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CNN Live Saturday
Frist Expected to Become Republican Majority Leader
Aired December 21, 2002 - 17:02 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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Senate Republicans are ready to tap Bill Frist as their new leader on Monday. The GOP lawmakers will vote during a Monday conference call. Frist, a Tennessee heart surgeon, has close ties to the Bush White House. CNN's Jason Carroll is live in Nashville with details -- Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you that we've been on the streets of Nashville all day long basically trying to get different opinions from people, and Senator Frist really appears to be a popular senator here in his home state of Tennessee. Most people seem to like him because of his medical background. As you said, he is a heart and lung transplant surgeon here in Tennessee. He is viewed as being a moderate Republican, someone who can reach out to people on both sides of the table. Close ties to the White House, but his critics say that perhaps his ties might be too close to the White House. They worry about his ability to be an independent leader.
And in terms of his medical background, his critics also point to the fact that HCA, the hospital that was founded by his brother and his father was fined more than $1.5 billion after allegations of health care fraud. So that is definitely something that's part of his record, as well. But his supporters say the senator was not part of the management of that company and they do say that they believe that he is the best person for the job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As far as politicians go, and I think that's why he's so popular, because he doesn't come from that background. He comes from taking care of people. He's a physician. He's had, you know, the practical, on-hands approach, and that's why I feel like he's so popular and that's why I would vote for him, hands down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel very strongly that Senator Frist has a wonderful background. But again, we're not as familiar with him in the Afro American community as we should be with him representing all people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good Republican, business oriented, family that understands sort of their noblesse oblige, their duty to others, and man with tremendous character and great intellect. So a great combination.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CARROLL: The vote comes on Monday. Historically, it has been done by secret ballot, and it at times can be somewhat unpredictable. This is what we are being told, but it appears at least at this point that Senator Frist has enough votes in his corner in order to become majority leader. Back to you.
SAN MIGUEL: It would appear that way. Jason Carroll live in Nashville. Thank you.
At least one lawmaker says Republicans have to make it clear that the GOP is an inclusive party. Another goal is trying to determine the Senate's agenda for the coming year. Kathleen Koch is on Capitol Hill with a look at the reaction to the change at the top. Good evening, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the reaction here, first of all, is largely relief, but the relief doesn't go all around. There was a small protest today here in Washington, D.C., outside of majority -- still majority leader Trent Lott's home in Washington. It was led by a group called Black Lawyers for Justice. It was a small protest; there were only about 25 people. They believe it's not enough for Trent Lott to step down as majority leader. They would like to see him leave the Senate entirely.
Now, of course, the senator is at his home in Pascagoula, Mississippi where he has a great deal of support and people there are quite dismayed that he has decided to leave his leadership post, but they believe he's done a lot of good for the state and indeed for the entire country. They're very concerned, very upset that he is leaving, but he is staying on as senator from the state of Mississippi and will fill out his term. Doesn't want to give the Democratic governor, Ronnie Musgrove, a chance to appoint a Democrat to take Trent Lott's seat here in the Senate.
Now, of course, everyone is talking about the Monday conference call, which will take place where everyone is expecting that Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee will be elected the next Senate majority leader, again, very popular 50-year-old heart surgeon from Tennessee. And one lawmaker who spoke out, a senator from Virginia saying that he really does represent the new face of the Republican Party
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: I believe that Bill Frist is a person who is most capable of accurately portraying the sentiments of Senate Republicans to advance opportunities for all Americans. He's capable to represent those views and express them in a coherent, logical, and I think motivational way, as well. He has my support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Democrats, of course, are already going after Senator Frist, trying to find any problems in his background. I know there is this talk about this HCA Hospital Corporation. It was founded by Frist's father and brother, but he has never really personally participated in the management of that. It was taken over by another group, no longer run at all by anyone in his family. And Frist has put his own investments in HCA into a blind trust to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. That was something that even went far above and beyond what the Senate Ethics Committee felt that he had to do.
So really being very careful in that matter, but Democrats still obviously wanting to portray him as someone who is conservative, equally conservative, they say, as Senator Trent Lott, though many here view him as much more of a moderate. Back to you.
SAN MIGUEL: All right. We'll be talking more about this later with a political analyst. Kathleen, thanks for that report.
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 21, 2002 - 17:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Senate Republicans are ready to tap Bill Frist as their new leader on Monday. The GOP lawmakers will vote during a Monday conference call. Frist, a Tennessee heart surgeon, has close ties to the Bush White House. CNN's Jason Carroll is live in Nashville with details -- Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you that we've been on the streets of Nashville all day long basically trying to get different opinions from people, and Senator Frist really appears to be a popular senator here in his home state of Tennessee. Most people seem to like him because of his medical background. As you said, he is a heart and lung transplant surgeon here in Tennessee. He is viewed as being a moderate Republican, someone who can reach out to people on both sides of the table. Close ties to the White House, but his critics say that perhaps his ties might be too close to the White House. They worry about his ability to be an independent leader.
And in terms of his medical background, his critics also point to the fact that HCA, the hospital that was founded by his brother and his father was fined more than $1.5 billion after allegations of health care fraud. So that is definitely something that's part of his record, as well. But his supporters say the senator was not part of the management of that company and they do say that they believe that he is the best person for the job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As far as politicians go, and I think that's why he's so popular, because he doesn't come from that background. He comes from taking care of people. He's a physician. He's had, you know, the practical, on-hands approach, and that's why I feel like he's so popular and that's why I would vote for him, hands down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel very strongly that Senator Frist has a wonderful background. But again, we're not as familiar with him in the Afro American community as we should be with him representing all people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good Republican, business oriented, family that understands sort of their noblesse oblige, their duty to others, and man with tremendous character and great intellect. So a great combination.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CARROLL: The vote comes on Monday. Historically, it has been done by secret ballot, and it at times can be somewhat unpredictable. This is what we are being told, but it appears at least at this point that Senator Frist has enough votes in his corner in order to become majority leader. Back to you.
SAN MIGUEL: It would appear that way. Jason Carroll live in Nashville. Thank you.
At least one lawmaker says Republicans have to make it clear that the GOP is an inclusive party. Another goal is trying to determine the Senate's agenda for the coming year. Kathleen Koch is on Capitol Hill with a look at the reaction to the change at the top. Good evening, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the reaction here, first of all, is largely relief, but the relief doesn't go all around. There was a small protest today here in Washington, D.C., outside of majority -- still majority leader Trent Lott's home in Washington. It was led by a group called Black Lawyers for Justice. It was a small protest; there were only about 25 people. They believe it's not enough for Trent Lott to step down as majority leader. They would like to see him leave the Senate entirely.
Now, of course, the senator is at his home in Pascagoula, Mississippi where he has a great deal of support and people there are quite dismayed that he has decided to leave his leadership post, but they believe he's done a lot of good for the state and indeed for the entire country. They're very concerned, very upset that he is leaving, but he is staying on as senator from the state of Mississippi and will fill out his term. Doesn't want to give the Democratic governor, Ronnie Musgrove, a chance to appoint a Democrat to take Trent Lott's seat here in the Senate.
Now, of course, everyone is talking about the Monday conference call, which will take place where everyone is expecting that Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee will be elected the next Senate majority leader, again, very popular 50-year-old heart surgeon from Tennessee. And one lawmaker who spoke out, a senator from Virginia saying that he really does represent the new face of the Republican Party
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: I believe that Bill Frist is a person who is most capable of accurately portraying the sentiments of Senate Republicans to advance opportunities for all Americans. He's capable to represent those views and express them in a coherent, logical, and I think motivational way, as well. He has my support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Democrats, of course, are already going after Senator Frist, trying to find any problems in his background. I know there is this talk about this HCA Hospital Corporation. It was founded by Frist's father and brother, but he has never really personally participated in the management of that. It was taken over by another group, no longer run at all by anyone in his family. And Frist has put his own investments in HCA into a blind trust to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. That was something that even went far above and beyond what the Senate Ethics Committee felt that he had to do.
So really being very careful in that matter, but Democrats still obviously wanting to portray him as someone who is conservative, equally conservative, they say, as Senator Trent Lott, though many here view him as much more of a moderate. Back to you.
SAN MIGUEL: All right. We'll be talking more about this later with a political analyst. Kathleen, thanks for that report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
