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American Morning
President Bush Vows to Stay Course in Iraq; Police in L.A. Investigating New Allegations of Child Abuse Against Michael Jackson
Aired April 14, 2004 - 08:31 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: And welcome back, everybody. It is just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Jeff Toobin's going to be with us in just a few moments. We're going to talk about these latest accusations about Michael Jackson. These are dating all the way back from the 1980s. So we'll hear what he has to say.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, the statute of limitations and what applies from the '80s if you can apply it now, so.
O'BRIEN: Lots of legal questions.
HEMMER: That's right. He can answer them, too, by the way. He's getting ready to go, aren't you?
JEFF TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Warming up.
HEMMER: Thanks, Jeff.
O'BRIEN: Says he's warming up.
HEMMER: That's right.
Top stories now at the half hour, more tough questions for U.S. intel officials today on Capitol Hill before that commission. CIA director George Tenet goes in one hour. FBI director Robert Mueller scheduled in the afternoon. The 9/11 panel examining ways to prevent future terror strikes at home. Live coverage of that hearing. It starts at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, but George Tenet not expected until 9:30, so we will get you there live when he begins.
Also today, President Bush meets with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to talk about Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank. President Bush is backing that plan, but he says he wants it tied to the establishment of a Palestinian state by next year, 2005. Prime Minister Sharon hoping Mr. Bush will signal approval for Israel's plans to retain parts of the West Bank.
According to the AP, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat says the peace process would be dead if the U.S. gives assurances that Israel can keep some West Bank settlement blocks. Israel has said -- Ariel Sharon has said they will keep five in the West Bank.
Senator John McCain says his wife is fine and showing excellent progress after suffering a small stroke. Cindy McCain was taken to a Phoenix hospital earlier this week after minor bleeding in the brain. She's listed in stable condition, and doctors say the 49-year-old McCain will not need surgery and will not have to be in the hospital for long.
And for you procrastinators out there, time's almost up, about 24 hours in fact. Taxpayers have until midnight tomorrow night to file those taxes for 2003. Rushing through them can lead to costly errors, we are reminded every year. Tax collectors urging last-minute filers to double check the math or request an extension. And if you are not getting an extension, make sure you sign that thing, simple things.
O'BRIEN And wait in the big line and get it dated the right date. Otherwise, it's all for nothing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Last night, in his first primetime news conference of the year, President Bush vowed to stay the course in Iraq. Well, this morning, the president getting some mixed reviews. The lead editorial in "The New York Times" offered this view: Quote, "He failed to address either of the questions uppermost in Americans' minds, how to move Iraq from its current chaos, and what he has learned from the 9/11 investigations," unquote.
Also word this morning that more troops may be headed into the region. Two reports for you this morning. Barbara Starr live for us at the Pentagon, and Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House.
Suzanne, let's begin with you this morning. Good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, President Bush in his one-hour press conference laid out his case to the American people to support the war on terror. He said the U.S. would stay the course, despite the violence in Iraq. He said he would support additional U.S. troops, that he was sticking by that June 30th deadline to turn power back to the Iraqi people, and again, he argued that the war was justified.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No one can predict all the hazards that lie ahead, or the costs they will bring. Yet in this conflict, there is no safe alternative to resolute action. The consequences of failure in Iraq would be unthinkable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The president was also asked about failure regarding September 11th. Asked if he had made a mistake or could admit to a mistake before September 11, he said he could not recall, but he did say, however, that the U.S. was not on war footing at the time that al Qaeda was at war with the United States. The president also refused to apologize to the families of the victims of September 11th, but he did say that, of course, he recognized and mourned with them, and recognized their sacrifice, but that ultimately, it was Osama bin Laden who was responsible for those attacks -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us this morning. Suzanne, thank you, and thank you for dealing with those jackhammers right behind your ear, it sounds like. Appreciate that.
As we mentioned Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon for us this morning.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
Well, in regards to Iraq, within the next 24 hours or so, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to approve a plan that could keep up to 20,000 troops in Iraq over the next three months, the next 90 days, to deal with the insurgency. Now that is about double, 20,000 about double the number that Pentagon officials were originally saying.
Here's what's happening: the plan now calls for about 14,000, 15,000 troops from the 1st Armored Division to stay in Iraq for 90 additional days. But once you add in all the support that they need, communications, medical, logistics, transportation, that brings the number up. So it looks more like about 20,000 troops now.
This morning, defense officials also tell CNN that troops from the 2nd armored Calvary regiment out of Fort Polk, Louisiana are also getting early word that they are likely to stay for several more weeks to deal with the insurgency.
But what there is no answer to yet is who will replace these troops that are staying longer. When the 90 days is up, if the insurgency, if the violence is still up, the Pentagon is going to have to bring in additional troops. They are still struggling with that, trying to find out which Army, which Marine Corps units may replace them, because several units have just returned home, several are in a training cycle. So they are still looking for who will replace them 90 days from now -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Big question there, obviously. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us this morning. Barbara, thank you very much.
And Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, as we mentioned, Suzanne as well, thank you -- Bill.
HEMMER: Twenty two before the hour now. Police in L.A. investigating new allegations, charges of child abuse against Michael Jackson, this time dating back to the 1980s. An attorney for Jackson says he expects these allegations eventually to be proved false, bus is the pop superstar now headed for the possibility of more legal trouble?
Our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin back here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning to you.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.
HEMMER: What are the facts we know right now about this? TOOBIN: We know one fact really, which is that the L.A. County district attorney has confirmed that Michael Jackson is being investigated for a child abuse investigation, something that took place allegedly in the 1980s, in Encino, where he used to have a home. That's all we know. So there is an investigation. But whether there's any merit to it, no idea.
HEMMER: 1980, that could be 14 years ago, could be 24 years ago.
TOOBIN: Whatever it is, it's a long time ago.
HEMMER: Statute of limitations on this is what?
TOOBIN: Well, it gets complicated, because the Supreme Court has just thrown out much of the California statute of limitations on this issue. Since the pedophile priests became a big issue, California, like a lot of states, has expanded its statute of limitation on child molestation. The Supreme Court struck that down in some part. I think the real relevance of this case, if there's anything to it, will be as evidence in the Santa Barbara case that's pending against him, rather than separate charges. Because of the changes in law that are in effect, and there's no doubt about that, it is much easier for prosecutors to use long time ago prior charged misconduct where no one has been convicted of anything. So if these accusations, if there's any evidence, it could be used by the Santa Barbara district attorney in that case.
HEMMER: Which could help buffer their case, the one that's pending right now.
TOOBIN: In a very big way, because there's only the one accuser now. There's the 1993 case that was settled for money. If this is a third, could be helpful.
HEMMER: Listen to Benjamin Brafman, attorney for Michael Jackson, on the screen for our viewers here, "This story, like so many others, eventually will be proved false, and in all likelihood promoted by people who have their own selfish agendas, or are otherwise seeking to compromise the right of Mr. Jackson to a fair hearing on the charges presently pending." Selfish agendas -- goes to a similar defense we heard in the past.
TOOBIN: And Mark Geragos was also quoted yesterday saying much the same thing, explicitly that people are out for money, that they saw how much money the kid in 1993 got, so they think that they can sue Michael Jackson and make money, that that's the real agenda here, not any legitimate claim. We don't know if the defense is saying the truth. We don't know if the prosecution is.
HEMMER: In a word, how difficult is it to prove something that happened two decades ago?
TOOBIN: Extremely difficult. When -- child molestation is difficult to prove in general because the time -- because it tends to be just one witness, and if it's so long ago, the obvious questions, why did it take so long to report it? How did you prove it? Very difficult.
HEMMER: Thanks Jeff, Jeff Toobin, our senior legal analyst. You like that title?
TOOBIN: You and Soledad our senior anchors on this program.
HEMMER: At least in the morning anyway, because you only have two options over there. It's either her or me.
TOOBIN: Both seniors.
HEMMER: Got it -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, an unbelievable story of survival to tell you about this morning. A little girl who lived after her mother's car plunged 400 feet down a ravine. More than a week later, road workers in Southern California were able to find her. She was just thirsty, but pretty much OK.
CNN's national correspondent Frank Buckley has much more on this story, with a very happy ending, at least for the child.
Frank, good morning.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
It's an amazing story. The little 5-year-old girl survived the plunge, then survived for 10 days in the wreckage. At some point after the accident, her mother died, though. So the girl was all alone in this struggle. Workers who were repairing guard rails spotted the wreckage early yesterday morning and then they found the girl. The speedometer was stuck at around 80 miles an hour. That speed possibly coming as the car raced down the hillside.
The 5-year-old is identified at Ruby Bustamante. She went missing from her Indio area-home two weekends ago with her mother, who is identified as Norma Bustamante. Authorities say Ruby was dehydrated, but able to walk when she was rescued.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. BOB CLARK, CALIF. HIGHWAY PATROL: I couldn't imagine having to survive like that for 10 days without any help, and a small child like that. It's amazing that she was able to live that long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: Family members say Ruby apparently ate and drank what was in the car to survive. They said she had Gatorade and dried noodles. The good news this morning, Ruby doing OK. Hospital officials won't provide much in the way of detail, but they say she is in stable condition -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, you can tell from the pictures, Frank, that you are look at a pretty rural area there where the car went off and plunged into the ravine, but I guess the question you have to ask, is how could someone go unnoticed for so long?
BUCKLEY: Well, you know, especially this 60 freeway is a fairly well traveled freeway. But as you say, it happened in a somewhat remote part of 60, where you find canyons and hills, also the car was just hidden behind a tree, so apparently, you had to be looking for something to see it. And with the slope of the hill, it's possible that Ruby simply couldn't climb her way out of it.
O'BRIEN: Interesting.
I know you've said that the hospital hasn't really been too forth forthcoming with information about the little girl. But is there any sense of when she'll get out of the hospital and go home?
BUCKLEY: Well, the good news is, they're saying she's doing OK. She had a good night. She was able to eat a hamburger and drink some apple juice. So physically, they say, she's doing fine, but they are also very aware of the emotional component here, and they're going to be looking at that. Her grandmother was able to stay with her last night in the hospital, so they'll be trying to take care of her, not just her physical well-being, but her emotional well-being as well.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I have to imagine that's really the unanswered and big, looming question here.
Frank Buckley with that story for us this morning, really, I think it's fair to say, an amazing story. I think that's overused sometimes, but I think in this case, it's really right on the money.
Frank, thanks a lot -- Bill.
HEMMER: In a moment here, Sanjay is back here in New York with us today, and some unexpected results about estrogen-only therapy and menopause. Sanjay has that in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Also, in about an hour, CIA director George Tenet is going to give his take on the terror attacks before the 9/11 Commission.
HEMMER: Plus, after a roller coaster career and career, golfer Phil Mickelson finally wearing the green. What Amy and Phil Mickelson have to say, in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: In medical news this morning, we told you about an estrogen-only hormone study that was halted last month. Well, now the study's result are being revealed. With us now to explain what was found and what it all means is Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Nice to see you. Nice to have you in New York with us this morning.
What were the results?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Well, interested, and this is one of the biggest stories we do, because we talked about the combination therapy a couple of years ago. Now the estrogen replacement therapy, also believed to fight off chronic diseases, but some of the study results a little bit of a shattering picture.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: You've heard for a couple of years now that combination hormone replacement therapy is not safe. And now a large-scale study looking at estrogen-only therapy shows no benefit at fighting heart disease or breast cancer. Pretty conclusively now, hormones are not the answer to fighting chronic disease. In fact, this most recent study published in JAMA was shut down early because of a 39 percent increased risk of stroke in women taking the estrogen-only therapy, and there was no reduction in heart disease. The only chronic disease estrogen may help with is osteoporosis. Women did have a reduction in fractures when on estrogen replacement therapy.
The media attention on hormone replacement therapy has been intense. Still, according to the American Heart Association, 63 percent of women are confused and looking for alternatives. To ward off the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances and mood swings, the most promising alternatives may be antidepressants, which have their own side effects. Low-dose progestin, phytoestrogens, which are plant-derived estrogens, and vitamin E, which nominally may work specifically on hot flashes.
Unfortunately, the studies on these alternatives are scant, and they're not widely prescribed. For more chronic problems such as heart disease and breast cancer, the alternatives are more obvious. Be aware of elevated cholesterol levels, monitor blood pressure, tight control of diabetes, increased physical activity levels and, of course, never smoke.
Bottom line, taking hormones is like a balancing act. There are risks, but in your individual case, it might be worth it. Just remember, consult with your physician and opt for the smallest dose for the shortest amount of time. And if you've decided to stop, don't do it abruptly, but taper off.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: When people started thinking about hormone replacement therapy, Soledad, it made perfect sense. Women don't produce as much estrogen when they go through menopause, so if you replace that, you might be able to ward off these chronic diseases. I think all of the studies we've seen now, the combination therapy, the estrogen-only therapy, showed that is simply not the case.
O'BRIEN: The final line of advice you had it your piece there was taper off, but of course you shouldn't just do that yourself. If you are who are taking estrogen and sort of getting concerned every time you hear reports like this.
GUPTA: That's right, and people are a little bit frightened by these reports. And our message is this, that this is a medication six to 12 weeks over that period of time, should you stop this medication. If you stop it abruptly, your hot flashes symptoms, symptoms of menopause might come back even worse than before.
O'BRIEN: I want to tell you, it is so confusing for women to try to decide what to do. I mean, it seems like every option is a bad option, or not a great option.
GUPTA: Yes, you know, I think it's like anything else, there's risks and benefit.s If the symptoms of menopause are so bad that you think it's worth the risks now that you've been informed of regarding hormone replacement therapy, then do it, but short dosage, short amount of time.
O'BRIEN: All right, Sanjay, thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: The Masters champ Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy, back home in California. A couple of whirlwind couple of days, too. Mickelson won his first green jacket on Sunday in Augusta, beating Ernie Els by a single stroke.
Yesterday, I talked with Phil and his wife, Amy, and Amy talked about how their three young children are reacting to that big win, or did not react.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY MICKELSON, WIFE OF MASTERS CHAMPION: Sunday, as Phil walked off the green, at one point I -- it's such a blur. It's all so surreal. But Amanda, a reporter walked up to Amanda, who is 4, our oldest, and said, is this the best day of your life, Amanda? And she said, yes, it is. And he said, why is that? And she said, because I got to color Easter eggs today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: So much for that. Hopefully, they were green Easter eggs.
Amy Mickelson from yesterday with her husband, Phil.
We talked about running the whole interview today. A little crunched on time today with the heavy news load we have today, so apologize about that. We'll get to it later in the week. They're a charming couple together, for every right reason obviously.
O'BRIEN: That's very funny. That's very cute.
Well, still to come this morning, President Bush and his chief political rival, Senator John Kerry, aren't like a lot of other Americans, except when it comes to April 15th. Yes, they got to pay taxes like the rest of us. We've got the results of what they're doing, here on AMERICAN MORNING, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Once again, ladies and gentlemen, Jack Cafferty.
O'BRIEN: Would you like me to hit him?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Don't make me come over there.
HEMMER: I don't want you to.
CAFFERTY: Time to see how the other half lives. Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business."
You got those tax returns of the high and mighty.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes, we do. Hail to the tax returns here, Jack, this morning. The president, the vice president and John Kerry releasing their tax forms for 2003. Stories in the paper, I really urge people to read them. It's really fun, all kinds of interesting tidbits. Let's go to the numbers and check it out. Here's what the president made last year, $727,000 in taxable income. You can see what he paid $227,000. A couple of things. First of all, he did not release his entire tax return, as presidents have since President Carter. Interesting. He gave $68,000 to charity. $400,000 of that, by the way, of the 727 is the presidential salary, the rest of that investment income.
Let's go to Cheney. You can see here. He gave $321,000 to charity, by the way, a lot more than the president. He only makes $200,000 as the VP, got a lot of investment income there.
John Kerry, separate tax return, Jack, from his wife. Interesting. She makes a lot more money than that. His salary, by the way, is $147,000 as a senator. He got a lot of capital gains from the sale of a painting by Dutch baroque painter Adam Wilburs (ph). Would you like a glass of Chablis with that?
CAFFERTY: Huh?
SERWER: Never mind.
CAFFERTY: Let me ask you something real quick. The president says, here's my tax return, but it's not his tax return, because it doesn't have all the information about his financial situation. So what's the point?
SERWER: Well, it had enough apparently, but not enough for some of us. It's interesting.
CAFFERTY: How much did Senator Kerry give to charity?
SERWER: Senator Kerry gave $43,000 to charity. What these guys do is they write the books and then they give the proceeds of the books to charity generally.
CAFFETY: Which allows them a tax write-off.
SERWER: Yes, exactly.
All right, let's go, saved from tax cuts, interesting chart here as well. The presidents saved $30,000 from his own tax cut plan. That's nice. And then there's Vice President Cheney. Didn't save as much, because he got hit by the AMT, alternative minimum tax -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: All right, thanks, Andy. On to "The Cafferty File."
Wednesday, things people say that got our attention, starting with this: "I really regret losing my sanity for so many years. And if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't do any of it," Roseanne Barr, or what is her last name?
SERWER: One of your favorite people, loves her.
CAFFERTY: Yes, she's terrific. All the stupid things she did in the 1990s. Remember when she spit on the ground and grabbed her crotch?
SERWER: I knew you were going to bring that up, Jack.
CAFFERTY: What a great American she is.
"We're trying to explain how things are going, and they're going as they are going. Some things are going well, and some things are obviously not going well." This would be your secretary of defense, ladies and gentlemen, Donald Rumsfeld, at a Pentagon briefing on Iraq.
Then there's this, "We are sorry our president is an idiot. We didn't vote for him." This is a message written in French on washing instruction tags for Tom Bihn bags and backpacks. Bihn is the company's president. He says the statement refers to him, and not President Bush.
Then there's this, "I just long for the day I wake up and find the Saudi royal family are swinging from lampposts, and they've got a proper government that represents the people of Saudi Arabia." The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, on his wishes for the future of Saudi Arabia.
Harsh. I like that.
O'BRIEN: Oh, my goodness.
CAFFERTY: "They asked us to make them feel at home, while we train them to do our jobs." Stephen Gentry, a former Boeing employee from Auburn, Washington. He was laid off, and he said he was then asked to train the worker in India who would replace him.
"I am overjoyed to be back in my homeland, the true north, strong and censor-free." This is Alanis Morrissette on wearing a nude- colored body suit that was all too realistic, if you know what I mean, at some music awards up there in Canada.
SERWER: Body paint there, is that right?
CAFFERTY: No, it's a body suit.
SERWER: Jagged little pill was the name of that outfit.
HEMMER: Like the shark suit they're going to wear in Athens this summer, this swimmers.
CAFFERTY: Yes, but sharks aren't built like that.
SERWER: That's true.
HEMMER: Let's get a break here, 30 minutes away from George Tenet, CIA director, about to testify before that commission. What do some of the victim's relatives think about what they have heard so far? Find out in a moment here, after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
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Aired April 14, 2004 - 08:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back, everybody. It is just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. Jeff Toobin's going to be with us in just a few moments. We're going to talk about these latest accusations about Michael Jackson. These are dating all the way back from the 1980s. So we'll hear what he has to say.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, the statute of limitations and what applies from the '80s if you can apply it now, so.
O'BRIEN: Lots of legal questions.
HEMMER: That's right. He can answer them, too, by the way. He's getting ready to go, aren't you?
JEFF TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Warming up.
HEMMER: Thanks, Jeff.
O'BRIEN: Says he's warming up.
HEMMER: That's right.
Top stories now at the half hour, more tough questions for U.S. intel officials today on Capitol Hill before that commission. CIA director George Tenet goes in one hour. FBI director Robert Mueller scheduled in the afternoon. The 9/11 panel examining ways to prevent future terror strikes at home. Live coverage of that hearing. It starts at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, but George Tenet not expected until 9:30, so we will get you there live when he begins.
Also today, President Bush meets with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to talk about Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank. President Bush is backing that plan, but he says he wants it tied to the establishment of a Palestinian state by next year, 2005. Prime Minister Sharon hoping Mr. Bush will signal approval for Israel's plans to retain parts of the West Bank.
According to the AP, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat says the peace process would be dead if the U.S. gives assurances that Israel can keep some West Bank settlement blocks. Israel has said -- Ariel Sharon has said they will keep five in the West Bank.
Senator John McCain says his wife is fine and showing excellent progress after suffering a small stroke. Cindy McCain was taken to a Phoenix hospital earlier this week after minor bleeding in the brain. She's listed in stable condition, and doctors say the 49-year-old McCain will not need surgery and will not have to be in the hospital for long.
And for you procrastinators out there, time's almost up, about 24 hours in fact. Taxpayers have until midnight tomorrow night to file those taxes for 2003. Rushing through them can lead to costly errors, we are reminded every year. Tax collectors urging last-minute filers to double check the math or request an extension. And if you are not getting an extension, make sure you sign that thing, simple things.
O'BRIEN And wait in the big line and get it dated the right date. Otherwise, it's all for nothing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Last night, in his first primetime news conference of the year, President Bush vowed to stay the course in Iraq. Well, this morning, the president getting some mixed reviews. The lead editorial in "The New York Times" offered this view: Quote, "He failed to address either of the questions uppermost in Americans' minds, how to move Iraq from its current chaos, and what he has learned from the 9/11 investigations," unquote.
Also word this morning that more troops may be headed into the region. Two reports for you this morning. Barbara Starr live for us at the Pentagon, and Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House.
Suzanne, let's begin with you this morning. Good morning.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, President Bush in his one-hour press conference laid out his case to the American people to support the war on terror. He said the U.S. would stay the course, despite the violence in Iraq. He said he would support additional U.S. troops, that he was sticking by that June 30th deadline to turn power back to the Iraqi people, and again, he argued that the war was justified.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No one can predict all the hazards that lie ahead, or the costs they will bring. Yet in this conflict, there is no safe alternative to resolute action. The consequences of failure in Iraq would be unthinkable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The president was also asked about failure regarding September 11th. Asked if he had made a mistake or could admit to a mistake before September 11, he said he could not recall, but he did say, however, that the U.S. was not on war footing at the time that al Qaeda was at war with the United States. The president also refused to apologize to the families of the victims of September 11th, but he did say that, of course, he recognized and mourned with them, and recognized their sacrifice, but that ultimately, it was Osama bin Laden who was responsible for those attacks -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us this morning. Suzanne, thank you, and thank you for dealing with those jackhammers right behind your ear, it sounds like. Appreciate that.
As we mentioned Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon for us this morning.
Barbara, good morning.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
Well, in regards to Iraq, within the next 24 hours or so, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to approve a plan that could keep up to 20,000 troops in Iraq over the next three months, the next 90 days, to deal with the insurgency. Now that is about double, 20,000 about double the number that Pentagon officials were originally saying.
Here's what's happening: the plan now calls for about 14,000, 15,000 troops from the 1st Armored Division to stay in Iraq for 90 additional days. But once you add in all the support that they need, communications, medical, logistics, transportation, that brings the number up. So it looks more like about 20,000 troops now.
This morning, defense officials also tell CNN that troops from the 2nd armored Calvary regiment out of Fort Polk, Louisiana are also getting early word that they are likely to stay for several more weeks to deal with the insurgency.
But what there is no answer to yet is who will replace these troops that are staying longer. When the 90 days is up, if the insurgency, if the violence is still up, the Pentagon is going to have to bring in additional troops. They are still struggling with that, trying to find out which Army, which Marine Corps units may replace them, because several units have just returned home, several are in a training cycle. So they are still looking for who will replace them 90 days from now -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Big question there, obviously. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us this morning. Barbara, thank you very much.
And Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, as we mentioned, Suzanne as well, thank you -- Bill.
HEMMER: Twenty two before the hour now. Police in L.A. investigating new allegations, charges of child abuse against Michael Jackson, this time dating back to the 1980s. An attorney for Jackson says he expects these allegations eventually to be proved false, bus is the pop superstar now headed for the possibility of more legal trouble?
Our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin back here on AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning to you.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.
HEMMER: What are the facts we know right now about this? TOOBIN: We know one fact really, which is that the L.A. County district attorney has confirmed that Michael Jackson is being investigated for a child abuse investigation, something that took place allegedly in the 1980s, in Encino, where he used to have a home. That's all we know. So there is an investigation. But whether there's any merit to it, no idea.
HEMMER: 1980, that could be 14 years ago, could be 24 years ago.
TOOBIN: Whatever it is, it's a long time ago.
HEMMER: Statute of limitations on this is what?
TOOBIN: Well, it gets complicated, because the Supreme Court has just thrown out much of the California statute of limitations on this issue. Since the pedophile priests became a big issue, California, like a lot of states, has expanded its statute of limitation on child molestation. The Supreme Court struck that down in some part. I think the real relevance of this case, if there's anything to it, will be as evidence in the Santa Barbara case that's pending against him, rather than separate charges. Because of the changes in law that are in effect, and there's no doubt about that, it is much easier for prosecutors to use long time ago prior charged misconduct where no one has been convicted of anything. So if these accusations, if there's any evidence, it could be used by the Santa Barbara district attorney in that case.
HEMMER: Which could help buffer their case, the one that's pending right now.
TOOBIN: In a very big way, because there's only the one accuser now. There's the 1993 case that was settled for money. If this is a third, could be helpful.
HEMMER: Listen to Benjamin Brafman, attorney for Michael Jackson, on the screen for our viewers here, "This story, like so many others, eventually will be proved false, and in all likelihood promoted by people who have their own selfish agendas, or are otherwise seeking to compromise the right of Mr. Jackson to a fair hearing on the charges presently pending." Selfish agendas -- goes to a similar defense we heard in the past.
TOOBIN: And Mark Geragos was also quoted yesterday saying much the same thing, explicitly that people are out for money, that they saw how much money the kid in 1993 got, so they think that they can sue Michael Jackson and make money, that that's the real agenda here, not any legitimate claim. We don't know if the defense is saying the truth. We don't know if the prosecution is.
HEMMER: In a word, how difficult is it to prove something that happened two decades ago?
TOOBIN: Extremely difficult. When -- child molestation is difficult to prove in general because the time -- because it tends to be just one witness, and if it's so long ago, the obvious questions, why did it take so long to report it? How did you prove it? Very difficult.
HEMMER: Thanks Jeff, Jeff Toobin, our senior legal analyst. You like that title?
TOOBIN: You and Soledad our senior anchors on this program.
HEMMER: At least in the morning anyway, because you only have two options over there. It's either her or me.
TOOBIN: Both seniors.
HEMMER: Got it -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, an unbelievable story of survival to tell you about this morning. A little girl who lived after her mother's car plunged 400 feet down a ravine. More than a week later, road workers in Southern California were able to find her. She was just thirsty, but pretty much OK.
CNN's national correspondent Frank Buckley has much more on this story, with a very happy ending, at least for the child.
Frank, good morning.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
It's an amazing story. The little 5-year-old girl survived the plunge, then survived for 10 days in the wreckage. At some point after the accident, her mother died, though. So the girl was all alone in this struggle. Workers who were repairing guard rails spotted the wreckage early yesterday morning and then they found the girl. The speedometer was stuck at around 80 miles an hour. That speed possibly coming as the car raced down the hillside.
The 5-year-old is identified at Ruby Bustamante. She went missing from her Indio area-home two weekends ago with her mother, who is identified as Norma Bustamante. Authorities say Ruby was dehydrated, but able to walk when she was rescued.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. BOB CLARK, CALIF. HIGHWAY PATROL: I couldn't imagine having to survive like that for 10 days without any help, and a small child like that. It's amazing that she was able to live that long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: Family members say Ruby apparently ate and drank what was in the car to survive. They said she had Gatorade and dried noodles. The good news this morning, Ruby doing OK. Hospital officials won't provide much in the way of detail, but they say she is in stable condition -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, you can tell from the pictures, Frank, that you are look at a pretty rural area there where the car went off and plunged into the ravine, but I guess the question you have to ask, is how could someone go unnoticed for so long?
BUCKLEY: Well, you know, especially this 60 freeway is a fairly well traveled freeway. But as you say, it happened in a somewhat remote part of 60, where you find canyons and hills, also the car was just hidden behind a tree, so apparently, you had to be looking for something to see it. And with the slope of the hill, it's possible that Ruby simply couldn't climb her way out of it.
O'BRIEN: Interesting.
I know you've said that the hospital hasn't really been too forth forthcoming with information about the little girl. But is there any sense of when she'll get out of the hospital and go home?
BUCKLEY: Well, the good news is, they're saying she's doing OK. She had a good night. She was able to eat a hamburger and drink some apple juice. So physically, they say, she's doing fine, but they are also very aware of the emotional component here, and they're going to be looking at that. Her grandmother was able to stay with her last night in the hospital, so they'll be trying to take care of her, not just her physical well-being, but her emotional well-being as well.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I have to imagine that's really the unanswered and big, looming question here.
Frank Buckley with that story for us this morning, really, I think it's fair to say, an amazing story. I think that's overused sometimes, but I think in this case, it's really right on the money.
Frank, thanks a lot -- Bill.
HEMMER: In a moment here, Sanjay is back here in New York with us today, and some unexpected results about estrogen-only therapy and menopause. Sanjay has that in a moment.
O'BRIEN: Also, in about an hour, CIA director George Tenet is going to give his take on the terror attacks before the 9/11 Commission.
HEMMER: Plus, after a roller coaster career and career, golfer Phil Mickelson finally wearing the green. What Amy and Phil Mickelson have to say, in a moment here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: In medical news this morning, we told you about an estrogen-only hormone study that was halted last month. Well, now the study's result are being revealed. With us now to explain what was found and what it all means is Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Nice to see you. Nice to have you in New York with us this morning.
What were the results?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Well, interested, and this is one of the biggest stories we do, because we talked about the combination therapy a couple of years ago. Now the estrogen replacement therapy, also believed to fight off chronic diseases, but some of the study results a little bit of a shattering picture.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: You've heard for a couple of years now that combination hormone replacement therapy is not safe. And now a large-scale study looking at estrogen-only therapy shows no benefit at fighting heart disease or breast cancer. Pretty conclusively now, hormones are not the answer to fighting chronic disease. In fact, this most recent study published in JAMA was shut down early because of a 39 percent increased risk of stroke in women taking the estrogen-only therapy, and there was no reduction in heart disease. The only chronic disease estrogen may help with is osteoporosis. Women did have a reduction in fractures when on estrogen replacement therapy.
The media attention on hormone replacement therapy has been intense. Still, according to the American Heart Association, 63 percent of women are confused and looking for alternatives. To ward off the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances and mood swings, the most promising alternatives may be antidepressants, which have their own side effects. Low-dose progestin, phytoestrogens, which are plant-derived estrogens, and vitamin E, which nominally may work specifically on hot flashes.
Unfortunately, the studies on these alternatives are scant, and they're not widely prescribed. For more chronic problems such as heart disease and breast cancer, the alternatives are more obvious. Be aware of elevated cholesterol levels, monitor blood pressure, tight control of diabetes, increased physical activity levels and, of course, never smoke.
Bottom line, taking hormones is like a balancing act. There are risks, but in your individual case, it might be worth it. Just remember, consult with your physician and opt for the smallest dose for the shortest amount of time. And if you've decided to stop, don't do it abruptly, but taper off.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: When people started thinking about hormone replacement therapy, Soledad, it made perfect sense. Women don't produce as much estrogen when they go through menopause, so if you replace that, you might be able to ward off these chronic diseases. I think all of the studies we've seen now, the combination therapy, the estrogen-only therapy, showed that is simply not the case.
O'BRIEN: The final line of advice you had it your piece there was taper off, but of course you shouldn't just do that yourself. If you are who are taking estrogen and sort of getting concerned every time you hear reports like this.
GUPTA: That's right, and people are a little bit frightened by these reports. And our message is this, that this is a medication six to 12 weeks over that period of time, should you stop this medication. If you stop it abruptly, your hot flashes symptoms, symptoms of menopause might come back even worse than before.
O'BRIEN: I want to tell you, it is so confusing for women to try to decide what to do. I mean, it seems like every option is a bad option, or not a great option.
GUPTA: Yes, you know, I think it's like anything else, there's risks and benefit.s If the symptoms of menopause are so bad that you think it's worth the risks now that you've been informed of regarding hormone replacement therapy, then do it, but short dosage, short amount of time.
O'BRIEN: All right, Sanjay, thanks.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: The Masters champ Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy, back home in California. A couple of whirlwind couple of days, too. Mickelson won his first green jacket on Sunday in Augusta, beating Ernie Els by a single stroke.
Yesterday, I talked with Phil and his wife, Amy, and Amy talked about how their three young children are reacting to that big win, or did not react.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY MICKELSON, WIFE OF MASTERS CHAMPION: Sunday, as Phil walked off the green, at one point I -- it's such a blur. It's all so surreal. But Amanda, a reporter walked up to Amanda, who is 4, our oldest, and said, is this the best day of your life, Amanda? And she said, yes, it is. And he said, why is that? And she said, because I got to color Easter eggs today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: So much for that. Hopefully, they were green Easter eggs.
Amy Mickelson from yesterday with her husband, Phil.
We talked about running the whole interview today. A little crunched on time today with the heavy news load we have today, so apologize about that. We'll get to it later in the week. They're a charming couple together, for every right reason obviously.
O'BRIEN: That's very funny. That's very cute.
Well, still to come this morning, President Bush and his chief political rival, Senator John Kerry, aren't like a lot of other Americans, except when it comes to April 15th. Yes, they got to pay taxes like the rest of us. We've got the results of what they're doing, here on AMERICAN MORNING, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Once again, ladies and gentlemen, Jack Cafferty.
O'BRIEN: Would you like me to hit him?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Don't make me come over there.
HEMMER: I don't want you to.
CAFFERTY: Time to see how the other half lives. Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business."
You got those tax returns of the high and mighty.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes, we do. Hail to the tax returns here, Jack, this morning. The president, the vice president and John Kerry releasing their tax forms for 2003. Stories in the paper, I really urge people to read them. It's really fun, all kinds of interesting tidbits. Let's go to the numbers and check it out. Here's what the president made last year, $727,000 in taxable income. You can see what he paid $227,000. A couple of things. First of all, he did not release his entire tax return, as presidents have since President Carter. Interesting. He gave $68,000 to charity. $400,000 of that, by the way, of the 727 is the presidential salary, the rest of that investment income.
Let's go to Cheney. You can see here. He gave $321,000 to charity, by the way, a lot more than the president. He only makes $200,000 as the VP, got a lot of investment income there.
John Kerry, separate tax return, Jack, from his wife. Interesting. She makes a lot more money than that. His salary, by the way, is $147,000 as a senator. He got a lot of capital gains from the sale of a painting by Dutch baroque painter Adam Wilburs (ph). Would you like a glass of Chablis with that?
CAFFERTY: Huh?
SERWER: Never mind.
CAFFERTY: Let me ask you something real quick. The president says, here's my tax return, but it's not his tax return, because it doesn't have all the information about his financial situation. So what's the point?
SERWER: Well, it had enough apparently, but not enough for some of us. It's interesting.
CAFFERTY: How much did Senator Kerry give to charity?
SERWER: Senator Kerry gave $43,000 to charity. What these guys do is they write the books and then they give the proceeds of the books to charity generally.
CAFFETY: Which allows them a tax write-off.
SERWER: Yes, exactly.
All right, let's go, saved from tax cuts, interesting chart here as well. The presidents saved $30,000 from his own tax cut plan. That's nice. And then there's Vice President Cheney. Didn't save as much, because he got hit by the AMT, alternative minimum tax -- Jack.
CAFFERTY: All right, thanks, Andy. On to "The Cafferty File."
Wednesday, things people say that got our attention, starting with this: "I really regret losing my sanity for so many years. And if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't do any of it," Roseanne Barr, or what is her last name?
SERWER: One of your favorite people, loves her.
CAFFERTY: Yes, she's terrific. All the stupid things she did in the 1990s. Remember when she spit on the ground and grabbed her crotch?
SERWER: I knew you were going to bring that up, Jack.
CAFFERTY: What a great American she is.
"We're trying to explain how things are going, and they're going as they are going. Some things are going well, and some things are obviously not going well." This would be your secretary of defense, ladies and gentlemen, Donald Rumsfeld, at a Pentagon briefing on Iraq.
Then there's this, "We are sorry our president is an idiot. We didn't vote for him." This is a message written in French on washing instruction tags for Tom Bihn bags and backpacks. Bihn is the company's president. He says the statement refers to him, and not President Bush.
Then there's this, "I just long for the day I wake up and find the Saudi royal family are swinging from lampposts, and they've got a proper government that represents the people of Saudi Arabia." The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, on his wishes for the future of Saudi Arabia.
Harsh. I like that.
O'BRIEN: Oh, my goodness.
CAFFERTY: "They asked us to make them feel at home, while we train them to do our jobs." Stephen Gentry, a former Boeing employee from Auburn, Washington. He was laid off, and he said he was then asked to train the worker in India who would replace him.
"I am overjoyed to be back in my homeland, the true north, strong and censor-free." This is Alanis Morrissette on wearing a nude- colored body suit that was all too realistic, if you know what I mean, at some music awards up there in Canada.
SERWER: Body paint there, is that right?
CAFFERTY: No, it's a body suit.
SERWER: Jagged little pill was the name of that outfit.
HEMMER: Like the shark suit they're going to wear in Athens this summer, this swimmers.
CAFFERTY: Yes, but sharks aren't built like that.
SERWER: That's true.
HEMMER: Let's get a break here, 30 minutes away from George Tenet, CIA director, about to testify before that commission. What do some of the victim's relatives think about what they have heard so far? Find out in a moment here, after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
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