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CNN Live Saturday

Political Roundtable

Aired January 24, 2004 - 14:10   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: Well, the Democrats aren't the only candidates on the campaign trial. President Bush will be headed to New Hampshire this coming week, and then to Connecticut to enrich his re-election coffers.
From New York, Democratic strategist Robert Zimmerman. And from Washington, Republican strategist Kim Alfano.

Good to see both of you.

KIM ALFANO, GOP STRATEGIST: Good afternoon.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Well, going into the primaries then and even the caucuses, the conventional wisdom had been they wanted to -- the Democrats wanted a nominee that could best take on President Bush. It had been Howard Dean. We saw after Iowa. Now it seems the leader is John Kerry.

Robert, exactly what happened?

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think what's evolved over time is that the energy and excitement that surrounded the Howard Dean campaign was focused on a desire by Democrats to take on George W. Bush. And now that it's come decision time, I think Democrats -- and you're seeing a broad cross section of Democrats -- young people, those opposed to the war, those who are concerned with economic issues -- you're seeing a broad cross section of these Democrats come together and say that John Kerry is emerging as the Democrat with a political character, the political toughness and the record that can take on George Bush in November.

WHITFIELD: Kim, we see that, you know, John Kerry is leading the polls. But in your opinion, -- and, you know, I know you're committed and your have your allegiance to the Republican Party -- do you see that there is a Democrat that really has what it takes to take on President Bush? After all. President Bush had no political experience -- no national political experience when he was in this position four years ago.

ALFANO: Well, I just think that it's a really tough road to hoe if you're a Democrat, especially since we've had such great accomplishment from this president. He is running on a platform of just one success for another -- cutting taxes for the American family, middle class families and working to try to get that to be permanent. He has been successful in turning the economy around and seeing that go forward. He has been successful in persecuting the war on terror, and in capturing Saddam Hussein.

There's just -- you can go to any subject, anything that concerns the American people, and George Bush has made inroads if not great accomplishments and strides in those topics. So

ZIMMERMAN: Well, you know, Kim, I'd have to tell you...

(CROSSTALK)

ALFANO: I'm going to finish my sentence because that's what I'm here to do.

If you are a Democrat, it's very difficult to do anything but attack the president and not offer your own ideas, but to run on -- you know, the politics of personal destruction, and that's what we have seen in the democrats. And Dean was the best at it, and Kerry and Edwards and the rest of the pack have tried to catch up with him. They've been successful in doing that. And when Dean had his meltdown...

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: I think it would be helpful, Kim, if we could have a few facts to help make the point more clear.

Amost resent poll -- a most recent poll that was conducted by the New York Times showed that four out of five Americans felt they were not getting any tax relief despite the Bush program of tax cuts. And that's because George W. Bush didn't cut taxes, he just transferred the tax burden to state and local governments. And the reason you see Democrats running so well against this president --within maybe 5 to 7 percent is primarily because they don't -- unless you're a major multimillionaire or own a major corporation like Halliburton, you're not benefiting from the economic recovery.

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: And you see a president who is, according to even Republicans, gutting the Clean Air Act. A president who has wasted our resources for a billion dollars a week in Iraq.

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: Kim, I gave you the courtesy -- Kim I gave you the courtesy...

ALFANO: Barely.

ZIMMERMAN: ...of making your point.

Let me make my point simply that it's a matter of -- this is not a debate about liberal versus conservative. It's a debate in this campaign about competence. And this president has spent a billion dollars a week in Iraq, while at the same time we're not being well- protected at home. WHITFIELD: All right. All right. Robert Zimmerman, Kim Alfano, thanks very much. We're now out of time. You guys did a good job of keeping each other going. Sure appreciate it.

ZIMMERMAN: Thanks so much.

ALFANO: Thank you.

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 January 24, 2004 - 14:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the Democrats aren't the only candidates on the campaign trial. President Bush will be headed to New Hampshire this coming week, and then to Connecticut to enrich his re-election coffers.
From New York, Democratic strategist Robert Zimmerman. And from Washington, Republican strategist Kim Alfano.

Good to see both of you.

KIM ALFANO, GOP STRATEGIST: Good afternoon.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Well, going into the primaries then and even the caucuses, the conventional wisdom had been they wanted to -- the Democrats wanted a nominee that could best take on President Bush. It had been Howard Dean. We saw after Iowa. Now it seems the leader is John Kerry.

Robert, exactly what happened?

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think what's evolved over time is that the energy and excitement that surrounded the Howard Dean campaign was focused on a desire by Democrats to take on George W. Bush. And now that it's come decision time, I think Democrats -- and you're seeing a broad cross section of Democrats -- young people, those opposed to the war, those who are concerned with economic issues -- you're seeing a broad cross section of these Democrats come together and say that John Kerry is emerging as the Democrat with a political character, the political toughness and the record that can take on George Bush in November.

WHITFIELD: Kim, we see that, you know, John Kerry is leading the polls. But in your opinion, -- and, you know, I know you're committed and your have your allegiance to the Republican Party -- do you see that there is a Democrat that really has what it takes to take on President Bush? After all. President Bush had no political experience -- no national political experience when he was in this position four years ago.

ALFANO: Well, I just think that it's a really tough road to hoe if you're a Democrat, especially since we've had such great accomplishment from this president. He is running on a platform of just one success for another -- cutting taxes for the American family, middle class families and working to try to get that to be permanent. He has been successful in turning the economy around and seeing that go forward. He has been successful in persecuting the war on terror, and in capturing Saddam Hussein.

There's just -- you can go to any subject, anything that concerns the American people, and George Bush has made inroads if not great accomplishments and strides in those topics. So

ZIMMERMAN: Well, you know, Kim, I'd have to tell you...

(CROSSTALK)

ALFANO: I'm going to finish my sentence because that's what I'm here to do.

If you are a Democrat, it's very difficult to do anything but attack the president and not offer your own ideas, but to run on -- you know, the politics of personal destruction, and that's what we have seen in the democrats. And Dean was the best at it, and Kerry and Edwards and the rest of the pack have tried to catch up with him. They've been successful in doing that. And when Dean had his meltdown...

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: I think it would be helpful, Kim, if we could have a few facts to help make the point more clear.

Amost resent poll -- a most recent poll that was conducted by the New York Times showed that four out of five Americans felt they were not getting any tax relief despite the Bush program of tax cuts. And that's because George W. Bush didn't cut taxes, he just transferred the tax burden to state and local governments. And the reason you see Democrats running so well against this president --within maybe 5 to 7 percent is primarily because they don't -- unless you're a major multimillionaire or own a major corporation like Halliburton, you're not benefiting from the economic recovery.

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: And you see a president who is, according to even Republicans, gutting the Clean Air Act. A president who has wasted our resources for a billion dollars a week in Iraq.

(CROSSTALK)

ZIMMERMAN: Kim, I gave you the courtesy -- Kim I gave you the courtesy...

ALFANO: Barely.

ZIMMERMAN: ...of making your point.

Let me make my point simply that it's a matter of -- this is not a debate about liberal versus conservative. It's a debate in this campaign about competence. And this president has spent a billion dollars a week in Iraq, while at the same time we're not being well- protected at home. WHITFIELD: All right. All right. Robert Zimmerman, Kim Alfano, thanks very much. We're now out of time. You guys did a good job of keeping each other going. Sure appreciate it.

ZIMMERMAN: Thanks so much.

ALFANO: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com