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Morning NewsTaxes, Gays in Military Hot Topics in Latest GOP's Latest New Hampshire DebateAired January 7, 2000 - 9:01 a.m. ETTHIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to election 2000 where the race for the White House gaining momentum. The candidates will hold a total of three more debates over the next four days. Republicans square off tonight in South Carolina. But during their debate last night in New Hampshire, taxes and gays in the military were certainly hot topics. CNN's Bill Delaney was there to watch and listen. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With less than a month to the February 1 New Hampshire primary, a mostly good-natured Republican debate. Texas Governor George W. Bush embellishing his big tax-cut proposal with a "no new taxes" pledge, the same promise that got his father, President Bush, in a pack of trouble a few years ago. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) QUESTION: Now, Governor, is this "no new taxes, so help me God"? GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is not only "no new taxes," this is "tax cuts, so help me God." (END VIDEO CLIP) DELANEY: Bush's dead-even rival in New Hampshire, Arizona Senator John McCain, challenged the reliance of Bush's tax cut on surpluses. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because we now have a surplus, we have a significant surplus, and we don't want to spend it all on tax cuts. (END VIDEO CLIP) DELANEY: McCain, who's made so much of campaign finance reform, responded to allegations he recently pressured the Federal Communications Commission on behalf of a major contributor, saying he'd only asked for action. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MCCAIN: I said: Make a decision. My job as chairman of the Commerce Committee, as every other major committee chairman in Washington, is to make the bureaucrats work for the people, and that has to do with making decisions. (END VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I agree with what John and Gary said about the military. I'm a "don't ask, don't tell" man. DELANEY: The Republican field united to slam Democrats Vice President Al Gore and former Senator Bill Bradley for saying at their debate the night before, they'd require any joint chief of staff they appointed as president to accept a more liberal policy toward gays in the military. While in one of the evenings less harmonious interludes, radio talk show host Alan Keyes slammed John McCain for a joke McCain made about the hard rock group "Nine Inch Nails." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ALAN KEYES (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Instead of aiding and abetting the cultural murder that is taking place of our young people. QUESTION: Senator McCain? MCCAIN: Can I get a lifeline? (END VIDEO CLIP) DELANEY: On a night otherwise with few such sharp edges, in contrast to the increasingly testy confrontations between Democrats Gore and Bradley. (END VIDEOTAPE) DELANEY: Last night's debate essentially maintained the status quo in the Republican field. Now, that's good news for front-runner Texas Governor George W. Bush. Also not bad news for Bush, who's in a tight race here in New Hampshire, if no where else, with Senator John McCain of Arizona, take a look at the important "Union Leader" newspaper of New Hampshire, what New Hampshirites will be reading this morning over breakfast, the headline: GOP hopefuls -- "GOP hopefuls trade jabs." And there were no knockout punches last night. More importantly, though, look at what the lead editorial says: "Senator McCain is both phony and proud." Now that's, of course, a reference to McCain's alleged intervention with the Federal Communications Commission for a major contributor. And McCain's the guy who's built whole his whole campaign around campaign finance reform. That's not good news for McCain in the tight race up here. It could turn off the Independent voters up here who will be so important to him pulling off a victory or something close to it here in New Hampshire. Now, the Republican field debates again tonight in South Carolina, and then again Monday night in Michigan. Bill Delaney, CNN, reporting live from Durham, New Hampshire. HEMMER: Bill, 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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