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Interview With Rep. J.D. Hayworth

Aired May 07, 2003 - 15:03   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Here in Washington, some Democrats are seething over President Bush's dramatic tail hook landing and overnight stay last week aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. It was billed as a way to deliver a personal thank you to military personnel. But some critics say American taxpayers are footing the bill for a trip that was more political than practical. The president's spokesman calls those complaints unfounded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think it does a disservice to the men and women of our military to suggest that the president of the United States, or the manner in which the president visited the military would be anything other than the exact appropriate thing to do, and I think that the 5,000 sailors on that ship recognized this for what it was, the president going out there to say thank you to those who risked their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: With me now to talk more about this issue, Republican Congressman J.D. Hayworth of Arizona.

Congressman, good to see you.

REP. J.D. HAYWORTH (R), ARIZONA: Thanks, Judy.

WOODRUFF: As you know, some Democrats are saying, first of all, that the carrier arrival was delayed. That cost the taxpayers up to $100 -- or, rather, a million dollars -- 800,000 to a million dollars. They are saying this was, in effect, just a stunt for the president to use as a backdrop for his campaign for reelection.

HAYWORTH: Well, Judy, of course -- and the name of this program is "INSIDE POLITICS." I think really excessive politics is being played by some elements on the left. History reminds us that FDR, after a historic summit, turned around a destroyer to go pick up Falla (ph), his dog, in the Aleutian Islands. You may recall he used that to great effect in the '44 campaign against Dewey, saying, "I don't mind when my critics attack me, but when they attack my little dog, it's too much."

Look. The fact is this is much ado about a proper presidential function. He is, after all, constitutionally commander-in-chief, and as commander-in-chief, George W. Bush has, I believe, an obligation to say thank you to the troops, to say thank you to the sailors. We know he visited Army Rangers. We know that he visited with elements of the Marine Corps. So it only follows that, in addition to those visits and the air bases, that he go see sailors on a ship coming home.

And those who have gotten shrill in this attack, I think, are actually inflicting more damage on their political point of view than they are helping.

WOODRUFF: What about the argument that the ship's arrival was delayed in order to accommodate the president?

HAYWORTH: I don't -- I don't know about that. I think, again, that's much ado about really very little. I think that if you talk to the sailors on the Abe Lincoln, they too, a sailor and a person, would say they're happy to see the commander-in-chief, and I think that all the squawking about this is really inappropriate and may go to some folks way over on the left, or some who are consumed with dislike for George W. Bush, but for most Americans, I think we all feel it's fitting and proper for the commander-in-chief to greet troops in a variety of venues.

WOODRUFF: The other thing some of these Democrats are saying, Congressman, is that, originally, the White House said the president needed to use a jet to get to the carrier because it was going to be so far out at sea. It turned out it was just 30 miles away. What do you know about that?

HAYWORTH: Well, I don't know anything about the positioning of the ship. I do know that George W. Bush was trained as a fighter pilot, served in the Air National Guard, and certainly was comfortable in the cockpit, and had a chance to fly the plane.

Again, I really think -- well, I guess, Judy, between us, I guess I ought to say, keep up the criticism. It just helps the president, and we're seeing the pictures time and again. I don't think you have to worry about a commercial in 2004. There's a lot of free exposure with file footage the longer these folks try to make an issue out of something that is constitutional, and not really political.

WOODRUFF: Do you think it's a mistake for them even to ask for an accounting of this from the General Accounting Office?

HAYWORTH: Well, I don't -- I don't know so much if it is a mistake. I do think it's an overreaction. That would be like saying every time President Clinton took a trip -- in fact, it strikes me it would be like asking, let's have an accounting of President Clinton going over to visit the scenes in Europe and D-Day, on the 60th anniversary of D-Day. I mean, it just smacks a bit of being overwrought.

It's a legitimate function of our commander-in-chief and the executive branch, be he a Republican or a Democrat or Libertarian, or a Vegetarian for that matter. It's a legitimate constitutional function, and I won't say you can completely divorce politics from it, but it seems to me, politically, the longer they keep up the heat, the more trouble it spells for the extreme left.

WOODRUFF: All right. We're going to leave it there. Congressman J.D. Hayworth. It is always good to see you, Congressman. HAYWORTH: Thanks, Judy. Good to see you.

WOODRUFF: Thank you for talking with us.

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 May 7, 2003 - 15:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Here in Washington, some Democrats are seething over President Bush's dramatic tail hook landing and overnight stay last week aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. It was billed as a way to deliver a personal thank you to military personnel. But some critics say American taxpayers are footing the bill for a trip that was more political than practical. The president's spokesman calls those complaints unfounded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think it does a disservice to the men and women of our military to suggest that the president of the United States, or the manner in which the president visited the military would be anything other than the exact appropriate thing to do, and I think that the 5,000 sailors on that ship recognized this for what it was, the president going out there to say thank you to those who risked their lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: With me now to talk more about this issue, Republican Congressman J.D. Hayworth of Arizona.

Congressman, good to see you.

REP. J.D. HAYWORTH (R), ARIZONA: Thanks, Judy.

WOODRUFF: As you know, some Democrats are saying, first of all, that the carrier arrival was delayed. That cost the taxpayers up to $100 -- or, rather, a million dollars -- 800,000 to a million dollars. They are saying this was, in effect, just a stunt for the president to use as a backdrop for his campaign for reelection.

HAYWORTH: Well, Judy, of course -- and the name of this program is "INSIDE POLITICS." I think really excessive politics is being played by some elements on the left. History reminds us that FDR, after a historic summit, turned around a destroyer to go pick up Falla (ph), his dog, in the Aleutian Islands. You may recall he used that to great effect in the '44 campaign against Dewey, saying, "I don't mind when my critics attack me, but when they attack my little dog, it's too much."

Look. The fact is this is much ado about a proper presidential function. He is, after all, constitutionally commander-in-chief, and as commander-in-chief, George W. Bush has, I believe, an obligation to say thank you to the troops, to say thank you to the sailors. We know he visited Army Rangers. We know that he visited with elements of the Marine Corps. So it only follows that, in addition to those visits and the air bases, that he go see sailors on a ship coming home.

And those who have gotten shrill in this attack, I think, are actually inflicting more damage on their political point of view than they are helping.

WOODRUFF: What about the argument that the ship's arrival was delayed in order to accommodate the president?

HAYWORTH: I don't -- I don't know about that. I think, again, that's much ado about really very little. I think that if you talk to the sailors on the Abe Lincoln, they too, a sailor and a person, would say they're happy to see the commander-in-chief, and I think that all the squawking about this is really inappropriate and may go to some folks way over on the left, or some who are consumed with dislike for George W. Bush, but for most Americans, I think we all feel it's fitting and proper for the commander-in-chief to greet troops in a variety of venues.

WOODRUFF: The other thing some of these Democrats are saying, Congressman, is that, originally, the White House said the president needed to use a jet to get to the carrier because it was going to be so far out at sea. It turned out it was just 30 miles away. What do you know about that?

HAYWORTH: Well, I don't know anything about the positioning of the ship. I do know that George W. Bush was trained as a fighter pilot, served in the Air National Guard, and certainly was comfortable in the cockpit, and had a chance to fly the plane.

Again, I really think -- well, I guess, Judy, between us, I guess I ought to say, keep up the criticism. It just helps the president, and we're seeing the pictures time and again. I don't think you have to worry about a commercial in 2004. There's a lot of free exposure with file footage the longer these folks try to make an issue out of something that is constitutional, and not really political.

WOODRUFF: Do you think it's a mistake for them even to ask for an accounting of this from the General Accounting Office?

HAYWORTH: Well, I don't -- I don't know so much if it is a mistake. I do think it's an overreaction. That would be like saying every time President Clinton took a trip -- in fact, it strikes me it would be like asking, let's have an accounting of President Clinton going over to visit the scenes in Europe and D-Day, on the 60th anniversary of D-Day. I mean, it just smacks a bit of being overwrought.

It's a legitimate function of our commander-in-chief and the executive branch, be he a Republican or a Democrat or Libertarian, or a Vegetarian for that matter. It's a legitimate constitutional function, and I won't say you can completely divorce politics from it, but it seems to me, politically, the longer they keep up the heat, the more trouble it spells for the extreme left.

WOODRUFF: All right. We're going to leave it there. Congressman J.D. Hayworth. It is always good to see you, Congressman. HAYWORTH: Thanks, Judy. Good to see you.

WOODRUFF: Thank you for talking with us.

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