has stepped down as the Archbishop of Boston. The news provoked strong emotions from those who say they've been victims of sexual abuse by priests in Law's archdiocese.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER FULCHINO, ALLEGED VICTIM: It's the start of healing, a start to healing myself and all these people over here. I hope people can find the strength to come out and be strong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: CNN's Bill Delaney and Jason Carroll are now standing by in Boston. They've been following the story. Let's begin with our Boston Bureau Chief, Bill Delaney -- Bill.
BILL DELANEY, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Wolf, you know for 18 years as archbishop here in Boston, many of those years Bernard Cardinal Law was respected, even loved. Now, he's resigned in disgrace.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELANEY (voice-over): Once considered a cardinal most likely to become the first American pope instead Archbishop Bernard Law of Boston's resignation accepted by Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Law's auxiliary bishop Father Richard Lennon, appointed apostolic administrator while a permanent replacement is found.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today is a very difficult day for people throughout the Archdiocese of Boston but we are going to continue in our efforts to implement comprehensive policies and education programs and outreach to victim survivors to make sure that we don't find ourselves in this situation again.
DELANEY: Healing for many victims of sexual abuse though not yet, maybe not ever.
PATRICK MCSORLEY, ALLEGED VICTIM: They've taken care of these priests all those years while these priests were out molesting children. Now, I think it's time to put the focus on the victims and stop trying to take care of the victims and make up for what they did in the past.
MITCHELL GARABEDIAN, ATTORNEY FOR VICTIMS: There's enormous rot, enormous decay within the Archdiocese of Boston. We've all seen that for years and now it has to cleanse itself and this isn't going to be a magic wand where everything's okay now. All of a sudden it's going to be Monday morning and it will be fine.
DELANEY: For Catholic lay people like members of the Voice of the Faithful group also, a sense if this is a new beginning it's only a beginning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The church of the 21st Century has to be open to the full involvement of the laity in the governance and guidance of the institution.
DELANEY: Cardinal Law was to return to Boston, the city he left just a week ago this weekend, cardinal for life, archbishop no more.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DELANEY: Most Sundays for so many years now, Cardinal Law has said mass at Holy Cross Cathedral. He will not this Sunday. It will be said by the new apostolic appointee here, auxiliary Bishop Richard Lennon -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Bill Delaney in Boston, Bill thanks very much. For a reaction to Cardinal Law's decision to step down, let's go to CNN's Jason Carroll.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Standing before a group of reporters and members of the Catholic community stood two generations of alleged abuse, Thomas Fulchino and his son Chris both say they were abused when they were children by different priests in Boston and they say Cardinal Bernard Law's resignation is a move that will help them heal.
C. FULCHINO: And I'm glad that the cardinal did resign. I'm glad that this day has finally come.
CARROLL: It's a day only Chris' mother seemed to know would eventually come.
SUSAN FULCHINO, MOTHER OF ALLEGED VICTIM: I think mums have this intuition, just this sense, and I quite honestly felt that he would resign and it would be accepted.
CARROLL: The Fulchinos live with the pain of what happened every day. Thomas says when he was 12, he was abused by Father James Porter who was later convicted and defrocked for abusing children. Fulchino's faith shaken again many years later after learning his son, Chris, who at the age of 13 says he was abused by defrocked priest John Geoghan (ph). Geoghan is now serving a ten-year sentence for molesting other children.
C. FULCHINO: Every day I relive the torment that happened that day. The memories just keep running right through my head and it just doesn't stop and there's no way of stopping it and I hope that today will help that.
THOMAS FULCHINO, ALLEGED VICTIM: I'm still having problems with that, that maybe I could have done something or have been there but that's, you know, that's something that I'm going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. CARROLL: Cardinal Law moved Geoghan to the Fulchino's parish even though there were previous allegations of abuse. The archdiocese says Geoghan was reassigned only after receiving counseling. But to the Fulchinos what Law did was not only a sin, but a crime.
S. FULCHINO: Cardinal Law knowingly put a pedophile in my church and didn't give me a chance to know about him and took this little boy's happiness.
CARROLL: The Fulchinos say Law's resignation isn't the end but hopefully the beginning of true reform and reconciliation.
C. FULCHINO: It's just the stepping stone and there's many more steps that we have to take for healing. It just can't stop here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: There is concern among victims and some parishioners as well, concern that now that Cardinal Law has resigned, public scrutiny will begin to fade. They say public scrutiny is the only thing that will lead the church to reform itself -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jason Carroll a very difficult and painful story for everyone concerned. Thanks very much for that report. Vaccination nation, the president makes it official.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: As commander-in-chief, I do not believe I can ask others to accept this risk unless I am willing to do the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We'll talk to someone who's already gotten the vaccination. Did she have a bad reaction? Find out when we come back, plus...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're always going to get criticized no matter what you do and nobody with a half a brain is going to take this idea that he needs to resign seriously.
BLITZER: Will he or won't he? Trent Lott responds to calls for his resignation. Hear it first live on CNN. We're standing by for his news conference in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're standing by awaiting the start of a news conference. The Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott from Mississippi under fire for recent comments, controversial comments many have considered to be racist. Now he wants the country to hear him out. We'll go live to the news conference as soon as Senator Lott takes to the microphone.
But there's other news we're following today. President Bush made it official. He's going to go ahead and recommend vaccinations for smallpox, but not necessarily for everyone. We'll hear from someone who recently did get such a vaccination. We'll also hear from one of the top experts in the country on infectious diseases. But we begin with our Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen for the details -- Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, what the president announced is that for the first time in 30 years, hundreds of thousands of Americans will be getting smallpox vaccinations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN (voice-over): One American who says he's definitely getting the smallpox vaccination, President George W. Bush.
BUSH: This particular vaccine does involve a small risk of serious health considerations. As commander-in-chief, I do not believe I can ask others to accept this risk unless I am willing to do the same. Therefore, I will receive the vaccine along with our military.
COHEN: So, does that mean everyone should get the vaccine, the president's answer no.
BUSH: Neither my family nor my staff will be receiving the vaccine because our health and national security experts do not believe vaccination is necessary for the general public.
COHEN: But the president added that he wouldn't stop the general public from getting the vaccine.
BUSH: There may be some citizens who insist on being vaccinated now. Our public health agencies will work to accommodate them but that is not our recommendation at this time.
COHEN: Instead, the president says only some people in high risk jobs need the vaccine. Military troops would have to get it and healthcare workers could get it if they wanted. Receiving the vaccine poses some risk of illness or even death and given that risk the president says the public doesn't need the vaccine because there's no specific threat that anyone is going to use smallpox as a weapon. So, he's telling the military and asking doctors and nurses to get the vaccine just in case.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: Half of all Americans are believed to have no immunity against smallpox because they never received vaccinations. The other half, those over 30 may have limited immunity from shots received long ago -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Elizabeth Cohen thanks very much for that report and we'll have more coming up on this decision by the president to recommend these vaccinations, but I want to go back to the White House. First of all, Suzanne Malveaux is standing by with some breaking news -- Suzanne. MALVEAUX: Well yes, we have just learned that Dr. Henry Kissinger, who had been appointed to the 9/11 commission, that is the commission to investigate any type of misinformation or mishaps leading up to the September 11th attacks has quite frankly said that he is not going to be fulfilling that position. He sent a letter to the president. We are just getting this now. He is saying that the reason why is to remove any questions about even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
He was prepared, as he informed the White House counsel from the beginning, to submit all relevant financial information to the White House as well as to the independent review, and at the end of the procedure, consistent with submissions to any other members of the joint commission.
He says, he goes on to say: "It has become clear, however, that although specific potential conflicts can be resolved in this manner, the controversy would quickly move to the consulting firm I have built and own. To liquidate Kissinger Associates can not be accomplished without significantly delaying the beginning of the joint commission's work. I have therefore concluded that I can not accept the responsibility you proposed," the controversy being just be on the board of several different organizations.
Whether or not there was an apparent conflict of interest by serving on the 9/11 commission as well as whether or not he could be as forthcoming with those type of documents with that financial information that would be required. Now, the president responding to this, a statement released just moments ago.
It says: "It is with great regret that I accept Dr. Kissinger's decision to step down as chairman of the national commission to investigate the events of September 11, 2001 and the years that led up to that event." It goes on to say: "As I stated at the time of his appointment, Dr. Kissinger is one of our nation's most accomplished and respected public servants.
I thank him for his willingness to consider serving this country once again. His chairmanship would have provided the insights and analysis the government needs to understand the methods of our enemies and the nature of the threats we face. My administration will work quickly to select a new chairman whose mission will be to uncover every detail and to learn every lesson of September 11th, even as we act on what we have learned so far, to better protect and defend America."
That a statement from the president released just moments ago, Wolf, again a controversy around Dr. Kissinger's appointment to the September 11th commission, that controversy being just whether or not there would be an apparent conflict of interest with his role in a number of organizations and also with being chairman of a board of many of those organizations as well as how forthcoming he could be out of that commission's inquiry -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Suzanne, the second such resignation within only a few days. George Mitchell, the former Democratic Senate majority leader offering his resignation as the vice chairman only the other day. We're going to continue to follow this. Senator Lott, though, is walking into the room and he'll be speaking. He'll be speaking about this momentarily. I want to go to the news conference in Pascagoula as soon as it begins.
But the fact that there's these two resignations, first Senator Mitchell, now the former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a double barrel dose of embarrassment I presume for the White House -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Well, the administration certainly has a lot of cleaning up to do. It really needs to find out where, what direction it's going to take in terms of the September 11th commission. As you know, Wolf, it was quite controversial from the very beginning, this White House not really being very enthusiastic about forming this commission to begin with.
It felt that it had adequately explored the type of questions that came about in terms of what type of intelligence failures there were when it came to 9/11, but it had been the families of those victims of September 11th who came forward, who pressed the Bush administration that they still had questions that were unanswered that they wanted this independent commission. The White House giving into that saying yes, we'll go ahead. We'll go forward with this commission, appointing Dr. Kissinger and then realizing shortly afterwards quite a number of questions that were coming up.
So, controversy surrounding that appointment and finally Dr. Kissinger saying himself that it was just too great; that he indeed would not take on that position, take on that responsibility so the administration in a position now needing to find the leader of the September 11th Commission and to do so rather quickly.
BLITZER: Another embarrassment obviously for the White House. I remember interviewing only a couple weeks ago both Secretary Kissinger and Senator Mitchell on CNN's "LATE EDITION," both of them right after the appointment but the hammering away, the editorials that were criticizing Secretary Kissinger in particular because of a potential of a conflict of interest obviously had their impact.
He's walking to the podium right now, Senator Lott, so let's go to Pascagoula, Mississippi. He's obviously got a lot of friends in that room where he's about to make a statement and then answer reporters' questions, and of course we'll listen in right now.
(INTERRUPTED BY BREAKING NEWS)
BLITZER: Let's get some reaction from around the country. First let's go to San Francisco, that's where Shane is standing by. You heard what Senator Lott said. Shane, how do you react?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think he -- it seems to me to be pure Republican back peddling and damage control. I'm not at all convinced. And the way he sort of named all of his African-American friends and the people he's employed over the years to sort of make up for putting his foot in his mouth. I agree with what Nancy Pelosi said, that you can't escape the sentiment that came out of his mouth. There's no denying it. He made the exact same comments 20 years ago and I think the majority of the American people saw through what he was saying today. And are convinced. And I think he should step down, but I'm pretty sure he won't.
BLITZER: Let's get some other reaction. In Chicago, Darlene. You listened to what Senator Lott had to say. How did you respond?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought his remarks were inappropriate, very insensitive. I'm disappointed that he did not resign. I don't think someone can make a remark like that light hearted without it coming from somewhere. You don't attend an event and make a light handed joke about something that important and that serious, especially in this day and age when we have to be more sensitive and aware of how we relate to other people.
And I'm just very disappointed that he did not resign and his apology is too little, too late. The more someone goes on and on and on and gives excuses for their actions and their words, to me just means that they are guilty and he's just digging a deeper hole and I'm very disappointed that he just didn't resign and leave. You can't be a Senate Republican leader making those kind of remarks. So I'm very disappointed.
BLITZER: All right. Darlene, stand by because I want to give our viewers the results of our Web question that we put up on the screen throughout this hour.
The question was are you satisfied with Trent Lott's latest apology? And the answer so far on the Web page cnn.com/wolf, 39 percent of you say yes, you are satisfied, 61 percent of you say no. Remember this, is not a scientific poll. The poll, the "Web Question of the Day."
Senator Trent Lott saying he is not going to resign. He's insisting he made a wrong statement. He apologized for the wrong words, but he's insisting he's going to try to fight this battle.
We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: That's all the time we have today, I'll see you Sunday on late edition, non Eastern. Among my guests, the former secretary of state, Henry Kissinger. LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE begins right now.
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