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Working Weekend in Store Before Election 2002

Aired November 01, 2002 - 14:05   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.


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: This will be a working weekend, and that is putting it very mildly, for the former vice president who wants to be the junior senator from Minnesota. Walter Mondale has a lot of ground to cover between now and election day.
CNN's Bob Franken's live from Minneapolis with the first of what are going to be his steps of the weekend -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's going to be taking a lot of steps. The vice president just a week ago had sort of evolved into semi-retirement. He had one of those jobs with law firms that former vice presidents and the like can get. But suddenly, the call came because of the tragic death of Senator Paul Wellstone, and now a week later, it is candidate Walter Mondale, first time since 1984, when he ran for president and got so badly beaten. Now he's out once again pressing the flesh, trying to show that he may have lost a step, but he's still able to go out there and win the Senate race. That's what he's trying to do in what can only be described as an abbreviated campaign, one of less than a week.

He's traveling the state today, doing events outside Minneapolis and touting his experience, trying to travel the high road, he said, trying to avoid the negative campaigns that have become so much in fashion in the years particularly since he left office.

Now, as for his opponent, his opponent is also out there campaigning delicately. That's the way things have to be at least right now in this atmosphere surrounding the tragedy and all the events that occurred. He says that he's campaigning against Mount Rushmore, but then he tries to make the point without using the word "age" that he is the relatively young one and the one who in fact has the ability to deal with the issues of this age, that is to say, the 21st century, saying that Walter Mondale may have served his nation well in the past, but it was in the past.

That is the tone of the campaign right now. The campaign is including a bunch of Republican heavy hitters who are going to come in and help Norm Coleman, among them Vice President Cheney, who's going to be in the state in a very short while. He had been disinvited from the Paul Wellstone memorial turned political rally a few days ago. He's back now campaigning for Norm Coleman. He's followed tomorrow by the First Lady, Laura Bush. And then Sunday, of course, President Bush is going to be in town, all trying to help push the direction of the campaign, again, in their favor, because of a fight for the Senate, Martin, that is so very, very close all across the country.

SAVIDGE: Bob Franken reporting to us live from Minneapolis. Thank you very much.

If you follow politics at all, you may not be surprised that the sniper attacks that terrorized millions a few short weeks ago are showing up this week in campaign advertising.

CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider gives us his take on that.

Bill, what are they saying in the ads?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, what they're saying in the ads is a candidate in New Jersey is running an ad, she's running for Congress, and she's the underdog. So she's running an ad in which she's making some kind of connection between her Republican opponent, who voted against -- against gun control in the state legislature and the sniper attacks. He voted to repeal -- I'm sorry. He voted in the legislature to repeal a ban on assault weapons.

But in the ad there is a photo from the newspaper of the sniper. Well, that's a stretch because she's suggesting that her Republican opponent somehow is connected to the sniper attacks that have terrorized people all over the country. In the ad the candidate says, quote, "Scott Garrett" -- that's the Republican -- "should not be blamed for the sniper." Well, what she's saying is I'm not doing what I'm really doing. I'm connecting him with the sniper, but that's not what I'm really doing. It's very strange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: First, he was convicted of domestic abuse. Yet Scott Garrett things it should be legal for domestic abusers to buy guns. He voted to repeal the assault weapons ban, sponsored legislation to weaken concealed gun laws. Scott Garrett shouldn't be blamed for the sniper, but Garrett's positions are the problem. Gun safety groups call Garrett one of the 12 most dangerous candidates in America. That's why "The New York Times" and the "Bergen Record" endorse Anne Sumers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: That ad was one of the ads we've seen. It happened before. I'm not doing what I'm doing, he shouldn't be blamed for this. But then why are you running this ad?

SAVIDGE: Bill, very good point. There are not only candidates that are on the ballot this time around. We also have issues and some of them, if they get passed are going to cost some money. Explain that. And how are they doing?

SCHNEIDER: Well, there's a couple of initiatives on the on the ballot that are going to be very expensive. Now, these initiatives have been popular. In Florida, where there's a huge population surge and schoolroom classes are getting bigger and bigger, there's an initiative to reduce class size, while the opponents, including Governor Jeb Bush say, who's going to pay for this, it's going to cost a fortune, it could involve a tax increase. If that initiative is defeated, it means the voters are saying we're worried about that.

Same thing is happening in Oregon, where there's an initiative that would mandate universal health care, a state-run program. And remember under Bill Clinton, the question was how's it going to be paid for? Well, if this goes down to defeat in Oregon, again, the voters are beginning to worry about the tax increase that might be required.

SAVIDGE: What do you think are some of the more colorful issues, or initiatives out there?

SCHNEIDER: We've got them. There's the initiative in Nevada where they're talking about legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. It would no longer be a crime. This is not medical marijuana. This is small amounts of marijuana. They say the cops shouldn't have the responsibility of going after those. It's not really a crime. We'll see what happens if this passes, what the federal government has to say about it.

And then there's one in Oklahoma that would ban cockfighting. Cockfighting?

Oh, here's another one -- there's another one, that marriage should only be between men and women. That's also on the ballot in Nevada.

The cockfighting initiative is on the ballot in Oklahoma. Should it be illegal? A lot of people are going to be surprised that there is such a thing as cockfighting. Well, it is part of a lot of immigrant subcultures in this country. It goes on. There are several states, including Oklahoma, where it is legal. Animal rights activists say it should be banned. But a lot of people say it's part of the culture of some immigrant groups and it violates their cultural rights to put this ban in place. It's a very closely fought issue in Oklahoma.

SAVIDGE: Yes. In more ways than one. All right. Thank you very much. Bill Schneider. We appreciate it.

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 November 1, 2002 - 14:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: This will be a working weekend, and that is putting it very mildly, for the former vice president who wants to be the junior senator from Minnesota. Walter Mondale has a lot of ground to cover between now and election day.
CNN's Bob Franken's live from Minneapolis with the first of what are going to be his steps of the weekend -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's going to be taking a lot of steps. The vice president just a week ago had sort of evolved into semi-retirement. He had one of those jobs with law firms that former vice presidents and the like can get. But suddenly, the call came because of the tragic death of Senator Paul Wellstone, and now a week later, it is candidate Walter Mondale, first time since 1984, when he ran for president and got so badly beaten. Now he's out once again pressing the flesh, trying to show that he may have lost a step, but he's still able to go out there and win the Senate race. That's what he's trying to do in what can only be described as an abbreviated campaign, one of less than a week.

He's traveling the state today, doing events outside Minneapolis and touting his experience, trying to travel the high road, he said, trying to avoid the negative campaigns that have become so much in fashion in the years particularly since he left office.

Now, as for his opponent, his opponent is also out there campaigning delicately. That's the way things have to be at least right now in this atmosphere surrounding the tragedy and all the events that occurred. He says that he's campaigning against Mount Rushmore, but then he tries to make the point without using the word "age" that he is the relatively young one and the one who in fact has the ability to deal with the issues of this age, that is to say, the 21st century, saying that Walter Mondale may have served his nation well in the past, but it was in the past.

That is the tone of the campaign right now. The campaign is including a bunch of Republican heavy hitters who are going to come in and help Norm Coleman, among them Vice President Cheney, who's going to be in the state in a very short while. He had been disinvited from the Paul Wellstone memorial turned political rally a few days ago. He's back now campaigning for Norm Coleman. He's followed tomorrow by the First Lady, Laura Bush. And then Sunday, of course, President Bush is going to be in town, all trying to help push the direction of the campaign, again, in their favor, because of a fight for the Senate, Martin, that is so very, very close all across the country.

SAVIDGE: Bob Franken reporting to us live from Minneapolis. Thank you very much.

If you follow politics at all, you may not be surprised that the sniper attacks that terrorized millions a few short weeks ago are showing up this week in campaign advertising.

CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider gives us his take on that.

Bill, what are they saying in the ads?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, what they're saying in the ads is a candidate in New Jersey is running an ad, she's running for Congress, and she's the underdog. So she's running an ad in which she's making some kind of connection between her Republican opponent, who voted against -- against gun control in the state legislature and the sniper attacks. He voted to repeal -- I'm sorry. He voted in the legislature to repeal a ban on assault weapons.

But in the ad there is a photo from the newspaper of the sniper. Well, that's a stretch because she's suggesting that her Republican opponent somehow is connected to the sniper attacks that have terrorized people all over the country. In the ad the candidate says, quote, "Scott Garrett" -- that's the Republican -- "should not be blamed for the sniper." Well, what she's saying is I'm not doing what I'm really doing. I'm connecting him with the sniper, but that's not what I'm really doing. It's very strange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: First, he was convicted of domestic abuse. Yet Scott Garrett things it should be legal for domestic abusers to buy guns. He voted to repeal the assault weapons ban, sponsored legislation to weaken concealed gun laws. Scott Garrett shouldn't be blamed for the sniper, but Garrett's positions are the problem. Gun safety groups call Garrett one of the 12 most dangerous candidates in America. That's why "The New York Times" and the "Bergen Record" endorse Anne Sumers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: That ad was one of the ads we've seen. It happened before. I'm not doing what I'm doing, he shouldn't be blamed for this. But then why are you running this ad?

SAVIDGE: Bill, very good point. There are not only candidates that are on the ballot this time around. We also have issues and some of them, if they get passed are going to cost some money. Explain that. And how are they doing?

SCHNEIDER: Well, there's a couple of initiatives on the on the ballot that are going to be very expensive. Now, these initiatives have been popular. In Florida, where there's a huge population surge and schoolroom classes are getting bigger and bigger, there's an initiative to reduce class size, while the opponents, including Governor Jeb Bush say, who's going to pay for this, it's going to cost a fortune, it could involve a tax increase. If that initiative is defeated, it means the voters are saying we're worried about that.

Same thing is happening in Oregon, where there's an initiative that would mandate universal health care, a state-run program. And remember under Bill Clinton, the question was how's it going to be paid for? Well, if this goes down to defeat in Oregon, again, the voters are beginning to worry about the tax increase that might be required.

SAVIDGE: What do you think are some of the more colorful issues, or initiatives out there?

SCHNEIDER: We've got them. There's the initiative in Nevada where they're talking about legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. It would no longer be a crime. This is not medical marijuana. This is small amounts of marijuana. They say the cops shouldn't have the responsibility of going after those. It's not really a crime. We'll see what happens if this passes, what the federal government has to say about it.

And then there's one in Oklahoma that would ban cockfighting. Cockfighting?

Oh, here's another one -- there's another one, that marriage should only be between men and women. That's also on the ballot in Nevada.

The cockfighting initiative is on the ballot in Oklahoma. Should it be illegal? A lot of people are going to be surprised that there is such a thing as cockfighting. Well, it is part of a lot of immigrant subcultures in this country. It goes on. There are several states, including Oklahoma, where it is legal. Animal rights activists say it should be banned. But a lot of people say it's part of the culture of some immigrant groups and it violates their cultural rights to put this ban in place. It's a very closely fought issue in Oklahoma.

SAVIDGE: Yes. In more ways than one. All right. Thank you very much. Bill Schneider. We appreciate it.

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