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CNN Live At Daybreak

Howard Dean on the Defensive

Aired November 05, 2003 - 05:05   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Speaking of Howard Dean, he was on the defensive during the CNN Rock The Vote debate last night.
As Candy Crowley reports, the forum for young voters turned on a controversial comment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No apologies for saying he also wants to be the candidate of guys with confederate flags on their pickups, but Howard Dean said he was happy to explain.

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Martin Luther King said that it was his dream that the sons of slaveholders and the sons of slaves sit down around a table and make common good.

CROWLEY: It was like somebody lit a match to kerosene.

AL SHARPTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: First of all, Martin Luther King said come to the table of brotherhood. You can't bring a confederate flag to the table of brotherhood.

CROWLEY: While Al Sharpton took on Dean from the perspective of an African-American, North Carolina's John Edwards criticized the Vermont governor for being condescending to white Southerners.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because let me tell you the last thing we need in the South is somebody like you coming down and telling us what we need to do. That's the last thing in the world we need in the South.

DEAN: I'm not going to take a back seat to anybody in terms of fighting bigotry.

CROWLEY: He may have held his own, but there is no way around this central truth -- having to explain your position on the confederate flag is not a debate plus. Say this for a young audience 30 and under. They seemed to energize a field grown tired of these 90 minute jousts for air time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're the manager of the Boston Red Sox.

CROWLEY: The questions ranged from funny and offbeat to serious and standard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My question is to you what specific actions would you take to ensure that these soldiers receive the benefits that they deserve?

CROWLEY: Weirdest answer, John Kerry explaining why he hunts.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, it's a tough economy now and it's amazing what you have to go to to put food on the table. I mean -- no, look, I've been a hunter all my life. But I make a point of eating what I kill.

CROWLEY: Weirdest question, who would you most like to party with? Oh, wait, maybe those were the weirdest answers.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I hope my wife understands this. I'd like to party with the young lady who asked that question.

SHARPTON: I hope mine understands it. I, probably the best person I've met to campaign to party with, Mrs. Kerry. I'm sorry.

KERRY: I was going to chose Carol Moseley-Braun but now I'm going to have to choose you so I can keep an eye on my wife.

CROWLEY: It was, as advertised, not your father's debate.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And during the next hour of DAYBREAK, our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, will join us to discuss the Rock The Vote forum and the impact of the elections on next year presidential races. By those elections, I mean the elections for mayor and governor across the United States.

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 November 5, 2003 - 05:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Speaking of Howard Dean, he was on the defensive during the CNN Rock The Vote debate last night.
As Candy Crowley reports, the forum for young voters turned on a controversial comment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No apologies for saying he also wants to be the candidate of guys with confederate flags on their pickups, but Howard Dean said he was happy to explain.

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Martin Luther King said that it was his dream that the sons of slaveholders and the sons of slaves sit down around a table and make common good.

CROWLEY: It was like somebody lit a match to kerosene.

AL SHARPTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: First of all, Martin Luther King said come to the table of brotherhood. You can't bring a confederate flag to the table of brotherhood.

CROWLEY: While Al Sharpton took on Dean from the perspective of an African-American, North Carolina's John Edwards criticized the Vermont governor for being condescending to white Southerners.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because let me tell you the last thing we need in the South is somebody like you coming down and telling us what we need to do. That's the last thing in the world we need in the South.

DEAN: I'm not going to take a back seat to anybody in terms of fighting bigotry.

CROWLEY: He may have held his own, but there is no way around this central truth -- having to explain your position on the confederate flag is not a debate plus. Say this for a young audience 30 and under. They seemed to energize a field grown tired of these 90 minute jousts for air time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're the manager of the Boston Red Sox.

CROWLEY: The questions ranged from funny and offbeat to serious and standard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My question is to you what specific actions would you take to ensure that these soldiers receive the benefits that they deserve?

CROWLEY: Weirdest answer, John Kerry explaining why he hunts.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, it's a tough economy now and it's amazing what you have to go to to put food on the table. I mean -- no, look, I've been a hunter all my life. But I make a point of eating what I kill.

CROWLEY: Weirdest question, who would you most like to party with? Oh, wait, maybe those were the weirdest answers.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I hope my wife understands this. I'd like to party with the young lady who asked that question.

SHARPTON: I hope mine understands it. I, probably the best person I've met to campaign to party with, Mrs. Kerry. I'm sorry.

KERRY: I was going to chose Carol Moseley-Braun but now I'm going to have to choose you so I can keep an eye on my wife.

CROWLEY: It was, as advertised, not your father's debate.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And during the next hour of DAYBREAK, our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, will join us to discuss the Rock The Vote forum and the impact of the elections on next year presidential races. By those elections, I mean the elections for mayor and governor across the United States.

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