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CNN Live At Daybreak
Mourning in American: State Funeral for Ronald Reagan Today; Coffey Talk: Scott Peterson Trial
Aired June 11, 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: Legendary blues singer and pianist Ray Charles is being remembered as a giant of an artist. He died at his California home after a long battle with liver disease. He was 73.
In money news, if you're buying a home soon, it will cost you more. Mortgage company Freddie Mac said the benchmark 30-year fixed- rate mortgage rose to 6.30 percent. That's up from 6.28 percent last week.
In culture, fans of the late actress Katharine Hepburn have doled out nearly $2 million at her estate auction in New York. A diamond and sapphire broach sold for $120,000, and that would be six times its estimated value.
In sports, he's back. Boston Red Sox Nomar Garciaparra smacked a two-run double to help Boston to a 9-3 victory over the Padres. It was Garciaparra's second game of the season after missing the first 57 games because of an injury to his Achilles tendon. And he looks like he's running just fine.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COSTELLO: They're coming this morning from far and near to say goodbye to Ronald Reagan. In just a few hours, his body will be moved from the Capitol Rotunda to the National Cathedral for his funeral.
CNN's Bill Prasad live in Washington with more for us, as we take a look at the National Cathedral.
Good morning -- Bill.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
The viewing time at the Capitol Rotunda will come to an end at approximately 9:00 Eastern Time. The Reagan casket will be moved later this morning. The funeral is set to begin at approximately 11:30 Eastern.
Mr. Bush will speak at the funeral. He's expected to say thank you to Mr. Reagan and his family for the years of sacrifice and service.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD (voice over): The National Cathedral, the site of the Reagan funeral, a normally serene place, now the location for security sweeps, lockdowns and street closings. The Secret Service is coordinating protection with many local and federal agencies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't seen anything of this magnitude, so it will be very interesting to see. But we're expecting a lot of traffic, a lot of disruptions in the off-street traffic here.
PRASAD: British Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder are among at least 20 foreign leaders expected to be there. President Bush will deliver a tribute, as will his father.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm afraid the tears will flow, but I'm going to try to find something to dry them up.
PRASAD: At the Capitol Rotunda last night, Mr. and Mrs. Bush paid their respects; so did former Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Approximately 150,000 people have passed through since Wednesday night. At times, there were tears. Always there was silence and respect. Serious injuries sustained in Iraq did not stop this decorated Marine from saluting.
Distance wasn't a factor either. This man drove from Canada.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I came to pay homage to President Reagan. He was my hero, because he liberated my old country, so my nephews and nieces could live in freedom.
PRASAD: Many waited in line three hours, saying it was a once- in-a-lifetime moment to personally mourn a president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
The funeral will be a Presbyterian service. After the funeral, the casket will be flown to California for an internment ceremony; all of this on a national day of mourning.
Carol -- back to you.
COSTELLO: And, Bill, why don't you tell our viewers what the inside of the National Cathedral looks like, because it's quite beautiful and has quite a lengthy history as well.
PRASAD: It certainly does. The National Cathedral is known as the National House of Prayer. It seats about 4,000 people. The Reverend John Danforth will be officiating. Of course, he is the former senator from Missouri.
And, Carol, one more item: At approximately 1:15 Eastern Time, the bells will be used to strike 40 tones. There will be 40 strokes of a bell, symbolic of President Reagan, of course, him being the 40th president.
COSTELLO: Bill Prasad live in D.C. for us this morning. Thank you. We want to talk more about what will be said today and in the future about President Reagan. So, we take you back live to D.C. and Steven Hayward, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He's also the author of the "Age of Reagan: 1964-1980."
Good morning.
STEVEN HAYWARD, AUTHOR, "AGE OF REAGAN: 1964-1980": Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Steven, what will be the lasting memory of this week of mourning?
HAYWARD: Well, you know, you're hearing a lot of people say that this reminds them a lot of John F. Kennedy in 1963, and in an odd way I think that's right, but for inverse reasons.
You know, Kennedy was our tragic hero, because he was a young president cut down before he could fulfill his promise. And then, Ronald Reagan, our oldest president, having survived the assassin's bullet went on to serve his two full terms and become the conquering hero of the Cold War. And then when we got the sad news 10 years ago that he was afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease, he once again became a tragic hero.
And I think part of what's going on this week is an element of catharsis. And I think that's what's added to the poignancy of the week and the enormous depth of sentiment.
I don't think we're going to see this kind of thing with our other ex-presidents. And I mean no disrespect to them. They're all very impressive people. But I think this is really something unique and extraordinary.
COSTELLO: But when you talk about those lasting images, like from JFK's funeral with John F. Kennedy, Jr. saluting. That was such a lasting image in our minds. Is there a similar image that we'll take away from funeral?
HAYWARD: I'm not sure we will from this particular service, except maybe some of the images of Nancy Reagan putting her head on the casket and so forth. I think more people are going to remember when they think of Reagan the Berlin Wall speech and the things that he accomplished.
COSTELLO: You know, because this week was so moving and it was such an incredible spectacle, will that change the way Reagan is remembered?
HAYWARD: Well, I don't know. I mean, you know, Edwin Stanton said of Lincoln the moment Lincoln died that now he belongs to the ages. And I think, you know, historians are going to be talking and arguing about Ronald Reagan and the Cold War for 200 years.
COSTELLO: Really? So, history won't view him any differently because of this outpouring of love and emotion by the American people? HAYWARD: Well, no. I mean, it's a very natural thing for Americans to love their presidents, even the presidents they may not have fully agreed with. You know, Franklin Roosevelt is now widely admired by almost all Americans, I think, even those who might be critical of the way he did his presidency. I think that's a natural and good thing about the American society.
COSTELLO: You know, we hear over and over that President Reagan made Americans feel good about themselves, feel good about the country. Is that the most important attribute a politician has?
HAYWARD: Well, you know, it sounds sort of simple to say a politician made us feel good about ourselves. But you have to remember that by the time Reagan became president, the country had been through essentially 17 years of worse and worse news, going all the way back to Kennedy's assassination. And Reagan finally reversed what was thought to be an irreversible downhill slide of the country.
And I'd add that he saved the presidency, I think. Vice President Cheney referred to this the other night. When he became president, people were starting to think that maybe the presidency itself was obsolete and inadequate to modern time.
We don't say that anymore, and that may be one achievement of Reagan that's been largely overlooked this week.
COSTELLO: And finally, as for the service today at the National Cathedral, what message will we hear?
HAYWARD: Oh, I don't know. You know, services like these tend to be, you know, sentimental. You'll hear lots of eulogies about the man's greatness and connecting that to the greatness of America. These things are kind of generic. I don't mean to downplay it that way.
But I think the most extraordinary thing is going to be seeing people in the audience like Mikhail Gorbachev. That may be the most remarkable scene of this week is the one-time enemy, Mikhail Gorbachev, coming to see the president's casket yesterday. If you had said in 1980 that we'd remember Ronald Reagan someday for having made friends with the last ruler of the Soviet Union and then would come to his funeral, I think they would have sent for the men in the white coats to haul you off.
COSTELLO: I think you're right about that. Steven Hayward, many thanks to you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.
HAYWARD: Thanks, Carol.
Coming up, the emotional testimony from the Scott Peterson murder trial, the latest developments on that case, the prosecution, the defense and more with Kendall Coffey. We'll be back with some "Coffey Talk" after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: The first week of the Scott Peterson trial has wrapped up with an account by a neighbor of Scott and Laci Peterson. She contradicts earlier testimony that Scott was unemotional after his wife disappeared back in 2002. Susan Medina testified that Scott came to her home several days after Laci vanished, and he was crying and really upset.
Also testifying in the murder trial were Modesto, California, police officers, the first respondents, who said they were immediately suspicious of foul play. Within hours, they called in a detective, an uncommon practice in a missing person's case.
And in case you've been living in a cave, Scott Peterson is charged with murdering his wife and the couple's unborn son.
We want to talk more about the Peterson case, because it's a very good topic for "Coffey Talk" this morning. So, joining us live from Miami, legal analyst Kendall Coffey.
Good morning -- Kendall.
KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, most legal pundits are saying kudos to the prosecution in the Peterson case so far. Not so fast, says you.
COFFEY: Well, I say not so fast, because with each of the witnesses that the prosecution puts forward to get a couple of steps on the road toward conviction. But usually when the defense comes in and cross-examines, there's a step backward.
Example, they've gotten some prosecution witnesses who are saying that Scott Peterson acted sort of cold and emotionless. Other witnesses have said he was distraught. So, was it a state of shock, which is what the defense says, or a state of guilt, as to what the prosecution is saying? So far, it's inconsistent.
COSTELLO: That's an interesting topic, because certainly everyone has heard about this testimony a Laci Peterson family friend who attended a barbecue with Scott Peterson after Laci disappeared. He described how Peterson singed the chicken on the grill and became very angry. In fact, he said Scott showed more emotion over the chicken than his wife's disappearance.
We have a comment from Scott Peterson's father about that testimony. He said: "Remember Harvey" -- Harvey was the first name of the guy who testified. He said: "Remember Harvey said he was kind of a barbecue aficionado? I think he's been sniffing too many of his barbecue fumes."
So, will that sit well with the jury what Harvey said?
COFFEY: I don't think this case is going to be about barbecued chicken. Harvey did say one thing, though, that I think was a little bit more important for the prosecution. He said that Scott Peterson said that on that critical day, December 24th, when Scott Peterson supposedly had gone fishing, the big fish story alibi, that Scott Peterson told him that he had been gone golfing. And I think that the inconsistencies in the Scott Peterson alibi are a whole lot more important than the quality of the barbecued chicken.
COSTELLO: Yes, but couldn't the defense come back and say, well, so he said he was going to play golf. He changed his mind.
COFFEY: And I think they're going to say that, look, if, in fact, he is innocent, why doesn't a devastated and distraught husband do all kinds of odd, unusual things? It's an extraordinary human condition to be in that tragic situation if he were innocent.
So, sure, you're going to act removed at times. You're going to act cold. You're going to act withdrawn. You're going to go through a whole gamut of emotions. And that's going to be what the defense tries to do to explain his conduct. The prosecution says he acted that way because he was guilty of a horrible crime.
COSTELLO: Well, now that Laci Peterson's family and friends are done testifying, police are now taking the stand. And that's important, isn't it?
COFFEY: That's the key thing, because this defense is an all-out assault on the police investigation. They say they locked in on Scott Peterson much too early. The police overreacted to the fact that he had a girlfriend on the side, decided he must be guilty, ignored all of the evidence it might have taken the police to the real killer. That is the major theme of this defense.
COSTELLO: Kendall Coffey live in Miami, thank you.
COFFEY: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: A silent line of mourners. Public viewing ends in just about three from now. And then at 11:30 Eastern the state funeral for former President Reagan begins at the National Cathedral in Washington.
In New Pulse, New York, a judge has dismissed criminal charges against Mayor Jason West for marrying gay couples. The judge said the state has failed to show it has a legitimate interest in banning same- sex weddings.
In money news, if you leased a Ford between 1991 and 1994, you might be getting 100 bucks in the mail. It's part of a settlement involving overpayments in the company's red carpet leasing program.
In culture, Amazon.com says early orders for Bill Clinton's book, "My Life," have set a record for autobiographies. Amazon said orders are running seven times those for former first lady Hillary Clinton's memoir.
In sports, Vijay Singh is leading the PGA's Buick Classic. He opens later today at eight under par after shooting an opening round 63. He is one shot ahead of Fredrik Jacobson.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, grab your popcorn and a front-row seat. There is action and animation at the movies this weekend. We'll get one critic's review.
And fans will always love Dolly Parton; now honors for a timeless country music (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: I wouldn't dare make fun of country music. He warned me before that. I like some country music, but not all of it. I'm being honest. I like heavy metal. I don't know what's wrong with me.
But we're going to talk about country music right now, because Country Music Television has released its top 100 country love songs. And the No. 1 is...
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: From Dolly Parton.
COSTELLO: ... Dolly Parton, "I Will Always Love You."
MYERS: 1974. Redone for "The Bodyguard," too, by the way.
COSTELLO: By Whitney Houston.
MYERS: By Whitney Houston.
COSTELLO: Oh, let's pause.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOLLY PARTON, SINGER (singing): I will always love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK. Now, we're really in the mood.
No. 2, Willie Nelson's "You Were Always on my Mind."
MYERS: Good.
COSTELLO: Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams" is next, and Randy Travis, "Forever and Ever, Amen."
MYERS: A good song.
COSTELLO: And the list goes on and on and on.
MYERS: And Johnny Cash, "I Fell Into a Burning Ring of Fire," not in the top 10.
COSTELLO: You've got to be kidding! Actually, I love this quote from someone. This is from the man who put this together. He adds: "With the possible exception of drinking, there is no more common theme in country music than love."
MYERS: Oh, pickups, trains and cheating.
COSTELLO: Oh, well, let's talk movies now. Your favorite topic is movies.
MYERS: Yes, let's go.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about (UNINTELLIGIBLE). The stars of "Stepford" have been all over the place. I feel like I've already seen the movie. So, is it worth the price of a ticket? Our movie guy, Tom O'Neil from "In Touch" magazine, joins us live from New York with the lowdown.
So, "Stepford Wives," is it good?
O'NEIL: Well, it's not the train wreck we thought it was going to be, because remember what happened on the set of this movie, Carol. We have all of these A-listers like Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken, they all spent the whole time in their trailers rewriting the script, fighting with other and refusing to shoot on hot days.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're kidding!
O'NEIL: Oh, it was the biggest cat fight in recent times when making a movie. But this movie doesn't work because it is a translation of the 1970 horror movie about a group of guys up in Connecticut who turn their wives into robots. And back then, men were afraid to feminism, of course, and today's it'll fully accepted. And they have taken this horror movie and turned it into a farce, and I'm afraid it's a real farce.
COSTELLO: Well, I was going to say, it's such an antiquated idea. I mean, Chad, you wouldn't want a wife like that. Sally is not remotely like a Stepford wife. What man wants a woman like that? Men? Tom? Chad?
MYERS: I don't know.
O'NEIL: And the movie doesn't work. But everyone was saying this was going to be Nicole Kidman's "Ishtar," right? And it's not that bad.
COSTELLO: Oh, it's not that bad.
O'NEIL: No.
COSTELLO: So, I should kind of go see it, and then walk away in the middle of the movie?
O'NEIL: It's funny actually. It's got some good lines in it.
COSTELLO: OK. Well, let's move on to "Garfield," because that's not supposed to be very good either.
O'NEIL: No. This is, of course, based on the popular newspaper cartoon strip that has literally been de-neutered for the film. And this is not funny. Nobody over the age of eight is going to like this at all.
COSTELLO: Oh!
O'NEIL: It's getting literally the cattiest reviews of all. "The New York Times" said today that if you go to see this movie you're going to leave the theater as grumpy as this cat, because the dialogue is terrible. It's only redeemed by the fact that Bill Murray's voice is the cat. But, oh, Carol, it's...
COSTELLO: Really?
O'NEIL: It's terrible.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, there seems to be belching in every child's movie that it must be the thing for kids.
O'NEIL: It is. And in the case of Garfield, he's usually belching after getting lasagna, after he weasels it out of his master.
COSTELLO: Oh, well, OK, then. So, 8 years and younger, that's the audience for that movie.
How about "The Chronicles of Riddick," the Vin Diesel movie?
O'NEIL: More bad news for you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh!
O'NEIL: This is really ridiculous! It's one of these sci-fi movies that the whole universe is conspiring against Vin Diesel here. He's got bounty hunters after him. There's an evil empire. And what's so ridiculous about this movie is you would think these guys would be fighting with ray guns and things. They use a battle axe. Just that doesn't make any sense at all.
And it's Vin Diesel trying to extend his last movie, "Pitch Black," into a series, and unfortunately Hollywood is threatening to make another installment of this bomb.
COSTELLO: Oh, no! You know, Vin Diesel was so hot for a time, and now he's really been nowhere.
O'NEIL: He needs the right movie vehicle, and unfortunately this isn't it, because it's just one of those sci-fi messes.
COSTELLO: Yes. Well, I guess thank you.
O'NEIL: I wish I had good news for you this morning, but it's terrible. Remember last month we talked about dump month, how Hollywood gets rid of all of the real bombs before Memorial Day? Well, there are a few stray ones that are going to drop this weekend. COSTELLO: Oh, it's so sad. Tom O'Neil, many thanks to you live from New York from "In Touch" Magazine.
O'NEIL: Thanks, Carol.
MYERS: Sorry about the pause there when you said who would want a Stepford wife, but I was kind of thinking about it actually.
COSTELLO: Sally, did you hear that?
MYERS: Never mind. She's working.
COSTELLO: We'll give away that DAYBREAK coffee mug after this. You're in trouble.
MYERS: I know.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: OK, we're just going to say these, because we're having a little problem with our graphics this morning. Gene Wilder is 71 years old today.
MYERS: Wow!
COSTELLO: Joe Montana, 48 and still looking good. And George H.W. Bush looking good as well. He'll be 80 years old on Saturday.
MYERS: No kidding?
COSTELLO: Is he going to jump out of a plane again? I bet he is.
MYERS: He probably will.
COSTELLO: He is going to jump out of a plane.
MYERS: He probably will.
COSTELLO: He's going to jump out of a plane on Sunday with a parachute, of course.
MYERS: Well, of course. Eighty years old, that's amazing. I can't even believe that.
We're giving away the mug from yesterday. Good answers. We actually have over 300 correct answers yesterday.
COSTELLO: Really!
MYERS: The question: In what nation was the Olympic torch carried yesterday? India was the correct answer. And a lot of folks got this wrong. You can't believe the number of like Rod Stewart answers I got for this one. What icon celebrated his 70th birthday yesterday? And that was Donald Duck.
COSTELLO: Gosh, I don't know why so many people got that wrong.
MYERS: Amy Brousseau from Mechanic Falls, Maine.
COSTELLO: Oh, congratulations, Amy.
MYERS: Maine!
COSTELLO: As always, the cup is in the mail wrapped in bubble wrap.
MYERS: It's almost the Stanley Cup, but it's the DAYBREAK cup.
Now for the question for today, the two questions, and you must answer them both.
What NHL hockey team owner says he may have to sell the team? I won't give you the city, because that will be too easy. And No. 2, who remade the song for Dolly Parton for which she's being honored today as the No. 1 love song of all time? Who remade that in 1987 for a movie?
COSTELLO: You mentioned that when we were chatting about Dolly Parton's victorious No. 1 love song on the country music whatever they're calling it.
MYERS: I know you probably don't care about the movies, but we have the Grand Prix of Canada this weekend.
COSTELLO: Really?
MYERS: All of our Canadian viewers will be up there watching in Montreal.
COSTELLO: That's right. The movies kind of stink this weekend.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: So you might as well watch a race on TV.
MYERS: NASCAR has got Pocono (ph), never really the most exciting race on TV. But, you know, if you're not going to a movie and if it's raining there, you go. You've got that going for you.
COSTELLO: All right.
MYERS: We are going to see some rain showers in D.C. today for all of the activities there.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MYERS: We're going to have to try to get them out of there. But I think by 11:00 they're going to get rain.
COSTELLO: All right, so you've been warned.
MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: That does it for us. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now. You make it a great weekend.
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Aired June 11, 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: Legendary blues singer and pianist Ray Charles is being remembered as a giant of an artist. He died at his California home after a long battle with liver disease. He was 73.
In money news, if you're buying a home soon, it will cost you more. Mortgage company Freddie Mac said the benchmark 30-year fixed- rate mortgage rose to 6.30 percent. That's up from 6.28 percent last week.
In culture, fans of the late actress Katharine Hepburn have doled out nearly $2 million at her estate auction in New York. A diamond and sapphire broach sold for $120,000, and that would be six times its estimated value.
In sports, he's back. Boston Red Sox Nomar Garciaparra smacked a two-run double to help Boston to a 9-3 victory over the Padres. It was Garciaparra's second game of the season after missing the first 57 games because of an injury to his Achilles tendon. And he looks like he's running just fine.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COSTELLO: They're coming this morning from far and near to say goodbye to Ronald Reagan. In just a few hours, his body will be moved from the Capitol Rotunda to the National Cathedral for his funeral.
CNN's Bill Prasad live in Washington with more for us, as we take a look at the National Cathedral.
Good morning -- Bill.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
The viewing time at the Capitol Rotunda will come to an end at approximately 9:00 Eastern Time. The Reagan casket will be moved later this morning. The funeral is set to begin at approximately 11:30 Eastern.
Mr. Bush will speak at the funeral. He's expected to say thank you to Mr. Reagan and his family for the years of sacrifice and service.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD (voice over): The National Cathedral, the site of the Reagan funeral, a normally serene place, now the location for security sweeps, lockdowns and street closings. The Secret Service is coordinating protection with many local and federal agencies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't seen anything of this magnitude, so it will be very interesting to see. But we're expecting a lot of traffic, a lot of disruptions in the off-street traffic here.
PRASAD: British Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder are among at least 20 foreign leaders expected to be there. President Bush will deliver a tribute, as will his father.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm afraid the tears will flow, but I'm going to try to find something to dry them up.
PRASAD: At the Capitol Rotunda last night, Mr. and Mrs. Bush paid their respects; so did former Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Approximately 150,000 people have passed through since Wednesday night. At times, there were tears. Always there was silence and respect. Serious injuries sustained in Iraq did not stop this decorated Marine from saluting.
Distance wasn't a factor either. This man drove from Canada.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I came to pay homage to President Reagan. He was my hero, because he liberated my old country, so my nephews and nieces could live in freedom.
PRASAD: Many waited in line three hours, saying it was a once- in-a-lifetime moment to personally mourn a president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
The funeral will be a Presbyterian service. After the funeral, the casket will be flown to California for an internment ceremony; all of this on a national day of mourning.
Carol -- back to you.
COSTELLO: And, Bill, why don't you tell our viewers what the inside of the National Cathedral looks like, because it's quite beautiful and has quite a lengthy history as well.
PRASAD: It certainly does. The National Cathedral is known as the National House of Prayer. It seats about 4,000 people. The Reverend John Danforth will be officiating. Of course, he is the former senator from Missouri.
And, Carol, one more item: At approximately 1:15 Eastern Time, the bells will be used to strike 40 tones. There will be 40 strokes of a bell, symbolic of President Reagan, of course, him being the 40th president.
COSTELLO: Bill Prasad live in D.C. for us this morning. Thank you. We want to talk more about what will be said today and in the future about President Reagan. So, we take you back live to D.C. and Steven Hayward, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He's also the author of the "Age of Reagan: 1964-1980."
Good morning.
STEVEN HAYWARD, AUTHOR, "AGE OF REAGAN: 1964-1980": Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Steven, what will be the lasting memory of this week of mourning?
HAYWARD: Well, you know, you're hearing a lot of people say that this reminds them a lot of John F. Kennedy in 1963, and in an odd way I think that's right, but for inverse reasons.
You know, Kennedy was our tragic hero, because he was a young president cut down before he could fulfill his promise. And then, Ronald Reagan, our oldest president, having survived the assassin's bullet went on to serve his two full terms and become the conquering hero of the Cold War. And then when we got the sad news 10 years ago that he was afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease, he once again became a tragic hero.
And I think part of what's going on this week is an element of catharsis. And I think that's what's added to the poignancy of the week and the enormous depth of sentiment.
I don't think we're going to see this kind of thing with our other ex-presidents. And I mean no disrespect to them. They're all very impressive people. But I think this is really something unique and extraordinary.
COSTELLO: But when you talk about those lasting images, like from JFK's funeral with John F. Kennedy, Jr. saluting. That was such a lasting image in our minds. Is there a similar image that we'll take away from funeral?
HAYWARD: I'm not sure we will from this particular service, except maybe some of the images of Nancy Reagan putting her head on the casket and so forth. I think more people are going to remember when they think of Reagan the Berlin Wall speech and the things that he accomplished.
COSTELLO: You know, because this week was so moving and it was such an incredible spectacle, will that change the way Reagan is remembered?
HAYWARD: Well, I don't know. I mean, you know, Edwin Stanton said of Lincoln the moment Lincoln died that now he belongs to the ages. And I think, you know, historians are going to be talking and arguing about Ronald Reagan and the Cold War for 200 years.
COSTELLO: Really? So, history won't view him any differently because of this outpouring of love and emotion by the American people? HAYWARD: Well, no. I mean, it's a very natural thing for Americans to love their presidents, even the presidents they may not have fully agreed with. You know, Franklin Roosevelt is now widely admired by almost all Americans, I think, even those who might be critical of the way he did his presidency. I think that's a natural and good thing about the American society.
COSTELLO: You know, we hear over and over that President Reagan made Americans feel good about themselves, feel good about the country. Is that the most important attribute a politician has?
HAYWARD: Well, you know, it sounds sort of simple to say a politician made us feel good about ourselves. But you have to remember that by the time Reagan became president, the country had been through essentially 17 years of worse and worse news, going all the way back to Kennedy's assassination. And Reagan finally reversed what was thought to be an irreversible downhill slide of the country.
And I'd add that he saved the presidency, I think. Vice President Cheney referred to this the other night. When he became president, people were starting to think that maybe the presidency itself was obsolete and inadequate to modern time.
We don't say that anymore, and that may be one achievement of Reagan that's been largely overlooked this week.
COSTELLO: And finally, as for the service today at the National Cathedral, what message will we hear?
HAYWARD: Oh, I don't know. You know, services like these tend to be, you know, sentimental. You'll hear lots of eulogies about the man's greatness and connecting that to the greatness of America. These things are kind of generic. I don't mean to downplay it that way.
But I think the most extraordinary thing is going to be seeing people in the audience like Mikhail Gorbachev. That may be the most remarkable scene of this week is the one-time enemy, Mikhail Gorbachev, coming to see the president's casket yesterday. If you had said in 1980 that we'd remember Ronald Reagan someday for having made friends with the last ruler of the Soviet Union and then would come to his funeral, I think they would have sent for the men in the white coats to haul you off.
COSTELLO: I think you're right about that. Steven Hayward, many thanks to you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.
HAYWARD: Thanks, Carol.
Coming up, the emotional testimony from the Scott Peterson murder trial, the latest developments on that case, the prosecution, the defense and more with Kendall Coffey. We'll be back with some "Coffey Talk" after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: The first week of the Scott Peterson trial has wrapped up with an account by a neighbor of Scott and Laci Peterson. She contradicts earlier testimony that Scott was unemotional after his wife disappeared back in 2002. Susan Medina testified that Scott came to her home several days after Laci vanished, and he was crying and really upset.
Also testifying in the murder trial were Modesto, California, police officers, the first respondents, who said they were immediately suspicious of foul play. Within hours, they called in a detective, an uncommon practice in a missing person's case.
And in case you've been living in a cave, Scott Peterson is charged with murdering his wife and the couple's unborn son.
We want to talk more about the Peterson case, because it's a very good topic for "Coffey Talk" this morning. So, joining us live from Miami, legal analyst Kendall Coffey.
Good morning -- Kendall.
KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, most legal pundits are saying kudos to the prosecution in the Peterson case so far. Not so fast, says you.
COFFEY: Well, I say not so fast, because with each of the witnesses that the prosecution puts forward to get a couple of steps on the road toward conviction. But usually when the defense comes in and cross-examines, there's a step backward.
Example, they've gotten some prosecution witnesses who are saying that Scott Peterson acted sort of cold and emotionless. Other witnesses have said he was distraught. So, was it a state of shock, which is what the defense says, or a state of guilt, as to what the prosecution is saying? So far, it's inconsistent.
COSTELLO: That's an interesting topic, because certainly everyone has heard about this testimony a Laci Peterson family friend who attended a barbecue with Scott Peterson after Laci disappeared. He described how Peterson singed the chicken on the grill and became very angry. In fact, he said Scott showed more emotion over the chicken than his wife's disappearance.
We have a comment from Scott Peterson's father about that testimony. He said: "Remember Harvey" -- Harvey was the first name of the guy who testified. He said: "Remember Harvey said he was kind of a barbecue aficionado? I think he's been sniffing too many of his barbecue fumes."
So, will that sit well with the jury what Harvey said?
COFFEY: I don't think this case is going to be about barbecued chicken. Harvey did say one thing, though, that I think was a little bit more important for the prosecution. He said that Scott Peterson said that on that critical day, December 24th, when Scott Peterson supposedly had gone fishing, the big fish story alibi, that Scott Peterson told him that he had been gone golfing. And I think that the inconsistencies in the Scott Peterson alibi are a whole lot more important than the quality of the barbecued chicken.
COSTELLO: Yes, but couldn't the defense come back and say, well, so he said he was going to play golf. He changed his mind.
COFFEY: And I think they're going to say that, look, if, in fact, he is innocent, why doesn't a devastated and distraught husband do all kinds of odd, unusual things? It's an extraordinary human condition to be in that tragic situation if he were innocent.
So, sure, you're going to act removed at times. You're going to act cold. You're going to act withdrawn. You're going to go through a whole gamut of emotions. And that's going to be what the defense tries to do to explain his conduct. The prosecution says he acted that way because he was guilty of a horrible crime.
COSTELLO: Well, now that Laci Peterson's family and friends are done testifying, police are now taking the stand. And that's important, isn't it?
COFFEY: That's the key thing, because this defense is an all-out assault on the police investigation. They say they locked in on Scott Peterson much too early. The police overreacted to the fact that he had a girlfriend on the side, decided he must be guilty, ignored all of the evidence it might have taken the police to the real killer. That is the major theme of this defense.
COSTELLO: Kendall Coffey live in Miami, thank you.
COFFEY: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: A silent line of mourners. Public viewing ends in just about three from now. And then at 11:30 Eastern the state funeral for former President Reagan begins at the National Cathedral in Washington.
In New Pulse, New York, a judge has dismissed criminal charges against Mayor Jason West for marrying gay couples. The judge said the state has failed to show it has a legitimate interest in banning same- sex weddings.
In money news, if you leased a Ford between 1991 and 1994, you might be getting 100 bucks in the mail. It's part of a settlement involving overpayments in the company's red carpet leasing program.
In culture, Amazon.com says early orders for Bill Clinton's book, "My Life," have set a record for autobiographies. Amazon said orders are running seven times those for former first lady Hillary Clinton's memoir.
In sports, Vijay Singh is leading the PGA's Buick Classic. He opens later today at eight under par after shooting an opening round 63. He is one shot ahead of Fredrik Jacobson.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, grab your popcorn and a front-row seat. There is action and animation at the movies this weekend. We'll get one critic's review.
And fans will always love Dolly Parton; now honors for a timeless country music (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: I wouldn't dare make fun of country music. He warned me before that. I like some country music, but not all of it. I'm being honest. I like heavy metal. I don't know what's wrong with me.
But we're going to talk about country music right now, because Country Music Television has released its top 100 country love songs. And the No. 1 is...
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: From Dolly Parton.
COSTELLO: ... Dolly Parton, "I Will Always Love You."
MYERS: 1974. Redone for "The Bodyguard," too, by the way.
COSTELLO: By Whitney Houston.
MYERS: By Whitney Houston.
COSTELLO: Oh, let's pause.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOLLY PARTON, SINGER (singing): I will always love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK. Now, we're really in the mood.
No. 2, Willie Nelson's "You Were Always on my Mind."
MYERS: Good.
COSTELLO: Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams" is next, and Randy Travis, "Forever and Ever, Amen."
MYERS: A good song.
COSTELLO: And the list goes on and on and on.
MYERS: And Johnny Cash, "I Fell Into a Burning Ring of Fire," not in the top 10.
COSTELLO: You've got to be kidding! Actually, I love this quote from someone. This is from the man who put this together. He adds: "With the possible exception of drinking, there is no more common theme in country music than love."
MYERS: Oh, pickups, trains and cheating.
COSTELLO: Oh, well, let's talk movies now. Your favorite topic is movies.
MYERS: Yes, let's go.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about (UNINTELLIGIBLE). The stars of "Stepford" have been all over the place. I feel like I've already seen the movie. So, is it worth the price of a ticket? Our movie guy, Tom O'Neil from "In Touch" magazine, joins us live from New York with the lowdown.
So, "Stepford Wives," is it good?
O'NEIL: Well, it's not the train wreck we thought it was going to be, because remember what happened on the set of this movie, Carol. We have all of these A-listers like Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken, they all spent the whole time in their trailers rewriting the script, fighting with other and refusing to shoot on hot days.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're kidding!
O'NEIL: Oh, it was the biggest cat fight in recent times when making a movie. But this movie doesn't work because it is a translation of the 1970 horror movie about a group of guys up in Connecticut who turn their wives into robots. And back then, men were afraid to feminism, of course, and today's it'll fully accepted. And they have taken this horror movie and turned it into a farce, and I'm afraid it's a real farce.
COSTELLO: Well, I was going to say, it's such an antiquated idea. I mean, Chad, you wouldn't want a wife like that. Sally is not remotely like a Stepford wife. What man wants a woman like that? Men? Tom? Chad?
MYERS: I don't know.
O'NEIL: And the movie doesn't work. But everyone was saying this was going to be Nicole Kidman's "Ishtar," right? And it's not that bad.
COSTELLO: Oh, it's not that bad.
O'NEIL: No.
COSTELLO: So, I should kind of go see it, and then walk away in the middle of the movie?
O'NEIL: It's funny actually. It's got some good lines in it.
COSTELLO: OK. Well, let's move on to "Garfield," because that's not supposed to be very good either.
O'NEIL: No. This is, of course, based on the popular newspaper cartoon strip that has literally been de-neutered for the film. And this is not funny. Nobody over the age of eight is going to like this at all.
COSTELLO: Oh!
O'NEIL: It's getting literally the cattiest reviews of all. "The New York Times" said today that if you go to see this movie you're going to leave the theater as grumpy as this cat, because the dialogue is terrible. It's only redeemed by the fact that Bill Murray's voice is the cat. But, oh, Carol, it's...
COSTELLO: Really?
O'NEIL: It's terrible.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, there seems to be belching in every child's movie that it must be the thing for kids.
O'NEIL: It is. And in the case of Garfield, he's usually belching after getting lasagna, after he weasels it out of his master.
COSTELLO: Oh, well, OK, then. So, 8 years and younger, that's the audience for that movie.
How about "The Chronicles of Riddick," the Vin Diesel movie?
O'NEIL: More bad news for you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh!
O'NEIL: This is really ridiculous! It's one of these sci-fi movies that the whole universe is conspiring against Vin Diesel here. He's got bounty hunters after him. There's an evil empire. And what's so ridiculous about this movie is you would think these guys would be fighting with ray guns and things. They use a battle axe. Just that doesn't make any sense at all.
And it's Vin Diesel trying to extend his last movie, "Pitch Black," into a series, and unfortunately Hollywood is threatening to make another installment of this bomb.
COSTELLO: Oh, no! You know, Vin Diesel was so hot for a time, and now he's really been nowhere.
O'NEIL: He needs the right movie vehicle, and unfortunately this isn't it, because it's just one of those sci-fi messes.
COSTELLO: Yes. Well, I guess thank you.
O'NEIL: I wish I had good news for you this morning, but it's terrible. Remember last month we talked about dump month, how Hollywood gets rid of all of the real bombs before Memorial Day? Well, there are a few stray ones that are going to drop this weekend. COSTELLO: Oh, it's so sad. Tom O'Neil, many thanks to you live from New York from "In Touch" Magazine.
O'NEIL: Thanks, Carol.
MYERS: Sorry about the pause there when you said who would want a Stepford wife, but I was kind of thinking about it actually.
COSTELLO: Sally, did you hear that?
MYERS: Never mind. She's working.
COSTELLO: We'll give away that DAYBREAK coffee mug after this. You're in trouble.
MYERS: I know.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: OK, we're just going to say these, because we're having a little problem with our graphics this morning. Gene Wilder is 71 years old today.
MYERS: Wow!
COSTELLO: Joe Montana, 48 and still looking good. And George H.W. Bush looking good as well. He'll be 80 years old on Saturday.
MYERS: No kidding?
COSTELLO: Is he going to jump out of a plane again? I bet he is.
MYERS: He probably will.
COSTELLO: He is going to jump out of a plane.
MYERS: He probably will.
COSTELLO: He's going to jump out of a plane on Sunday with a parachute, of course.
MYERS: Well, of course. Eighty years old, that's amazing. I can't even believe that.
We're giving away the mug from yesterday. Good answers. We actually have over 300 correct answers yesterday.
COSTELLO: Really!
MYERS: The question: In what nation was the Olympic torch carried yesterday? India was the correct answer. And a lot of folks got this wrong. You can't believe the number of like Rod Stewart answers I got for this one. What icon celebrated his 70th birthday yesterday? And that was Donald Duck.
COSTELLO: Gosh, I don't know why so many people got that wrong.
MYERS: Amy Brousseau from Mechanic Falls, Maine.
COSTELLO: Oh, congratulations, Amy.
MYERS: Maine!
COSTELLO: As always, the cup is in the mail wrapped in bubble wrap.
MYERS: It's almost the Stanley Cup, but it's the DAYBREAK cup.
Now for the question for today, the two questions, and you must answer them both.
What NHL hockey team owner says he may have to sell the team? I won't give you the city, because that will be too easy. And No. 2, who remade the song for Dolly Parton for which she's being honored today as the No. 1 love song of all time? Who remade that in 1987 for a movie?
COSTELLO: You mentioned that when we were chatting about Dolly Parton's victorious No. 1 love song on the country music whatever they're calling it.
MYERS: I know you probably don't care about the movies, but we have the Grand Prix of Canada this weekend.
COSTELLO: Really?
MYERS: All of our Canadian viewers will be up there watching in Montreal.
COSTELLO: That's right. The movies kind of stink this weekend.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: So you might as well watch a race on TV.
MYERS: NASCAR has got Pocono (ph), never really the most exciting race on TV. But, you know, if you're not going to a movie and if it's raining there, you go. You've got that going for you.
COSTELLO: All right.
MYERS: We are going to see some rain showers in D.C. today for all of the activities there.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MYERS: We're going to have to try to get them out of there. But I think by 11:00 they're going to get rain.
COSTELLO: All right, so you've been warned.
MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: That does it for us. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now. You make it a great weekend.
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