10 Questions For George Stephanopoulos

By Michele Orecklin

ABC news has named Stephanopoulos, the former White House wunderkind, to replace hosts Sam and Cokie on the Sunday-morning political show This Week. Some wonder whether the ex-operative can be objective, but switching from politics to TV is nothing new, he tells TIME's Michele Orecklin.

WHO WOULD BE YOUR IDEAL GUESTS?

President Bush is at the top of my list. I would love to talk to Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan together. I'd love to get Warren Buffett and Ken Lay on at the same time to talk about what worked and what went wrong.

WHICH INTERVIEWERS DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?

Tim Russert for his research. Ted Koppel for his piercing questions. Charlie Rose because he seems to be rambling but he gets information out of people. Diane Sawyer has the instinct for the single most important question.

WILL YOU CHANGE THE SHOW'S FORMAT?

We're planning to build on what we have: organize it around a challenging newsmaker interview, then have a roundtable. George Will will stay, but we'll bring in some fresh voices to contend with him. We'll probably redesign the set in a way that's comfortable for me. Get a chair that really fits me, nothing radical.

IT'S BEEN YOUR JOB TO PREPARE POLITICIANS TO GO ON SHOWS LIKE THIS WEEK. WILL THAT EXPERIENCE HELP YOU?

To prep a politician to go on TV, you always had to understand the weak points of an argument and the strongest arguments against it, what had to be emphasized and what had to be downplayed. Because I spent so much time doing that, I think I'll be able to recognize pretty quickly when I'm being spun.

AND IF YOU RECOGNIZE THAT SOMEONE IS AVOIDING A QUESTION?

I'll try to be tough and challenging without being excessively confrontational, to get information without playing gotcha.

YOU'VE RUN INTO BILL CLINTON ONLY ONCE SINCE YOU LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

I ran into him a few months ago at a restaurant for the first time since 1998. He was very polite, very civil. He asked me if I was happy. Congratulated me on my marriage and my wife's pregnancy.

WOULD YOU HAVE HIM ON THE SHOW?

I have a standing any-Sunday-you-choose invitation to the current President, the former President and Senator Clinton.

SO YOU'RE LAUNCHING A SHOW AND HAVING A BABY?

Yes, I have nightmares that my wife will go into labor five minutes before my debut.

DO YOU EVER ENVISION GOING BACK INTO POLITICS?

No, never. I've chosen this path--this is what I want to do.

AMONG YOU, TIM RUSSERT AND BOB SCHIEFFER, WHO HAS THE BEST HAIR?

[Laughs] I'll plead the Fifth.