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CNN Live Saturday
Democrats Try To Maintain Political Heat on President Bush
Aired July 19, 2003 - 14:09 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to Washington politics, a new CNN time poll checks public opinion and the president. Researchers found President Bush's approval rating is higher now than it was in February at 55 percent, but that is down from 63 percent back in May. Fifty five percent also approving of the president's handling of the situation in Iraq, but that is also down from 69 percent in May. The percentage of those who say he's doing poor jumped by just about the same number it is now up to 40 percent. Senator Joseph Lieberman, looks like the president's top competition for 2004 from the Democrats, with 16 percent of registered Democrats.
Well the president is at his ranch in Crawford, Texas this weekend. He is preparing for a visit from a key ally in the war with Iraq while back in Washington the questions mount on Iraq intelligence. CNN's White House Correspondent Chris Burns is in Crawford, Texas and joins us with the latest information. Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello Sean and a very hot day it is here, it's suppose to get around 100 degrees and the Democrats are trying to maintain the political heat as well on President Bush, despite the release of declassification of this portion of the national intelligence estimate back in October of last year that was used as the basis for President Bush's State of the Union message back in January of this year in which he claimed that Saddam Hussein was trying to buy uranium from Africa. Now that was later discredited.
A senior administration official briefed the media on this declassified report, saying that showing elements from this report, saying that if left unchecked, Iraq could have had a nuclear weapon by the end of the decade. However, also the caveat by State Department intelligence saying that it was highly dubious that Saddam Hussein was actually shopping for uranium at that time.
So, however, also saying that the CIA gave approval to a National Security Council member before that speech, so the speech was approved. This, however, is not satisfying Democrats on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This uranium issue is not about just 16 words in a speech. It is about whether administration officials made a conscious and a very troubling decision to create a false impression about the gravity and imminence of the threat that Iraq posed to America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Now, President Bush tomorrow has a guest here, the Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi will be visiting. President Bush will be thanking him for his support as a member of the coalition of the willing in the war against Iraq -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK Chris we will let you get out of the sun for just a bit down in Crawford, Texas with the President. Thanks so much for bringing us up to date.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Bush>
Aired July 19, 2003 - 14:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to Washington politics, a new CNN time poll checks public opinion and the president. Researchers found President Bush's approval rating is higher now than it was in February at 55 percent, but that is down from 63 percent back in May. Fifty five percent also approving of the president's handling of the situation in Iraq, but that is also down from 69 percent in May. The percentage of those who say he's doing poor jumped by just about the same number it is now up to 40 percent. Senator Joseph Lieberman, looks like the president's top competition for 2004 from the Democrats, with 16 percent of registered Democrats.
Well the president is at his ranch in Crawford, Texas this weekend. He is preparing for a visit from a key ally in the war with Iraq while back in Washington the questions mount on Iraq intelligence. CNN's White House Correspondent Chris Burns is in Crawford, Texas and joins us with the latest information. Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello Sean and a very hot day it is here, it's suppose to get around 100 degrees and the Democrats are trying to maintain the political heat as well on President Bush, despite the release of declassification of this portion of the national intelligence estimate back in October of last year that was used as the basis for President Bush's State of the Union message back in January of this year in which he claimed that Saddam Hussein was trying to buy uranium from Africa. Now that was later discredited.
A senior administration official briefed the media on this declassified report, saying that showing elements from this report, saying that if left unchecked, Iraq could have had a nuclear weapon by the end of the decade. However, also the caveat by State Department intelligence saying that it was highly dubious that Saddam Hussein was actually shopping for uranium at that time.
So, however, also saying that the CIA gave approval to a National Security Council member before that speech, so the speech was approved. This, however, is not satisfying Democrats on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This uranium issue is not about just 16 words in a speech. It is about whether administration officials made a conscious and a very troubling decision to create a false impression about the gravity and imminence of the threat that Iraq posed to America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Now, President Bush tomorrow has a guest here, the Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi will be visiting. President Bush will be thanking him for his support as a member of the coalition of the willing in the war against Iraq -- Sean.
CALLEBS: OK Chris we will let you get out of the sun for just a bit down in Crawford, Texas with the President. Thanks so much for bringing us up to date.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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