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American Morning

Sen. Strom Thurmond Turns 99 Years Old Today

Aired December 05, 2001 - 09:56   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: A U.S. political legend turns 99 years old today. Senator Strom Thurmond has been a presence on Capitol Hill for nearly half a century, and today his colleagues and friends join in a birthday wish.

Here is CNN's congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(APPLAUSE)

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It seems he's been old forever. His amazed colleagues cheer 99th birthday, the beginning of Strom Thurmond's 100th year. Thurmond was already 52 years old when he was elected to the Senate as a write-in candidate in 1954. Now he is the oldest senator ever, and the longest serving.

He was 41 when he fought in the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. Granted a waver to fight, despite being overage. We was 23 years older than his first wife, 44 years older than his second, a beauty queen. And he had his first of four children when he was 69.

Strom Thurmond was born the year before the Wright brothers first flew in 1903. He climbed the ranks of South Carolina politics as a loyal New Deal Democrat. But in 1948, he led a walkout at the Democratic convention over civil rights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. STROM THURMOND (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: These damnable proposals he has reprimanded under the guise of so-called civil rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: Espousing segregation, Thurmond ran against President Truman as a third-party candidate.

In 1964, he became the first major Southern Democrat to switch to the Republican Party, and soon after abandoned segregationist politics.

THURMOND: I never said word in my life against black people. I always want to help people, regardless of what their race is. ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, FMR. THURMOND INTERN: There are things that he's had to repent for. But thank God that he has lived long enough where he can say the errors of his ways.

KARL: Fellow South Carolinian James Brown helped Thurmond celebrate his 99th birthday.

JAMES BROWN, ENTERTAINMENT: I called him, and I said, senator, I don't feel too good today. How do you feel? At 90, he said, oh, I feel good.

KARL: Thurmond will be remembered not for any major legislative accomplishment, but for his longevity and attention to constituents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THURMOND: They don't call me "Thurmanator" for nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: Today failing health forces him to live at the Walter Reed Medical Center. He spends his days seemingly going through the motions on Capitol Hill.

WILLIAMS: He is not even trying to pretend that he runs the office every day ease did 10 or 15 years ago. Anybody in their right mind would know that he would have to delegate much of the responsibilities of that office.

KARL: But even now, the senator almost never miss assist vote,. or a chance to give a little piece of candy to those who can only marvel at living history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KARL: Senator Thurmond put out a statement saying, he is happy to be turning 99. As long as it means he can live to be 110 -- Paula.

ZAHN: We're rooting for him.

How long does he plan to serve?

KARL: Well, he wants to spend his 100 birthday in the United States Senate. Strom Thurmond, it shouldn't surprise you, will not run for re-election, but his term is up in January of 2003.

ZAHN: God bless him. Jonathan Karl, thanks so much.

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