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CNN Live Sunday

Interview With Ken Rudin

Aired September 21, 2003 - 11:04   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Some insights now on who will be watching the president's U.N. address and what the result may be. Ken Rudin is National Public Radio's political analyst. He's joining us now this morning to talk a little bit more about this.
Hello to you. And I appreciate you being here. Just want to ask you, what is he likely to say, and who is he talking to in this address?

KEN RUDIN, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: I think the second question is the real question. Obviously, he has two audiences. Obviously, the members of the U.N., they feel this is America's mess, why should they bail out the United States? Of course, the president will that say a stable Iraq leads to a stable world, and obviously they need the U.N. help.

But of course, you know, there's a domestic audience involved here, too, with the president, the poll numbers. I mean, obviously, it depends on how you ask the questions. But the poll numbers have not been looking good for the president. Certainly, they have been coming down steadily, especially since September 7th, when the president went to the American people and said we need $87 billion more for this war.

His numbers have not been good. Obviously, this speech to the U.N. is going to try to rally the domestic front, as well.

COLLINS: So what is it that is at stake for him when he goes and talks to the U.N.? What is the main issue that he will have to try to overcome?

RUDIN: Well, aside from the obvious thing about, you know, securing peace in Iraq, I mean, this is a person, this is a president whose re-election was always conditioned on solving the Iraqi situation and then dealing with the domestic front. Remember, his father did not do exactly that, even though the United States so- called won the war, the Persian Gulf War in '91. He did not face up to economic woes, and that's what caused the first President Bush's re-election in 1992.

The president, from the beginning, knew that if we could stabilize the situation with a fight on the war on terror, the war in Iraq, he could focus on the domestic front. But, of course, if the foreign front is not secured, then he has a two-prong war there.

COLLINS: All right. Let's talk for a minute, if we could, about the trilateral summit that we just watched. Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schroeder, Tony Blair talking about these very issues and the possible U.N. resolution. What sort of support could the president actually muster here?

RUDIN: Well, the president certainly was hoping to get some kind of resolution before he went to the U.N., some kind of language that said, yes, this is a worldwide concern, the world needs to come together and help the United States and all work together and come out with some kind of a resolution. The president knows that Chirac was opposed to the war, Schroeder of Germany was opposed to the war, that has not changed.

There may be some indication that some willingness -- I mean, Chirac obviously feels that if there's more U.N. control, earlier turning over of affairs to Iraqis and away from the United States' control, maybe there will be more international cooperation. The United States -- you know, it reminds me almost of Ronald Reagan about the Panama Canal. You know, we built it, it's ours, we paid for it, so we're not giving it up.

A lot of people feel that Iraq is George Bush's Panama Canal. But obviously we need international support to pay for it, and also to send troops as well.

COLLINS: All right, last question -- go right ahead.

RUDIN: I was just going to say, also, the other domestic front, I mean, this is not done in a vacuum. You know you have the Democrats yapping at the president's heels as well. But the Democrats are not so clean on this either.

You have Wesley Clark, the new Democratic savior, who is going to save the Democratic Party. But, of course, two days ago he said he would have voted for the war, then he said he wouldn't have voted for the war. Then we find out that back in 2002, he would have voted for the resolution, then he's criticized it.

John Kerry's been torn in knots over how he voted for the war, but he's criticized it. So the Democrats have some explaining to do as well, of course.

COLLINS: That's probably the case. Ken Rudin, we appreciate your insights today so very much on this speech that's coming up. Ken Rudin, with National Public Radio, thanks again.

RUDIN: Thanks, Heidi.

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 September 21, 2003 - 11:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Some insights now on who will be watching the president's U.N. address and what the result may be. Ken Rudin is National Public Radio's political analyst. He's joining us now this morning to talk a little bit more about this.
Hello to you. And I appreciate you being here. Just want to ask you, what is he likely to say, and who is he talking to in this address?

KEN RUDIN, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: I think the second question is the real question. Obviously, he has two audiences. Obviously, the members of the U.N., they feel this is America's mess, why should they bail out the United States? Of course, the president will that say a stable Iraq leads to a stable world, and obviously they need the U.N. help.

But of course, you know, there's a domestic audience involved here, too, with the president, the poll numbers. I mean, obviously, it depends on how you ask the questions. But the poll numbers have not been looking good for the president. Certainly, they have been coming down steadily, especially since September 7th, when the president went to the American people and said we need $87 billion more for this war.

His numbers have not been good. Obviously, this speech to the U.N. is going to try to rally the domestic front, as well.

COLLINS: So what is it that is at stake for him when he goes and talks to the U.N.? What is the main issue that he will have to try to overcome?

RUDIN: Well, aside from the obvious thing about, you know, securing peace in Iraq, I mean, this is a person, this is a president whose re-election was always conditioned on solving the Iraqi situation and then dealing with the domestic front. Remember, his father did not do exactly that, even though the United States so- called won the war, the Persian Gulf War in '91. He did not face up to economic woes, and that's what caused the first President Bush's re-election in 1992.

The president, from the beginning, knew that if we could stabilize the situation with a fight on the war on terror, the war in Iraq, he could focus on the domestic front. But, of course, if the foreign front is not secured, then he has a two-prong war there.

COLLINS: All right. Let's talk for a minute, if we could, about the trilateral summit that we just watched. Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schroeder, Tony Blair talking about these very issues and the possible U.N. resolution. What sort of support could the president actually muster here?

RUDIN: Well, the president certainly was hoping to get some kind of resolution before he went to the U.N., some kind of language that said, yes, this is a worldwide concern, the world needs to come together and help the United States and all work together and come out with some kind of a resolution. The president knows that Chirac was opposed to the war, Schroeder of Germany was opposed to the war, that has not changed.

There may be some indication that some willingness -- I mean, Chirac obviously feels that if there's more U.N. control, earlier turning over of affairs to Iraqis and away from the United States' control, maybe there will be more international cooperation. The United States -- you know, it reminds me almost of Ronald Reagan about the Panama Canal. You know, we built it, it's ours, we paid for it, so we're not giving it up.

A lot of people feel that Iraq is George Bush's Panama Canal. But obviously we need international support to pay for it, and also to send troops as well.

COLLINS: All right, last question -- go right ahead.

RUDIN: I was just going to say, also, the other domestic front, I mean, this is not done in a vacuum. You know you have the Democrats yapping at the president's heels as well. But the Democrats are not so clean on this either.

You have Wesley Clark, the new Democratic savior, who is going to save the Democratic Party. But, of course, two days ago he said he would have voted for the war, then he said he wouldn't have voted for the war. Then we find out that back in 2002, he would have voted for the resolution, then he's criticized it.

John Kerry's been torn in knots over how he voted for the war, but he's criticized it. So the Democrats have some explaining to do as well, of course.

COLLINS: That's probably the case. Ken Rudin, we appreciate your insights today so very much on this speech that's coming up. Ken Rudin, with National Public Radio, thanks again.

RUDIN: Thanks, Heidi.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com