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American Morning
House Expected to Approve Resolutions
Aired October 10, 2002 - 08:11 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: The House of Representatives today is expected to give President Bush the authorization he wants to use force against Iraq. Three days of debate wrapped up last night.
Candy Crowley is in Washington this morning -- good morning, Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Three days of debate, but not all the debate. They're going to pick up this morning where they left off in the House and, for that matter, in the Senate.
What they're basically debating is whether to give President Bush the go ahead to wage war against Iraq should that be needed. The arguments by this time are pretty well worn. Those who are against giving the president the green light say he needs to have more world support. They say that there is absolutely no proof Saddam Hussein is an imminent danger to the U.S. and they say, as well, that it may, in fact, only make things worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN LARSON (D), CONNECTICUT: ... is a preemptive unilateral attack on Saddam Hussein could accomplish what Osama bin Laden failed to do and that's unite the Islamic world in a Jihad against the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Now, on the pro side, those who will support the president say that Saddam Hussein is one of the world's most dangerous men, that he is close to having weapons of mass destruction, that we cannot wait until he gets them and that, in fact, this reckoning is long overdue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DARRELL ISSA (D), CALIFORNIA: The American people, Mr. Speaker, must understand that this is by no means a new war. The president is not asking for a new war. In fact, what he's asking for is a recognition that after 11 plus years of a war which has not ended because this dictator has not met his responsibilities...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Now, the House will have a couple of alternative resolutions to look at this morning, neither of which are supposed to be passed. We're looking for a final vote from the House some time this afternoon and it looks as though the ayes will have it. That was pretty much set when House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt joined with the Republicans at the White House and said that he would support the president on the resolution, which, again, we expect to pass some time this afternoon -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, Candy, give us the back story here. You had Representative Gephardt a week ago telling folks as we come into this midterm election they have to vote their consciences. This resolution, he says, is a vote about life or death, potentially, for soldiers down the road. And yet you can't really free the political calculation up from this vote, can you?
CROWLEY: You can't. And here's the problem. Even though we always want to give those who are voting the benefit of the doubt, let's say that they are all voting on what they absolutely believe is best. It doesn't mean that there aren't political ramifications. If you are a congressman and you're in a very pro-Bush district, it might hurt you if you vote against the president on this one. It's a matter of, you know, life and death, as you said.
If, on the other hand, you are in a district where they think this is just a mad scheme and they don't want to have anything to do with it and you vote with the president, you're in trouble. So there are political ramifications if there are not political calculations.
ZAHN: Keep an eye on it for us today, Candy.
CROWLEY: Oh, I will.
ZAHN: Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
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 October 10, 2002 - 08:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The House of Representatives today is expected to give President Bush the authorization he wants to use force against Iraq. Three days of debate wrapped up last night.
Candy Crowley is in Washington this morning -- good morning, Candy.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Three days of debate, but not all the debate. They're going to pick up this morning where they left off in the House and, for that matter, in the Senate.
What they're basically debating is whether to give President Bush the go ahead to wage war against Iraq should that be needed. The arguments by this time are pretty well worn. Those who are against giving the president the green light say he needs to have more world support. They say that there is absolutely no proof Saddam Hussein is an imminent danger to the U.S. and they say, as well, that it may, in fact, only make things worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN LARSON (D), CONNECTICUT: ... is a preemptive unilateral attack on Saddam Hussein could accomplish what Osama bin Laden failed to do and that's unite the Islamic world in a Jihad against the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Now, on the pro side, those who will support the president say that Saddam Hussein is one of the world's most dangerous men, that he is close to having weapons of mass destruction, that we cannot wait until he gets them and that, in fact, this reckoning is long overdue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DARRELL ISSA (D), CALIFORNIA: The American people, Mr. Speaker, must understand that this is by no means a new war. The president is not asking for a new war. In fact, what he's asking for is a recognition that after 11 plus years of a war which has not ended because this dictator has not met his responsibilities...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Now, the House will have a couple of alternative resolutions to look at this morning, neither of which are supposed to be passed. We're looking for a final vote from the House some time this afternoon and it looks as though the ayes will have it. That was pretty much set when House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt joined with the Republicans at the White House and said that he would support the president on the resolution, which, again, we expect to pass some time this afternoon -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, Candy, give us the back story here. You had Representative Gephardt a week ago telling folks as we come into this midterm election they have to vote their consciences. This resolution, he says, is a vote about life or death, potentially, for soldiers down the road. And yet you can't really free the political calculation up from this vote, can you?
CROWLEY: You can't. And here's the problem. Even though we always want to give those who are voting the benefit of the doubt, let's say that they are all voting on what they absolutely believe is best. It doesn't mean that there aren't political ramifications. If you are a congressman and you're in a very pro-Bush district, it might hurt you if you vote against the president on this one. It's a matter of, you know, life and death, as you said.
If, on the other hand, you are in a district where they think this is just a mad scheme and they don't want to have anything to do with it and you vote with the president, you're in trouble. So there are political ramifications if there are not political calculations.
ZAHN: Keep an eye on it for us today, Candy.
CROWLEY: Oh, I will.
ZAHN: Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
