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CNN Live Saturday
U.S.-French Relationship on the Rocks
Aired March 15, 2003 - 15:41 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: We're focusing today on U.S.- French relations on the rocks. The two allies are at odds over military action in Iraq. The political dispute has some Americans fuming.
Our Whitney Casey is appropriately at the symbol of the friendship between the U.S. and France and she is gauging sentiment from the Statue of Liberty -- Whitney.
WHITNEY CASEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, Fredricka, we are on one of those ferries that take you across the Hudson -- the Circle Line. It takes thousands of people across the Hudson every year to go see Lady Liberty -- or Madame Liberty, in this case.
She was given to us by the French. I'm going to show you her right across the Hudson. This is what everybody sitting on here is looking at. Beautiful.
But it was given to us 1876 to celebrate that 100 year commemoration of our independence.
We couldn't afford the pedestal that she sits on. We had to wait for the pedestal -- we had to wait to be able to afford her when she finally came over here, just like we can't afford a lot of the French things.
But, anyway, we still love them, right? Yes.
Well, we have two people here that are joining us. This is Heather and Marty. They are from Virginia. They're here to go see Lady Liberty.
And, actually, you guys have a picture of her when she was born in -- she's in exile. She's an immigrant here. She was born in France.
You have a picture of her?
MARTY, FERRY PASSENGER: Yes. We have . . .
HEATHER, FERRY PASSENGER: A print of her before she left France.
CASEY: What does it mean to you today do go over there with all this scuttlebutt about the French?
MARTY: We didn't really think about it until you asked us the question, but it is kind of ironic I guess how things have changed.
But, you know, that's our relationship with the French, I guess. They were really -- have been really close allies.
And we have had our differences over the years, so I guess this is another -- just part of that relationship.
CASEY: It was actually on this -- in this area, on the Hudson here where George Washington had to retreat.
And when the French came and started helping us in the Revolutionary War, it was the French that helped us get back New York.
So we do owe them that and we do owe them beautiful Lady Liberty.
And in addition to that, all of these people with no further adieu want to get there.
But I want to tell you one other thing. You know these Freedom Fries and French toast thing that's been going on? Well, I just heard somebody tell me that nobody wants to call it a French kiss anymore, they want to call it the Star-Spangled smooch. So I don't know about that but we're enjoying our day here.
Back to you guys, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, enjoy the sunshine there.
Thanks a lot, Whitney.
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 March 15, 2003 - 15:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We're focusing today on U.S.- French relations on the rocks. The two allies are at odds over military action in Iraq. The political dispute has some Americans fuming.
Our Whitney Casey is appropriately at the symbol of the friendship between the U.S. and France and she is gauging sentiment from the Statue of Liberty -- Whitney.
WHITNEY CASEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, Fredricka, we are on one of those ferries that take you across the Hudson -- the Circle Line. It takes thousands of people across the Hudson every year to go see Lady Liberty -- or Madame Liberty, in this case.
She was given to us by the French. I'm going to show you her right across the Hudson. This is what everybody sitting on here is looking at. Beautiful.
But it was given to us 1876 to celebrate that 100 year commemoration of our independence.
We couldn't afford the pedestal that she sits on. We had to wait for the pedestal -- we had to wait to be able to afford her when she finally came over here, just like we can't afford a lot of the French things.
But, anyway, we still love them, right? Yes.
Well, we have two people here that are joining us. This is Heather and Marty. They are from Virginia. They're here to go see Lady Liberty.
And, actually, you guys have a picture of her when she was born in -- she's in exile. She's an immigrant here. She was born in France.
You have a picture of her?
MARTY, FERRY PASSENGER: Yes. We have . . .
HEATHER, FERRY PASSENGER: A print of her before she left France.
CASEY: What does it mean to you today do go over there with all this scuttlebutt about the French?
MARTY: We didn't really think about it until you asked us the question, but it is kind of ironic I guess how things have changed.
But, you know, that's our relationship with the French, I guess. They were really -- have been really close allies.
And we have had our differences over the years, so I guess this is another -- just part of that relationship.
CASEY: It was actually on this -- in this area, on the Hudson here where George Washington had to retreat.
And when the French came and started helping us in the Revolutionary War, it was the French that helped us get back New York.
So we do owe them that and we do owe them beautiful Lady Liberty.
And in addition to that, all of these people with no further adieu want to get there.
But I want to tell you one other thing. You know these Freedom Fries and French toast thing that's been going on? Well, I just heard somebody tell me that nobody wants to call it a French kiss anymore, they want to call it the Star-Spangled smooch. So I don't know about that but we're enjoying our day here.
Back to you guys, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, enjoy the sunshine there.
Thanks a lot, Whitney.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
