ad info

 
CNN.comTranscripts
 
Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback  

 

  Search
 
 

 

TOP STORIES

Bush signs order opening 'faith-based' charity office for business

Rescues continue 4 days after devastating India earthquake

DaimlerChrysler employees join rapidly swelling ranks of laid-off U.S. workers

Disney's GO.com is a goner

(MORE)

MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 


WORLD

U.S.

POLITICS

LAW

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

 
TRAVEL

ARTS & STYLE



(MORE HEADLINES)
 
CNN Websites
Networks image


Saturday Morning News

Bush Responds to Ashcroft Appearance at Bob Jones University

Aired January 13, 2001 - 9:06 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President-elect George W. Bush, is going about the business of fleshing out his new administration. The president and vice president will be sworn into office one week from today. Meanwhile, Bush's choice for attorney general is coming under fire.

CNN's Tony Clark joins us live from Austin again this morning. He's got the latest.

Hi, Tony.

TONY CLARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AUSTIN: Hi, Kyra.

Attorney General-designate John Ashcroft on Capitol Hill yesterday seeking support for his nomination. Democrats want to know more about his 1999 appearance at Bob Jones University because that's a university known for anti-Catholic views. He was there to accept an honorary degree and in his speech talked about the importance of religion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL-DESIGNATE: If America is to be great in the future it will be if we understand that our source is not civic and temporal but our source is godly and eternal, endowed by the creator with rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLARK: In reaction, the Bush campaign issued a transcript of another speech in which Ashcroft said we must embrace the power of faith but we must never confuse politics with piety. As a candidate, George W. Bush also went to Bob Jones University and later apologized to Catholics for that. Last night on "LARRY KING LIVE" Bob Jones says that he does not think someone like Ashcroft should have their views characterized by the views of the university.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

BOB JONES III, PRESIDENT, BOB JONES UNIVERSITY: You know when a man accepts an honorary degree in no way does that imply that he endorses whatever it is that the granting institution might hold. We gave what we thought was a gift of proper recognition to a man who is a good man who did a noble thing in our eyes. We gave him a gift and the receipt of that gift does not imply to any thinking person that he believes confidently in everything that the giver might believe or his spouse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLARK: At the same time Mr. Bush's nominee for Interior secretary, Gale Norton, is coming under fire from environmental groups. They say she supports polluters more than protecting the environment - Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Tony Clark, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

 Search   


Back to the top