Trascript of interview with Paul Zahn

[sandrakae]

Paula seems to think John has no chance of winning the nomination again.



And, just a little bit earlier, I put them to the man the president defeated two years ago, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.

And, in an exclusive interview, I asked him how the Democrats can fight off that perception.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: This administration has cut and run from common sense, and they have cut and run from the truth.

The truth is that Iraq is not the center of the war on terror. Afghanistan is. These are the people who cut and run from capturing and killing Osama bin Laden. I'm not going to stand for the president suggesting we have only criticized. We have offered alternative after alternative, and they have turned them down.

ZAHN: But even Democrats have told me they think your party has given the president ammunition, that it is a divided party; until you start speaking with a unified voice, that you're going to be vulnerable to this charge.

KERRY: I disagree. I think we do have a unified voice.

Iraq is not the center of the war on terror. Iraq is a mess. And we need to change course in Iraq. Our troops did not go over there to be involved in the middle of a civil war. And the more we can break through to America and talk common sense -- what kind of accountability is there in this administration for having young American kids from Ohio, from Massachusetts, from Florida, elsewhere in America, dying because they don't have the equipment? This is a disgrace.

ZAHN: Hasn't congressional inaction added to that problem?

KERRY: Well, who runs the Congress? The Republicans run the Congress. And they shut the doors on legitimate effort between the Republicans and Democrats. Enough is enough.

ZAHN: Do Democrats share any blame for that?

KERRY: Sure, Democrats absolutely share some blame, for having trusted the president and given him the power in the first place.

ZAHN: You said in a speech yesterday that you had some unfinished business you wanted to take care of. Are you going to run for president again?

KERRY: Well, I'm working on that unfinished business right here in the Senate. And I'm testing whether or not I will take that out in the context of a candidacy. I don't know the answer yet.

ZAHN: What is the test? What is the deciding factor?

KERRY: Well, you have got to go out and find whether or not there are people there who are prepared to do that fight with you, whether you -- whether, you know, the support is there. I -- I believe I have been finding it.

ZAHN: The initial polls would suggest no. An Iowa poll shows John Edwards way ahead of you in Iowa.

KERRY: Yes, the polls. Listen...

ZAHN: Another poll, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore way out of in front of -- does that trouble you at all?

KERRY: The last thing I'm going to do is take a poll or listen to a poll.

ZAHN: At what point will it be that you know whether your following is there or not?

KERRY: It's not a question of whether your following is there completely, Paula. What it is, is whether or not you believe your campaign is viable, whether your candidacy is viable.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Do you have a date specific?

KERRY: Yes. I'm going to decide somewhere around the end of the year, somewhere in that vicinity.

ZAHN: If Hillary Clinton runs and wins, what kind of president would she be?

KERRY: I think Hillary would be a very confident president. I think she's a very confident senator. And I have great respect for Hillary Clinton.

But my decision, as to what I do or don't do, will not depend on who may or may not be a candidate. It will depend on my agenda.

ZAHN: Wouldn't you rather not face her?

KERRY: I think she's obviously got great assets.

But, you know, if you believe in something, and I make the decision to do it, it isn't going to make a difference to me who else is there. I will do it because I believe in what I'm -- what I'm fighting for. And that's the unfinished business that I referred to the other day. ZAHN: Well, we thank you for your time tonight.

KERRY: Thanks. I'm glad to be with you.

(CROSSTALK)

[ginnyinWI]

1. Paula's a RW sympathizer or worse.

I can't stand her. I saw her moderate a so-called debate before the election with Wes Clark and some conservative, and she was extremely rude to Clark. I was kind of surprised he didn't walk off the set, the way she continually interrupted him and cut him off and favored the other speaker with time and softball questions. Ugh.

[blm]

2. I'll never forget the daggers she was throwing at Joe Wilson - treated him

like he had no right to open his mouth against Bush. PHYSICALLY HATEFUL towards him, as well as verbally.

[JI7]

7. was that the one with that idiot Bernard Kerik ?

Kerik was a total embarrassement. when he was first picked for homeland security that debate was the first thing i thought of.

[ginnyinWI]

9. it might have been, I don't remember. n/t

[_dynamicdems]

8. And the evil, smug smile.

Even her tone was disrespectful to Senator Kerry. He seemed a little taken aback by the venom, as though he didn't understand why she was being so rude and unprofessional. Tough questions are one thing, but she was poisonous. I wanted to punch the b*tch.

[wisteria]

3. I wouldn't even consider her opinion. She picked and choose her polls

and she knows better. Polls don't mean a thing now. She was being nasty. I don't think Kerry will make a decision based on Paula's opinions Write the show and let them know her politics was showing. She was rude and disrespectful to a US Senator. I bet she wouldn't treat a Republican that way.

Her show is bad anyway. CNN doesn't put any money into it and I think they are just letting her run her contract out. She came from Fox News, and I think they though they got a good catch at first and stuck it to Fox. Now they realize she wasn't worth the money.

[karynnj]

4. The person who comes away looking bad on this is Zahn

Kerry (from the transcript - I didn't see it) rejects the opportunity to take and cheap shots at Hillary. He gives her nothing to spin - he has class, something she never will have.

[wisteria]

5. I agree. n/t

[JI7]

6. stupid ass wouldn't even let him answer her stupid ass questions