Early War Plan; Interview with Representative Gregory Meeks

Early War Plan; Interview With Representative Gregory Meeks

March 31, 2004 Wednesday

BYLINE: Soledad O'Brien, Bill Hemmer, Barbara Starr, Jeffrey Toobin, Jack Cafferty

HIGHLIGHT:
The Bush administration apparently had a military plan for Iraq during the earliest days in the White House. Michael Jackson is in Washington promoting the fight against AIDS in Africa and has been meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

O'BRIEN: Well, a California grand jury decides whether Michael Jackson will stand trial for child molestation. The pop star is in Washington promoting the fight against AIDS in Africa. Jackson has been meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

And New York Congressman Gregory Meeks joins us from Washington, D.C. to talk about the meeting with Jackson yesterday.

Nice to see you, Congressman Meeks. Thank for being with us.

REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D), NEW YORK: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Good morning to you.

Michael Jackson's publicist actually wanted to set up a meeting with the entire Congressional Black Caucus, but that was denied. So, I'm curious why you and the several members of the black caucus who decided to meet with Michael Jackson, decided to go forward with the meeting.

MEEKS: Well, you know, it's always difficult to get members of the Congressional Black Caucus in one room. But for me, I'm on the International Relations Committee, and I sit on the Subcommittee for Africa. I understood going in that the conversation would be around HIV and AIDS and what's taking place in Africa and some of the accomplishments as well as some of the future aspirations of Mr. Jackson in helping to eradicate the disease on HIV/AIDS.

And so, I went to listen to hear what he had to say and to do anything that I can to draw attention to the fact that we here, we sit comfortably but we have to make sure that we eradicate that disease that is worse than the black plague ever was.

O'BRIEN: You say that it's always difficult to get all of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus in one room, but realistically, many of those members said that actually-and they said this anonymously-that actually there was no political upside for them to meet with Michael Jackson, considering the charges that now pending against him. You didn't have those concerns?

MEEKS: Well, again, I'm sitting here today, and we can talk, and I can talk a little bit about HIV/AIDS/AIDS and what's taking place in Africa. You know, I've sat previously in my former profession as a prosecutor, so I understand that that's what's taking place there. I'm not there to prejudge in the political part. I'm here, though, to make sure that, you know, we live in a global world, and we can make sure that we begin to eradicate HIV and AIDS. And I want to do whatever I can and work with whomever I can to accomplish that goal.

O'BRIEN: What sorts of things are you hoping that Michael Jackson will be able to do for you? As you well know, his charity has had some serious financial troubles. And, in fact, has stopped making any kind of donations at this point. So, what would you like him to do?

MEEKS: Well, at least according to what he stated to us at the meeting, you know, he wants to do things such as what he did with "We are the World" and trying to work with others, maybe in Hollywood and other artists, so that they can raise some funds, again, via music, doing something similar to what Oprah Winfrey is doing now over in South Africa.

So, I think that just the attention-the attention that anyone can bring to the ravaging disease, sometimes we get so comfortable here in America that we-you know, and we know that, you know, even our underbelly AIDS is still there. So, anytime we can bring attention to it, anytime that we can talk to it, and anybody that can, I think we should, because I think it's extremely important for this day and age in which we live in.

O'BRIEN: And certainly a pop superstar like Michael Jackson is going to bring attention to the issue. Congressman Meeks, nice to see you. Thanks for being with us this morning. We sure appreciate it.

MEEKS: Thank you. Good being with you.