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CNN Live At Daybreak

Taxes, Gay Marriage, Gun Control Included in Democratic Debate

Aired January 23, 2004 - 06:27   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The Democrats had a final chance to take shots at each other before Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. But they didn't. Instead, the candidates attacked President Bush in last night's debate and they took pages from their stump speeches.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D-CT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The Republicans can't run their normal playbook on me that they try to run on Democratic candidates. They can't say I flip-flop, because I don't. They can't say I'm weak on defense, because I'm not. They can't say I'm weak on values, because I'm not. They can't say I'm a big taxer or a big spender.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm in this party now and I'll bring a lot of other people into this party, too. And that's what we need to do to win in November.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I think 32 percent of Iowans decided it was not too early, that they wanted me to be their president.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think a lot of people have had a lot of fun at my expense over the Iowa hooting and hollering, and I think that's justified. The one thing I can tell you is that I'm not kidding about what I say.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can pledge this to the American people, I will never conduct a war or start a war because we want to. The United States of America should only go to war because we have to. And if you live by that guidance, you'll never have veterans throwing away their medals or standing up in protest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk a little more about the debate and how the candidates are positioned heading into the last weekend before the primary.

CNN's Bob Franken is on the campaign trail in Manchester, New Hampshire and he joins us on the phone -- good morning to you, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: All right, so the candidates are playing nice. They're trying to stick to the issues, especially on the heels of the president's State of the Union address.

Let's talk about taxes first. That was one issue that they tried to tackle.

FRANKEN: Well, sure. They recited their different positions on taxes. All of them believe that the middle class is being unfairly treated. The problem that we had with this issue and all the others is that it's the kind of thing that we've heard over and over again. The real strategy here at the debate last night was to just make sure that nobody harmed themself, particularly Howard Dean. He was quite a contrast from the Iowa speech.

WHITFIELD: Well, one thing that they perhaps have not been talking a whole lot about on the campaign trail is gay marriages. But, of course, they are now, particularly after President Bush went on record during the State of the Union making his voice very clear.

On Dean, he, you know, has a record with authorizing gay civil unions and he -- apparently his campaign has gained a considerable amount of money from the gay populace.

So what were his comments last night? Anything new on that issue, it being less of a state issue and more of a federal issue?

FRANKEN: Well, he was agreeing with the concept that it was a state issue, saying, as a matter of fact, that he even paralleled, probably paralleled Vice President Cheney on the issue. There is a difference between the civil unions type of situation that was passed in Vermont and actual marriage. And probably fundamental to the debate is that marriage is an institution that is separate. Many people who oppose allowing gay marriages still support some sort of financial relief by the state in the form of civil unions, that type of thing.

WHITFIELD: Gun control always a hot button issue, but on this issue, Dean and Edwards saw eye to eye, saying that this, too, should be a state issue.

FRANKEN: Well, true. And what they were trying to do with that issue in this year of the bubba, as many people say, is to tiptoe around that issue. New Hampshire is one of many states where owning guns has become an issue of passion. Of course, a democratic issue over the years that sometimes has been viewed as negative by the gun -- the people who advocate gun rights.

So what they were trying to do was to say, in effect, that some of my best friends are gun owners.

WHITFIELD: All right, Bob Franken, thanks for waking up with us this morning from Manchester, New Hampshire.

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




Debate>


Aired January 23, 2004 - 06:27   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The Democrats had a final chance to take shots at each other before Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. But they didn't. Instead, the candidates attacked President Bush in last night's debate and they took pages from their stump speeches.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D-CT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The Republicans can't run their normal playbook on me that they try to run on Democratic candidates. They can't say I flip-flop, because I don't. They can't say I'm weak on defense, because I'm not. They can't say I'm weak on values, because I'm not. They can't say I'm a big taxer or a big spender.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm in this party now and I'll bring a lot of other people into this party, too. And that's what we need to do to win in November.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I think 32 percent of Iowans decided it was not too early, that they wanted me to be their president.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think a lot of people have had a lot of fun at my expense over the Iowa hooting and hollering, and I think that's justified. The one thing I can tell you is that I'm not kidding about what I say.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can pledge this to the American people, I will never conduct a war or start a war because we want to. The United States of America should only go to war because we have to. And if you live by that guidance, you'll never have veterans throwing away their medals or standing up in protest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk a little more about the debate and how the candidates are positioned heading into the last weekend before the primary.

CNN's Bob Franken is on the campaign trail in Manchester, New Hampshire and he joins us on the phone -- good morning to you, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: All right, so the candidates are playing nice. They're trying to stick to the issues, especially on the heels of the president's State of the Union address.

Let's talk about taxes first. That was one issue that they tried to tackle.

FRANKEN: Well, sure. They recited their different positions on taxes. All of them believe that the middle class is being unfairly treated. The problem that we had with this issue and all the others is that it's the kind of thing that we've heard over and over again. The real strategy here at the debate last night was to just make sure that nobody harmed themself, particularly Howard Dean. He was quite a contrast from the Iowa speech.

WHITFIELD: Well, one thing that they perhaps have not been talking a whole lot about on the campaign trail is gay marriages. But, of course, they are now, particularly after President Bush went on record during the State of the Union making his voice very clear.

On Dean, he, you know, has a record with authorizing gay civil unions and he -- apparently his campaign has gained a considerable amount of money from the gay populace.

So what were his comments last night? Anything new on that issue, it being less of a state issue and more of a federal issue?

FRANKEN: Well, he was agreeing with the concept that it was a state issue, saying, as a matter of fact, that he even paralleled, probably paralleled Vice President Cheney on the issue. There is a difference between the civil unions type of situation that was passed in Vermont and actual marriage. And probably fundamental to the debate is that marriage is an institution that is separate. Many people who oppose allowing gay marriages still support some sort of financial relief by the state in the form of civil unions, that type of thing.

WHITFIELD: Gun control always a hot button issue, but on this issue, Dean and Edwards saw eye to eye, saying that this, too, should be a state issue.

FRANKEN: Well, true. And what they were trying to do with that issue in this year of the bubba, as many people say, is to tiptoe around that issue. New Hampshire is one of many states where owning guns has become an issue of passion. Of course, a democratic issue over the years that sometimes has been viewed as negative by the gun -- the people who advocate gun rights.

So what they were trying to do was to say, in effect, that some of my best friends are gun owners.

WHITFIELD: All right, Bob Franken, thanks for waking up with us this morning from Manchester, New Hampshire.

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




Debate>