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CNN Live Sunday

Interview With Michael Smerconish, Victoria Jones

Aired March 16, 2003 - 19:28   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.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Relations between the two nations are strained, to say the least. Are they strained beyond repair? That is one of the topics we want to discuss with our next guest, Michael Smerconish, a trial attorney and former conservative radio talk-show host in Philadelphia. Pleased he's joins us, as always. He is a clear -- contributor to CNN.
And Victoria Jones is a liberal talk show host with Talk Radio News Service in Washington. Both of you, I appreciate you joining us tonight -- this afternoon. Excuse me, it has been a long day.

Michael, I want to start off with you. You no doubt have been following the news of today, you saw the summit. What is your take on it?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, TRIAL ATTORNEY: Anderson, this afternoon, in-between when you saw me earlier this morning here, I had the opportunity to emcee a rally in Philadelphia where more than 5,000 people came out to support the troops. And in line with your last story, you'd be shocked at how many of the signs came bearing anger and hostility toward the French for their short memories. So I am not surprised by the poll results that you just showed, and I am not surprised by that gentleman's story either.

COOPER: All right. You know, Michael, actually -- I wish you would have seen Jason Bellini's report just a few moments ago. Because it was interesting. He asked one of the Marines he is embedded with, you know, what are you hearing from the Marines over there. Are they concerned about these protests. And he actually said, you know, that a lot of it is just rumor because they don't have much information, but they are sort of concerned about some of the stuff, and it makes them uneasy...

SMERCONISH: Sure. And I wish they had all seen what took place in Philadelphia today, and what has been taking place increasingly so across the nation, because, Anderson, there really is a silent majority, the type of people who came out today, unlike those who have been coming out, weekend after weekend, are not professional protesters, but they came out today not to support war, but to support the president of the United States and the troops, regardless of what's to come.

COOPER: Victoria, I wanted to ask about the summit. It seems like we're kind of moving away from that. We'll get to that maybe in a little bit. Let's go with this protest thing right now. You've seen these protests. Do you think they are anti-American, anti- government, or is that simply a fallacy?

VICTORIA JONES, TALK RADIO NEWS SERVICE: Well, I don't think they are anti-American, because what we stand for is freedom of speech, freedom to peaceably assemble, and freedom to be really stupid, so these are all cherished ideals, I think. So it's not anti- American, but it is anti-government.

These marches, I think they may have started out naively thinking they are for peace. These are really anti-government marches, and I don't entirely disagree with Michael on this one. I do think there are a lot of very sincere people, there are a lot of people who are not professional marchers, but I think they are naive and I think it would be better if they showed support for our men and women, who are over there so that they realize that these people are not against them, that they are against the government.

COOPER: We have just seen some video of people pouring out what I assume to be French red wine. Do you think France, the government and the people in France understand the degree of hostility many Americans feel toward that country at this point?

JONES: Yes, I think they do. I was talking to a colleague of mine in London earlier today, and they certainly have been getting flack from the U.K., much, much worse than what we've been doing, and the feeling is that they are starting to realize that they really have gone too far, which is why I think Chirac has given this 30-day deadline, but it may be too late for them to come back, at least for now.

COOPER: Michael Smerconish, do you think there is any way war is avoidable at this point?

SMERCONISH: No. It would seem, in light of the president's statement today, and, Anderson, he's tried every conceivable diplomatic path. Of course, we all wish that one of them had succeeded, but they haven't, and it seems as if now we are finally truly on the brink of war, and it can't be avoided. I hope that's not the case, but it would seem like this is it.

COOPER: Victoria, in your opinion, and I am interested to know both of your opinions and what you are hearing from listeners, do you think there is any way the U.S. position vis-a-vis France, Germany and Russia, perhaps China, is going to change in the next 24, 48 hours?

JONES: No, there is absolutely no way it's going to change. Of course, it is not helped by the fact that Chirac, Schroeder and Bush don't speak to each other, and it's usually good if you do talk. But no, they are not prepared to move, and we're not prepared to move as far as they need us to move for anything to happen, so there is going to be absolutely no change, no movement, and I agree with Michael, we are going to be going in very soon.

COOPER: It was interesting, Michael, to hear from White House, senior White House correspondent John King a little while ago, who, and I actually hadn't heard this before, you all probably have, but that President Bush had not spoken to Jacques Chirac in something like five weeks, to Gerhard Schroeder longer than that. Do you think -- I mean, do you think there is a chance for diplomacy between our countries?

SMERCONISH: I don't, and I've always heard from radio listeners who have said, in the end, the French will come around, in the end the Germans will come around. I have never understood what the basis was for those statements. Well, here we are, we're finally it would seem in the 11th hour, with a sign that neither is about to come around, and you know, Donald Rumsfeld made the statement about the old versus the new Europe -- well, this is it. It would look like the old Europe is not going to be with us in this case, except for the U.K.

COOPER: Well, I've got to tell you, the new Europe looks kind of small right now. This summit, sort of hastily arranged, very short summit, was it all for show, Michael?

SMERCONISH: I think it was. Frankly, I don't think Saddam Hussein was delivered an ultimatum today or tonight. It's the United Nations Security Council that was delivered the ultimatum, because I think those comments today were geared far more toward the U.N., which, by the way, may have outlived its usefulness once and for all, than they were to Saddam Hussein.

COOPER: Victoria.

JONES: This wasn't a summit; it was a one-hour cup of coffee. I mean, this was crazy, for them to even call it a summit. They weren't there to really discuss anything other than their own strategy. If they were interested in trying to move people closer together, they would have met face to face with others. This is something that has already been decided.

But I think we're seeing the relevance of the U.N. more than ever. The fact that people don't agree, OK, that's fine, but we are seeing people discuss things on an international basis. I think this is a very important move forward, even though we don't agree with what some of the countries are doing.

COOPER: Well, I suppose time will tell if the war does come, and it becomes successful, then I suppose another chance will be for the U.N. to possibly get involved in the reconstruction of Iraq after (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We'll have to wait and see. Michael Smerconish, Victoria Jones, thanks very much.

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 March 16, 2003 - 19:28   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Relations between the two nations are strained, to say the least. Are they strained beyond repair? That is one of the topics we want to discuss with our next guest, Michael Smerconish, a trial attorney and former conservative radio talk-show host in Philadelphia. Pleased he's joins us, as always. He is a clear -- contributor to CNN.
And Victoria Jones is a liberal talk show host with Talk Radio News Service in Washington. Both of you, I appreciate you joining us tonight -- this afternoon. Excuse me, it has been a long day.

Michael, I want to start off with you. You no doubt have been following the news of today, you saw the summit. What is your take on it?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, TRIAL ATTORNEY: Anderson, this afternoon, in-between when you saw me earlier this morning here, I had the opportunity to emcee a rally in Philadelphia where more than 5,000 people came out to support the troops. And in line with your last story, you'd be shocked at how many of the signs came bearing anger and hostility toward the French for their short memories. So I am not surprised by the poll results that you just showed, and I am not surprised by that gentleman's story either.

COOPER: All right. You know, Michael, actually -- I wish you would have seen Jason Bellini's report just a few moments ago. Because it was interesting. He asked one of the Marines he is embedded with, you know, what are you hearing from the Marines over there. Are they concerned about these protests. And he actually said, you know, that a lot of it is just rumor because they don't have much information, but they are sort of concerned about some of the stuff, and it makes them uneasy...

SMERCONISH: Sure. And I wish they had all seen what took place in Philadelphia today, and what has been taking place increasingly so across the nation, because, Anderson, there really is a silent majority, the type of people who came out today, unlike those who have been coming out, weekend after weekend, are not professional protesters, but they came out today not to support war, but to support the president of the United States and the troops, regardless of what's to come.

COOPER: Victoria, I wanted to ask about the summit. It seems like we're kind of moving away from that. We'll get to that maybe in a little bit. Let's go with this protest thing right now. You've seen these protests. Do you think they are anti-American, anti- government, or is that simply a fallacy?

VICTORIA JONES, TALK RADIO NEWS SERVICE: Well, I don't think they are anti-American, because what we stand for is freedom of speech, freedom to peaceably assemble, and freedom to be really stupid, so these are all cherished ideals, I think. So it's not anti- American, but it is anti-government.

These marches, I think they may have started out naively thinking they are for peace. These are really anti-government marches, and I don't entirely disagree with Michael on this one. I do think there are a lot of very sincere people, there are a lot of people who are not professional marchers, but I think they are naive and I think it would be better if they showed support for our men and women, who are over there so that they realize that these people are not against them, that they are against the government.

COOPER: We have just seen some video of people pouring out what I assume to be French red wine. Do you think France, the government and the people in France understand the degree of hostility many Americans feel toward that country at this point?

JONES: Yes, I think they do. I was talking to a colleague of mine in London earlier today, and they certainly have been getting flack from the U.K., much, much worse than what we've been doing, and the feeling is that they are starting to realize that they really have gone too far, which is why I think Chirac has given this 30-day deadline, but it may be too late for them to come back, at least for now.

COOPER: Michael Smerconish, do you think there is any way war is avoidable at this point?

SMERCONISH: No. It would seem, in light of the president's statement today, and, Anderson, he's tried every conceivable diplomatic path. Of course, we all wish that one of them had succeeded, but they haven't, and it seems as if now we are finally truly on the brink of war, and it can't be avoided. I hope that's not the case, but it would seem like this is it.

COOPER: Victoria, in your opinion, and I am interested to know both of your opinions and what you are hearing from listeners, do you think there is any way the U.S. position vis-a-vis France, Germany and Russia, perhaps China, is going to change in the next 24, 48 hours?

JONES: No, there is absolutely no way it's going to change. Of course, it is not helped by the fact that Chirac, Schroeder and Bush don't speak to each other, and it's usually good if you do talk. But no, they are not prepared to move, and we're not prepared to move as far as they need us to move for anything to happen, so there is going to be absolutely no change, no movement, and I agree with Michael, we are going to be going in very soon.

COOPER: It was interesting, Michael, to hear from White House, senior White House correspondent John King a little while ago, who, and I actually hadn't heard this before, you all probably have, but that President Bush had not spoken to Jacques Chirac in something like five weeks, to Gerhard Schroeder longer than that. Do you think -- I mean, do you think there is a chance for diplomacy between our countries?

SMERCONISH: I don't, and I've always heard from radio listeners who have said, in the end, the French will come around, in the end the Germans will come around. I have never understood what the basis was for those statements. Well, here we are, we're finally it would seem in the 11th hour, with a sign that neither is about to come around, and you know, Donald Rumsfeld made the statement about the old versus the new Europe -- well, this is it. It would look like the old Europe is not going to be with us in this case, except for the U.K.

COOPER: Well, I've got to tell you, the new Europe looks kind of small right now. This summit, sort of hastily arranged, very short summit, was it all for show, Michael?

SMERCONISH: I think it was. Frankly, I don't think Saddam Hussein was delivered an ultimatum today or tonight. It's the United Nations Security Council that was delivered the ultimatum, because I think those comments today were geared far more toward the U.N., which, by the way, may have outlived its usefulness once and for all, than they were to Saddam Hussein.

COOPER: Victoria.

JONES: This wasn't a summit; it was a one-hour cup of coffee. I mean, this was crazy, for them to even call it a summit. They weren't there to really discuss anything other than their own strategy. If they were interested in trying to move people closer together, they would have met face to face with others. This is something that has already been decided.

But I think we're seeing the relevance of the U.N. more than ever. The fact that people don't agree, OK, that's fine, but we are seeing people discuss things on an international basis. I think this is a very important move forward, even though we don't agree with what some of the countries are doing.

COOPER: Well, I suppose time will tell if the war does come, and it becomes successful, then I suppose another chance will be for the U.N. to possibly get involved in the reconstruction of Iraq after (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We'll have to wait and see. Michael Smerconish, Victoria Jones, thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com