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CNN Live At Daybreak

Al Gore to Endorse Howard Dean for President

Aired December 09, 2003 - 06:32   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: Al Gore has thrown a political bombshell. He'll provide more fireworks later today in Harlem. While there, he will officially endorse Howard Dean for president. There was a buzz at a Dean fund-raiser in New York last night. Celebrity supporters beat the drum for Dean, but the candidate was coy.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know I have to say, I'm having a good time running for president, but I'd trade that any day to have Al Gore in the White House instead of George Bush.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But Gore is going to endorse Dean.

Kelly Wallace is covering the campaign. She's live on the phone from New York.

Good morning -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And Dean was coy is right last night, because he also said when someone in the crowed yelled, "Al Gore," he said, I cannot confirm or deny that.

But preparations are under way up here in Harlem for this event. The two men will appear here together, and then they will fly off for another event in Iowa.

The big question we've been asking is: How significant is this? And most observers believe what this does is it gives Dean something that he has been lacking. He has widely been viewed throughout the campaign as somewhat of a fringe candidate, someone outside the Democratic Party.

Well, many believe Gore's endorsement today will send a message to members of the Democratic Party to get on the Dean bandwagon, that he is the Democrats best hope to defeat George Bush next year.

What it also does: Al Gore, many believe, was robbed. He should have won, they believe, the White House back in 2000. And so, he can rally the base of those voters who are still angry about the disputed election of a few years ago -- African-Americans, labor unions and others -- and juice up the party even more than it might already be for Howard Dean -- Carol. COSTELLO: Well, Kelly, let me ask you this. Gore is known pretty much for playing it safe. This is not playing it safe. This is kind of risky for Gore, isn't it?

WALLACE: Somewhat. Sources close to him were telling some of my colleagues that he was going to make this decision when he was comfortable with a candidate, and to do it at a time when it would have the most impact. And a lot of observers believe by doing it now, weeks ahead of the big kickoff contest in Iowa and New Hampshire, he can be sending a message and trying to encourage Democrats to coalesce around one candidate, and that, in his view, is Howard Dean.

There is something very interesting also, Carol, though. Joseph Lieberman, Gore's running mate in 2000, Lieberman has said that he would not run this time around if Gore decided to enter the race. And he only threw his hat in the ring after Gore announced he would not seek the nomination.

Well, Lieberman conceding to reporters that he was surprised. In fact, he did not receive any heads-up from his former running mate that he would be endorsing another candidate. And Lieberman in comments to reporters last night said that he's surprised, but that he'll continue to fight for the nomination and get his message out to the voters.

COSTELLO: Well, it's a tough world in the political world, isn't it? Kelly Wallace live on the phone from New York this morning, many thanks.

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 December 9, 2003 - 06:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Al Gore has thrown a political bombshell. He'll provide more fireworks later today in Harlem. While there, he will officially endorse Howard Dean for president. There was a buzz at a Dean fund-raiser in New York last night. Celebrity supporters beat the drum for Dean, but the candidate was coy.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know I have to say, I'm having a good time running for president, but I'd trade that any day to have Al Gore in the White House instead of George Bush.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But Gore is going to endorse Dean.

Kelly Wallace is covering the campaign. She's live on the phone from New York.

Good morning -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And Dean was coy is right last night, because he also said when someone in the crowed yelled, "Al Gore," he said, I cannot confirm or deny that.

But preparations are under way up here in Harlem for this event. The two men will appear here together, and then they will fly off for another event in Iowa.

The big question we've been asking is: How significant is this? And most observers believe what this does is it gives Dean something that he has been lacking. He has widely been viewed throughout the campaign as somewhat of a fringe candidate, someone outside the Democratic Party.

Well, many believe Gore's endorsement today will send a message to members of the Democratic Party to get on the Dean bandwagon, that he is the Democrats best hope to defeat George Bush next year.

What it also does: Al Gore, many believe, was robbed. He should have won, they believe, the White House back in 2000. And so, he can rally the base of those voters who are still angry about the disputed election of a few years ago -- African-Americans, labor unions and others -- and juice up the party even more than it might already be for Howard Dean -- Carol. COSTELLO: Well, Kelly, let me ask you this. Gore is known pretty much for playing it safe. This is not playing it safe. This is kind of risky for Gore, isn't it?

WALLACE: Somewhat. Sources close to him were telling some of my colleagues that he was going to make this decision when he was comfortable with a candidate, and to do it at a time when it would have the most impact. And a lot of observers believe by doing it now, weeks ahead of the big kickoff contest in Iowa and New Hampshire, he can be sending a message and trying to encourage Democrats to coalesce around one candidate, and that, in his view, is Howard Dean.

There is something very interesting also, Carol, though. Joseph Lieberman, Gore's running mate in 2000, Lieberman has said that he would not run this time around if Gore decided to enter the race. And he only threw his hat in the ring after Gore announced he would not seek the nomination.

Well, Lieberman conceding to reporters that he was surprised. In fact, he did not receive any heads-up from his former running mate that he would be endorsing another candidate. And Lieberman in comments to reporters last night said that he's surprised, but that he'll continue to fight for the nomination and get his message out to the voters.

COSTELLO: Well, it's a tough world in the political world, isn't it? Kelly Wallace live on the phone from New York this morning, many thanks.

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