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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Niger Innis
Aired December 15, 2002 - 09:41 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We have heard how Lott's apologies were received at home, both in Mississippi and in Washington, but how about at large? For that, we turn to two conservative commentators, syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams, and in New York, Niger Innis, the national spokesman for the Congress of Racial Equality. Welcome to both of you.
NIGER INNIS, NATIONAL SPOKESMAN, CONGRESS OF RACIAL EQUALITY: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Armstrong is not with us, I understand. So we're just going to speak to you.
INNIS: OK.
COSTELLO: Niger, did you just hear the breaking news about Don Nickles?
INNIS: That is breaking news, all right. And it does come as a shock to me. I'm very much and my father, Roy Innis, is a fan of Senator Nickles. We're surprised that he is challenging Senator Lott, and that's going to change the complexity of an already complex situation.
But getting back to Senator Lott and his transgressions, believe it or not, what I find more troubling, perhaps more troubling than the senator's words, which were reprehensible, no question about the fact that they were reprehensible, was the media coverage. The media coverage has seemed to be divisive. And let me explain what I mean by that.
COSTELLO: Yes. Please do.
INNIS: It seems to me that we only hear from two extremes. Either those who say that Senator Lott should be run out of town, or they want his head on a platter, or those on the other side who say he has nothing to apologize for. And I think both sides are a bit extreme on this question.
COSTELLO: So what's the middle side?
INNIS: Well, I tell you, you know, interestingly enough, Senator Lott in his press conference said that he was going to, and he did, reach out to my boss, Roy Innis, the national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality and to Bob Johnson. Nevertheless, I have not seen Roy Innis on television one time to give comment. And I applaud CNN for having me on today. But with this one exception -- I mean, I saw Jesse Jackson on a dozen times, a couple of dozen times. I have seen Pat Buchanan on the other side on several times. But there are other voices of moderation out there who say that we need to move on in terms of this controversy. We need to take the senator at his word that he is apologizing, and need to hold him accountable now for his actions as Senate majority leader, or I guess perhaps with Nickles challenging him, as a senator.
COSTELLO: And Nickles does want his job, by the way. Niger, we're going to have to let you go. We're out of time. We're going to take a break; we'll be right back.
INNIS: 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 December 15, 2002 - 09:41 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We have heard how Lott's apologies were received at home, both in Mississippi and in Washington, but how about at large? For that, we turn to two conservative commentators, syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams, and in New York, Niger Innis, the national spokesman for the Congress of Racial Equality. Welcome to both of you.
NIGER INNIS, NATIONAL SPOKESMAN, CONGRESS OF RACIAL EQUALITY: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Armstrong is not with us, I understand. So we're just going to speak to you.
INNIS: OK.
COSTELLO: Niger, did you just hear the breaking news about Don Nickles?
INNIS: That is breaking news, all right. And it does come as a shock to me. I'm very much and my father, Roy Innis, is a fan of Senator Nickles. We're surprised that he is challenging Senator Lott, and that's going to change the complexity of an already complex situation.
But getting back to Senator Lott and his transgressions, believe it or not, what I find more troubling, perhaps more troubling than the senator's words, which were reprehensible, no question about the fact that they were reprehensible, was the media coverage. The media coverage has seemed to be divisive. And let me explain what I mean by that.
COSTELLO: Yes. Please do.
INNIS: It seems to me that we only hear from two extremes. Either those who say that Senator Lott should be run out of town, or they want his head on a platter, or those on the other side who say he has nothing to apologize for. And I think both sides are a bit extreme on this question.
COSTELLO: So what's the middle side?
INNIS: Well, I tell you, you know, interestingly enough, Senator Lott in his press conference said that he was going to, and he did, reach out to my boss, Roy Innis, the national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality and to Bob Johnson. Nevertheless, I have not seen Roy Innis on television one time to give comment. And I applaud CNN for having me on today. But with this one exception -- I mean, I saw Jesse Jackson on a dozen times, a couple of dozen times. I have seen Pat Buchanan on the other side on several times. But there are other voices of moderation out there who say that we need to move on in terms of this controversy. We need to take the senator at his word that he is apologizing, and need to hold him accountable now for his actions as Senate majority leader, or I guess perhaps with Nickles challenging him, as a senator.
COSTELLO: And Nickles does want his job, by the way. Niger, we're going to have to let you go. We're out of time. We're going to take a break; we'll be right back.
INNIS: 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
