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CNN Live At Daybreak

Lott's Future: Taking Sides?

Aired December 18, 2002 - 06:06   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now for the latest on Trent Lott. Even though a meeting on Lott's future as Senate Republican leader is still three weeks away, some members of the party already seem to be taking sides on the issue.
CNN's Kathleen Koch is on Capitol Hill with the very latest.

Good morning -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredricka.

And also, we in the media don't want to be playing "gotcha" with Senator Lott, but evidence is increasingly emerging that he may not have made these comments about Strom Thurmond simply in a moment of levity back on December 5 at the senator's birthday party. This was when he made this reference to the fact that perhaps we wouldn't have all of these problems if Strom Thurmond had been elected president in 1948.

Senator Lott made almost identical remarks at a similar event for Senator Thurmond back in 1980. And now, CNN has obtained tape of Lott participating in the signing of the Defense Authorization Bill for the fiscal year of 2001. What you'll be seeing tape of is of Strom Thurmond and House Speaker Dennis Hastert signing the legislation and Trent Lott speaking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MI), MAJORITY LEADER: Now, this is a famous signature right here. Should have been president in 1947.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, despite that comment -- and we haven't gotten any reaction really from any other members of the Senate to that -- but GOP sources are telling CNN that while Lott does not have enough support to stay on as leader at this point, there are also not enough votes to remove him.

Senator Lott spoke out last night on the ABC network, saying he's the son of a shipyard worker from Pascagoula, Mississippi. He has fought all his life, and he says, I'm not stopping now.

Also yesterday, Senator Lott finally in the afternoon got some key endorsements from fellow senators, because frankly most of the morning no one was talking, no one had the courage really to step forward and say anything in support. But now, Ted Stevens, the most senior GOP senator, released a statement yesterday, saying -- quote -- "I'm going to go back, and I'm going to defend my friend, and I'm going to tell him he stays on as our leader."

Also the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, Rick Santorum, stepped forward, a couple of others, but still, just a handful.

Now, as for the Democrats, they are more or less content to stay on the sidelines. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle telling CNN that they aren't going to press forward with any of these calls for a potential censure for Senator Lott until it's determined in this party vote on January 6 whether or not he does indeed stay on as Senate majority leader -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Kathleen.

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 December 18, 2002 - 06:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now for the latest on Trent Lott. Even though a meeting on Lott's future as Senate Republican leader is still three weeks away, some members of the party already seem to be taking sides on the issue.
CNN's Kathleen Koch is on Capitol Hill with the very latest.

Good morning -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredricka.

And also, we in the media don't want to be playing "gotcha" with Senator Lott, but evidence is increasingly emerging that he may not have made these comments about Strom Thurmond simply in a moment of levity back on December 5 at the senator's birthday party. This was when he made this reference to the fact that perhaps we wouldn't have all of these problems if Strom Thurmond had been elected president in 1948.

Senator Lott made almost identical remarks at a similar event for Senator Thurmond back in 1980. And now, CNN has obtained tape of Lott participating in the signing of the Defense Authorization Bill for the fiscal year of 2001. What you'll be seeing tape of is of Strom Thurmond and House Speaker Dennis Hastert signing the legislation and Trent Lott speaking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MI), MAJORITY LEADER: Now, this is a famous signature right here. Should have been president in 1947.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, despite that comment -- and we haven't gotten any reaction really from any other members of the Senate to that -- but GOP sources are telling CNN that while Lott does not have enough support to stay on as leader at this point, there are also not enough votes to remove him.

Senator Lott spoke out last night on the ABC network, saying he's the son of a shipyard worker from Pascagoula, Mississippi. He has fought all his life, and he says, I'm not stopping now.

Also yesterday, Senator Lott finally in the afternoon got some key endorsements from fellow senators, because frankly most of the morning no one was talking, no one had the courage really to step forward and say anything in support. But now, Ted Stevens, the most senior GOP senator, released a statement yesterday, saying -- quote -- "I'm going to go back, and I'm going to defend my friend, and I'm going to tell him he stays on as our leader."

Also the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, Rick Santorum, stepped forward, a couple of others, but still, just a handful.

Now, as for the Democrats, they are more or less content to stay on the sidelines. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle telling CNN that they aren't going to press forward with any of these calls for a potential censure for Senator Lott until it's determined in this party vote on January 6 whether or not he does indeed stay on as Senate majority leader -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Kathleen.

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