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CNN Sunday Morning
White House Officials Fan Out to Defend Policies
Aired February 08, 2004 - 08:01 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.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Facing growing criticism on Iraq, terrorism and the economy, Bush administration officials are fanning out to defend the White House policies. Even President Bush himself took to a national forum.
For more on that, White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us live from Washington -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Frank. And you know the President has more than $130 million in the bank. And he hasn't spent a dime of that so far to hit back at the Democrats in any kind of advertising Democrats who have been hitting him for months on the campaign trail. But his approval rating is falling, and a Democratic front-runner is emerging.
So the president today is beginning to engage in a so-called air war, but not yet with ads, but in a rare one-hour TV interview this morning on NBC. And of course, no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. Democrats have been seizing on that, seizing on a report by former weapons inspector David Kay that none will likely be found at all.
So the president, according to excerpts released by NBC, says he fully understand that the decision to go to war in Iraq will be a prominent issue on the campaign trail this election season. He said, "There is going to be ample time for the American people to assess whether or not I made good calls, whether I used good judgment, whether or not I made the right decision in removing Saddam Hussein from power. And I look forward to that debate."
And also, on the seven member commission that the president put together on Friday, one that is scheduled to look into intelligence, but one that Democrats say is weak and not truly not independent, the president was asked on NBC why this panel is not going to give a report until long after the election, not until March of 2005, when Tony Blair is doing a similar thing and his is going to come out in July. The president responded that he didn't want this commission to be hurried, saying that it is important that they look into all kinds of intelligence on Iraq and beyond.
And also, Frank, the president stood by the man many in Washington thought could have taken the fall for the questions about prewar intelligence on Iraq. That, of course, is CIA director George Tenet. But the president told NBC, "I strongly believe the CIA is ably lead by George Tenet." And when asked if Tenet's job is in jeopardy, the president said, "No, not at all" -- Frank. BUCKLEY: All right. And a lot of attention on that "Meet the Press" interview. Thanks a lot, Dana.
BASH: Thank you.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: In an election year television exposure is vital to both the ins and the outs. And if you think you are seeing a lot of both on television, commentator Howard Kurtz says you are right.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOWARD KURTZ, CNN "RELIABLE SOURCES" (voice-over): When it comes to television sit-downs, President Bush likes softer settings. The most important appearance of his 2000 campaign was probably when he and Laura Bush shot the breeze with Oprah Winfrey, who got a kiss on the cheek.
And while the president in the past 18 months has granted interviews to the likes of CBS' Scott Pelly and Fox's Brit Hume, he may have been most at ease with ABC's Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer.
So what explains Bush's decision nine months before the election to face a sustained inquisition by Tim Russert on this Sunday's "Meet the Press?" The president has been taking a pounding from the Democratic candidates. He's been hurt by the WMD report of former weapons inspector David Kay. And polls show him losing to John Kerry. What better way to get back in the game than by showing he can hit big league pitching on the top-rated Sunday show?
Richard Nixon once did a brief cameo an "Laugh-In." But the real talk show pioneer was Bill Clinton. He famously played the sax on Arsenio Hall in '92, and as president, schmoozed with Larry King and fielded a somewhat intimate question on MTV.
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Usually briefs.
KURTZ: The preferred venues have gotten softer and funnier over the years. Al Gore tried to lighten up his wooden image by yucking it up with David Letterman. Arnold Schwarzenegger stunned the world by throwing his hat in the California ring, and joking about his bikini wax, with his pal Jay Leno. John Edwards, who just this week did a drop-by on Letterman's "Late Show," actually announced his White House bid on Comedy Central's "Daily Show."
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": Do you have plans to announce it in another, let's say more -- what's the word I'm looking for -- professional environment?
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No. I'm counting on you.
STEWART: What?
KURTZ: Howard Dean tried to recover from his infamous Iowa scream with this "Top 10" list on "Letterman"...
DEAN: Oh, I don't know, maybe fewer crazy red-faced rants?
KURTZ: Dean also chatted up Diane Sawyer with his rarely seen wife, Judy. And Al Sharpton hosted "Saturday Night Live," not that it did his campaign a whole lot of good.
(on camera): Insiders call it the "Russert primary," these hour- long examinations on "Meet the Press." And both Dean and Edwards stumbled when their performances were panned last year.
The stakes may be considerably higher for an incumbent president if Russert is as aggressive as he has been with the Democratic candidates. But there are a lot of talk shows out there. So don't rule out a return presidential appearance on "Oprah."
This is Howard Kurtz, of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 8, 2004 - 08:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Facing growing criticism on Iraq, terrorism and the economy, Bush administration officials are fanning out to defend the White House policies. Even President Bush himself took to a national forum.
For more on that, White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us live from Washington -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Frank. And you know the President has more than $130 million in the bank. And he hasn't spent a dime of that so far to hit back at the Democrats in any kind of advertising Democrats who have been hitting him for months on the campaign trail. But his approval rating is falling, and a Democratic front-runner is emerging.
So the president today is beginning to engage in a so-called air war, but not yet with ads, but in a rare one-hour TV interview this morning on NBC. And of course, no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. Democrats have been seizing on that, seizing on a report by former weapons inspector David Kay that none will likely be found at all.
So the president, according to excerpts released by NBC, says he fully understand that the decision to go to war in Iraq will be a prominent issue on the campaign trail this election season. He said, "There is going to be ample time for the American people to assess whether or not I made good calls, whether I used good judgment, whether or not I made the right decision in removing Saddam Hussein from power. And I look forward to that debate."
And also, on the seven member commission that the president put together on Friday, one that is scheduled to look into intelligence, but one that Democrats say is weak and not truly not independent, the president was asked on NBC why this panel is not going to give a report until long after the election, not until March of 2005, when Tony Blair is doing a similar thing and his is going to come out in July. The president responded that he didn't want this commission to be hurried, saying that it is important that they look into all kinds of intelligence on Iraq and beyond.
And also, Frank, the president stood by the man many in Washington thought could have taken the fall for the questions about prewar intelligence on Iraq. That, of course, is CIA director George Tenet. But the president told NBC, "I strongly believe the CIA is ably lead by George Tenet." And when asked if Tenet's job is in jeopardy, the president said, "No, not at all" -- Frank. BUCKLEY: All right. And a lot of attention on that "Meet the Press" interview. Thanks a lot, Dana.
BASH: Thank you.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: In an election year television exposure is vital to both the ins and the outs. And if you think you are seeing a lot of both on television, commentator Howard Kurtz says you are right.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOWARD KURTZ, CNN "RELIABLE SOURCES" (voice-over): When it comes to television sit-downs, President Bush likes softer settings. The most important appearance of his 2000 campaign was probably when he and Laura Bush shot the breeze with Oprah Winfrey, who got a kiss on the cheek.
And while the president in the past 18 months has granted interviews to the likes of CBS' Scott Pelly and Fox's Brit Hume, he may have been most at ease with ABC's Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer.
So what explains Bush's decision nine months before the election to face a sustained inquisition by Tim Russert on this Sunday's "Meet the Press?" The president has been taking a pounding from the Democratic candidates. He's been hurt by the WMD report of former weapons inspector David Kay. And polls show him losing to John Kerry. What better way to get back in the game than by showing he can hit big league pitching on the top-rated Sunday show?
Richard Nixon once did a brief cameo an "Laugh-In." But the real talk show pioneer was Bill Clinton. He famously played the sax on Arsenio Hall in '92, and as president, schmoozed with Larry King and fielded a somewhat intimate question on MTV.
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Usually briefs.
KURTZ: The preferred venues have gotten softer and funnier over the years. Al Gore tried to lighten up his wooden image by yucking it up with David Letterman. Arnold Schwarzenegger stunned the world by throwing his hat in the California ring, and joking about his bikini wax, with his pal Jay Leno. John Edwards, who just this week did a drop-by on Letterman's "Late Show," actually announced his White House bid on Comedy Central's "Daily Show."
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": Do you have plans to announce it in another, let's say more -- what's the word I'm looking for -- professional environment?
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No. I'm counting on you.
STEWART: What?
KURTZ: Howard Dean tried to recover from his infamous Iowa scream with this "Top 10" list on "Letterman"...
DEAN: Oh, I don't know, maybe fewer crazy red-faced rants?
KURTZ: Dean also chatted up Diane Sawyer with his rarely seen wife, Judy. And Al Sharpton hosted "Saturday Night Live," not that it did his campaign a whole lot of good.
(on camera): Insiders call it the "Russert primary," these hour- long examinations on "Meet the Press." And both Dean and Edwards stumbled when their performances were panned last year.
The stakes may be considerably higher for an incumbent president if Russert is as aggressive as he has been with the Democratic candidates. But there are a lot of talk shows out there. So don't rule out a return presidential appearance on "Oprah."
This is Howard Kurtz, of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
