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CNN Crossfire
Senator Hillary Clinton Has Strong Support in New York; Potential Presidential Aspirants Debated
Aired May 06, 2005 - 16:00 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.
ANNOUNCER: They love her as a senator. But more than half say she should not run for president in 2008. With re-election looming next year, should she even be considering a presidential bid? And should John Kerry quit thinking about a rerun of his own presidential campaign? One fellow senator says Kerry should concentrate on the job he already has. The politics of 2008, who's in and who's out? Today on CROSSFIRE.
Live from the George Washington University, Donna Brazile and Terry Holt.
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN CO-HOST: Welcome to CROSSFIRE. The presidential field is wide open for 2008. Will Democrat John Kerry try again? Or will we see Senator Hillary Clinton topping the 2008 Democratic ticket?
TERRY HOLT, CNN CO-HOST: According to a new poll, New Yorkers might have a thing or two to say about that. We'll look at the early favorites for '08 including even some Republicans, but first the best little political briefing on television, our CROSSFIRE political alert.
President Bush is on the first leg of a five-day, four-country European trip to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. His first stop is former Soviet republic Latvia. In the capital city of Riga, he'll meet with the presidents of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, three former satellites of the soviet union which now count America as their best ally. Mr. Bush will also visit the Netherlands, Russia and the former Soviet Georgia. It's an important trip to President Bush, it takes him back to the world stage. As the most powerful leader in the world, and it reminds the world that in the struggle against tyranny and terrorism, our best weapons, as always, are freedom and democracy.
BRAZILE: Terry, I am glad it see the president is finally building up some frequent flyer miles, but look, will he be tough on Mr. Putin this time, will he really lay down the gantlet on democracy and tell the former -- well, the president that it's time to allow freedom to flourish in his own land.
HOLT: I think bipartisan concern out there that Russia may be slipping back and I think the president will put a strong face forward on that. But, look, democracy won in Eastern Europe and in Russia, just like democracy's going to win in the Middle East.
BRAZILE: Well, we all want democracy to win. Of course, we wanted British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He is celebrating his 52nd birthday today. He didn't get all what he wanted. Blair called it an honor and privilege to get reelected yesterday to a third term. The downside is that his power base is shrinking as he prepares to form a new government. His Labour Party only got past the 324 seat mark needed for a leg up in parliament.
But majority in the House of Commons look to be much slimmer than in the past. The reason can be summed up in one four-letter word, Iraq. Blair support for Bush's war in Iraq has taken a political toll on him and his party. I wonder what kind of toll it will take, or should take, here at home on some politicians who supported that war.
HOLT: Well, President Bush obviously was re-elected by a large margin. Got more than 50 percent of the vote for the first time since the '80s. And I think that it speaks volumes about the American people. But you know, I heard that there were Clinton, Gore, and Kerry people that were in that race over there. They can win an election. They just have to leave the United States of America to do it.
BRAZILE: Well, hell, you know Bill Clinton did a great job for Tony Blair, but president bush won by the slimmest of margins. The first president to be reelected with a slim margin but the truth is Tony Blair had a hard time explain why he went to Iraq and I think some politicians will have the same problem in '06.
HOLT: Today's labor report shows President Bush's economic policies are working. Employers added 274,000 jobs in their pay rolls last month. That's an increase of more than 100,000 jobs from just the month before. And it's a stronger -- and it's a stronger growth that many economists had predicted. The average weekly wage rose by the largest percentage since August of 1993. And the unemployment rate remained at a stable 5.2 percent.
Investors on Wall Street like what they heard. This is just the latest example of the president's economic policies working. And proof that a Republican in the White House is good for working families' pocketbook, Republican or Democrat.
BRAZILE: Well, look, I support people going back to work, but are there still millions of Americans out there searching for work. Millions of Americans who have given up. So don't pop the champagne too quickly.
HOLT: I tell you, this labor market is impressive and I think it really speaks volumes about what happens when we put money pack into the economy rather than take it out of taxes.
BRAZILE: Well, perhaps we can get a hold of that red ink and stop the flow of this debt so we can get America moving back again.
HOLT: Amen.
BRAZILE: Yeah. Well, during yesterday's National Day of Prayer, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay discovered humility. The man known as "the Hammer" told the audience of about 1,000 people on Capitol Hill, "Just think of what we could accomplish if we check our pride at the door. If we collectively all spent less time take credit and more time deserving it." Excuse me? Nice words. But, you know, Tom DeLay should do throws talk and do more of the walk, and lead by example. What a change we could see in congress if the Congressman Tom DeLay quit dishing out those wonderful one-liners and start having a little humble pie to serve to everybody, including himself. He could really use a little bit more humility.
HOLT: I know you guys -- I know you love to pick on Tom DeLay, but what would happen if he were gone? He's been your boogieman for so long ...
BRAZILE: I don't want him to go. He can continue to stink up the House.
HOLT: He was at a prayer breakfast, and I think what he said is exactly right and more people should have taken those words here in Washington, DC, where there is not a lot of humility.
BRAZILE: No, not a lot of humility. Not a lot of grace. A lot of pointing, you know what in someone's face. But Tom DeLay is really one of the leaders of the pack and perhaps he can lead by example right now.
HOLT: Hillary Clinton is focused on her re-election in 2006. Should she keep the door open for a presidential run 2008? And what about the Democrat's last nominee, john Kerry? Should he run again? And why are the "Cat & the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham" on Princeton's reading list these days?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRAZILE: It's never too early to talk about the next presidential race especially when the prospects are so interesting. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts looks like he wants to give it another try. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton continues to be a popular favorite of everyone, and there are others, of course. Who has a chance, and who should pack it up and go home now?
Joining us today in the CROSSFIRE are Cheri Jacobus, Republican strategist and former RNC deputy communications director and Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf. Welcome to CROSSFIRE.
HOLT: Thanks for coming. Steve, you finally rested up from the last presidential campaign.
STEVE ELMENDORF, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Took a while.
HOLT: We're already putting you on the CROSSFIRE on the new one to come in '08. This new poll, this Quinnipiac poll -- I can't say it but I can tell you what numbers are. According to this poll. Hillary Clinton deserves re-election by the standards of the New Yorkers. Sixty seven percent say she should be re-elected but they are also asking her to take a pledge. Sixty percent say she should pledge to serve out the full term. That's going to be pretty difficult to do when she's running for president, isn't it? ELMENDORF: Well, we don't know if she's running for president. What we do know is she has been a terrific senator for New York State. I think should be proud of the numbers, that 67 percent, which probably includes a few Republicans if you're at 67 percent. Think she's done a great job representing New York's interest in the U.S. Senate and that's what she's doing.
HOLT: Steve, she made the pledge in 2000 that she would serve the full six years of her term and she won't this time? I think that's very difficult to do.
ELMENDORF: It's a little early talk about the presidential campaign but what is important is the people in New York think she has done a great job as a senator and if she wants to run for president after, that that's her choice to make. But I think she's going to get re-elected with historic margin including a lot of Republicans voting for her because of the job she's done.
HOLT: We'll see!
BRAZILE: And speaking of Republicans, Steve is absolutely right. Sheri, those who know her and know her best, have watched her work, they have given her overwhelming support right now, including a lot of Republicans. What's going on with the Republican matter is look at numbers -- George Pataki, Hillary could beat the socks off of this guy, 60 to 32. And Jeanine Pirro, she's Westchester D.A. She's beating her. 62 to 27. William Weld, former governor of Massachusetts, 63-26, I guess he's moving back home. He's a original New Yorker and Ed Cox, the grandson of a famous president, 63-25. I mean, can't you find a Republican to beat Hillary or should we find Alan Keyes? Are we going to get Alan Keyes?
CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: Yeah, well here is the thing, Donna. The mostly Democrats -- and New Yorkers gave Hillary the benefit of the doubt when she decided to carpetbag her way to New York and asked her for senator. Should the job she wanted that this is where she felt she could do the most good. I think she has a really, really big problem if she can't answer this question about what she's going to do in 2008. I think this is going to be her Achilles' heel and can't answer this to the satisfaction the New York voters and then those Republican numbers that you just named are going to go way up.
BRAZILE: Perhaps the New Yorkers will take pity on the rest of us Democrats and lend us Hillary in 2008. Of course, as Steve says, if she chooses do so after winning re-election but what about the Republicans? Is this a sign of the Republican Party in New York is just dead?
JACOBUS: No, I don't think so at all. I think it's still pretty early. Again, some of these names are just now popping up but the focus is still on Hillary. I think a lot of people think, okay, for a senator, she's done the job that she's supposed to do which is very, very ...
BRAZILE: She's done a good job! JACOBUS: She's done the job that a senator is supposed do in terms of bring home the pork and working well with others in her party. I think that has gotten her some points, Donna, but the big problem is, is she going to lie to her voters in New York and make them think she's not going to run for president? Or does she think she can sort of tap dancing around this and think it is a problem that will go away.
HOLT: Maybe she is doing so well because she supported the president's decision to go to war against terrorism and go to war in Iraq.
BRAZILE: I think --Well, Steve knows why.
HOLT: She looks like a Republican, I guess that's ...
BRAZILE: She looks like a Republican? What does a Republican look like anymore? I'm joking.
JACOBUS: With regard to her votes. I think she looks more like a Republican.
HOLT: The in the same poll and this is part of this conversation, in this same poll, most people thought she was a liberal. A majority of people in New York thought she was a liberal but a big number, a majority also thought that she was going to be more moderate as she began to run for president. Isn't this the same kind of shape shifting that John Kerry had trouble with? We want another shape shifter for the Democratic nominee?
ELMENDORF: You know, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Evan Bayh, Mark Warner, Tom Vilsack, there are a lot of Democrats that might run for president ...
HOLT: I am sure you missed somebody.
ELMENDORF: I am sure. I said John Kerry. Hillary Clinton and John Kerry and John Edwards and a lot of other people are responding their time right now working on the Democratic Party to win elections in 2006. And they are out traveling the country, and they are having great success because Americans want change. And by 2008, they're going to really want change. Because of George Bush's failed policies, because the fact that he's not doing anything about gas prices. Because of the fact he's running around worrying about appointing extremists judges instead of doing something about people's economic interests.
BRAZILE: You know, Cheri, let's look at the national field for the Republican -- on the Republican side. Of course, there are some polls right that say Rudy Giuliani might be a favorite, nationally. John McCain. But we all than the Republican eat their young.
JACOBUS: Oh!
BRAZILE: Except Terry of course.
HOLT: Yeah.
BRAZILE: But, look, we all know that the ultra right wing will have problems supporting a pro-choice, pro-abortion right, you know, candidate like Rudy Giuliani.
JACOBUS: I just don't think that you really have a handle on the voters of this country, particularly the Republican voters. You that if Hillary is on the Democratic ticket or john Kerry or one of these extreme liberals from your side of the aisle ...
BRAZILE: You are saying mainstream liberals.
JACOBUS: Yeah.
BRAZILE: Mainstream.
JACOBUS: I think that you will see the Republican Party with all of its different factions because we are a big tent party, come together pretty quickly. The numbers look pretty good for a number of our guys. And I think that ...
BRAZILE: So who is the heir apparent.
JACOBUS: We don't have an heir apparent.
BRAZILE: Nobody?
JACOBUS: I think that's the beauty of our system. You have got Hillary and I know that you want her to run really, really badly. I know that you are sort of equivocating on this. You have to line up your clients in 2008 and keep it all open right now. But it's a situation where the American people know how they feel about Hillary. I don't think it's going to change. She's been around a long time. I don't think she is going to change too many minds and her numbers are pretty hard.
BRAZILE: Why she is one of the most admired women in the country and people know her like Elvis and Oprah.
JACOBUS: I admire her to, but I wouldn't vote for her.
BRAZILE: Well, I would vote for a woman and I can't wait to see the day we have a real qualified woman like Hillary Clinton running.
JACOBUS: I'm all for having women in office but not Hillary. I admire her as a person but I would not vote for her and think a lot of people who share my views on that.
HOLT: Steve, is there a front run are? Is there a front runner in the Democratic nomination.
ELMENDORF: No, not yet. There is a lot of people who will run for president potentially because this is a nomination worth having because the Republicans have so screwed up the country and in three more years, they will screw it up worse.
HOLT: All right.
BRAZILE: All right. When we come back, you won't able when John McCain had to say in a recent column about his friend John Kerry. So, stay tuned. And by the way, President Bush isn't ready to walk the diplomatic tightrope. Wolf Blitzer has an update on the president's trip just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Coming up at top of the hour President Bush now in Europe. His first stop, Latvia to mark the 60th anniversaries on the defeat of Nazi Germany. We'll have a live report why this trip has upset Russian President Vladmir Putin. Our John King standing by in Riga.
Doomsday scenario? New reports suggesting North Korea may be on the verge of testing a nuclear weapon. We'll have the latest. And I'll speak live with CNN national security adviser John McLaughlin.
And a mission of passion, Mary snow has the powerful story of two women whose certify died of Lou Gehrig's disease and what they're doing to help find a cure.
All of those stories, much more, only minutes away on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. Now back to CROSSFIRE.
HOLT: Welcome back to CROSSFIRE. We're talking about today's top prospects for the 2008 presidential race. Our guests are Steve Elmendorf a Democrat strategist and Republican consultant Cheri Jacobus. I know you guys have seen the "Men's Journal," Steve you probably read it cover to cover. The "Men's Journal" has an article featuring John McCain this month. He talks about one of his best friends in the Senate, John Kerry.
And here's what he says. He says "I don't think John Kerry ran a very good race. At the Democratic convention, I can't tell you anything they did besides say reporting for duty." And now we hear that John Kerry may be running for president again. The Democratic Party isn't going to seriously consider having John Kerry as their nominee again, are they?
ELMENDORF: John Kerry ran a great campaign for president. He came within 100,000 votes in one state of beating an incumbent president in a time of war which is unheard of. He did very well and he should be very proud of the race he ran and he certainly has a right to run for president again if he's interested in doing it. In the meantime, though he is ...
HOLT: So do I but that doesn't make me a viable nominee for the Democratic Party.
ELMENDORF: Again, we have a lot of very viable candidates, and all of them, as he has been doing over the last months are busy helping build the party and fight the battle in the Senate and fight John Bolton's nomination. HOLT: Is it appropriate for him to go out and run PAC ads against his colleagues in the Senate? This is presidential ambitions running amok.
ELMENDORF: Listen, he's working hard to help the Democratic Party. All over this country this month for people running for Senate and governor.
HOLT: So you are saying you guys could consider John Kerry as your nominee again?
ELMENDORF: Sure, absolutely.
HOLT: All right.
BRAZILE: We can go back and ask Wesley Clark, we can look at Bill Richardson. We can look at Evan Bayh. We have an embarrassing riches on the Democratic side, but with Republicans ...
HOLT: No front-runner over here.
BRAILE: But, Cheri, no apparent heir on the Republicans' side. Senator Jack Danforth believes that unless you guys nominate someone from the moderate wing in the Republican Party, you all risk becoming an arm of the right wing conservative fundamentalist wing of the party. So what kind of moderate can you nominate? Tell me some more. I mentioned Giuliani, McCain, other moderates?
JACOBUS: I think that anybody Republican would say is a moderate on the middle of the road, you guys already think they are right wing. You like to stick that label on anyone.
BRAZILE: Give me one name.
JACOBUS: I think your problem is John Kerry who as we know was and is the most liberal senator in the Senate. But I think the biggest problem with John Kerry, unlike so many of our Republicans who are out there fighting in the Senate is his entire Senate career, there is really nothing to it. Sort of an empty suit. And that came now this last campaign that you really can't find one thing that he cared about so passionately that he put everything on the line for. Whether you agree with him or not, at least you could respect that. If he's not running for president maybe he should ...
BRAZILE: John Kerry spent 30 years fighting for jobs, for health care. He's out right now in Florida trying to make sure that every child to America has health care.
JACOBUS: He's out running for president, come on!
BRAZILE: He was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He went to a real red state and I can tell you, he wasn't there to stuff his red snapper with blue crab meat, you know?
JACOBUS: John McCain had it ...
ELMENDORF: I thought Hillary was the most liberal senator? You say John Kerry is the most liberal senator.
JACOBUS: No, I mean.
HOLT: Well, you know, it, it ...
ELMENDORF: That's only charge you have against everybody is you are the most liberal.
BRAZILE: Liberal, liberal, liberal.
HOLT: If John Kerry isn't running for president, I can't imagine what he's doing in Baton Rouge or in Florida and I think what John McCain said in "Men's Journal," maybe he ought to stick to being a good senator.
ELMENDORF: John McCain should stick to being a good senator too. It sounds to me that he is running for a president. He'd be a good candidate.
BRAZILE: James Carville and I both will tell you why you go to Baton Rouge. You go to Baton Rouge to see those fantastic Tigers at LSU. That's why you go to Baton Rouge.
Cheri, look, I hear on the Republican side, Bill Frist is dead in terms. 2008. I also hear that Newt Gingrich might be running. Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi and George Allen, former governor of Virginia and now the senator from Virginia. Any of those guys, moderates?
JACOBUS: I think some of these guys are real possibilities, and yes, some are more moderate than others. A lot of these folks aren't known right now but again we are pretty far out from 2008. There could be a star in one of those or could be somebody in that group and this is what I think is really good about our party.
BRAZILE: Another bloody fight.
JACOBUS: No, there will be somebody in that group that could help shape the debate. And I think that's important.
BRAZILE: Thank you, Cheri, we have to go, my friends. And thank you all. Have a great weekend, Mother's Day to everybody. When we come back, why the U.S. Senator is keeping Princeton students up all night long.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRAZILE: What do you do when you want to protest Senate Majority Leaders Bill Frist's proposal to bar filibusters on judgeships? Well, you filibuster, of course!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (video clip): 3.14159 ... 983367335
BRAZILE: Well, since April 26th, students at Mr. Frist alma mater Princeton University, reading pi to 10,000 decimal points to Dr. Seuss in order to fill time in their filibusters. Organizers say they want to preserve democracy and don't plan to stop their long-winded demonstration anytime soon. They say they hope to go into next week right there, right where they are in front of the Bill Frist Campus Center. Well, Senator Frist, what do you plan to do. Let those kids filibuster all night long.
HOLT: Well, maybe they ought to be working on their finals, because it's time.
BRAZILE: I agree with you on that. From the left I'm Donna Brazile, that's it for CROSSFIRE.
HOLT: From the right, I'm Terry Holt. Join us again next time for another edition of CROSSFIRE. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.
END
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Aired May 6, 2005 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: They love her as a senator. But more than half say she should not run for president in 2008. With re-election looming next year, should she even be considering a presidential bid? And should John Kerry quit thinking about a rerun of his own presidential campaign? One fellow senator says Kerry should concentrate on the job he already has. The politics of 2008, who's in and who's out? Today on CROSSFIRE.
Live from the George Washington University, Donna Brazile and Terry Holt.
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN CO-HOST: Welcome to CROSSFIRE. The presidential field is wide open for 2008. Will Democrat John Kerry try again? Or will we see Senator Hillary Clinton topping the 2008 Democratic ticket?
TERRY HOLT, CNN CO-HOST: According to a new poll, New Yorkers might have a thing or two to say about that. We'll look at the early favorites for '08 including even some Republicans, but first the best little political briefing on television, our CROSSFIRE political alert.
President Bush is on the first leg of a five-day, four-country European trip to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. His first stop is former Soviet republic Latvia. In the capital city of Riga, he'll meet with the presidents of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, three former satellites of the soviet union which now count America as their best ally. Mr. Bush will also visit the Netherlands, Russia and the former Soviet Georgia. It's an important trip to President Bush, it takes him back to the world stage. As the most powerful leader in the world, and it reminds the world that in the struggle against tyranny and terrorism, our best weapons, as always, are freedom and democracy.
BRAZILE: Terry, I am glad it see the president is finally building up some frequent flyer miles, but look, will he be tough on Mr. Putin this time, will he really lay down the gantlet on democracy and tell the former -- well, the president that it's time to allow freedom to flourish in his own land.
HOLT: I think bipartisan concern out there that Russia may be slipping back and I think the president will put a strong face forward on that. But, look, democracy won in Eastern Europe and in Russia, just like democracy's going to win in the Middle East.
BRAZILE: Well, we all want democracy to win. Of course, we wanted British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He is celebrating his 52nd birthday today. He didn't get all what he wanted. Blair called it an honor and privilege to get reelected yesterday to a third term. The downside is that his power base is shrinking as he prepares to form a new government. His Labour Party only got past the 324 seat mark needed for a leg up in parliament.
But majority in the House of Commons look to be much slimmer than in the past. The reason can be summed up in one four-letter word, Iraq. Blair support for Bush's war in Iraq has taken a political toll on him and his party. I wonder what kind of toll it will take, or should take, here at home on some politicians who supported that war.
HOLT: Well, President Bush obviously was re-elected by a large margin. Got more than 50 percent of the vote for the first time since the '80s. And I think that it speaks volumes about the American people. But you know, I heard that there were Clinton, Gore, and Kerry people that were in that race over there. They can win an election. They just have to leave the United States of America to do it.
BRAZILE: Well, hell, you know Bill Clinton did a great job for Tony Blair, but president bush won by the slimmest of margins. The first president to be reelected with a slim margin but the truth is Tony Blair had a hard time explain why he went to Iraq and I think some politicians will have the same problem in '06.
HOLT: Today's labor report shows President Bush's economic policies are working. Employers added 274,000 jobs in their pay rolls last month. That's an increase of more than 100,000 jobs from just the month before. And it's a stronger -- and it's a stronger growth that many economists had predicted. The average weekly wage rose by the largest percentage since August of 1993. And the unemployment rate remained at a stable 5.2 percent.
Investors on Wall Street like what they heard. This is just the latest example of the president's economic policies working. And proof that a Republican in the White House is good for working families' pocketbook, Republican or Democrat.
BRAZILE: Well, look, I support people going back to work, but are there still millions of Americans out there searching for work. Millions of Americans who have given up. So don't pop the champagne too quickly.
HOLT: I tell you, this labor market is impressive and I think it really speaks volumes about what happens when we put money pack into the economy rather than take it out of taxes.
BRAZILE: Well, perhaps we can get a hold of that red ink and stop the flow of this debt so we can get America moving back again.
HOLT: Amen.
BRAZILE: Yeah. Well, during yesterday's National Day of Prayer, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay discovered humility. The man known as "the Hammer" told the audience of about 1,000 people on Capitol Hill, "Just think of what we could accomplish if we check our pride at the door. If we collectively all spent less time take credit and more time deserving it." Excuse me? Nice words. But, you know, Tom DeLay should do throws talk and do more of the walk, and lead by example. What a change we could see in congress if the Congressman Tom DeLay quit dishing out those wonderful one-liners and start having a little humble pie to serve to everybody, including himself. He could really use a little bit more humility.
HOLT: I know you guys -- I know you love to pick on Tom DeLay, but what would happen if he were gone? He's been your boogieman for so long ...
BRAZILE: I don't want him to go. He can continue to stink up the House.
HOLT: He was at a prayer breakfast, and I think what he said is exactly right and more people should have taken those words here in Washington, DC, where there is not a lot of humility.
BRAZILE: No, not a lot of humility. Not a lot of grace. A lot of pointing, you know what in someone's face. But Tom DeLay is really one of the leaders of the pack and perhaps he can lead by example right now.
HOLT: Hillary Clinton is focused on her re-election in 2006. Should she keep the door open for a presidential run 2008? And what about the Democrat's last nominee, john Kerry? Should he run again? And why are the "Cat & the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham" on Princeton's reading list these days?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRAZILE: It's never too early to talk about the next presidential race especially when the prospects are so interesting. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts looks like he wants to give it another try. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton continues to be a popular favorite of everyone, and there are others, of course. Who has a chance, and who should pack it up and go home now?
Joining us today in the CROSSFIRE are Cheri Jacobus, Republican strategist and former RNC deputy communications director and Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf. Welcome to CROSSFIRE.
HOLT: Thanks for coming. Steve, you finally rested up from the last presidential campaign.
STEVE ELMENDORF, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Took a while.
HOLT: We're already putting you on the CROSSFIRE on the new one to come in '08. This new poll, this Quinnipiac poll -- I can't say it but I can tell you what numbers are. According to this poll. Hillary Clinton deserves re-election by the standards of the New Yorkers. Sixty seven percent say she should be re-elected but they are also asking her to take a pledge. Sixty percent say she should pledge to serve out the full term. That's going to be pretty difficult to do when she's running for president, isn't it? ELMENDORF: Well, we don't know if she's running for president. What we do know is she has been a terrific senator for New York State. I think should be proud of the numbers, that 67 percent, which probably includes a few Republicans if you're at 67 percent. Think she's done a great job representing New York's interest in the U.S. Senate and that's what she's doing.
HOLT: Steve, she made the pledge in 2000 that she would serve the full six years of her term and she won't this time? I think that's very difficult to do.
ELMENDORF: It's a little early talk about the presidential campaign but what is important is the people in New York think she has done a great job as a senator and if she wants to run for president after, that that's her choice to make. But I think she's going to get re-elected with historic margin including a lot of Republicans voting for her because of the job she's done.
HOLT: We'll see!
BRAZILE: And speaking of Republicans, Steve is absolutely right. Sheri, those who know her and know her best, have watched her work, they have given her overwhelming support right now, including a lot of Republicans. What's going on with the Republican matter is look at numbers -- George Pataki, Hillary could beat the socks off of this guy, 60 to 32. And Jeanine Pirro, she's Westchester D.A. She's beating her. 62 to 27. William Weld, former governor of Massachusetts, 63-26, I guess he's moving back home. He's a original New Yorker and Ed Cox, the grandson of a famous president, 63-25. I mean, can't you find a Republican to beat Hillary or should we find Alan Keyes? Are we going to get Alan Keyes?
CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: Yeah, well here is the thing, Donna. The mostly Democrats -- and New Yorkers gave Hillary the benefit of the doubt when she decided to carpetbag her way to New York and asked her for senator. Should the job she wanted that this is where she felt she could do the most good. I think she has a really, really big problem if she can't answer this question about what she's going to do in 2008. I think this is going to be her Achilles' heel and can't answer this to the satisfaction the New York voters and then those Republican numbers that you just named are going to go way up.
BRAZILE: Perhaps the New Yorkers will take pity on the rest of us Democrats and lend us Hillary in 2008. Of course, as Steve says, if she chooses do so after winning re-election but what about the Republicans? Is this a sign of the Republican Party in New York is just dead?
JACOBUS: No, I don't think so at all. I think it's still pretty early. Again, some of these names are just now popping up but the focus is still on Hillary. I think a lot of people think, okay, for a senator, she's done the job that she's supposed to do which is very, very ...
BRAZILE: She's done a good job! JACOBUS: She's done the job that a senator is supposed do in terms of bring home the pork and working well with others in her party. I think that has gotten her some points, Donna, but the big problem is, is she going to lie to her voters in New York and make them think she's not going to run for president? Or does she think she can sort of tap dancing around this and think it is a problem that will go away.
HOLT: Maybe she is doing so well because she supported the president's decision to go to war against terrorism and go to war in Iraq.
BRAZILE: I think --Well, Steve knows why.
HOLT: She looks like a Republican, I guess that's ...
BRAZILE: She looks like a Republican? What does a Republican look like anymore? I'm joking.
JACOBUS: With regard to her votes. I think she looks more like a Republican.
HOLT: The in the same poll and this is part of this conversation, in this same poll, most people thought she was a liberal. A majority of people in New York thought she was a liberal but a big number, a majority also thought that she was going to be more moderate as she began to run for president. Isn't this the same kind of shape shifting that John Kerry had trouble with? We want another shape shifter for the Democratic nominee?
ELMENDORF: You know, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Evan Bayh, Mark Warner, Tom Vilsack, there are a lot of Democrats that might run for president ...
HOLT: I am sure you missed somebody.
ELMENDORF: I am sure. I said John Kerry. Hillary Clinton and John Kerry and John Edwards and a lot of other people are responding their time right now working on the Democratic Party to win elections in 2006. And they are out traveling the country, and they are having great success because Americans want change. And by 2008, they're going to really want change. Because of George Bush's failed policies, because the fact that he's not doing anything about gas prices. Because of the fact he's running around worrying about appointing extremists judges instead of doing something about people's economic interests.
BRAZILE: You know, Cheri, let's look at the national field for the Republican -- on the Republican side. Of course, there are some polls right that say Rudy Giuliani might be a favorite, nationally. John McCain. But we all than the Republican eat their young.
JACOBUS: Oh!
BRAZILE: Except Terry of course.
HOLT: Yeah.
BRAZILE: But, look, we all know that the ultra right wing will have problems supporting a pro-choice, pro-abortion right, you know, candidate like Rudy Giuliani.
JACOBUS: I just don't think that you really have a handle on the voters of this country, particularly the Republican voters. You that if Hillary is on the Democratic ticket or john Kerry or one of these extreme liberals from your side of the aisle ...
BRAZILE: You are saying mainstream liberals.
JACOBUS: Yeah.
BRAZILE: Mainstream.
JACOBUS: I think that you will see the Republican Party with all of its different factions because we are a big tent party, come together pretty quickly. The numbers look pretty good for a number of our guys. And I think that ...
BRAZILE: So who is the heir apparent.
JACOBUS: We don't have an heir apparent.
BRAZILE: Nobody?
JACOBUS: I think that's the beauty of our system. You have got Hillary and I know that you want her to run really, really badly. I know that you are sort of equivocating on this. You have to line up your clients in 2008 and keep it all open right now. But it's a situation where the American people know how they feel about Hillary. I don't think it's going to change. She's been around a long time. I don't think she is going to change too many minds and her numbers are pretty hard.
BRAZILE: Why she is one of the most admired women in the country and people know her like Elvis and Oprah.
JACOBUS: I admire her to, but I wouldn't vote for her.
BRAZILE: Well, I would vote for a woman and I can't wait to see the day we have a real qualified woman like Hillary Clinton running.
JACOBUS: I'm all for having women in office but not Hillary. I admire her as a person but I would not vote for her and think a lot of people who share my views on that.
HOLT: Steve, is there a front run are? Is there a front runner in the Democratic nomination.
ELMENDORF: No, not yet. There is a lot of people who will run for president potentially because this is a nomination worth having because the Republicans have so screwed up the country and in three more years, they will screw it up worse.
HOLT: All right.
BRAZILE: All right. When we come back, you won't able when John McCain had to say in a recent column about his friend John Kerry. So, stay tuned. And by the way, President Bush isn't ready to walk the diplomatic tightrope. Wolf Blitzer has an update on the president's trip just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Coming up at top of the hour President Bush now in Europe. His first stop, Latvia to mark the 60th anniversaries on the defeat of Nazi Germany. We'll have a live report why this trip has upset Russian President Vladmir Putin. Our John King standing by in Riga.
Doomsday scenario? New reports suggesting North Korea may be on the verge of testing a nuclear weapon. We'll have the latest. And I'll speak live with CNN national security adviser John McLaughlin.
And a mission of passion, Mary snow has the powerful story of two women whose certify died of Lou Gehrig's disease and what they're doing to help find a cure.
All of those stories, much more, only minutes away on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS. Now back to CROSSFIRE.
HOLT: Welcome back to CROSSFIRE. We're talking about today's top prospects for the 2008 presidential race. Our guests are Steve Elmendorf a Democrat strategist and Republican consultant Cheri Jacobus. I know you guys have seen the "Men's Journal," Steve you probably read it cover to cover. The "Men's Journal" has an article featuring John McCain this month. He talks about one of his best friends in the Senate, John Kerry.
And here's what he says. He says "I don't think John Kerry ran a very good race. At the Democratic convention, I can't tell you anything they did besides say reporting for duty." And now we hear that John Kerry may be running for president again. The Democratic Party isn't going to seriously consider having John Kerry as their nominee again, are they?
ELMENDORF: John Kerry ran a great campaign for president. He came within 100,000 votes in one state of beating an incumbent president in a time of war which is unheard of. He did very well and he should be very proud of the race he ran and he certainly has a right to run for president again if he's interested in doing it. In the meantime, though he is ...
HOLT: So do I but that doesn't make me a viable nominee for the Democratic Party.
ELMENDORF: Again, we have a lot of very viable candidates, and all of them, as he has been doing over the last months are busy helping build the party and fight the battle in the Senate and fight John Bolton's nomination. HOLT: Is it appropriate for him to go out and run PAC ads against his colleagues in the Senate? This is presidential ambitions running amok.
ELMENDORF: Listen, he's working hard to help the Democratic Party. All over this country this month for people running for Senate and governor.
HOLT: So you are saying you guys could consider John Kerry as your nominee again?
ELMENDORF: Sure, absolutely.
HOLT: All right.
BRAZILE: We can go back and ask Wesley Clark, we can look at Bill Richardson. We can look at Evan Bayh. We have an embarrassing riches on the Democratic side, but with Republicans ...
HOLT: No front-runner over here.
BRAILE: But, Cheri, no apparent heir on the Republicans' side. Senator Jack Danforth believes that unless you guys nominate someone from the moderate wing in the Republican Party, you all risk becoming an arm of the right wing conservative fundamentalist wing of the party. So what kind of moderate can you nominate? Tell me some more. I mentioned Giuliani, McCain, other moderates?
JACOBUS: I think that anybody Republican would say is a moderate on the middle of the road, you guys already think they are right wing. You like to stick that label on anyone.
BRAZILE: Give me one name.
JACOBUS: I think your problem is John Kerry who as we know was and is the most liberal senator in the Senate. But I think the biggest problem with John Kerry, unlike so many of our Republicans who are out there fighting in the Senate is his entire Senate career, there is really nothing to it. Sort of an empty suit. And that came now this last campaign that you really can't find one thing that he cared about so passionately that he put everything on the line for. Whether you agree with him or not, at least you could respect that. If he's not running for president maybe he should ...
BRAZILE: John Kerry spent 30 years fighting for jobs, for health care. He's out right now in Florida trying to make sure that every child to America has health care.
JACOBUS: He's out running for president, come on!
BRAZILE: He was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He went to a real red state and I can tell you, he wasn't there to stuff his red snapper with blue crab meat, you know?
JACOBUS: John McCain had it ...
ELMENDORF: I thought Hillary was the most liberal senator? You say John Kerry is the most liberal senator.
JACOBUS: No, I mean.
HOLT: Well, you know, it, it ...
ELMENDORF: That's only charge you have against everybody is you are the most liberal.
BRAZILE: Liberal, liberal, liberal.
HOLT: If John Kerry isn't running for president, I can't imagine what he's doing in Baton Rouge or in Florida and I think what John McCain said in "Men's Journal," maybe he ought to stick to being a good senator.
ELMENDORF: John McCain should stick to being a good senator too. It sounds to me that he is running for a president. He'd be a good candidate.
BRAZILE: James Carville and I both will tell you why you go to Baton Rouge. You go to Baton Rouge to see those fantastic Tigers at LSU. That's why you go to Baton Rouge.
Cheri, look, I hear on the Republican side, Bill Frist is dead in terms. 2008. I also hear that Newt Gingrich might be running. Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi and George Allen, former governor of Virginia and now the senator from Virginia. Any of those guys, moderates?
JACOBUS: I think some of these guys are real possibilities, and yes, some are more moderate than others. A lot of these folks aren't known right now but again we are pretty far out from 2008. There could be a star in one of those or could be somebody in that group and this is what I think is really good about our party.
BRAZILE: Another bloody fight.
JACOBUS: No, there will be somebody in that group that could help shape the debate. And I think that's important.
BRAZILE: Thank you, Cheri, we have to go, my friends. And thank you all. Have a great weekend, Mother's Day to everybody. When we come back, why the U.S. Senator is keeping Princeton students up all night long.
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BRAZILE: What do you do when you want to protest Senate Majority Leaders Bill Frist's proposal to bar filibusters on judgeships? Well, you filibuster, of course!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (video clip): 3.14159 ... 983367335
BRAZILE: Well, since April 26th, students at Mr. Frist alma mater Princeton University, reading pi to 10,000 decimal points to Dr. Seuss in order to fill time in their filibusters. Organizers say they want to preserve democracy and don't plan to stop their long-winded demonstration anytime soon. They say they hope to go into next week right there, right where they are in front of the Bill Frist Campus Center. Well, Senator Frist, what do you plan to do. Let those kids filibuster all night long.
HOLT: Well, maybe they ought to be working on their finals, because it's time.
BRAZILE: I agree with you on that. From the left I'm Donna Brazile, that's it for CROSSFIRE.
HOLT: From the right, I'm Terry Holt. Join us again next time for another edition of CROSSFIRE. WOLF BLITZER REPORTS starts now.
END
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