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American Morning

'Political Pop'; 'Paging Dr. Gupta'

Aired June 29, 2004 - 08:29   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: All right. And let's take you back to President Bush. He is heading back to the U.S. after wrapping up 85 -- today's trip to Ireland and Turkey. Looking at Air Force One sitting on the tarmac in Istanbul. The president had been discussing the situation in Iraq while attending a summit of NATO leaders in Istanbul. And, in fact, it looks like the Air Force One is just pulling out of the tarmac, heading back to the United States now. In a speech that we showed a little bit earlier here on CNN, Mr. Bush pushed for democratic reforms across the Middle East, pointing to Iraq's new government as an example of a positive change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In just 15 months, the Iraqi people have left behind one of the worst regimes in the Middle East, and their country is becoming the world's newest democracy. The world has seen a great event in the history of Iraq, and history of the Middle East, and in the history of liberty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Again, as that plane Air Force One with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush onboard gets ready to taxi out and pull out of Istanbul, heading back to the United States. Mr. Bush clashed at the summit, though, with French President Jacques Chirac. Mr. Chirac said that Mr. Bush overstepped his bounds by calling for Turkey's admission into the European Union --- that was part of his speech. The president also, this morning, reiterated that call. Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Soledad. As we continue to watch the picture from Turkey, we'll get you back there in a moment. In the meantime, another edition of "Political Pop" today. Say hello.

On the left, Democratic strategist Rebecca Lieberman, first time here. Good morning.

REBECCA LIEBERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good morning.

HEMMER: Are you ready?

LIEBERMAN: I'm ready. As ready as I'll ever be.

HEMMER: OK. In the middle, Andy Borowitz from the Borowitzreport.com and on the right Jay Nordlinger, managing editor of "The National Review" -- second time for you.

Jay, welcome back to you. Rebecca, let's start. Quick clip from 9/11 -- Michael Moore, then we'll come back and talk about what the rub is, right now, politically. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BUSH: I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Now that is part of the ads that are running to promote the film. Some are saying it's a political ad, it should be pulled by the end of July. What do you think?

LIEBERMAN: I think it absolutely should not be pulled. This is an ad for a film, it's an ad for an artistic expression. And if we see McCain-Feingold as reaching into regulating that area, we're in big trouble. Look, it's a new law, and wrinkles have to be ironed out and that will happen through the FCC's determinations. But I just don't think it's right to pull the ad. And actually, you know, it's obvious that the Republicans are pretty nervous. If they weren't nervous about it, they wouldn't make such a stink.

HEMMER: Are you nervous about it, Jay?

JAY NORDLINGER, MANAGING EDITOR, NATIONAL REVIEW: No, I'm not terribly nervous. I think it's a message to campaign finance reformers -- be careful what you wish for, be careful what you legislate. It's a message to President Bush -- be careful what you sign. I think this is a consequence of McCain-Feingold, and I think it's a deplorable movie -- or whatever you want to call it -- but these ads are legit.

HEMMER: It made over $22 million over the weekend. They're saying pull it by the end of July, because that's the 30-day period before the Republican convention starts here in New York City. By then it might already make $100 million.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: I think if they pull the ad for this, they probably should also pull the ad for "Stepford Wives," because that seems to be an ad for the Republicans.

HEMMER: You think so, huh?

BOROWITZ: Just to be fair. Fair is fair.

HEMMER: Ten-million dollars in advertising for this film, too. Andy, talk about Bill Clinton's book for a second here.

BOROWITZ: Amazing.

HEMMER: Selling almost a million copies?

BOROWITZ: Yes. HEMMER: Is it that good?

BOROWITZ: You know, there are so many theories running around about this. My own theory, which is -- it's summertime, this is the ultimate beach book because this is the book that like if Danielle Steele had been governor of Arkansas and gone on to be president, this is a book she would have written. It has love, power, depending how you define it, sex. It's just got everything. And I think that -- you know, I think that everyone's going to be reading it. The question is, is it going to have any affect on November? I don't think so. I don't think anyone will be done with it by then.

HEMMER: It is long. Jay, what do you think the attraction is here?

NORDLINGER: He's a popular guy -- very popular. It's a big country, some 300 million people in it. Every major politician is going to have his fans, and he is a celebrity. He's more than a former president. He's kind of a tabloid figure. He's like Puff Daddy, a Rat Packer, almost.

BOROWITZ: P. Diddy, actually.

HEMMER: Would you put him in P. Diddy's category, Rebecca?

LIEBERMAN: I would not put him in P. Diddy's category. He is, admittedly, the Elvis of politics. And if Elvis came out with an album -- it would obviously be very impressive, since he's dead -- but if Elvis came out with an album, you'd expect it to go platinum. But the point is, people love Bill Clinton. They love what he did for the country and they love to know more about him.

HEMMER: Here's the problem...

LIEBERMAN: So, it's not surprising at all.

BOROWITZ: I know Jay feels that way.

HEMMER: It's the biggest debut...

LIEBERMAN: Not all people.

HEMMER: It's biggest debut for a nonfiction book, double the previous record held by his wife. He's in trouble again.

Fern Schubert is a Republican senator in the state of North Carolina, wants to be governor. And she is using in her campaign political ads that reference September 11th. A short clip from what she's using on here Web site, here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TELEVISION AD: Families for a secure America urge you to vote for Fern Schubert on July 20th. Within days after 9/11, Mike Easley signed a law that made it easier for terrorists, illegal aliens, drunk drivers and everyone except law-abiding citizens to get drivers licenses. Fern Schubert is the only person running for governor who has been fighting Mike Easley's policies of giving licenses to illegal immigrants and the terrorists who hide among them.

FERN SCHUBERT: I'm Fern Schubert, candidate for governor. In my campaign, people who want better government sponsored this ad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Essentially, the argument is this, Michael Easley is the governor and she contends that he signed into law something that allows people -- a law that gives people easier access to driver's licenses. What do you take away from this, Jay? Is this the right way to go?

NORDLINGER: I don't think so. I think there are legitimate uses of 9/11 and illegitimate uses. I don't think we need to shy away altogether. We see pictures of Abu Ghraib Prison constantly. We can handle 9/11. And I also think driver's licenses are a legitimate issue, but this makes my stomach not quite right.

A final point, if I may. This ad was put together by 9/11 families. I think it tells us that the 9/11 families are diverse. They are not represented entirely by those who showed up at the 9/11 Commission hearings and booed administration officials.

HEMMER: Well, that's very interesting. She's saying the support came from those families. Does that make it right, Rebecca?

LIEBERMAN: I don't think it makes it right. The issues of 9/11 and security here in America will come up in all sorts of ways in this election season -- and absolutely should. They are critical issues facing our nation. But I think we have to sort of shy away from sensationalism and make sure that we're focused on the substance -- look what this law was about and try to have a substantive debate because it really is about the future of our country.

HEMMER: Many would argue that this is the future face for politics in the shadow of 9/11. How you use it, though, is the critical point.

BOROWITZ: You know, awhile back they had those V-chips so we'd get rid of violence on TV. I want a P-chip that will just eliminate all the political ads from my television. That would be just awesome.

HEMMER: Keep dreaming. Thanks to all three of you. Nice to see you. All right. Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning. He's going to tell you about a Chinese invasion of sorts. We'll also have this morning Dr. Sanjay Gupta telling us about a new device that apparently can zap away your appetite. And after a rough day at work, this guy found the best way ever to blow off some steam. We'll explain just ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) O'BRIEN: Some 23 million Americans are considered morbidly obese. Well, now a new weight-loss device provides an electronic alternative to gastric bypass surgery. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us from the CNN center with details on this, this morning.

Good morning to you, Sanjay. What exactly is this thing?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is sort of an implantable gastric device. We're going to tell you all about. Listen, people go to all sorts of extremes to get rid of excess weight -- we've heard about that -- gastric stapling, bypass, all that. But his procedure is a little bit different, a lot less invasive, and it can be done in just a few hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA (voice-over): You've seen the ads promising dramatic weight-loss. No surprise, though that most of those fancy gadgets don't work. But Candy Bradshaw says she's lost her cynicism and several dress sizes by shocking her appetite. She dropped from a size 28 to a size 14, something she attributes to controlling her appetite with the weight-loss pacemaker.

CANDY BRADSHAW, IGS WEIGHT LOSS SYSTEM PARTICIPANT: I actually stay full for a longer period of time.

GUPTA (voice-over): It's called the implantable gastric stimulator or IGS. It doesn't actually change the size of your stomach the way invasive procedures like gastric bypasses do and it doesn't stop you from eating but...

DR. SCOTT SHIKORA, CHIEF OF BARIATRIC SURGERY, TUFTS NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL CENTER: It's telling your brain that you've eaten more than you have and you're full.

GUPTA (voice-over): A device the size of a pager is implanted into the abdomen through a small incision. Two wires send electrical pulses to the stomach at a regular pace. These pulses stimulate appetite hormones and create a feeling of fullness.

BRADSHAW: I'd like to refer to it as my Thanksgiving full feeling, that feeling that you get when you just have completely stuffed yourself and can't move.

GUPTA (voice-over): Candy lost more than 100 pounds. But doctors caution shocking the appetite isn't for everyone.

SHIKORA: Somebody who probably would not do well with this would be someone with a history of binge eating or other eating disorders because those folks generally don't listen to the signals of fullness.

GUPTA (voice-over): IGS is currently in stage three clinical trials and could be on the market as early as 2006 as a mechanism to treat the morbidly obese. So far, no side effects have been reported. And Candy recognizes the IGS is just one part of her weight-loss. BRADSHAW: It's not going to motivate you to exercise, and it's not going to prevent you from eating the wrong foods. So, I think of this as my conscience. It's just a tool to tell me, OK, you've had enough.

GUPTA (voice-over): Or just a little help with your willpower.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: Pretty neat device. The IGS is actually in stage three clinical trials -- that's a final set of trials right now by the FDA. Could be on the market by 2006. But worth pointing out again, Soledad, that she lost all that weight with device in combination with diet and exercise. This certainly gave her a bit of head start, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: So now there are a whole range of things that people who are considered to be morbidly obese can do. How does this particular device compare to all the other things, from just out and out dieting to dramatic surgery?

GUPTA: Yes, if you look at the, you know, various sorts of operations that are out there, this is about 40 percent effective, which is pretty good. The lap band, which is actually making the stomach a little bit smaller, is going to be about 50 percent effective. And then when you get the gastric stapling and bypass sort of surgery, that's going to get you up into the 60 to 70 percent. So, it's not as effective as some of the more dramatic operations, but it's a lot less invasive -- takes just a few hours. And certainly in Candy's case, worked pretty well.

O'BRIEN: Yes. Sounds like the risk is minimum. Sanjay, thanks, appreciate it.

Still to come this morning, the high court deals somewhat of a setback to the Bush Administration. Find out what could end up happening to hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Fifteen minutes before the hour. A check of the headlines, again. Betty Nguyen with us at the CNN Center. We start in Iraq.

Good morning, Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Of course, we begin with the fate of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Iraqi authorities are announcing arrest warrants for Saddam Hussein, former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and 10 other former members of the Iraqi regime. Iraq's new government set to take over legal custody of the 12 tomorrow, and they are expected to face charges this week; however, they physically remain in coalition custody.

In Ohio, friends and family of Specialist Matt Maupin say they are keeping hope alive. This despite reports on Arab television that the soldier missing in Iraq since April has been killed. Al-Jazeera says it has received a new tape and a statement from Maupin's captors and officials confirm that the videotape does show someone being shot. But because of poor quality, they say it's not clear whether the victim is Maupin.

The U.S. Supreme Court dealing somewhat of a blow to the Bush Administration on terror suspects. The high court ruling that the government can hold suspected terrorists designated enemy combatants, but that the suspects have a legal right to appeal their detention. The ruling paves the way for some 600 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to take their cases to American courts.

More expectant mothers are apparently choosing not to endure labor. A new study shows American women are choosing C-sections even when there's no medical need. Insurance claims show 80,000 women had elective C-sections in 2002, now that's up from about 63,000 the year before.

And listen to this, a Louisiana man says he was just trying to blow off steam, but he ended up striking it rich. David Chestnut, Jr. Winning $1.8 million at Herod's casino after putting down $20 into a wheel of fortune game. Chestnut saying he'll take a day off work to let the news sink in, but he's not planning to quit his job. Soledad, you wouldn't quit either. Would you?

O'BRIEN: Girl, I would quit so fast. I can't even tell you.

NGUYEN: Tell me about it. Just don't tell our bosses.

O'BRIEN: Like, in the middle of the show if I found that out, I'd get off the set.

NGUYEN: Right.

O'BRIEN: But you know what? I keep playing and playing, and I never win anything.

NGUYEN: I never win either. Got to play to win, though.

O'BRIEN: Exactly. Doesn't look like that's going to be a problem for me. Thanks, Betty, appreciate it.

Well new and imported cars are headed to American highways, but will the quality be there or could they be the new Yugo? Andy Serwer is here this morning. He's "Minding Your Business."

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, CNN ANALYST: Good morning to you. I love this story. I love car stories. An Arizona car dealer is planning to be the first individual to import Chinese cars to the United States. That's right. Get ready for Chinese cars coming to America. He wants to sell 60,000 by the end of the year. They will sell for less than $10,000. OK. Big problems to overcome here in terms of safety standards, also pollution standards. He says -- a guy named David Shellberg -- that he can do that. We shall see.

Some of these cars, I love the names of them. I love the way they look. I love the ad copy. Let's run through some of these. There's the Merrie. OK. That's a Geely.

HEMMER: How do you spell that?

SERWER: M-E-R-R-I-E. The name of the car company, by the way, is the Geely. That's the Beauty Leopard.

HEMMER: Nice.

SERWER: I might get one of those for Bill, for Christmas. The Beauty Leapord -- I could afford it, maybe even. OK. That's the Maple -- the Maple. I like them. It's a Geely. Now, another car company is called the Great Wall. And that's their Deer, the Deer model. And then there is also the Safe SUV. Why couldn't American companies just be that straight forward? Our SUV is called safe.

O'BRIEN: As opposed to our unsafe SUV, which is $5,000 less.

(LAUGHTER)

SERWER: Exactly. I love some of the ad copy. "Maple" -- that was one of the cars - "vehicles demonstrate the pioneering spirit of a new age. Gather the wisdom of Chinese nation and create a set example for vehicle to penetrate into families."

I think you've got to work on the ad copy a little bit because it's a little rough there.

O'BRIEN: They may need to re-write that...

SERWER: Right. They need to re-write.

O'BRIEN: ... for the American market.

SERWER: Yes, that's going to be interesting stuff.

Let's talk about the markets quickly, shall we? Yesterday a bit of a down day after, up in the morning, down in the afternoon. Some news about GM perhaps not meeting its sales targets. Big news today, of course, is the Fed is meeting tomorrow at 2:15. We are looking at higher interest rates. Futures up this morning -- lower oil prices having to do with that. If anyone is surprised that the Fed raises rates tomorrow, you are living in outer space with that ice and dirt because everyone has seen this coming for months and months and months.

HEMMER: Think it's all factored in, all of it?

SERWER: Yes. I don't think we're going to see any reaction at all.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: In a moment here, the world's oldest profession expects a banner summer in the Big Apple. Jack tells us why in a moment when the File comes back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Time for Jack and the File. Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN SR. ANALYST: Good morning. Thank you, Soledad.

North Korea's Kim Jong-Il is -- quote -- "the biggest foodie in Asia" -- unqoute -- according to one British author. While the citizens of North Korea are starving to death, this little jerk spends tons of the country's money feeding himself.

Two former chefs have written about their experiences revealing that he has a wine cellar with nearly 10,000 bottles of wine. In the early '90s he imported $650,000 worth of Hennessey Cognac per year for his private collection, and he has sent couriers on shopping trips to Iran to buy caviar, Denmark for pork and to Thailand for mangos. He needs to spend a little money or plastic surgery.

The politicians are not the only ones making a special trip here to New York for the Republican National Convention. "The New York Daily News" reports that the escort agencies are flying in extra call girls from all over the world to be here to meet the escalating demand during the Republican National Convention here in New York City. A madame at the Manhattan escort service that was interviewed for the piece told the News "it's the week everyone wants to work."

Both Democratic and Republican political conventions have long brought extra business for the sex industry.

HEMMER: Extras?

CAFFERTY: Hmm?

HEMMER: Extras, you say?

CAFFERTY: Yes. One more.

There is a new campaign underway in the state of Virginia that includes billboards that read, "Isn't she a little young?" And, "Sex with a minor, don't go there."

The state's Department of Health trying to dissuade men from having sex with underage girls. They also want to reduce the number of girl whose have babies with older men. Similar messages appear on posters, coasters and napkins in bars, restaurants and stores in five Virginia cities.

This concludes "The Cafferty File" for this Tuesday. I have nothing further to say.

O'BRIEN: I have to tell you, each and every one of those, a little shocking.

CAFFERTY: You can handle it.

O'BRIEN: I think I can.

CAFFERTY: And have.

HEMMER: I'd like to talk to the organizer of that campaign and see if it's working at all, out of Virginia. See if there is any effect. Thanks you, Jack. Top of the hour, right? You won't go long, will you -- You won't go far will you?

CAFFERTY: I'll be right here, Bill. In case you need me.

HEMMER: I always do. Let's check with the weather. Here's Chad, again. Hey, Chad, good morning.

(WEATHER BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired June 29, 2004 - 08:29   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. And let's take you back to President Bush. He is heading back to the U.S. after wrapping up 85 -- today's trip to Ireland and Turkey. Looking at Air Force One sitting on the tarmac in Istanbul. The president had been discussing the situation in Iraq while attending a summit of NATO leaders in Istanbul. And, in fact, it looks like the Air Force One is just pulling out of the tarmac, heading back to the United States now. In a speech that we showed a little bit earlier here on CNN, Mr. Bush pushed for democratic reforms across the Middle East, pointing to Iraq's new government as an example of a positive change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In just 15 months, the Iraqi people have left behind one of the worst regimes in the Middle East, and their country is becoming the world's newest democracy. The world has seen a great event in the history of Iraq, and history of the Middle East, and in the history of liberty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Again, as that plane Air Force One with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush onboard gets ready to taxi out and pull out of Istanbul, heading back to the United States. Mr. Bush clashed at the summit, though, with French President Jacques Chirac. Mr. Chirac said that Mr. Bush overstepped his bounds by calling for Turkey's admission into the European Union --- that was part of his speech. The president also, this morning, reiterated that call. Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Soledad. As we continue to watch the picture from Turkey, we'll get you back there in a moment. In the meantime, another edition of "Political Pop" today. Say hello.

On the left, Democratic strategist Rebecca Lieberman, first time here. Good morning.

REBECCA LIEBERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good morning.

HEMMER: Are you ready?

LIEBERMAN: I'm ready. As ready as I'll ever be.

HEMMER: OK. In the middle, Andy Borowitz from the Borowitzreport.com and on the right Jay Nordlinger, managing editor of "The National Review" -- second time for you.

Jay, welcome back to you. Rebecca, let's start. Quick clip from 9/11 -- Michael Moore, then we'll come back and talk about what the rub is, right now, politically. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BUSH: I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Now that is part of the ads that are running to promote the film. Some are saying it's a political ad, it should be pulled by the end of July. What do you think?

LIEBERMAN: I think it absolutely should not be pulled. This is an ad for a film, it's an ad for an artistic expression. And if we see McCain-Feingold as reaching into regulating that area, we're in big trouble. Look, it's a new law, and wrinkles have to be ironed out and that will happen through the FCC's determinations. But I just don't think it's right to pull the ad. And actually, you know, it's obvious that the Republicans are pretty nervous. If they weren't nervous about it, they wouldn't make such a stink.

HEMMER: Are you nervous about it, Jay?

JAY NORDLINGER, MANAGING EDITOR, NATIONAL REVIEW: No, I'm not terribly nervous. I think it's a message to campaign finance reformers -- be careful what you wish for, be careful what you legislate. It's a message to President Bush -- be careful what you sign. I think this is a consequence of McCain-Feingold, and I think it's a deplorable movie -- or whatever you want to call it -- but these ads are legit.

HEMMER: It made over $22 million over the weekend. They're saying pull it by the end of July, because that's the 30-day period before the Republican convention starts here in New York City. By then it might already make $100 million.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: I think if they pull the ad for this, they probably should also pull the ad for "Stepford Wives," because that seems to be an ad for the Republicans.

HEMMER: You think so, huh?

BOROWITZ: Just to be fair. Fair is fair.

HEMMER: Ten-million dollars in advertising for this film, too. Andy, talk about Bill Clinton's book for a second here.

BOROWITZ: Amazing.

HEMMER: Selling almost a million copies?

BOROWITZ: Yes. HEMMER: Is it that good?

BOROWITZ: You know, there are so many theories running around about this. My own theory, which is -- it's summertime, this is the ultimate beach book because this is the book that like if Danielle Steele had been governor of Arkansas and gone on to be president, this is a book she would have written. It has love, power, depending how you define it, sex. It's just got everything. And I think that -- you know, I think that everyone's going to be reading it. The question is, is it going to have any affect on November? I don't think so. I don't think anyone will be done with it by then.

HEMMER: It is long. Jay, what do you think the attraction is here?

NORDLINGER: He's a popular guy -- very popular. It's a big country, some 300 million people in it. Every major politician is going to have his fans, and he is a celebrity. He's more than a former president. He's kind of a tabloid figure. He's like Puff Daddy, a Rat Packer, almost.

BOROWITZ: P. Diddy, actually.

HEMMER: Would you put him in P. Diddy's category, Rebecca?

LIEBERMAN: I would not put him in P. Diddy's category. He is, admittedly, the Elvis of politics. And if Elvis came out with an album -- it would obviously be very impressive, since he's dead -- but if Elvis came out with an album, you'd expect it to go platinum. But the point is, people love Bill Clinton. They love what he did for the country and they love to know more about him.

HEMMER: Here's the problem...

LIEBERMAN: So, it's not surprising at all.

BOROWITZ: I know Jay feels that way.

HEMMER: It's the biggest debut...

LIEBERMAN: Not all people.

HEMMER: It's biggest debut for a nonfiction book, double the previous record held by his wife. He's in trouble again.

Fern Schubert is a Republican senator in the state of North Carolina, wants to be governor. And she is using in her campaign political ads that reference September 11th. A short clip from what she's using on here Web site, here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TELEVISION AD: Families for a secure America urge you to vote for Fern Schubert on July 20th. Within days after 9/11, Mike Easley signed a law that made it easier for terrorists, illegal aliens, drunk drivers and everyone except law-abiding citizens to get drivers licenses. Fern Schubert is the only person running for governor who has been fighting Mike Easley's policies of giving licenses to illegal immigrants and the terrorists who hide among them.

FERN SCHUBERT: I'm Fern Schubert, candidate for governor. In my campaign, people who want better government sponsored this ad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Essentially, the argument is this, Michael Easley is the governor and she contends that he signed into law something that allows people -- a law that gives people easier access to driver's licenses. What do you take away from this, Jay? Is this the right way to go?

NORDLINGER: I don't think so. I think there are legitimate uses of 9/11 and illegitimate uses. I don't think we need to shy away altogether. We see pictures of Abu Ghraib Prison constantly. We can handle 9/11. And I also think driver's licenses are a legitimate issue, but this makes my stomach not quite right.

A final point, if I may. This ad was put together by 9/11 families. I think it tells us that the 9/11 families are diverse. They are not represented entirely by those who showed up at the 9/11 Commission hearings and booed administration officials.

HEMMER: Well, that's very interesting. She's saying the support came from those families. Does that make it right, Rebecca?

LIEBERMAN: I don't think it makes it right. The issues of 9/11 and security here in America will come up in all sorts of ways in this election season -- and absolutely should. They are critical issues facing our nation. But I think we have to sort of shy away from sensationalism and make sure that we're focused on the substance -- look what this law was about and try to have a substantive debate because it really is about the future of our country.

HEMMER: Many would argue that this is the future face for politics in the shadow of 9/11. How you use it, though, is the critical point.

BOROWITZ: You know, awhile back they had those V-chips so we'd get rid of violence on TV. I want a P-chip that will just eliminate all the political ads from my television. That would be just awesome.

HEMMER: Keep dreaming. Thanks to all three of you. Nice to see you. All right. Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning. He's going to tell you about a Chinese invasion of sorts. We'll also have this morning Dr. Sanjay Gupta telling us about a new device that apparently can zap away your appetite. And after a rough day at work, this guy found the best way ever to blow off some steam. We'll explain just ahead as AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) O'BRIEN: Some 23 million Americans are considered morbidly obese. Well, now a new weight-loss device provides an electronic alternative to gastric bypass surgery. Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us from the CNN center with details on this, this morning.

Good morning to you, Sanjay. What exactly is this thing?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is sort of an implantable gastric device. We're going to tell you all about. Listen, people go to all sorts of extremes to get rid of excess weight -- we've heard about that -- gastric stapling, bypass, all that. But his procedure is a little bit different, a lot less invasive, and it can be done in just a few hours.

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GUPTA (voice-over): You've seen the ads promising dramatic weight-loss. No surprise, though that most of those fancy gadgets don't work. But Candy Bradshaw says she's lost her cynicism and several dress sizes by shocking her appetite. She dropped from a size 28 to a size 14, something she attributes to controlling her appetite with the weight-loss pacemaker.

CANDY BRADSHAW, IGS WEIGHT LOSS SYSTEM PARTICIPANT: I actually stay full for a longer period of time.

GUPTA (voice-over): It's called the implantable gastric stimulator or IGS. It doesn't actually change the size of your stomach the way invasive procedures like gastric bypasses do and it doesn't stop you from eating but...

DR. SCOTT SHIKORA, CHIEF OF BARIATRIC SURGERY, TUFTS NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL CENTER: It's telling your brain that you've eaten more than you have and you're full.

GUPTA (voice-over): A device the size of a pager is implanted into the abdomen through a small incision. Two wires send electrical pulses to the stomach at a regular pace. These pulses stimulate appetite hormones and create a feeling of fullness.

BRADSHAW: I'd like to refer to it as my Thanksgiving full feeling, that feeling that you get when you just have completely stuffed yourself and can't move.

GUPTA (voice-over): Candy lost more than 100 pounds. But doctors caution shocking the appetite isn't for everyone.

SHIKORA: Somebody who probably would not do well with this would be someone with a history of binge eating or other eating disorders because those folks generally don't listen to the signals of fullness.

GUPTA (voice-over): IGS is currently in stage three clinical trials and could be on the market as early as 2006 as a mechanism to treat the morbidly obese. So far, no side effects have been reported. And Candy recognizes the IGS is just one part of her weight-loss. BRADSHAW: It's not going to motivate you to exercise, and it's not going to prevent you from eating the wrong foods. So, I think of this as my conscience. It's just a tool to tell me, OK, you've had enough.

GUPTA (voice-over): Or just a little help with your willpower.

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GUPTA: Pretty neat device. The IGS is actually in stage three clinical trials -- that's a final set of trials right now by the FDA. Could be on the market by 2006. But worth pointing out again, Soledad, that she lost all that weight with device in combination with diet and exercise. This certainly gave her a bit of head start, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: So now there are a whole range of things that people who are considered to be morbidly obese can do. How does this particular device compare to all the other things, from just out and out dieting to dramatic surgery?

GUPTA: Yes, if you look at the, you know, various sorts of operations that are out there, this is about 40 percent effective, which is pretty good. The lap band, which is actually making the stomach a little bit smaller, is going to be about 50 percent effective. And then when you get the gastric stapling and bypass sort of surgery, that's going to get you up into the 60 to 70 percent. So, it's not as effective as some of the more dramatic operations, but it's a lot less invasive -- takes just a few hours. And certainly in Candy's case, worked pretty well.

O'BRIEN: Yes. Sounds like the risk is minimum. Sanjay, thanks, appreciate it.

Still to come this morning, the high court deals somewhat of a setback to the Bush Administration. Find out what could end up happening to hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

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BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Fifteen minutes before the hour. A check of the headlines, again. Betty Nguyen with us at the CNN Center. We start in Iraq.

Good morning, Betty.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Of course, we begin with the fate of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Iraqi authorities are announcing arrest warrants for Saddam Hussein, former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and 10 other former members of the Iraqi regime. Iraq's new government set to take over legal custody of the 12 tomorrow, and they are expected to face charges this week; however, they physically remain in coalition custody.

In Ohio, friends and family of Specialist Matt Maupin say they are keeping hope alive. This despite reports on Arab television that the soldier missing in Iraq since April has been killed. Al-Jazeera says it has received a new tape and a statement from Maupin's captors and officials confirm that the videotape does show someone being shot. But because of poor quality, they say it's not clear whether the victim is Maupin.

The U.S. Supreme Court dealing somewhat of a blow to the Bush Administration on terror suspects. The high court ruling that the government can hold suspected terrorists designated enemy combatants, but that the suspects have a legal right to appeal their detention. The ruling paves the way for some 600 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to take their cases to American courts.

More expectant mothers are apparently choosing not to endure labor. A new study shows American women are choosing C-sections even when there's no medical need. Insurance claims show 80,000 women had elective C-sections in 2002, now that's up from about 63,000 the year before.

And listen to this, a Louisiana man says he was just trying to blow off steam, but he ended up striking it rich. David Chestnut, Jr. Winning $1.8 million at Herod's casino after putting down $20 into a wheel of fortune game. Chestnut saying he'll take a day off work to let the news sink in, but he's not planning to quit his job. Soledad, you wouldn't quit either. Would you?

O'BRIEN: Girl, I would quit so fast. I can't even tell you.

NGUYEN: Tell me about it. Just don't tell our bosses.

O'BRIEN: Like, in the middle of the show if I found that out, I'd get off the set.

NGUYEN: Right.

O'BRIEN: But you know what? I keep playing and playing, and I never win anything.

NGUYEN: I never win either. Got to play to win, though.

O'BRIEN: Exactly. Doesn't look like that's going to be a problem for me. Thanks, Betty, appreciate it.

Well new and imported cars are headed to American highways, but will the quality be there or could they be the new Yugo? Andy Serwer is here this morning. He's "Minding Your Business."

Good morning.

ANDY SERWER, CNN ANALYST: Good morning to you. I love this story. I love car stories. An Arizona car dealer is planning to be the first individual to import Chinese cars to the United States. That's right. Get ready for Chinese cars coming to America. He wants to sell 60,000 by the end of the year. They will sell for less than $10,000. OK. Big problems to overcome here in terms of safety standards, also pollution standards. He says -- a guy named David Shellberg -- that he can do that. We shall see.

Some of these cars, I love the names of them. I love the way they look. I love the ad copy. Let's run through some of these. There's the Merrie. OK. That's a Geely.

HEMMER: How do you spell that?

SERWER: M-E-R-R-I-E. The name of the car company, by the way, is the Geely. That's the Beauty Leopard.

HEMMER: Nice.

SERWER: I might get one of those for Bill, for Christmas. The Beauty Leapord -- I could afford it, maybe even. OK. That's the Maple -- the Maple. I like them. It's a Geely. Now, another car company is called the Great Wall. And that's their Deer, the Deer model. And then there is also the Safe SUV. Why couldn't American companies just be that straight forward? Our SUV is called safe.

O'BRIEN: As opposed to our unsafe SUV, which is $5,000 less.

(LAUGHTER)

SERWER: Exactly. I love some of the ad copy. "Maple" -- that was one of the cars - "vehicles demonstrate the pioneering spirit of a new age. Gather the wisdom of Chinese nation and create a set example for vehicle to penetrate into families."

I think you've got to work on the ad copy a little bit because it's a little rough there.

O'BRIEN: They may need to re-write that...

SERWER: Right. They need to re-write.

O'BRIEN: ... for the American market.

SERWER: Yes, that's going to be interesting stuff.

Let's talk about the markets quickly, shall we? Yesterday a bit of a down day after, up in the morning, down in the afternoon. Some news about GM perhaps not meeting its sales targets. Big news today, of course, is the Fed is meeting tomorrow at 2:15. We are looking at higher interest rates. Futures up this morning -- lower oil prices having to do with that. If anyone is surprised that the Fed raises rates tomorrow, you are living in outer space with that ice and dirt because everyone has seen this coming for months and months and months.

HEMMER: Think it's all factored in, all of it?

SERWER: Yes. I don't think we're going to see any reaction at all.

HEMMER: Thank you, Andy.

O'BRIEN: Thanks, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

HEMMER: In a moment here, the world's oldest profession expects a banner summer in the Big Apple. Jack tells us why in a moment when the File comes back after this.

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O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Time for Jack and the File. Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN SR. ANALYST: Good morning. Thank you, Soledad.

North Korea's Kim Jong-Il is -- quote -- "the biggest foodie in Asia" -- unqoute -- according to one British author. While the citizens of North Korea are starving to death, this little jerk spends tons of the country's money feeding himself.

Two former chefs have written about their experiences revealing that he has a wine cellar with nearly 10,000 bottles of wine. In the early '90s he imported $650,000 worth of Hennessey Cognac per year for his private collection, and he has sent couriers on shopping trips to Iran to buy caviar, Denmark for pork and to Thailand for mangos. He needs to spend a little money or plastic surgery.

The politicians are not the only ones making a special trip here to New York for the Republican National Convention. "The New York Daily News" reports that the escort agencies are flying in extra call girls from all over the world to be here to meet the escalating demand during the Republican National Convention here in New York City. A madame at the Manhattan escort service that was interviewed for the piece told the News "it's the week everyone wants to work."

Both Democratic and Republican political conventions have long brought extra business for the sex industry.

HEMMER: Extras?

CAFFERTY: Hmm?

HEMMER: Extras, you say?

CAFFERTY: Yes. One more.

There is a new campaign underway in the state of Virginia that includes billboards that read, "Isn't she a little young?" And, "Sex with a minor, don't go there."

The state's Department of Health trying to dissuade men from having sex with underage girls. They also want to reduce the number of girl whose have babies with older men. Similar messages appear on posters, coasters and napkins in bars, restaurants and stores in five Virginia cities.

This concludes "The Cafferty File" for this Tuesday. I have nothing further to say.

O'BRIEN: I have to tell you, each and every one of those, a little shocking.

CAFFERTY: You can handle it.

O'BRIEN: I think I can.

CAFFERTY: And have.

HEMMER: I'd like to talk to the organizer of that campaign and see if it's working at all, out of Virginia. See if there is any effect. Thanks you, Jack. Top of the hour, right? You won't go long, will you -- You won't go far will you?

CAFFERTY: I'll be right here, Bill. In case you need me.

HEMMER: I always do. Let's check with the weather. Here's Chad, again. Hey, Chad, good morning.

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