August 30, 2004

ANCHOR, CBS 2 CHICAGO: Moving on to the top story, the Republican National Convention gets underway in just a few hours. After just joining the race, U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes is part of the delegation, and joining us live from New York this morning.

Good morning, Ambassador Keyes, thank you for joining us.

We are hearing many of the delegates of the convention are proud to call themselves conservatives, but we would like to get your response to this question. Former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson is on the record--are you too conservative for Illinois Republicans? Your thoughts, please?

ALAN KEYES, ILLINOIS U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: I think that Governor Thompson would certainly think differently if he knows what I know about Barack Obama. Barack Obama is somebody who has voted for infanticide a few years ago, in which he actually cast a vote to allow completely born, living babies to be set aside like garbage. He voted that they should be set aside like garbage to die. And that's as extremist as it gets.

ANCHOR: Ambassador Keyes, are you trying to say that former Governor Thompson is unaware of that?

KEYES: I really don't know, but I think if he's not aware of it--there are a lot of people in Illinois, by the way, who, when I tell them, they'll say, "Oh, no! [Obama] didn't do that, did he?" But yes, he did. He has taken the most extremist position possible . . .

ANCHOR 2: Well, can we move on to the convention now? We want to talk about the convention today. Yesterday in New York, tens of thousands of protesters--two hundred were arrested at Madison Square Garden. New York is primarily Democratic territory. Tell us, what are your thoughts about how that adds to the challenges of what the Republicans are trying to accomplish, located in a very Democratic area?

KEYES: Well, I think, actually, the protesters--who, it seems to me, are coming across as individuals who don't respect the civility of American political life--are going to be in a position very similar to Barack Obama's. They're going to be people who have adopted an extremist approach, rejected by the majority of people in the country who do not countenance the lack of civility, even as people in Illinois will not accept infanticide as a standard for their approach to how we treat our children in this world.

ANCHOR: Ambassador Keyes, let's talk a little bit now about those who will be making the keynote addresses. They tend to come from the more moderate section of the Republican Party. Exactly how are you feeling about that being presented to the national audience when some polls are showing, I think a CBS poll showed that over 85% of the delegates are proud to call themselves conservatives?

KEYES: Well, I think that the majority of people in this country are proud to call themselves conservatives, and I know that that is true of a great many people in Illinois. Throughout downstate, and Chicago, and the Collar Counties, you have folks who are in favor of Second Amendment rights, as I am. You have people who are against abortion, as I am. You have people who want limited government, as I do.

ANCHOR: I'm wondering if, this morning, you could comment to us about the more moderate Republicans who are addressing the national audience, and how that sits with the majority of conservative delegates there.

KEYES: Well, I think it clearly shows that the Republican Party is willing to listen to different points of view, even though many people, including many people in Illinois, share my viewpoint that we actually need to have schools that are subject to parental control; we need to look at getting rid of the income tax, so that people can control their own money and resources; and we need to take stands that will staunchly defend our constitutional integrity, rather than, like Barack Obama, assaulting the right of citizens in their homes to defend their family.

ANCHOR 2: We understand your argument. But Ambassador Keyes, I'm wondering, you obviously have so much to say. You were asked to speak at the convention. Why did you say no, that you didn't want to speak today at the convention?

KEYES: To tell you the truth, it was a minute that was offered. It's one of those things that's very nice, and I was very grateful to the Senatorial Committee for the offer, but we had a lot of things planned, and these days, getting in and out of the floor and so forth, takes quite a while, so we didn't want to have to use the chunk of time that was necessary in order to get a minute's photo-op. We thought it was more important to be effectively communicating the message to the people of Illinois.

ANCHOR 2: OK. Thank you so much.

ANCHOR: Ambassador Keyes, we wish you a safe week in New York this week, and we know you will be speaking with us in the future. Thank you for joining us this morning.