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Longtime Senate GOP Leader Trent Lott

Aired December 20, 2002 - 13:26   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: News that longtime Senate GOP leader Trent Lott is stepping down from his high-powered post is reverberating on the homefront.
CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman. He's in Pascagoula, Mississippi for the past week. He joins us with more reaction from there.

Hi, Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, hello to you.

We're in the town that is the home of Trent Lott International Airport, the Trent Lott Middle School, and Trent Lott, the man himself, for the last 50 years, and we are across the street from his office right here, where people literally have been paying condolence calls since this announcement was made.

Trent Lott, we are told, by a source with the office, will make no additional comment other than a short statement. We are told he wants to be with his family and have a holiday like anything, and as for now, over from the standpoint of communication.

As we said, people going in to say they're sorry to the workers inside that are very crestfallen. Others have come here to offer their support and did not know he stepped down from his post. We talked to a gentleman who did not know what had happened a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Are you surprised he decided not to be the Republican Senate leader?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm surprised he stepped down, if he did.

TUCHMAN: He did announce that today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry to hear that.

TUCHMAN: How does that make you feel?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Terrible. Terrible.

TUCHMAN: I mean, do you think he should have continued to fight it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think so, I really do.

TUCHMAN: You angry about it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am. I'm disgusted.

TUCHMAN: Tell me why.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a veteran. I fought for rights for this country, and now, the man says something at a birthday party, and it's freedom of speech, you know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: From a momentum standpoint, it's been like a freight train going downhill without a break, and it culminated with that interview on Black Entertainment Television on Monday. Many of the supporters thought he just apologized too much and it sounded like he was groveling, and many people who did not support Trent Lott said they didn't feel worse about him, but they felt like if he said this before Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party, they would have felt a lot better.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Gary Tuchman in Lott's hometown. Thanks, Gary.

Now to the White House, where the president just released a statement. Suzanne Malveaux with more.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Bush notified by the chief of staff Andy Card this morning. We're then told that he called the senator. They had a 10-minute conversation. It was described as warm. They thanked him for his good work and his friendship. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer reiterating again that the president still does not believe that the senator needed to step down, but at the same time, he said the president would not offer judgment or any opinion about how who he felt would be the best Republican Senate leader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: I respect the very difficult decision Trent has made on behalf of the American people. As majority and minority leader of the Senate, Trent Lott improved education for the American people. He led the way in securing tax relief, he strengthened our national security, and he stood for a bold and effective foreign policy.

Trent is a valued friend and a man I respect. I am pleased he will continue to serve the nation in the Senate. I look forward to working with him on our agenda to make America safer, stronger, and better.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: The president and his aides insisting that President Bush did not believe that Trent Lott needed to resign, but there were some on the Hill that felt that the White House silence spoke much louder than the words coming from the president and his aides, that they did not make a convincing case, a public case, to keep him on board -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, from the White House, 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 December 20, 2002 - 13:26   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: News that longtime Senate GOP leader Trent Lott is stepping down from his high-powered post is reverberating on the homefront.
CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman. He's in Pascagoula, Mississippi for the past week. He joins us with more reaction from there.

Hi, Gary.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, hello to you.

We're in the town that is the home of Trent Lott International Airport, the Trent Lott Middle School, and Trent Lott, the man himself, for the last 50 years, and we are across the street from his office right here, where people literally have been paying condolence calls since this announcement was made.

Trent Lott, we are told, by a source with the office, will make no additional comment other than a short statement. We are told he wants to be with his family and have a holiday like anything, and as for now, over from the standpoint of communication.

As we said, people going in to say they're sorry to the workers inside that are very crestfallen. Others have come here to offer their support and did not know he stepped down from his post. We talked to a gentleman who did not know what had happened a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: Are you surprised he decided not to be the Republican Senate leader?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm surprised he stepped down, if he did.

TUCHMAN: He did announce that today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry to hear that.

TUCHMAN: How does that make you feel?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Terrible. Terrible.

TUCHMAN: I mean, do you think he should have continued to fight it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think so, I really do.

TUCHMAN: You angry about it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am. I'm disgusted.

TUCHMAN: Tell me why.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a veteran. I fought for rights for this country, and now, the man says something at a birthday party, and it's freedom of speech, you know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TUCHMAN: From a momentum standpoint, it's been like a freight train going downhill without a break, and it culminated with that interview on Black Entertainment Television on Monday. Many of the supporters thought he just apologized too much and it sounded like he was groveling, and many people who did not support Trent Lott said they didn't feel worse about him, but they felt like if he said this before Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party, they would have felt a lot better.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Gary Tuchman in Lott's hometown. Thanks, Gary.

Now to the White House, where the president just released a statement. Suzanne Malveaux with more.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Bush notified by the chief of staff Andy Card this morning. We're then told that he called the senator. They had a 10-minute conversation. It was described as warm. They thanked him for his good work and his friendship. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer reiterating again that the president still does not believe that the senator needed to step down, but at the same time, he said the president would not offer judgment or any opinion about how who he felt would be the best Republican Senate leader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: I respect the very difficult decision Trent has made on behalf of the American people. As majority and minority leader of the Senate, Trent Lott improved education for the American people. He led the way in securing tax relief, he strengthened our national security, and he stood for a bold and effective foreign policy.

Trent is a valued friend and a man I respect. I am pleased he will continue to serve the nation in the Senate. I look forward to working with him on our agenda to make America safer, stronger, and better.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: The president and his aides insisting that President Bush did not believe that Trent Lott needed to resign, but there were some on the Hill that felt that the White House silence spoke much louder than the words coming from the president and his aides, that they did not make a convincing case, a public case, to keep him on board -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Suzanne Malveaux, from the White House, 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