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The 2008 Presidential Race; Edgar Ray Killen Granted Bail

Aired August 12, 2005 - 13:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A Former president weighs in on the war and his wife's political aspirations. First to Iraq, though. More Americans calling for the troops to come home. President Bill Clinton doesn't see that as the wisest course of action. Here's how it's put to CNN's Wolf Blitzer yesterday in the situation room.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I thought that we should not have gone in there until we let the U.N. inspectors finish their job. That was, after all, the understanding the Senate had when it was asked to vote, the Congress, to give the president the authority to go in.

But that's really not relevant anymore. We did what we did. We are where we are. Fifty-eight percent of the Iraqis showed up to vote, 1,800-plus brave Americans have given their lives there. Thousands and thousands of Iraqis have died in fighting the insurgency trying to give their country a future.

So I think where we are now, it's important try to continue this effort to train the security forces and military forces, which the administration and our military have undertaken. They're good people, they're trying to do a good job, and they'll come a time when the Iraqis want us to go and where we should go, but we got the try to make this work. I still think there's a chance it can work, and it's the only strategy that will work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: As for the possibility of another Clinton in the White House, he pointed out his wife, Hillary Clinton, focused on winning Senate re-election next year, and that's not keeping folks from speculating on a White House run in 2008, though. Take this recent Gallup poll. It shows the senator from New York in a tight race with former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani should they both decide to seek and win their party's nomination.

Here with their views, former congressman, now CNN contributor, Bob Barr, Roland Martin, executive editor of "The Chicago Defender." Great to have you both.

ROLAND MARTIN, "THE CHICAGO DEFENDER": Glad to be here, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: It's a pleasure. Bob Barr, let's start with you. What do you think? Should Hillary run for the White House? BOB BARR, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I'm not sure that my views will move her one way or the other. I think she clearly has that in mind. She's clearly positioning herself for that. Rudy Giuliani is out there clearly positioning himself as one of the front-runners on the Republican side. And I tell you, if that match-up is there two and a half years from now, that is going to be one that's going to be worth the price of admission to see.

PHILLIPS: Would you want to see her in the White House?

BARR: No.

PHILLIPS: Why?

BARR: Well, I think she's far too liberal for really mainstream America, and she can try and position herself, as she's done very successfully, Kyra, over the last few years as a senator from New York to make it appear as though she has moderated her views, but we got a taste of Hillary Clinton with the socialized medicine back in 1993. And, from everything I can tell, she is no less of a socialist now than she was a decade ago.

PHILLIPS: Roland Martin, too liberal for the White House?

MARTIN: No. I don't think she's too liberal for the White House. What it boils down to is, I mean, she could be the first woman to become president of the United States. She has the talent. She has the smarts.

And what I find to be interesting is that if Republicans think she is so bad for the White House, they should actually be endorsing her running, because that should help their candidate since they think she's so bad.

PHILLIPS: Well, here's what her husband, the former President Bill Clinton had to say, when that question put to him and whether he thought she was going to run for the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: We have a rule in our family that I always followed, and now she does. Don't look past the next election or you might not get past the next election, so I'm convinced in my own mind she hasn't decided on that. I believe I would know if she had, and I want her to even think about it. I want her to focus on getting re-elected and on doing the job as a senator. There will be lots of time to think about that down the road.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Bob, do you think they haven't talked about it? Come on. She's had to say something to him.

BARR: Well, I'm not sure that they talk an awful lot. They sort of seem to both be going separate ways. But no, they've talked about this. I think they've talked about at length. They've talked with Terry McAuliffe and the Clintons, much like the Bushes on the Republican side of the political spectrum, are very much in control of the money, and the resources and the focus of the Democrat Party. And anybody that believes that Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton did not think about her running and laying the groundwork for that is terribly, terribly naive.

PHILLIPS: Go ahead, Roland.

MARTIN: Well, I think here's a point that I think it is going to lead to the next question. People have been highly critical of Senator Clinton because refuses to say that if she wins in 2006 that she will serve her full term.

Let me remind the viewers, Governor George Bush as A Texas governor ran for re-election in 1998, four-year term. He chose to run for president two years later. And so I think that argument should be thrown out the window, that if you choose to run, you have the opportunity to do so. If it's good enough for George W. Bush, I think it is good enough for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

BARR: All right, Westchester D.A. Jeanine Pirro wants to give Hillary Clinton a little competition. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANINE PIRRO (R), NEW YORK STATE CANDIDATE: ... decision is my concern to never disappoint them. And I would never do that by saying I'm running, and then turning around and running for something else. Thank you all very much. Thanks for being here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: OK, actually, that wasn't the sound byte I was looking for. She actually made a comment about that Hillary Clinton was using her seat as a senator to work her way to the White House.

BARR: Well, this is -- no matter what Hillary does, they're going to accuse her of that. I agree, I think that's a red herring. What I prefer to focus on is the politics of Hillary Clinton, not whether she gets re-elected as a senator and then runs for the White House. I think clearly she is, and I have no problem with that. I think that's a red herring.

But I tell you, what would be very, very exciting for, I think, everybody in the country is to see a Giuliani-Clinton matchup. I mean, two heavyweights from the same state, that would be, as I say, worth the price of admission, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Roland, go ahead.

MARTIN: It's interesting, if Giuliani does indeed run, they're going to have to deal with the issue of being pro-choice, they're going to have to deal with the issue of not being as conservative, and so it's interesting that Bob said that Hillary's too liberal. It's not like Rudolph Giuliani is a right-wing conservative. So it's definitely going to be an interesting battle, because the conservatives are going to have to deal with some of his liberal tendencies, as opposed to simply saying it's all about Hillary.

PHILLIPS: Well, Roland, if you look at a poll, this is back on August 5-7, talking about the opinion of Hillary Clinton with regard to being a strong leader, because likable, cares about people, honest and trustworthy, pretty strong numbers there. When it comes down to it, OK, is it the issues that people are talking about more than the likability factor? I mean, these are two individuals that they've got high ratings. Rudolph Giuliani was loved. Hillary Clinton, you look at these numbers. A lot of people like her.

Roland?

MARTIN: Well, First of all, Kyra, I want to correct things. Rudolph Giuliani was loved by some people. He was definitely loved after 9/11, but I think if you talk to African-Americans in New York, you talk to other liberals in New York, Rudy Giuliani had a serious problem with those constituencies before 9/11.

But certainly likability is going to come to play. The critical issue is really going to be how she is going to be framed by her opposition...

... Rudy Giuliani had a serious problem with those constituencies before 9/11. But, certainly, likability is going to come to play. The critical issue is really going to be how she is going to be framed by her opposition and how she is going to respond to their attacks. That's really going to be the issue. Will they be able to do to her what they did to John Kerry? That's the question.

PHILLIPS: Final thought, Bob Barr?

BARR: I think that Hillary clearly is going to run. Her likability numbers may not be quite as high as Bob Barr's, but they're up there, and it will be a very, very exciting race.

MARTIN: That's funny, bob.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I'd like to see Roland and Bob going at it. I'd like to see you two running for office. Gentlemen, Roland Barr -- Roland Barr, there it is right there.

MARTIN: Roland Barr? Oh my goodness, no!

PHILLIPS: That was a slip of the tongue. Sorry about that. Roland Martin, Bob Barr. Guys, thanks.

MARTIN: Now you made my mama mad. OK.

BARR: Take care.

MARTIN: Thanks, Kyra. PHILLIPS: Well, later on LIVE FROM, what's new pussycat? A disappointing day for one Tiger Woods, to say the least. Although I'd take a 75 any day. Can he can get back on track in day two? We're live from the scene of the final major of the year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: New video right now of Edgar Ray Killen. As you know, he could soon be free on bail. He's the former Ku Klux Klan convicted for the 1964 killings of three civil rights workers in Mississippi. Today, a judge in Mississippi approved Killen's release on a bond of $600,000, pending his appeal.

We go live now to Philadelphia, Mississippi. Katie Garrety with our affiliate WJTV has more -- Katie?

KATIE GARRETY, WJTV REPORTER: Well, Kyra, as you know, the judge did set that $600,000 bond today. He said he had to consider two things. One, is Edgar Ray Killen a flight risk? And two, is he a threat or danger to society? Edgar Ray Killen's attorneys put on six or seven friends that lived here with him in this county and in this city for many years who said he's neither. He's not a flight risk. He's not going anywhere. He's lived here his whole life, he will be here. They also said that he's not a threat to anybody, that he hasn't been a threat and never will be.

The prosecution then put on two witnesses, two jailers who booked Edgar Ray Killen into the Neshoba County Jail here back in June, when he was initially sentenced. And they testified to the fact that when they asked Edgar Ray Killen a series of questions, one of the first things they have to ask is do you have thoughts of killing yourself? And they said his response to them was, "I'd kill you before I killed myself." And they took that as a threat. So the prosecution tried to show that he was a threat to society by putting on those two witnesses.

In the end, though, Judge Marcus Gordon here says that Edgar Ray Killen is not a flight risk and is not a threat or a danger to society and granted him that bond, pending his appeal -- Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Katie Garrety, thank you so much. And take a listen to this quote. "It's a dark day when Killen is let out on bail. Reign of terror not ended as long as he is out." That quote coming from James Prince. He is the editor of "The Neshoba Democrat." He's taken on what happened has today, I guess calling for justice.

James, your reaction? The community's reaction since we got word of this today?

JAMES PRINCE, EDITOR, PUB., "NESHOBA DEMOCRAT": Well, it's unfortunate. I believe that the jury had spoken and Mr. Killen should be in prison. He has a stature within a certain community, people who are a danger and threat to society. They are domestic terrorists and they're capable of enacting revenge. And I believe that's what many people here fear. It's difficult to bring closure to this 40-year reign of terror that's brought this repute on this community when Mr. Killen is out of prison.

And, with him out of prison, I have no doubt that it will be payback time, because his supporters have stated that pay day is coming. And these hate-filled bigots are domestic terrorists that's who Mr. Killen has on his side. And it's reasonable to expect that they will enact their own form of justice, just as they did in '64. So Mr. Killen is still a threat. And it's unfortunate that the judge has let him out on bail.

PHILLIPS: Well, James, let's turn this around. Should Killen fear for his life?

PRINCE: Probably. Probably. I think that was a big concern during the trial. Extraordinary measures were taken. But I think that's in any high profile case, certainly. There have been -- our mail has run both ways and I think probably that, you know, there have been statements as to what Mr. Killen deserves.

But, of course, it's very important that the justice system work. And we have to abide by what the system gives us. And that's where we are today. And we will accept the judge's ruling and we'll just hope that the Supreme Court will rapidly move this case forward and hear it and dispose of it.

PHILLIPS: Well, it will be interesting to see the follow up and how the community reacts to this. James Prince, editor of "Neshoba Democrat," thanks so much.

Once again, today, the judge in Mississippi approving Edgar Ray Killen's release on a bond of $6,000 pending his appeal. We'll follow any type of fallout to this as it carries on out -- throughout the day.

More LIVE FROM right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We've got a lot of golfers here on the LIVE FROM team, so we're all watching the leaderboard at the PGA, and it's not so much who's in front today, but whether one particular golfer will even be on that course tomorrow.

Larry Smith of CNN Sports is watching it all in Springfield, New Jersey. And, you know, Larry, I have to admit, Phil Mickelson, one of my favorites. Let's talk about what he's doing right.

LARRY SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's going everything right, Kyra. Keep in mind, a round of 65 today, and that is including a double bogey on one. Phil Mickelson has a four-shot lead. It could have been a five or six-shot lead, or even more. Mickelson is the big leader right now, eight under par with a four-shot lead over Rory Sabatini and Davis Love III.

And what a story developing as Lefty really taking advantage of Tiger Wood playing in the afternoon round. Everyone's attention was focused on the lefty from Southern California as he tries to get his second career major victory. He won the Masters last year in 2004.

Here's what Phil said after the incredible round here in the second day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL MICKELSON, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I do feel good in that I feel like I have decent control. And even today when I didn't feel the best, I was to keep it in control and capitalize on some short irons and get it to the putter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Yes, that putter very big for Phil, only 25 putts all day long, and that's how he was to fashion a day that included seven birdies, and fashion a day that included seven birdies, one of those on that massive par five 18th, which we thought would be one of the tougher holes on the course. Turns it's actually playing as the easiest on this Baltusrol course -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, now let's talk a little Tiger Woods. Obviously we know one of the strongest parts of his game is that mental aspect. So he can pretty much decide he wants to come back. He's done it before easily.

SMITH: He has. I mean, as Jesper Parnevik said after Thursday's round, hey, we forget that back in April Tiger shot a 74 to begin the tournament and still ended up winning the green jacket on Sunday.

Tiger starting again today five over par. Now keep in mind, the cut for the weekend right now is about three over par. The top 70, the 70 low scores plus ties, those will be the golfers who will advance. And Tiger, his round is just under way, teed off about 15, 20 minutes ago, but he's got a long way to reach to get to Phil. But in his mind, he has three days to get there. Just make the cut, move one, try to get to even par, and then move on to the weekend.

PHILLIPS: All right, I'm just getting word, Larry, Tiger birdied the first hole, so there you go, as you're bringing me the live shot.

SMITH: Outstanding.

PHILLIPS: I'm going to sit here and follow the scores for you, OK? Classic. Hey -- yes?

SMITH: That's downside of being here with you and that's going on over there.

PHILLIPS: OK. Well, can you see it over your shoulder as I feed you the info?

SMITH: No, This isn't number one. This actually is the 18th tee box that's immediately behind me, heading back towards the clubhouse, which is in this direction.

PHILLIPS: All right, so let me ask you this, anybody else you're watching, or you've noticed or had a chance to talk to that's maybe surprising you, playing well?

SMITH: Well, I think someone that you can't overlook with Phil's great round and to see what Tiger is going to do is last year's champion Vijay Singh. You know, he has been, outside of Tiger, the best player on the tour over the past couple of years. He currently is at three under par, had a very solid round today. He's five shots off the pace. But he has the kind of game and the kind of length that could really cause Phil Mickelson some problems.

If Phil slips over the weekend, Vijay could be someone could come in as repeat as champion here. You can't count out Tiger, and I think also Retief Goosen is in the mix as well. Lee Westwood is also up there as well in contention. The young player, who's a Ryder Cup veteran with the European squad a year ago.

PHILLIPS: All right, now when Mickelson won the Masters, he came on and talked to us, had a great live interview. We felt very lucky. If he wins this one, I guess whomever the winner is, are you going to work it for us, Larry?

SMITH: Absolutely. We will have it for you, a one on one. We promise that much.

PHILLIPS: OK, good. Larry Smith, with CNN Sports, watching it all there in Springfield, New Jersey. We're going to keep an eye on that leaderboard and, of course, Larry Smith.

Thanks, Larry.

Well, coming up in the second hour of LIVE FROM, reducing the threat level. An update on the decision to step back from the high alerts on the nation's mass-transit systems. Also, inside Iran: a personal story of life before and after the revolution. Asay Namdar (ph) is with us. That's all just moments away. Stay with us.

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