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CNN Sunday Morning

Elizabeth Dole Kicks Off Campaign for Senate

Aired February 24, 2002 - 07:17   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Here in the U.S. this morning, Elizabeth Dole has officially kicked off her U.S. Senate campaign in North Carolina. She's trying to succeed Republican Jesse Helms, who is retiring after 30 years in the Senate.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve was at Mrs. Dole's kickoff rally.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH DOLE, SENATE CANDIDATE: Good for you. How are you doing?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She has been a presidential candidate, head of the Red Cross, Cabinet secretary and political wife. Now, Elizabeth Dole wants to add a new line to her resume.

DOLE: And I have decided to run for the United States Senate from the great state of North Carolina.

MESERVE: Her life and work have kept her in Washington for a decade, but Dole accented her North Carolina roots saying those were more important than her experience.

DOLE: The values we share, as North Carolinians are more important. Honesty, integrity, hard work, faith, personal responsibility, these are the values that guide my life.

MESERVE: At the Raleigh Farmer's Market virtually everybody knows her and early in the political season, they like her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's a great lady. We love her. And I will vote for her.

MESERVE: If Dole is preserved as a creature of Washington, it's a liability her potential Democratic opponent shares. Erskine Bowles was President Clinton's chief of staff. Even before the Democratic primary, the party has unleashed ads to try and reduce Dole's formidable lead in the polls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NARRATOR: Her campaign lied, says the jury. Tell Elizabeth Dole we expect the truth. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: The latest is a print ad linking Dole with died in the wool conservative Jesse Helms. She has won his endorsement. She hopes to win his voters. Moving to the write on guns and abortion, and he was mentioned prominently as she launched her candidacy.

SCOTT FALMLEN, NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: She has tied herself to Jesse Helms and while that might be beneficial to her and her primary campaign, we think it will be very detrimental to her in a general election.

MESERVE: A huge influx of new voters has moderated North Carolina politics. But in some parts of the state, rather than glistening skyscrapers, shuttered textile mills are a sign of the times. Scores of them had been done in by competition from abroad. For the unemployed, the issues in this election will be jobs, the economy and trade policy.

NORMAN BEAVER, FORMER TEXTILE WORKER: I'd like to sit down and talk with her.

MESERVE (on-camera): And if you could, what would you tell her?

BEAVER: Wake up. We better wake up before it's all gone and we don't have anything here anymore.

MESERVE: No one expects Elizabeth Dole to maintain her commanding lead. With control of the U.S. Senate in play, this race will be pivotal and many expect it will get very close, very expensive, and could get very nasty.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Salisbury, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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