CNN Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics - Transcript

CNN

SHOW: JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS 4:00 PM EST

October 18, 2004 Monday

HEADLINE: Do Newspaper Presidential Endorsements Matter?; Battle for Colorado; Social Security and the Election; Colorado's Amendment 36

BYLINE: Judy Woodruff, Frank Buckley, Dana Bash, Wolf Blitzer, Howard Kurtz, Joe Johns, Jeanne Meserve, Rhonda Schaffler, Bill Schneider, Jason Carroll, Lou Dobbs

GUESTS: Diana Degette, Tom Tancredo, Krista Poch, Travis Leiker, Ron Brownstein, Tad Devine, Matthew Dowd, Dan Meyers

BODY:

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WOODRUFF: Here in Colorado, you can hear them cheering. The current political climate is highly charged. We are at the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

There is a tight Senate race going on, and the state could have a major influence on the presidential election. We're joined now by two members of Colorado's congressional delegation, Democrat Diana Degette, she's here with me in Boulder; Republican Tom Tancredo, he's in Denver.

Congresswoman Degette, to you first. Is it-we know that President Bush is ahead in the polls here a little bit. Who is going to win this state?

REP. DIANA DEGETTE (D), COLORADO: Well, it's neck and neck. It's been neck and neck for-since we can remember. It's a battleground state.

I think it's a ground battle right now. Whoever can get out their ground troops, that is who is going to win. And right now I feel great about the way the Democrats are doing that.

WOODRUFF: Congressman Tancredo, a prediction?

REP. TOM TANCREDO ®, COLORADO: The president is going-his numbers are going to increase. They are going to get better as time goes by, as was mentioned earlier. He's up today in the most recent polls. You know, this whole idea of Colorado as a battleground state, I'm really questioning who makes that decision, who really says, yes, that's the case. You know, we may not be beet red here, but we're definitely hot pink.

There's about 180,000 more -- 190,000 more Democrats-more Republicans registered than Democrats. I think it's going to be a Republican year here all the way around. And certainly including for the president.

WOODRUFF: Well, I don't know if it's indicative, but Congresswoman Degette is wearing pink today.

DEGETTE: That's right.

WOODRUFF: Let's talk quickly about the Senate race. I see some Salazar signs back there. Is it Ken Salazar or Pete Coors in the Senate race?

DEGETTE: Well, the Salazar-Coors race is also neck-and-neck. It's going to be get out the vote.

I hope all of the Republicans listen to Tom Tancredo and just sit at home in their complacency and don't vote. The Democrats are jazzed up. There's at least 135,000 newly registered voters. We think most of them are Democrats. We think the polls have been all over the place this year, and it really is the ground war in the next two weeks.

WOODRUFF: If you've got that many new registered voters, Congressman Tancredo, how does that affect that Senate race?

TANCREDO: Well, that is a-the Senate race is probably going to be closer than anything else. And it will go, I think, more in line of what happens at the presidential level.

As the president's numbers increase in Colorado, so will Mr. Coors' numbers increase in Colorado. And that one, it's a harder one to call, that's for sure. But the reality is, yes, there's been a lot of registration.

We don't know, as Diana says, that these are all Democrats. I don't think they really are. I mean, I think a significant portion are Republicans.

We are looking at younger people voting Republican and registering Republican in a far greater percentage than they ever were before. So, yes, we're getting a lot of voters. They are not all Democrats.

WOODRUFF: Very quickly, what are the top issues on the minds of voters?

DEGETTE: Oh, the top issues are the same issues everywhere: national security, the economy and jobs. Here in Colorado, the environment is a very important issue. All of these are issues that, of course, the Democrats feel like Bush deserves an "F" and Kerry will lead us into a greater America.

WOODRUFF: Congressman Tancredo?

TANCREDO: Well, it's certainly true that-I agree with Diana on the issues. But you know what trumps everything for almost everybody? That is national security.

Do you feel safer? Will you feel safer with a President Kerry than a President Bush? The answer is no. And I think Colorado will shout that out come November 2nd.

WOODRUFF: Let me ask you about this ballot initiative to change Colorado's electoral vote. Instead of being winner take all, it would be divided according to who got the most votes. What's going to happen to that? And should it pass?

DEGETTE: I don't know what will happen to it. I think we need to have a national debate on the electoral college.

I don't like the idea of Colorado being the only state to pass that. People say, well, if Bush wins, then Kerry would get some electoral votes. But of course, I'm hoping that Kerry will win Colorado and get all the electoral votes.

WOODRUFF: I guess at this point it's just Maine and Nebraska that have this kind of division.

Congressman Salazar (sic), how do you see it? What is going to happen to Proposition 36?

TANCREDO: Wrong congressman. Wrong congressman. This is Congressman Tancredo.

At any rate, the fact is that is going down like a sinking rock right now. I mean, it is-and it is going to go down pretty bad. And every-I think every single newspaper in the state has editorialized against it.

It is a lot of mischief being made by Democratic operatives, especially in California, hoping that they can-trying to pick out a state where they think they can come in with some money, where it is not as expensive in the media market to get involved. Where there is-it's pretty close in terms of the last election and where they can think is going to be close in this one. But really, it's a purpose, it's simply to make mischief by Democratic operatives.

Nobody in the state is supporting-even the Democratic Party has become ambivalent. There isn't even a Democratic member. I'm glad to say Diana-hear her say she is not supporting it anymore. I think the only paper I heard of that's supporting this is the "Boston Globe."

WOODRUFF: Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo-I got it right. Congressman, thank you very much.

TANCREDO: Thank you. WOODRUFF: And Democratic Congresswoman Diana Degette.

It's good to see both of you. Thank you for letting us come visit the wonderful state of Colorado. Thank you very much. Good to see both of you.

DEGETTE: You, too.

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