Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

White House Denies Rumors Flying About Secretary of State

Aired August 04, 2003 - 14:36   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: The hours are long, the travel worldwide and you are always on call. And although there are certain perks that come with the job of secretary of state, you don't fly coach, for instance, the work can be grueling. And that maybe why we're hearing Colin Powell will not stick around for a second term should President Bush be reelected.
Here to tell us the latest, Dana Bash who's with the president at his ranch in Texas. Dana, why are we hearing all these rumors now?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well there was a report in "The Washington Post" this morning that said that Richard Armitage, who's the deputy to Colin Powell, called Condoleezza Rice, who's the president's national security adviser, and told her that neither he nor Powell would be serving a second term.

The White House is flatly denying the fact that this conversation took place, but nobody is denying the fact or batting down the idea that Colin Powell may not be here for a second term. It has long been talked about in Washington circles. But the White House is talking this up to gossip and rumor mill, particularly during a slow august.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Secretary Powell and Deputy Secretary Armitage are outstanding members of the president's team, and they are highly valued members of the president's team and they are doing an outstanding job.

The State Department has already issued a statement in which they said that the purported conversation between Dr. Rice and Deputy Secretary Armitage did not take place, and I can confirm that from our end. They also went on to say there is no basis for the story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: An interestingly, Kyra, Scott McClellan also told reporters this morning that Powell and Armitage are coming here to Crawford tomorrow. It was previously scheduled, he said. They'll have dinner tomorrow night with the president at his ranch and they will stay for lunch the next day. They are going to talk about a host of foreign policy issues. This is something that Secretary Powell did last year. It is unclear, unlikely at this point that we will be able to talk to them while they are here, though -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Dana, got to talk about some replacements. Condoleezza Rice, definitely a name being tossed around.

BASH: Absolutely, Condoleezza is perhaps at top of the list. Of course, if you ask anybody at the White House they remind us all that there is an election has to go on between now and a second term. And they are saying that they are happy that we are all discussing the second term right now.

However, Condoleezza Rice, you're right, has certainly been at the top of the list. She is somebody who has been under fire lately for allowing a line in the president's State of the Union Address to get in there that the White House says should not have been in there, but the president has stood by here her, said that America is very lucky to have her.

Another person that's out there in the rumor mill, if you will, is a Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. He is somebody who is looked upon as was key in building the case for war against Iraq, perhaps one of the key architects of the administration's policy on Iraq.

And, Kyra, there's one other person who has been out there, that is the Senate Foreign Relations Chairman, Richard Lugar. He is somebody who has been rumored to be a potential contender. I spoke to somebody in his office today. he said that while he is flattered that his name is out there, he is certainly happy being in the Senate. And that, right now, is where he thinks he is serving the nation best, right in the Senate -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Dana Bash, live from Crawford, Texas. 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 August 4, 2003 - 14:36   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The hours are long, the travel worldwide and you are always on call. And although there are certain perks that come with the job of secretary of state, you don't fly coach, for instance, the work can be grueling. And that maybe why we're hearing Colin Powell will not stick around for a second term should President Bush be reelected.
Here to tell us the latest, Dana Bash who's with the president at his ranch in Texas. Dana, why are we hearing all these rumors now?

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well there was a report in "The Washington Post" this morning that said that Richard Armitage, who's the deputy to Colin Powell, called Condoleezza Rice, who's the president's national security adviser, and told her that neither he nor Powell would be serving a second term.

The White House is flatly denying the fact that this conversation took place, but nobody is denying the fact or batting down the idea that Colin Powell may not be here for a second term. It has long been talked about in Washington circles. But the White House is talking this up to gossip and rumor mill, particularly during a slow august.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Secretary Powell and Deputy Secretary Armitage are outstanding members of the president's team, and they are highly valued members of the president's team and they are doing an outstanding job.

The State Department has already issued a statement in which they said that the purported conversation between Dr. Rice and Deputy Secretary Armitage did not take place, and I can confirm that from our end. They also went on to say there is no basis for the story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: An interestingly, Kyra, Scott McClellan also told reporters this morning that Powell and Armitage are coming here to Crawford tomorrow. It was previously scheduled, he said. They'll have dinner tomorrow night with the president at his ranch and they will stay for lunch the next day. They are going to talk about a host of foreign policy issues. This is something that Secretary Powell did last year. It is unclear, unlikely at this point that we will be able to talk to them while they are here, though -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Dana, got to talk about some replacements. Condoleezza Rice, definitely a name being tossed around.

BASH: Absolutely, Condoleezza is perhaps at top of the list. Of course, if you ask anybody at the White House they remind us all that there is an election has to go on between now and a second term. And they are saying that they are happy that we are all discussing the second term right now.

However, Condoleezza Rice, you're right, has certainly been at the top of the list. She is somebody who has been under fire lately for allowing a line in the president's State of the Union Address to get in there that the White House says should not have been in there, but the president has stood by here her, said that America is very lucky to have her.

Another person that's out there in the rumor mill, if you will, is a Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. He is somebody who is looked upon as was key in building the case for war against Iraq, perhaps one of the key architects of the administration's policy on Iraq.

And, Kyra, there's one other person who has been out there, that is the Senate Foreign Relations Chairman, Richard Lugar. He is somebody who has been rumored to be a potential contender. I spoke to somebody in his office today. he said that while he is flattered that his name is out there, he is certainly happy being in the Senate. And that, right now, is where he thinks he is serving the nation best, right in the Senate -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Dana Bash, live from Crawford, Texas. 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