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CNN Live At Daybreak
New Head Honcho on Capitol Hill
Aired December 23, 2002 - 05:02 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Now, let's get to our top story. A new head honcho on Capitol Hill. Senator Bill Frist expected to be voted in today as majority leader following Trent Lott's fall from power.
CNN's Elaine Quijano has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At his home in Nashville, Senator Bill Frist stayed out of the spotlight one day before fellow Republicans plan to formally elect him as their new Senate majority leader. GOP officials hope Senator Frist will refocus the nation's attention away from the controversial comments made by Senator Lott and help reshape the party's image as more inclusive, more supportive of minorities.
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R-UT), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE:
Well, you know, the attitude is that only Democrats care about minorities. That's pure b.s. I think every Republican is working hard to try and be good to minorities and do what's right.
QUIJANO: One key test of that may come soon, judicial nominees.
SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R-NB), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: There is no question that those judicial nominees sent up by the president, their backgrounds, I think, will be examined more closely regarding racial issues.
QUIJANO: Last September, Democrats rejected President Bush's choice of Charles Pickering for a federal appellate judge, saying he would not do enough to protect individual and civil rights. Republicans say Pickering had a good record on minority issues and they want President Bush to renominate him.
SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R-PA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The way he was treated was frankly unconscionable and I hope that if the president brings it back up -- and that's his decision -- that he's given a fair hearing.
QUIJANO: Democrats say the Republican Party, led by Frist, has a chance to show a renewed commitment to minority rights and to demonstrate that their talk is more than just rhetoric.
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D-FL), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: To me this is more than just a transitory partisan political problem. It is a real question of whether we are going to have, as a nation, policies that will treat all Americans fairly.
QUIJANO (on camera): As for Senator Lott, he made his first public comments since stepping down as GOP leader. In an interview Sunday with the Associated Press, Lott said, "I don't think there's any use in trying to say I'm disappointed in anybody or anything. An inappropriate remark brought this down on my head." Lott added, "There are some people in Washington who have been trying to nail me for a long time. When you're from Mississippi and you're a conservative and you're a Christian, there are a lot of people that don't like that. I fell into their trap and so I have only myself to blame."
Elaine Quijano, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLAWAY: And let's get more now on what Senator Lott had to say. The veteran senator is vowing to support Bill Frist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MI), MINORITY LEADER: If he is the choice of the Conference, certainly I will. It looks like he will be. And I'm going to make it clear that I will support our leadership team and I'm still going to support the agenda that I believe in very strongly, opportunity for Americans, growth in the economy, strong national defense to protect our interests. I haven't changed on any of that. And I will offer my experience and leadership, 20 of the last 30 years, to be helpful to get results for the American people, all American people of all races and backgrounds and regions of this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: Lott says that the lesson he learned from this ordeal is to be careful what you say. Bill Frist will have something to say to the public later today after he is voted in as Senate majority leader. CNN will bring you his comments live. That vote will take place during a conference call about 2:00 p.m. Eastern time.
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 23, 2002 - 05:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Now, let's get to our top story. A new head honcho on Capitol Hill. Senator Bill Frist expected to be voted in today as majority leader following Trent Lott's fall from power.
CNN's Elaine Quijano has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At his home in Nashville, Senator Bill Frist stayed out of the spotlight one day before fellow Republicans plan to formally elect him as their new Senate majority leader. GOP officials hope Senator Frist will refocus the nation's attention away from the controversial comments made by Senator Lott and help reshape the party's image as more inclusive, more supportive of minorities.
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R-UT), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE:
Well, you know, the attitude is that only Democrats care about minorities. That's pure b.s. I think every Republican is working hard to try and be good to minorities and do what's right.
QUIJANO: One key test of that may come soon, judicial nominees.
SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R-NB), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: There is no question that those judicial nominees sent up by the president, their backgrounds, I think, will be examined more closely regarding racial issues.
QUIJANO: Last September, Democrats rejected President Bush's choice of Charles Pickering for a federal appellate judge, saying he would not do enough to protect individual and civil rights. Republicans say Pickering had a good record on minority issues and they want President Bush to renominate him.
SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R-PA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The way he was treated was frankly unconscionable and I hope that if the president brings it back up -- and that's his decision -- that he's given a fair hearing.
QUIJANO: Democrats say the Republican Party, led by Frist, has a chance to show a renewed commitment to minority rights and to demonstrate that their talk is more than just rhetoric.
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D-FL), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: To me this is more than just a transitory partisan political problem. It is a real question of whether we are going to have, as a nation, policies that will treat all Americans fairly.
QUIJANO (on camera): As for Senator Lott, he made his first public comments since stepping down as GOP leader. In an interview Sunday with the Associated Press, Lott said, "I don't think there's any use in trying to say I'm disappointed in anybody or anything. An inappropriate remark brought this down on my head." Lott added, "There are some people in Washington who have been trying to nail me for a long time. When you're from Mississippi and you're a conservative and you're a Christian, there are a lot of people that don't like that. I fell into their trap and so I have only myself to blame."
Elaine Quijano, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLAWAY: And let's get more now on what Senator Lott had to say. The veteran senator is vowing to support Bill Frist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MI), MINORITY LEADER: If he is the choice of the Conference, certainly I will. It looks like he will be. And I'm going to make it clear that I will support our leadership team and I'm still going to support the agenda that I believe in very strongly, opportunity for Americans, growth in the economy, strong national defense to protect our interests. I haven't changed on any of that. And I will offer my experience and leadership, 20 of the last 30 years, to be helpful to get results for the American people, all American people of all races and backgrounds and regions of this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLAWAY: Lott says that the lesson he learned from this ordeal is to be careful what you say. Bill Frist will have something to say to the public later today after he is voted in as Senate majority leader. CNN will bring you his comments live. That vote will take place during a conference call about 2:00 p.m. Eastern time.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
