CNN NewsNight - Transcript

CNN NewsNight - Transcript
Monday, May 23, 2005

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BROWN: A bit more on the deal announced tonight on the president's judicial nominees. The interest groups are weighing in, and their reaction is fascinating, at least to us.

James Dobson, the head of Focus on the Family, not pleased at all. "This Senate agreement represent a complete bailout and betrayal by a cabal of Republicans, he said, and a great victory for united Democrats. I am certain," says Mr. Dobson, "Voters will remember both Democrats and Republicans who betrayed their trust."

On the other side, people for the American Way released a statement saying, in part, This "agreement embodies the very principle of the consultation and consensus that filibuster encourages. This is good news for the American people." The statement went to say, though, they were not altogether happy at giving up those three judges.

Fair to say, there's no shortage of pressure from all across the political spectrum. Pressure and money and the kind of people who turn out on election day, backdrop to the debate to be certain. Perhaps more than a backdrop, we don't know.

We're joined now by two of the senators who've worked hard over the last couple of weeks to find a deal, find the common ground. Senator Mark Pryor, a Democrat out of the state of Arkansas, and Susan Collins, a Republican from the state of Maine.

Well, congratulations to both of you. I know, from watching you earlier, it was a lot of hard work. Senator Collins, was there a tipping point? Was there a moment where it became clear what the deal had to be?

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS ®, MAINE: Well, I think that moment really came at the 11th hour. The vote had been scheduled. We knew that we had very little time left. We have been negotiating on and off for three weeks and very intensively for the last week, and both sides realized that we couldn't get everything. This had to truly be a compromise. But I'm really proud of what we achieved.

BROWN: Have you talked to your leadership yet?

COLLINS: I have. The Republicans immediately upon the conclusion of the negotiations went to meet with Senator Frist and Senator McConnell, and I know the Democrats did likewise.

BROWN: And can you characterize their reaction? Before we ask the same thing of your colleague there? COLLINS: Well, I don't want to put words in the mouths of my leaders, but I would say that I thought the meeting went very well. After all, we achieved the principle that judicial nominees in general should not be filibustered. And that's an important principle. Only in the most extraordinary cases, would the Democrats who signed the agreement launch a filibuster. That's a big change from what happened last year, and I think it represents real progress.

BROWN: Let me turn to Senator Pryor here, for a minute or two. What do Democrats get out of this deal?

SEN. MARK PRYOR (D), ARKANSAS: Well, I think one thing we get is we get a chance to show the American people that we can all work together. And I think this is a big win for Democrats and for Republicans. They may not feel that right now, but a big win for Democrats and Republicans, but mostly for the American people.

BROWN: Well, OK. I mean-and I mean this with all due respect, I knew you were going to say it was a big win for the American people. But I want to know what the Democrats in the Senate got out of the deal? You give up three judges you'd fought really hard against, against a kind of vague, seemed to me vague, statement in support of the concept of filibuster?

PRYOR: Well, I think that one thing that we clearly established tonight was trust between Democrats and Republicans, although it was a small group of 14. And I think based on that trust, we hope that we have taken the nuclear option off the table for this Congress, and we hope that we've maintained the right not just for Democrats but for all senators to use their best judgment and their discretion when it comes to filibustering.

BROWN: Senator, let me ask you one more, then we'll throw this-expand this just a little bit. Tell me what extraordinary circumstance means to you? The deal is, there will be no filibuster except in extraordinary circumstance. And tell me what it means to you.

PRYOR: Well, I think that it's defined in the agreement as to be something within the senator's discretion, and in our judgment, and I think that the people from all 50 states have sent their two senators here to Washington to use their best judgment and their discretion, and I don't know what circumstances will come down the pike. I have no idea. But I think that I'm-I'm gratified that my colleagues said that they do trust me to make that decision.

BROWN: Senator Collins, do you think if we could hook all 100 of you up to a lie detector, that let's say 90 or so of you breathed a heavy sigh of relief tonight when the deal was done?

COLLINS: Well, I'm not sure how many would be, but it's certainly more than just the 14. Both of us have had the experience of some of our colleagues who were not involved in the negotiation coming up to us and saying, oh, I hope you succeed, please keep working. This isn't good for the Senate. We need to work together. So I think a great many of our colleagues did breathe a sigh of relief, and whether they're saying it publicly or not, believe we achieved a very fair and reasonable agreement.

BROWN: And, Senator just-I'm sorry. Senator Pryor, just in the last few seconds here, do you think this is a watershed moment of-of the two sides coming off the edges of the extreme-and both sides have played there-will we see a Senate that operates more like the Senate, if you will, and less like the House?

PRYOR: Well, I hope so. And I hope that we can look back in, say, 10 years and say, do you remember how things used to get? And we bottomed out with the nuclear option debate, but things started getting better when 12 -- or 14 senators came together, decided to make a difference. And I hope-in fact, Susan and I were talking about that a moment ago-I hope we're able to build on this and tackle other big issues, whether Social Security or whatever it may be, and try to get things done for this country.

BROWN: Well, to both of you, I've no polling on this, but my instinct is that a lot of Americans think you did-probably most think you did the right thing, working out a deal, and are proud of the effort you made and the conclusion reached. So thank you.

PRYOR: Thank you.

COLLINS: Thank you.

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