CNN Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics - Transcript

CNN

SHOW: JUDY WOODRUFF'S INSIDE POLITICS 3:00 PM EST

October 25, 2004 Monday

HEADLINE: Clinton Appears with Kerry in Philadelphia; Bush Attacks Kerry's Record; Chief Justice Rehnquist Undergoes Cancer Surgery; Polls Show Race Tightening in Key States; Election Day Concerns

BYLINE: Judy Woodruff, Frank Buckley, Dana Bash, William Schneider, Bruce Morton, Lou Dobbs, John King

GUESTS: Joe Lockhart, Doug Chapin, Jim Greenwood, Chaka Fattah, Jennifer Millerwise, Tim Robbins

BODY:

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WOODRUFF: This was the scene just a short time ago, downtown Philadelphia, John Kerry getting a little help from former President Bill Clinton. The crowd pretty excited.

We were there in the middle of the crowd. We couldn't get much closer than this, as John Kerry shook some hands. All of this taking place in Love Park, right in the heart of downtown Philadelphia, in the showdown state of Pennsylvania, where we find ourselves this Monday.

As we've been saying, Pennsylvania and its 21 electoral votes could be crucial to both President Bush and Senator Kerry come Election Day. Al Gore narrowly won the state four years ago.

With me now to talk about the race here in Pennsylvania are two of the state's congressmen, Democrat Chaka Fattah and Republican Jim Greenwood.

Congressman Greenwood, to you first. Bill Clinton is here firing up Democrats. Does that worry you as a Republican that he's got these Democrats to the polls?

REP. JIM GREENWOOD ®, PENNSYLVANIA: It doesn't worry me. I think that the turnout's going to be high no matter what. So I don't think that-both campaigns are going to be doing this. I don't think the Clinton visit is all that critical in and of itself. And I don't think popularity is transferable.

This is going to be a tight race, I think, where people are going to focus on ultimately the undecided is the war in Iraq. Do they think it's the right thing or the wrong thing?

WOODRUFF: Popularity not transferable, Congressman Fattah?

REP. CHAKA FATTAH (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Well, I think what President Clinton said today is that it's not his presence that he thinks is going to have people change his votes, it's his reasons. And he laid out a fairy compelling case, I think, to people who may not have made up their mind. And he was talking to people who have already obviously made up their mind.

We had just a great crowd, a great turnout. And this is part of the momentum you build going into an election. We have seen this state go for Clinton twice and for Gore, and we expect to put it in the Democratic column next Tuesday.

WOODRUFF: But the fact that John Kerry's here having to fight for it this close to the election, shouldn't you be in a more comfortable position this close to Election Day?

FATTAH: Well, no, not actually. You know, George Bush has been here 41 times. He's coming back two more times in the next couple of days in the Philadelphia area. I think both campaigns are fighting hard. And Bush has been here twice as much as Kerry.

So we think that we're in good position. But it's going to be a competitive race. And what the campaigns are focused on is having the-the focus on getting out their voters. And I think Kerry's still reaching out to swing voters in the state, even though he's got a small lead. I think he wants to build on that.

WOODRUFF: Congressman Greenwood, I mean, given how many times President Bush has been in this state, what is it 41 times?

GREENWOOD: Right.

WOODRUFF: Why isn't he doing better here?

GREENWOOD: This is a tough state for Republicans, as Congressman Fattah said. It hasn't been won by a Republican for awhile.

The fact that the most recent polls show that Bush is down by one point, well within the margin of error, says this is a toss-up state. And I think the fact that Bill Clinton is here today, and not in Iowa or Florida or in other battleground states, shows how-just how close it is. And everyone knows that if Bush wins Pennsylvania the election's over. So this is where it's at.

WOODRUFF: Is that right? If Bush wins this state it's over? I mean...

FATTAH: Well, I think what's going to happen is, is that Bush's term in office is going to be over when we count the votes in Pennsylvania. But I agree with Jim that it's an important state. Both campaigns are taking it seriously.

We've seen a massive increase in voter registration in our state. It's gotten attention from both candidates. And I think on Election Day it's going to help lead the country to a new direction.

WOODRUFF: Congressman Greenwood, is the economy in this state working against the president? You've lost something like 80,000 jobs net since George Bush took office. Unemployment is up, especially in the southwestern part of the state. How does the president overcome that economic reality?

GREENWOOD: First off, we've picked up 43,000 jobs in Pennsylvania in the last year. We had an economic recession.

If you believe that George Bush created this economic recession, I think you don't understand the history of it. It was-every indication was it was a recession that began before his presidency. His policies helped us get out of the recession and get to recovery.

So I don't think that's going to hurt him at all. I think it's going to help him.

I think the issue is the war, and the issue is that there are people in this world who have decided to enforce their brutal, narrow version of jihad on the rest of the world. And you're either going to take it on or you're going to try to appease them. President Bush wants to take it on, head on, and that's what this election is going to be settled on.

WOODRUFF: So John Kerry's trying to appease the terrorists, Congressman Fattah?

FATTAH: Well, I think that in terms of the war it's going to be a deciding issue. And there are many, many people in our state, in fact the majority in the country, who believe that it was-it was the wrong approach in terms of this war we've lost.

WOODRUFF: But what about his comment that John Kerry would appease the terrorists? I mean...

FATTAH: Well, we're not going to try to win Congressman Greenwood's vote on this Election Day. But for the public in this state, for the hundreds of thousands of people who are looking for jobs, for those who have lost their health insurance, for those who are in line for flu shots, for those who are concerned about our misadventures abroad and this distraction from chasing al Qaeda to focusing on Saddam, when we had him contained, I think for those who will vote for John Kerry, these are the reasons why they'll vote for him.

And, you know, Bush is going to win a few votes in this state. And, you know, that's fine. We just want to win one more vote than George Bush does in Pennsylvania.

WOODRUFF: Well let me ask you, what do you forecast is going to be the final percentage here?

GREENWOOD: I think the fact that the president is within one point in a state that Gore won is an indication that the momentum is in his direction. He's going to be back here a couple more times, and I think it will make the difference. And I think he'll carry the state.

WOODRUFF: By one point, is that what you're saying?

GREENWOOD: I don't care if it's one point or one tenth of a point. I think he's going to carry the state, win the 21 electoral votes.

WOODRUFF: And you said even if it's by one vote, Congressman Fattah?

FATTAH: We'll take one more vote than the Bush campaign.

(CROSSTALK)

WOODRUFF: Lowering expectations.

FATTAH: I think we're going to win this state by five or six points at the end of the day. WOODRUFF: We hear you.

FATTAH: OK.

WOODRUFF: Congressman Fattah, Congressman Greenwood, it's very good to see both of you.

GREENWOOD: My pleasure. Thank you.

FATTAH: Thank you.

WOODRUFF: We thank you for making the time. We appreciate it.

Well, the comeback kid returns from heart surgery to help John Kerry in the campaign's final days. When we come back we'll look at how much of an impact former President Clinton may have on this race.

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