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American Morning

Wisconsin Primary

Aired February 17, 2004 - 09:37   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: Politics again, where a heavy turnout expected in today Wisconsin in the Democratic presidential primary. If the polling is to be believed, frontrunner John Kerry will remain there, frontrunner again, set to pick up another win and the majority of the 72 national convention delegates at stake.
Michael Mean is a senior adviser with the Kerry Camp. He's live with us today in D.C.

Good morning to you. How are you?

MICHAEL MEAN, SR. KERRY CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Good morning. I'm well, thank you.

HEMMER: How do you feel about your chances today?

MEAN: We feel very optimistic. John Kerry is in Wisconsin. He's been there for five days, campaigning very hard, talking about keeping middle class taxes low, talking about his health care plan to cut costs for people by $1,000, and he's talking about keeping America safe and secure, and that he's the best guy to take on George Bush. We feel very optimistic today.

HEMMER: Let's try and cut through a little bit of this. Are you courting the Dean campaign at this point?

MEAN: We are courting voters right now to vote for John Kerry. We've only won 600 delegates of the 2,100 you need to win. Just 27 percent have decided so far. Today, the people of Wisconsin will speak. We hope to get a majority of those delegates today. But we take them one at a time. This is the fifth Tuesday that we've had an election. And we're working hard to try to earn the votes of Wisconsin voters today.

HEMMER: So within your camp and within the Democratic leadership, would it be bit preferable after today that Howard Dean and John Edwards step aside? Would you support that?

MEAN: John Edwards and Howard Dean run their own campaigns and make their own decisions. They're in the race. They're on the ballot today. They were at the debate on Sunday. They will make their own choices. John Kerry is making a clear choice, that he's ready to take on George Bush, and that's the fight that we're having today in Wisconsin, and on to other states next week and the week after.

HEMMER: Let's say what many people have predicted right now, could be a John Kerry versus George Bush race for the next eight months for the White House. Terry Holt, press secretary for the Bush campaign on with Soledad last hour. Here is how he characterized your man, your candidate, and the inconsistency the White House finds with his record.

Listen and we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY HOLT, PRESS. SECY. FOR BUSH CAMPAIGN: I think what we've seen over the course of this time is this repackaging of Senator Kerry. First he was for the war. Now he's against it. First he was for accountability and education, and then he's against it. He was originally against the death penalty for terrorists, and he changed his mind at the last minute on that, too. So we need a president who's steady and who you can count on, and there will be a clear message from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That is part of the message we anticipate hearing for the next eight months -- say one thing, do another. How do you respond?

MEAN: Well look, John Kerry is beating George Bush in the national polls that have come out. An incumbent president losing to anybody at this point in a campaign is a lot of trouble, so we expect to hear a lot of double talk and lot of attacks out of the Bush White House and others on their side.

I actually think that John Kerry's got a very strong record. He volunteered, went to war in the '60s, came back, he served as a prosecutor, put people away for life for committing murder, and he's got an accomplished record on foreign policy, as well as domestic policy here, that stacks up very well against this administration.

HEMMER: Michael Mean, senior adviser to the Kerry campaign, live in D.C. today. We're watching the results from Wisconsin. I know you are, too. Thanks for your time this morning, all right.

MEAN: Thanks for having me.

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 17, 2004 - 09:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Politics again, where a heavy turnout expected in today Wisconsin in the Democratic presidential primary. If the polling is to be believed, frontrunner John Kerry will remain there, frontrunner again, set to pick up another win and the majority of the 72 national convention delegates at stake.
Michael Mean is a senior adviser with the Kerry Camp. He's live with us today in D.C.

Good morning to you. How are you?

MICHAEL MEAN, SR. KERRY CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Good morning. I'm well, thank you.

HEMMER: How do you feel about your chances today?

MEAN: We feel very optimistic. John Kerry is in Wisconsin. He's been there for five days, campaigning very hard, talking about keeping middle class taxes low, talking about his health care plan to cut costs for people by $1,000, and he's talking about keeping America safe and secure, and that he's the best guy to take on George Bush. We feel very optimistic today.

HEMMER: Let's try and cut through a little bit of this. Are you courting the Dean campaign at this point?

MEAN: We are courting voters right now to vote for John Kerry. We've only won 600 delegates of the 2,100 you need to win. Just 27 percent have decided so far. Today, the people of Wisconsin will speak. We hope to get a majority of those delegates today. But we take them one at a time. This is the fifth Tuesday that we've had an election. And we're working hard to try to earn the votes of Wisconsin voters today.

HEMMER: So within your camp and within the Democratic leadership, would it be bit preferable after today that Howard Dean and John Edwards step aside? Would you support that?

MEAN: John Edwards and Howard Dean run their own campaigns and make their own decisions. They're in the race. They're on the ballot today. They were at the debate on Sunday. They will make their own choices. John Kerry is making a clear choice, that he's ready to take on George Bush, and that's the fight that we're having today in Wisconsin, and on to other states next week and the week after.

HEMMER: Let's say what many people have predicted right now, could be a John Kerry versus George Bush race for the next eight months for the White House. Terry Holt, press secretary for the Bush campaign on with Soledad last hour. Here is how he characterized your man, your candidate, and the inconsistency the White House finds with his record.

Listen and we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY HOLT, PRESS. SECY. FOR BUSH CAMPAIGN: I think what we've seen over the course of this time is this repackaging of Senator Kerry. First he was for the war. Now he's against it. First he was for accountability and education, and then he's against it. He was originally against the death penalty for terrorists, and he changed his mind at the last minute on that, too. So we need a president who's steady and who you can count on, and there will be a clear message from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That is part of the message we anticipate hearing for the next eight months -- say one thing, do another. How do you respond?

MEAN: Well look, John Kerry is beating George Bush in the national polls that have come out. An incumbent president losing to anybody at this point in a campaign is a lot of trouble, so we expect to hear a lot of double talk and lot of attacks out of the Bush White House and others on their side.

I actually think that John Kerry's got a very strong record. He volunteered, went to war in the '60s, came back, he served as a prosecutor, put people away for life for committing murder, and he's got an accomplished record on foreign policy, as well as domestic policy here, that stacks up very well against this administration.

HEMMER: Michael Mean, senior adviser to the Kerry campaign, live in D.C. today. We're watching the results from Wisconsin. I know you are, too. Thanks for your time this morning, all right.

MEAN: Thanks for having me.

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