Election 2000: Talk in Nashville, Hartford, and Martha's Vineyard About Lieberman as Democrat V.P. Candidate
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: With that Democratic National Convention still a week away, the party's ticket appears to be taking shape now. Word is again, Al Gore has made his choice for the running mate: Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. Patty Davis now, with CNN, now with us in Nashville. Patty, good morning, what are they saying?</s>PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Democratic sources telling CNN that Senator Joseph Lieberman will get a telephone call around noon today from Vice President Al Gore asking him to be his vice presidential running mate. Joseph Lieberman now in Connecticut at this point. That decision made by Vice President Al Gore late last night, he had two meetings with his senior campaign staff trying to decide which of the seven people that he was considering, including four senators, which one would he choose. Lieberman has won out, now sources telling CNN. Lieberman is an Orthodox Jew, he is a moderate. But he is slightly more conservative than Al Gore. He supports school vouchers, Al Gore does not. that is something that George W. Bush does support. Now he also supported one of 10 Senate Democrats to support U.S. involvement in the Persian Gulf War. Lieberman, biggest of all perhaps, known for being the first Democrat to condemn President Clinton on the Senate floor for his involvement with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.</s>SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: His presidency would not be imperiled if it had not been for the behavior he himself described as wrong and inappropriate. Because the conduct the president admitted to that night was serious, and his assumption of responsibility, inadequate.</s>DAVIS: Now Lieberman did eventually vote to acquit President Clinton. The announcement with Vice President Gore, Senator Joseph Lieberman at his side, expected at noon Central here in Nashville tomorrow. Senator Lieberman, being flown in today to join the vice president. That announcement, though, not until tomorrow -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: Hey, Patty, I heard Joseph Lieberman, talking, is in Hartford, Connecticut this morning. They were talking last hour about how much he has in common with Al Gore. He mentioned three things, the environment, when it comes to issues there, also the stand on the Gulf War, going back 10 years, and the economy. Likely we'll hear these themes again tomorrow and throughout the election?</s>DAVIS: It's important, Vice President Al Gore said one of his top issues with picking a vice president was that he was able to trust the person that he would choose his running mate, that the person could take over as president if needed, second, that he could trust him, that they were similar on issues. Another thing is that with his condemnation of President Clinton, he gives some credibility now, some help to Vice President Al Gore, who really needs to separate himself from President Clinton, come out as his own man, separate himself from the scandal that -- that the Bush campaign is really trying to paint over on him as the campaign progresses -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: And as we saw in Philadelphia, Patty, Republicans are hammering that issue throughout the entire convention. Patty Davis, live there in Nashville. Thanks, Patty, we'll check back in. Here's Daryn, now with more.</s>DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, more on this event where Senator Lieberman was scheduled to speak to the AFL-CIO. Our Frank Buckley is in Hartford, Connecticut, covering that. Frank, I would imagine this is an event, an engagement, that was scheduled long before Joseph Lieberman was ever tagged to be a vice presidential running mate for Al Gore.</s>FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, it was, this is a traditional stop of Democrats running for statewide office here in Connecticut. And this is where Senator Lieberman was expected to appear before the AFL-CIO at approximately 10:30 Eastern. It's been delayed a bit and we're now still awaiting his arrival outside of the Hilton here. He is running for office, for reelection for the Senate here in the state of Connecticut. And so this could present some potential complications. And joining us now to help us explain what the situation is here in Connecticut is Susan Cysiewycz, who is the secretary of the state here in Connecticut. What have you learned in terms of -- you've done some research on this issue, of whether or not the senator can run for both the Senate and for the vice presidency?</s>SUSAN CYSIEWYCZ, CONNECTICUT SECRETARY OF STATE: That's right, Senator Lieberman has a couple of options to consider. First of all, under Connecticut law, he can run for both the vice presidency and his United States senate seat and be on the ballot for both offices in November of 2000. He also has the option of withdrawing his name from Connecticut ballots and not run for the United States senate seat. He can run only for the vice presidential seat, in which case, the Democratic Party in Connecticut would have to choose a Democratic candidate for the United States Senate.</s>BUCKLEY: Walk us through the process. And first, let's make sure, you have not been contacted by the senator's offices to what his intentions are at this point?</s>CYSIEWYCZ: No, we have not, all of this is news to us. And we have been doing a lot of research over the past couple of hours since we heard that the senator would be a vice presidential nominee.</s>BUCKLEY: So the bottom line is he could run for both?</s>CYSIEWYCZ: He could run for both.</s>BUCKLEY: He is a very popular figure in Connecticut. A Quinnipiac poll recently taken July 20 showed that his job approval rating is at 74 percent, compared to 15 percent disapproving of his job, and that's the sixth straight poll of 70 percent or higher. How unusual is that for a politician? and what explains that here in Connecticut?</s>CYSIEWYCZ: Senator Lieberman has been a very popular vote-getter in Connecticut and has consistently polled over 70 percent of the vote at the polls, not only in a Quinnipiac poll. And it is unusual in Connecticut. We have also have a very strong and popular person in our Senator Chris Dodd and our Attorney General Dick Blumenthal, who routinely as well, poll over 70 percent of the vote.</s>BUCKLEY: Susan Cysiewycz, thank you very much. She is the secretary of the state. So the bottom line is that if the senator wants to run for both offices he can -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: So Frank, help us review here, he can run for both. If he were to win both, what happens to the Senate seat once again?</s>BUCKLEY: That's a good question. If he were to win both, what would happen next, Susan?</s>CYSIEWYCZ: Ah, yes, this is important, if Senator Lieberman chooses to be on the ballot for both the vice presidency and the United States senate seat, then if he were to win both, he would choose which seat he would like, presumably if he chooses the vice presidency, then Governor Rowland would have the opportunity to appoint a replacement.</s>BUCKLEY: OK, thanks very much. And we should point out, Daryn, that Governor Rowland is a Republican.</s>KAGAN: Aha, and I'm sure that came into consideration when they were sitting there looking at Al Gore's short list. Frank Buckley, standing by in Hartford, Connecticut, thank you -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: As they say, clarification well-noted. Major Garrett's at Martha's Vineyard, there with the first family there, Chelsea, Hillary and Bill Clinton there vacationing and taking some time off, also doing a lot of fund-raising. Any reaction, Major, thus far?</s>MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Bill. No official White House reaction to the selection of Senator Lieberman. And White House officials tell us the president will not make any comment from the podium here in Martha's Vineyard shortly, when he signs legislation creating a new oceans commission to review how to protect and defend all the oceans of the globe. With the pick of Joe Lieberman intensifies the debate that's been going on in the White House for several days. Sources tell CNN that Democrats outside the White House are urging President Clinton, next Monday, when he opens the Democratic National Convention, to make it very clear in his speech, that while Al Gore deserves much of the credit, or a good deal of the credit, for the economic success of the administration, and other success, lowering crime, lowering the welfare rate, that he in no way should be held accountable or any way responsible for the personal failings of the president. Those personal failings, of course, led to the Monica Lewinsky scandal which Joe Lieberman played such a prominent part. That advice, being given to the White House from Democrats outside the White House, is under active and very rigorous consideration, CNN has been told. No official decision has been made. The president is reviewing his options, preparation for the speech is ongoing, but it's a debate that's going on in the White House and being intensified now by this pick of Senator Joseph Lieberman -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: Major, was there talk about that particular statement that you just referred to before the Republicans got going in Philadelphia? or were the questions of integrity and character in the White House that's prompting this possible statement? any indication?</s>GARRETT: Well, I don't think it's any secret, inside the White House, that the Republicans would, by indirection, bring up the whole question of integrity and the way to -- actually a president should act inside the White House, inside the Oval Office. That was not something the White House was surprised, the White House -- that the Republicans brought up at their convention. So this has been something along the periphery of the preparation for the speech. The president's speech, a very important speech, the White House considers. Many are describing it as his farewell address, not only to the country but to the Democratic Party. So it's been an active topic. But when the Republicans bore in so much on that in the final two days of their convention it clearly elevated the discussion within the White House, when the bounce that was noted from the Republican convention showed a double-digit lead for Texas Governor George W. Bush and his running mate, Dick Cheney, it intensified those debates. But again, no decision has been made. It's on the table. White House officials at the highest levels are debating it, discussing it and the decision will be made, obviously before the president takes that podium in Los Angeles come next Monday.</s>HEMMER: All right, indeed, Major Garrett, live in Martha's Vineyard.