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CNN Live Sunday

Attack on America Unites Capitol Hill

Aired September 23, 2001 - 18:35   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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The worst terrorist attacks on U.S. soil have effected all aspects of life in this country. The fallout seems to be rippling through Capitol Hill, changing the face of American politics. CNN Congressional Correspondent Jonathan Karl joins us now to explain -- Jon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Together again. Top Congressional leadership emerged from an unprecedented joint television appearance. They came not to debate, but to agree.

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: I think the message is, very simply, that we are united. That when it comes to a national threat as grave as this, we've got to stand united. Not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans.

KARL: And that national threat has at least, for now, ended politics as we knew it.

MAYOR RUDOLPH GIULIANI, NEW YORK: This Republican/Democrat thing is gone now, and this is all about being an American.

KARL: An overstatement, maybe, but the change has been stunning. Witness Tom Daschle's muted criticism of a key Republican idea to stimulate the economy.

DASCHLE: It's no secret I'm not wild about a capital gains cut. But we'll -- but we'll -- we're going to stay unified as we approach these things.

KARL: Before the crisis, Daschle would have lashed out at the idea as a give-away to the rich. Typical of those pre-September 11 politics, a Trent Lott memo declaring war on Democrats, and Tom Daschle's harsh criticism of President Bush's handling of world affairs, while the president was out of the country.

Now, even interest groups have declared a cease-fire. An internal memo by the Sierra Club the day after the attack declared, For now we are going to stop aggressively pushing our agenda and will cease bashing President Bush. Although Congress, with almost no public debate or dissent, has swiftly moved to rubber-stamp the president's request for everything from emergency spending to the use of military force, there have been heated disagreements along the way. But the fights have taken place behind closed doors.

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), HOUSE SPEAKER: You know, that's the place to have heated wars, sometimes, behind closed doors, so that we can come to consensus.

KARL: Some Democrats were livid the airline bailout included nothing for laid-off workers. And many in both parties privately complained about funneling as much as $15 billion to and industry they say was mismanaged and in trouble before the attacks. Despite the complaints, it passed overwhelmingly.

(on-camera): The lack of much public disagreement reflects the feeling among many in Congress that the crisis has shifted the balance of power to the president, as the country, seeking unified leadership, looks to the White House.

Jonathan Karl, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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