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Mea Culpa Times Three

Aired July 17, 2003 - 13:39   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: Now, love may mean never having to say you're sorry, but when it comes to campaign politics, well, apologies are part of the game. At least that's the case for Democrat candidates Joe Lieberman, Dick Gephardt and Dennis Kucinich today. They're trying to get out of the doghouse with the nation's oldest and largest civil rights group.
Our Bill Schneider on this NAACP flap.

Bill, as you said to me, traveling panda road show.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: That's what it is being called by a lot of critics, who say the Democrats are a pack of nine candidates, who are going from interest group to interest group, pandering to them.

Earlier this week, the Democrats appeared before the Human Rights Campaign, which is the largest gay rights organization in the United States, essentially told them most of what they wanted to hear. Now they didn't all endorse gay marriage. A couple did. But they said that they were staunch supporters and fighters for the cause of gay rights.

Most of the candidates, but the not the crew you mentioned, most of them appeared at the NAACP meeting. There's Dennis Kucinich. He did not appear, but he has appeared today before -- there he is at the Human Rights Campaign. He was one who did not initially appear at the NAACP meeting in Miami Beach. But now, he has appeared today and apologized to the NAACP.

The criticism is this is what used to be called interest group liberalism. These are Democrats, a traveling road show, going from group to group -- the NAACP, gay rights organizations, women's rights organizations, trade unions, Hispanic organizations -- and making promises.

You may remember a man named Walter Mondale in 1984 was the Democratic nominee for president. He was widely criticized for practicing this kind of politics. There were bumper stickers that year that said "honk if Walter Mondale promised you something." It wasn't a good thing to do then, and it may not be a good thing to do now.

PHILLIPS: Bill, let's continue our discussion, but real quickly, next to you -- actually, now next to me, live pictures from Andrews Air Force Base, Bill. We're looking at British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife arriving there at Andrews Air Force Base. Chiree (ph) by his side. And they of course will be heading to the White House to meet with President George Bush.

And then later on, Mr. Blair will address a joint session of Congress, and CNN will carry that live at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

OK, Bill, back to our discussion. You were talking about how this pandering road show is what got Walter Mondale in trouble, back when he was in the lime light. How do Democrats fight this stereotype?

SCHNEIDER: Well, Bill Clinton tried to do it in a very interesting way in 1992. He showed his independence of in, that case, Jesse Jackson, by standing up at a Rainbow Coalition meeting and criticizing one of the other guests, Sister Souljah, because he said she had made anti-white racist remarks, and a lot of people applauded, because they said, finally a Democrat who is not pandering, who is not catering to Jesse Jackson and the civil rights organizations, but he's saying what a lot of people believe, that, you know, you can take these things too far.

Unlike Michael Dukakis and Walter Mondale, who seemed to say to Jesse Jackson and his supporters, whatever you want, we'll give you a plane, we'll give you money, whatever, just make sure you support us.

African-Americans, of course, are a key part of the Democratic constituency. At this moment, their votes may be up for grabs. You know, there are two African-Americans running for president, Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley-Braun 14% percent. The candidate in second place is Joe Lieberman. So it appears that a lot of African-American Democratic votes are still up for grabs.

PHILLIPS: Bill Schneider, 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 July 17, 2003 - 13:39   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, love may mean never having to say you're sorry, but when it comes to campaign politics, well, apologies are part of the game. At least that's the case for Democrat candidates Joe Lieberman, Dick Gephardt and Dennis Kucinich today. They're trying to get out of the doghouse with the nation's oldest and largest civil rights group.
Our Bill Schneider on this NAACP flap.

Bill, as you said to me, traveling panda road show.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: That's what it is being called by a lot of critics, who say the Democrats are a pack of nine candidates, who are going from interest group to interest group, pandering to them.

Earlier this week, the Democrats appeared before the Human Rights Campaign, which is the largest gay rights organization in the United States, essentially told them most of what they wanted to hear. Now they didn't all endorse gay marriage. A couple did. But they said that they were staunch supporters and fighters for the cause of gay rights.

Most of the candidates, but the not the crew you mentioned, most of them appeared at the NAACP meeting. There's Dennis Kucinich. He did not appear, but he has appeared today before -- there he is at the Human Rights Campaign. He was one who did not initially appear at the NAACP meeting in Miami Beach. But now, he has appeared today and apologized to the NAACP.

The criticism is this is what used to be called interest group liberalism. These are Democrats, a traveling road show, going from group to group -- the NAACP, gay rights organizations, women's rights organizations, trade unions, Hispanic organizations -- and making promises.

You may remember a man named Walter Mondale in 1984 was the Democratic nominee for president. He was widely criticized for practicing this kind of politics. There were bumper stickers that year that said "honk if Walter Mondale promised you something." It wasn't a good thing to do then, and it may not be a good thing to do now.

PHILLIPS: Bill, let's continue our discussion, but real quickly, next to you -- actually, now next to me, live pictures from Andrews Air Force Base, Bill. We're looking at British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife arriving there at Andrews Air Force Base. Chiree (ph) by his side. And they of course will be heading to the White House to meet with President George Bush.

And then later on, Mr. Blair will address a joint session of Congress, and CNN will carry that live at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

OK, Bill, back to our discussion. You were talking about how this pandering road show is what got Walter Mondale in trouble, back when he was in the lime light. How do Democrats fight this stereotype?

SCHNEIDER: Well, Bill Clinton tried to do it in a very interesting way in 1992. He showed his independence of in, that case, Jesse Jackson, by standing up at a Rainbow Coalition meeting and criticizing one of the other guests, Sister Souljah, because he said she had made anti-white racist remarks, and a lot of people applauded, because they said, finally a Democrat who is not pandering, who is not catering to Jesse Jackson and the civil rights organizations, but he's saying what a lot of people believe, that, you know, you can take these things too far.

Unlike Michael Dukakis and Walter Mondale, who seemed to say to Jesse Jackson and his supporters, whatever you want, we'll give you a plane, we'll give you money, whatever, just make sure you support us.

African-Americans, of course, are a key part of the Democratic constituency. At this moment, their votes may be up for grabs. You know, there are two African-Americans running for president, Al Sharpton and Carol Moseley-Braun 14% percent. The candidate in second place is Joe Lieberman. So it appears that a lot of African-American Democratic votes are still up for grabs.

PHILLIPS: Bill Schneider, 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