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Interview With Gary Hart

Aired September 23, 2003 - 15:12   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: The Democratic presidential hopefuls increasingly vocal in their opposition to the recall election out in California. Former Senator and presidential candidate Gary Hart has now added his voice to the opposition.
Gary Hart joins me from Denver, Colorado.

Senator Hart, is this announcement now from the -- or, rather, decision by the court that this recall election is back on track, is that good news for Governor Davis or not?

GARY HART (D), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: I really don't know the best politics of it from his point of view. He seems to indicate so.

I think that the broader question is whether the entire effort to depose a recently elected governor is in keeping with American democracy. I think it is the substitution of power for the democratic ideal. And that's not good for America or democracy or, for that matter, the state of California.

WOODRUFF: Well, we know, Senator, we've been seeing not only from Governor Davis, but from other Democrats, an effort to tie this recall effort to the recount of the presidential election in the year 2000, to redistricting on the part of Republicans in the state of Texas and elsewhere.

They're calling it the three R's. Is this a smart strategy, do you think, on the part of Democrats to sort of paint Republicans with a broad brush here?

HART: Well, someone asked Thoreau in the 19th century for a definition of circumstantial evidence. And he said it was finding a trout in the milk.

I think, once a pattern begins to form, you can draw your own conclusions. And when you redistrict the state of Texas or the state of Colorado, and it doesn't quite turn out the way you want it to and come right back within a matter of months, that's the substitution of power for democracy. And that's not right.

WOODRUFF: So this is a Republican effort -- whether you call it a conspiracy or something else, it's...

HART: Certainly a pattern.

WOODRUFF: A pattern.

HART: A pattern of the use of power simply because power is available.

WOODRUFF: Let me quickly turn you, Senator, to Colorado politics.

We're now hearing that Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, the incumbent Republican from Colorado, has some lower-than-usual reelect ratings. There was a poll done in Colorado that indicated you might have some support and one report that you'd even talk to a pollster. Are you thinking about jumping in to that race?

HART: Well, I'm supporting Congressman Mark Udall, who is an extraordinarily good congressman. I hope he will be the candidate. There are those in the national and state party who discussed the possibility with me. But I have deferred to Congressman Udall. And I certainly hope he is the Democratic candidate.

WOODRUFF: But you're not ruling it out?

HART: Well, I'm not ruling it in. I hope Congressman Udall will be the candidate.

WOODRUFF: Let me turn you quickly then to presidential politics. Someone you know well, former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen, has now thrown in her lot with Senator John Kerry. Is there any one of the candidates at this point, Senator Hart, who you think stands the best shot at beating President Bush?

HART: It will be the candidate who is best prepared to be president. Now, I know Governor Bush, at the time, a couple of years ago, didn't meet those qualifications.

But I've always believed that you should prepare to be president before you even run for president. That means understanding the national economy and the federal budget. It means understanding the world and having traveled the world and understanding foreign policy. And it certainly means understanding the military and be prepared to be commander in chief. If you use that standard, it really narrows the field down.

(CROSSTALK)

WOODRUFF: To whom?

HART: Well, in the group that I have listened to and talked to and considered, my own view is that Senator Kerry of Massachusetts best meets those qualifications.

WOODRUFF: And General Wesley Clark?

HART: Well, he certainly has the military experience and some foreign policy experience, although I think dealing and negotiating in the former Yugoslavia is only a step in that direction. It remains to be seen what he knows about the federal budget and the national economy.

WOODRUFF: All that is unfolding. All right, former Colorado Senator and former presidential candidate Gary Hart, good to see you again.

HART: Great pleasure.

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 September 23, 2003 - 15:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The Democratic presidential hopefuls increasingly vocal in their opposition to the recall election out in California. Former Senator and presidential candidate Gary Hart has now added his voice to the opposition.
Gary Hart joins me from Denver, Colorado.

Senator Hart, is this announcement now from the -- or, rather, decision by the court that this recall election is back on track, is that good news for Governor Davis or not?

GARY HART (D), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: I really don't know the best politics of it from his point of view. He seems to indicate so.

I think that the broader question is whether the entire effort to depose a recently elected governor is in keeping with American democracy. I think it is the substitution of power for the democratic ideal. And that's not good for America or democracy or, for that matter, the state of California.

WOODRUFF: Well, we know, Senator, we've been seeing not only from Governor Davis, but from other Democrats, an effort to tie this recall effort to the recount of the presidential election in the year 2000, to redistricting on the part of Republicans in the state of Texas and elsewhere.

They're calling it the three R's. Is this a smart strategy, do you think, on the part of Democrats to sort of paint Republicans with a broad brush here?

HART: Well, someone asked Thoreau in the 19th century for a definition of circumstantial evidence. And he said it was finding a trout in the milk.

I think, once a pattern begins to form, you can draw your own conclusions. And when you redistrict the state of Texas or the state of Colorado, and it doesn't quite turn out the way you want it to and come right back within a matter of months, that's the substitution of power for democracy. And that's not right.

WOODRUFF: So this is a Republican effort -- whether you call it a conspiracy or something else, it's...

HART: Certainly a pattern.

WOODRUFF: A pattern.

HART: A pattern of the use of power simply because power is available.

WOODRUFF: Let me quickly turn you, Senator, to Colorado politics.

We're now hearing that Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, the incumbent Republican from Colorado, has some lower-than-usual reelect ratings. There was a poll done in Colorado that indicated you might have some support and one report that you'd even talk to a pollster. Are you thinking about jumping in to that race?

HART: Well, I'm supporting Congressman Mark Udall, who is an extraordinarily good congressman. I hope he will be the candidate. There are those in the national and state party who discussed the possibility with me. But I have deferred to Congressman Udall. And I certainly hope he is the Democratic candidate.

WOODRUFF: But you're not ruling it out?

HART: Well, I'm not ruling it in. I hope Congressman Udall will be the candidate.

WOODRUFF: Let me turn you quickly then to presidential politics. Someone you know well, former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen, has now thrown in her lot with Senator John Kerry. Is there any one of the candidates at this point, Senator Hart, who you think stands the best shot at beating President Bush?

HART: It will be the candidate who is best prepared to be president. Now, I know Governor Bush, at the time, a couple of years ago, didn't meet those qualifications.

But I've always believed that you should prepare to be president before you even run for president. That means understanding the national economy and the federal budget. It means understanding the world and having traveled the world and understanding foreign policy. And it certainly means understanding the military and be prepared to be commander in chief. If you use that standard, it really narrows the field down.

(CROSSTALK)

WOODRUFF: To whom?

HART: Well, in the group that I have listened to and talked to and considered, my own view is that Senator Kerry of Massachusetts best meets those qualifications.

WOODRUFF: And General Wesley Clark?

HART: Well, he certainly has the military experience and some foreign policy experience, although I think dealing and negotiating in the former Yugoslavia is only a step in that direction. It remains to be seen what he knows about the federal budget and the national economy.

WOODRUFF: All that is unfolding. All right, former Colorado Senator and former presidential candidate Gary Hart, good to see you again.

HART: Great pleasure.

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