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American Morning

Republicans, Democrats Looking for Deserters

Aired June 06, 2001 - 09:14   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.
LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: It is a big day in Washington, the Senate convenes in less than two hours with Democrats now in the majority.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve is following the political shuffle and there is a lot to follow. She joins us, live, right now, from Capitol Hill.

Hello there, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Linda.

When there is talk of another senator possibly switching parties, the talk often turns to my guest this morning, Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska.

Thanks so much for joining us.

SEN. BEN NELSON (D), NEBRASKA: Thank you. It's good to be here.

MESERVE: Now you've been invited to the White House for movie night. You're taking your second ride on Air Force One Friday. Are you being wooed by the Republicans?

NELSON: Oh, I think - I think the president just enjoys my company.

MESERVE: A diplomatic answer, but what's the truth here? Are you being persuaded? Is your arm being twisted by people on the other side of the aisle?

NELSON: Not really. This trip is to go out to see Nebraska play in the College World Series and the president wants to promote baseball. It's a great opportunity to be able to do that and so that's - I've just been invited to go along.

MESERVE: Has anybody asked you to switch parties?

NELSON: Not recently. I don't - I think people understand that I'm not going to change parties and that it's time to begin to work together and stop working on one another.

MESERVE: Why do you say you would not switch parties?

NELSON: Well, I don't see any particular reason for me to switch parties. I'm able to work right now on virtually every issue. The patient's bill of rights is coming up next. We're going to finish education, I hope, here in the near future and move on to a prescription drug benefit. I just don't see any need to change parties.

MESERVE: Now, Senator Jeffords' complaint with the Republican Party was that he, as a moderate, no longer felt included. Do you, as a conservative Democrat, still feel a vital part of your caucus?

NELSON: Oh, absolutely. I think there's room in the caucus for people who have different points of view. As a matter of fact, it may be one of the strengths of our caucus that we have a lot of tolerance for people with different ideas. And I think as a result of that, we're able to work together in ways that maybe others aren't able - can't work together.

MESERVE: You mentioned to me before this interview that you had seen Senator Jeffords last night and he seemed like a changed man. Tell me about that.

NELSON: Well, he just seems like a lot of the worry and concerns that he's had have just been lifted from him. And I think he feels very comfortable the way - the way things have worked out for him. And sometimes when you've made a major decision like that, afterwards you feel like the weight of the world's been lifted off your shoulders.

MESERVE: Now we have the same members of the Senate, even though those numbers have just changed ever so slightly, is this a seat change? What's the practical impact of this going to be here in the U.S. Senate?

NELSON: Well, I think what it's going to mean is that people are going to have to work together even more than they would in the past. I think it's important that we find a way to do bipartisan things or, as some people have said, a tripartisan approach to things. I think it's far more important that we focus on how we can get things done together than who technically has a majority by one or two or whatever the number may be.

MESERVE: Is it going to mean a different agenda, however?

NELSON: Well, I think the agenda may shift a little bit where a patient's bill of rights is now going to come up, hopefully a prescription drug benefit as part of Medicare will come up and maybe there'll be a different focus on energy. But I think the issues are still there. They're essentially the same, same people in the White House, same people in the House, same people in the Senate.

MESERVE: The mechanics of this power switch have not yet been worked out. You're a first-term member of the Senate and so you find yourself, today, as a man without a committee, is that right?

NELSON: I don't have any committees, but we're working as though things are going to continue. I don't know whether I'll end up with the same committees, I suspect I will. And maybe I'll even be asked to serve on additional committees. I don't know. But I just want to be constructive in whatever I do representing the people of America and certainly my constituents back home in Nebraska.

MESERVE: So on a day-to-day basis, as yet, this has had no real impact on you?

NELSON: No, I got up, had breakfast. We had our Nebraska breakfast this morning. We - things are going on just as they have in the past. I imagine I'll be going to my committee meetings as soon as they're set up and the hearings. I think this organization thing will be accomplished here in the very near future.

MESERVE: OK, Senator Ben Nelson, thanks. Enjoy your ride...

NELSON: Thank you.

MESERVE: ... on Air Force One. We'll be calling to get a debrief on whether the president tries to persuade you I think.

And now, we'll go back to Atlanta and Linda and Leon.

STOUFFER: OK, we'll see about that.

Thanks, Jeanne.

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