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CNN Live Today
Kerry Names North Carolina Senator John Edwards V.P. Running Mate; Presidential Meeting with Iceland's Prime Minister
Aired July 06, 2004 - 11:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: John Kerry today tapped his Senate colleague, John Edwards, to run alongside him on the Democratic ticket for November. Live coverage this hour from CNN correspondents Joe Johns, who is in Pittsburgh where the announcement was made, Kelly Wallace is in Washington. Also in the nation's capital, senior political analyst Bill Schneider.
Joe -- we start where it all began in Pittsburgh. We start with you.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Daryn, a series of phone call this is morning from the candidate to all of the finalists, a number of the finalists and some others. After that, a very carefully staged event here in Market Square in Pittsburgh heavily attended. Lots and lots of people here exuberant as John Kerry announced John Edwards as his running mate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have chosen a man who understand and defends the values of America. A man who has shown courage and conviction as a champion for middle-class Americans and for those struggling to reach the middle class. A man who has shown guts and determination and political skill in his own race for the presidency of the United States. A man whose life has prepared him for leadership and whose character brings him to exercise it.
I am pleased to announce that with your help the next vice president of the United States of America will be Senator John Edwards from North Carolina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Now, this was a closely held secret for quite a long time. We were told that the campaign staffers were notified, some of them at least, late last night that John Edwards had been selected.
Meanwhile, when they got off to a start this morning, they got off to a very fast start, sending out an e-mail as promised to supporters from the Kerry Web site. Also, now up on the Kerry Web site, pictures both of Kerry and Edwards.
Beyond that we have lots of other things to show you and to talk about, the promotional materials that were put together very quickly. For example, here, if you can come back to me, we can show a T-shirt that the campaign put out just about moments after John Kerry announced John Edwards. See, it has the names of both Kerry and Edwards on it, as well if you look back there you can see that sign. That was already prepared.
They also have these. This is a CD-ROM with pictures of Kerry and Edwards both together. All of these things put out just moments after Edwards was announced.
Now, how did they do that? We're told by the campaign that they had between three and five different versions of promotional materials all prepared to go. So, there were a number of finalists. There were also a number of promotional materials available, depending on who Edwards -- who, I'm sorry, Kerry, actually, mentioned.
So, there you go. Lots more to talk about. As you know, Kerry is on his way to Indianapolis to talk to a convention of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, we're told. Then he'll fly back here to the Pittsburgh area to go out to the Heinz farm. And we're told at that time he is expected to meet with John Edwards.
Daryn -- back to you.
KAGAN: Another photo opportunity still ahead on this day. Joe Johns from Pittsburgh, thank you for that.
Well, as Joe was pointing out, John Edwards wasn't even there in Pittsburgh when the announcement was made. He was at his home in Georgetown in Washington D.C. when Senator Kerry made the call this morning.
Let's go to our national correspondent, Kelly Wallace, who is in Washington, D.C. with the latest on that end of the story -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Well, we're getting our first sense of what it was like inside this Georgetown house for John Edwards when he got that phone call. A couple of aides briefing reporters a short time ago. One saying that when John Kerry offered him the running mate position, he said -- quote -- he'd "be honored" and excited for the chance they have together to make the country stronger."
We understand John Edwards then watched John Kerry's speech. And when a team of Kerry aides -- some who will be working for John Edwards -- arrived, one aide asking him -- quote -- "How long should I pack the kids for?" This aide did not respond.
What we are expecting to happen here is to see John Edwards with his entire family -- wife, Elizabeth, who is coming here from Raleigh, North Carolina, daughter, Kate, who is up in New York coming here, and his two young children, Emma Claire and Jack. The entire family will depart sometime this afternoon and head to Pittsburgh.
We're not expecting, though, John Edwards to speak before the cameras. He's expected to put out some written statement and then hook up with John Kerry and his family in Pittsburgh. We've been talking a lot about John Edwards throughout the day. I want to tell viewers just a little bit about him. We know he is the senator from North Carolina. We know that he was a 2004 presidential candidate. He dropped out, though, after Super Tuesday. His only win during the primaries in South Carolina, but he did win the second highest number of convention delegates after Kerry.
He was also a finalist for the vice presidential slot when it was Al Gore making the decision back in 2000. And we know Bush defeated Al Gore in North Carolina 56 to 43 percent.
No one is fully expecting that with John Edwards on the ticket that John Kerry can totally win in North Carolina. But the thinking is that John Edwards will make the Republicans have to spend more money there for George Bush to win.
The Republicans are already speaking out. They are calling the pick of John Edwards -- quote -- "The ultimate flip-flop for John Kerry." They are saying that throughout the primary campaign, John Kerry said that John Edwards doesn't have the experience to be president. It's not time, in John Kerry's words, for on-the-job training.
Well, Democratic strategists are responding. They say John Edwards has the experience, and they say they will push back, talking about what experience George W. Bush did or did not have back in 2000.
That's the latest from here. Daryn -- back to you.
KAGAN: And so will go the give-and-take in the 100-plus days leading up to the election. Kelly Wallace...
WALLACE: Just beginning, Daryn, yes.
KAGAN: Yes, the fun is just beginning. Thank you so much.
We have some video tape that was shot inside the White House that is coming to us just within a matter of seconds. President Bush welcoming the prime minister of Iceland today. We're interested because we hear on this tape President Bush will comment on the selection of John Edwards. Also getting word that Vice President Cheney called Senator Edwards today.
Let's go ahead and listen in to the videotape.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's my honor to welcome the prime minister of Iceland to the Oval Office.
Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for coming.
I'll have an opening statement, he'll have an opening statement, and we'll answer a couple of questions.
I remember my first NATO meeting. And I walked in and the person who greeted me and made me feel most at home was my friend here. And I've never forgotten that.
Iceland has been a steady friend of the United States of America, and they have been an important friend.
We had some interesting discussion on some important issues. And it was a frank discussion. And that's what you expect among friends. It was an open and honest -- and the prime minister is a person who cares deeply about the security of his country and the welfare of his people. And that's why he's been such an effective leader for the good people of Iceland.
Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.
DAVID ODDSSON, PRIME MINISTER OF ICELAND: Thank you for that, Mr. President. I'm very happy to be here, not least on the president's birthday. It's a privilege.
BUSH: Thank you for remembering.
ODDSSON: Well, we discussed some things. I will make two points. We had just recently, a week ago, in a NATO meeting in Istanbul, a very good meeting, I think. Not least because of the firm leadership of the president, and his open manner, his easy-speaking manner. Everybody understands when he speaks.
ODDSSON: And he changed the atmosphere inside NATO. The past is behind us; people are united for the future.
Secondly, we had the opportunity to discuss the defense issues in Iceland, which is very important for us. And the president is looking on that in a positive way. But, of course, he has to see the issue from both sides. This was a fruitful discussion about the future. Thank you.
BUSH: A couple of questions.
QUESTION: Mr. President, the Republican National Committee says that John Edwards is disingenuous, inexperienced and unaccomplished. I wondered, do you agree with that as the tone that you want to set...
BUSH: Listen, I welcome Senator Edwards on the ticket. The vice president called him early this morning to say -- after the announcement was made -- to say that he welcomes him to the race, and as do I. I look forward to a good, spirited contest.
QUESTION: Mr. Prime Minister, did you reach an agreement on the defense treaty with Iceland?
ODDSSON: That was never the meaning was to have an agreement now. Today I had the opportunity to explain my view of the issue to the president. And he is looking into my position and the Iceland position. But he had an open mind.
BUSH: Yes, let me comment on this issue related to the F-15s for the American press. We've got four F-15 fighters stationed there. The prime minister pressed very hard for us to keep the fighters there. He was very eloquent, very determined that the United States keep the troops there. And I told him -- I said, "I'm open-minded about the subject. I want to make sure I understand the full implications of the decision as to whether or not to leave them there."
BUSH: And we will gather more information. He is going to provide information about the basing there in Iceland and the requirements there. And I will talk to the respective departments here and I will make a measured judgment.
As to the finality of this issue, I told the prime minister I appreciate our alliance. I appreciate his friendship. I fully understand the arguments he's made. And we will work together to solve the issue.
QUESTION: There's a story today the CIA held back information from you that Iraq had abandoned its WMD program. Is that true?
And what's your timetable on nominating a new CIA head? Are you going to wait until after the election?
BUSH: I hadn't made up my mind on the nomination process.
Secondly, I will wait for the report -- the Senate report to come out. This is information from the report of the United States Senate, Chairman Roberts' committee. I will look at the whole report.
I will tell you, however, that I know that Saddam Hussein was a threat. He was a threat to the neighborhood. He was a threat to the people of Iraq. He harbored terrorists. Mr. Zarqawi, who continues to kill and maim inside of Iraq, was in the country prior to our arrival.
Saddam Hussein had the intent. He had the capability.
BUSH: And the world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power. And the world will be more peaceful when this Iraqi government, under Prime Minister Allawi, emerges and there are elections.
And that's what we're seeing. We're seeing a transformation in a part of the world that needs liberty and freedom.
And so I look forward to the full report, and I'll react to it when I see it.
Anybody else?
ODDSSON: Well, I -- this, I must say I agree with the president about Iraq. The future of Iraq -- the future for the world -- is much better because of the undertaking that the United States, United Kingdom and the alliance has took there. And without that done, the situation in that area of the world would be much more dangerous than it is now. There is hope now. There was no hope before.
BUSH: Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister.
Thank you.
April, please do not break out in "Happy Birthday." It will embarrass me. Thank you.
(REPORTERS START SINGING "HAPPY BIRTHDAY")
BUSH: I asked you not to break out in "Happy Birthday."
Thank you. Did you actually call that singing?
(LAUGHTER)
No, it was beautiful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: It sounds like some members of the White House press corps better keep their day jobs there, singing "Happy Birthday," ignoring the presidential command not to sing him "Happy Birthday" on this his 58th birthday. He was welcoming the prime minister of Iceland, David Oddsson there. Also commenting on the selection of John Edwards as John Kerry's running mate, welcoming him to the race.
Much more on that selection, plus a lot other news making headlines today. That's just ahead. Right now a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Democrats say that John Edwards brings razzle-dazzle, regional balance and moderate populism to the ticket. But can he help red states turn into blue states in November?
Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is in Washington with thoughts on this.
Bill -- what do you think? Does he have the power to do that?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, he has a lot of appeal to rural and small-town voters. His theme song was the John Cougar Mellencamp song, "I Was Born in a Small Town." He talks about that all the time. And the Midwest, the small towns, the rural areas, that's the battleground area of American politics.
He intends to reach those voters not through social populism but through economic populism, by saying these people are losing their livelihoods, their future is bleak because so many jobs are being exported, and he will fight for them.
He is, above all, a happy warrior. That's sometimes not said about John Kerry. But he has zest. He has enthusiasm. And that impressed a lot of voters on the campaign trail in the primaries. They had doubts about whether he had the right experience to be president, but as a vice presidential candidate on the ticket I think he will bring a lot of vigor to the ticket that perhaps John Kerry doesn't have.
KAGAN: OK. You bring up his lack of experience. He hasn't been in the Senate for a full term. He has no international experience. He has no military experience. And one person who noticed this is John Kerry. Let's listen to this sound byte from the primaries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I came back from Vietnam in 1969, ladies and gentlemen, I'm not sure if John Edwards was out of diapers then yet or not. I'm truly not sure. I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: All right, that's from the primaries. Now, the Republicans are making even more of this because they do try to paint John Kerry as someone who flip-flops on issues. So, here is a later comment on that previous comment from John Kerry. Listen to that, and then, Bill, we'll hear from you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KERRY: I truly don't want to be negative, but what that comment I made was not meant to be negative. You know, I don't want to -- I just -- you know, I don't want to go that road. I think that what is appropriate to recognize is he's a very talented person. I like him a great deal. He's running a great campaign. I respect that. And you have to decide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Is that a classic John Kerry moment, where one second he's making fun of John Edwards as someone who is in diapers, and then he says, well, no, I don't want to be that, I don't want to be a negative campaigner?
SCHNEIDER: I'm afraid it is, and that is exactly what the Republicans are trying to get across, that he's a flip-flopper, he can't make up his mind, he says a negative thing then immediately he takes it back. That's a problem for John Kerry.
But the fact that Edwards doesn't have a lot of international or even national experience, that would be a problem if he were at the top of the ticket, because people vote for president of the United States. And, frankly, that's one reason why he did not get the nomination.
Our polling in the primaries showed that a lot of people thought he did not have the right experience to be president, even though they liked John Edwards. But as the second position in the ticket, it's not nearly as big a problem, because Kerry can say, I have the knowledge, I've been in the military, I've been through a war, I have the experience.
KAGAN: But it seems to me the vice-presidential slot is a two- part. One, it's to help the candidate get elected. But really what you're running for is to be the guy who is one heartbeat away from the presidency. If you're not qualified to be the president, how can you be the vice president?
SCHNEIDER: Well, ask Dan Quayle. A lot of people thought he wasn't qualified to be president, but they voted for him. He was elected vice president of the United States, because the fact is people don't vote for vice president.
Look, when Michael Dukakis chose Lloyd Benson, it was considered a brilliant choice, but it didn't help him. And when the first George Bush chose Dan Quayle, it was regarded as a controversial choice, but it didn't hurt him. People don't vote for vice president.
I think what Edwards will add to this ticket is a populous touch. No one accuses John Kerry of being a populist.
KAGAN: No.
SCHNEIDER: He doesn't have the common touch, the Clintonian kind of style, which John Edwards has. So, he adds something very powerful to this ticket.
KAGAN: Bill Schneider in Washington, thank you for that.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
KAGAN: Well, for voters, they're going to get a very clear choice. You have John Edwards and Dick Cheney. They are worlds apart in politics and in style and in age.
Let's talk to Republican strategist Kellyanne Conway joining us this morning.
Kellyanne, good morning. Good to see you.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning, Daryn. Thanks for having me.
KAGAN: We had Paul Begala on last hour absolutely beaming. I think he was splitting the seams of his suit. So, we wanted to get the other perspective.
It seems to me, though, that Republicans might be pleased with the choice of John Edwards as an easy target.
CONWAY: Edwards as a vice presidential selection is a nominee for which the Republicans are ready. There is plenty of research done on John Edwards, and he actually has more of a voting record than most folks recognize.
Look, this means that John Kerry wants the Kerry-Edwards ticket to be the first modern TV ticket, if you will, the running of this campaign not on paper but on the air waves, much like Clinton-Gore did back in '92, if not '96.
But there is something very curious about this pick. It's very difficult to see how it adds any kind of ideological breadth or even balance. If you look at the voting records in the United States Senate of both John Kerry and John Edwards, they're almost identical. Both of them hostile to small businesses, hostile to taxpayers, voting against those tax packages in the last several years.
KAGAN: Is that such a bad thing, though? Is that such a bad thing, though, for two candidates that are on the same ticket to have the same point of view? When Bush and Cheney came together, there were some key issues that they disagreed on, I think school vouchers one of them. And then people made an issue of that.
So, if that is the target group that you're going for, what's so wrong about two candidates agreeing?
CONWAY: We all know that these are close elections. And if you're struggling to get those last 3, 4, 6 percent in targeted states, states that are maybe red with blue polka dots or blue with red polka dots right now, or you're trying to reach out to constituencies like small business owners which have basically split their ticket between Republicans and Democrats, being with Republicans only slightly, I fail to see how this reaches out.
Now, look, in 1980, Ronald Reagan chose the runner-up that year, George Herbert Walker Bush, but it also was an olive branch to the more moderate wing of the Republican Party. George Herbert Walker Bush turned around in 1988 and chose Dan Quayle, who was more Reagan than Bush, to reach out to the pro-life and pro-school choice community, pro-Second Amendment community. So, this doesn't add a lot of ideological balance, but...
KAGAN: OK, then let me do this. Let me do this, because I think this would be an interesting experiment here. Let me hire you for the Democratic Party for one moment. Who then do you think would be a better selection than John Edwards?
CONWAY: This is a great selection for John Kerry, because all of John Kerry's liabilities seem to be congenital; meaning, he doesn't just have that oomph, that zest. He doesn't really pass the living room test that many people expect from their presidents these days. Here is the guy I want for the next four or eight years in my living room.
And John Kerry has also had a difficult time finding his connective tissue...
KAGAN: So, who would you have picked for him? You would have picked Edwards?
CONWAY: No, I think this was the best choice.
KAGAN: OK.
CONWAY: Well, Gephardt was probably an even better choice, only because of his experience and his geographic balance. But John Kerry did a smart thing by not surprising everyone too much. He basically went with the safe choice, but one that is exciting.
All I'm saying, Daryn, though, is times are so serious and concerns are so grave that we're not just into entertaining and showing charisma and charm on the ticket. It's got to work on paper as well. It's got to work on practice. And I can't wait for Dick Cheney and John Edwards to have their debate. I think that's even more titillating this year than the presidential debate.
KAGAN: I was just thinking that when I was talking to Bill Schneider, I'm looking forward to the vice presidential debate. Those are going to be an interesting contrast right there. Kellyanne Conway, thank you for stopping by today.
CONWAY: Thank you.
KAGAN: And after the break, we're going to talk to somebody on the other side. Donna Brazile stops by to give us her take on the selection of John Edwards.
Right now, we fit in a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: John Edwards' Southern drawl is expected to balance John Kerry's proper Boston accent.
Let's talk to Democratic strategist and former Gore campaign chairman Donna Brazile about the look and feel of this Democratic ticket.
Donna, good morning. Good to have you here with us.
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thank you.
KAGAN: We've been hearing all morning long the razzle-dazzle of John Edwards. He's so popular. He's so great on camera. If this was such an obvious choice, Donna, why was it so difficult for John Kerry to make?
BRAZILE: I don't think it was a difficult choice at all. Look, while I don't know the inner workings of how the selection came about, it is clear to me that this is a great ticket. It's an exciting ticket. John Edwards is a great choice.
You know, John Edwards speaks with a political tone that we don't often hear in American politics. This is a guy who came from nothing, who made something out of himself because he had great values and a tremendous amount of faith in his own abilities. He wanted to be a lawyer when he was just a little kid, because he said he wanted to fight for and help out innocent people. He ran a great campaign. People know him as being "Mr. Optimism," someone that really stood up for working families in this election cycle.
So, I'm proud of the choice, and I'm proud to support this ticket. Any Democrat would be proud, and I think Independents and swing voters will also come to like this ticket.
KAGAN: Interesting that John Kerry picks a Southerner, and yet everyone is not making a big deal over winning the South; rather, with the effect that he'll have in the Midwest.
BRAZILE: Well, let me just tell you, with all of the Southern seats in play, I think this immediately helps someone like Erskine Bowles win his seat in North Carolina, Inez Tenenbaum win her seat in South Carolina. This will be good for those open seats in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana.
Look, John Edwards can campaign all across America. We saw that in the primaries. He did a terrific job. That's why he was one of the best challenges to John Kerry. I'm not taking anything away from my good, personal friend, Dick Gephardt, or Wesley Clark or another person I admire, Senator Graham. But John Edwards is a great choice, and I think this will excite the party and also allow John Kerry to go out there and make a credible case of why Dick Cheney and George Bush should be replaced this fall.
KAGAN: All right. Help me out on the knocks here against John Edwards. How do you get around his lack of experience, not even a full term in the Senate, his lack of international experience and his lack of military experience?
BRAZILE: He has experience where experience matters. He has experience on domestic issues as well as foreign policy. In the Senate he has championed issues like bioterrorism. He has championed issues like reforming the intelligence.
You know, it's not the years in office that you spend, it's the quality of work that you do. And his quality is very strong. And I believe that if you want to put John Edwards up against anybody on the Republican side, then bring them on. Let's go ahead and have this conversation. But to knock somebody who spent five years, his entire adult life fighting for and championing working people I think is an insult to the people that he represents in North Carolina.
KAGAN: OK. Let me ask you this. As the chairwoman of the Gore campaign, lessons learned from 2000. What do the Democrats need to know this time around?
BRAZILE: Well, they need to know that, first of all, that John Edwards was someone that Al Gore considered, as well as John Kerry. I'm proud to see that the two of them are now together. This is a great time for the Democratic Party. The party is unified and very strong.
But the lesson I learned from 2000 as campaign manager is a lesson that I hope the Kerry campaign is still learning. And that is, we have to compete effectively all over the country. I'm glad that John Edwards is on the ticket, because perhaps the South will be in play. Some of us who are Southerners who like to go home and make groceries and to have a good time, it will be great to have a little grits on our plates, along with some of the great lobsters and stuff that we can get from other parts of the country. But John Edwards is somebody that can talk the talk, walk the talk. He knows Southern values, Southern roots. He comes from a great part of the country, and I'm proud to see that he's on the ticket. And he will fight for working families. And that's what it is all about. He's fighting for ordinary people.
KAGAN: Let me just jump in here a second here. Donna, let me just ask you. There were other voices, especially during the primaries, we heard this theory out there. I think we heard Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, mention this, saying to abandon that former strategy and that Democrats need to leave the South behind and focus on other areas, the Midwest and the West. No mention of the West here in this campaign ticket.
BRAZILE: Well, look, John Edwards can travel west, south, east and north. I think that, you know, if the old paradigm is true that you need balance, well, this is balance. And it's not just balanced geographically, but it's balance in terms of the ideology, balanced in terms of the type of ticket that you really want to see, an experienced ticket. John Kerry with his international foreign policy experience. John Edwards with his domestic experience. It's balanced.
And I do believe that Bill Richardson will welcome John Edwards to New Mexico as Janet Napolitano welcomes him to the state of Arizona. And of course Senator Reed to welcome come him into the state of Nevada.
We're going to compete across the country. This is a strong ticket, a ticket that could carry not just the White House Democrats, but I do believe carry many congressional seats both in the House and the Senate.
KAGAN: Interesting. That's why it's fun to have someone like you on. You're not just focused on the presidency, you're ready to take over Capitol Hill as well.
(CROSSTALK)
BRAZILE: I have a governing strategy, not just a presidential strategy. I think that's been a mistake on the past of the Democrats of focusing on several states while Karl Rove has the country. Let's take back the country. That's what Democrats want to do.
KAGAN: All right, Donna Brazile quoting Karl Rove. You heard it right here on CNN. Donna, thank you for that.
BRAZILE: Thank you.
KAGAN: Good to have your time.
BRAZILE: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: And we're going to take a break. We're back after this.
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Aired July 6, 2004 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: John Kerry today tapped his Senate colleague, John Edwards, to run alongside him on the Democratic ticket for November. Live coverage this hour from CNN correspondents Joe Johns, who is in Pittsburgh where the announcement was made, Kelly Wallace is in Washington. Also in the nation's capital, senior political analyst Bill Schneider.
Joe -- we start where it all began in Pittsburgh. We start with you.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Daryn, a series of phone call this is morning from the candidate to all of the finalists, a number of the finalists and some others. After that, a very carefully staged event here in Market Square in Pittsburgh heavily attended. Lots and lots of people here exuberant as John Kerry announced John Edwards as his running mate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have chosen a man who understand and defends the values of America. A man who has shown courage and conviction as a champion for middle-class Americans and for those struggling to reach the middle class. A man who has shown guts and determination and political skill in his own race for the presidency of the United States. A man whose life has prepared him for leadership and whose character brings him to exercise it.
I am pleased to announce that with your help the next vice president of the United States of America will be Senator John Edwards from North Carolina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Now, this was a closely held secret for quite a long time. We were told that the campaign staffers were notified, some of them at least, late last night that John Edwards had been selected.
Meanwhile, when they got off to a start this morning, they got off to a very fast start, sending out an e-mail as promised to supporters from the Kerry Web site. Also, now up on the Kerry Web site, pictures both of Kerry and Edwards.
Beyond that we have lots of other things to show you and to talk about, the promotional materials that were put together very quickly. For example, here, if you can come back to me, we can show a T-shirt that the campaign put out just about moments after John Kerry announced John Edwards. See, it has the names of both Kerry and Edwards on it, as well if you look back there you can see that sign. That was already prepared.
They also have these. This is a CD-ROM with pictures of Kerry and Edwards both together. All of these things put out just moments after Edwards was announced.
Now, how did they do that? We're told by the campaign that they had between three and five different versions of promotional materials all prepared to go. So, there were a number of finalists. There were also a number of promotional materials available, depending on who Edwards -- who, I'm sorry, Kerry, actually, mentioned.
So, there you go. Lots more to talk about. As you know, Kerry is on his way to Indianapolis to talk to a convention of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, we're told. Then he'll fly back here to the Pittsburgh area to go out to the Heinz farm. And we're told at that time he is expected to meet with John Edwards.
Daryn -- back to you.
KAGAN: Another photo opportunity still ahead on this day. Joe Johns from Pittsburgh, thank you for that.
Well, as Joe was pointing out, John Edwards wasn't even there in Pittsburgh when the announcement was made. He was at his home in Georgetown in Washington D.C. when Senator Kerry made the call this morning.
Let's go to our national correspondent, Kelly Wallace, who is in Washington, D.C. with the latest on that end of the story -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Well, we're getting our first sense of what it was like inside this Georgetown house for John Edwards when he got that phone call. A couple of aides briefing reporters a short time ago. One saying that when John Kerry offered him the running mate position, he said -- quote -- he'd "be honored" and excited for the chance they have together to make the country stronger."
We understand John Edwards then watched John Kerry's speech. And when a team of Kerry aides -- some who will be working for John Edwards -- arrived, one aide asking him -- quote -- "How long should I pack the kids for?" This aide did not respond.
What we are expecting to happen here is to see John Edwards with his entire family -- wife, Elizabeth, who is coming here from Raleigh, North Carolina, daughter, Kate, who is up in New York coming here, and his two young children, Emma Claire and Jack. The entire family will depart sometime this afternoon and head to Pittsburgh.
We're not expecting, though, John Edwards to speak before the cameras. He's expected to put out some written statement and then hook up with John Kerry and his family in Pittsburgh. We've been talking a lot about John Edwards throughout the day. I want to tell viewers just a little bit about him. We know he is the senator from North Carolina. We know that he was a 2004 presidential candidate. He dropped out, though, after Super Tuesday. His only win during the primaries in South Carolina, but he did win the second highest number of convention delegates after Kerry.
He was also a finalist for the vice presidential slot when it was Al Gore making the decision back in 2000. And we know Bush defeated Al Gore in North Carolina 56 to 43 percent.
No one is fully expecting that with John Edwards on the ticket that John Kerry can totally win in North Carolina. But the thinking is that John Edwards will make the Republicans have to spend more money there for George Bush to win.
The Republicans are already speaking out. They are calling the pick of John Edwards -- quote -- "The ultimate flip-flop for John Kerry." They are saying that throughout the primary campaign, John Kerry said that John Edwards doesn't have the experience to be president. It's not time, in John Kerry's words, for on-the-job training.
Well, Democratic strategists are responding. They say John Edwards has the experience, and they say they will push back, talking about what experience George W. Bush did or did not have back in 2000.
That's the latest from here. Daryn -- back to you.
KAGAN: And so will go the give-and-take in the 100-plus days leading up to the election. Kelly Wallace...
WALLACE: Just beginning, Daryn, yes.
KAGAN: Yes, the fun is just beginning. Thank you so much.
We have some video tape that was shot inside the White House that is coming to us just within a matter of seconds. President Bush welcoming the prime minister of Iceland today. We're interested because we hear on this tape President Bush will comment on the selection of John Edwards. Also getting word that Vice President Cheney called Senator Edwards today.
Let's go ahead and listen in to the videotape.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's my honor to welcome the prime minister of Iceland to the Oval Office.
Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for coming.
I'll have an opening statement, he'll have an opening statement, and we'll answer a couple of questions.
I remember my first NATO meeting. And I walked in and the person who greeted me and made me feel most at home was my friend here. And I've never forgotten that.
Iceland has been a steady friend of the United States of America, and they have been an important friend.
We had some interesting discussion on some important issues. And it was a frank discussion. And that's what you expect among friends. It was an open and honest -- and the prime minister is a person who cares deeply about the security of his country and the welfare of his people. And that's why he's been such an effective leader for the good people of Iceland.
Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.
DAVID ODDSSON, PRIME MINISTER OF ICELAND: Thank you for that, Mr. President. I'm very happy to be here, not least on the president's birthday. It's a privilege.
BUSH: Thank you for remembering.
ODDSSON: Well, we discussed some things. I will make two points. We had just recently, a week ago, in a NATO meeting in Istanbul, a very good meeting, I think. Not least because of the firm leadership of the president, and his open manner, his easy-speaking manner. Everybody understands when he speaks.
ODDSSON: And he changed the atmosphere inside NATO. The past is behind us; people are united for the future.
Secondly, we had the opportunity to discuss the defense issues in Iceland, which is very important for us. And the president is looking on that in a positive way. But, of course, he has to see the issue from both sides. This was a fruitful discussion about the future. Thank you.
BUSH: A couple of questions.
QUESTION: Mr. President, the Republican National Committee says that John Edwards is disingenuous, inexperienced and unaccomplished. I wondered, do you agree with that as the tone that you want to set...
BUSH: Listen, I welcome Senator Edwards on the ticket. The vice president called him early this morning to say -- after the announcement was made -- to say that he welcomes him to the race, and as do I. I look forward to a good, spirited contest.
QUESTION: Mr. Prime Minister, did you reach an agreement on the defense treaty with Iceland?
ODDSSON: That was never the meaning was to have an agreement now. Today I had the opportunity to explain my view of the issue to the president. And he is looking into my position and the Iceland position. But he had an open mind.
BUSH: Yes, let me comment on this issue related to the F-15s for the American press. We've got four F-15 fighters stationed there. The prime minister pressed very hard for us to keep the fighters there. He was very eloquent, very determined that the United States keep the troops there. And I told him -- I said, "I'm open-minded about the subject. I want to make sure I understand the full implications of the decision as to whether or not to leave them there."
BUSH: And we will gather more information. He is going to provide information about the basing there in Iceland and the requirements there. And I will talk to the respective departments here and I will make a measured judgment.
As to the finality of this issue, I told the prime minister I appreciate our alliance. I appreciate his friendship. I fully understand the arguments he's made. And we will work together to solve the issue.
QUESTION: There's a story today the CIA held back information from you that Iraq had abandoned its WMD program. Is that true?
And what's your timetable on nominating a new CIA head? Are you going to wait until after the election?
BUSH: I hadn't made up my mind on the nomination process.
Secondly, I will wait for the report -- the Senate report to come out. This is information from the report of the United States Senate, Chairman Roberts' committee. I will look at the whole report.
I will tell you, however, that I know that Saddam Hussein was a threat. He was a threat to the neighborhood. He was a threat to the people of Iraq. He harbored terrorists. Mr. Zarqawi, who continues to kill and maim inside of Iraq, was in the country prior to our arrival.
Saddam Hussein had the intent. He had the capability.
BUSH: And the world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power. And the world will be more peaceful when this Iraqi government, under Prime Minister Allawi, emerges and there are elections.
And that's what we're seeing. We're seeing a transformation in a part of the world that needs liberty and freedom.
And so I look forward to the full report, and I'll react to it when I see it.
Anybody else?
ODDSSON: Well, I -- this, I must say I agree with the president about Iraq. The future of Iraq -- the future for the world -- is much better because of the undertaking that the United States, United Kingdom and the alliance has took there. And without that done, the situation in that area of the world would be much more dangerous than it is now. There is hope now. There was no hope before.
BUSH: Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister.
Thank you.
April, please do not break out in "Happy Birthday." It will embarrass me. Thank you.
(REPORTERS START SINGING "HAPPY BIRTHDAY")
BUSH: I asked you not to break out in "Happy Birthday."
Thank you. Did you actually call that singing?
(LAUGHTER)
No, it was beautiful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: It sounds like some members of the White House press corps better keep their day jobs there, singing "Happy Birthday," ignoring the presidential command not to sing him "Happy Birthday" on this his 58th birthday. He was welcoming the prime minister of Iceland, David Oddsson there. Also commenting on the selection of John Edwards as John Kerry's running mate, welcoming him to the race.
Much more on that selection, plus a lot other news making headlines today. That's just ahead. Right now a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Democrats say that John Edwards brings razzle-dazzle, regional balance and moderate populism to the ticket. But can he help red states turn into blue states in November?
Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is in Washington with thoughts on this.
Bill -- what do you think? Does he have the power to do that?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, he has a lot of appeal to rural and small-town voters. His theme song was the John Cougar Mellencamp song, "I Was Born in a Small Town." He talks about that all the time. And the Midwest, the small towns, the rural areas, that's the battleground area of American politics.
He intends to reach those voters not through social populism but through economic populism, by saying these people are losing their livelihoods, their future is bleak because so many jobs are being exported, and he will fight for them.
He is, above all, a happy warrior. That's sometimes not said about John Kerry. But he has zest. He has enthusiasm. And that impressed a lot of voters on the campaign trail in the primaries. They had doubts about whether he had the right experience to be president, but as a vice presidential candidate on the ticket I think he will bring a lot of vigor to the ticket that perhaps John Kerry doesn't have.
KAGAN: OK. You bring up his lack of experience. He hasn't been in the Senate for a full term. He has no international experience. He has no military experience. And one person who noticed this is John Kerry. Let's listen to this sound byte from the primaries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I came back from Vietnam in 1969, ladies and gentlemen, I'm not sure if John Edwards was out of diapers then yet or not. I'm truly not sure. I don't know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: All right, that's from the primaries. Now, the Republicans are making even more of this because they do try to paint John Kerry as someone who flip-flops on issues. So, here is a later comment on that previous comment from John Kerry. Listen to that, and then, Bill, we'll hear from you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KERRY: I truly don't want to be negative, but what that comment I made was not meant to be negative. You know, I don't want to -- I just -- you know, I don't want to go that road. I think that what is appropriate to recognize is he's a very talented person. I like him a great deal. He's running a great campaign. I respect that. And you have to decide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: Is that a classic John Kerry moment, where one second he's making fun of John Edwards as someone who is in diapers, and then he says, well, no, I don't want to be that, I don't want to be a negative campaigner?
SCHNEIDER: I'm afraid it is, and that is exactly what the Republicans are trying to get across, that he's a flip-flopper, he can't make up his mind, he says a negative thing then immediately he takes it back. That's a problem for John Kerry.
But the fact that Edwards doesn't have a lot of international or even national experience, that would be a problem if he were at the top of the ticket, because people vote for president of the United States. And, frankly, that's one reason why he did not get the nomination.
Our polling in the primaries showed that a lot of people thought he did not have the right experience to be president, even though they liked John Edwards. But as the second position in the ticket, it's not nearly as big a problem, because Kerry can say, I have the knowledge, I've been in the military, I've been through a war, I have the experience.
KAGAN: But it seems to me the vice-presidential slot is a two- part. One, it's to help the candidate get elected. But really what you're running for is to be the guy who is one heartbeat away from the presidency. If you're not qualified to be the president, how can you be the vice president?
SCHNEIDER: Well, ask Dan Quayle. A lot of people thought he wasn't qualified to be president, but they voted for him. He was elected vice president of the United States, because the fact is people don't vote for vice president.
Look, when Michael Dukakis chose Lloyd Benson, it was considered a brilliant choice, but it didn't help him. And when the first George Bush chose Dan Quayle, it was regarded as a controversial choice, but it didn't hurt him. People don't vote for vice president.
I think what Edwards will add to this ticket is a populous touch. No one accuses John Kerry of being a populist.
KAGAN: No.
SCHNEIDER: He doesn't have the common touch, the Clintonian kind of style, which John Edwards has. So, he adds something very powerful to this ticket.
KAGAN: Bill Schneider in Washington, thank you for that.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
KAGAN: Well, for voters, they're going to get a very clear choice. You have John Edwards and Dick Cheney. They are worlds apart in politics and in style and in age.
Let's talk to Republican strategist Kellyanne Conway joining us this morning.
Kellyanne, good morning. Good to see you.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning, Daryn. Thanks for having me.
KAGAN: We had Paul Begala on last hour absolutely beaming. I think he was splitting the seams of his suit. So, we wanted to get the other perspective.
It seems to me, though, that Republicans might be pleased with the choice of John Edwards as an easy target.
CONWAY: Edwards as a vice presidential selection is a nominee for which the Republicans are ready. There is plenty of research done on John Edwards, and he actually has more of a voting record than most folks recognize.
Look, this means that John Kerry wants the Kerry-Edwards ticket to be the first modern TV ticket, if you will, the running of this campaign not on paper but on the air waves, much like Clinton-Gore did back in '92, if not '96.
But there is something very curious about this pick. It's very difficult to see how it adds any kind of ideological breadth or even balance. If you look at the voting records in the United States Senate of both John Kerry and John Edwards, they're almost identical. Both of them hostile to small businesses, hostile to taxpayers, voting against those tax packages in the last several years.
KAGAN: Is that such a bad thing, though? Is that such a bad thing, though, for two candidates that are on the same ticket to have the same point of view? When Bush and Cheney came together, there were some key issues that they disagreed on, I think school vouchers one of them. And then people made an issue of that.
So, if that is the target group that you're going for, what's so wrong about two candidates agreeing?
CONWAY: We all know that these are close elections. And if you're struggling to get those last 3, 4, 6 percent in targeted states, states that are maybe red with blue polka dots or blue with red polka dots right now, or you're trying to reach out to constituencies like small business owners which have basically split their ticket between Republicans and Democrats, being with Republicans only slightly, I fail to see how this reaches out.
Now, look, in 1980, Ronald Reagan chose the runner-up that year, George Herbert Walker Bush, but it also was an olive branch to the more moderate wing of the Republican Party. George Herbert Walker Bush turned around in 1988 and chose Dan Quayle, who was more Reagan than Bush, to reach out to the pro-life and pro-school choice community, pro-Second Amendment community. So, this doesn't add a lot of ideological balance, but...
KAGAN: OK, then let me do this. Let me do this, because I think this would be an interesting experiment here. Let me hire you for the Democratic Party for one moment. Who then do you think would be a better selection than John Edwards?
CONWAY: This is a great selection for John Kerry, because all of John Kerry's liabilities seem to be congenital; meaning, he doesn't just have that oomph, that zest. He doesn't really pass the living room test that many people expect from their presidents these days. Here is the guy I want for the next four or eight years in my living room.
And John Kerry has also had a difficult time finding his connective tissue...
KAGAN: So, who would you have picked for him? You would have picked Edwards?
CONWAY: No, I think this was the best choice.
KAGAN: OK.
CONWAY: Well, Gephardt was probably an even better choice, only because of his experience and his geographic balance. But John Kerry did a smart thing by not surprising everyone too much. He basically went with the safe choice, but one that is exciting.
All I'm saying, Daryn, though, is times are so serious and concerns are so grave that we're not just into entertaining and showing charisma and charm on the ticket. It's got to work on paper as well. It's got to work on practice. And I can't wait for Dick Cheney and John Edwards to have their debate. I think that's even more titillating this year than the presidential debate.
KAGAN: I was just thinking that when I was talking to Bill Schneider, I'm looking forward to the vice presidential debate. Those are going to be an interesting contrast right there. Kellyanne Conway, thank you for stopping by today.
CONWAY: Thank you.
KAGAN: And after the break, we're going to talk to somebody on the other side. Donna Brazile stops by to give us her take on the selection of John Edwards.
Right now, we fit in a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: John Edwards' Southern drawl is expected to balance John Kerry's proper Boston accent.
Let's talk to Democratic strategist and former Gore campaign chairman Donna Brazile about the look and feel of this Democratic ticket.
Donna, good morning. Good to have you here with us.
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thank you.
KAGAN: We've been hearing all morning long the razzle-dazzle of John Edwards. He's so popular. He's so great on camera. If this was such an obvious choice, Donna, why was it so difficult for John Kerry to make?
BRAZILE: I don't think it was a difficult choice at all. Look, while I don't know the inner workings of how the selection came about, it is clear to me that this is a great ticket. It's an exciting ticket. John Edwards is a great choice.
You know, John Edwards speaks with a political tone that we don't often hear in American politics. This is a guy who came from nothing, who made something out of himself because he had great values and a tremendous amount of faith in his own abilities. He wanted to be a lawyer when he was just a little kid, because he said he wanted to fight for and help out innocent people. He ran a great campaign. People know him as being "Mr. Optimism," someone that really stood up for working families in this election cycle.
So, I'm proud of the choice, and I'm proud to support this ticket. Any Democrat would be proud, and I think Independents and swing voters will also come to like this ticket.
KAGAN: Interesting that John Kerry picks a Southerner, and yet everyone is not making a big deal over winning the South; rather, with the effect that he'll have in the Midwest.
BRAZILE: Well, let me just tell you, with all of the Southern seats in play, I think this immediately helps someone like Erskine Bowles win his seat in North Carolina, Inez Tenenbaum win her seat in South Carolina. This will be good for those open seats in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana.
Look, John Edwards can campaign all across America. We saw that in the primaries. He did a terrific job. That's why he was one of the best challenges to John Kerry. I'm not taking anything away from my good, personal friend, Dick Gephardt, or Wesley Clark or another person I admire, Senator Graham. But John Edwards is a great choice, and I think this will excite the party and also allow John Kerry to go out there and make a credible case of why Dick Cheney and George Bush should be replaced this fall.
KAGAN: All right. Help me out on the knocks here against John Edwards. How do you get around his lack of experience, not even a full term in the Senate, his lack of international experience and his lack of military experience?
BRAZILE: He has experience where experience matters. He has experience on domestic issues as well as foreign policy. In the Senate he has championed issues like bioterrorism. He has championed issues like reforming the intelligence.
You know, it's not the years in office that you spend, it's the quality of work that you do. And his quality is very strong. And I believe that if you want to put John Edwards up against anybody on the Republican side, then bring them on. Let's go ahead and have this conversation. But to knock somebody who spent five years, his entire adult life fighting for and championing working people I think is an insult to the people that he represents in North Carolina.
KAGAN: OK. Let me ask you this. As the chairwoman of the Gore campaign, lessons learned from 2000. What do the Democrats need to know this time around?
BRAZILE: Well, they need to know that, first of all, that John Edwards was someone that Al Gore considered, as well as John Kerry. I'm proud to see that the two of them are now together. This is a great time for the Democratic Party. The party is unified and very strong.
But the lesson I learned from 2000 as campaign manager is a lesson that I hope the Kerry campaign is still learning. And that is, we have to compete effectively all over the country. I'm glad that John Edwards is on the ticket, because perhaps the South will be in play. Some of us who are Southerners who like to go home and make groceries and to have a good time, it will be great to have a little grits on our plates, along with some of the great lobsters and stuff that we can get from other parts of the country. But John Edwards is somebody that can talk the talk, walk the talk. He knows Southern values, Southern roots. He comes from a great part of the country, and I'm proud to see that he's on the ticket. And he will fight for working families. And that's what it is all about. He's fighting for ordinary people.
KAGAN: Let me just jump in here a second here. Donna, let me just ask you. There were other voices, especially during the primaries, we heard this theory out there. I think we heard Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, mention this, saying to abandon that former strategy and that Democrats need to leave the South behind and focus on other areas, the Midwest and the West. No mention of the West here in this campaign ticket.
BRAZILE: Well, look, John Edwards can travel west, south, east and north. I think that, you know, if the old paradigm is true that you need balance, well, this is balance. And it's not just balanced geographically, but it's balance in terms of the ideology, balanced in terms of the type of ticket that you really want to see, an experienced ticket. John Kerry with his international foreign policy experience. John Edwards with his domestic experience. It's balanced.
And I do believe that Bill Richardson will welcome John Edwards to New Mexico as Janet Napolitano welcomes him to the state of Arizona. And of course Senator Reed to welcome come him into the state of Nevada.
We're going to compete across the country. This is a strong ticket, a ticket that could carry not just the White House Democrats, but I do believe carry many congressional seats both in the House and the Senate.
KAGAN: Interesting. That's why it's fun to have someone like you on. You're not just focused on the presidency, you're ready to take over Capitol Hill as well.
(CROSSTALK)
BRAZILE: I have a governing strategy, not just a presidential strategy. I think that's been a mistake on the past of the Democrats of focusing on several states while Karl Rove has the country. Let's take back the country. That's what Democrats want to do.
KAGAN: All right, Donna Brazile quoting Karl Rove. You heard it right here on CNN. Donna, thank you for that.
BRAZILE: Thank you.
KAGAN: Good to have your time.
BRAZILE: Thank you, Daryn.
KAGAN: And we're going to take a break. We're back after this.
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