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CNN Live Today
Hat in the Ring
Aired January 13, 2003 - 11:17 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yet another Democrat is elbowing his way into the 2004 presidential race today. Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is in Stanford, Connecticut, which happens to be the hometown to Senator Joe Lieberman, who earlier today said, count him in.
Candy, good morning.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
And I happen to be standing in Stanford High School, which is where Joe Lieberman went to high school, and it is here he came surrounded by fellow classmates from the high school class of 1960, his mother, his wife, and other friends all to come to say what everyone knew he would.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: My friends, two years ago, we were promised a better America, but that promise has not been kept.
So today, I am ready to put our country first, to fight for what's right for the American people. I'm ready to protect their security, to revive their economy, and to uphold their values.
Yes, I am ready to announce today that I am a candidate for president of the United States in 2004. And I intend to win!
(APPLAUSE)
CROWLEY: Lieberman is number five officially in the race. We expect at least six and seven fairly shortly. We could go up to 10 or maybe more. This is still wide open.
But Lieberman brings a lot to the table. He is, first of all, the biggest name in the race, having run in 2000 as Al Gore's running mate. He also is a proven fund-raiser , but in questions and answers afterwards, we began to see exactly what his major problem will be, at least in the primary, and that is that Joe Lieberman, in Democratic terms, is a moderate. He is a little to the right of center. Voters in primaries tend to be to the left of center. So Lieberman will have to look at his record and explain his record to people who generally vote more liberally than he does -- Daryn.
KAGAN: He also, because he's been senator for such a long time, because he did run in 2000, he has a long record, and how much has he changed over the years, Candy, especially when he became vice presidential candidate? Didn't he compromise on some of the views he had held for a long time?
CROWLEY: Absolutely. That's understandable. He wasn't the top of the ticket. You heard questions about school vouchers. He supported a program for the District of Columbia, a test program. He said today, look, I think that, you know, there is, he called them something else, like scholarships or something, and set up some rules, but it's definitely a more pro than anti voucher.
He is for cuts in capital gains tax. That's generally not a Democratic position, so what he says is, look, I'm running on my own now, I am going to be what I am and say what I believe, and that means, you know, agreeing with my opponents when I agree with them and disagreeing with my friends when I do. So he's going to try a straight-talk John McCain campaign, which is here I am and this is what I believe, but all of those positions that he sort of backed off from, or at least downplayed in 2000, you can expect to come again in 2004.
KAGAN: As we learned today, he does have presidential experience, president of his senior class right there at Stanford class. So go where you have had success. Good way to start.
CROWLEY: Absolutely.
KAGAN: Candy Crowley, 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 January 13, 2003 - 11:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yet another Democrat is elbowing his way into the 2004 presidential race today. Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is in Stanford, Connecticut, which happens to be the hometown to Senator Joe Lieberman, who earlier today said, count him in.
Candy, good morning.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
And I happen to be standing in Stanford High School, which is where Joe Lieberman went to high school, and it is here he came surrounded by fellow classmates from the high school class of 1960, his mother, his wife, and other friends all to come to say what everyone knew he would.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: My friends, two years ago, we were promised a better America, but that promise has not been kept.
So today, I am ready to put our country first, to fight for what's right for the American people. I'm ready to protect their security, to revive their economy, and to uphold their values.
Yes, I am ready to announce today that I am a candidate for president of the United States in 2004. And I intend to win!
(APPLAUSE)
CROWLEY: Lieberman is number five officially in the race. We expect at least six and seven fairly shortly. We could go up to 10 or maybe more. This is still wide open.
But Lieberman brings a lot to the table. He is, first of all, the biggest name in the race, having run in 2000 as Al Gore's running mate. He also is a proven fund-raiser , but in questions and answers afterwards, we began to see exactly what his major problem will be, at least in the primary, and that is that Joe Lieberman, in Democratic terms, is a moderate. He is a little to the right of center. Voters in primaries tend to be to the left of center. So Lieberman will have to look at his record and explain his record to people who generally vote more liberally than he does -- Daryn.
KAGAN: He also, because he's been senator for such a long time, because he did run in 2000, he has a long record, and how much has he changed over the years, Candy, especially when he became vice presidential candidate? Didn't he compromise on some of the views he had held for a long time?
CROWLEY: Absolutely. That's understandable. He wasn't the top of the ticket. You heard questions about school vouchers. He supported a program for the District of Columbia, a test program. He said today, look, I think that, you know, there is, he called them something else, like scholarships or something, and set up some rules, but it's definitely a more pro than anti voucher.
He is for cuts in capital gains tax. That's generally not a Democratic position, so what he says is, look, I'm running on my own now, I am going to be what I am and say what I believe, and that means, you know, agreeing with my opponents when I agree with them and disagreeing with my friends when I do. So he's going to try a straight-talk John McCain campaign, which is here I am and this is what I believe, but all of those positions that he sort of backed off from, or at least downplayed in 2000, you can expect to come again in 2004.
KAGAN: As we learned today, he does have presidential experience, president of his senior class right there at Stanford class. So go where you have had success. Good way to start.
CROWLEY: Absolutely.
KAGAN: Candy Crowley, 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
