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House to Vote on Ending Traficant's Days in House

Aired July 24, 2002 - 14:26   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Congressman James Traficant's colleagues will vote tonight on whether his career on the Hill is over. But the Ohio Democrat says he won't go quietly, convictions or not.

Let's go to CNN Congressional correspondent Kate Snow. She's live on Capitol Hill.

Hi -- Kate.

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Well, just when we thought we knew exactly what was going to happen, that Jim Traficant would probably be booted out of the House tonight, there is a new wrinkle here. One of good friends, Steve LaTorette, who is another representative Congressman from Ohio has said he'll bring up a motion tonight to push off the vote until after the August recess, when they come back in September.

That is not expected to succeed, but it does point to something that's happening back in his home state of Ohio. And that is a lot of people raising concerns, including Congressman LaTorette, about a juror who came out over the weekend and said that he in retrospect, now knowing what he knows, had some questions, maybe some doubts, about convicting Jim Traficant. Some in Youngstown, which you're seeing there in these pictures, say that Traficant should have a chance to appeal his conviction before the U.S. House throws him out.

Traficant has a lot of supporters in that former steel town. A lot of people see him as a hero for the working class. They said they voted him in, they should vote him out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel bad for him. I like him. I'm a strong supporter of him. My family is too. We've been behind him all the way. And I do, I feel bad. He's worked hard for us. He's worked hard for the little guy. And I think our district, our valley, is going to miss him.

SNOW: But support is no longer universal for Traficant in Youngstown either. We were out there a short time ago. Voters told me -- particularly younger voters -- that some of them were embarrassed by his antics; certainly, some were angered by his conviction, some saying that now it's time for a change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jimmy was hell on wheels. He become a little outspoken at times. I wish he hadn't have said the things he said on TV. My wife voted for him until he started throwing the nasty words around. Then she turned against him. I just don't know who we will get to represent us as well as he has. But I think it's time for a change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Don't be surprised if you hear some nasty words tonight, Kyra. The congressman's going to get a half hour of time on the House floor at least. He may ask for some more. And he -- we do expect him to make a strong defense of himself. He said he is going to wear his white denim suit for the occasion tonight, Kyra.

All joking aside, it is a very serious matter. He would be the second congressman since the Civil War to be thrown out of the House -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Sure it's very serious. But -- this guy's such a character.

SNOW: It's hard not to laugh.

PHILLIPS: His constituent: "Hell on wheels," he put it perfectly.

Now, you and I were talking about this earlier. He says he'll even be reelected if he's thrown, you know, in the slammer. That can happen if he's in his hometown, right?

SNOW: Well, he's on the ballot. And we were talking to a political scientist who's out in Youngstown today who said, Look, if the election were today, Kyra, he might well win. There is a real sentiment out there, a lot of anger by some folks, against Washington, saying like that first woman said, that how dare Washington try to figure out who we should have represent us. So if the election were today, I think he might have a shot, according to political observers; but they with the election a few months off, he's probably just going to votes some votes away from other two candidates -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Everyone loves a rebel.

Kate Snow, thank you.

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