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American Morning
Trent Lott: Leader or Liability?
Aired December 18, 2002 - 07:12 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The Trent Lott matter again continues to simmer yet again today. There's a new videotape surfacing that could further threaten the majority leader's future yet again. The embattled senator, his words from yesterday, still vowing to fight on.
From Capitol Hill today, Jonathan Karl now frames the issue for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Republicans are deeply divided about Trent Lott and uncertain about how to put the controversy behind them. At this point, Senate GOP sources say Lott does not have enough support to stay on as leader, but there are not enough votes to remove him either.
That's because most Republicans have simply taken no position on the issue. They aren't clamoring for Trent Lott to resign, but they aren't supporting him either.
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.
KARL: The official White House line is that although the president does not think Trent Lott needs to resign, he will not support him in a leadership battle.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The senators have indicated they are calling for a meeting on January 6, and the White House will not comment on that meeting or anything leading up to that meeting.
KARL: As for Lott himself, he is vowing to fight. In an interview with ABC, he said -- quote: "I'm the son of a shipyard worker from Pascagoula, Mississippi. I've had to fight all my life, and I'm not stopping now."
And, Lott has picked up a few key allies in the Republican Senate, most notably, Orrin Hatch, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: This man has given 30 years of service to the United States of America, and whether you agree with him or don't, my gosh, here's a very good man who has made a terrible mistake, and I think at this point, it's piling on. KARL: But newly-elected Senator Jim Talent took an unusual step for a freshman. He put out a statement saying Lott may be too weak to effectively push for the GOP agenda, saying -- quote -- "There is now a substantial question as to whether Senator Lott has the capacity to move that agenda forward."
And while all of this is going on among Republicans, another piece of tape emerged from an event in October of 2000. It was a bill signing, a defense bill. Signing the bill is Senator Strom Thurmond, and off-camera, the voice of Trent Lott can be heard in an another example, another case, where he says that it would have been a good thing if Strom Thurmond had been elected president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MAJORITY LEADER: Now this is a famous signature right here. Should have been president in 1947.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: Now, that tape is not that much of a surprise, given that Senator Lott has said that he has repeatedly over the years said to Strom Thurmond that he would have made a great president.
As for the Democrats, they are perfectly content to sit on the sideline. In an interview with CNN, Tom Daschle said that the idea of censuring Trent Lott has now been put on hold. Democrats will not make a decision on that move until they see if the Republicans decide to keep him on as their leader.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Jonathan, 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 December 18, 2002 - 07:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The Trent Lott matter again continues to simmer yet again today. There's a new videotape surfacing that could further threaten the majority leader's future yet again. The embattled senator, his words from yesterday, still vowing to fight on.
From Capitol Hill today, Jonathan Karl now frames the issue for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Republicans are deeply divided about Trent Lott and uncertain about how to put the controversy behind them. At this point, Senate GOP sources say Lott does not have enough support to stay on as leader, but there are not enough votes to remove him either.
That's because most Republicans have simply taken no position on the issue. They aren't clamoring for Trent Lott to resign, but they aren't supporting him either.
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.
KARL: The official White House line is that although the president does not think Trent Lott needs to resign, he will not support him in a leadership battle.
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The senators have indicated they are calling for a meeting on January 6, and the White House will not comment on that meeting or anything leading up to that meeting.
KARL: As for Lott himself, he is vowing to fight. In an interview with ABC, he said -- quote: "I'm the son of a shipyard worker from Pascagoula, Mississippi. I've had to fight all my life, and I'm not stopping now."
And, Lott has picked up a few key allies in the Republican Senate, most notably, Orrin Hatch, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: This man has given 30 years of service to the United States of America, and whether you agree with him or don't, my gosh, here's a very good man who has made a terrible mistake, and I think at this point, it's piling on. KARL: But newly-elected Senator Jim Talent took an unusual step for a freshman. He put out a statement saying Lott may be too weak to effectively push for the GOP agenda, saying -- quote -- "There is now a substantial question as to whether Senator Lott has the capacity to move that agenda forward."
And while all of this is going on among Republicans, another piece of tape emerged from an event in October of 2000. It was a bill signing, a defense bill. Signing the bill is Senator Strom Thurmond, and off-camera, the voice of Trent Lott can be heard in an another example, another case, where he says that it would have been a good thing if Strom Thurmond had been elected president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MAJORITY LEADER: Now this is a famous signature right here. Should have been president in 1947.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: Now, that tape is not that much of a surprise, given that Senator Lott has said that he has repeatedly over the years said to Strom Thurmond that he would have made a great president.
As for the Democrats, they are perfectly content to sit on the sideline. In an interview with CNN, Tom Daschle said that the idea of censuring Trent Lott has now been put on hold. Democrats will not make a decision on that move until they see if the Republicans decide to keep him on as their leader.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Jonathan, 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.
