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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK
Eight Democrats Took Part in First Major Debate of Campaign 2004
Aired September 5, 2003 - 05:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Eight Democrats who want to be president took part in the first major debate of Campaign 2004 last night. But this debate had more agreement than most, and one common target.
Here's CNN's senior political correspondent, Candy Crowley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No debate on this one thing -- George Bush is mishandling everything.
REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This president is a miserable failure. He is a miserable failure.
CROWLEY: As Democrats gathered for the first of six fall debates, the success of Howard Dean's brass knuckle campaign reverberated through the hall. The anti-Bush rhetoric was scorching. Bush's role as commander-in-chief no longer sacred territory.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have young men and women in a shooting gallery right now and the primary reason for that is because this president had no plan.
CROWLEY: Dean, front runner and biggest target in the group, mostly avoided eye contact and mostly they left him alone, except for a couple of sharp elbows. The best score goes to Dennis Kucinich, who'd heard enough about Vermont's balanced budget.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, you can talk about balancing the budget in Vermont but Vermont doesn't have a military. And if you're not going to cut the military and you're talking about balancing the budget, then what are you going to do about social spending? Hello.
CROWLEY: Only a small dust up in what was otherwise pretty much a Bush bash.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In fact, I think the only jobs created in the United States of America by George Bush are the nine of us running for president of the United States.
CROWLEY: And, finally, having come to New Mexico specifically to catch the eye of the large Latino vote, you knew there would be some of this.
(VARIOUS CANDIDATES SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
CROWLEY: As linguists, they make good politicians.
(on camera): For Democrats, the evening was a chance to grab some attention after a summer of being out headlined by the war in Iraq and the recall in California.
Unfortunately, the debate began just as Britney Spears and Aretha Franklin were opening up the NFL season on nationwide TV.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Democratic presidential hopeful Dick Gephardt will be a guest on Sunday on "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer." Tune in beginning at noon Eastern on Sunday, this weekend.
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