Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Sunday
GOP Expected to Make Frist Senate Majority Leader Monday
Aired December 22, 2002 - 17:12 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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Tennessee's Bill Frist appears to be one day away from finding himself the leader to replace Lott. So, what is first for Frist? CNN's Elaine Quijano has that.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening to you, Renay. Well, it's been a fast turn of events here in Washington. It was just last Thursday that Tennessee Senator Bill Frist came forward and said that he in fact would be a candidate for Senate majority leader, then of course on Friday Senator Lott stepping down from that position.
And tomorrow afternoon, Senator Frist in a conference call is expected to be voted in into that position as the new GOP Senate leader. Now, today, at his home in Nashville, this is file of him here, but at his home in Nashville, Senator Frist is staying out of the spotlight, maintaining a very low profile, one day before this vote by his fellow Republicans.
GOP officials hope that Senator Frist will refocus the nation's attention away from those controversial comments made by Senator Lott and help to reshape the party's image as more inclusive and more supportive of minorities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: You know, the attitude is that only Democrats care about minorities. That's pure BS. I think every Republican is working hard to try and be good to minorities and do what's right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, of course, one key test of this may be coming up soon, judicial nominees. Republicans defending, again, their choice, or the president's choice, rather, Charles Pickering, saying that he was unfairly treated. They would like President Bush to renominate him to that federal appellate nomination. Democrats, however, say that it is time for the Republican Party to put their actions where their words are. They say that the Republicans have a chance now, led by Senator Frist, to show that they have a renewed commitment to minorities and to show that their words are more than just rhetoric.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D), FLORIDA: To me, this is more than just a transitory, partisan political problem. It is a real question of whether we are going to have, as a nation, a policy that will treat all Americans fairly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: And, again, this conference call scheduled to take place tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. when Republicans in the Senate are expected to vote in Senator Frist as their new GOP Senate leader -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: Elaine Quijano, reporting live from Washington, D.C. 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 22, 2002 - 17:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Tennessee's Bill Frist appears to be one day away from finding himself the leader to replace Lott. So, what is first for Frist? CNN's Elaine Quijano has that.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening to you, Renay. Well, it's been a fast turn of events here in Washington. It was just last Thursday that Tennessee Senator Bill Frist came forward and said that he in fact would be a candidate for Senate majority leader, then of course on Friday Senator Lott stepping down from that position.
And tomorrow afternoon, Senator Frist in a conference call is expected to be voted in into that position as the new GOP Senate leader. Now, today, at his home in Nashville, this is file of him here, but at his home in Nashville, Senator Frist is staying out of the spotlight, maintaining a very low profile, one day before this vote by his fellow Republicans.
GOP officials hope that Senator Frist will refocus the nation's attention away from those controversial comments made by Senator Lott and help to reshape the party's image as more inclusive and more supportive of minorities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: You know, the attitude is that only Democrats care about minorities. That's pure BS. I think every Republican is working hard to try and be good to minorities and do what's right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, of course, one key test of this may be coming up soon, judicial nominees. Republicans defending, again, their choice, or the president's choice, rather, Charles Pickering, saying that he was unfairly treated. They would like President Bush to renominate him to that federal appellate nomination. Democrats, however, say that it is time for the Republican Party to put their actions where their words are. They say that the Republicans have a chance now, led by Senator Frist, to show that they have a renewed commitment to minorities and to show that their words are more than just rhetoric.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D), FLORIDA: To me, this is more than just a transitory, partisan political problem. It is a real question of whether we are going to have, as a nation, a policy that will treat all Americans fairly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: And, again, this conference call scheduled to take place tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. when Republicans in the Senate are expected to vote in Senator Frist as their new GOP Senate leader -- Renay.
SAN MIGUEL: Elaine Quijano, reporting live from Washington, D.C. 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
