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CNN Live At Daybreak

'America Votes'

Aired January 08, 2004 - 05:07   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: Topping our America Votes segment, the "New Republic" magazine has strongly endorsed Joe Lieberman for president. The moderate political journal says the senator from Connecticut offers what it calls "the clearest, bravest vision for Democrats." The magazine blasts front runner Howard Dean, saying he doesn't have the leadership skills to head the party, let alone the country. Lieberman says he is honored to receive the endorsement.
That criticism about Howard Dean's leadership ability doesn't wash in Vermont, where he was governor for 11 years.

CNN's Kelly Wallace looks at what Vermonters call the myths about Dean.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Howard Dean country, Burlington, Vermont, where they call the Democratic front runner by his first name. And people here say their Howard is not the same man gracing America's front pages.

PETER FREYNE, POLITICAL COLUMNIST: When I see the magazine covers about the angry man, we didn't see much of that anger. He is a New Yorker. He has a sharp tongue. He can be very effective and strategic and pinpoint his remarks.

WALLACE: Angry, no; intense, yes; those who tangled with him say. Case in point, back in 2002, when cameras caught the then governor dressing down a top Republican.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And you had your chance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your running for president and you haven't been around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're running for senator and you had a lot of trouble winning your election.

WALLACE: Yet in the statehouse, even Republicans are not likely to criticize him.

VINCE ILUZZI (R), VERMONT STATE SENATE: People understood that they could respectfully disagree, agree to disagree, but to say that they walked away saying I don't like Howard or I hate Howard Dean or he's a left-wing nut that you can't reason with. You're not going to find that in Vermont. WALLACE: Misperception number two, those who know him well say, Governor Howard Dean was no left-wing liberal.

FREYNE: We all laugh at that. Howard Dean represented the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. Some even thought it was the Republican wing of the Republican Party at first.

WALLACE: In fact, his biggest critics during his 11 year tenure were not Republican, but left-wing Democrats who sometimes found him too conservative, like Democrat Francis Brooks.

FRANCIS BROOKS (D), VERMONT STATE HOUSE: There were times when leaving his office we were a long ways from agreement.

WALLACE (on camera): Howard Dean is popular here. He was elected to five consecutive two year terms as governor. His biggest political test, perhaps, coming on an issue with thrusts this tiny state onto the national stage.

(voice-over): That was in 2000, when Howard Dean reluctantly signed a law legalizing gay civil unions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The governor said very clearly there are times in politics where you have to do the right thing. Even though you're sometimes ahead of where people are at, this is the right thing to do.

WALLACE: People here now wait to see if that record and no nonsense leadership style can sell outside Vermont.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, Burlington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 January 8, 2004 - 05:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Topping our America Votes segment, the "New Republic" magazine has strongly endorsed Joe Lieberman for president. The moderate political journal says the senator from Connecticut offers what it calls "the clearest, bravest vision for Democrats." The magazine blasts front runner Howard Dean, saying he doesn't have the leadership skills to head the party, let alone the country. Lieberman says he is honored to receive the endorsement.
That criticism about Howard Dean's leadership ability doesn't wash in Vermont, where he was governor for 11 years.

CNN's Kelly Wallace looks at what Vermonters call the myths about Dean.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Howard Dean country, Burlington, Vermont, where they call the Democratic front runner by his first name. And people here say their Howard is not the same man gracing America's front pages.

PETER FREYNE, POLITICAL COLUMNIST: When I see the magazine covers about the angry man, we didn't see much of that anger. He is a New Yorker. He has a sharp tongue. He can be very effective and strategic and pinpoint his remarks.

WALLACE: Angry, no; intense, yes; those who tangled with him say. Case in point, back in 2002, when cameras caught the then governor dressing down a top Republican.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And you had your chance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your running for president and you haven't been around.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're running for senator and you had a lot of trouble winning your election.

WALLACE: Yet in the statehouse, even Republicans are not likely to criticize him.

VINCE ILUZZI (R), VERMONT STATE SENATE: People understood that they could respectfully disagree, agree to disagree, but to say that they walked away saying I don't like Howard or I hate Howard Dean or he's a left-wing nut that you can't reason with. You're not going to find that in Vermont. WALLACE: Misperception number two, those who know him well say, Governor Howard Dean was no left-wing liberal.

FREYNE: We all laugh at that. Howard Dean represented the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. Some even thought it was the Republican wing of the Republican Party at first.

WALLACE: In fact, his biggest critics during his 11 year tenure were not Republican, but left-wing Democrats who sometimes found him too conservative, like Democrat Francis Brooks.

FRANCIS BROOKS (D), VERMONT STATE HOUSE: There were times when leaving his office we were a long ways from agreement.

WALLACE (on camera): Howard Dean is popular here. He was elected to five consecutive two year terms as governor. His biggest political test, perhaps, coming on an issue with thrusts this tiny state onto the national stage.

(voice-over): That was in 2000, when Howard Dean reluctantly signed a law legalizing gay civil unions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The governor said very clearly there are times in politics where you have to do the right thing. Even though you're sometimes ahead of where people are at, this is the right thing to do.

WALLACE: People here now wait to see if that record and no nonsense leadership style can sell outside Vermont.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, Burlington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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