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American Morning
Controversial Comments From Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill
Aired January 12, 2004 - 08:10 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: Some controversial comments from former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill also featured in that debate last evening. In a new book, O'Neill claims that from the very beginning of his time in office, President Bush wanted to find a way to take down Saddam Hussein, even before 9/11, he contends.
Candidate Dennis Kucinich brought timing of that all to everyone's attention last evening in Des Moines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now we find from Secretary O'Neill that the president was planning on attack Iraq before 9/11 and that the American people, in effect, have been misled about this. Everybody ought to be talking about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: The book is titled "The Price of Loyalty," O'Neill comparing Mr. Bush's presence at cabinet meetings as "a blind man in a room full of deaf people." The book set for release tomorrow. Some reaction now from the White House and our correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.
What are they saying -- Suzanne -- to defend and counter these claims?
Good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Bill.
That's absolutely right, is that everybody is talking about this. It's the last thing that the White House wants. Now they say that these allegations are absolutely not true, but, of course, this is a White House that puts a premium on loyalty and really O'Neill going for the jugular. The case that the president made, going against Saddam Hussein, saying that he had weapons of mass destruction and that this was a danger that was imminent to the United States. Very clearly O'Neill taking issue with that, saying from day one President Bush had it out for Saddam Hussein.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL O'NEILL, TREASURY SECRETARY: From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: He also tells "Time" magazine in his 23 months I was there, I never saw anything that I would characterize as evidence of weapons of mass destruction.
Now, senior Bush administration officials saying first and foremost that O'Neill was not privy to all of the intelligence assessments. They also say that it was U.S. policy of regime change in Iraq even in the Clinton administration back in 1998. They say how that was going to come about, that war, really was the last option.
O'Neill also takes issue, as well, he was -- criticized the tax cut policy, at one point calling it show business. As you know, O'Neill was fired just two years into his term. There are some who are saying that they believe this is all sour grapes.
The big question here, Bill, of course, is the possible political fallout of this. The Bush administration believes that, yes, the president has been notified about these comments, that it's best not to get into it too much, to give credence to this. But there are some senior administration officials, one in particular, saying that we didn't listen to the wacky ideas that he had when he was in office, why should we listen to them now -- Bill.
HEMMER: Suzanne, thanks.
Suzanne Malveaux on the front lawn this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
O'Neill>
Aired January 12, 2004 - 08:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Some controversial comments from former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill also featured in that debate last evening. In a new book, O'Neill claims that from the very beginning of his time in office, President Bush wanted to find a way to take down Saddam Hussein, even before 9/11, he contends.
Candidate Dennis Kucinich brought timing of that all to everyone's attention last evening in Des Moines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now we find from Secretary O'Neill that the president was planning on attack Iraq before 9/11 and that the American people, in effect, have been misled about this. Everybody ought to be talking about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: The book is titled "The Price of Loyalty," O'Neill comparing Mr. Bush's presence at cabinet meetings as "a blind man in a room full of deaf people." The book set for release tomorrow. Some reaction now from the White House and our correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.
What are they saying -- Suzanne -- to defend and counter these claims?
Good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Bill.
That's absolutely right, is that everybody is talking about this. It's the last thing that the White House wants. Now they say that these allegations are absolutely not true, but, of course, this is a White House that puts a premium on loyalty and really O'Neill going for the jugular. The case that the president made, going against Saddam Hussein, saying that he had weapons of mass destruction and that this was a danger that was imminent to the United States. Very clearly O'Neill taking issue with that, saying from day one President Bush had it out for Saddam Hussein.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL O'NEILL, TREASURY SECRETARY: From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: He also tells "Time" magazine in his 23 months I was there, I never saw anything that I would characterize as evidence of weapons of mass destruction.
Now, senior Bush administration officials saying first and foremost that O'Neill was not privy to all of the intelligence assessments. They also say that it was U.S. policy of regime change in Iraq even in the Clinton administration back in 1998. They say how that was going to come about, that war, really was the last option.
O'Neill also takes issue, as well, he was -- criticized the tax cut policy, at one point calling it show business. As you know, O'Neill was fired just two years into his term. There are some who are saying that they believe this is all sour grapes.
The big question here, Bill, of course, is the possible political fallout of this. The Bush administration believes that, yes, the president has been notified about these comments, that it's best not to get into it too much, to give credence to this. But there are some senior administration officials, one in particular, saying that we didn't listen to the wacky ideas that he had when he was in office, why should we listen to them now -- Bill.
HEMMER: Suzanne, thanks.
Suzanne Malveaux on the front lawn this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
O'Neill>
