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American Morning

Iraq Bombings; Effects of Baghdad Bombing Felt in Race for White House; Interview With Wesley Clark; Interview With Mohammed El Baradei

Aired March 18, 2004 - 9:00   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's happened again. Another car loaded with explosives goes off in Iraq. Another city now in the grip of terror.
John Kerry and Vice President Dick Cheney making Iraq an election year issue. The two sides going to war over war.

And the key piece of evidence in the Jayson Williams trial. Was the gun that killed the limo driver defective or not? A look at that on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Good morning again, 9:00 here in New York. To Baghdad in a moment. Also, this explosion in Basra that we talked about as well.

Also this hour, we're going to find out more about the Ohio sniper case. The senior police reporter at Columbus Dispatch with us yesterday. Talk to him again today about a break in that case and what happened there in Vegas.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're going to hear from former presidential candidate Wesley Clark about the war of words between the White House and the Democrats over Iraq. What does he think about how the military is being used in this campaign? We'll get his word on that.

HEMMER: Also, Jack cafferty.

Good morning to you, Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: How are you doing?

Political analysis courtesy of Howard Stern and Mel Gibson. Could either of these gentlemen influence your vote in the upcoming presidential election? We're reading your e-mails at am@cnn.com.

HEMMER: Good deal.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you.

Top stories now. The Pentagon reporting four more suspects being taken into custody in connection with the Madrid train attacks. Five other suspects appearing in court today. Meanwhile, Spain says it will declassify government documents from last Thursday showing what it knew when it blamed the Basque separatist group ETA for the bombings which left 200 people dead.

Martha Stewart is launching a letter writing campaign. Stewart, recently convicted in her obstruction of justice trial, is planning an appeal with her attorneys, but she's also calling on friends to write letters to the judge in the case to try to help her stay out of jail. Stewart is expected to be sentenced in June. Could face between 10 to 16 months in prison.

The Pentagon says it will withhold about $300 million in payments to Halliburton. The company, once run by Vice President Dick Cheney, may have overcharged the Defense Department for meals served to troops in Iraq and Kuwait. A Halliburton spokesperson says the company hopes to persuade the Pentagon to drop those plans.

A Methodist minister in Seattle is facing a church trial after she married her lesbian lover. About 100 people demonstrated outside of the church's proceedings yesterday. They might again resume today. Reverend Karen Dowman (ph) could lose her ministry if she's found guilty of violating church law and acknowledging her homosexuality.

And officials at the University of California Davis are issuing an apology after thousands of students mistakenly received e-mails saying that they had won scholarships to the university. Six thousand potential incoming freshmen received e-mails promising $30,000 over four years, only too later learn it was a big mistake. University officials are blaming it all on a clerical error.

HEMMER: What school was that?

O'BRIEN: U.C. Davis.

HEMMER: They got issues.

O'BRIEN: Could you imagine, $30,000 over four years? You'd get a letter like that and say, oh, all my financial problems are solved. I can finally pay for college. And then not.

HEMMER: Oh to be disappointed when the truth comes out. That's right.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: There has been another deadly explosion near a hotel in Iraq today. Today's car bomb in the British-patrolled city of Basra killing at least four bystanders, maybe more. All this according to early reports.

Coming less than 24 hours after a powerful blast killed 17 in Baghdad. Those numbers downgraded earlier today from a high of 29.

Walt Rodgers back on the scene there. And Walt, we have talked about these attacks in the past, these so-called soft targets that appear to be endless in a city of five million. What concerns U.S. authorities the most based on what they're learning so far from yesterday?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In a word, the future, Bill, because U.S. authorities here are openly predicting that the attacks we've seen in the last 24 hours are going to increase and become more violent in the run-up to June 30th, when the United States was to hand over its control to the Iraqi Provisional Council.

The bombing here in Baghdad was a horrendous event, murderous. And Iraqis were walking around the street this morning asking in Arabic, why, why? Why this particular neighborhood? It made no sense.

There was no concentration of Americans or British here. This was a quiet mixed neighborhood of Sunni and Shia Muslims and Kurds as well. And yet there was a small hotel across the street.

By the way, the bomb, which went off in Basra today, also a car bomb, not as destructive as here in Baghdad last night. But it, too, went off in a hotel district. Iraqi police are saying four dead in Basra. That is the British zone, and the British came to try to quell the violence there afterwards. But again, a very, very bloody week on the part of the insurgents, marking the anniversary of the beginning of the American invasion a year ago -- Bill.

HEMMER: Yes, that is tomorrow. That date, March 19th. Walter, these two events, yesterday and today, how does that help the current cause for the insurgency?

RODGERS: Well, what it does is undermine the credibility of the United States' effort to rebuild Iraq and try to sow an incipient democracy here. You can't really have a very healthy, productive democracy with bombs going off. People are not going to stick their heads up. They're not going to volunteer to join police forces.

This is a very, very bloody week. And it just shows that, one week after the Americans took over in Iraq, it is still the Iraqi insurgents who are calling many of the shots here. The Americans can rebuild schools and provide some water in cities and towns around Iraq, but the Iraqi capital simply is not safe. And that's the message the insurgent insurgents are putting out -- Bill.

HEMMER: Walt Rogers from the scene there in Baghdad.

That blast yesterday caught on videotape. There's an Arabic language American TV channel, Al Herra (ph), that's conducted out of Virginia. There was a guest getting set for an interview in Baghdad yesterday. As we roll this tape, there's the blast. And then a second later, comes the concussion picked up on the microphone.

The location for that interview and the location for the bombing about a half-mile apart. Half a mile away in the district of Karada. We'll watch it yet again. Karada, a heavily populated area with a number of shops and stores.

In fact, back in December, quite remarkable to walk along that district and see how much business was being conducted in that part of Baghdad. Al Herra (ph) again based out of the U.S. here, the state of Virginia. Quite clear as you watch that fireball go up into the Baghdad nighttime sky.

O'BRIEN: It's amazing to see.

HEMMER: Really extraordinary stuff. A 1,000-pound bomb, Soledad, packed into this car and loaded and wrapped around a number of munitions, ammunitions to maximize the impact.

One silver lining in the story we've learned today, though. The high death count was at 29. We thought it could go higher. It's been reduced significantly now, just 17. The only silver lining we see out of that so far today.

O'BRIEN: Well, I think police are still saying -- of course, the numbers may be a while before they really start to jive. But they're saying six -- Iraqi police are saying six people dead, not 17. So we'll see.

Let's talk a little bit about the effects of yesterday's Baghdad bombing being felt truly in the race for the White House. At about the same time as the blast, Democratic candidate John Kerry began a speech on war and terrorism. A short time later, Vice President Dick Cheney took aim at Senator Kerry over national security, and the war of words heated up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A Senator from Massachusetts has given us ample doubts about his judgment and the attitude he brings to bear on vital issues of national security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This president has had his chance. And this president has not delivered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein is a political writer for the Los Angeles Times. He joins us from Washington, D.C., this morning.

Ron, as always, good morning. Nice to see you.

You heard both those gentlemen. Was there one who you thought laid out a more effective argument than the other?

RON BROWNSTEIN, LOS ANGELES TIMES: No, but I think you got a good sense of the argument we're going to hear for the next eight months. Dick Cheney -- Vice President Cheney essentially laid out the argument that Republican candidates have been making against Democratic presidential candidates since the days of George McGovern. He accused John Kerry of being too quick to cut defense spending and too slow to use military force in cases like the first Gulf War and the New Gulf War. The difference, of course, is that the backdrop is different. These arguments could be more relevant to voters now in the wake of 9/11. They have been for most of the last 20 years.

For John Kerry, the argument was different, though, than what he had been arguing in the primary. He started off his speech with a familiar complaint, familiar from all the Democratic candidates, that President Bush has been too quick to act unilaterally, accusing him of alienating allies and support we need. But then, Soledad, he spent most of the speech doing something he had not really done during the primaries, which is criticizing President Bush from the right, arguing that he has not provided enough material support to the troops, pledging to increase the size of the Army, and basically trying make a case that he would be every bit as tough, if not tougher, than President Bush in defending our national security interests.

O'BRIEN: In addition to specific attacks on Senator Kerry, we also heard the vice president praising the president's record on national security. I want to play a little bit of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: The American people will have a clear choice in the election of 2004. At least as clear as any since the election of 1984. In more than three years as president, George W. Bush has built a national security record of his own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: In fact, polls show Americans have more confidence in the president than Senator Kerry. Some polls, I should say, when they're talking about terrorism and national security. So you have to imagine that this is a point that the White House is going to leverage certainly over the next seven-and-a-half months.

BROWNSTEIN: Absolutely. Look, their argument is steady leadership in times of change. I mean, the cornerstone of their argument is that President Bush can be counted on to make tough decisions and to handle unexpected challenges, which obviously 9/11 was.

What's interesting, though, is when you look at polling, there is a distinction in the way the American people judge him on two fronts here. He gets very strong ratings really throughout his presidency since 9/11 for handling terrorism.

On Iraq itself, though, the judgment is more equivocal. You have more division in the public about how good a job he's doing, whether we're on the right course there. And those kinds of doubts are obviously fanned by any signs of disorder like the violence we've seen over the last 24 hours.

O'BRIEN: It was very strange, Ron, to watch -- and I'm sure you'll agree with this -- yesterday. when Senator Kerry was talking, there was sort of a split box where they showed the bombing and the media after math, and also the Senator talking. They brought that so you could sort of see both scenes.

When we heard from the vice president, same thing. You saw the vice president talking, and also the later aftermath of the bombing. Give me a sense of how the effect of what was going on behind the scenes overseas will affect what happens and what we were hearing from the two gentlemen.

BROWNSTEIN: Well, here's a dirty little secret of presidential politics. Reality trumps spin, especially when you have an incumbent president.

The two candidates can argue, can make any set of arguments they want about how things are going in Iraq, but I think the principal factor in shaping how Americans assess the cause in Iraq will be the events on the ground. And I think we learned over the last year of kind of dizzying highs and lows that no single event is going to dominate the way that Americans perceive this. But the cumulative weight of events will be an important factor in this election, both in the economy and certainly in Iraq.

I think it will outweigh any argument, any television ad, any debate in how the candidates judge who to go to in November. The fact is, with an incumbent president, the presidential election is overwhelmingly a referendum on his record. And that record, in the eyes of the public, is shaped mostly by results.

O'BRIEN: At the end of the day, those results will matter more than any series of speeches. Ron Brownstein joining us this morning. As always, a big thanks.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Bill?

HEMMER: In a moment, live in Baghdad. A press conference expected any moment now. Dan Senor, who heads up the coalition authority, along with Ambassador Paul Bremer, Brigadier General Mark Commit, are going to take some questions.

We talked to them about two hours ago about where the investigation is headed and who are the leading suspects. They still point the finger at Zarqawi, yet they don't know where he is. Maybe in the middle part of Iraq. But nonetheless, they're going to be taking questions the day after, so stay tuned for that in a moment.

O'BRIEN: And still to come this morning, a day after a suspect is caught in those string of Ohio shootings, we're going to hear about the man who tipped off police to the whereabouts.

HEMMER: And the prosecution resting. Now the defense gets its shot in the Jayson Williams trial. We'll have a look at that in a moment as well.

O'BRIEN: And Courtney Love is not feeling much love from some in New York. We'll explain what happened to her yesterday.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Prosecutors wrapping up their manslaughter case against Jayson Williams. They did that yesterday. The former NBA star's defense asking now that charges be dropped on the grounds the state did not present enough evidence.

A weapons expert has said that the shot gun that killed Williams' limo driver, Gus Christophi, was working just fine, which is contrary to defense claims that it malfunctioned. That case begins next week yet again -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The suspect in the Ohio highway shootings could be back in Ohio this weekend. Charles McCoy, Jr. scheduled to appear in a court in Las Vegas tomorrow. He's being held there without bail. Police were led to McCoy by a man who spotted him in a casino. Bruce Cadwallader of The Columbus Dispatch, who interviewed that man, joins us from Las Vegas this morning.

Nice to see you again, Bruce. Thanks for being with us.

BRUCE CADWALLADER, SR. POLICE REPORTER, COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's back track a little bit . The first break in this case actually took place in Ohio, when some of the weaponry was really handed over to police. They haven't really said specifically, though, much about that. Do you have any more information about that?

CADWALLADER: Sure. Our sources told us that family members had taken guns away from Charlie McCoy. And when a relative called the task force and said that those guns should be checked, they went to Charlie McCoy's father, who handed over two nine-millimeter pistols. One of those pistols has now been ballistically linked to the murder weapon used in the slaying of Gail Knisley back in November on that south outer belt that's become so famous now.

O'BRIEN: The second big break, really major break, took place in Las Vegas. Although the man that you spoke to talked a lot about his frustration in trying to get authorities to really listen to his story. He said something like 50 times he put a call in.

CADWALLADER: This man spent 14 hours working on this McCoy case. He actually became like a little detective. He collected evidence. He repeatedly contacted authorities. He stalked McCoy from the Stardust to several different hotels. And then, of course, the bigger break came when he found that car with Ohio license plates in a Budget motel here off the strip.

O'BRIEN: His name is Conrad Malsom. He's an unemployed timeshare salesman and car salesman. Did he tell you what his motivation was?

As you mentioned, 14 hours, which included, at one point, when he sort of lost McCoy. He then had to drive around and try to track him down, which he did successfully. And then he called police. Did he tell you why?

CADWALLADER: Yes. He recognized McCoy right away from pictures he had seen in other media. One of the better quotes -- and McCoy has not been convicted yet -- but he said, "This man killed a woman and perhaps shot at 100 more cars. I had to keep following him."

O'BRIEN: Bruce Cadwallader from the Columbus Dispatch joining us this morning. Thanks. Interesting story. Appreciate it -- Bill.

HEMMER: Quickly to Baghdad. A statement being read on behalf of Ambassador Paul Bremer. This, the day after. Let's listen.

DAN SENOR: "... Provisional Authority and the United States of America, I extend condolences to the injured and to the families of those murdered in the Karada district last night and Basra earlier today. Civilized people everywhere share your sorrow."

"This latest outrage is piled atop other terrorist attacks against unarmed innocent civilians all over Iraq, as well as the terrorist bombings in Madrid last week. From Nairobi to New York, to Bali to Moscow, to Karbala and Erbil, earlier bombings have circled the globe. Those who deny terrorists are operating around the globe and willing to attack any target are denying reality."

"Here in Iraq, there is little doubt that terrorists are doing everything within their power to stop Iraq's progress toward democracy. Their increasing tendency to attack any available target that offers the chance of mass casualties tells us that literally nothing is sacred to them. They are willing to kill religious pilgrims, innocent Iraqis living next to a lightly-protected hotel, or anyone else."

"Terrorists in Iraq seek to break the will of the Iraqi people. They believe that if they spill enough Iraqi blood, they can halt Iraq's progress to democracy. They are wrong."

"I meet Iraqis every day. I have no doubt that the people of Iraq will not be cowed by these terrorists. The Iraqi people have waited too long for democracy. After suffering oppression, unnecessary wars, and hundreds of thousands of murdered by Saddam's regime, they are not going to permit a small band of terrorist evil- doers to stand between them and democracy. We of the coalition will stand with the people of Iraq against terrorism."

General Kimmitt.

BRIG. GENERAL MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: Thank you.

Let me also add the condolences of the coalition and military forces to those of Ambassador Bremer. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families effected by this senseless violence.

As to the facts as we know them, yesterday, at 8:09 p.m., a car bomb detonated in the Karada district of Baghdad, vicinity of the Mount Lebanon Hotel. Iraqi police fire and medical units responded to the incident, along with support provided by coalition forces. An unknown suicide bomber triggered the device inside the vehicle and died in the explosion. The bomb was estimated to consist of approximately 1,000 pounds of explosives and artillery shells, and caused structural damage to the Mount Lebanon Hotel and a number of buildings nearby.

As of 16:00, the Iraqi Police Service and the Iraqi Ministry of Health report seven civilians killed and 35 civilians wounded. No coalition personnel were injured. No group has claimed responsibility. And no persons have been detained at this point in connection with this incident.

Importantly, the coalition remains resolute in our determination to hunt down extremists who attack innocent civilians and stand in the way of a free, Democratic and sovereign Iraq. The terrorists will fail.

SENOR: We are happy to take your questions.

Yes? Go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi. What can you tell us about what happened in Basra today? And also, any details on the fighting in Fallujah?

KIMMITT: The two incidents, the first incident we've got some sketchy reports on what came in from Basra. It is our understanding that there was either an IED or a VBIED, a car bomb or another bomb, which exploded outside of a hotel in Basra.

The casualty reports right now are quite sketchy. We believe we only have one or two persons that were injured or killed in that.

There is a large demonstration going on at that site. The reports we have is that the demonstration is not focused against any particular group, such as the coalition, but just expressing their anger.

We do have coalition forces and over-watch. The area has been cordoned off. There are personnel standing by to try to bring security to the area and control to the area. But right now, everything seems to be under control. And even though we don't have the exact casualty count right now, we expect those numbers to be quite low.

HEMMER: At least two incidents to talk about there. One in Basra. There are at least five dead based on reports there in the car bomb today in the southern town of Basra. The incident in Fallujah that apparently is ongoing as well.

Not a whole lot of information there. But the big news of the day is the follow-up from the day yesterday with that massive car bombing at that hotel right around 8:00 local time in the evening in Baghdad. Still no leads and no claims of responsibility on behalf of the coalition authority.

That late word from Baghdad. We'll monitor that for you. Let's get a break. Back in a moment in more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: All right, "Question of the Day." Here's Jack.

CAFFERTY: Radio shock jock Howard Stern and Mel Gibson are getting into the ring for November's presidential election. Stern, who was yanked off six Clear Channel radio stations last month, now spends at least part of his on-air time attacking President Bush. And he's urging his eight million listeners to vote for someone besides President Bush.

Mel Gibson, who has been a Bush supporter in the past, says he's having doubts now about the president and the war in Iraq and the fact we haven't found those weapons. The question is: could Howard Stern or Mel Gibson influence your vote for president?

George in Dunwoody, Georgia, writes: "I'd rather get my political advice from Elmer Fudd and Donald Duck than from Stern and Gibson."

Joshua in Arkadelphia, Arkansas -- there's some great town names in this country.

HEMMER: Yes. How about Texarkana in Arkansas?

CAFFERTY: Yes. Joshua says, "We pay these people millions of dollars to entertain us, not to politically think for us. In the end, Americans must make their decisions based on the issues, not celebrity endorsements."

Preston in Oregon: "While most people attentive to the political process have already made up their minds about who they're going to vote for, Howard Stern and Mel Gibson both have large groups of fans among people that would be considered swing voters. The 2000 election showed us exactly how much one vote can make a difference. And with a listener base of eight million, discounting the voice of Howard Stern is not a wise choice."

And Del in Berea, Kentucky, doesn't think Stern's audience is a big deal. "I can see it now. the day after President Bush's reelection, all eight million Howard Stern fans will say, 'Oh, was that yesterday?'"

Pretty funny.

O'BRIEN: They may be against it, but they'll all forget to vote. Is that her point?

CAFFERTY: Yes. That's pretty good, right?

O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.

Still to come this morning, MTV's sister act. Could Jessica Simpson's little sister be the real thing? Our "90-Second Pop" panel weighs in on that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

CAFFERTY: Now, there's a question.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HEMMER: All right. Welcome back, 9:31 here in New York City. Good to have you with us today.

A lot of news to talk about regarding Iraq. Also, news to talk about in Iran.

Meeting with the president yesterday, the director of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency the IAEA's Mohammed El Baradei. We'll talk to him in a moment. The weapons in Iran a very important subject to get to. And also his meeting from yesterday. So stay tuned for that.

O'BRIEN: Also, on a very much, much lighter note, "90-Second Pop" is going to take a look at the rise of this young lady. Her name is Ashlee Simpson. She's Jessica Simpson's little sister. She's trying, at least, to follow closely in her big sister's footsteps.

We're going to see if she has any luck. She's got a new show. So it's a good first step.

HEMMER: Yes. Ride that train.

O'BRIEN: I wonder if she's as -- what's another word for not quite so sharp?

HEMMER: Dull?

O'BRIEN: Dull, as her sister sometimes seems to be.

HEMMER: Think about that.

Let's get to our top stories again. Another deadly bombing today in Iraq. Witnesses telling CNN at least four are dead after an apparent car bomb exploded in Basra, southern part of the country. Word of the blast coming to us about two hours ago. The attack comes a day after a suicide bombing at a hotel in central Baghdad.

At a news conference still ongoing in Baghdad, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt says that explosion killed at least seven people now. That's been downgraded, that number. We'll follow that for you. Good news to know that it's much lower than it was earlier today.

President Bush honoring troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The president expected to thank about 20,000 that recently returned from Iraq. That visit comes just a day before the one-year anniversary of the war in Iraq, March 19th, which is tomorrow.

The suspect in the killings of nine family members in Fresno facing arraignment today. That trial postponed yesterday after Marcus Wesson appeared in court without an attorney.

Meanwhile, California police investigating whether or not officers were already at the home outside when the shootings took place. Officers say Wesson spoke with them, then ran back into a back bedroom where the bodies were later found and discovered by police inside the home.

Also, California, authorities say a man suspected in a highway shooting has been taken into custody. Highway 101 in southern California closed down for hours yesterday after two men found a bullet in their car. Police say at least six shots were reported. No injuries, luckily, there in the southern part of the state.

Also, from Georgia, hundreds of brides rushing to Filene's Basement for its annual running of the brides sale. Yes. Thousands of designer gowns prices cut in half. The blushing brides, we're told, could not wait to get their hands on the perfect dress for that special day.

O'BRIEN: That is -- I have done this in Boston.

HEMMER: Yes, you have? And?

O'BRIEN: Years ago, when I was a bride to be. And it is the most competitive, cutthroat, pushy bunch of women you have ever -- fighting, fist fights over gowns.

HEMMER: Make sure those cameras are on the inside to catch all of that.

O'BRIEN: Physically tough. Yes. Glad I'm not there.

Let's turn back to Iraq now. The U.S. presence in Iraq is becoming increasingly a key issue in the battle for the White House. Yesterday, Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry traded jabs about Iraq and the war on terror. This is some of what the vice president had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: It is not an impressive record for someone who aspires to become commander in chief in this time of testing for our country. Over the years, he's repeatedly voted against weapons systems for the military. He voted against the Apache helicopter, against the Tomahawk cruise missile, against even the Bradley fighting vehicle. He's also been a reliable vote against military pay increases, opposing them no fewer than 12 times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Earlier this morning I spoke with former Democratic presidential candidate and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark about Iraq and the campaign. Clark is now a supporter of Senator John Kerry's.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WESLEY CLARK (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The fact is this: John Kerry does have the right character and experience to be our commander in chief, to be a great president. He did serve in Vietnam. He's been at the point at the end of the sphere.

He's seen bullets fly in anger. He's got three purple hearts. He won a Silver Star as a Navy lieutenant on a small boat in Vietnam. And he served his life in public service.

He's had any number of votes for and against any number of issues in the United States Senate. He's got a long public career.

I have gotten to know him over the years. I have watched his record, I've watched his statements, I have watched how he thinks. He's a thoughtful man who will make the right decisions for this country and keep us safe. And he'll do it by bringing our allies in with us.

And I think as we look to the future, Soledad, it's not Apache helicopters and Bradley fighting vehicles alone that are going to keep this country safe. Although we need them, and John's voted for them.

I think what we need is a strong international coalition, an alliance. The same as we had when we were fighting in Europe in the late 1990s against the Serbs in Kosovo, where nations were committed to work together against international terrorism. This administration hasn't built that.

O'BRIEN: When you look at the polls, though, the CNN-USA Today- Gallup poll asked at the beginning of March, "Who would do a better job on terrorism, on Iraq, on world affairs." President Bush significantly ahead of Senator Kerry. So I guess my question would be, how do you, after all that you've said, change public opinion and sway from what obviously voters or potential voters seem to think about Kerry's strength versus the president's strength?

CLARK: Well, I think we've got to get the facts out to the American people. And here are the facts. The administration took us to war in Iraq, a war that we didn't actually have to fight. There was no linkage between Saddam Hussein and the events of 9/11.

There actually have been no weapons of mass destruction discovered. Iraq was not an imminent threat to the United States. We went to war before our allies were on board fully, before diplomatic options were exhausted. We went to war without sufficient forces to handle the problems after we got to Baghdad, and without a plan of doing so.

So now we're there. We want to succeed.

The really key factor in Iraq is, how can you bring the international community in to help spread the burden and make this a sustainable mission? There's no magic bullet, no quick-fix solution to the problems in Iraq. We just have to make the size of the U.S. occupation force over time able to be sustained by the overall size of our armed forces.

O'BRIEN: If the violence does not abate, how big of a problem is this for President Bush? Do you think it's career-ending? CLARK: Well, I think the American people are going to judge this on the overall wisdom of the foreign policy and security policy of the Bush administration. When we could have focused on terrorists and gotten rid of Osama bin Laden, the president took us instead into Iraq.

It looked like an easier target, more of a sure thing. It was a state. It wasn't a nebulous group of people. And it seemed more accessible in Iraq than going after Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.

But now Osama bin Laden's still on the loose, we're still having terrorist incidents around the world. And Iraq is a problem. And this really is the key foreign policy issue in this campaign, which person, John Kerry or George W. Bush, is best suited to bring the nations of the world together to focus on keeping the world safe from international terrorism?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: General Wesley Clark speaking with us a little bit earlier on AMERICAN MORNING -- Bill.

HEMMER: The U.N.'s chief nuclear inspector says the jury is still out on whether or not Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Mohammed El Baradei told Congress and the White House yesterday there is no specific proof of Tehran's nuclear intentions. The head of the IAEA our guest today from D.C.

Good morning to you. Nice to see you again here on AMERICAN MORNING. It has been some time since we have spoken here. Nice to have you.

MOHAMMED EL BARADEI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IAEA: Thank you, Bill, for having me.

O'BRIEN: In your conversations yesterday with the president, what did you tell him, if you can share that with us?

EL BARADEI: Well, I think I told him that I fully support his initiative to strengthen our fight against proliferation of nuclear weapons. I think pretty much we are reading from the same page, Bill, on the need to control nuclear weapons, usable material, and the need to have a better system of export control, and the need to limit the factories that produce plutonium and highly-enriched uranium.

And I think we both agree that after the discovery of that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by A.Q. Khan and associates, after our knowledge that al Qaeda and others were trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons, there is a different ballgame altogether, and we need to change the rules. And we focus on how we can operationalize his ideas, my ideas, other people's ideas to strengthen the system. So I think it was very productive.

HEMMER: And in return, what did he tell you? What was his message? EL BARADEI: I think his message is that he's very much looking to work with the international community. He's very much looking to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency. And I assured him that we very much look at the U.S. leadership. So I think it was very positive.

HEMMER: Are there any hard feelings with the issue of WMD in Iraq as a fallout from this and a hangover?

EL BARADEI: We haven't really discussed that, and I don't think it was there. I don't think it...

HEMMER: You're saying you didn't even talk about it yesterday?

EL BARADEI: We did not even talk about it because we have our hands full on new issues. I think Iraq is behind us in many ways, and I would have liked to talked about it, frankly. I did not have the chance to talk about it because I had more other pressing issues.

HEMMER: Listen, you say your hands are full. How concerned should the people of this planet be regarding the issue of nuclear weapons coming to places like Pyongyang and North Korea, or coming into places like Tehran and Iran?

EL BARADEI: Well, I think we ought to be concerned. We ought to be concerned having nuclear weapons anywhere. We ought to be concerned about having the amount of nuclear weapons we have today.

And I think I have been out screaming, if you like, Bill, that we need to protect ourselves better. We need to focus on making sure that fissile material that exists in many parts of the world, in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), in civilian activities, should be neutralized. We need to clean up a lot of nuclear materials that exist in the former Soviet Union, that exist in many parts of the world.

And that's something President Bush agreed with me. That we need to have an action plan, in fact, to clear our planet of all this material that could be easily accessible to terrorists.

So we are concerned. But we need also to look at broad security structure. I mean, we need to see why North Korea is still interested in nuclear weapons, or why many countries in the Middle East have been and are still possibly looking into nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction. We need to provide some security assurances to this country by which they feel secure without necessarily...

HEMMER: You know, I understand that. And I don't mean to cut you off here, but we're limited on time a little bit here.

EL BARADEI: Sure.

HEMMER: What I seem to hear from you, you mentioned A. Q. Khan, this Pakistani scientist who we now know gave nuclear information to a number of countries, including Iran. Do you not believe that Tehran is a threat now, or are you in a different camp on that? EL BARADEI: Well, on Iran, we still -- Iran is still a work in progress, Bill. As I said a number of times, the jury is still out. As long as I get full cooperation by Iran, as long as I'm making steady progress, as long as I don't see an immediate threat, I'd like to continue with that process, verification and diplomacy, and hopefully bring that issue to closure.

And I think we are making good progress. So I do not want to stop the process, nor to jump to conclusions.

HEMMER: Mohammed El Baradei, nice to speak with you. I have got a list of 100 questions. We'll get to it next time. All right?

EL BARADEI: All right, Bill.

HEMMER: Appreciate it. Talk to you later.

EL BARADEI: Thank you for having me.

O'BRIEN: Sill to come this morning, the latest on the CEO scandals. The Kozlowski trial goes to the jury. And you won't believe what another CEO family bought with company cash.

HEMMER: There's more.

Also, Jessica Simpson's little sister wants to be a star. "90- Second Pop" takes a shot at that. Does she have what it takes? Not this one, the other one.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: It is Duran Duran. Flashback.

Good morning. Welcome to the Thursday morning edition of "90- Ssecond Pop."

In today's episode, the little sister Simpson. Also, Whitney Houston has a big problem. And we talk about the weekend in movies.

Here to discuss this morning is humorist Andy Borowitz. He's the author of "Governor Arnold." You like that, huh?

Also this morning, our new employee, CNN entertainment reporter Sibila Vargas joins us.

Welcome to you. Not only to "90-Second Pop," but to the company as well.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: It's nice to have you.

And BJ Sigesmund is a staff editor for "US Weekly."

Good morning to you, BJ.

BJ SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's get right to it. Jessica Simpson, first, one, who knew she had a younger sister? Ashlee, two E's at the end.

ANDY BOROWITZ, HUMORIST: Right.

O'BRIEN: Who is she?

BOROWITZ: That's the preferred spelling of that, I guess.

O'BRIEN: Apparently so. Why do we care? What is she doing?

BOROWITZ: Well, she's doing this new -- yet another reality show for MTV. And, you know, I did my homework, and show business history is just littered with people who try to ride the coattails of more famous relatives.

There's Joey Travolta, Frank Stallone, Scrappy Doo. And then it goes on forever. And so we're just hoping -- Qusay Hussein. It just goes on forever. So we're hoping.

SIGESMUND: You know, she's differentiating herself from Jessica.

O'BRIEN: How?

SIGESMUND: She says her personal life is not going to be part of this. Virgin, or not a virgin, she's not going to talk about it. It's only going to be about...

O'BRIEN: Oh, thank god.

SIGESUMND: ... getting a record deal. Although, I think that, you know, while it's admirable, it can be really boring if she doesn't do the personal stuff.

O'BRIEN: It's like, girl -- you know, two episodes in, when she hasn't talked about virgin or not a virgin...

BOROWITZ: I think I'm going to stick with the other Simpsons.

VARGAS: And it's going to be to be really good for her career. I mean, let's face it, reality television makes stars out of everyone. I mean, look at Trista and Ryan. Look at Nick and Jessica.

O'BRIEN: Hate them.

VARGAS: But, you know what? It doesn't matter if you're good, you're bad. People are endeared to you when you're doing a reality show.

O'BRIEN: Well, here's a question. Can she sing? I mean, because that's what she is trying to. It doesn't even matter. The panel has no comment.

BOROWITZ: It seems like such a tertiary issue at this point.

SIGESMUND: Yes. Singing?

O'BRIEN: Singing?

VARGAS: It's really all about her personality.

O'BRIEN: All right.

But let's turn and talk a little bit about the weekend movies. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," this is Jim Carrey.

VARGAS: A little complex, right?

O'BRIEN: You know what? I have to say, it's one of the few movies where you watch the trailer and you're like, "What the heck is this movie about?"

VARGAS: I watched the movie and I was like, "What the heck am I watching?"

It's from the mind of Charlie Kaufman, of course, who brought you "Being John Malkovich." And it's about a man played by Jim Carrey -- his name is Joel Barish -- and he is trying to erase the memory of his girlfriend.

She's already done so. So he wants revenge. But midway through the process he realizes he doesn't want to get rid of her. He loves her. And he wants to remember her. So it's just crazy.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: I'm thinking, if I'm Jim Carrey, wouldn't I want to erase the memory of "The Grinch?" I mean, that's...

SIGESMUND: This movie, I think its marketing is sort of deceptive. It's being marketed as a romantic comedy. But when you see it, it's really a Charlie Kaufman movie.

VARGAS: It's weird.

SIGESMUND: He mad "Adaptation." He made "Being John Malkovich." You know, he's a weird -- it's a weird, arty, dark movie.

O'BRIEN: Is it good?

VARGAS: It's very good, actually.

SIGESMUND: Yes, I thought it was good, too.

VARGAS: I mean, if you can get through the first 20 minutes -- for the first 20 minutes, I really felt like I was in a nightmare or a dream. And I said, "You know what? I can go home and do this."

O'BRIEN: Then you said, wait a minute, I'm an entertainment reporter. No, I can't. VARGAS: But, you know, after the first 20 minutes, you become a participant and not just a spectator. So I recommend it.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Whitney Houston. I think this is such a sad story because it has been a long time that her friends have been pleading for her to get some kind of help with her drug problem. Apparently she's now gone into rehab. What do you know about this, BJ?

SIGESMUND: Her friends are happy she's finally dealing with it.

O'BRIEN: Because her husband is actually serving time right now.

SIGESMUND: And that's why they say that she has chosen now to go into rehab. Bobby Brown is in prison for 60 days. This is his eighth time in prison. And people say that he has long been her enabler.

Remember, in 2002, Whitney Houston copped to doing cocaine and marijuana over the years, but said she that she had dealt with her addictions by then. But Bobby Brown, in the same interview, said that he was still smoking pot every other day to deal with his bipolar disorder. Now, how can Whitney Houston cure herself of her demons when her husband is getting high every other day?

O'BRIEN: Exactly.

SIGESMUND: So I think it's very good that she's taking care of it now.

BOROWITZ: Rehab is really tough stuff. But, you know, on the other hand, look at what it's done for Courtney Love. So it's been a good thing.

O'BRIEN: All right. You guys, as always, thanks so much.

Sibila, again, welcome. It's nice to have you.

VARGAS: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Bill?

HEMMER: All right, Soledad.

In a moment here, another CEO in court. A New York jury poised to decide the fate of former Tyco chief Dennis Kozlowski. Will he be behind bars? Andy's going to try and sort through that right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: All right. The jury gets the Dennis Kozlowski case. Andy Serwer has that. A lot of market news to talk about, too. Let's start with the markets.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Let's do that.

HEMMER: And Andy Serwer. What's up?

SERWER: Yes, what's up?

Stocks trading down a little bit lower this morning. It slid down 28 points.

Microsoft a little bit weaker, unable to setle with the European Union. We'll be hearing more about that as we go through the day.

Kmart up big, $4 to $38. First profit since they came out of bankruptcy. How do you like that?

Now we're going to get into what I call the DTU, our daily trial update. Because there's a lot of trials going on.

Kozlowski trial goes to the jury today. Yesterday, the assistant D.A. summations, the jurors fell asleep. Some of them stopped taking notes after a few minutes.

HEMMER: Well, wouldn't you?

SERWER: I think this thing -- we were discussing this before. I think that they're going nail Dennis Kozlowski and Mark Scwartz, but I could be wrong.

Let's move on to the next trial.

O'BRIEN: Why are they always smiling the two of them?

SERWER: They're always -- well...

O'BRIEN: I think that's weird. He and his wife are always...

SERWER: Maybe they're cool, calm and collected. Maybe there's medication involved. You never know. OK.

Jeff Skilling in Enron, here's an interesting one. Before the feds froze his $66 million in assets, he put $23 million aside to pay for his lawyers. One lawyer said, "Maybe his lawyers are just making sure crime doesn't pay." I like that.

Let's move on to the Adelphia trial, the third one today, the Rigas. More news about what they spent with company money.

First of all, golf club fees, antique dealers, interior design firm. And then we get to the good stuff. Let's move on.

Beauty consultation -- these guys needed it. How about this? A hundred pairs of slippers for $228 bucks. That's a good deal.

HEMMER: Nice.

SERWER: And my favorite, "The Hit Parade" 1942 CD. Included on that, "Don't Sit Under the Apple tree." I did a little work. And also, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" are on that CD.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: I like that. Thanks for the DTU.

SERWER: You're welcome. DTU, yes.

HEMMER: Soledad?

O'BRIEN: That is just appalling, isn't it?

SERWER: A lot of stuff.

O'BRIEN: Hey, Jacky -- Jack.

SERWER: Mr. Cafferty to you, I guess.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: That's what I call him off air.

CAFFERTY: Medication everywhere.

Could Howard Stern and Mel Gibson influence your vote for president? Here's some of what you said.

Beth says, "I'm a 61-year-old unemployed woman with no healthcare and doubt if I'll be able to receive Medicare or Social Security. Why on Earth would I need Mel Gibson or Howard Stern to tell me we need a change of direction in the country?"

Gary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: "Howard Stern and Mel Gibson couldn't influence my decision on what to have for breakfast, much less the presidential election."

Debbie in Richmond, Virginia: "My mind has been made up for a long time. However, Stern has a huge following, Gibson is seen favorably by a constituency that was previously following George Bush. So of course they will influence the vote. Being of such divergent backgrounds, it says something when they're both raising questions."

And earlier, when Soledad commented on today's "Question of the Day," I mentioned that Sara Lita (ph), my producer, came up with it. Dave weight in from Japan: "Wait a second. Are you telling us this Sara (ph) person is really the one who comes up with the questions every day? Unbelievable.

"Not since the quiz show scandals of the late '50s or, to a lesser extent, Milly Vanilly lip-syncing fiasco of the early '90s has our trust been so violated. What do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Cafferty?"

Thank god for Sara (ph).

HEMMER: Yes. Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain.

SERWER: A little secret revealed here on AMERICAN MORNING.

O'BRIEN: Oh, he's so funny.

CAFFERTY: That's it, Soley.

O'BRIEN: Thanks. That was my nickname in high school. I love that nickname. You can call me that any time you want.

CAFFERTY: OK. You cannot, however, call me Jacky.

O'BRIEN: I will never do it again.

All right. A serious story is coming up on CNN just ahead. Details emerging now on the hotel bombings in Iraq. We've got live reports coming from the scene. That's coming up on "CNN LIVE TODAY" with Daryn Kagan.

We're back in just a moment with more AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: We've got to run. We're way over out of time. Join Andy and Soley and Jacky and Billy tomorrow.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





White House; Interview With Wesley Clark; Interview With Mohammed El Baradei>


Aired March 18, 2004 - 9:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It's happened again. Another car loaded with explosives goes off in Iraq. Another city now in the grip of terror.
John Kerry and Vice President Dick Cheney making Iraq an election year issue. The two sides going to war over war.

And the key piece of evidence in the Jayson Williams trial. Was the gun that killed the limo driver defective or not? A look at that on this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Good morning again, 9:00 here in New York. To Baghdad in a moment. Also, this explosion in Basra that we talked about as well.

Also this hour, we're going to find out more about the Ohio sniper case. The senior police reporter at Columbus Dispatch with us yesterday. Talk to him again today about a break in that case and what happened there in Vegas.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we're going to hear from former presidential candidate Wesley Clark about the war of words between the White House and the Democrats over Iraq. What does he think about how the military is being used in this campaign? We'll get his word on that.

HEMMER: Also, Jack cafferty.

Good morning to you, Jack.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: How are you doing?

Political analysis courtesy of Howard Stern and Mel Gibson. Could either of these gentlemen influence your vote in the upcoming presidential election? We're reading your e-mails at am@cnn.com.

HEMMER: Good deal.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you.

Top stories now. The Pentagon reporting four more suspects being taken into custody in connection with the Madrid train attacks. Five other suspects appearing in court today. Meanwhile, Spain says it will declassify government documents from last Thursday showing what it knew when it blamed the Basque separatist group ETA for the bombings which left 200 people dead.

Martha Stewart is launching a letter writing campaign. Stewart, recently convicted in her obstruction of justice trial, is planning an appeal with her attorneys, but she's also calling on friends to write letters to the judge in the case to try to help her stay out of jail. Stewart is expected to be sentenced in June. Could face between 10 to 16 months in prison.

The Pentagon says it will withhold about $300 million in payments to Halliburton. The company, once run by Vice President Dick Cheney, may have overcharged the Defense Department for meals served to troops in Iraq and Kuwait. A Halliburton spokesperson says the company hopes to persuade the Pentagon to drop those plans.

A Methodist minister in Seattle is facing a church trial after she married her lesbian lover. About 100 people demonstrated outside of the church's proceedings yesterday. They might again resume today. Reverend Karen Dowman (ph) could lose her ministry if she's found guilty of violating church law and acknowledging her homosexuality.

And officials at the University of California Davis are issuing an apology after thousands of students mistakenly received e-mails saying that they had won scholarships to the university. Six thousand potential incoming freshmen received e-mails promising $30,000 over four years, only too later learn it was a big mistake. University officials are blaming it all on a clerical error.

HEMMER: What school was that?

O'BRIEN: U.C. Davis.

HEMMER: They got issues.

O'BRIEN: Could you imagine, $30,000 over four years? You'd get a letter like that and say, oh, all my financial problems are solved. I can finally pay for college. And then not.

HEMMER: Oh to be disappointed when the truth comes out. That's right.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: There has been another deadly explosion near a hotel in Iraq today. Today's car bomb in the British-patrolled city of Basra killing at least four bystanders, maybe more. All this according to early reports.

Coming less than 24 hours after a powerful blast killed 17 in Baghdad. Those numbers downgraded earlier today from a high of 29.

Walt Rodgers back on the scene there. And Walt, we have talked about these attacks in the past, these so-called soft targets that appear to be endless in a city of five million. What concerns U.S. authorities the most based on what they're learning so far from yesterday?

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In a word, the future, Bill, because U.S. authorities here are openly predicting that the attacks we've seen in the last 24 hours are going to increase and become more violent in the run-up to June 30th, when the United States was to hand over its control to the Iraqi Provisional Council.

The bombing here in Baghdad was a horrendous event, murderous. And Iraqis were walking around the street this morning asking in Arabic, why, why? Why this particular neighborhood? It made no sense.

There was no concentration of Americans or British here. This was a quiet mixed neighborhood of Sunni and Shia Muslims and Kurds as well. And yet there was a small hotel across the street.

By the way, the bomb, which went off in Basra today, also a car bomb, not as destructive as here in Baghdad last night. But it, too, went off in a hotel district. Iraqi police are saying four dead in Basra. That is the British zone, and the British came to try to quell the violence there afterwards. But again, a very, very bloody week on the part of the insurgents, marking the anniversary of the beginning of the American invasion a year ago -- Bill.

HEMMER: Yes, that is tomorrow. That date, March 19th. Walter, these two events, yesterday and today, how does that help the current cause for the insurgency?

RODGERS: Well, what it does is undermine the credibility of the United States' effort to rebuild Iraq and try to sow an incipient democracy here. You can't really have a very healthy, productive democracy with bombs going off. People are not going to stick their heads up. They're not going to volunteer to join police forces.

This is a very, very bloody week. And it just shows that, one week after the Americans took over in Iraq, it is still the Iraqi insurgents who are calling many of the shots here. The Americans can rebuild schools and provide some water in cities and towns around Iraq, but the Iraqi capital simply is not safe. And that's the message the insurgent insurgents are putting out -- Bill.

HEMMER: Walt Rogers from the scene there in Baghdad.

That blast yesterday caught on videotape. There's an Arabic language American TV channel, Al Herra (ph), that's conducted out of Virginia. There was a guest getting set for an interview in Baghdad yesterday. As we roll this tape, there's the blast. And then a second later, comes the concussion picked up on the microphone.

The location for that interview and the location for the bombing about a half-mile apart. Half a mile away in the district of Karada. We'll watch it yet again. Karada, a heavily populated area with a number of shops and stores.

In fact, back in December, quite remarkable to walk along that district and see how much business was being conducted in that part of Baghdad. Al Herra (ph) again based out of the U.S. here, the state of Virginia. Quite clear as you watch that fireball go up into the Baghdad nighttime sky.

O'BRIEN: It's amazing to see.

HEMMER: Really extraordinary stuff. A 1,000-pound bomb, Soledad, packed into this car and loaded and wrapped around a number of munitions, ammunitions to maximize the impact.

One silver lining in the story we've learned today, though. The high death count was at 29. We thought it could go higher. It's been reduced significantly now, just 17. The only silver lining we see out of that so far today.

O'BRIEN: Well, I think police are still saying -- of course, the numbers may be a while before they really start to jive. But they're saying six -- Iraqi police are saying six people dead, not 17. So we'll see.

Let's talk a little bit about the effects of yesterday's Baghdad bombing being felt truly in the race for the White House. At about the same time as the blast, Democratic candidate John Kerry began a speech on war and terrorism. A short time later, Vice President Dick Cheney took aim at Senator Kerry over national security, and the war of words heated up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A Senator from Massachusetts has given us ample doubts about his judgment and the attitude he brings to bear on vital issues of national security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This president has had his chance. And this president has not delivered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein is a political writer for the Los Angeles Times. He joins us from Washington, D.C., this morning.

Ron, as always, good morning. Nice to see you.

You heard both those gentlemen. Was there one who you thought laid out a more effective argument than the other?

RON BROWNSTEIN, LOS ANGELES TIMES: No, but I think you got a good sense of the argument we're going to hear for the next eight months. Dick Cheney -- Vice President Cheney essentially laid out the argument that Republican candidates have been making against Democratic presidential candidates since the days of George McGovern. He accused John Kerry of being too quick to cut defense spending and too slow to use military force in cases like the first Gulf War and the New Gulf War. The difference, of course, is that the backdrop is different. These arguments could be more relevant to voters now in the wake of 9/11. They have been for most of the last 20 years.

For John Kerry, the argument was different, though, than what he had been arguing in the primary. He started off his speech with a familiar complaint, familiar from all the Democratic candidates, that President Bush has been too quick to act unilaterally, accusing him of alienating allies and support we need. But then, Soledad, he spent most of the speech doing something he had not really done during the primaries, which is criticizing President Bush from the right, arguing that he has not provided enough material support to the troops, pledging to increase the size of the Army, and basically trying make a case that he would be every bit as tough, if not tougher, than President Bush in defending our national security interests.

O'BRIEN: In addition to specific attacks on Senator Kerry, we also heard the vice president praising the president's record on national security. I want to play a little bit of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: The American people will have a clear choice in the election of 2004. At least as clear as any since the election of 1984. In more than three years as president, George W. Bush has built a national security record of his own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: In fact, polls show Americans have more confidence in the president than Senator Kerry. Some polls, I should say, when they're talking about terrorism and national security. So you have to imagine that this is a point that the White House is going to leverage certainly over the next seven-and-a-half months.

BROWNSTEIN: Absolutely. Look, their argument is steady leadership in times of change. I mean, the cornerstone of their argument is that President Bush can be counted on to make tough decisions and to handle unexpected challenges, which obviously 9/11 was.

What's interesting, though, is when you look at polling, there is a distinction in the way the American people judge him on two fronts here. He gets very strong ratings really throughout his presidency since 9/11 for handling terrorism.

On Iraq itself, though, the judgment is more equivocal. You have more division in the public about how good a job he's doing, whether we're on the right course there. And those kinds of doubts are obviously fanned by any signs of disorder like the violence we've seen over the last 24 hours.

O'BRIEN: It was very strange, Ron, to watch -- and I'm sure you'll agree with this -- yesterday. when Senator Kerry was talking, there was sort of a split box where they showed the bombing and the media after math, and also the Senator talking. They brought that so you could sort of see both scenes.

When we heard from the vice president, same thing. You saw the vice president talking, and also the later aftermath of the bombing. Give me a sense of how the effect of what was going on behind the scenes overseas will affect what happens and what we were hearing from the two gentlemen.

BROWNSTEIN: Well, here's a dirty little secret of presidential politics. Reality trumps spin, especially when you have an incumbent president.

The two candidates can argue, can make any set of arguments they want about how things are going in Iraq, but I think the principal factor in shaping how Americans assess the cause in Iraq will be the events on the ground. And I think we learned over the last year of kind of dizzying highs and lows that no single event is going to dominate the way that Americans perceive this. But the cumulative weight of events will be an important factor in this election, both in the economy and certainly in Iraq.

I think it will outweigh any argument, any television ad, any debate in how the candidates judge who to go to in November. The fact is, with an incumbent president, the presidential election is overwhelmingly a referendum on his record. And that record, in the eyes of the public, is shaped mostly by results.

O'BRIEN: At the end of the day, those results will matter more than any series of speeches. Ron Brownstein joining us this morning. As always, a big thanks.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Bill?

HEMMER: In a moment, live in Baghdad. A press conference expected any moment now. Dan Senor, who heads up the coalition authority, along with Ambassador Paul Bremer, Brigadier General Mark Commit, are going to take some questions.

We talked to them about two hours ago about where the investigation is headed and who are the leading suspects. They still point the finger at Zarqawi, yet they don't know where he is. Maybe in the middle part of Iraq. But nonetheless, they're going to be taking questions the day after, so stay tuned for that in a moment.

O'BRIEN: And still to come this morning, a day after a suspect is caught in those string of Ohio shootings, we're going to hear about the man who tipped off police to the whereabouts.

HEMMER: And the prosecution resting. Now the defense gets its shot in the Jayson Williams trial. We'll have a look at that in a moment as well.

O'BRIEN: And Courtney Love is not feeling much love from some in New York. We'll explain what happened to her yesterday.

That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Prosecutors wrapping up their manslaughter case against Jayson Williams. They did that yesterday. The former NBA star's defense asking now that charges be dropped on the grounds the state did not present enough evidence.

A weapons expert has said that the shot gun that killed Williams' limo driver, Gus Christophi, was working just fine, which is contrary to defense claims that it malfunctioned. That case begins next week yet again -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The suspect in the Ohio highway shootings could be back in Ohio this weekend. Charles McCoy, Jr. scheduled to appear in a court in Las Vegas tomorrow. He's being held there without bail. Police were led to McCoy by a man who spotted him in a casino. Bruce Cadwallader of The Columbus Dispatch, who interviewed that man, joins us from Las Vegas this morning.

Nice to see you again, Bruce. Thanks for being with us.

BRUCE CADWALLADER, SR. POLICE REPORTER, COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's back track a little bit . The first break in this case actually took place in Ohio, when some of the weaponry was really handed over to police. They haven't really said specifically, though, much about that. Do you have any more information about that?

CADWALLADER: Sure. Our sources told us that family members had taken guns away from Charlie McCoy. And when a relative called the task force and said that those guns should be checked, they went to Charlie McCoy's father, who handed over two nine-millimeter pistols. One of those pistols has now been ballistically linked to the murder weapon used in the slaying of Gail Knisley back in November on that south outer belt that's become so famous now.

O'BRIEN: The second big break, really major break, took place in Las Vegas. Although the man that you spoke to talked a lot about his frustration in trying to get authorities to really listen to his story. He said something like 50 times he put a call in.

CADWALLADER: This man spent 14 hours working on this McCoy case. He actually became like a little detective. He collected evidence. He repeatedly contacted authorities. He stalked McCoy from the Stardust to several different hotels. And then, of course, the bigger break came when he found that car with Ohio license plates in a Budget motel here off the strip.

O'BRIEN: His name is Conrad Malsom. He's an unemployed timeshare salesman and car salesman. Did he tell you what his motivation was?

As you mentioned, 14 hours, which included, at one point, when he sort of lost McCoy. He then had to drive around and try to track him down, which he did successfully. And then he called police. Did he tell you why?

CADWALLADER: Yes. He recognized McCoy right away from pictures he had seen in other media. One of the better quotes -- and McCoy has not been convicted yet -- but he said, "This man killed a woman and perhaps shot at 100 more cars. I had to keep following him."

O'BRIEN: Bruce Cadwallader from the Columbus Dispatch joining us this morning. Thanks. Interesting story. Appreciate it -- Bill.

HEMMER: Quickly to Baghdad. A statement being read on behalf of Ambassador Paul Bremer. This, the day after. Let's listen.

DAN SENOR: "... Provisional Authority and the United States of America, I extend condolences to the injured and to the families of those murdered in the Karada district last night and Basra earlier today. Civilized people everywhere share your sorrow."

"This latest outrage is piled atop other terrorist attacks against unarmed innocent civilians all over Iraq, as well as the terrorist bombings in Madrid last week. From Nairobi to New York, to Bali to Moscow, to Karbala and Erbil, earlier bombings have circled the globe. Those who deny terrorists are operating around the globe and willing to attack any target are denying reality."

"Here in Iraq, there is little doubt that terrorists are doing everything within their power to stop Iraq's progress toward democracy. Their increasing tendency to attack any available target that offers the chance of mass casualties tells us that literally nothing is sacred to them. They are willing to kill religious pilgrims, innocent Iraqis living next to a lightly-protected hotel, or anyone else."

"Terrorists in Iraq seek to break the will of the Iraqi people. They believe that if they spill enough Iraqi blood, they can halt Iraq's progress to democracy. They are wrong."

"I meet Iraqis every day. I have no doubt that the people of Iraq will not be cowed by these terrorists. The Iraqi people have waited too long for democracy. After suffering oppression, unnecessary wars, and hundreds of thousands of murdered by Saddam's regime, they are not going to permit a small band of terrorist evil- doers to stand between them and democracy. We of the coalition will stand with the people of Iraq against terrorism."

General Kimmitt.

BRIG. GENERAL MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY: Thank you.

Let me also add the condolences of the coalition and military forces to those of Ambassador Bremer. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families effected by this senseless violence.

As to the facts as we know them, yesterday, at 8:09 p.m., a car bomb detonated in the Karada district of Baghdad, vicinity of the Mount Lebanon Hotel. Iraqi police fire and medical units responded to the incident, along with support provided by coalition forces. An unknown suicide bomber triggered the device inside the vehicle and died in the explosion. The bomb was estimated to consist of approximately 1,000 pounds of explosives and artillery shells, and caused structural damage to the Mount Lebanon Hotel and a number of buildings nearby.

As of 16:00, the Iraqi Police Service and the Iraqi Ministry of Health report seven civilians killed and 35 civilians wounded. No coalition personnel were injured. No group has claimed responsibility. And no persons have been detained at this point in connection with this incident.

Importantly, the coalition remains resolute in our determination to hunt down extremists who attack innocent civilians and stand in the way of a free, Democratic and sovereign Iraq. The terrorists will fail.

SENOR: We are happy to take your questions.

Yes? Go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi. What can you tell us about what happened in Basra today? And also, any details on the fighting in Fallujah?

KIMMITT: The two incidents, the first incident we've got some sketchy reports on what came in from Basra. It is our understanding that there was either an IED or a VBIED, a car bomb or another bomb, which exploded outside of a hotel in Basra.

The casualty reports right now are quite sketchy. We believe we only have one or two persons that were injured or killed in that.

There is a large demonstration going on at that site. The reports we have is that the demonstration is not focused against any particular group, such as the coalition, but just expressing their anger.

We do have coalition forces and over-watch. The area has been cordoned off. There are personnel standing by to try to bring security to the area and control to the area. But right now, everything seems to be under control. And even though we don't have the exact casualty count right now, we expect those numbers to be quite low.

HEMMER: At least two incidents to talk about there. One in Basra. There are at least five dead based on reports there in the car bomb today in the southern town of Basra. The incident in Fallujah that apparently is ongoing as well.

Not a whole lot of information there. But the big news of the day is the follow-up from the day yesterday with that massive car bombing at that hotel right around 8:00 local time in the evening in Baghdad. Still no leads and no claims of responsibility on behalf of the coalition authority.

That late word from Baghdad. We'll monitor that for you. Let's get a break. Back in a moment in more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: All right, "Question of the Day." Here's Jack.

CAFFERTY: Radio shock jock Howard Stern and Mel Gibson are getting into the ring for November's presidential election. Stern, who was yanked off six Clear Channel radio stations last month, now spends at least part of his on-air time attacking President Bush. And he's urging his eight million listeners to vote for someone besides President Bush.

Mel Gibson, who has been a Bush supporter in the past, says he's having doubts now about the president and the war in Iraq and the fact we haven't found those weapons. The question is: could Howard Stern or Mel Gibson influence your vote for president?

George in Dunwoody, Georgia, writes: "I'd rather get my political advice from Elmer Fudd and Donald Duck than from Stern and Gibson."

Joshua in Arkadelphia, Arkansas -- there's some great town names in this country.

HEMMER: Yes. How about Texarkana in Arkansas?

CAFFERTY: Yes. Joshua says, "We pay these people millions of dollars to entertain us, not to politically think for us. In the end, Americans must make their decisions based on the issues, not celebrity endorsements."

Preston in Oregon: "While most people attentive to the political process have already made up their minds about who they're going to vote for, Howard Stern and Mel Gibson both have large groups of fans among people that would be considered swing voters. The 2000 election showed us exactly how much one vote can make a difference. And with a listener base of eight million, discounting the voice of Howard Stern is not a wise choice."

And Del in Berea, Kentucky, doesn't think Stern's audience is a big deal. "I can see it now. the day after President Bush's reelection, all eight million Howard Stern fans will say, 'Oh, was that yesterday?'"

Pretty funny.

O'BRIEN: They may be against it, but they'll all forget to vote. Is that her point?

CAFFERTY: Yes. That's pretty good, right?

O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.

Still to come this morning, MTV's sister act. Could Jessica Simpson's little sister be the real thing? Our "90-Second Pop" panel weighs in on that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

CAFFERTY: Now, there's a question.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HEMMER: All right. Welcome back, 9:31 here in New York City. Good to have you with us today.

A lot of news to talk about regarding Iraq. Also, news to talk about in Iran.

Meeting with the president yesterday, the director of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency the IAEA's Mohammed El Baradei. We'll talk to him in a moment. The weapons in Iran a very important subject to get to. And also his meeting from yesterday. So stay tuned for that.

O'BRIEN: Also, on a very much, much lighter note, "90-Second Pop" is going to take a look at the rise of this young lady. Her name is Ashlee Simpson. She's Jessica Simpson's little sister. She's trying, at least, to follow closely in her big sister's footsteps.

We're going to see if she has any luck. She's got a new show. So it's a good first step.

HEMMER: Yes. Ride that train.

O'BRIEN: I wonder if she's as -- what's another word for not quite so sharp?

HEMMER: Dull?

O'BRIEN: Dull, as her sister sometimes seems to be.

HEMMER: Think about that.

Let's get to our top stories again. Another deadly bombing today in Iraq. Witnesses telling CNN at least four are dead after an apparent car bomb exploded in Basra, southern part of the country. Word of the blast coming to us about two hours ago. The attack comes a day after a suicide bombing at a hotel in central Baghdad.

At a news conference still ongoing in Baghdad, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt says that explosion killed at least seven people now. That's been downgraded, that number. We'll follow that for you. Good news to know that it's much lower than it was earlier today.

President Bush honoring troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The president expected to thank about 20,000 that recently returned from Iraq. That visit comes just a day before the one-year anniversary of the war in Iraq, March 19th, which is tomorrow.

The suspect in the killings of nine family members in Fresno facing arraignment today. That trial postponed yesterday after Marcus Wesson appeared in court without an attorney.

Meanwhile, California police investigating whether or not officers were already at the home outside when the shootings took place. Officers say Wesson spoke with them, then ran back into a back bedroom where the bodies were later found and discovered by police inside the home.

Also, California, authorities say a man suspected in a highway shooting has been taken into custody. Highway 101 in southern California closed down for hours yesterday after two men found a bullet in their car. Police say at least six shots were reported. No injuries, luckily, there in the southern part of the state.

Also, from Georgia, hundreds of brides rushing to Filene's Basement for its annual running of the brides sale. Yes. Thousands of designer gowns prices cut in half. The blushing brides, we're told, could not wait to get their hands on the perfect dress for that special day.

O'BRIEN: That is -- I have done this in Boston.

HEMMER: Yes, you have? And?

O'BRIEN: Years ago, when I was a bride to be. And it is the most competitive, cutthroat, pushy bunch of women you have ever -- fighting, fist fights over gowns.

HEMMER: Make sure those cameras are on the inside to catch all of that.

O'BRIEN: Physically tough. Yes. Glad I'm not there.

Let's turn back to Iraq now. The U.S. presence in Iraq is becoming increasingly a key issue in the battle for the White House. Yesterday, Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry traded jabs about Iraq and the war on terror. This is some of what the vice president had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: It is not an impressive record for someone who aspires to become commander in chief in this time of testing for our country. Over the years, he's repeatedly voted against weapons systems for the military. He voted against the Apache helicopter, against the Tomahawk cruise missile, against even the Bradley fighting vehicle. He's also been a reliable vote against military pay increases, opposing them no fewer than 12 times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Earlier this morning I spoke with former Democratic presidential candidate and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark about Iraq and the campaign. Clark is now a supporter of Senator John Kerry's.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WESLEY CLARK (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The fact is this: John Kerry does have the right character and experience to be our commander in chief, to be a great president. He did serve in Vietnam. He's been at the point at the end of the sphere.

He's seen bullets fly in anger. He's got three purple hearts. He won a Silver Star as a Navy lieutenant on a small boat in Vietnam. And he served his life in public service.

He's had any number of votes for and against any number of issues in the United States Senate. He's got a long public career.

I have gotten to know him over the years. I have watched his record, I've watched his statements, I have watched how he thinks. He's a thoughtful man who will make the right decisions for this country and keep us safe. And he'll do it by bringing our allies in with us.

And I think as we look to the future, Soledad, it's not Apache helicopters and Bradley fighting vehicles alone that are going to keep this country safe. Although we need them, and John's voted for them.

I think what we need is a strong international coalition, an alliance. The same as we had when we were fighting in Europe in the late 1990s against the Serbs in Kosovo, where nations were committed to work together against international terrorism. This administration hasn't built that.

O'BRIEN: When you look at the polls, though, the CNN-USA Today- Gallup poll asked at the beginning of March, "Who would do a better job on terrorism, on Iraq, on world affairs." President Bush significantly ahead of Senator Kerry. So I guess my question would be, how do you, after all that you've said, change public opinion and sway from what obviously voters or potential voters seem to think about Kerry's strength versus the president's strength?

CLARK: Well, I think we've got to get the facts out to the American people. And here are the facts. The administration took us to war in Iraq, a war that we didn't actually have to fight. There was no linkage between Saddam Hussein and the events of 9/11.

There actually have been no weapons of mass destruction discovered. Iraq was not an imminent threat to the United States. We went to war before our allies were on board fully, before diplomatic options were exhausted. We went to war without sufficient forces to handle the problems after we got to Baghdad, and without a plan of doing so.

So now we're there. We want to succeed.

The really key factor in Iraq is, how can you bring the international community in to help spread the burden and make this a sustainable mission? There's no magic bullet, no quick-fix solution to the problems in Iraq. We just have to make the size of the U.S. occupation force over time able to be sustained by the overall size of our armed forces.

O'BRIEN: If the violence does not abate, how big of a problem is this for President Bush? Do you think it's career-ending? CLARK: Well, I think the American people are going to judge this on the overall wisdom of the foreign policy and security policy of the Bush administration. When we could have focused on terrorists and gotten rid of Osama bin Laden, the president took us instead into Iraq.

It looked like an easier target, more of a sure thing. It was a state. It wasn't a nebulous group of people. And it seemed more accessible in Iraq than going after Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.

But now Osama bin Laden's still on the loose, we're still having terrorist incidents around the world. And Iraq is a problem. And this really is the key foreign policy issue in this campaign, which person, John Kerry or George W. Bush, is best suited to bring the nations of the world together to focus on keeping the world safe from international terrorism?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: General Wesley Clark speaking with us a little bit earlier on AMERICAN MORNING -- Bill.

HEMMER: The U.N.'s chief nuclear inspector says the jury is still out on whether or not Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Mohammed El Baradei told Congress and the White House yesterday there is no specific proof of Tehran's nuclear intentions. The head of the IAEA our guest today from D.C.

Good morning to you. Nice to see you again here on AMERICAN MORNING. It has been some time since we have spoken here. Nice to have you.

MOHAMMED EL BARADEI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IAEA: Thank you, Bill, for having me.

O'BRIEN: In your conversations yesterday with the president, what did you tell him, if you can share that with us?

EL BARADEI: Well, I think I told him that I fully support his initiative to strengthen our fight against proliferation of nuclear weapons. I think pretty much we are reading from the same page, Bill, on the need to control nuclear weapons, usable material, and the need to have a better system of export control, and the need to limit the factories that produce plutonium and highly-enriched uranium.

And I think we both agree that after the discovery of that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by A.Q. Khan and associates, after our knowledge that al Qaeda and others were trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons, there is a different ballgame altogether, and we need to change the rules. And we focus on how we can operationalize his ideas, my ideas, other people's ideas to strengthen the system. So I think it was very productive.

HEMMER: And in return, what did he tell you? What was his message? EL BARADEI: I think his message is that he's very much looking to work with the international community. He's very much looking to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency. And I assured him that we very much look at the U.S. leadership. So I think it was very positive.

HEMMER: Are there any hard feelings with the issue of WMD in Iraq as a fallout from this and a hangover?

EL BARADEI: We haven't really discussed that, and I don't think it was there. I don't think it...

HEMMER: You're saying you didn't even talk about it yesterday?

EL BARADEI: We did not even talk about it because we have our hands full on new issues. I think Iraq is behind us in many ways, and I would have liked to talked about it, frankly. I did not have the chance to talk about it because I had more other pressing issues.

HEMMER: Listen, you say your hands are full. How concerned should the people of this planet be regarding the issue of nuclear weapons coming to places like Pyongyang and North Korea, or coming into places like Tehran and Iran?

EL BARADEI: Well, I think we ought to be concerned. We ought to be concerned having nuclear weapons anywhere. We ought to be concerned about having the amount of nuclear weapons we have today.

And I think I have been out screaming, if you like, Bill, that we need to protect ourselves better. We need to focus on making sure that fissile material that exists in many parts of the world, in (UNINTELLIGIBLE), in civilian activities, should be neutralized. We need to clean up a lot of nuclear materials that exist in the former Soviet Union, that exist in many parts of the world.

And that's something President Bush agreed with me. That we need to have an action plan, in fact, to clear our planet of all this material that could be easily accessible to terrorists.

So we are concerned. But we need also to look at broad security structure. I mean, we need to see why North Korea is still interested in nuclear weapons, or why many countries in the Middle East have been and are still possibly looking into nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction. We need to provide some security assurances to this country by which they feel secure without necessarily...

HEMMER: You know, I understand that. And I don't mean to cut you off here, but we're limited on time a little bit here.

EL BARADEI: Sure.

HEMMER: What I seem to hear from you, you mentioned A. Q. Khan, this Pakistani scientist who we now know gave nuclear information to a number of countries, including Iran. Do you not believe that Tehran is a threat now, or are you in a different camp on that? EL BARADEI: Well, on Iran, we still -- Iran is still a work in progress, Bill. As I said a number of times, the jury is still out. As long as I get full cooperation by Iran, as long as I'm making steady progress, as long as I don't see an immediate threat, I'd like to continue with that process, verification and diplomacy, and hopefully bring that issue to closure.

And I think we are making good progress. So I do not want to stop the process, nor to jump to conclusions.

HEMMER: Mohammed El Baradei, nice to speak with you. I have got a list of 100 questions. We'll get to it next time. All right?

EL BARADEI: All right, Bill.

HEMMER: Appreciate it. Talk to you later.

EL BARADEI: Thank you for having me.

O'BRIEN: Sill to come this morning, the latest on the CEO scandals. The Kozlowski trial goes to the jury. And you won't believe what another CEO family bought with company cash.

HEMMER: There's more.

Also, Jessica Simpson's little sister wants to be a star. "90- Second Pop" takes a shot at that. Does she have what it takes? Not this one, the other one.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: It is Duran Duran. Flashback.

Good morning. Welcome to the Thursday morning edition of "90- Ssecond Pop."

In today's episode, the little sister Simpson. Also, Whitney Houston has a big problem. And we talk about the weekend in movies.

Here to discuss this morning is humorist Andy Borowitz. He's the author of "Governor Arnold." You like that, huh?

Also this morning, our new employee, CNN entertainment reporter Sibila Vargas joins us.

Welcome to you. Not only to "90-Second Pop," but to the company as well.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: It's nice to have you.

And BJ Sigesmund is a staff editor for "US Weekly."

Good morning to you, BJ.

BJ SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Let's get right to it. Jessica Simpson, first, one, who knew she had a younger sister? Ashlee, two E's at the end.

ANDY BOROWITZ, HUMORIST: Right.

O'BRIEN: Who is she?

BOROWITZ: That's the preferred spelling of that, I guess.

O'BRIEN: Apparently so. Why do we care? What is she doing?

BOROWITZ: Well, she's doing this new -- yet another reality show for MTV. And, you know, I did my homework, and show business history is just littered with people who try to ride the coattails of more famous relatives.

There's Joey Travolta, Frank Stallone, Scrappy Doo. And then it goes on forever. And so we're just hoping -- Qusay Hussein. It just goes on forever. So we're hoping.

SIGESMUND: You know, she's differentiating herself from Jessica.

O'BRIEN: How?

SIGESMUND: She says her personal life is not going to be part of this. Virgin, or not a virgin, she's not going to talk about it. It's only going to be about...

O'BRIEN: Oh, thank god.

SIGESUMND: ... getting a record deal. Although, I think that, you know, while it's admirable, it can be really boring if she doesn't do the personal stuff.

O'BRIEN: It's like, girl -- you know, two episodes in, when she hasn't talked about virgin or not a virgin...

BOROWITZ: I think I'm going to stick with the other Simpsons.

VARGAS: And it's going to be to be really good for her career. I mean, let's face it, reality television makes stars out of everyone. I mean, look at Trista and Ryan. Look at Nick and Jessica.

O'BRIEN: Hate them.

VARGAS: But, you know what? It doesn't matter if you're good, you're bad. People are endeared to you when you're doing a reality show.

O'BRIEN: Well, here's a question. Can she sing? I mean, because that's what she is trying to. It doesn't even matter. The panel has no comment.

BOROWITZ: It seems like such a tertiary issue at this point.

SIGESMUND: Yes. Singing?

O'BRIEN: Singing?

VARGAS: It's really all about her personality.

O'BRIEN: All right.

But let's turn and talk a little bit about the weekend movies. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," this is Jim Carrey.

VARGAS: A little complex, right?

O'BRIEN: You know what? I have to say, it's one of the few movies where you watch the trailer and you're like, "What the heck is this movie about?"

VARGAS: I watched the movie and I was like, "What the heck am I watching?"

It's from the mind of Charlie Kaufman, of course, who brought you "Being John Malkovich." And it's about a man played by Jim Carrey -- his name is Joel Barish -- and he is trying to erase the memory of his girlfriend.

She's already done so. So he wants revenge. But midway through the process he realizes he doesn't want to get rid of her. He loves her. And he wants to remember her. So it's just crazy.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: I'm thinking, if I'm Jim Carrey, wouldn't I want to erase the memory of "The Grinch?" I mean, that's...

SIGESMUND: This movie, I think its marketing is sort of deceptive. It's being marketed as a romantic comedy. But when you see it, it's really a Charlie Kaufman movie.

VARGAS: It's weird.

SIGESMUND: He mad "Adaptation." He made "Being John Malkovich." You know, he's a weird -- it's a weird, arty, dark movie.

O'BRIEN: Is it good?

VARGAS: It's very good, actually.

SIGESMUND: Yes, I thought it was good, too.

VARGAS: I mean, if you can get through the first 20 minutes -- for the first 20 minutes, I really felt like I was in a nightmare or a dream. And I said, "You know what? I can go home and do this."

O'BRIEN: Then you said, wait a minute, I'm an entertainment reporter. No, I can't. VARGAS: But, you know, after the first 20 minutes, you become a participant and not just a spectator. So I recommend it.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Whitney Houston. I think this is such a sad story because it has been a long time that her friends have been pleading for her to get some kind of help with her drug problem. Apparently she's now gone into rehab. What do you know about this, BJ?

SIGESMUND: Her friends are happy she's finally dealing with it.

O'BRIEN: Because her husband is actually serving time right now.

SIGESMUND: And that's why they say that she has chosen now to go into rehab. Bobby Brown is in prison for 60 days. This is his eighth time in prison. And people say that he has long been her enabler.

Remember, in 2002, Whitney Houston copped to doing cocaine and marijuana over the years, but said she that she had dealt with her addictions by then. But Bobby Brown, in the same interview, said that he was still smoking pot every other day to deal with his bipolar disorder. Now, how can Whitney Houston cure herself of her demons when her husband is getting high every other day?

O'BRIEN: Exactly.

SIGESMUND: So I think it's very good that she's taking care of it now.

BOROWITZ: Rehab is really tough stuff. But, you know, on the other hand, look at what it's done for Courtney Love. So it's been a good thing.

O'BRIEN: All right. You guys, as always, thanks so much.

Sibila, again, welcome. It's nice to have you.

VARGAS: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Bill?

HEMMER: All right, Soledad.

In a moment here, another CEO in court. A New York jury poised to decide the fate of former Tyco chief Dennis Kozlowski. Will he be behind bars? Andy's going to try and sort through that right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: All right. The jury gets the Dennis Kozlowski case. Andy Serwer has that. A lot of market news to talk about, too. Let's start with the markets.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Let's do that.

HEMMER: And Andy Serwer. What's up?

SERWER: Yes, what's up?

Stocks trading down a little bit lower this morning. It slid down 28 points.

Microsoft a little bit weaker, unable to setle with the European Union. We'll be hearing more about that as we go through the day.

Kmart up big, $4 to $38. First profit since they came out of bankruptcy. How do you like that?

Now we're going to get into what I call the DTU, our daily trial update. Because there's a lot of trials going on.

Kozlowski trial goes to the jury today. Yesterday, the assistant D.A. summations, the jurors fell asleep. Some of them stopped taking notes after a few minutes.

HEMMER: Well, wouldn't you?

SERWER: I think this thing -- we were discussing this before. I think that they're going nail Dennis Kozlowski and Mark Scwartz, but I could be wrong.

Let's move on to the next trial.

O'BRIEN: Why are they always smiling the two of them?

SERWER: They're always -- well...

O'BRIEN: I think that's weird. He and his wife are always...

SERWER: Maybe they're cool, calm and collected. Maybe there's medication involved. You never know. OK.

Jeff Skilling in Enron, here's an interesting one. Before the feds froze his $66 million in assets, he put $23 million aside to pay for his lawyers. One lawyer said, "Maybe his lawyers are just making sure crime doesn't pay." I like that.

Let's move on to the Adelphia trial, the third one today, the Rigas. More news about what they spent with company money.

First of all, golf club fees, antique dealers, interior design firm. And then we get to the good stuff. Let's move on.

Beauty consultation -- these guys needed it. How about this? A hundred pairs of slippers for $228 bucks. That's a good deal.

HEMMER: Nice.

SERWER: And my favorite, "The Hit Parade" 1942 CD. Included on that, "Don't Sit Under the Apple tree." I did a little work. And also, "Deep in the Heart of Texas" are on that CD.

(CROSSTALK)

HEMMER: I like that. Thanks for the DTU.

SERWER: You're welcome. DTU, yes.

HEMMER: Soledad?

O'BRIEN: That is just appalling, isn't it?

SERWER: A lot of stuff.

O'BRIEN: Hey, Jacky -- Jack.

SERWER: Mr. Cafferty to you, I guess.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: That's what I call him off air.

CAFFERTY: Medication everywhere.

Could Howard Stern and Mel Gibson influence your vote for president? Here's some of what you said.

Beth says, "I'm a 61-year-old unemployed woman with no healthcare and doubt if I'll be able to receive Medicare or Social Security. Why on Earth would I need Mel Gibson or Howard Stern to tell me we need a change of direction in the country?"

Gary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: "Howard Stern and Mel Gibson couldn't influence my decision on what to have for breakfast, much less the presidential election."

Debbie in Richmond, Virginia: "My mind has been made up for a long time. However, Stern has a huge following, Gibson is seen favorably by a constituency that was previously following George Bush. So of course they will influence the vote. Being of such divergent backgrounds, it says something when they're both raising questions."

And earlier, when Soledad commented on today's "Question of the Day," I mentioned that Sara Lita (ph), my producer, came up with it. Dave weight in from Japan: "Wait a second. Are you telling us this Sara (ph) person is really the one who comes up with the questions every day? Unbelievable.

"Not since the quiz show scandals of the late '50s or, to a lesser extent, Milly Vanilly lip-syncing fiasco of the early '90s has our trust been so violated. What do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Cafferty?"

Thank god for Sara (ph).

HEMMER: Yes. Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain.

SERWER: A little secret revealed here on AMERICAN MORNING.

O'BRIEN: Oh, he's so funny.

CAFFERTY: That's it, Soley.

O'BRIEN: Thanks. That was my nickname in high school. I love that nickname. You can call me that any time you want.

CAFFERTY: OK. You cannot, however, call me Jacky.

O'BRIEN: I will never do it again.

All right. A serious story is coming up on CNN just ahead. Details emerging now on the hotel bombings in Iraq. We've got live reports coming from the scene. That's coming up on "CNN LIVE TODAY" with Daryn Kagan.

We're back in just a moment with more AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: We've got to run. We're way over out of time. Join Andy and Soley and Jacky and Billy tomorrow.

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White House; Interview With Wesley Clark; Interview With Mohammed El Baradei>