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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bloomberg Has Big Shoes to Fill

Aired November 08, 2001 - 07:58   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Two days ago, New Yorkers elected Michael Bloomberg as the next mayor of the Big Apple.

But as Jeanne Moos reports, the mayor-elect has some mighty big shoes to fill. They're now being worn by Rudy the Rock.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Imagine being the one who has to fill the shoes of Rudy Giuliani.

MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI, NEW YORK CITY: Our new mayor, Michael Bloomberg.

MOOS: Mayor Mike, after all these years of...

(CROWD CHANTING): Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy.

MOOS: The character opera man expressed it best at last month's benefit concert for New York.

ADAM SANDLER, ACTOR (singing): Giuliani, why-ah must you ever be-gone-y.

MOOS: Who is going to hold the collective hand of New Yorkers, who fell for Rudy after September 11, like an old flame rekindled?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to miss him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's been pretty cool to me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he's become almost a legend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he just had such grace.

MOOS: Grace, even as he had to flee the collapsing towers, told by his police commissioner, City Hall wasn't safe.

GIULIANI: The situation is that two airplanes have attacked apparently -- what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

GIULIANI: All right. Well, then let's get -- let's go north then.

MOOS: The same direction his approval ratings headed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have read in Russian newspaper, it's nice (UNINTELLIGIBLE) about Giuliani, and how the Russian people -- is they love Giuliani.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm from Paris, but I love Giuliani.

MOOS: Or as the French president called him...

PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC, FRANCE: Rudy the Rock.

MOOS: Rudy the Wax has become the most popular figure at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. People come in asking for him. Groups want to borrow him.

JANINE SCARPELLO, MADAME TUSSAUD'S: He's had to have a lot of maintenance, though, because people are really getting close. They want to touch his face. They want to get a picture with him. He was gone for a few days. He had his hair washed, and he had his color stripped and redone.

MOOS: Of course, not everyone sees eye to eye with Rudy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm not going to miss Rudy.

MOOS: And you weren't tempted after September 11 to like him a little?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I like him a lot more than I did. I mean, you know, now I think he's human.

MOOS: Rudy merely shrugs and jokes when asked about his future...

GIULIANI: Right field for the Yankees.

MOOS: ... leaving his successor to outline Rudy's immediate plans.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, MAYOR-ELECT, NEW YORK CITY: He's going to want to go on a speaking tour. He's going to want to write a book.

SANDLER (singing): How we love you still Senior Rudy, so tough, but oh so sweet. Only good thing about your leaving, we get the hookers back on the street. All right.

MOOS: For now, it's the public that's hooked on Rudy. Well, they actually kiss his cheek?

SCARPELLO: All of the time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do it.

MOOS: I can't. I mean, I can't kiss the mayor's cheek. I don't think it's dignified.

SCARPELLO: You can kiss the mayor's cheek.

MOOS: Just don't count on kissing him goodbye. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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