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CNN Live At Daybreak
Latest on the 2004 Presidential Campaign; Fallujah Attacks -- Legitimate Targets or Civilians?
Aired November 12, 2003 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news -- the fiery aftermath. U.S. air strikes sparked these flames. You're going to see them in just a bit. This is in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. It happened this morning. The attacks destroyed two buildings. The U.S. military says they were being used by terrorists. Hospital sources tell CNN four people were killed.
U.S. forces also in action in the nearby city of Ramadi this morning. They backed up Iraqi forces in raids on seven mosques. No word on arrests. Officials suspect the mosques harbor terrorists and weapons.
In southern Russia this morning, people are filling churches and cemeteries in Beslan. That's where hundreds were killed in a terrorist siege at an elementary school. Residents are marking the end of a 40-day mourning period.
In sports, batter up. One of fiercest rivalries in baseball is being renewed today. The New York Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox in game one of the American League championship series. And you know, they moved it into prime time -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
COSTELLO: It was scheduled for an afternoon game, but then they realized how many more people would watch it at night.
MYERS: Us not being one of them.
COSTELLO: True.
MYERS: I mean the Braves were on last night. They got spanked by the Astros and there was no way I was watching that one.
COSTELLO: You know, there's really a curse on the Braves, not the Boston Red Sox.
MYERS: Well, maybe it's -- maybe the Bambino has televised down South. Maybe he went south for the winter. We'll see. We hope, anyway, for those folks up there. They've -- it's been such a long drought for Boston. You just kind of have to root for them just because if you're still a Boston fan, man, you've got -- you're like a Cubbies fan. (WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: The presidential election 21 days away and the latest numbers show John Kerry and George Bush still locked in a virtual dead heat. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll taken over the weekend suggests Bush and Kerry's second debate on Friday had little effect on the race. Among likely voters, 49 percent support Kerry, 48 percent Bush. Among registered voters, the two are tied at 48 percent apiece. Ralph Nader gets 1 percent from both groups. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Who will do a better job in Wednesday's third and final presidential debate? Well, 54 percent think Kerry will, 36 percent pick Bush. And of course, that final debate is tomorrow in Arizona.
George Bush starts the day with a rally in Colorado Springs and then he heads on to a luncheon in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Bush will spend the night in Phoenix before facing Kerry in nearby Tempe.
Bush is sharpening his attacks on John Kerry and he's using Kerry's own words to do it.
Our senior White House correspondent John King is with the president on the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Out West and on the attack, using his opponent's own words to draw a sharp contrast on terrorism.
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now, just this weekend, Senator Kerry talked of reducing terrorism to, quote, "nuisance," end quote, and compared it to prostitution and illegal gambling. See, I couldn't disagree more.
DICK CHENEY (R), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is all part of a pre-9/11 mindset.
KING: Back East, an echo from the vice president and the man who was New York City police commissioner when the Twin Towers fell.
BERNARD KERIK, FMR. NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: A nuisance didn't kill the 23 people that worked for me, the 37 Port Authority cops, the 343 firefighters, the 2,400 civilians in the towers. A nuisance didn't do that.
KING: Kerry aides say Republicans are taking this "New York Times" magazine interview out of context. But the Bush camp used the "nuisance" quote as a late campaign gift and rushed to seize on it.
BUSH: Our goal is not to reduce terror to some acceptable level of nuisance. Our goal is to defeat terror by staying on the offensive, destroying terrorist networks.
KING: Mr. Bush carried Colorado comfortably four years ago, but is in a tight race this time. And Senator Kerry isn't the only challenge on the ballot. Colorado voters are being asked to back an initiative that would award the state's electoral votes proportionately, based on the popular vote, instead of the current winner-take-all formula. Had such a system been in place four years ago, Al Gore would have won three of Colorado's electoral votes and the White House.
JULIE BROWN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, "MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT": The people love this because they -- they -- they think their vote should count. And this is it to them, it's one person one vote. And they do not understand why we do not have that in the presidential election.
KING: The race is a dead heat but the president maintains an edge when it comes to terrorism. So, his campaign seized on what it views as Senator Kerry's nuisance gaffe, believing security issues will hold sway with most voters who settle on their choice for president in these final three weeks.
John King, CNN, Morrison, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Now the Democratic candidate. Senator Kerry begins his day in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Tonight, he's off to Scottsdale, where he'll get in some last minute prep time for tomorrow night's debate in Tempe. Kerry is ignoring President Bush's latest TV ad. Instead, he had some straight talk about the president's domestic agenda, at least what he calls straight talk.
CNN's Candy Crowley is covering the Kerry campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): John Kerry decided not to get into the nuance of his nuisance remark about terrorists, though his campaign did trot out a nuance-free ad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... to expect containers, secure bridges, tunnels and chemical plants, Bush says we can't afford it. And on the war on terror, Bush said, "I don't think you can win it."
BUSH: I don't, I don't think you can win it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not with his failed leadership.
CROWLEY: Kerry's number two ignored the specifics of the nuisance remark in favor of the unambiguous approach.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS, DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To the terrorists, we will find you and kill you wherever you are. And to the American people, we will keep you safe. John Kerry has been absolutely clear about that.
CROWLEY: The candidate himself had other things on his mind.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And when it comes to developing a real energy policy, George Bush has run out of gas.
CROWLEY: Wooing middle-class votes, Kerry warmed over an old energy speech with the new numbers on the price of oil and everything that stems from it, tantamount, Kerry said, to a tax hike from Mr. Tax Cut.
KERRY: The 30 percent increase in gas prices means a lot more profit for this president's friends in the oil industry. But for most middle class Americans, the Bush tax increase is a tax increase that they can't afford.
CROWLEY: New CNN poll numbers show the president holds a big lead on terrorism and a healthy one on Iraq. But Kerry strategists say other polls show they are making progress in both areas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Tomorrow night's debate will focus on domestic issues, with an emphasis on jobs and the economy.
We're just one day away from that final presidential debate. Our prime time coverage begins tomorrow night at 7:00 with Wolf Blitzer, Paula Zahn, Anderson Cooper and our entire CNN election team.
Let's get an overview now on the war in Iraq with our "Situation Report."
Iraqi security forces, backed by U.S. troops, launched a series of raids on seven mosques today in Ramadi. Insurgents are said to be hiding there. That comes after two air strikes in Fallujah. The U.S. military says a meeting center for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network was destroyed, along with a house used by insurgents.
In Baghdad, Iraqi police have been paying cash for weapons surrendered by members of a militia loyal to the radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. And Turkey's foreign minister confirms that 10 Turkish hostages have been freed by their Iraqi kidnappers.
For the next few minutes, we're going to show you some disturbing and controversial scenes of war. It's cockpit video of an air strike on people walking down a street. Are they insurgents or innocent civilians?
Senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Saturday, April 10, capped a bloody week in Fallujah. Hundreds of Iraqis were killed by U.S. Marines, who were still pushing into the insurgent stronghold, even as members of Iraq's Governing Council were negotiating a cease-fire. U.S. Air Force F-16s dropped more bombs in support of the Marine offensive that Saturday than on any day that week.
A cockpit video of one such engagement, never officially released, has circulated on the Internet for months. CNN has confirmed it's authentic. The 53-second clip provides a rare look at how the U.S. uses what it calls "precision air strikes" in urban areas to support ground operations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got numerous individuals on the road. You want me to take those out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take 'em out.
MCINTYRE: According to a U.S. military account, the order to "take them out" is from a forward air controller on the ground with the Marines, whose job is to confirm the targets are hostile before calling in the bombs. The original target was said to be a nearby building, where Marines had been trading fire with the insurgents before they allegedly fled into the street.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten seconds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger.
MCINTYRE: The U.S. says the ground controller could see the situation before he cleared the pilot to drop a 500-pound bomb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Impact. Oh, dude.
MCINTYRE: Experts who have reviewed the tape at CNN's request say whether the strike was legitimate hinges entirely on whether the controller was right.
JAMES CARAFANO, MILITARY LAW ANALYST: And the challenge there is for the guy who has his eye on the target, it's his responsibility to identify the target to the aircraft.
LT. GEN. ROBERT GARD (RET.), U.S. ARMY, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CONSULTANT: My first reaction to it was I wondered where the air controller was and whether he could identify that as a group of insurgents, or whether he was somewhere remote from that area and didn't know for sure.
MCINTYRE: In an interview with Channel 4 Television in the U.K., a doctor who says he was at the hospital in Fallujah in April claimed the dead were innocent civilians. At the time, fierce fighting across Fallujah was filling the local hospital with numerous casualties, including women and children. And some wonder whether it's logical for insurgents to move in a large group that would make them vulnerable to air strikes.
GARD: The only questionable thing is whether or not well- disciplined and competent insurgents would pour out of a building onto a wide street without any cover. On the other hand, we do know that there are a number of insurgents who are poorly trained, who out of anger or frustration have taken up arms, and it's quite possible that they were insurgents.
MCINTYRE (on camera): Even the most precise air strikes can result in unintended civilian casualties. But the U.S. military insists this strike was by the book and carefully followed rules designed to minimize the risk of innocent lives.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: In News Across America this morning, a Washington State teenager is lucky to be alive. She survived for eight days with no food or water. Seventeen-year-old Laura Hatch is in the hospital this morning. She's in serious condition. She was discovered in the back of her crumpled car at the bottom of a 200-foot ravine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. RICHARD ELLENBOGEN, NEUROSURGEON: She's funny. She makes jokes. And she is -- she's in pretty miraculous shape considering what she's been through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Doctors say dehydration may have saved her life because it slowed the movement of a blood clot on her brain.
A shortage of the flu vaccine is forcing public clinics across the country to shut down. That means many people are not only without shots, but also without jobs. In Oregon and Washington State alone, dozens of nurses are being laid off because of the problem.
Can you see what's missing here? It's a presidential election ballot without the president. The names of the Republican candidates were left off the absentee ballot in Carter County, Missouri. But corrected ballots have now been sent to all 37 Carter County residents who are voting absentee.
All right, let's have some fun. Let's talk about America's pastime and baseball's post-season. The Houston Astros won their first ever play-off series by overwhelming the Atlanta Braves 12-3 in game five. And Atlanta played at home. The Astros were led by outfielder Carlos Beltran, who broke Ken Caminiti's team record for most homers in a post-season series. The Astros move on to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League championship series. Game one airs tomorrow night.
But tonight, the Red Sox and the Yankees square off in game one of the ALCS. The first pitch, 9:00 -- or 8:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm sorry that we got that wrong. The first pitch 8:00 p.m. Eastern. This is the Yankees' sixth appearance in the league championship series in the last seven years and in two of those series they beat the Red Sox to advance to the World Series.
Last year, a loss at game seven left the Red Sox watching another World Series from home. The Sox haven't made it to the fall classic since 1986 and have not won the title in 84 years.
And that leads us to today's e-mail question. Put quite simply, are the Red Sox really cursed? Is there such a thing as the curse of the Bambino? Who will win the Series, the Yankees or the Red Sox? Send us your thoughts, daybreak@cnn.com. Daybreak@cnn.com. And we always enjoy reading them later in the show.
OK, on to legal matters now. It's the defense's turn now in the Scott Peterson case. When we come back, we'll look at the jailhouse letters that will be offered up as evidence of innocence. That comes your way about five minutes from now.
Plus, at 38 minutes after the hour, we'll take you live to Indonesia. Mourners there are marking the second anniversary of the Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people.
Plus -- oh, yes, you can go to combat with candidate Kerry, Swift Boat and all. It's the latest war game and it comes your way at 55 minutes past.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:17 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Today marks four years since al Qaeda terrorists attacked the USS Cole, killing 17 American sailors. The suicide bombing happened in a port in Yemen. A court there recently sentenced a Saudi and a Yemeni militant to death for the attack.
Hundreds of people took part in demonstrations in Gaza City today. Supporters of the Islamic Jihad movement were protesting recent attacks by Israeli forces inside Gaza. More than 100 Palestinians have been killed during military operations over the past two weeks.
In money news, college students are missing out on millions of dollars. A study by the American Council on Education finds that hundreds of thousands of eligible college students are not getting their federal financial aid. Why? Because they don't apply for it. So, send your kids out for those applications today.
In culture, "Now You, Too, Can Think Like A Billionaire," that's the title of Donald Trump's new book, hitting the shelves today. Mixed in with his usual tips on turning millions into billions, Trump takes you on a behind-the-scenes tour of his TV show, "The Apprentice."
In sports, "Monday Night Football," to be exact, the Tennessee Titans dominated the Green Bay Packers 48-27. The 48 points set a record for the most points ever allowed by an opponent at Green Bay's historic Lambeau Field. They lost at home again -- Chad.
MYERS: I guess the frozen tundra wasn't frozen enough. COSTELLO: Yes, maybe it has to be cold.
MYERS: Maybe. Maybe they'll pick it up when it starts to cool off, which should be pretty soon.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a UFO? One lucky couple had a close encounter. It's a tale that is out of this world.
And our e-mail Question of the Morning -- do you think there really is a curse on the Boston Red Sox? Or is it on the Atlanta Braves? I'm just kidding about that part. We want to hear from you this morning. The address, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Time for some late night laughs.
Are you ready, Chad?
MYERS: I'm ready.
COSTELLO: You're ready? This is David Letterman talking about presidential bulges. That's about all I can say about it.
So, listen to this late night laugh.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": And you probably saw this in the newspaper. People now, there's a rumor going around that President Bush, in the first debate, had some kind of listening device and somebody was feeding him answers to the questions for the debate.
And they actually had a photograph of him and there was a bulge in his jacket. And I was thinking well, you know, that's an improvement over the last guy, who had a bulge in his pants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS: Ooh. Who would he be talking about?
COSTELLO: I don't know.
MYERS: Well, we'll have to go back in our history.
COSTELLO: You're staying away from this one, aren't you?
MYERS: Absolutely. Standing away. Stand back.
COSTELLO: Do the Jack Cafferty saying. What does he always say when he doesn't...
MYERS: I got nothing.
COSTELLO: I love that.
Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now.
Attention race fans, get ready for grass car. The lawn mower racing series in upstate New York offers thrills and spills for a very good cause. The drivers help raise money for different causes, including area fire departments and even one local resident's cancer treatments. They ran 14 races this year, Chad, but they hoped to expand in 2005.
MYERS: Wow. Hey, did you hear the latest rumor that some of the NASCAR guys hope that they may be able to get into a union, a drivers union?
COSTELLO: Really?
MYERS: Could you imagine the Teamsters taking over NASCAR?
COSTELLO: That's a scary thought.
MYERS: Ooh, my.
COSTELLO: I guess you could call this next thing you're going to see the great pumpkin. It won the 31st Annual World Champion Weigh- Off in Half Moon Bay, California. The pumpkin weighs 1,229 pounds. That is more than half a ton. It's 13 feet, seven inches around. In fact, the competition featured 80 pumpkins that each weighed more than 1,000 pounds.
MYERS: Ah, it's just a gourd.
COSTELLO: That was so bad.
A Fort Wayne, Indiana couple thought they had seen a UFO fly across the sky so they got out their video camera for some proof. Take a good look. Oh, come on, go back to that. We will in a second. There it is. Decide for yourself. Well, UFO and space experts disagree on exactly what it was. One says the object was an airplane -- going really fast, I would say -- while others say it was nothing more than falling space junk.
MYERS: You can't tell if it's moving though. That's the thing. It's so zoomed in, you can't tell whether -- I know it's shaking but you can't tell whether it's actually going forward or not. Is that a real tail on that thing?
COSTELLO: Yes, that's really weird.
MYERS: It could just be a little (INAUDIBLE).
COSTELLO: I'm going to wonder about that for the next five hours. That Seattle school teacher who served seven years in prison for having a sexual affair with her 13-year-old student says her life has been blessed.
Did you see "LARRY KING LIVE" last night?
MYERS: She's out of jail.
I did not, obviously.
COSTELLO: Well, I actually saw it on the replay this morning. Mary Kay LeTourneau adds she would not have had sex with the boy if she'd known it was illegal. Late night spoke with Larry King in her first live interview since her release from prison.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY KAY LETOURNEAU, CONVICTED CHILD MOLESTER: If anyone had ever said hey, this is a felony, regardless of who initiated the relationship, you're the adult and this is a felony, there isn't any, any way that I would have got involved. It's not that I wouldn't have still had feelings or that he wouldn't still have feelings, but I don't know...
LARRY KING, HOST: You wouldn't have...
LETOURNEAU: I don't know. I don't know how anyone -- I don't know how anyone does something knowing something is a felony.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So, she's 35 and he's 12 or 13 and she did not know it was a felony.
MYERS: Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
COSTELLO: And she was a school teacher.
MYERS: Well, of course.
COSTELLO: Yes.
They're engaged. Larry King...
MYERS: They are. They're engaged now.
COSTELLO: Yes.
Larry King got that out of her. She's wearing a ring and everything. Don't know if they're married yet, but he's apparently in love with her. But you know, he hasn't turned out so well. He didn't finish high school. He doesn't have a job. He sort of lives with friends who will put him up and...
MYERS: Well, I mean look at all the attention the guy's got. And it's not positive attention, you know, so. COSTELLO: No. That's just a sad case.
MYERS: Hope the best for them both.
COSTELLO: That's just too strange for me.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Television where most of you get your news. But the largest owner of TV stations in the country has triggered a debate over what it news. Should an anti-Kerry documentary become must see TV? We'll get you a sample of the spin ahead.
This is DAYBREAK for Tuesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired November 12, 2003 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news -- the fiery aftermath. U.S. air strikes sparked these flames. You're going to see them in just a bit. This is in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. It happened this morning. The attacks destroyed two buildings. The U.S. military says they were being used by terrorists. Hospital sources tell CNN four people were killed.
U.S. forces also in action in the nearby city of Ramadi this morning. They backed up Iraqi forces in raids on seven mosques. No word on arrests. Officials suspect the mosques harbor terrorists and weapons.
In southern Russia this morning, people are filling churches and cemeteries in Beslan. That's where hundreds were killed in a terrorist siege at an elementary school. Residents are marking the end of a 40-day mourning period.
In sports, batter up. One of fiercest rivalries in baseball is being renewed today. The New York Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox in game one of the American League championship series. And you know, they moved it into prime time -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
COSTELLO: It was scheduled for an afternoon game, but then they realized how many more people would watch it at night.
MYERS: Us not being one of them.
COSTELLO: True.
MYERS: I mean the Braves were on last night. They got spanked by the Astros and there was no way I was watching that one.
COSTELLO: You know, there's really a curse on the Braves, not the Boston Red Sox.
MYERS: Well, maybe it's -- maybe the Bambino has televised down South. Maybe he went south for the winter. We'll see. We hope, anyway, for those folks up there. They've -- it's been such a long drought for Boston. You just kind of have to root for them just because if you're still a Boston fan, man, you've got -- you're like a Cubbies fan. (WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: The presidential election 21 days away and the latest numbers show John Kerry and George Bush still locked in a virtual dead heat. A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll taken over the weekend suggests Bush and Kerry's second debate on Friday had little effect on the race. Among likely voters, 49 percent support Kerry, 48 percent Bush. Among registered voters, the two are tied at 48 percent apiece. Ralph Nader gets 1 percent from both groups. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Who will do a better job in Wednesday's third and final presidential debate? Well, 54 percent think Kerry will, 36 percent pick Bush. And of course, that final debate is tomorrow in Arizona.
George Bush starts the day with a rally in Colorado Springs and then he heads on to a luncheon in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Bush will spend the night in Phoenix before facing Kerry in nearby Tempe.
Bush is sharpening his attacks on John Kerry and he's using Kerry's own words to do it.
Our senior White House correspondent John King is with the president on the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Out West and on the attack, using his opponent's own words to draw a sharp contrast on terrorism.
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Now, just this weekend, Senator Kerry talked of reducing terrorism to, quote, "nuisance," end quote, and compared it to prostitution and illegal gambling. See, I couldn't disagree more.
DICK CHENEY (R), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is all part of a pre-9/11 mindset.
KING: Back East, an echo from the vice president and the man who was New York City police commissioner when the Twin Towers fell.
BERNARD KERIK, FMR. NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: A nuisance didn't kill the 23 people that worked for me, the 37 Port Authority cops, the 343 firefighters, the 2,400 civilians in the towers. A nuisance didn't do that.
KING: Kerry aides say Republicans are taking this "New York Times" magazine interview out of context. But the Bush camp used the "nuisance" quote as a late campaign gift and rushed to seize on it.
BUSH: Our goal is not to reduce terror to some acceptable level of nuisance. Our goal is to defeat terror by staying on the offensive, destroying terrorist networks.
KING: Mr. Bush carried Colorado comfortably four years ago, but is in a tight race this time. And Senator Kerry isn't the only challenge on the ballot. Colorado voters are being asked to back an initiative that would award the state's electoral votes proportionately, based on the popular vote, instead of the current winner-take-all formula. Had such a system been in place four years ago, Al Gore would have won three of Colorado's electoral votes and the White House.
JULIE BROWN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, "MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT": The people love this because they -- they -- they think their vote should count. And this is it to them, it's one person one vote. And they do not understand why we do not have that in the presidential election.
KING: The race is a dead heat but the president maintains an edge when it comes to terrorism. So, his campaign seized on what it views as Senator Kerry's nuisance gaffe, believing security issues will hold sway with most voters who settle on their choice for president in these final three weeks.
John King, CNN, Morrison, Colorado.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Now the Democratic candidate. Senator Kerry begins his day in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Tonight, he's off to Scottsdale, where he'll get in some last minute prep time for tomorrow night's debate in Tempe. Kerry is ignoring President Bush's latest TV ad. Instead, he had some straight talk about the president's domestic agenda, at least what he calls straight talk.
CNN's Candy Crowley is covering the Kerry campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): John Kerry decided not to get into the nuance of his nuisance remark about terrorists, though his campaign did trot out a nuance-free ad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... to expect containers, secure bridges, tunnels and chemical plants, Bush says we can't afford it. And on the war on terror, Bush said, "I don't think you can win it."
BUSH: I don't, I don't think you can win it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not with his failed leadership.
CROWLEY: Kerry's number two ignored the specifics of the nuisance remark in favor of the unambiguous approach.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS, DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To the terrorists, we will find you and kill you wherever you are. And to the American people, we will keep you safe. John Kerry has been absolutely clear about that.
CROWLEY: The candidate himself had other things on his mind.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And when it comes to developing a real energy policy, George Bush has run out of gas.
CROWLEY: Wooing middle-class votes, Kerry warmed over an old energy speech with the new numbers on the price of oil and everything that stems from it, tantamount, Kerry said, to a tax hike from Mr. Tax Cut.
KERRY: The 30 percent increase in gas prices means a lot more profit for this president's friends in the oil industry. But for most middle class Americans, the Bush tax increase is a tax increase that they can't afford.
CROWLEY: New CNN poll numbers show the president holds a big lead on terrorism and a healthy one on Iraq. But Kerry strategists say other polls show they are making progress in both areas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Tomorrow night's debate will focus on domestic issues, with an emphasis on jobs and the economy.
We're just one day away from that final presidential debate. Our prime time coverage begins tomorrow night at 7:00 with Wolf Blitzer, Paula Zahn, Anderson Cooper and our entire CNN election team.
Let's get an overview now on the war in Iraq with our "Situation Report."
Iraqi security forces, backed by U.S. troops, launched a series of raids on seven mosques today in Ramadi. Insurgents are said to be hiding there. That comes after two air strikes in Fallujah. The U.S. military says a meeting center for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terrorist network was destroyed, along with a house used by insurgents.
In Baghdad, Iraqi police have been paying cash for weapons surrendered by members of a militia loyal to the radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. And Turkey's foreign minister confirms that 10 Turkish hostages have been freed by their Iraqi kidnappers.
For the next few minutes, we're going to show you some disturbing and controversial scenes of war. It's cockpit video of an air strike on people walking down a street. Are they insurgents or innocent civilians?
Senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Saturday, April 10, capped a bloody week in Fallujah. Hundreds of Iraqis were killed by U.S. Marines, who were still pushing into the insurgent stronghold, even as members of Iraq's Governing Council were negotiating a cease-fire. U.S. Air Force F-16s dropped more bombs in support of the Marine offensive that Saturday than on any day that week.
A cockpit video of one such engagement, never officially released, has circulated on the Internet for months. CNN has confirmed it's authentic. The 53-second clip provides a rare look at how the U.S. uses what it calls "precision air strikes" in urban areas to support ground operations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got numerous individuals on the road. You want me to take those out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take 'em out.
MCINTYRE: According to a U.S. military account, the order to "take them out" is from a forward air controller on the ground with the Marines, whose job is to confirm the targets are hostile before calling in the bombs. The original target was said to be a nearby building, where Marines had been trading fire with the insurgents before they allegedly fled into the street.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten seconds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger.
MCINTYRE: The U.S. says the ground controller could see the situation before he cleared the pilot to drop a 500-pound bomb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Impact. Oh, dude.
MCINTYRE: Experts who have reviewed the tape at CNN's request say whether the strike was legitimate hinges entirely on whether the controller was right.
JAMES CARAFANO, MILITARY LAW ANALYST: And the challenge there is for the guy who has his eye on the target, it's his responsibility to identify the target to the aircraft.
LT. GEN. ROBERT GARD (RET.), U.S. ARMY, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CONSULTANT: My first reaction to it was I wondered where the air controller was and whether he could identify that as a group of insurgents, or whether he was somewhere remote from that area and didn't know for sure.
MCINTYRE: In an interview with Channel 4 Television in the U.K., a doctor who says he was at the hospital in Fallujah in April claimed the dead were innocent civilians. At the time, fierce fighting across Fallujah was filling the local hospital with numerous casualties, including women and children. And some wonder whether it's logical for insurgents to move in a large group that would make them vulnerable to air strikes.
GARD: The only questionable thing is whether or not well- disciplined and competent insurgents would pour out of a building onto a wide street without any cover. On the other hand, we do know that there are a number of insurgents who are poorly trained, who out of anger or frustration have taken up arms, and it's quite possible that they were insurgents.
MCINTYRE (on camera): Even the most precise air strikes can result in unintended civilian casualties. But the U.S. military insists this strike was by the book and carefully followed rules designed to minimize the risk of innocent lives.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: In News Across America this morning, a Washington State teenager is lucky to be alive. She survived for eight days with no food or water. Seventeen-year-old Laura Hatch is in the hospital this morning. She's in serious condition. She was discovered in the back of her crumpled car at the bottom of a 200-foot ravine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. RICHARD ELLENBOGEN, NEUROSURGEON: She's funny. She makes jokes. And she is -- she's in pretty miraculous shape considering what she's been through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Doctors say dehydration may have saved her life because it slowed the movement of a blood clot on her brain.
A shortage of the flu vaccine is forcing public clinics across the country to shut down. That means many people are not only without shots, but also without jobs. In Oregon and Washington State alone, dozens of nurses are being laid off because of the problem.
Can you see what's missing here? It's a presidential election ballot without the president. The names of the Republican candidates were left off the absentee ballot in Carter County, Missouri. But corrected ballots have now been sent to all 37 Carter County residents who are voting absentee.
All right, let's have some fun. Let's talk about America's pastime and baseball's post-season. The Houston Astros won their first ever play-off series by overwhelming the Atlanta Braves 12-3 in game five. And Atlanta played at home. The Astros were led by outfielder Carlos Beltran, who broke Ken Caminiti's team record for most homers in a post-season series. The Astros move on to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League championship series. Game one airs tomorrow night.
But tonight, the Red Sox and the Yankees square off in game one of the ALCS. The first pitch, 9:00 -- or 8:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm sorry that we got that wrong. The first pitch 8:00 p.m. Eastern. This is the Yankees' sixth appearance in the league championship series in the last seven years and in two of those series they beat the Red Sox to advance to the World Series.
Last year, a loss at game seven left the Red Sox watching another World Series from home. The Sox haven't made it to the fall classic since 1986 and have not won the title in 84 years.
And that leads us to today's e-mail question. Put quite simply, are the Red Sox really cursed? Is there such a thing as the curse of the Bambino? Who will win the Series, the Yankees or the Red Sox? Send us your thoughts, daybreak@cnn.com. Daybreak@cnn.com. And we always enjoy reading them later in the show.
OK, on to legal matters now. It's the defense's turn now in the Scott Peterson case. When we come back, we'll look at the jailhouse letters that will be offered up as evidence of innocence. That comes your way about five minutes from now.
Plus, at 38 minutes after the hour, we'll take you live to Indonesia. Mourners there are marking the second anniversary of the Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people.
Plus -- oh, yes, you can go to combat with candidate Kerry, Swift Boat and all. It's the latest war game and it comes your way at 55 minutes past.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning.
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COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:17 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Today marks four years since al Qaeda terrorists attacked the USS Cole, killing 17 American sailors. The suicide bombing happened in a port in Yemen. A court there recently sentenced a Saudi and a Yemeni militant to death for the attack.
Hundreds of people took part in demonstrations in Gaza City today. Supporters of the Islamic Jihad movement were protesting recent attacks by Israeli forces inside Gaza. More than 100 Palestinians have been killed during military operations over the past two weeks.
In money news, college students are missing out on millions of dollars. A study by the American Council on Education finds that hundreds of thousands of eligible college students are not getting their federal financial aid. Why? Because they don't apply for it. So, send your kids out for those applications today.
In culture, "Now You, Too, Can Think Like A Billionaire," that's the title of Donald Trump's new book, hitting the shelves today. Mixed in with his usual tips on turning millions into billions, Trump takes you on a behind-the-scenes tour of his TV show, "The Apprentice."
In sports, "Monday Night Football," to be exact, the Tennessee Titans dominated the Green Bay Packers 48-27. The 48 points set a record for the most points ever allowed by an opponent at Green Bay's historic Lambeau Field. They lost at home again -- Chad.
MYERS: I guess the frozen tundra wasn't frozen enough. COSTELLO: Yes, maybe it has to be cold.
MYERS: Maybe. Maybe they'll pick it up when it starts to cool off, which should be pretty soon.
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COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a UFO? One lucky couple had a close encounter. It's a tale that is out of this world.
And our e-mail Question of the Morning -- do you think there really is a curse on the Boston Red Sox? Or is it on the Atlanta Braves? I'm just kidding about that part. We want to hear from you this morning. The address, daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.
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COSTELLO: Time for some late night laughs.
Are you ready, Chad?
MYERS: I'm ready.
COSTELLO: You're ready? This is David Letterman talking about presidential bulges. That's about all I can say about it.
So, listen to this late night laugh.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": And you probably saw this in the newspaper. People now, there's a rumor going around that President Bush, in the first debate, had some kind of listening device and somebody was feeding him answers to the questions for the debate.
And they actually had a photograph of him and there was a bulge in his jacket. And I was thinking well, you know, that's an improvement over the last guy, who had a bulge in his pants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MYERS: Ooh. Who would he be talking about?
COSTELLO: I don't know.
MYERS: Well, we'll have to go back in our history.
COSTELLO: You're staying away from this one, aren't you?
MYERS: Absolutely. Standing away. Stand back.
COSTELLO: Do the Jack Cafferty saying. What does he always say when he doesn't...
MYERS: I got nothing.
COSTELLO: I love that.
Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now.
Attention race fans, get ready for grass car. The lawn mower racing series in upstate New York offers thrills and spills for a very good cause. The drivers help raise money for different causes, including area fire departments and even one local resident's cancer treatments. They ran 14 races this year, Chad, but they hoped to expand in 2005.
MYERS: Wow. Hey, did you hear the latest rumor that some of the NASCAR guys hope that they may be able to get into a union, a drivers union?
COSTELLO: Really?
MYERS: Could you imagine the Teamsters taking over NASCAR?
COSTELLO: That's a scary thought.
MYERS: Ooh, my.
COSTELLO: I guess you could call this next thing you're going to see the great pumpkin. It won the 31st Annual World Champion Weigh- Off in Half Moon Bay, California. The pumpkin weighs 1,229 pounds. That is more than half a ton. It's 13 feet, seven inches around. In fact, the competition featured 80 pumpkins that each weighed more than 1,000 pounds.
MYERS: Ah, it's just a gourd.
COSTELLO: That was so bad.
A Fort Wayne, Indiana couple thought they had seen a UFO fly across the sky so they got out their video camera for some proof. Take a good look. Oh, come on, go back to that. We will in a second. There it is. Decide for yourself. Well, UFO and space experts disagree on exactly what it was. One says the object was an airplane -- going really fast, I would say -- while others say it was nothing more than falling space junk.
MYERS: You can't tell if it's moving though. That's the thing. It's so zoomed in, you can't tell whether -- I know it's shaking but you can't tell whether it's actually going forward or not. Is that a real tail on that thing?
COSTELLO: Yes, that's really weird.
MYERS: It could just be a little (INAUDIBLE).
COSTELLO: I'm going to wonder about that for the next five hours. That Seattle school teacher who served seven years in prison for having a sexual affair with her 13-year-old student says her life has been blessed.
Did you see "LARRY KING LIVE" last night?
MYERS: She's out of jail.
I did not, obviously.
COSTELLO: Well, I actually saw it on the replay this morning. Mary Kay LeTourneau adds she would not have had sex with the boy if she'd known it was illegal. Late night spoke with Larry King in her first live interview since her release from prison.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY KAY LETOURNEAU, CONVICTED CHILD MOLESTER: If anyone had ever said hey, this is a felony, regardless of who initiated the relationship, you're the adult and this is a felony, there isn't any, any way that I would have got involved. It's not that I wouldn't have still had feelings or that he wouldn't still have feelings, but I don't know...
LARRY KING, HOST: You wouldn't have...
LETOURNEAU: I don't know. I don't know how anyone -- I don't know how anyone does something knowing something is a felony.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So, she's 35 and he's 12 or 13 and she did not know it was a felony.
MYERS: Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
COSTELLO: And she was a school teacher.
MYERS: Well, of course.
COSTELLO: Yes.
They're engaged. Larry King...
MYERS: They are. They're engaged now.
COSTELLO: Yes.
Larry King got that out of her. She's wearing a ring and everything. Don't know if they're married yet, but he's apparently in love with her. But you know, he hasn't turned out so well. He didn't finish high school. He doesn't have a job. He sort of lives with friends who will put him up and...
MYERS: Well, I mean look at all the attention the guy's got. And it's not positive attention, you know, so. COSTELLO: No. That's just a sad case.
MYERS: Hope the best for them both.
COSTELLO: That's just too strange for me.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Television where most of you get your news. But the largest owner of TV stations in the country has triggered a debate over what it news. Should an anti-Kerry documentary become must see TV? We'll get you a sample of the spin ahead.
This is DAYBREAK for Tuesday.
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