Paula Zahn Now - Transcript

SHOW: PAULA ZAHN NOW 20:00

March 4, 2004 Thursday

HEADLINE: Presidential Campaign Ad Sparks Debate; Sex Advice Columns Increasing on College Campuses

GUESTS: Ken Goldstein, Richard Besser, Dudley Hiibel, Michael R. Jordan, Troy Perry, Vito Fosella, Jerrold Nadler, Yvonne Fulbright, Dan Savage, Richard Gabriel

BYLINE: Jeanne Meserve, J.J. Ramberg, Paula Zahn, Jason Bellini

HIGHLIGHT:
Pictures of the 9/11 tragedy turn up in the president's campaign ads. If someone hasn't committed a crime, can police arrest them for simply refusing to show an I.D.? Sex on campus is nothing new, but sex advice columns are catching on in college newspapers nationwide.

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REP. JERROLD NADLER (D), NEW YORK: Well, because the president is politicizing the emotions of the people who survived and the people who died on that day. You know, the United States was attacked, not George Bush, not the Republican Party. And yes, Vito is right, the mayor-Mayor Giuliani is right, it is perfectly appropriate to debate the adequacy or the inadequacy of what George Bush did after that day and before that day. But that's not what this ad does.

This ad connects emotionally George Bush personally with the victims and with the attack on-with the victims of the attack on the United States. That's an emotional exploitation of the victims, and they have very right-relatives have every right to feel exploited. George Bush said that it would be wrong to exploit for political gain the attack on the United States. That was a correct statement.

Now, for example-now, we can debate whether his subsequent-whether his actions preceding that were adequate, and that's what the 9/11 commission, which the president tried to prevent from being formed and which he's trying to stiff-arm from getting all the information now, is about. And we can certainly debate the adequacy or inadequacy of what he did afterwards. And that's legitimate debate. But that's not what these ads are.

ZAHN: All right...

NADLER: These ads are emotional exploitation of the murder of 3,000 people. You never saw similar ads on radio from Franklin Roosevelt about Pearl Harbor. No one would have thought of that.

ZAHN: Congressman Fossella, respond directly to that point. I know you said you have constituents and even victims' family members who actually said they had no problem with these ads. But you've got to understand the great sensitivity that other family members have. What about that charge, that this is simple exploitation and making an emotional connection that is inappropriate?

FOSSELLA: Well, again, I think it is. It's a sensitive matter. And you know, we relive September 11 day in and day out. And I-while-I have friends, I have neighbors, I have family members who lost loved ones on 9/11. I understand how sensitive it is. I've been to the funerals. I've spoken to the firefighters who lost-Rescue 5 on Staten Island lost 11 firefighters on that day. I've been in constant contact with these folks, so I can appreciate where they're coming from.

But at the same time, I think we need to understand, as a nation, if we're going to go forward against this war on terrorism-because there are those who are out there who still want to bring carnage and wreckage and evil and spread it throughout this country and throughout the free-loving people of this world. We have to understand that we can talk about these things and acknowledge the truth. This isn't a representation, this is the truth. This is a tragedy that actually occurred...

ZAHN: OK, Congressman Nadler...

FOSSELLA: ... and the president...

ZAHN: I need to...

FOSSELLA: The president of the United States...

NADLER: We can...

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Jump in there, Mr. Nadler. We've got to do it in 10 seconds.

NADLER: We can debate what Bush did after and before and we should, and we can debate why they still won't pay for the medical treatment of the firemen and the other firefighters who were injured in the first response. But whether you like President Bush or not, we can debate his actions before and after. But to exploit this emotionally, the way these ads are doing, is, frankly, disgusting.

ZAHN: Gentlemen, we got to leave it there. Congressmen Jerrold Nadler, Vito Fossella, thank you both.

FOSSELLA: Thank you kindly.

ZAHN: Choosing a jury for Scott Peterson's murder trial. The first of possibly hundreds of people were interviewed today. We'll ask an expert in jury selection about some of the personal questions they will face.

And the growing number of sex advice columnists for college students. Are student attitudes towards sex really changing?

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