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CNN Live Saturday
Mondale, Coleman Set to Begin Debates Monday
Aired November 02, 2002 - 18:08 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The race to see who will become the next Senator from Minnesota is another key contest in the midterm elections. Former Vice President Walter Mondale has stepped forward to run on the Democratic ticket in the wake of Senator Paul Wellstone's death. He, of course, faces Republican Norm Coleman. CNN's Bob Franken is in Minneapolis, Minnesota with the latest on Mondale's three-day-old campaign -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, you might remember that last night you and I talked on the air and I raised some doubts about the ability of them to put together a debate. Well once again your political analyst was dead wrong. There is going to be a debate between Walter Mondale and his Republican opponent Norm Coleman on Monday morning, 10:00 local time here, which is 11:00 Eastern.
It will be in St. Paul, Minnesota, across the river that of course, is the state capitol, in the famous Fitzgerald Theater. It will be a one-hour debate. Moderators will be asking some of the questions, members of the audience will, and there will be some e-mail questions. The one debate, it will be on the day before the election, highly unusual but, of course, this entire circumstance is unusual.
A week ago, Walter Mondale was not a candidate. Now, of course, he is, and this five-day campaign of his, which he took today to Duluth, Minnesota in the so-called Iron Range, a lot of mixing with the various voters, making the speech about his answers for the future. He was well received, very, very enthusiastic crowds. Of course, he is campaigning in the stead of Paul Wellstone who died a little over a week ago in that plane crash.
Meanwhile, his Republican opponent, Norm Coleman, was also campaigning in the southern part of the state. In just about an hour, Coleman is going to be having a campaign event with First Lady Laura Bush. She is the second in the parade of top Republicans who are coming to the state for him this weekend. Yesterday was Vice President Cheney, the First Lady today.
Tomorrow, President Bush in his whirlwind campaign tour of the country will include the St. Paul area as one of his stops. So, it is certainly an action-packed campaign, of course a campaign that is being compressed into a very short period of time, a highly unusual campaign of course that gets more unusual by the day -- Anderson.
COOPER: It certainly does. Bob Franken, thanks very much.
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 November 2, 2002 - 18:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The race to see who will become the next Senator from Minnesota is another key contest in the midterm elections. Former Vice President Walter Mondale has stepped forward to run on the Democratic ticket in the wake of Senator Paul Wellstone's death. He, of course, faces Republican Norm Coleman. CNN's Bob Franken is in Minneapolis, Minnesota with the latest on Mondale's three-day-old campaign -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, you might remember that last night you and I talked on the air and I raised some doubts about the ability of them to put together a debate. Well once again your political analyst was dead wrong. There is going to be a debate between Walter Mondale and his Republican opponent Norm Coleman on Monday morning, 10:00 local time here, which is 11:00 Eastern.
It will be in St. Paul, Minnesota, across the river that of course, is the state capitol, in the famous Fitzgerald Theater. It will be a one-hour debate. Moderators will be asking some of the questions, members of the audience will, and there will be some e-mail questions. The one debate, it will be on the day before the election, highly unusual but, of course, this entire circumstance is unusual.
A week ago, Walter Mondale was not a candidate. Now, of course, he is, and this five-day campaign of his, which he took today to Duluth, Minnesota in the so-called Iron Range, a lot of mixing with the various voters, making the speech about his answers for the future. He was well received, very, very enthusiastic crowds. Of course, he is campaigning in the stead of Paul Wellstone who died a little over a week ago in that plane crash.
Meanwhile, his Republican opponent, Norm Coleman, was also campaigning in the southern part of the state. In just about an hour, Coleman is going to be having a campaign event with First Lady Laura Bush. She is the second in the parade of top Republicans who are coming to the state for him this weekend. Yesterday was Vice President Cheney, the First Lady today.
Tomorrow, President Bush in his whirlwind campaign tour of the country will include the St. Paul area as one of his stops. So, it is certainly an action-packed campaign, of course a campaign that is being compressed into a very short period of time, a highly unusual campaign of course that gets more unusual by the day -- Anderson.
COOPER: It certainly does. Bob Franken, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
