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American Morning
Lieberman Set to Join Presidential Fray
Aired January 13, 2003 - 09:15 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Within the hour, Senator Joe Lieberman expected to join the ranks of White House candidates in 2004. The field is getting crowded, too. Lieberman set to announce his bid from his hometown and his high school there, Stamford, Connecticut. Candy Crowley staked out and positioned well for this one -- Candy, good morning.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Stamford, Connecticut is where Joe Lieberman was born. This is the high school he attended. Later he's going to go to a diner for a cup of joe with Joe, and after that, he'll have interviews at his mother's house. You add it all up, and this is obviously the beginnings of a presidential campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): Ladies and gentlemen, the latest entry in the '04 presidential contest.
(SINGING)
CROWLEY: The talent show may not be his strong suit, but as the next pageant of politics gets underway, the junior senator from Connecticut leads in name recognition.
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The next vice president of the United States of America, Joe Lieberman!
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: I think we can say with certainty here in Nashville today that the American dream is alive and it is well.
CROWLEY: Joe Lieberman was the first Jewish politician on a major party presidential ticket. He infused excitement and fervor into the Democratic base, and yet was seen as so nice a guy the Bush campaign never took him on.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As I said, I think that Senator Lieberman was a good pick.
CROWLEY: Far from low-keying his orthodox Jewish beliefs, Lieberman put them out there.
LIEBERMAN: In Hebrew, the expression is (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which means, We are all equal in God's eyes.
CROWLEY: He was a tour de force, a rock star in Jewish communities and a hit in African American churches, the seat of political power among many black voters. Recent CNN USA Today Gallup polls show Lieberman a top choice of all Democrats, but first choice of black Democrats.
Some colleagues complain Lieberman compromises too early and too often, others grouse that he wears righteousness on his sleeve, earning him the nickname St. Joe.
LIEBERMAN: The fundamental sense of right and wrong...
CROWLEY: Lieberman palled up with a leading Republican conservative to take on Hollywood. He once eyed school vouchers and privatizing Social Security favorably, while questioning racial quotas and preferences, all leanings Lieberman remolded or rejected as he moved into Gore world.
He is hawkish on foreign policy, supporting the first President Bush on Iraq as he now supports the second. Lieberman's record is to the right of anyone currently in the '04 Democratic pool, a difficult place in Democratic primaries, which are largely populated by left of center Democrats. And as attractive as he was as a vice presidential candidate, Lieberman was Al Gore's choice.
Now he has to make history on his own.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: Well, don't -- Joe's way will also be the long way because believe it or not, Bill, we are one year away from the first primary and caucuses, and one year and ten months away from the actual presidential election -- Bill.
HEMMER: Candy, thanks. It is getting crowded, as we mentioned. Candy Crowley in Stamford.
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 January 13, 2003 - 09:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Within the hour, Senator Joe Lieberman expected to join the ranks of White House candidates in 2004. The field is getting crowded, too. Lieberman set to announce his bid from his hometown and his high school there, Stamford, Connecticut. Candy Crowley staked out and positioned well for this one -- Candy, good morning.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Stamford, Connecticut is where Joe Lieberman was born. This is the high school he attended. Later he's going to go to a diner for a cup of joe with Joe, and after that, he'll have interviews at his mother's house. You add it all up, and this is obviously the beginnings of a presidential campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (voice-over): Ladies and gentlemen, the latest entry in the '04 presidential contest.
(SINGING)
CROWLEY: The talent show may not be his strong suit, but as the next pageant of politics gets underway, the junior senator from Connecticut leads in name recognition.
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The next vice president of the United States of America, Joe Lieberman!
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: I think we can say with certainty here in Nashville today that the American dream is alive and it is well.
CROWLEY: Joe Lieberman was the first Jewish politician on a major party presidential ticket. He infused excitement and fervor into the Democratic base, and yet was seen as so nice a guy the Bush campaign never took him on.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As I said, I think that Senator Lieberman was a good pick.
CROWLEY: Far from low-keying his orthodox Jewish beliefs, Lieberman put them out there.
LIEBERMAN: In Hebrew, the expression is (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which means, We are all equal in God's eyes.
CROWLEY: He was a tour de force, a rock star in Jewish communities and a hit in African American churches, the seat of political power among many black voters. Recent CNN USA Today Gallup polls show Lieberman a top choice of all Democrats, but first choice of black Democrats.
Some colleagues complain Lieberman compromises too early and too often, others grouse that he wears righteousness on his sleeve, earning him the nickname St. Joe.
LIEBERMAN: The fundamental sense of right and wrong...
CROWLEY: Lieberman palled up with a leading Republican conservative to take on Hollywood. He once eyed school vouchers and privatizing Social Security favorably, while questioning racial quotas and preferences, all leanings Lieberman remolded or rejected as he moved into Gore world.
He is hawkish on foreign policy, supporting the first President Bush on Iraq as he now supports the second. Lieberman's record is to the right of anyone currently in the '04 Democratic pool, a difficult place in Democratic primaries, which are largely populated by left of center Democrats. And as attractive as he was as a vice presidential candidate, Lieberman was Al Gore's choice.
Now he has to make history on his own.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY: Well, don't -- Joe's way will also be the long way because believe it or not, Bill, we are one year away from the first primary and caucuses, and one year and ten months away from the actual presidential election -- Bill.
HEMMER: Candy, thanks. It is getting crowded, as we mentioned. Candy Crowley in Stamford.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
