News (Media Awareness Project) - US: Transcript from 20/20--'Do As I Say, Not As I Do' |
| Title: | US: Transcript from 20/20--'Do As I Say, Not As I Do' |
| Published On: | 2000-01-14 |
| Source: | ABC Television Network |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-28 23:07:19 |
DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO
Politicians These Days Are Quick To Admit The Drug Use Of Their
Younger Days. However, They Are Even Quicker To Advocate For Harsh
Punishment Of Those Who Are Doing The Same Drugs Today. All This
Double Talk Causes 20/20s John Stossel To Say Give Me A Break!
(This is an unedited, uncorrected transcript.)
Prepared by Burrelles Information Services, which takes sole
responsibility for accuracy of transcription.
BARBARA WALTERS, ABCNEWS Do as I say, not as I do. Thats the message
that seems to be wafting our way from Washington when it comes to
drugs, and that has lit a fire under John Stossel, who is here with
tonights Give Me a Break.
JOHN STOSSEL, ABCNEWS Barbara, have you been listening to the
politicians talk about drug use? I mean, about their using drugs? Its
amazing how hypocritical they are about it. (VO) Presidential
candidate Bill Clinton started things off in 92, when he was asked
about his drug use and he said, I have never broken the laws of my
country. It turned out to be one of those lawyerly language tricks
because a reporter later asked him about laws in other countries.
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON The answer to that question is I have never
broken a state law. And that when I was in England, I experimented
with marijuana a time or two, and I didnt like it and didnt inhale.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Notice the smile? Its clear drug use is no big deal
to him.
1ST MAN If you had it to do over again, would you inhale?
BILL CLINTON Sure, if I could! I tried before!
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Its a bit of a joke. Remember him playing the sax
on TV? What got him the biggest audience response that night was
talking about smoking dope.
BILL CLINTON Thats how I learned to inhale, by playing my saxophone.
You blow out and then you have to inhale. I was 22- or 23-years-old,
and I gave it my very best shot.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) What fun everyone was having. And its not just the
president who did drugs. The vice president did, too.
SENATOR ALBERT GORE, DEMOCRAT TENNESSEE As a student a few times in
the Army.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) So did others in the administration.
MIKE MCCURRY, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY Did I smoke a joint from time to
time? Of course.
BRUCE BABBITT, FORMER ARIZONA GOVERNOR Didnt seem like a big deal at
the time. Life goes on. And Im pretty proud of what Ive done in my
life. Im not losing any sleep over this one, Ill tell you.
GOVERNOR GEORGE BUSH I made mistakes...
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) George W. Bush doesnt admit to drug
use.
GEORGE BUSH ...and Ive learned from those mistakes.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Nor does his father.
2ND MAN Have you ever smoked marijuana?
GEORGE BUSH No, but Id hate to speak for my kids.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Clearly, theres something funny about our leaders
using drugs.
3RD MAN You have not used any illegal drugs like that?
BILL BRADLEY I have used marijuana several times in my life, but never
cocaine.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Reporters do keep asking the question.
SAM DONALDSON, ABCNEWS Excuse me, Cokie. Recently,
marijuana?
BILL BRADLEY No.
SAM DONALDSON When you were a kid?
BILL BRADLEY Well, yeah, right. Have you?
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Laugh, laugh. Wink, wink.
SAM DONALDSON I think a couple of times Ive tried it. And I
inhaled.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) No one seems to take this too seriously.
4TH MAN Im from the Falstaff generation.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) OK, I get it. Its something to chuckle about. After
all, 20 million Americans have tried cocaine. Seventy-two million have
used marijuana.
BILL CLINTON But it is not a big deal.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) But if its no big deal, why did he, and his vice
president, push for tougher drug laws, with longer jail time.
5TH MAN Drug use is wrong. It is illegal.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) And why are we arresting more people than ever, 1
1/2 million Americans a year, on drug charges? The biggest category of
arrest? Possession of marijuana. Not selling, just use. In fact, eight
out of 10 drug arrests are not for dealing or running a drug cartel,
theyre just for possession.
1ST OFFICER All weve got him for is a small amount of
marijuana.
2ND OFFICER OK, take him in for that.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) We keep giving out big jail sentences, simply for
possession. This woman was given 10 years for a first-time marijuana
offense.
JOANNE TUCKER They dont care who they lock up or for how
long.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Will Foster of Texas was sentenced to 93 years after
he was caught growing marijuana. The sentence was recently reduced to
20 years, but thats still pretty severe.
WILL FOSTER Ive never beat up anybody. Ive never raped nobody. I
havent molested a child. I havent killed anybody.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Yet, he sits in jail while the politicians laugh
about their drug use. Its a little hypocritical.
BILL CLINTON And I tried, but I just couldnt inhale
it.
JOHN STOSSEL Give Me a Break.
BARBARA WALTERS John, it is very confusing. On the one hand, as you
show, the politicians make light of their own drug use; on the other
hand, the severe laws continue.
JOHN STOSSEL It feels very wrong, that in a free society, we lock up
so many people, a million Americans are in jail, many of them
nonviolent people doing what these politicians did. We arrest more
people for marijuana than for rape, robbery, murder, and aggravated
assault combined. Doesnt feel right.
BARBARA WALTERS Yet as a campaign issue, how severe the laws should
be, or what should be our point of view, thereit is barely emerged as
a campaign issue.
JOHN STOSSEL Everybody just says, were tough on drugs and thats
it.
BARBARA WALTERS Hmm. So give us a break. Thanks, John. Well be right
back.
Politicians These Days Are Quick To Admit The Drug Use Of Their
Younger Days. However, They Are Even Quicker To Advocate For Harsh
Punishment Of Those Who Are Doing The Same Drugs Today. All This
Double Talk Causes 20/20s John Stossel To Say Give Me A Break!
(This is an unedited, uncorrected transcript.)
Prepared by Burrelles Information Services, which takes sole
responsibility for accuracy of transcription.
BARBARA WALTERS, ABCNEWS Do as I say, not as I do. Thats the message
that seems to be wafting our way from Washington when it comes to
drugs, and that has lit a fire under John Stossel, who is here with
tonights Give Me a Break.
JOHN STOSSEL, ABCNEWS Barbara, have you been listening to the
politicians talk about drug use? I mean, about their using drugs? Its
amazing how hypocritical they are about it. (VO) Presidential
candidate Bill Clinton started things off in 92, when he was asked
about his drug use and he said, I have never broken the laws of my
country. It turned out to be one of those lawyerly language tricks
because a reporter later asked him about laws in other countries.
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON The answer to that question is I have never
broken a state law. And that when I was in England, I experimented
with marijuana a time or two, and I didnt like it and didnt inhale.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Notice the smile? Its clear drug use is no big deal
to him.
1ST MAN If you had it to do over again, would you inhale?
BILL CLINTON Sure, if I could! I tried before!
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Its a bit of a joke. Remember him playing the sax
on TV? What got him the biggest audience response that night was
talking about smoking dope.
BILL CLINTON Thats how I learned to inhale, by playing my saxophone.
You blow out and then you have to inhale. I was 22- or 23-years-old,
and I gave it my very best shot.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) What fun everyone was having. And its not just the
president who did drugs. The vice president did, too.
SENATOR ALBERT GORE, DEMOCRAT TENNESSEE As a student a few times in
the Army.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) So did others in the administration.
MIKE MCCURRY, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY Did I smoke a joint from time to
time? Of course.
BRUCE BABBITT, FORMER ARIZONA GOVERNOR Didnt seem like a big deal at
the time. Life goes on. And Im pretty proud of what Ive done in my
life. Im not losing any sleep over this one, Ill tell you.
GOVERNOR GEORGE BUSH I made mistakes...
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) George W. Bush doesnt admit to drug
use.
GEORGE BUSH ...and Ive learned from those mistakes.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Nor does his father.
2ND MAN Have you ever smoked marijuana?
GEORGE BUSH No, but Id hate to speak for my kids.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Clearly, theres something funny about our leaders
using drugs.
3RD MAN You have not used any illegal drugs like that?
BILL BRADLEY I have used marijuana several times in my life, but never
cocaine.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Reporters do keep asking the question.
SAM DONALDSON, ABCNEWS Excuse me, Cokie. Recently,
marijuana?
BILL BRADLEY No.
SAM DONALDSON When you were a kid?
BILL BRADLEY Well, yeah, right. Have you?
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Laugh, laugh. Wink, wink.
SAM DONALDSON I think a couple of times Ive tried it. And I
inhaled.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) No one seems to take this too seriously.
4TH MAN Im from the Falstaff generation.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) OK, I get it. Its something to chuckle about. After
all, 20 million Americans have tried cocaine. Seventy-two million have
used marijuana.
BILL CLINTON But it is not a big deal.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) But if its no big deal, why did he, and his vice
president, push for tougher drug laws, with longer jail time.
5TH MAN Drug use is wrong. It is illegal.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) And why are we arresting more people than ever, 1
1/2 million Americans a year, on drug charges? The biggest category of
arrest? Possession of marijuana. Not selling, just use. In fact, eight
out of 10 drug arrests are not for dealing or running a drug cartel,
theyre just for possession.
1ST OFFICER All weve got him for is a small amount of
marijuana.
2ND OFFICER OK, take him in for that.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) We keep giving out big jail sentences, simply for
possession. This woman was given 10 years for a first-time marijuana
offense.
JOANNE TUCKER They dont care who they lock up or for how
long.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Will Foster of Texas was sentenced to 93 years after
he was caught growing marijuana. The sentence was recently reduced to
20 years, but thats still pretty severe.
WILL FOSTER Ive never beat up anybody. Ive never raped nobody. I
havent molested a child. I havent killed anybody.
JOHN STOSSEL (VO) Yet, he sits in jail while the politicians laugh
about their drug use. Its a little hypocritical.
BILL CLINTON And I tried, but I just couldnt inhale
it.
JOHN STOSSEL Give Me a Break.
BARBARA WALTERS John, it is very confusing. On the one hand, as you
show, the politicians make light of their own drug use; on the other
hand, the severe laws continue.
JOHN STOSSEL It feels very wrong, that in a free society, we lock up
so many people, a million Americans are in jail, many of them
nonviolent people doing what these politicians did. We arrest more
people for marijuana than for rape, robbery, murder, and aggravated
assault combined. Doesnt feel right.
BARBARA WALTERS Yet as a campaign issue, how severe the laws should
be, or what should be our point of view, thereit is barely emerged as
a campaign issue.
JOHN STOSSEL Everybody just says, were tough on drugs and thats
it.
BARBARA WALTERS Hmm. So give us a break. Thanks, John. Well be right
back.
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