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CNN Live At Daybreak

Democratic Race Faces New Twists and Turns

Aired February 19, 2004 - 05:19   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: This is the first morning in two years Howard Dean will not be actively running for president. After 18 primary and caucus defeats, Dean says he is getting out of the race. But he is not getting out of politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency. We will, however, continue to build a new organization using our enormous grassroots network to continue the effort to transform the Democratic Party and to change our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And now there are two. Howard Dean's exit leaves just two major candidates with any realistic shot at the Democratic nomination. And some political veterans think even that number is too high.

Here's CNN's Dan Lothian with a Super Tuesday preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It wasn't a win in Wisconsin, but Senator John Edwards is feeling the wind at his back, says a senior aide, after a strong second place finish.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it was an extraordinary victory.

LOTHIAN: The strategy to keep up his momentum going into Super Tuesday with 10 states up for grabs, talk even louder about the economy and trade, especially in states like Ohio, Georgia and New York, impacted by the loss of manufacturing jobs.

BILL DE BLASIO, EDWARDS NEW YORK CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: His message on the economy is going to resonate in upstate New York very, very powerfully.

LOTHIAN: In what has essentially become a two man race, Senator Edwards, who opposes the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, will tell anyone who will listen that Senator John Kerry voted for it. It's become the hot issue.

EDWARDS: I think voters need to see the difference in our views. LOTHIAN: But Senator Kerry, campaigning in Ohio Wednesday, argued they're both on the same page when it comes to trade. And in what appeared to be an attempt to minimize the Edwards' trade strategy, he raised questions about when the senator from North Carolina first voiced his opposition to NAFTA, an agreement some blame for the loss of jobs.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He wasn't in the Senate back then. I don't know where he registered his vote, but it wasn't in the Senate.

LOTHIAN: The Kerry strategy, say aides, will be to deliver a positive message of change for the country, always willing to point out that he's won most of the contests so far and he's the best candidate to beat George Bush.

The battle for Super Tuesday few expected just days ago. But political strategists say it's more an interesting story than a viable challenge.

HANK SHEINKOPF, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: Edwards certainly did well, but not enough, necessarily, to make him a real contender here. The momentum is with John Kerry. He's got the delegates. He's got momentum. He's got the money.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That's Dan Lothian reporting. Speaking of money, aides say John Edwards has raised more than $300,000 on the Internet since his win, well, second place finish, in Wisconsin.

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 19, 2004 - 05:19   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: This is the first morning in two years Howard Dean will not be actively running for president. After 18 primary and caucus defeats, Dean says he is getting out of the race. But he is not getting out of politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency. We will, however, continue to build a new organization using our enormous grassroots network to continue the effort to transform the Democratic Party and to change our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And now there are two. Howard Dean's exit leaves just two major candidates with any realistic shot at the Democratic nomination. And some political veterans think even that number is too high.

Here's CNN's Dan Lothian with a Super Tuesday preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It wasn't a win in Wisconsin, but Senator John Edwards is feeling the wind at his back, says a senior aide, after a strong second place finish.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it was an extraordinary victory.

LOTHIAN: The strategy to keep up his momentum going into Super Tuesday with 10 states up for grabs, talk even louder about the economy and trade, especially in states like Ohio, Georgia and New York, impacted by the loss of manufacturing jobs.

BILL DE BLASIO, EDWARDS NEW YORK CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: His message on the economy is going to resonate in upstate New York very, very powerfully.

LOTHIAN: In what has essentially become a two man race, Senator Edwards, who opposes the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, will tell anyone who will listen that Senator John Kerry voted for it. It's become the hot issue.

EDWARDS: I think voters need to see the difference in our views. LOTHIAN: But Senator Kerry, campaigning in Ohio Wednesday, argued they're both on the same page when it comes to trade. And in what appeared to be an attempt to minimize the Edwards' trade strategy, he raised questions about when the senator from North Carolina first voiced his opposition to NAFTA, an agreement some blame for the loss of jobs.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He wasn't in the Senate back then. I don't know where he registered his vote, but it wasn't in the Senate.

LOTHIAN: The Kerry strategy, say aides, will be to deliver a positive message of change for the country, always willing to point out that he's won most of the contests so far and he's the best candidate to beat George Bush.

The battle for Super Tuesday few expected just days ago. But political strategists say it's more an interesting story than a viable challenge.

HANK SHEINKOPF, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: Edwards certainly did well, but not enough, necessarily, to make him a real contender here. The momentum is with John Kerry. He's got the delegates. He's got momentum. He's got the money.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That's Dan Lothian reporting. Speaking of money, aides say John Edwards has raised more than $300,000 on the Internet since his win, well, second place finish, in Wisconsin.

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