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CNN Live At Daybreak

Not Your Father's Debate

Aired November 05, 2003 - 06:06   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: Oh, they were rocking as only political candidates can in CNN's "Rock the Vote." It got a little ugly for Howard Dean. He was attacked over the Confederate flag. As for his defense, well, some say it was a tad wishy-washy.
To D.C. now and Jennifer Coggiola.

Good morning -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Wishy-washy, I guess we'll let the audience be the judge of that. But three months before the primaries and one year before the presidential election, eight of the nine Democratic candidates came forward last night, going face to face with an audience that sometimes is overlooked.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): In last night's "Rock the Vote" debate, gun control, gay rights and Cuba. But the more heated moments came when Governor Howard Dean, the front runner of the group, was challenged on comments he had made about wanting to be the candidate for white Southerners who fly Confederate flags.

HOWARD DEAND (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need to bring folks together in this race, just like Martin Luther King tried to do before he was killed. He was right. And I make no apologies for reaching out to poor white people.

COGGIOLA: Drawing fire from a few of the other candidates.

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

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The last thing we need in the South is somebody like you coming down and telling us what we need to do.

SHARPTON: You are not a bigot, but you appear to be too arrogant to say I'm wrong and go on.

COGGIOLA: The candidates also touched on President Bush's policies on Iraq.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I didn't support the war in Iraq so that America could control Iraq. I supported it to get rid of a homicidal maniac named Saddam Hussein and to let the Iraqis control Iraq.

CAROL MOSELEY BRAUN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This has been a tragic misadventure.

COGGIOLA: The candidates even took a moment to show their lighter side.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And you know why I will be a great president of the United States? Because I've been a long suffering Red Sox fan. I know adversity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: Now, one of the less conventional questions, also posed to Bill Clinton in 1992 was had they ever smoked pot. Well, Edwards, Dean and Kerry said they had, but they didn't get into whether or not they had inhaled -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, I'm just glad they didn't ask the boxer brief question, because, frankly, I just didn't want to know.

COGGIOLA: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Jennifer Coggiola reporting live from Washington this morning.

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 - 06:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, they were rocking as only political candidates can in CNN's "Rock the Vote." It got a little ugly for Howard Dean. He was attacked over the Confederate flag. As for his defense, well, some say it was a tad wishy-washy.
To D.C. now and Jennifer Coggiola.

Good morning -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER COGGIOLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Wishy-washy, I guess we'll let the audience be the judge of that. But three months before the primaries and one year before the presidential election, eight of the nine Democratic candidates came forward last night, going face to face with an audience that sometimes is overlooked.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA (voice-over): In last night's "Rock the Vote" debate, gun control, gay rights and Cuba. But the more heated moments came when Governor Howard Dean, the front runner of the group, was challenged on comments he had made about wanting to be the candidate for white Southerners who fly Confederate flags.

HOWARD DEAND (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need to bring folks together in this race, just like Martin Luther King tried to do before he was killed. He was right. And I make no apologies for reaching out to poor white people.

COGGIOLA: Drawing fire from a few of the other candidates.

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

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The last thing we need in the South is somebody like you coming down and telling us what we need to do.

SHARPTON: You are not a bigot, but you appear to be too arrogant to say I'm wrong and go on.

COGGIOLA: The candidates also touched on President Bush's policies on Iraq.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I didn't support the war in Iraq so that America could control Iraq. I supported it to get rid of a homicidal maniac named Saddam Hussein and to let the Iraqis control Iraq.

CAROL MOSELEY BRAUN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This has been a tragic misadventure.

COGGIOLA: The candidates even took a moment to show their lighter side.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And you know why I will be a great president of the United States? Because I've been a long suffering Red Sox fan. I know adversity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COGGIOLA: Now, one of the less conventional questions, also posed to Bill Clinton in 1992 was had they ever smoked pot. Well, Edwards, Dean and Kerry said they had, but they didn't get into whether or not they had inhaled -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, I'm just glad they didn't ask the boxer brief question, because, frankly, I just didn't want to know.

COGGIOLA: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Jennifer Coggiola reporting live from Washington this morning.

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