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American Morning

Interview With John Kerry

Aired January 12, 2004 - 08:47   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It is crunch time in Iowa for the Democratic presidential hopefuls. Their first major contest of the campaign is just a week away. The candidates jousted last night in their final debate before the Iowa caucuses. The polls in that state show Senator John Kerry trailing Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt.
And Senator Kerry joins us this morning from Des Moines.

Good morning to you, Senator. Nice to see you. Thanks for being with us.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning, Soledad. How are you?

O'BRIEN: I'm well, thank you.

I know you've got a significant announcement to make today in Iowa. But before we talk a little bit about that, I want to talk about this debate last night. If you read the major papers, even just the first lines, here are some of the words that they used to describe the debate: "infighting, attacks, crankiness, testiness." Do you think that there's a risk of losing your focus? Not you specifically but the Democratic candidates across the board losing the focus as you sort of focus on the negative in these debates?

KERRY: Well, if you go back to the debate, I didn't. And I want to offer a positive vision to people. I was trying to get in to sort of suggest that the real target was George Bush, and I didn't have an opportunity to do that. But we'll be fine. We'll pull it together.

I'm confident my campaign is moving here in Iowa. I'm very excited about the energy that I've got in the campaign. It's growing, and it's growing very fast.

This morning right here on the steps of the capitol, I will be standing with 27 legislators, all of whom have endorsed me. These are the people who do the work every day in Iowa. They believe I'll be the strongest candidate against George Bush, and I have more of the legislators supporting me than Gephardt or Dean put together.

That's a statement about the leadership that they are looking for and the ability to be able to beat George Bush, which is critical. They want a tempered, sound, steady hand at the helm of state. This is a time of war. We need experience and leadership in foreign policy and somebody who has the ability to make America safer and put people back to work. And their judgment is that I'm the person to do that, and I think that's happening across Iowa. O'BRIEN: In the polls, though, the polls say that you are not going to win in Iowa. In fact, they put you firmly behind Governor Dean and Dick Gephardt as well. Now, I know...

KERRY: Soledad...

O'BRIEN: ... we've talked before, and you've always said, you know, I don't put a lot of strength in polls, that, you know, not one vote has been cast. I know we've had this discussion before. But what happens if you don't come in third, let's say, or better in Iowa? What's your next step?

KERRY: Soledad, that's just not going to happen. And I don't mean to take on polls, but they don't necessarily know how to screen the caucuses. They don't -- look, I'm moving here in Iowa. We've got energy. Iowans are extraordinarily independent-minded. Not a vote has been cast, and some people are trying to already say, well, what happens if this or that? I have absolute confidence -- confidence in my campaign, confidence in my candidacy, confidence that I'm addressing the real concerns of people of Iowa and of the country.

This recovery that George Bush is talking about is not a recovery at all for the average American. People know that the system is really stacked against them. Look at what happened with the Medicare bill -- $139 billion windfall profit to drug companies at the expense of seniors.

If you look at the energy bill -- $50 billion worth of oil and gas subsidies, $18 billion added to the deficit of our nation.

People get it. They understand that the economy is not working for them. They are working for the economy. And the average American family wants fairness -- fairness in the workplace. That's what I'm fighting for. I've done that for 35 years. I've been a leader on these issues, and the people of Iowa are beginning to get a sense that I have the steady hand to be able to lead America and make us safe in a time of war and put us back on track.

O'BRIEN: You've been in the business, of course, as they say, for a long time. But how are you holding up in this race? It appears to be a very grueling race, and everyone across the board seems really tired. How are you doing?

KERRY: I'm doing great. Look, I'm out here. It's 7:30 in the morning. You can see my breath. This is the way it is. I love it.

Iowa is a great democratic process. It may be wearing, but I'll tell you, there's nothing more exciting than being able to meet our fellow Americans the way we do here in Iowa, go into living rooms, into barns, into Elks lodges, VFW posts, and talk to regular Americans who have hopes about our nation.

We can do better than we're doing today. People know that. We don't have to go backwards on the environment. We don't have to go backwards in our schools. And Iowans are people who are tough-minded, independent, full of hope. They want to do better. I want to do better. And I know there's a path by which we can do that, Soledad. And just stay tuned. I think next Monday you're going to be in for a big surprise.

O'BRIEN: Well, we will stay tuned. Senator John Kerry joining us this morning. Thank you. And by the way, we do appreciate it that you are out there in the cold early in the morning. We truly do. Thanks a lot, Senator.

KERRY: No, I'm glad to be here. This is part of the process. It's terrific.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

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 12, 2004 - 08:47   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It is crunch time in Iowa for the Democratic presidential hopefuls. Their first major contest of the campaign is just a week away. The candidates jousted last night in their final debate before the Iowa caucuses. The polls in that state show Senator John Kerry trailing Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt.
And Senator Kerry joins us this morning from Des Moines.

Good morning to you, Senator. Nice to see you. Thanks for being with us.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning, Soledad. How are you?

O'BRIEN: I'm well, thank you.

I know you've got a significant announcement to make today in Iowa. But before we talk a little bit about that, I want to talk about this debate last night. If you read the major papers, even just the first lines, here are some of the words that they used to describe the debate: "infighting, attacks, crankiness, testiness." Do you think that there's a risk of losing your focus? Not you specifically but the Democratic candidates across the board losing the focus as you sort of focus on the negative in these debates?

KERRY: Well, if you go back to the debate, I didn't. And I want to offer a positive vision to people. I was trying to get in to sort of suggest that the real target was George Bush, and I didn't have an opportunity to do that. But we'll be fine. We'll pull it together.

I'm confident my campaign is moving here in Iowa. I'm very excited about the energy that I've got in the campaign. It's growing, and it's growing very fast.

This morning right here on the steps of the capitol, I will be standing with 27 legislators, all of whom have endorsed me. These are the people who do the work every day in Iowa. They believe I'll be the strongest candidate against George Bush, and I have more of the legislators supporting me than Gephardt or Dean put together.

That's a statement about the leadership that they are looking for and the ability to be able to beat George Bush, which is critical. They want a tempered, sound, steady hand at the helm of state. This is a time of war. We need experience and leadership in foreign policy and somebody who has the ability to make America safer and put people back to work. And their judgment is that I'm the person to do that, and I think that's happening across Iowa. O'BRIEN: In the polls, though, the polls say that you are not going to win in Iowa. In fact, they put you firmly behind Governor Dean and Dick Gephardt as well. Now, I know...

KERRY: Soledad...

O'BRIEN: ... we've talked before, and you've always said, you know, I don't put a lot of strength in polls, that, you know, not one vote has been cast. I know we've had this discussion before. But what happens if you don't come in third, let's say, or better in Iowa? What's your next step?

KERRY: Soledad, that's just not going to happen. And I don't mean to take on polls, but they don't necessarily know how to screen the caucuses. They don't -- look, I'm moving here in Iowa. We've got energy. Iowans are extraordinarily independent-minded. Not a vote has been cast, and some people are trying to already say, well, what happens if this or that? I have absolute confidence -- confidence in my campaign, confidence in my candidacy, confidence that I'm addressing the real concerns of people of Iowa and of the country.

This recovery that George Bush is talking about is not a recovery at all for the average American. People know that the system is really stacked against them. Look at what happened with the Medicare bill -- $139 billion windfall profit to drug companies at the expense of seniors.

If you look at the energy bill -- $50 billion worth of oil and gas subsidies, $18 billion added to the deficit of our nation.

People get it. They understand that the economy is not working for them. They are working for the economy. And the average American family wants fairness -- fairness in the workplace. That's what I'm fighting for. I've done that for 35 years. I've been a leader on these issues, and the people of Iowa are beginning to get a sense that I have the steady hand to be able to lead America and make us safe in a time of war and put us back on track.

O'BRIEN: You've been in the business, of course, as they say, for a long time. But how are you holding up in this race? It appears to be a very grueling race, and everyone across the board seems really tired. How are you doing?

KERRY: I'm doing great. Look, I'm out here. It's 7:30 in the morning. You can see my breath. This is the way it is. I love it.

Iowa is a great democratic process. It may be wearing, but I'll tell you, there's nothing more exciting than being able to meet our fellow Americans the way we do here in Iowa, go into living rooms, into barns, into Elks lodges, VFW posts, and talk to regular Americans who have hopes about our nation.

We can do better than we're doing today. People know that. We don't have to go backwards on the environment. We don't have to go backwards in our schools. And Iowans are people who are tough-minded, independent, full of hope. They want to do better. I want to do better. And I know there's a path by which we can do that, Soledad. And just stay tuned. I think next Monday you're going to be in for a big surprise.

O'BRIEN: Well, we will stay tuned. Senator John Kerry joining us this morning. Thank you. And by the way, we do appreciate it that you are out there in the cold early in the morning. We truly do. Thanks a lot, Senator.

KERRY: No, I'm glad to be here. This is part of the process. It's terrific.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.