Katie Couric

Hagan-Dole on Couric Friday

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:44:19 -0400

The CBS Evening News focused on the Senate race Friday.

In interviews with Katie Couric, Democratic candidate Kay Hagan argues that U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole has been ineffective, while Dole says she's helped promote jobs.

Couric also asks Dole why President Bush has not campaign for her, according to a transcript:

COURIC: But Dole's biggest negative may be the R next to her name, which in this traditionally Republican state has almost become a scarlet letter.
President Bush campaigned for you tirelessly in 2002 when you first ran, but he hasn't really shown up in North Carolina this go-'round. Why is that?
Sen. DOLE: Well, his father has been here, and Laura Bush has been in the state a couple of times.

Dole also says she thought the "rocking chair" ad was designed to be a snarky attack on her age.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the day it aired.

What Edwards said in 2007

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:15:05 -0400

John Edwards said it is "reasonable" for voters to consider infidelity when choosing a president.

In an interview with Katie Couric that aired on Dec. 19, 2007, Edwards said that his parents considered it part of how to judge a person.

"I mean, for a lot of Americans, including the family that I grew up with ... it's fundamental to how you judge people and human character: Whether you keep your word, whether you keep what is your ultimate word, which is that you love your spouse, and you'll stay with them," he said.

He said that the most important qualities in a president are "trustworthiness, sincerity, honesty, strength of leadership," and that marital fidelity is "part of that" but "not the whole thing."

"There have been American presidents that at least according to the ... stories we've all heard, that were not faithful, that were in fact good presidents. So I don't think it controls the issue," he said. "But I think it's certain ... something reasonable for people to consider."

Edwards: Personal life relevant

bniolet — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:10:07 -0400

When he was still running for president, John Edwards invited voters to judge him in part on his personal life.

Edwards make his comments in an interview with Katie Couric that was broadcast on 60 Minutes in March 2007. Edwards appeared on the news magazine after his wife, Elizabeth Edwards announced her cancer had returned. Couric asked the couple whether they worried that people would assume they were trying to win sympathy votes. Edwards responded.

Here's what I would say about that.
First of all, there's not a single person in America that should vote for me because Elizabeth has cancer. Not a one. If you're considering doing it, don't do it. Do not vote for us because you feel some sympathy or compassion for us. That would be an enormous mistake. The vote for the presidency is far too important for any of those things to influence it.
But, I think every single candidate for president, Republican and Democratic have lives, personal lives, that indicate something about what kind of human being they are. And I think it is a fair evaluation for America to engage in to look at what kind of human beings each of us are, and what kind of president we'd make.

April madness

mtomsic — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:21:16 -0400

Tickets are available for the Democratic presidential debate on April 27.

The debate will be held at the RBC Center in Raleigh.

A random drawing will determine who receives tickets. To apply for the drawing, visit the N.C. Democratic Party's website.

The debate will be held in partnership with the N.C. Democratic Party, CBS News and N.C. State University. Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer will moderate.

"With 134 delegates at stake, North Carolina is an important state in the Democratic presidential primary," said Jerry Meek, N.C. Democratic Party chairman in a statement. "We're getting deluged with phone calls and e-mails from North Carolinians who want to hear both candidates discuss issues critical to our state.

Barack Obama's campaign still has not agreed to the debate.

The debate is on?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:19:54 -0400

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would debate in Raleigh.

The North Carolina Democratic Party announced today that the two presidential candidates would face off at the RBC Center on April 27.

The 90-minute debate would be sponsored by N.C. State and CBS News. It is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., immediately following "60 Minutes."

Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer will moderate.

Update: Obama has not yet agreed to the debate.

"We have not received word from the Obama campaign, but we are confident they will agree. North Carolina has 115 delegates and 19 superdelegates," wrote Democratic Party spokeswoman Kerra Bolton in an e-mail to Dome.

Second Update: Obama's campaign confirms that the press release may be a bit premature.

"Senator Obama has debated Senator Clinton more than 20 times so far, and our campaign agreed to another debate in North Carolina that was proposed for the third week of April," wrote spokesman Dan Leistikow in an e-mail to Dome. "Unfortunately, the Clinton campaign vetoed that date. We are still determining whether or not the later date works for Senator Obama's schedule.

N.C. debate sounding debatable

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:38:19 -0400

Debates don't work as a solo act.

That's why reports this week of a N.C. Democratic presidential debate quickly fell flat when it became clear that Sen. Hillary Clinton had not signed on.

On top of those mixed signals, N.C. First Lady Mary Easley is trying to get a piece of the debate action for her employer, according to campaign officials. She is involved in an effort to get the debate held at N.C. State University, where she teaches law-related courses, Mark Johnson reports.

A Raleigh TV station's Web site reported the debate as a done deal Thursday evening with details, such as the date (April 19), the host (CBS) and moderators (CBS' Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer.)

The story noted, though, that while Obama's team had agreed, Clinton's had not.

"The date presented a logistical problem because it was right before the Pennsylvania primary (on April 22)," sad Kerra Bolton, spokeswoman for the N.C. Democratic Party. "You often have (a situation) where one candidate agrees to one debate and another candidate agrees to another debate and they have to work out the details. That's what you see here."

Obama agrees to N.C. debate

bkrueger — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:10:36 -0400

Barack Obama has agreed to a debate in North Carolina on April 19.

The debate, at a site to be determined, will be hosted by CBS and moderated by Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer.

Obama's campaign just announced that he would participate. No word yet on whether Hillary Clinton will be there.

A White House dinner

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 05:30:00 -0400

"CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric at the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner on Saturday, April 22, 2007. Her guest for the evening was N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper.

A week before the dinner, Cooper gave an exclusive interview to "60 Minutes" on the Duke lacrosse case, but a representative said the tickets were not given as a return favor.

"This was just a spontaneous invitation," said spokeswoman Noelle Talley.

Dinner with Katie

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:30:00 -0400

Attorney General Roy Cooper had dinner with Katie Couric this weekend.

He and his wife were the CBS Evening News anchor's guests at the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner on Saturday.

A tradition since 1920, the dinner is hosted by journalists, with newsmakers and politicians as their invited guests. This year's entertainment was by celebrity impersonator Rich Little.

Couric met Cooper when she was in town for his press conference when he dropped the charges against the Duke lacrosse players. He also sat for an interview with "60 Minutes" on that network.

Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General, said Cooper was invited last Thursday.

He and his wife avoided the red carpet, however, and went in the back entrance in order to avoid the group mobbing "American Idol" singer Sanjaya Malakar.

Hat tip: An alert reader and C-SPAN viewer

Thirty seconds of "60 Minutes"

ryanteaguebeckwith — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 11:58:26 -0400

John and Elizabeth Edwards will be on "60 Minutes" tonight to discuss her cancer recurrence.

The CBS News Web site has a brief preview of the interview with Katie Couric, which will air at 7 p.m. on WRAL, Channel 5.

Here's the money shot:

Katie Couric: Are you terrified you might lose your wife?

John Edwards: Of course. Absolutely. But I've been worried about that for several years now.

Katie Couric: Here you're staring at possible death...

Elizabeth Edwards: Aren't we all though?

Katie Couric: And you're thinking, I don't want to deprive the country of having my husband lead it?

Elizabeth Edwards: That would be my legacy, wouldn't it, Katie? That I'd taken out this fine man from the possibility of giving great service. I don't want that to be my legacy.