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CNN SATURDAY
Interview With Martin Sheen
Aired March 1, 2003 - 18:53 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: War is still just a threat, but shots are already being fired over whether it's a wise move. And leading the charge against taking on Iraq are Hollywood stars like Martin Sheen, who plays the president on TV. Well, the real president has his Hollywood supporters like "Law & Order" star and former politician Fred Thompson, who recently took to the airwaves in Mr. Bush's defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED THOMPSON, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: With all the criticism of our president's policy on Iraq lately, Americans might ask what should we do with the inevitable prospect of nuclear weapons in the hands of a murderous and aggressive enemy. Can we afford to appease Saddam? Kick the can down the road? Thank goodness we have a president with the courage to protect our country. And when people ask what has Saddam done to us? I ask, what have the 9/11 hijackers done to us, before 9/11?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Fighting words. Well, CNN's Thelma Gutierrez has got Martin Sheen's reaction to the ad, among other things.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Former Senator Fred Thompson who is now an actor on "Law & Order" has come out with an ad of his own in favor of the president to counter the celebrity left, as he calls it. Your thoughts on that?
MARTIN SHEEN, ACTOR/ACTIVIST: I haven't seen the ad. I admire Senator Thompson and I respect him. He's entitled to do whatever he feels his conscience directs him to do, which is what I'm doing. But I have no interest in trying to combat that. I'm just trying to tell people to raise their voices with their hearts in prayer. I don't know what else to do.
GUTIERREZ: You know, you have been so public about your views on this war. Have you experienced any backlash as a result of that?
SHEEN: Yes, tons of it.
GUTIERREZ: Because people have equated being anti-war with being anti-American. SHEEN: Yeah, which is bull (EXPLETIVE DELETED), frankly, you know. I love my country, enough to risk its wrath by bringing attention to the dark spots, the things that will really hurt us. When we don't have vision, we're blind.
GUTIERREZ: On a more lighthearted note, Senator Thompson has been quoted in the paper as saying that he would like his character to run for president against your character on the "West Wing."
SHEEN: He's too late. He's too late. He would win the next one, because I can't run. And he's welcome to it. I think it's a great idea. I've already been elected twice, so I can't run again.
GUTIERREZ: Final thought. If you could say something to him, what would you want him to know?
SHEEN: Fred, you're a wonderful actor. Welcome back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEEN: If the people lead, the leaders will follow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GUTIERREZ: The day after the big protest ...
SHEEN: Yes.
GUTIERREZ: ... a couple of weeks ago, the president came out and said, I can't make a decision based on the turn out of protesters because that's like make a decision on policy based on a focus group.
SHEEN: You don't think he does that? You don't think that there's a focus group that put him where he is and keep s him where he is? And supports him as long as he fosters a certain point of view?
GUTIERREZ: Should the administration listen to all the people who come forward?
SHEEN: It won't be there long if it doesn't. It can't survive. You know, you can't lead this way. You can't lead by fear and intimidation. You've got to lead with vision and confidence, and humanity. You got to lead all the people. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love my country. I love it enough to risk its wrath by pointing out the things that will destroy it, harm it very deeply. And that's costly patriotism.
GUTIERREZ: Martin Sheen, thank you very much.
SHEEN: Thanks very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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