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CNN Sunday Morning

Year in Review

Aired December 30, 2001 - 08:42   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: The attacks on September 11 and the heroic responses are the number one news event of 2001. That's not a surprise. The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon killed more than 3,000 people.

Let's take a look at that and the year's other top stories with our guests. They are liberal Radio Talk Show Host, Joe Madison; and conservative Talk Show Host, Armstrong Williams. Good morning to you both.

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Good morning. Happy New Year to you, too.

SAVIDGE: Thank you. And to both of you.

JOE MADISON, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning.

SAVIDGE: Let's start by talking about the obvious, and that is, September 11, 2001. And I'd like to get input from both of you, not how it changed us as a nation, but perhaps changed us as a people. And Mr. Armstrong -- Mr. Williams, rather, let me start with you, please. Go ahead.

WILLIAMS: Actually, you know, I'm not hearing you...

SAVIDGE: I'm sorry?

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: ... so I'm going to try to feel my way through what you're asking me.

SAVIDGE: All right.

WILLIAMS: In terms of the year in review, I think there are just -- no one can -- nothing can ever top what happened since 9/11. But I think one of the phenomenal things about what followed after 9/11 is how unified this country became. How the issues that we would squabble over -- as sometimes hyphenated Americans -- became irrelevant. I mean, there have been times in this country when people have questioned the loyalty of American blacks to their flag and to their country.

But I think American blacks and all Americans showed that they're loyal in their love for this country. And one thing that 9/11 did, it unified us together as Americans, not as divided Americans. And I think that is just something that most Americans will -- will always remember. It was something that will be etched in their minds. The love, the compassion that was shown for what happened after 9/11. And our people gave of themselves in a very selfless kind of way.

SAVIDGE: Mr. Madison, and this is not a liberal conservative thing, is it?

MADISON: Oh, not at all. Because the people who died at the Pentagon, at the World Trade Center, in that field in Pennsylvania, when the terrorists attacked, they didn't ask who was liberal or conservative, who was Republican or Democrat, who was black or white. They were attacking the very fiber -- or the very fabric -- of this -- this country.

I think in your initial question that you asked, how has it impacted us as individuals, I think now when we say goodbye to our children, when we go off to work, or our loved ones, our wives, our spouses, we say it with a great deal of sincerity. We no longer take each other for granted. News reports across the country showed that more people spent time at home during the -- the holidays financially. Unfortunately, people are now very cautious. Are they going to spend or not spend? This can be good news on one hand; it can lead to a serious recession on the other hand.

SAVIDGE: We're going to keep working on making sure Mr. Williams can hear us OK, so I'll continue with you, Mr. Madison on -- I agree with you fully on how it sort of changed our interrelationships with people. President Bush, when he took office there was obviously a great deal of division in this nation. A lot of people wondered what sort of president he would be. And, sadly, as events proved on September 11, he has stepped forward. I don't mean sadly that he stepped forward, but he had to be pushed by tragedy.

He has certainly come across as a vastly different person than what many people saw before September 11.

MADISON: And the approval ratings certainly -- certainly show that. You know, there's an old adage: you judge a person not during times of peace and comfort, but during times of -- of tragedy. Look at the report you've done here on CNN on Giuliani. Prior to this September 11, Giuliani had a lot of problems, as it related to racial profiling with the police. He was considered, as you heard former Mayor Ed Koch say, insensitive. But, yet, during a time of tragedy he stepped up.

President Bush has -- has done the same thing. However, the thing I would disagree with what I heard from Armstrong Williams -- agree and disagree -- yes, we came together. We had Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals singing "God Bless America" on the nation's capital. But within 90 days, both sides -- quite candidly -- were right back to their same old political shenanigans.

SAVIDGE: And, Mr. Williams, what -- what is our public to make of that? We see that there had been this great unity, now it seems to be the same old song coming out of D.C. And I would think that the people aren't too pleased by that.

WILLIAMS: You know what, Martin, that's -- that's politics. That's the way our process works in Congress. I mean -- and that's the beauty of it, it's what makes our country great. Obviously, you have parties with different visions of how the country should run, what is important and what the priorities are. And they're going to squabble over that. The fact that they squabble and they disagree during -- during times like -- since 9/11, does not mean that it even lets -- even insensitive to what has happened in this country that changed us forever. I mean, it's our process we should respect, because in the end, they normally come to a compromise for the best interest of all Americans.

SAVIDGE: Well let me ask you...

MADISON: But I think the point that was made here is, are the American people getting tired of it? And I quite candidly think they are. I really honestly do. I think they're tired of these divisions. There's nothing wrong with having differences of opinions. It's how you differ, which I think is -- is rubbing against the American people.

We were all impacted by terrible tragedy. And, I mean, I think people are just simply tired of the political backbiting and name- calling. And I hope in 2002, quite candidly, that stops and we see more statesmanship.

SAVIDGE: What about the war itself? Do you think the American public is going to grow tired of the war on terrorism?

WILLIAMS: Absolutely not.

MADISON: Not until we find bin Laden.

WILLIAMS: No. Even if -- bin Laden is just part of the issue. The president and his secretary of defense and national security adviser are absolutely correct. Bin Laden, yes, he's someone they want to capture dead or alive. But he's still a small part of a bigger issue, and that is the war on terrorism. And I think as long as situations happen with the -- with Mr. Reid, who had the explosives in his shoes, with threats of terrorism, as long as Americans feel as though that they're not safe on their own soil, they will support the president by any means necessary until we bring this situation under some kind of control.

And I think there's so much insecurity in this country right now that the president just really has a blank page. And he can write it any way that he wants to, as long as he does it with the kind of humility, the kind of leadership, the kind of compassion and where we just don't get too much of him, I think most Americans embrace that in a -- in a very warm way.

MADISON: Well not -- the three of us have jobs, hopefully secure -- of course, as secure as any job can be. But I -- but I think -- I think -- I agree in part with what Armstrong Williams is saying. However, I think we better be very careful -- especially this coming year when people start positioning themselves -- do we give corporations bailouts? For example, I just read in the paper today where Bethlehem still is asking taxpayers to pay the uninsured workers so that they can, in fact, buy U.S. Steel -- or U.S. Steel can buy Bethlehem. I'll have to...

SAVIDGE: All right. Well, we're going to run out of time here, so...

(CROSSTALK)

MADISON: But it sort of depends on the economy.

SAVIDGE: The economy?

MADISON: Well, it sort of depends on the economy and whether people who are out of work stay out of work a long time. And, quite candidly, if they do, things can change politically in this country.

SAVIDGE: All right. We thank liberal radio talk show host Joe Madison, conservative talk show host Armstrong Williams. We meant to review the stories of 2001, but it's clear that September 11 has left an indelible mark on all of us. Thank you both.

MADISON: Thank you.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

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