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CNN Live At Daybreak

Blast on Busy Baghdad Street Near Green Zone; Eye on World

Aired May 31, 2004 - 06:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Severe storms bear down on the Midwest. This is DAYBREAK for Memorial Day, May 31.
And good morning to you from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Carol Costello. Here's what's happening right now.

On this Memorial Day, you're looking at a live picture from Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan, where the 45th Infantry is paying tribute to veterans who have fallen.

Just within the hour, word of a deadly car bombing on a busy street in Baghdad. At least two Iraqis have been killed, several more injured. The blast was in the highly-secured Green Zone, where the U.S.-led coalition has its headquarters.

The cleanup begins this morning after weekend storms, many of them packing tornados, ravaging the Midwest. Four people were killed in Missouri, two in Kansas and one in Indiana. A tornado destroyed at least 50 homes in Marengo, a town in southern Indiana.

In money news, E. Neville Isdell will take over as Coca-Cola's chairman and CEO tomorrow, seven months earlier than expected. Earlier, Coke had planned to keep Douglas Daft in the top job until the end of the year.

Also in money, and sports by the way, will the summer Olympics cost more than the games are worth? Greece's finance minister says delays in getting ready are hurting the country's image and adding a billion dollars to the cost.

And in culture, Memorial Day weekend is always a big time for the movies. Tops this weekend, "Shrek 2" with more than $73 million in ticket sales, and No. 2 was "The Day After Tomorrow."

(WEATHER BREAK)

COSTELLO: We've been telling you all morning long about a car bomb that left a large crater in the ground of a busy Baghdad street, right near the Green Zone where the U.S. coalition headquarters are.

Let's take you live now to Baghdad and Harris Whitbeck for exactly what happened.

What happened -- Harris?

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol. U.S. military officials on the scene of this car bomb say that the site of the explosion has no apparent strategic significance, but it is a road commonly used by coalition officials and members of the Iraqi Governing Council as they travel to the Green Zone, which is a very, very -- or supposedly a very, very secure area in Baghdad, which houses the CPA's headquarters here in the Iraqi capital.

Apparently, two Iraqis dead, and a local hospital says 17 people wounded when this car bomb went off. It happened at about 1:30 in the afternoon. The windows of stores and nearby buildings were completely blown out, and several parked cars were damaged, two of them were completely burned out.

The bomb went off not too far from the U.S. military checkpoint, where exactly two weeks ago Iraqi Governing Council President Izzedine Salim was killed in a similar suicide attack.

Meanwhile, there is more violence down in Najaf, which has been the scene of some very intense combat lately. And it was also there where Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric, had declared a cease-fire a few days ago.

Now, the U.S. had said in response to that declaration of a cease-fire that it would launch no more offensive operations, but apparently a U.S. military patrol was on a reconnaissance mission in the nearby city of Kufa, when it apparently came under attack by militiamen, and very, very heavy fighting reported there. Apparently, two U.S. soldiers were killed and, according to the U.S. military and sources on the ground, about 45 militiamen were killed as well -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Harris Whitbeck reporting live for us from Baghdad this morning.

As the calendar moves relentlessly toward the handover of power in Iraq, what is going on with the creation of a new government?

Our senior international editor, David Clinch, joins us now.

And well, we had warning that the violence would increase...

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... as we got closer to that June 30 date.

CLINCH: We did, and as we talked about earlier, we've also had the man who is at the center of this process picking the new interim government, or helping the Iraqis to pick it themselves. Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N. envoy, has been reminding us within the last 48 hours that the security issues that exist in Baghdad, as illustrated by this car bomb or explosion that we've been reporting on in Baghdad today, are a factor.

It's hard to get all of these people in the same place. It's hard, of course, even when they're in the same place for them all to agree, and that's obviously the case. We've been expecting an announcement on who will be the next president of Iraq under the interim council -- or the interim government, I should say. That's not going to happen today, we're told. Perhaps tomorrow or within the next couple of days.

Lakhdar Brahimi is going to have his name on this interim government. He wants to make absolutely sure that he gets it right.

COSTELLO: So, the names on that list for president, down to two?

CLINCH: That's not entirely clear. Certainly there are some favorites. Pachachi (ph), who is a favorite of the U.S., we're told. He has some issues standing against him, if you want to put it that way. From the Iraqi point of view, he was once a member of Saddam Hussein's government. A long time ago, he was a foreign minister. He disassociated himself, but nevertheless.

The other man, who is the current rotating president of the Governing Council, his last job was running a company in Saudi Arabia. So, while he may be a favorite of some on the Governing Council, he's not exactly top of priority for most average Iraqis.

COSTELLO: And he's the man that wants security turned over to the Iraqis shortly after a president is named.

CLINCH: Right. He's being very strong in his voice since he took this role of rotating president. Since the last one was killed in a car bomb, he's been very strong in his opinion that there needs to be a rapid and complete handover of power. That might not necessarily put him top of the U.S. list.

There may be others, too. And, again, Lakhdar Brahimi still has the Kurds to consider, a very delicate balancing act, and he's the one, again, whose name is going to be on it, so he wants to get it right. And also, the U.S., at least in some degree, has to approve of it.

So, it will probably take some time before we see the final version of that government lined out. And then, of course, all of that between now and June 30 has to be confirmed.

COSTELLO: David Clinch, many thanks to you.

World War II veterans are a little prouder this Memorial Day, if that's at all possible. America has finally honored them with their own memorial. Tens of thousands of veterans and their families turned out in Washington Saturday as President Bush dedicated this monument.

In a few hours, the president will lay a wreath at the Arlington Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns. CNN will have live coverage for you at 10:55 Eastern.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry will take part in a Memorial Day parade Portsmouth, Virginia, today. He'll be in the reviewing stand with Governor Mark Warner. Maybe potential voters are just fed up. Maybe the presidential election process is way too long. Whatever it is, political analyst Bill Schneider says American who plan to vote for president are getting antsy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): It's only May, but voters seem all fired up. Democratic pollsters know it.

CELINDA LAKE, DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: We're also seeing the importance of the election as high as you usually see right before the election.

SCHNEIDER: Republican pollsters know it.

DAVID WINSTON, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: To Republican conservatives, he's off the charts. Now, I have not seen any weakness at all in terms of the voting base at all.

SCHNEIDER: Both parties' fund-raisers know it. Each has raised record sums of money, and the rhetoric is hot.

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How dare the incompetent and willful members of this Bush-Cheney administration humiliate our nation and our people in the eyes of the world.

SCHNEIDER: The voters seem super-charged. May 2000, peace and prosperity, 42 percent of Americans said they were giving a lot of thought to the upcoming election. May 2004, war and anxiety. Now 64 percent are thinking about the election. But will more voters actually show up at the polls?

In May 2000, 47 percent said they were certain they would vote. Now, 54 percent say they'll show up.

What's energizing people? There are two theories. One is that it's the hard-core supporters of each party who are fired up by lingering resentment over the 2000 recount, by mutual contempt.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And the senator from Massachusetts has given us ample grounds to doubt the judgment and the attitude he brings to bear on vital issues of national security.

SCHNEIDER: Even loathing.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group that I've ever seen.

SCHNEIDER: And by the prospect of another close race.

But both parties believe swing voters are likely to control the outcome, and polls show that right now Independents favor Kerry. What's moving them?

LAKE: You always have more intensity when voters are for change.

SCHNEIDER: Only 30 percent of Americans believe the country is going in the right direction. Nearly two-thirds say things are off on the wrong track. That's the highest demand for changing course since November 1994, when the figures were exactly the same.

Uh-oh. That was when voters overthrew the Democratic Congress and gave Republicans their first majority in 40 years. Both sides are spoiling for a fight.

LAKE: In the case of the Democratic base, for example, the same thing for the Republican base, it's like, Why should we wait? We'd like to vote tomorrow. We're ready.

SCHNEIDER (on camera): Back in 2000, voters were pretty happy with the way things were going. The election was close because voters couldn't make up their minds whether they wanted change or continuity. They got energized only after Election Day, during the recount. Right now, it's not like May 2000; it's more like December.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Spellbound. "Harry Potter" once again captures the hearts of London fans.

And, are you worried about your waistline? You might want to reconsider your commute. We'll have new details for you ahead.

And on this Memorial Day, honoring the greatest generation. You are watching DAYBREAK on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

In Iraq, two American soldiers have been killed during fighting in Kufa. U.S. forces are battling the militia loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. At least 30 insurgents were killed in the firefight.

A new plan for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza is on hold, at least for another week. A meeting of the Israeli cabinet adjourned with no decision on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan.

In money news -- excuse me. In money news, the new Medicare discount drug cards officially go into effect tomorrow. Some groups say the majority of eligible seniors, though, have not signed up for the cards yet.

In sports, Buddy Rice is the Indianapolis 500 winner. Rain forced officials to shorten the race from 200 laps to 180. TV's David Letterman who grew up in Indianapolis co-owner of the winning team.

In culture, hundreds of screaming fans waited outside for a look at the stars during the London premiere of the third "Harry Potter" movie. That third movie opens worldwide this Friday.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.

The cleanup has begun after dozens of tornadoes cut a path of destruction through the Midwest. For many, all that's left after the storms is the debris and the stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These storms are capable, of course, as the warning indicates, of producing tornadoes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were relaxing. The weather was calm. And a large funnel cloud started to appear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just formed, and, like, it was a perfect funnel cloud.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tornado warning now for Henry County and Oldham County until 6:00 p.m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the tree knocked about eight-by-eight hole in the roof here. We're just trying to cover it up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do have a tornado warning in effect until 8:45.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were standing at the front door watching the funnel cloud form, and she pulled me way in, slammed the door. We went to the bathroom, got under a whole bunch of blankets, and we could hear the whirlwind like a whipping sound going over the top of the house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We heard screams on the other side of the apartments and shattering glass, and we heard debris flying. And it was like the air was just sucked out of the whole apartment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her garage, which her truck was parked into, just started lifting up above the ground. 'Grandma, we'd better get down to the basement.'

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were just pulling a lot of the people out of the nursing home. The roof was just -- it looked like it was almost completely torn off. And they were just trying to get everybody out of there as quick as they could and, you know, get them safely out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think when you see that right in your neighborhood?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's scary.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then the tornado just touched down through here. I said, 'Yes.' UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One confirmed death and numerous injuries with this tornado that went through Marengo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, I think the hand of God has touched Marengo today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And the cleanup continues this morning.

Let's head live to New York now to check in with Bill and Heidi, who is in for Soledad.

And you guys will have a lot more on the damage in the Midwest left by those tornadoes.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We certainly will. Dozens and dozens of tornadoes. We'll track the latest out of southern Indiana. The severe storms hitting that section of Indiana quite hard at the midway point between Evansville and Louisville, Kentucky. So, we'll get you there live this morning at daybreak today.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And we're going to be talking a lot about that today.

Also, talking a lot about a situation in Saudi Arabia, hostages taken there now, wondering if this attack is possibly linked to al Qaeda. We'll be talking with terrorism expert Steve Simon on that.

HEMMER: What a deadly weekend it was there, too.

Also, Memorial Day across the country. We'll get you live to D.C. General Richard Myers is our guest today. We'll talk about what it means for the veterans today; also, the ongoing issues about Iraq. That's coming up live here at the top of the hour on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Happy Memorial Day, Carol. Nice to see you on a Monday.

COSTELLO: Yes, nice to see you guys, too. Thank you so much.

COLLINS: All right.

COSTELLO: Road rules. Is your rush hour commute making you fat? Results of a new study are coming up.

Plus, rolling thunder roars into Washington for some news for President Bush. CNN DAYBREAK rolls on after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Clint Eastwood is 74, but he's married to, like, a 35- year-old woman.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. But Run DMC, 40? That's like, oh, my goodness! COSTELLO: We're really old. There is this new study out of Georgia Tech.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Guess what it says?

MYERS: It says that if you drive in your car you're going to be fat, basically.

COSTELLO: No. It says the more you drive in your car you're going to be fat.

MYERS: The longer you're...

COSTELLO: Because you should be walking more instead of driving so much.

MYERS: If you live in the suburbs, if you have a very long commute, you have a 3 percent chance of being obese, more obese than anybody that would live downtown and, let's say, maybe walk to work or walk to a Starbucks, something like that. But that was done in Atlanta. And I'll tell you, the people that live in downtown Atlanta are more fit people.

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

MYERS: Just in general I think people that live in downtown areas where they walk and people walk, because you can't afford to park, you can't move the car, you have to walk sometimes.

COSTELLO: Well, and it's designed to walk.

MYERS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: I mean, there are grocery stores nearby. There are restaurants. In suburbia, you have to walk, what, 10 miles to get to a grocery store?

MYERS: So, here's the conclusion: If you walk, you'll be skinnier than if you drive. I could have figured that out.

COSTELLO: Did you design this study?

MYERS: I just figured that out, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, let's get on to something even more happy than that story.

MYERS: And if you drink coffee, you might even wake up this morning. And if you drink out of our mug, you won it, maybe.

On Friday, here were the questions: In the safe grilling segment, reporter Julie Vallese mentioned what the internal temperature of hamburger should be if you're cooking on the grill. That was 160 degrees if you're cooking a burger on the grill or in the pan, whatever. And what occupation was the World War II and Koran War veteran Lillian Keil? What did she do during those two conflicts? She was the flight nurse. She was even a flight nurse on one of those gliders that came in across Normandy.

The winner, the winner, there we go, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Chris Kirkpatrick of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

COSTELLO: Oh, Chris, congratulations.

MYERS: Got them both right.

COSTELLO: It's Chris Kirkpatrick from Kalamazoo. That's great alliteration, too, this morning.

OK, do you know -- never mind.

MYERS: Got it.

And now the chance to win today. U.S. soldiers from the 45th Infantry Brigade are commemorating Memorial Day in what country? And No. 2, how much money has the movie, "Shrek 2," grossed in the two weeks since it's been released?

COSTELLO: Have you seen "Shrek 2."

MYERS: I haven't seen "Shrek 1." So, maybe I should see that first.

COSTELLO: Oh, you'll love it. You'll absolutely love it. Daybreak@CNN.com. Daybreak@CNN.com.

MYERS: Correct.

COSTELLO: A look at Memorial Day activities coming up, but first the latest headlines for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Weekend festivities include the annual event called "Rolling Thunder," and for good reason. Let's listen to that rolling thunder. Thousands of military vets and fellow bikers rode through Washington in their motorcycle rally for American troops. For 17 years, this special parade of bikers from across the country has made its throaty voice heard in the nation's capital. This year, the voice is backing President Bush's re-election.

The National Mall in Washington was packed for the official dedication of the World War II memorial. Here are some sights and sounds from the day, in case you missed it.

COSTELLO: It kind of brings tears to your eyes, doesn't it?

MYERS: You've seen the memorial.

COSTELLO: I have seen the memorial. It's very big. Very big.

MYERS: It's at the end of the Reflection Pool?

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It was weird. They drained the Reflecting Pool while they were building it, and that looked very strange. Because you know what's at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.

MYERS: It doesn't reflect.

COSTELLO: Our admiration for all of those troops serving in wars overseas.

MYERS: Yes, exactly. Thank you, guys. And maybe you could put out a flag out today if you have time.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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


Aired May 31, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Severe storms bear down on the Midwest. This is DAYBREAK for Memorial Day, May 31.
And good morning to you from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Carol Costello. Here's what's happening right now.

On this Memorial Day, you're looking at a live picture from Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan, where the 45th Infantry is paying tribute to veterans who have fallen.

Just within the hour, word of a deadly car bombing on a busy street in Baghdad. At least two Iraqis have been killed, several more injured. The blast was in the highly-secured Green Zone, where the U.S.-led coalition has its headquarters.

The cleanup begins this morning after weekend storms, many of them packing tornados, ravaging the Midwest. Four people were killed in Missouri, two in Kansas and one in Indiana. A tornado destroyed at least 50 homes in Marengo, a town in southern Indiana.

In money news, E. Neville Isdell will take over as Coca-Cola's chairman and CEO tomorrow, seven months earlier than expected. Earlier, Coke had planned to keep Douglas Daft in the top job until the end of the year.

Also in money, and sports by the way, will the summer Olympics cost more than the games are worth? Greece's finance minister says delays in getting ready are hurting the country's image and adding a billion dollars to the cost.

And in culture, Memorial Day weekend is always a big time for the movies. Tops this weekend, "Shrek 2" with more than $73 million in ticket sales, and No. 2 was "The Day After Tomorrow."

(WEATHER BREAK)

COSTELLO: We've been telling you all morning long about a car bomb that left a large crater in the ground of a busy Baghdad street, right near the Green Zone where the U.S. coalition headquarters are.

Let's take you live now to Baghdad and Harris Whitbeck for exactly what happened.

What happened -- Harris?

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol. U.S. military officials on the scene of this car bomb say that the site of the explosion has no apparent strategic significance, but it is a road commonly used by coalition officials and members of the Iraqi Governing Council as they travel to the Green Zone, which is a very, very -- or supposedly a very, very secure area in Baghdad, which houses the CPA's headquarters here in the Iraqi capital.

Apparently, two Iraqis dead, and a local hospital says 17 people wounded when this car bomb went off. It happened at about 1:30 in the afternoon. The windows of stores and nearby buildings were completely blown out, and several parked cars were damaged, two of them were completely burned out.

The bomb went off not too far from the U.S. military checkpoint, where exactly two weeks ago Iraqi Governing Council President Izzedine Salim was killed in a similar suicide attack.

Meanwhile, there is more violence down in Najaf, which has been the scene of some very intense combat lately. And it was also there where Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric, had declared a cease-fire a few days ago.

Now, the U.S. had said in response to that declaration of a cease-fire that it would launch no more offensive operations, but apparently a U.S. military patrol was on a reconnaissance mission in the nearby city of Kufa, when it apparently came under attack by militiamen, and very, very heavy fighting reported there. Apparently, two U.S. soldiers were killed and, according to the U.S. military and sources on the ground, about 45 militiamen were killed as well -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Harris Whitbeck reporting live for us from Baghdad this morning.

As the calendar moves relentlessly toward the handover of power in Iraq, what is going on with the creation of a new government?

Our senior international editor, David Clinch, joins us now.

And well, we had warning that the violence would increase...

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... as we got closer to that June 30 date.

CLINCH: We did, and as we talked about earlier, we've also had the man who is at the center of this process picking the new interim government, or helping the Iraqis to pick it themselves. Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N. envoy, has been reminding us within the last 48 hours that the security issues that exist in Baghdad, as illustrated by this car bomb or explosion that we've been reporting on in Baghdad today, are a factor.

It's hard to get all of these people in the same place. It's hard, of course, even when they're in the same place for them all to agree, and that's obviously the case. We've been expecting an announcement on who will be the next president of Iraq under the interim council -- or the interim government, I should say. That's not going to happen today, we're told. Perhaps tomorrow or within the next couple of days.

Lakhdar Brahimi is going to have his name on this interim government. He wants to make absolutely sure that he gets it right.

COSTELLO: So, the names on that list for president, down to two?

CLINCH: That's not entirely clear. Certainly there are some favorites. Pachachi (ph), who is a favorite of the U.S., we're told. He has some issues standing against him, if you want to put it that way. From the Iraqi point of view, he was once a member of Saddam Hussein's government. A long time ago, he was a foreign minister. He disassociated himself, but nevertheless.

The other man, who is the current rotating president of the Governing Council, his last job was running a company in Saudi Arabia. So, while he may be a favorite of some on the Governing Council, he's not exactly top of priority for most average Iraqis.

COSTELLO: And he's the man that wants security turned over to the Iraqis shortly after a president is named.

CLINCH: Right. He's being very strong in his voice since he took this role of rotating president. Since the last one was killed in a car bomb, he's been very strong in his opinion that there needs to be a rapid and complete handover of power. That might not necessarily put him top of the U.S. list.

There may be others, too. And, again, Lakhdar Brahimi still has the Kurds to consider, a very delicate balancing act, and he's the one, again, whose name is going to be on it, so he wants to get it right. And also, the U.S., at least in some degree, has to approve of it.

So, it will probably take some time before we see the final version of that government lined out. And then, of course, all of that between now and June 30 has to be confirmed.

COSTELLO: David Clinch, many thanks to you.

World War II veterans are a little prouder this Memorial Day, if that's at all possible. America has finally honored them with their own memorial. Tens of thousands of veterans and their families turned out in Washington Saturday as President Bush dedicated this monument.

In a few hours, the president will lay a wreath at the Arlington Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns. CNN will have live coverage for you at 10:55 Eastern.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry will take part in a Memorial Day parade Portsmouth, Virginia, today. He'll be in the reviewing stand with Governor Mark Warner. Maybe potential voters are just fed up. Maybe the presidential election process is way too long. Whatever it is, political analyst Bill Schneider says American who plan to vote for president are getting antsy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): It's only May, but voters seem all fired up. Democratic pollsters know it.

CELINDA LAKE, DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: We're also seeing the importance of the election as high as you usually see right before the election.

SCHNEIDER: Republican pollsters know it.

DAVID WINSTON, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: To Republican conservatives, he's off the charts. Now, I have not seen any weakness at all in terms of the voting base at all.

SCHNEIDER: Both parties' fund-raisers know it. Each has raised record sums of money, and the rhetoric is hot.

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How dare the incompetent and willful members of this Bush-Cheney administration humiliate our nation and our people in the eyes of the world.

SCHNEIDER: The voters seem super-charged. May 2000, peace and prosperity, 42 percent of Americans said they were giving a lot of thought to the upcoming election. May 2004, war and anxiety. Now 64 percent are thinking about the election. But will more voters actually show up at the polls?

In May 2000, 47 percent said they were certain they would vote. Now, 54 percent say they'll show up.

What's energizing people? There are two theories. One is that it's the hard-core supporters of each party who are fired up by lingering resentment over the 2000 recount, by mutual contempt.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And the senator from Massachusetts has given us ample grounds to doubt the judgment and the attitude he brings to bear on vital issues of national security.

SCHNEIDER: Even loathing.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group that I've ever seen.

SCHNEIDER: And by the prospect of another close race.

But both parties believe swing voters are likely to control the outcome, and polls show that right now Independents favor Kerry. What's moving them?

LAKE: You always have more intensity when voters are for change.

SCHNEIDER: Only 30 percent of Americans believe the country is going in the right direction. Nearly two-thirds say things are off on the wrong track. That's the highest demand for changing course since November 1994, when the figures were exactly the same.

Uh-oh. That was when voters overthrew the Democratic Congress and gave Republicans their first majority in 40 years. Both sides are spoiling for a fight.

LAKE: In the case of the Democratic base, for example, the same thing for the Republican base, it's like, Why should we wait? We'd like to vote tomorrow. We're ready.

SCHNEIDER (on camera): Back in 2000, voters were pretty happy with the way things were going. The election was close because voters couldn't make up their minds whether they wanted change or continuity. They got energized only after Election Day, during the recount. Right now, it's not like May 2000; it's more like December.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Spellbound. "Harry Potter" once again captures the hearts of London fans.

And, are you worried about your waistline? You might want to reconsider your commute. We'll have new details for you ahead.

And on this Memorial Day, honoring the greatest generation. You are watching DAYBREAK on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

In Iraq, two American soldiers have been killed during fighting in Kufa. U.S. forces are battling the militia loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. At least 30 insurgents were killed in the firefight.

A new plan for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza is on hold, at least for another week. A meeting of the Israeli cabinet adjourned with no decision on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan.

In money news -- excuse me. In money news, the new Medicare discount drug cards officially go into effect tomorrow. Some groups say the majority of eligible seniors, though, have not signed up for the cards yet.

In sports, Buddy Rice is the Indianapolis 500 winner. Rain forced officials to shorten the race from 200 laps to 180. TV's David Letterman who grew up in Indianapolis co-owner of the winning team.

In culture, hundreds of screaming fans waited outside for a look at the stars during the London premiere of the third "Harry Potter" movie. That third movie opens worldwide this Friday.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.

The cleanup has begun after dozens of tornadoes cut a path of destruction through the Midwest. For many, all that's left after the storms is the debris and the stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These storms are capable, of course, as the warning indicates, of producing tornadoes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were relaxing. The weather was calm. And a large funnel cloud started to appear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just formed, and, like, it was a perfect funnel cloud.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tornado warning now for Henry County and Oldham County until 6:00 p.m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the tree knocked about eight-by-eight hole in the roof here. We're just trying to cover it up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do have a tornado warning in effect until 8:45.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were standing at the front door watching the funnel cloud form, and she pulled me way in, slammed the door. We went to the bathroom, got under a whole bunch of blankets, and we could hear the whirlwind like a whipping sound going over the top of the house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We heard screams on the other side of the apartments and shattering glass, and we heard debris flying. And it was like the air was just sucked out of the whole apartment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her garage, which her truck was parked into, just started lifting up above the ground. 'Grandma, we'd better get down to the basement.'

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were just pulling a lot of the people out of the nursing home. The roof was just -- it looked like it was almost completely torn off. And they were just trying to get everybody out of there as quick as they could and, you know, get them safely out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think when you see that right in your neighborhood?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's scary.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then the tornado just touched down through here. I said, 'Yes.' UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One confirmed death and numerous injuries with this tornado that went through Marengo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, I think the hand of God has touched Marengo today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And the cleanup continues this morning.

Let's head live to New York now to check in with Bill and Heidi, who is in for Soledad.

And you guys will have a lot more on the damage in the Midwest left by those tornadoes.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We certainly will. Dozens and dozens of tornadoes. We'll track the latest out of southern Indiana. The severe storms hitting that section of Indiana quite hard at the midway point between Evansville and Louisville, Kentucky. So, we'll get you there live this morning at daybreak today.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And we're going to be talking a lot about that today.

Also, talking a lot about a situation in Saudi Arabia, hostages taken there now, wondering if this attack is possibly linked to al Qaeda. We'll be talking with terrorism expert Steve Simon on that.

HEMMER: What a deadly weekend it was there, too.

Also, Memorial Day across the country. We'll get you live to D.C. General Richard Myers is our guest today. We'll talk about what it means for the veterans today; also, the ongoing issues about Iraq. That's coming up live here at the top of the hour on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Happy Memorial Day, Carol. Nice to see you on a Monday.

COSTELLO: Yes, nice to see you guys, too. Thank you so much.

COLLINS: All right.

COSTELLO: Road rules. Is your rush hour commute making you fat? Results of a new study are coming up.

Plus, rolling thunder roars into Washington for some news for President Bush. CNN DAYBREAK rolls on after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Clint Eastwood is 74, but he's married to, like, a 35- year-old woman.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. But Run DMC, 40? That's like, oh, my goodness! COSTELLO: We're really old. There is this new study out of Georgia Tech.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Guess what it says?

MYERS: It says that if you drive in your car you're going to be fat, basically.

COSTELLO: No. It says the more you drive in your car you're going to be fat.

MYERS: The longer you're...

COSTELLO: Because you should be walking more instead of driving so much.

MYERS: If you live in the suburbs, if you have a very long commute, you have a 3 percent chance of being obese, more obese than anybody that would live downtown and, let's say, maybe walk to work or walk to a Starbucks, something like that. But that was done in Atlanta. And I'll tell you, the people that live in downtown Atlanta are more fit people.

COSTELLO: Absolutely.

MYERS: Just in general I think people that live in downtown areas where they walk and people walk, because you can't afford to park, you can't move the car, you have to walk sometimes.

COSTELLO: Well, and it's designed to walk.

MYERS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: I mean, there are grocery stores nearby. There are restaurants. In suburbia, you have to walk, what, 10 miles to get to a grocery store?

MYERS: So, here's the conclusion: If you walk, you'll be skinnier than if you drive. I could have figured that out.

COSTELLO: Did you design this study?

MYERS: I just figured that out, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, let's get on to something even more happy than that story.

MYERS: And if you drink coffee, you might even wake up this morning. And if you drink out of our mug, you won it, maybe.

On Friday, here were the questions: In the safe grilling segment, reporter Julie Vallese mentioned what the internal temperature of hamburger should be if you're cooking on the grill. That was 160 degrees if you're cooking a burger on the grill or in the pan, whatever. And what occupation was the World War II and Koran War veteran Lillian Keil? What did she do during those two conflicts? She was the flight nurse. She was even a flight nurse on one of those gliders that came in across Normandy.

The winner, the winner, there we go, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Chris Kirkpatrick of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

COSTELLO: Oh, Chris, congratulations.

MYERS: Got them both right.

COSTELLO: It's Chris Kirkpatrick from Kalamazoo. That's great alliteration, too, this morning.

OK, do you know -- never mind.

MYERS: Got it.

And now the chance to win today. U.S. soldiers from the 45th Infantry Brigade are commemorating Memorial Day in what country? And No. 2, how much money has the movie, "Shrek 2," grossed in the two weeks since it's been released?

COSTELLO: Have you seen "Shrek 2."

MYERS: I haven't seen "Shrek 1." So, maybe I should see that first.

COSTELLO: Oh, you'll love it. You'll absolutely love it. Daybreak@CNN.com. Daybreak@CNN.com.

MYERS: Correct.

COSTELLO: A look at Memorial Day activities coming up, but first the latest headlines for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Weekend festivities include the annual event called "Rolling Thunder," and for good reason. Let's listen to that rolling thunder. Thousands of military vets and fellow bikers rode through Washington in their motorcycle rally for American troops. For 17 years, this special parade of bikers from across the country has made its throaty voice heard in the nation's capital. This year, the voice is backing President Bush's re-election.

The National Mall in Washington was packed for the official dedication of the World War II memorial. Here are some sights and sounds from the day, in case you missed it.

COSTELLO: It kind of brings tears to your eyes, doesn't it?

MYERS: You've seen the memorial.

COSTELLO: I have seen the memorial. It's very big. Very big.

MYERS: It's at the end of the Reflection Pool?

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It was weird. They drained the Reflecting Pool while they were building it, and that looked very strange. Because you know what's at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.

MYERS: It doesn't reflect.

COSTELLO: Our admiration for all of those troops serving in wars overseas.

MYERS: Yes, exactly. Thank you, guys. And maybe you could put out a flag out today if you have time.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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