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CNN Live At Daybreak
Will Last Night's Debate Impact Tomorrow's Primary?
Aired February 16, 2004 - 05:01 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: The blue collar city of Milwaukee was the setting as the Democratic presidential candidates took jabs at each other and power punches at President Bush. Will last night's debate impact tomorrow's primary?
Our national correspondent, Kelly Wallace, has that for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With this debate viewed as one of the last opportunities to stop John Kerry's march to the nomination, John Edwards, normally Mr. Positive, wasn't so Sunday night.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's the longest answer I ever heard to a yes or no question.
WALLACE: Edwards ripped the front runner's reply to a question about the Iraqi war, the North Carolina senator hoping to turn this into a two person race.
EDWARDS: Senator Kerry just said he will beat George Bush. Not so fast, John Kerry.
WALLACE: The former Vermont governor, who has attacked Senator Kerry all week, was given opportunity after opportunity but refused to take the bait.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you and the Bush campaign sounding the same theme about John Kerry?
DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think George Bush has some nerve attacking anybody about special interests.
WALLACE: While Dean was on stage, his aides fielded questions about whether he would stay in the race if he loses in Wisconsin. The governor, at a post-debate party, tried to put those questions to rest.
DEAN: And, no, we are not dropping out of the race after Wisconsin.
WALLACE: With so much momentum, Kerry's goal: avoid any mistakes and appear presidential. He broke little new ground, except when asked if he would disavow statements by some Democrats that President Bush was AWOL, away without leave, while serving in the Alabama Air National Guard. SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have suggested to some people who are my advocates who've gone that line of attack, it's not one that I plan to do and I've asked them not to.
WALLACE: The highlight, perhaps, one liners from the men trailing in the polls, Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton, particularly on the issue of whether Mr. Bush lied before the Iraqi war.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The president lied to the American people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And why would he do that?
KUCINICH: Well, you know what? I can't speak for the president, but...
REV. AL SHARPTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Clearly he lied. Now, if he is an unconscious liar and doesn't realize when he's lying, then we are really in trouble.
WALLACE (on camera): The question now is whether this debate will alter the dynamics of the race. Some political observers say it is unlikely, with polls showing John Kerry with such a commanding lead over his rivals.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And here is what our coverage of the Wisconsin primary will look like tomorrow night. It begins with Larry King at 9:00 Eastern, followed by Aaron Brown at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. And Wolf Blitzer will wrap it all up for you at 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
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 February 16, 2004 - 05:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The blue collar city of Milwaukee was the setting as the Democratic presidential candidates took jabs at each other and power punches at President Bush. Will last night's debate impact tomorrow's primary?
Our national correspondent, Kelly Wallace, has that for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With this debate viewed as one of the last opportunities to stop John Kerry's march to the nomination, John Edwards, normally Mr. Positive, wasn't so Sunday night.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's the longest answer I ever heard to a yes or no question.
WALLACE: Edwards ripped the front runner's reply to a question about the Iraqi war, the North Carolina senator hoping to turn this into a two person race.
EDWARDS: Senator Kerry just said he will beat George Bush. Not so fast, John Kerry.
WALLACE: The former Vermont governor, who has attacked Senator Kerry all week, was given opportunity after opportunity but refused to take the bait.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you and the Bush campaign sounding the same theme about John Kerry?
DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think George Bush has some nerve attacking anybody about special interests.
WALLACE: While Dean was on stage, his aides fielded questions about whether he would stay in the race if he loses in Wisconsin. The governor, at a post-debate party, tried to put those questions to rest.
DEAN: And, no, we are not dropping out of the race after Wisconsin.
WALLACE: With so much momentum, Kerry's goal: avoid any mistakes and appear presidential. He broke little new ground, except when asked if he would disavow statements by some Democrats that President Bush was AWOL, away without leave, while serving in the Alabama Air National Guard. SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have suggested to some people who are my advocates who've gone that line of attack, it's not one that I plan to do and I've asked them not to.
WALLACE: The highlight, perhaps, one liners from the men trailing in the polls, Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton, particularly on the issue of whether Mr. Bush lied before the Iraqi war.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The president lied to the American people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And why would he do that?
KUCINICH: Well, you know what? I can't speak for the president, but...
REV. AL SHARPTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Clearly he lied. Now, if he is an unconscious liar and doesn't realize when he's lying, then we are really in trouble.
WALLACE (on camera): The question now is whether this debate will alter the dynamics of the race. Some political observers say it is unlikely, with polls showing John Kerry with such a commanding lead over his rivals.
Kelly Wallace, CNN, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And here is what our coverage of the Wisconsin primary will look like tomorrow night. It begins with Larry King at 9:00 Eastern, followed by Aaron Brown at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. And Wolf Blitzer will wrap it all up for you at 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
