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CNN Live Saturday
Democrats Attack President's Economic Plan
Aired April 19, 2003 - 13:19 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.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: The Democrats weekly radio address delivered today by Congressman Elija Cummings of Maryland was mostly an attack on that tax cut proposed by the president.
Ron Brownstein, a political reporter for the "Los Angeles Times," joins us now to talk about politics and post war Iraq and post war America.
So, Ron, Democrats have no problem slamming the president when it comes to the tax cut. But we don't hear quite as loud of an attack on his handling of post war Iraq?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No, I think that's right, Jon. You know, as you look at the way the Democrats are reacting to the post war plans in the administration in Iraq, you see the battle lines that existed over the war itself resurfacing but not as sharply. I mean, you see essentially the same alignment with most Democrats. And for that matter, British Prime Minister Tony Blair arguing for a larger role for the United Nations in post war Iraq just as they did in the lead up to the war itself.
But Democrats don't seem to be pressing this case nearly as hard. Someone like Senator John Kerry who is running for president says that while he'd like the U.N. involved, he doesn't think it has to bless a new government or authorize a new government. And Joe Lieberman another presidential candidate, who had before the war urged a large, international role has been very quiet about Bush's plans since the war and has focused much, more on celebrating the victory itself.
KARL: All right. But Ron, you mentioned Kerry and Lieberman, these candidates and the others in that crowded Democratic field have a really busy week ahead, including the first debates of this presidential cycle.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, two weeks from today -- two weeks from tonight, they will be debating for the first time in South Carolina; a reflection of the importance of the South Carolina Primary moving.
You know, they are in a little bit of a squeeze here, Jon. The calendar itself for next year has really accelerated. We're going to be voting in Iowa and New Hampshire nine months from now and a cascade of primaries in early February. And the war has really put a hold on their activities, really slowed it down even in the lead-up into the war.
So, I think that you will see them come out of the box quickly. Next week, John Kerry on Tuesday giving a big environmental speech in Boston and then in New Hampshire, and Dick Gephardt in New York City outlining his plan to provide universal health care. Which is probably the most ambitious proposal than any Democrats have tabled so far.
So, they're going to be, I think, moving to make up for lost time, incredibly; until people actually start voting.
KARL: So, we're off and running? I mean is this -- we've had this kind of political freeze while the war was going on, but are we seeing the opening stages of campaign 2004?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I really believe we are. I mean if you look at calendar that's coming up, I count four joint appearances in addition to the debate by the end of June. Audiences are sort of springing up for these guys and you're going to see several of them. Kerry I know, among them, planning to put out much more of their policy ideas.
There is, I think a lot of pressure on the Democrats to begin defining themselves more sharply. The partisans in the party are clearly looking for an alternative to the Bush.
One aspect of this presidency is that it has polarized the country. He is enormously popular among Republicans. But when we get beyond the glow of the war, I think you will see his disapproval among Democrats is very high and that puts a lot of pressure on the Democrat candidates to come up with sharp alternatives to Bush. There's a lot of demand for that and I think you begin to see them meet that demand in the next few weeks.
KARL: And the president clearly has still sky-high approval ratings. Got a boost coming out of war. Does the administration, the Karl Roves, the political strategists for the president; do they believe that he can transfer some of this popularity, which so clearly comes from the war onto the domestic front?
BROWNSTEIN: You know, as my mother said, it couldn't hurt right? I mean it's better to be at 70 percent than at 53 percent. But I do wonder about one aspect of this, which is that his problem in the Congress right now is with a few moderate Republicans in the Senate who are resisting his -- the full size of his tax cut plan. And even before the war, Bush had an approval rating, among Republican partisans, over 90 percent on a consistent basis.
There really isn't much mystery to Olympia Snowe or George Voinovich, even before the war that by opposing Bush they are going against the wishes of a big portion of their own base. I don't know how much more leverage he gets out of the war because he was already so high to begin with. And they have made the calculation they simply can't support a tax cut of this magnitude with the country facing a record setting -- facing a record setting deficit this year.
So, I am not sure how much it will help him in this immediate problem, although as I say, it's always better to be at 70 than in the low 50s, which is where he was immediately before the war. KARL: Well, there's not a lot of moderate Republicans in the United States Senate, but boy, they certainly are powerful in a closely divided Senate.
Ron thanks a lot.
BROWNSTEIN: Every man a king in a 50/50 Senate Jon, thanks.
KARL: True, thanks.
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 April 19, 2003 - 13:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN ANCHOR: The Democrats weekly radio address delivered today by Congressman Elija Cummings of Maryland was mostly an attack on that tax cut proposed by the president.
Ron Brownstein, a political reporter for the "Los Angeles Times," joins us now to talk about politics and post war Iraq and post war America.
So, Ron, Democrats have no problem slamming the president when it comes to the tax cut. But we don't hear quite as loud of an attack on his handling of post war Iraq?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No, I think that's right, Jon. You know, as you look at the way the Democrats are reacting to the post war plans in the administration in Iraq, you see the battle lines that existed over the war itself resurfacing but not as sharply. I mean, you see essentially the same alignment with most Democrats. And for that matter, British Prime Minister Tony Blair arguing for a larger role for the United Nations in post war Iraq just as they did in the lead up to the war itself.
But Democrats don't seem to be pressing this case nearly as hard. Someone like Senator John Kerry who is running for president says that while he'd like the U.N. involved, he doesn't think it has to bless a new government or authorize a new government. And Joe Lieberman another presidential candidate, who had before the war urged a large, international role has been very quiet about Bush's plans since the war and has focused much, more on celebrating the victory itself.
KARL: All right. But Ron, you mentioned Kerry and Lieberman, these candidates and the others in that crowded Democratic field have a really busy week ahead, including the first debates of this presidential cycle.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, two weeks from today -- two weeks from tonight, they will be debating for the first time in South Carolina; a reflection of the importance of the South Carolina Primary moving.
You know, they are in a little bit of a squeeze here, Jon. The calendar itself for next year has really accelerated. We're going to be voting in Iowa and New Hampshire nine months from now and a cascade of primaries in early February. And the war has really put a hold on their activities, really slowed it down even in the lead-up into the war.
So, I think that you will see them come out of the box quickly. Next week, John Kerry on Tuesday giving a big environmental speech in Boston and then in New Hampshire, and Dick Gephardt in New York City outlining his plan to provide universal health care. Which is probably the most ambitious proposal than any Democrats have tabled so far.
So, they're going to be, I think, moving to make up for lost time, incredibly; until people actually start voting.
KARL: So, we're off and running? I mean is this -- we've had this kind of political freeze while the war was going on, but are we seeing the opening stages of campaign 2004?
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I really believe we are. I mean if you look at calendar that's coming up, I count four joint appearances in addition to the debate by the end of June. Audiences are sort of springing up for these guys and you're going to see several of them. Kerry I know, among them, planning to put out much more of their policy ideas.
There is, I think a lot of pressure on the Democrats to begin defining themselves more sharply. The partisans in the party are clearly looking for an alternative to the Bush.
One aspect of this presidency is that it has polarized the country. He is enormously popular among Republicans. But when we get beyond the glow of the war, I think you will see his disapproval among Democrats is very high and that puts a lot of pressure on the Democrat candidates to come up with sharp alternatives to Bush. There's a lot of demand for that and I think you begin to see them meet that demand in the next few weeks.
KARL: And the president clearly has still sky-high approval ratings. Got a boost coming out of war. Does the administration, the Karl Roves, the political strategists for the president; do they believe that he can transfer some of this popularity, which so clearly comes from the war onto the domestic front?
BROWNSTEIN: You know, as my mother said, it couldn't hurt right? I mean it's better to be at 70 percent than at 53 percent. But I do wonder about one aspect of this, which is that his problem in the Congress right now is with a few moderate Republicans in the Senate who are resisting his -- the full size of his tax cut plan. And even before the war, Bush had an approval rating, among Republican partisans, over 90 percent on a consistent basis.
There really isn't much mystery to Olympia Snowe or George Voinovich, even before the war that by opposing Bush they are going against the wishes of a big portion of their own base. I don't know how much more leverage he gets out of the war because he was already so high to begin with. And they have made the calculation they simply can't support a tax cut of this magnitude with the country facing a record setting -- facing a record setting deficit this year.
So, I am not sure how much it will help him in this immediate problem, although as I say, it's always better to be at 70 than in the low 50s, which is where he was immediately before the war. KARL: Well, there's not a lot of moderate Republicans in the United States Senate, but boy, they certainly are powerful in a closely divided Senate.
Ron thanks a lot.
BROWNSTEIN: Every man a king in a 50/50 Senate Jon, thanks.
KARL: True, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
