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CNN Live Today
Lott on the Line
Aired December 18, 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: The latest on Trent Lott and his struggle to hold on to the Republican leadership in the Senate. A key Republican has come to his defense as a showdown looms within the Republican Party.
For the latest, we're going to check in now with our Kathleen Koch on Capitol Hill.
Kathleen, good morning.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
And that very important vote of confidence comes from Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, who is the senior Republican in the U.S. Senate. He was speaking to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, and here's what he said -- quote -- "People have blown what Senator Lott said out of proportion with their call for his resignation. I'm going to go back, and I'm going to defend my friend, and I'm going to tell him he stays as our leader, and I'm going to try to show that Senator Lott in fact is a representation of the new South, one that hates segregation.
"Now, other senators clearly are not so sure. They're taking a wait-and-see attitude until that January 6th vote on whether or not the Republican Party can afford to keep Senator Lott as their Senate majority leader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: Maybe we will have a new leader. But I'm going to wait and not waste any time on that until I have to make that decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, meanwhile, new video has emerged of Senator Lott, again praising Strom Thurmond, this time at a defense bill signing ceremony in 2000.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRENT LOTT (R-MI), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Now this is a famous signature right here. Should have been president in 1947.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, what you heard there was the voice of Senator Lott. He was speaking in the background, clearly not on camera, and Senator Lott's office, rather than cringing at the release of this, again, this statement, praising Thurmond, and saying, again, he should have been president, they say the setting of this comment, being a defense bill signing ceremony, bolsters their belief and their claim that the senator all along was praising Thurmond not for being a segregationist, but for his very strong stance, pro-military stance, anti-communist stance in the Congress.
Now, other things that are coming up, still very little expected to be heard from the White House today on this continuing controversy, staying very quiet on this, at least publicly. Because clearly, many members of Congress are already bristling, many members of the Senate, at the appearance that at least behind the scenes some Bush advisers, some Bush supporters, may be trying to orchestrate Senator Lott's ouster.
KAGAN: Of course, so much of this taking place behind the scenes, but you get the sense Trent Lott is fighting back, and intends to, if he can, hold on to that leadership post.
KOCH: He is, indeed. He actually spoke with ABC News last night and said he grew up in Southern Mississippi, in Pascagoula, the son of a sharecropper, and he had fought all his life, and he was not about to stop fighting now, so we expect he will continue to, all the way through this vote in January.
KAGAN: Kathleen Koch, on Capitol Hill, thank you so much.
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 - 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: The latest on Trent Lott and his struggle to hold on to the Republican leadership in the Senate. A key Republican has come to his defense as a showdown looms within the Republican Party.
For the latest, we're going to check in now with our Kathleen Koch on Capitol Hill.
Kathleen, good morning.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
And that very important vote of confidence comes from Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, who is the senior Republican in the U.S. Senate. He was speaking to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, and here's what he said -- quote -- "People have blown what Senator Lott said out of proportion with their call for his resignation. I'm going to go back, and I'm going to defend my friend, and I'm going to tell him he stays as our leader, and I'm going to try to show that Senator Lott in fact is a representation of the new South, one that hates segregation.
"Now, other senators clearly are not so sure. They're taking a wait-and-see attitude until that January 6th vote on whether or not the Republican Party can afford to keep Senator Lott as their Senate majority leader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: Maybe we will have a new leader. But I'm going to wait and not waste any time on that until I have to make that decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, meanwhile, new video has emerged of Senator Lott, again praising Strom Thurmond, this time at a defense bill signing ceremony in 2000.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRENT LOTT (R-MI), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Now this is a famous signature right here. Should have been president in 1947.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, what you heard there was the voice of Senator Lott. He was speaking in the background, clearly not on camera, and Senator Lott's office, rather than cringing at the release of this, again, this statement, praising Thurmond, and saying, again, he should have been president, they say the setting of this comment, being a defense bill signing ceremony, bolsters their belief and their claim that the senator all along was praising Thurmond not for being a segregationist, but for his very strong stance, pro-military stance, anti-communist stance in the Congress.
Now, other things that are coming up, still very little expected to be heard from the White House today on this continuing controversy, staying very quiet on this, at least publicly. Because clearly, many members of Congress are already bristling, many members of the Senate, at the appearance that at least behind the scenes some Bush advisers, some Bush supporters, may be trying to orchestrate Senator Lott's ouster.
KAGAN: Of course, so much of this taking place behind the scenes, but you get the sense Trent Lott is fighting back, and intends to, if he can, hold on to that leadership post.
KOCH: He is, indeed. He actually spoke with ABC News last night and said he grew up in Southern Mississippi, in Pascagoula, the son of a sharecropper, and he had fought all his life, and he was not about to stop fighting now, so we expect he will continue to, all the way through this vote in January.
KAGAN: Kathleen Koch, on Capitol Hill, thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
