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American Morning

Discussion with Adviser to Bush-Cheney Campaign

Aired February 03, 2004 - 08:31   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: Let's talk politics right now. Again, it's a big day across the country. Democratic candidates, though, not the only ones stumping for votes today. The Bush re-election team making its presence felt in South Carolina. Tucker Eskew, an adviser to the Bush-Cheney campaign, is live this morning in Columbia, South Carolina, just outside the election bus.
Good morning, Tucker. Thanks for being with us today.

I want to talk about these poll numbers, first of all. Recent numbers show the approval rating for the president right now dipping a tick below 50 percent, to 49. What explains this, Tucker?

TUCKER ESKEW, BUSH-CHENEY CAMPAIGN ADVISER: It's explained as far as back a year ago, that as the Democrats drew a lot of attention, and as we got ready to select a Democratic nominee on their side, that we'd start to see just this very phenomenon. It's expected by the Bush campaign, and the White House, and when the president is ready to engage, I think we'll feel very good, as we do today, about the campaign and where it's going.

HEMMER: You sound as if you're dismissing it. Just to be expected?

ESKEW: No. I think mostly to be expected. We're certainly on the cusp of an incredible economic recovery with tremendous signs over the last two quarters. In fact, longer back than that. We're making progress in the war on terror.

And we have on the Democratic side, a very angry, pessimistic message. And as that choice becomes clear, the American people are siding with President Bush, and we feel very good about it.

HEMMER: Tucker, that may not be the case base on the polling. If you look at another survey done here, when asked the choice for president, John Kerry easily outflanked President Bush, 53 percent to 46 percent. Today is a big day, as you know. Caucuses and primaries across the country. If John Kerry runs the board today, many suggest it's over. In the hypothetical scenario that John Kerry takes on the White House next November, how do you believe this president stacks up against him and his record?

ESKEW: Extremely well against any Democrat.

But let's take the case particularly of John Kerry. This is a man who is right now taking part in a despicable set of attacks on President Bush. The questioning of President Bush's military service in the National Guard, absolutely reckless. John Kerry seems to be taking his talking points from Michael Moore. And if that kind of fringe element is going to be a decisive part of his campaign, a campaign which can't seem to decide whether or not it wants to disavow that sort of approach, and Terry McAuliffe's approach, then I think it portends well for our campaign. It portends poorly for a serious, optimistic and hopeful discussion. That's where the president is. Here in South Carolina, Bill, where I am, we respect service in our military, and Senator Kerry did serve honorably. So did President Bush. So let's get beyond this kind of despicable attack.

HEMMER: How do you get beyond it then? Terry McAuliffe, on the weekend, used the word "AWOL" during the 1970s when the president was serving with the National Guard. How do you defend that charge, because it appears that Terry McAuliffe and others will make that an issue over the next nine months?

ESKEW: John Kerry should disavow that approach, first. Second of all, a nonpartisan group, the Annenberg Center, has recently completely overturned any of those crazy ideas. They're crackpot ideas, quite frankly.

And third, I think you see this as an effort to obscure some facts. John Kerry, in particular, has record of cutting defense. In fact, proposing in 1995 a complete freeze for seven years on defense spending. That would have been massive cuts to our military, just as we were about to face this terrorist threat that we're now engaged in.

HEMMER: In the interest of time, are you dismissing this -- I'm sorry about the interruption here, but we're short on time. Are you saying this AWOL charge is completely unfounded, and can you prove it otherwise?

ESKEW: Completely. It's already been proven by others, Bill. The facts remain the president was honorably discharged. Every member -- and there are hundreds of thousands of them in the National Guard -- should feel as if their service is being attacked by Terry McAuliffe, the Democrats. And because of his refusal to make even a decision about whether or not to make this part of his campaign, John Kerry's part of that, too.

HEMMER: Tucker Eskew, live in Columbia, South Carolina. Thanks for your time. We'll talk many times down the road.

ESKEW: Thank you.

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 February 3, 2004 - 08:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk politics right now. Again, it's a big day across the country. Democratic candidates, though, not the only ones stumping for votes today. The Bush re-election team making its presence felt in South Carolina. Tucker Eskew, an adviser to the Bush-Cheney campaign, is live this morning in Columbia, South Carolina, just outside the election bus.
Good morning, Tucker. Thanks for being with us today.

I want to talk about these poll numbers, first of all. Recent numbers show the approval rating for the president right now dipping a tick below 50 percent, to 49. What explains this, Tucker?

TUCKER ESKEW, BUSH-CHENEY CAMPAIGN ADVISER: It's explained as far as back a year ago, that as the Democrats drew a lot of attention, and as we got ready to select a Democratic nominee on their side, that we'd start to see just this very phenomenon. It's expected by the Bush campaign, and the White House, and when the president is ready to engage, I think we'll feel very good, as we do today, about the campaign and where it's going.

HEMMER: You sound as if you're dismissing it. Just to be expected?

ESKEW: No. I think mostly to be expected. We're certainly on the cusp of an incredible economic recovery with tremendous signs over the last two quarters. In fact, longer back than that. We're making progress in the war on terror.

And we have on the Democratic side, a very angry, pessimistic message. And as that choice becomes clear, the American people are siding with President Bush, and we feel very good about it.

HEMMER: Tucker, that may not be the case base on the polling. If you look at another survey done here, when asked the choice for president, John Kerry easily outflanked President Bush, 53 percent to 46 percent. Today is a big day, as you know. Caucuses and primaries across the country. If John Kerry runs the board today, many suggest it's over. In the hypothetical scenario that John Kerry takes on the White House next November, how do you believe this president stacks up against him and his record?

ESKEW: Extremely well against any Democrat.

But let's take the case particularly of John Kerry. This is a man who is right now taking part in a despicable set of attacks on President Bush. The questioning of President Bush's military service in the National Guard, absolutely reckless. John Kerry seems to be taking his talking points from Michael Moore. And if that kind of fringe element is going to be a decisive part of his campaign, a campaign which can't seem to decide whether or not it wants to disavow that sort of approach, and Terry McAuliffe's approach, then I think it portends well for our campaign. It portends poorly for a serious, optimistic and hopeful discussion. That's where the president is. Here in South Carolina, Bill, where I am, we respect service in our military, and Senator Kerry did serve honorably. So did President Bush. So let's get beyond this kind of despicable attack.

HEMMER: How do you get beyond it then? Terry McAuliffe, on the weekend, used the word "AWOL" during the 1970s when the president was serving with the National Guard. How do you defend that charge, because it appears that Terry McAuliffe and others will make that an issue over the next nine months?

ESKEW: John Kerry should disavow that approach, first. Second of all, a nonpartisan group, the Annenberg Center, has recently completely overturned any of those crazy ideas. They're crackpot ideas, quite frankly.

And third, I think you see this as an effort to obscure some facts. John Kerry, in particular, has record of cutting defense. In fact, proposing in 1995 a complete freeze for seven years on defense spending. That would have been massive cuts to our military, just as we were about to face this terrorist threat that we're now engaged in.

HEMMER: In the interest of time, are you dismissing this -- I'm sorry about the interruption here, but we're short on time. Are you saying this AWOL charge is completely unfounded, and can you prove it otherwise?

ESKEW: Completely. It's already been proven by others, Bill. The facts remain the president was honorably discharged. Every member -- and there are hundreds of thousands of them in the National Guard -- should feel as if their service is being attacked by Terry McAuliffe, the Democrats. And because of his refusal to make even a decision about whether or not to make this part of his campaign, John Kerry's part of that, too.

HEMMER: Tucker Eskew, live in Columbia, South Carolina. Thanks for your time. We'll talk many times down the road.

ESKEW: Thank you.

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