WILLIAM BENNETT
August 16, 2000

Ray Suarez speaks with Empower America's Bill Bennett from the convention floor.

Online NewsHour Special Report: 2000 Democratic Convention Election 2000 Aug. 15, 2000: Who are the Democrats of 2000? Aug. 15, 2000: Hollywood and Senator Joe Lieberman faceoff. Aug. 15, 2000: Former Vice President Walter Mondale talks about the race. Aug. 14, 2000: Former President Jimmy Carter discusses Gore and the Democrats. Aug. 14, 2000: Former presidential candidate Bill Bradley on the campaign. Aug. 14, 2000: Delegates from Arkansas look at Clinton's legacy. Aug. 11, 2000: Sen. Joe Lieberman discusses his nomination, religion and the campaign. Aug. 11, 2000: Examining Gore's economic plan. Aug. 8, 2000: An historic choice. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of Politics and Campaigns and Election 2000.     Democratic Convention Official Web Site

RAY SUAREZ: Jim, joining me now is former Secretary of Education and head of Empower America, Bill Bennett. We keep hearing that the American people don't yet know Joe Lieberman. You've known him and worked with him for a long time. What would you tell them? WILLIAM BENNETT: I think he's a very impressive guy. It was a surprising pick, I think a very good pick. Joe is a man of deep intellectual curiosity -- open mindedness. I've worked with him on three issues: Persecution of the faithful around the world, school choice and school accountability and I suppose the most famous one, we've gone after Hollywood in some of its worst forms, some of the movies, music, and TV. RAY SUAREZ: Any times where you can remember that there have been tough calls to be made where he has either surprised you or stayed steady in the face of some very tough opposition? WILLIAM BENNETT: Yes. That's a great question. He stayed steady this Sunday, I thought, under some pretty tough questions. He was asked if he still supports school choice. He answered yes. Did he still support tort reform - that is, limiting damages -- he said yes. Would he still go after Hollywood for its excesses - yes. Was he still opposed to group preferences -- yes. The reason I think that's impressive is that this goes against the grain of a lot of thinking in the Democrat Party. And it goes against the very criticisms Al Gore and Clinton have made of us. Now they've got a Vice President who holds these views or at least is sympathetic to these views. RAY SUAREZ: Just as you find it remarkable that he is willing to hold those stands in the face of his party, do you find it also remarkable that you're at a convention praising a Democratic vice presidential nominee? WILLIAM BENNETT: Absolutely. As I walked down here, people said are you on your way to make the nominating speech? I said, no, I don't think so. But I think we have to be able to do this. I mean, this is an impressive man, and I'll say so. If he sticks to his convictions on these issues, I think it will be good for, certainly good for the country, though I imagine it's going to give some of the Gore people fits. We've already had this little tête-à-tête with the Black Caucus. Supposedly things were smoothed over -- but when you do an exhaustive study of the Lieberman record, this is a guy who is absolutely against racial preferences -- group preferences by race. And that is part of the creed to a lot of folks here, so we'll see. RAY SUAREZ: Empower America's Bill Bennett. Thanks a lot. WILLIAM BENNETT: Thank you, sir.