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American Morning

Who is Teresa Heinz-Kerry?; 'Minding Your Business'; '90-Second Pop'

Aired July 02, 2004 - 07:30   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: New Mexico Democratic Governor Bill Richardson will not be on the ticket. He's told Senator Kerry that he wanted to fulfill a promise he made to finish his term as governor.
As for President Bush, his campaign coffers continue to bulge. The president has raised some $218 million since last May. That's more than double the presidential record that he set in the 2000 election.

Teresa Heinz-Kerry, barnstorming around the country as well, is bringing an unconventional style to the presidential campaign trail. The question is: Will it help or hurt her husband?

Our national correspondent Kelly Wallace has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Teresa Heinz-Kerry is not following anyone's lead. She speaks her mind, but don't call her opinionated.

TERESA HEINZ-KERRY, WIFE OF SENATOR JOHN KERRY: It's time that women like men who know and have opinions be called smart and well- informed, and not opinionated.

WALLACE: No, she's not your average politician's wife. Estimated worth: $1 billion, CEO of a major philanthropic foundation, a registered Republican until last year, who now campaigns for a Democrat, her husband.

HEINZ-KERRY: He will represent this country with great pride, but no arrogance.

WALLACE: Author Gail Sheehy recently profiled Heinz-Kerry for "Mother Jones" magazine.

(on camera): What words would you use to describe Teresa Heinz- Kerry?

GAIL SHEEHY, AUTHOR: Unpredictable, charming, smart, funny, sexy and conflicted!

WALLACE: Conflicted, because she says she never wanted to be the wife of a presidential candidate, but tells Sheehy she now know what she would and would not do if she ultimately became first lady. SHEEHY: She's very frank when she's asked to compare herself to Hillary Clinton, and she's quite negative about the fact that Hillary Clinton shouldn't have taken an role without being confirmed by the Congress.

WALLACE: That directness, refreshing to some, but could it turn other voters off? It's no secret, camp Kerry has worried about the T factor.

SHEEHY: I think at first they thought they could keep her quiet, you know, as she says to me, well, you know, a loose cannon can also hug.

WALLACE: And unwilling to follow a script, which might be one reason you find crowds listening closely to her every word. And so, the woman, who political pundits predicted would be big trouble for her husband's campaign, could end up being a big surprise.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Douglas Brinkley is a presidential historian. Nice to see you, Doug. Thanks for being with us.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Controversy is often seen as a bad thing. And, of course, Teresa Heinz-Kerry can be very controversial. Weigh in for me on whether you think she's a positive or a negative for the Kerry campaign?

BRINKLEY: Well, she's been a big thumbs up so far. About 18 months ago it wasn't so clear. There is a famous "Washington Post" newspaper article, where she seemed to infer that she may have been happier, was still missing her first husband, Mr. Heinz. It created a bit of negative controversy.

The Kerry campaign tried to keep her off to the side, which was a terrible mistake, because with Teresa Heinz-Kerry up front and center, that's when the Kerry campaign took off. It was her going door to door and going church to church and school to school in Iowa that really helped galvanize John Kerry in that important caucus state and have him win. And the people of Iowa just took to her and then they did in New Hampshire, and since then she's been the secret weapon, the star of Kerry's campaign.

O'BRIEN: She is rich. She's independent. She's blunt. She's direct. She's opinionated. She's tough. I could go on and on and on. Compare her to other first ladies historically.

BRINKLEY: Well, she loves policy. So, in that sense, she's in the -- you could put her at being synonymous with an Eleanor Roosevelt or Hillary Clinton. But yet, she has some kind of old-fashioned virtues, too. She was a Republican up until recently. She doesn't feel -- she's made criticisms that as first lady she doesn't like to get in the way.

But certainly she has said that she'll keep to her own independent path. If she were fist lady, she would continue to run Heinz philanthropies, for example. And is the first and foremost adviser to John Kerry. He listens to her. She is very, very shrewd on policy issues and on what counts on a spouse being on judging who's your friend and who's not. He has more than her ear. She's first among everybody on the campaign when it comes to every -- you know, when they're talking about who will be vice president now, for example, she's who he is talking to the closest about it.

O'BRIEN: I think some people on the surface of it would say she is the polar opposite, to a large degree, of Laura Bush. How does that play into the election? I mean, do voters at the end of the day vote with the first lady in mind?

BRINKLEY: I don't believe so. I think they vote for the president of the United States. I think vice-presidents and first ladies can have an impact, but I don't think they're the main theater.

You know, we're not in the 19th century anymore. We're not in the first half of the 20th century. We're not in second half of the 20th century. Women now have a different role in American politics. We have a lot of women governors and mayors, senators. My state of Louisiana has Mary Landrieu for example. California, two women senators.

So, a little bolder, more candid, independent woman like Teresa Heinz-Kerry, somebody who has made her own way in life, somebody oversees a major foundation, you know, like Heinz, is acceptable to the American people. And she may not have been 30, 40, 50 years ago.

O'BRIEN: Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley joining us this morning. Nice to see you, Doug. Thanks.

BRINKLEY: Thanks so much.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this AMERICAN MORNING, we're going to tell you why restaurants are now more than happy to keep you waiting for a table.

Also ahead this morning, you think a big star like Nicole Kidman would have no problem getting a date, but she says men aren't exactly beating down her door. Find out why on in "90-Second Pop." Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER BREAK)

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: A little tougher to get that window seat at your local Olive Garden restaurant, and there is hidden financial meaning in that.

Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business." Waiting times at restaurants. ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes. Actually an interesting report here. I got a kick out of this one from Smith Barney, the venerable investment bank here in New York. They're tracking restaurants, your favorite chains, seeing how long the wait times are. The wrinkle here is the waiting times have increased, and that's good for the economy. Actually, it just means I'm getting my dinner slower.

CAFFERTY: Well, that, too, yes.

SERWER: All right, here we go. Here are the restaurants with the longest wait time. In other words, you walk in, you say you want a table, you're going to wait 40 minutes at P.F. Chang's. That's supposed to good, though.

CAFFERTY: Do we have those here?

SERWER: I don't know if they have them in Manhattan. Olive Garden is all over the place. Of course, Outback Steakhouse has been around, and there are always waits. They have beepers there. These are some random ones we've got here. The Cheesecake Factory, obviously. The California Pizza Kitchen you only have to wait four minutes. Gee, is that a good thing? Not for them.

CAFFERTY: I don't know, but I eat there once in a while.

SERWER: Oh, OK.

O'BRIEN: Well, just getting your menu, that's not a wait.

SERWER: Yes. No, the longest wait -- or the shortest wait, excuse me, is at Smoky Bones Barbecue. You can walk right in and get a stable table. I'm serious.

CAFFERTY: That's because the food is terrible!

SERWER: I knew that was coming. They've got a drink there...

O'BRIEN: Where are they?

CAFFERTY: I don't know.

SERWER: They're in the east and the Midwest and the south. And I love this. They've got a drink there called the Twisted Timber -- half margarita, half daiquiri.

CAFFERTY: And after you have one of those, you're not aware of how long you're waiting, anyway.

SERWER: Well, I'm still waiting. I have no idea.

CAFFERTY: What about the markets? We took a little tumble yesterday.

SERWER: A little bit of a denting yesterday, that's right. And, of course, the big news is going to be at 8:30 today when the jobs report comes out for the month of June. We're looking at 250,000 jobs. Important stuff for the Federal Reserve to be checking out.

CAFFERTY: All right, thanks, Andy.

If you woke up tomorrow and you were $290 million richer, it just wouldn't matter, any of this other stuff. That is the prize in the Mega Millions lottery drawing tonight. In New Jersey yesterday people were buying 3,600 tickets a minute. But don't get your hopes up. The odds of winning are 135 million to 1 against. But it's all about daydreaming. So, that's what we're doing here.

Here's the question: What would you do with the $290 million if you won the lottery?

Paul writes from Duluth, Minnesota: "Get therapy. I've heard of too many people getting messed up when they win millions. Then I would start a foundation on communication. I'm a speech language pathologist."

Jack in Allentown, Pennsylvania; "I have simple ones. I would pay off the house and other bills, tell my boss where he can put his three years with no raises, and then I'd have one of those big giant outdoor barbecues kitchen areas built with a big heated pool and landscaped."

O'BRIEN: Ooh, that sounds good, doesn't it?

CAFFERTY: Yes. And we'd all come over to your place and have burgers.

SERWER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: "My first priority," writes Weldon in Fredericton, New Brunswick: "My first priority would be to give you a million, Jack, just to put a smile on your face."

Well, you know, what Weldon? That would do it.

And Evan writes from Saint Joseph, Missouri: "If I won the $290 million I could afford to vote Republican."

SERWER: Oh.

CAFFERTY: That's pretty funny, actually.

This weekend on "IN THE MONEY," a new study has found that a lot of kids are not paying full price for college tuition anymore, because the government is giving out more college grants. We'll tell you how you can get a piece of that action this weekend on "IN THE MONEY," Saturday at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00, a tidy little program with Andy Serwer, Susan Lisovicz and moi and Allan Weksler (ph), and we invite you to join us.

O'BRIEN: And they take attendance.

CAFFERTY: We do take roll, that's true. SERWER: Take no prisoners.

CAFFERTY: You could be a guest, you know, if you wanted to on our show.

O'BRIEN: I'd love it.

SERWER: Today.

O'BRIEN: Why not. Thanks. I'll think about that.

CAFFERTY: We could call it "In the Delivery Room."

O'BRIEN: That's funny.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Still to come, John Kerry's short list of possible running mates just got a lot shorter. We're going to tell who's out, coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. It's just about 46 minutes past the hour. It's time to take a look at some of other news today with Betty Nguyen.

Hey, Betty, good morning again.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Soledad.

We begin in Iraq with explosions rocking Baghdad. Video showing black smoke rising over a car engulfed in flames. There it is. Two Iraqis wounded in that attack. Nearby, insurgents targeting a Sheraton Hotel. That building housing many international journalists and contractors. There are reports of damage, but no casualties.

Jordan could become the first Arab country to send troops to Iraq. Jordan's King Abdullah announcing yesterday that he would be willing to send forces to Iraq if asked to do so by the new government there. It's still not clear if Iraqi leaders will accept that offer.

The FBI is warning Americans to be vigilant this Fourth of July weekend. U.S. officials say Independence Day celebrations could be a target for al Qaeda, but the bureau stresses there are no indications of a specific threat this holiday. And the Homeland Security Department has no plans of raising the nation's terror alert level.

In politics, speculation growing over who will join Democratic hopeful John Kerry's ticket. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, reportedly on Kerry's short list, taking himself out of the running. Richardson is saying he wanted to keep a promise to voters in the state to finish his term. Among the other possible choices, Senator John Edwards, Representative Dick Gephardt, and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. And the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox with a stunning play from Derek Jeter. Check it out. Jeter hurling face first into the stands for a catch. We'll see it in just a moment. That ended the 12th inning last night. The Yankees went on to beat the Red Sox 5-4 in the 13th for a stirring sweep. Jeter, meanwhile, suffering a lacerated chin and bruised cheek and shoulder. But, Soledad, I imagine there are plenty of ladies out there willing to help nurse him back to recovery.

O'BRIEN: And such a cute face, you know.

NGUYEN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: They don't need to injure that face, don't they? Yes, but wow! What a catch. Good for him.

NGUYEN: I know.

O'BRIEN: All right, Betty, thanks.

Still to come this morning, Bill Cosby is making headlines once again. We're talking about what he calls the black community's dirty laundry. "90-Second Pop" is up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A little TLC to start your morning, huh? Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It's a Friday morning edition of "90-Second Pop." Here to play this morning, Jessica Shaw from "Entertainment Weekly" joining us. Also, Toure -- no that's...

SARAH BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: I'm Toure actually (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: That's the black man in the middle would be Toure from "Rolling Stone." Sarah Bernard from "New York". Nice to see you guys, as always.

In fact, let's start with what Bill Cosby said, because it started a whole new round of controversy, I think is fair. So, here's what he said last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL COSBY, ENTERTAINER: The more you invest in that child, the more you're not going to let some CD tell your child how to curse and how to say the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is an accepted word used so hip with (EXPLETIVE DELETED) but you can't even spell it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: What he's saying it's an accepted word as we bleep it out. Bleep, bleep!

TOURE, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: Right. I mean, Bill Cosby's been becoming this figure lately, and he's totally right to do it. He's brilliant. We look up to him and all of those sorts of things. But there's a deep generational divide that he's not taking into account. I mean, the word "(EXPLETIVE DELETED)" is accepted among this generation, and it is a term of endearment that we use it in that way. So, I mean, like, it's OK, you know.

O'BRIEN: So, what you're saying is he's wrong?

BERNARD, : So, why is it OK to (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

TOURE: I mean, it's a -- well, language always changes, right? We know this. The word "gay" didn't used to mean, you know, homosexual. It used to mean happy. So language is like a river. It grows. And it's something that we have embraced, you know, and it's like, you know, this is real estate, you know, within the language that people could use to throw at us and attack us. No more. We take it back.

O'BRIEN: OK, but...

JESSICA SHAW, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": There were a lot of other points he was making, though, about...

O'BRIEN: Yes.

SHAW: ... you know, parents being more involved with their children. And I think the thing that was -- really got a lot of attention was that when he said that the black community should not be blaming the white man anymore. And I think he took a lot heat for it when he said it a few months ago, and good for him for saying it again, I think.

BERNARD: I'm not really sure why he's getting so much attention today since he pretty much said the same thing earlier in May at another Brown vs. Board of Education anniversary.

O'BRIEN: Do you think this is, like, a new Bill Cosby? This is going to be his new thing.

BERNARD: Yes.

TOURE: He's always been kind of proud-acting judgment.

O'BRIEN: Not as much as now.

TOURE: Not as much as recently.

O'BRIEN: I mean, it almost -- when I heard this the second time, I thought, 'Wow, I wonder if this is the start of a foundation, a plan of getting together community leaders, of like some big next step.' Because a lot of people -- a lot of the criticism he got was sort of like, oh, easy, to criticize a single mom, black, under-employed. You know, like, what are you going to do for her, is the real question? So, I wonder...

TOURE: It's so easy, though, to say don't blame the white man for your troubles. OK. But the white man is still part of our troubles. I mean, there's an amount that we have to take responsibility ourselves, absolutely. But we can't just act like there's not...

O'BRIEN: This is such a serious "90-Second Pop." Wow!

(CROSSTALK)

BERNARD: How does (UNINTELLIGIBLE) fit into of all this?

SHAW: Right, exactly.

O'BRIEN: And J.Lo.

SHAW: His sunglasses really distracted from the whole thing. So, we should really just talk about his sunglass.

O'BRIEN: What about J.Lo? I want to know. Let's turn and talk a little bit about Nicole. Let's get lighter immediately.

SHAW: OK.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Because I think that's an interesting topic, and it's going to go somewhere, and we're going to continue to follow it. Nicole Kidman, it's so sad. It's heartbreaking.

SHAW: It's a big story, I think. I'm surprised that you didn't lead with it at 7:00 in the morning. She is having a difficult time finding love. She said men don't want to date her. She has two children. She is a single mom, and she's having a really rough time of it.

BERNARD: I think she needs to watch some more "Sex and the City" episodes, don't you think? They do fine, the 37-year-old moms.

TOURE: Well, I heard that Kevin Fetterling (ph) has an older brother, who would be perfect for her.

O'BRIEN: Do you think -- what is it? Is this just some random PR thing?

SHAW: You know, I think actors have certain lines that they use. One is, I have a hard time dating. Another one is, I was really ugly when I was a teenager. I would do a nude scene if it were appropriate.

BERNARD: Exactly.

SHAW: These are lines that are, you know, regurgitated over and over. I really wanted (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: My skin care regime is just a lot of water.

SHAW: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: I drink a lot of water. SHAW: Exactly.

TOURE: I don't diet.

BERNARD: I think she likes to repeat it over and over is because she's been accused of having a weight issue herself, being too thin. She said it's her hair. Her hair makes her look too thin.

O'BRIEN: Oh, like, I have the same problem.

BERNARD: I know!

O'BRIEN: People think I'm getting bigger, but it's just my hair!

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: All right, just enough time to talk a little bit about TLC. I love TLC.

BERNARD: I know.

O'BRIEN: And then, of course, it was Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez who died.

BERNARD: And she was such the face of the group. So losing her was really a big deal to happen.

O'BRIEN: They want to replace her.

BERNARD: They do. And what's interesting is they're deciding that maybe they're talking to Fox about doing a reality show to audition the new person to be...

O'BRIEN: Does that sound iffy to you?

(CROSSTALK)

TOURE: Here's the big thing. TLC starts as a constructed group. They had an audition. And it's kind of the same thing, but "Left Eye" is so particular and such great energy, you cannot just have a reality show and find a replacement for her.

O'BRIEN: Actually...

SHAW: What they're trying to do and INXS, which is like what was INXS without Michael Hutchins? It was nothing. So why try to replace him?

TOURE: Right.

BERNARD: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it's so brilliant.

O'BRIEN: It seems unseemly to me. It's like the dearly departed.

(CROSSTALK) SHAW: Right, one died in an accident, one killed himself.

TOURE: Yes.

SHAW: Like, I don't know. Like, pleas just have respect. Let the group die.

TOURE: They were, like...

BERNARD: I don't know why you guys are against this! I think it's such a good idea.

TOURE: No way.

BERNARD: I think it's such a good idea.

TOURE: They were like, oh, our sister, we'll never replace her. Oh, get out of here.

(CROSSTALK)

SHAW: I want this new house. I want to buy the new car.

TOURE: Right.

SHAW: Let's replace her! Bring on the sub.

O'BRIEN: I think it's a little bad taste, but that's just me.

TOURE: Right.

O'BRIEN: That's just me. We're out of time, you guys. As always, thanks so much. I appreciate it.

Coming up in our next hour, a little sightseeing in the solar system. Some stunning images of Saturn that we're going to show you, just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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Aired July 2, 2004 - 07:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: New Mexico Democratic Governor Bill Richardson will not be on the ticket. He's told Senator Kerry that he wanted to fulfill a promise he made to finish his term as governor.
As for President Bush, his campaign coffers continue to bulge. The president has raised some $218 million since last May. That's more than double the presidential record that he set in the 2000 election.

Teresa Heinz-Kerry, barnstorming around the country as well, is bringing an unconventional style to the presidential campaign trail. The question is: Will it help or hurt her husband?

Our national correspondent Kelly Wallace has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Teresa Heinz-Kerry is not following anyone's lead. She speaks her mind, but don't call her opinionated.

TERESA HEINZ-KERRY, WIFE OF SENATOR JOHN KERRY: It's time that women like men who know and have opinions be called smart and well- informed, and not opinionated.

WALLACE: No, she's not your average politician's wife. Estimated worth: $1 billion, CEO of a major philanthropic foundation, a registered Republican until last year, who now campaigns for a Democrat, her husband.

HEINZ-KERRY: He will represent this country with great pride, but no arrogance.

WALLACE: Author Gail Sheehy recently profiled Heinz-Kerry for "Mother Jones" magazine.

(on camera): What words would you use to describe Teresa Heinz- Kerry?

GAIL SHEEHY, AUTHOR: Unpredictable, charming, smart, funny, sexy and conflicted!

WALLACE: Conflicted, because she says she never wanted to be the wife of a presidential candidate, but tells Sheehy she now know what she would and would not do if she ultimately became first lady. SHEEHY: She's very frank when she's asked to compare herself to Hillary Clinton, and she's quite negative about the fact that Hillary Clinton shouldn't have taken an role without being confirmed by the Congress.

WALLACE: That directness, refreshing to some, but could it turn other voters off? It's no secret, camp Kerry has worried about the T factor.

SHEEHY: I think at first they thought they could keep her quiet, you know, as she says to me, well, you know, a loose cannon can also hug.

WALLACE: And unwilling to follow a script, which might be one reason you find crowds listening closely to her every word. And so, the woman, who political pundits predicted would be big trouble for her husband's campaign, could end up being a big surprise.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: Douglas Brinkley is a presidential historian. Nice to see you, Doug. Thanks for being with us.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Good morning.

O'BRIEN: Controversy is often seen as a bad thing. And, of course, Teresa Heinz-Kerry can be very controversial. Weigh in for me on whether you think she's a positive or a negative for the Kerry campaign?

BRINKLEY: Well, she's been a big thumbs up so far. About 18 months ago it wasn't so clear. There is a famous "Washington Post" newspaper article, where she seemed to infer that she may have been happier, was still missing her first husband, Mr. Heinz. It created a bit of negative controversy.

The Kerry campaign tried to keep her off to the side, which was a terrible mistake, because with Teresa Heinz-Kerry up front and center, that's when the Kerry campaign took off. It was her going door to door and going church to church and school to school in Iowa that really helped galvanize John Kerry in that important caucus state and have him win. And the people of Iowa just took to her and then they did in New Hampshire, and since then she's been the secret weapon, the star of Kerry's campaign.

O'BRIEN: She is rich. She's independent. She's blunt. She's direct. She's opinionated. She's tough. I could go on and on and on. Compare her to other first ladies historically.

BRINKLEY: Well, she loves policy. So, in that sense, she's in the -- you could put her at being synonymous with an Eleanor Roosevelt or Hillary Clinton. But yet, she has some kind of old-fashioned virtues, too. She was a Republican up until recently. She doesn't feel -- she's made criticisms that as first lady she doesn't like to get in the way.

But certainly she has said that she'll keep to her own independent path. If she were fist lady, she would continue to run Heinz philanthropies, for example. And is the first and foremost adviser to John Kerry. He listens to her. She is very, very shrewd on policy issues and on what counts on a spouse being on judging who's your friend and who's not. He has more than her ear. She's first among everybody on the campaign when it comes to every -- you know, when they're talking about who will be vice president now, for example, she's who he is talking to the closest about it.

O'BRIEN: I think some people on the surface of it would say she is the polar opposite, to a large degree, of Laura Bush. How does that play into the election? I mean, do voters at the end of the day vote with the first lady in mind?

BRINKLEY: I don't believe so. I think they vote for the president of the United States. I think vice-presidents and first ladies can have an impact, but I don't think they're the main theater.

You know, we're not in the 19th century anymore. We're not in the first half of the 20th century. We're not in second half of the 20th century. Women now have a different role in American politics. We have a lot of women governors and mayors, senators. My state of Louisiana has Mary Landrieu for example. California, two women senators.

So, a little bolder, more candid, independent woman like Teresa Heinz-Kerry, somebody who has made her own way in life, somebody oversees a major foundation, you know, like Heinz, is acceptable to the American people. And she may not have been 30, 40, 50 years ago.

O'BRIEN: Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley joining us this morning. Nice to see you, Doug. Thanks.

BRINKLEY: Thanks so much.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this AMERICAN MORNING, we're going to tell you why restaurants are now more than happy to keep you waiting for a table.

Also ahead this morning, you think a big star like Nicole Kidman would have no problem getting a date, but she says men aren't exactly beating down her door. Find out why on in "90-Second Pop." Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER BREAK)

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: A little tougher to get that window seat at your local Olive Garden restaurant, and there is hidden financial meaning in that.

Andy Serwer is here "Minding Your Business." Waiting times at restaurants. ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Yes. Actually an interesting report here. I got a kick out of this one from Smith Barney, the venerable investment bank here in New York. They're tracking restaurants, your favorite chains, seeing how long the wait times are. The wrinkle here is the waiting times have increased, and that's good for the economy. Actually, it just means I'm getting my dinner slower.

CAFFERTY: Well, that, too, yes.

SERWER: All right, here we go. Here are the restaurants with the longest wait time. In other words, you walk in, you say you want a table, you're going to wait 40 minutes at P.F. Chang's. That's supposed to good, though.

CAFFERTY: Do we have those here?

SERWER: I don't know if they have them in Manhattan. Olive Garden is all over the place. Of course, Outback Steakhouse has been around, and there are always waits. They have beepers there. These are some random ones we've got here. The Cheesecake Factory, obviously. The California Pizza Kitchen you only have to wait four minutes. Gee, is that a good thing? Not for them.

CAFFERTY: I don't know, but I eat there once in a while.

SERWER: Oh, OK.

O'BRIEN: Well, just getting your menu, that's not a wait.

SERWER: Yes. No, the longest wait -- or the shortest wait, excuse me, is at Smoky Bones Barbecue. You can walk right in and get a stable table. I'm serious.

CAFFERTY: That's because the food is terrible!

SERWER: I knew that was coming. They've got a drink there...

O'BRIEN: Where are they?

CAFFERTY: I don't know.

SERWER: They're in the east and the Midwest and the south. And I love this. They've got a drink there called the Twisted Timber -- half margarita, half daiquiri.

CAFFERTY: And after you have one of those, you're not aware of how long you're waiting, anyway.

SERWER: Well, I'm still waiting. I have no idea.

CAFFERTY: What about the markets? We took a little tumble yesterday.

SERWER: A little bit of a denting yesterday, that's right. And, of course, the big news is going to be at 8:30 today when the jobs report comes out for the month of June. We're looking at 250,000 jobs. Important stuff for the Federal Reserve to be checking out.

CAFFERTY: All right, thanks, Andy.

If you woke up tomorrow and you were $290 million richer, it just wouldn't matter, any of this other stuff. That is the prize in the Mega Millions lottery drawing tonight. In New Jersey yesterday people were buying 3,600 tickets a minute. But don't get your hopes up. The odds of winning are 135 million to 1 against. But it's all about daydreaming. So, that's what we're doing here.

Here's the question: What would you do with the $290 million if you won the lottery?

Paul writes from Duluth, Minnesota: "Get therapy. I've heard of too many people getting messed up when they win millions. Then I would start a foundation on communication. I'm a speech language pathologist."

Jack in Allentown, Pennsylvania; "I have simple ones. I would pay off the house and other bills, tell my boss where he can put his three years with no raises, and then I'd have one of those big giant outdoor barbecues kitchen areas built with a big heated pool and landscaped."

O'BRIEN: Ooh, that sounds good, doesn't it?

CAFFERTY: Yes. And we'd all come over to your place and have burgers.

SERWER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: "My first priority," writes Weldon in Fredericton, New Brunswick: "My first priority would be to give you a million, Jack, just to put a smile on your face."

Well, you know, what Weldon? That would do it.

And Evan writes from Saint Joseph, Missouri: "If I won the $290 million I could afford to vote Republican."

SERWER: Oh.

CAFFERTY: That's pretty funny, actually.

This weekend on "IN THE MONEY," a new study has found that a lot of kids are not paying full price for college tuition anymore, because the government is giving out more college grants. We'll tell you how you can get a piece of that action this weekend on "IN THE MONEY," Saturday at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00, a tidy little program with Andy Serwer, Susan Lisovicz and moi and Allan Weksler (ph), and we invite you to join us.

O'BRIEN: And they take attendance.

CAFFERTY: We do take roll, that's true. SERWER: Take no prisoners.

CAFFERTY: You could be a guest, you know, if you wanted to on our show.

O'BRIEN: I'd love it.

SERWER: Today.

O'BRIEN: Why not. Thanks. I'll think about that.

CAFFERTY: We could call it "In the Delivery Room."

O'BRIEN: That's funny.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Still to come, John Kerry's short list of possible running mates just got a lot shorter. We're going to tell who's out, coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. It's just about 46 minutes past the hour. It's time to take a look at some of other news today with Betty Nguyen.

Hey, Betty, good morning again.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Soledad.

We begin in Iraq with explosions rocking Baghdad. Video showing black smoke rising over a car engulfed in flames. There it is. Two Iraqis wounded in that attack. Nearby, insurgents targeting a Sheraton Hotel. That building housing many international journalists and contractors. There are reports of damage, but no casualties.

Jordan could become the first Arab country to send troops to Iraq. Jordan's King Abdullah announcing yesterday that he would be willing to send forces to Iraq if asked to do so by the new government there. It's still not clear if Iraqi leaders will accept that offer.

The FBI is warning Americans to be vigilant this Fourth of July weekend. U.S. officials say Independence Day celebrations could be a target for al Qaeda, but the bureau stresses there are no indications of a specific threat this holiday. And the Homeland Security Department has no plans of raising the nation's terror alert level.

In politics, speculation growing over who will join Democratic hopeful John Kerry's ticket. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, reportedly on Kerry's short list, taking himself out of the running. Richardson is saying he wanted to keep a promise to voters in the state to finish his term. Among the other possible choices, Senator John Edwards, Representative Dick Gephardt, and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. And the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox with a stunning play from Derek Jeter. Check it out. Jeter hurling face first into the stands for a catch. We'll see it in just a moment. That ended the 12th inning last night. The Yankees went on to beat the Red Sox 5-4 in the 13th for a stirring sweep. Jeter, meanwhile, suffering a lacerated chin and bruised cheek and shoulder. But, Soledad, I imagine there are plenty of ladies out there willing to help nurse him back to recovery.

O'BRIEN: And such a cute face, you know.

NGUYEN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: They don't need to injure that face, don't they? Yes, but wow! What a catch. Good for him.

NGUYEN: I know.

O'BRIEN: All right, Betty, thanks.

Still to come this morning, Bill Cosby is making headlines once again. We're talking about what he calls the black community's dirty laundry. "90-Second Pop" is up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A little TLC to start your morning, huh? Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It's a Friday morning edition of "90-Second Pop." Here to play this morning, Jessica Shaw from "Entertainment Weekly" joining us. Also, Toure -- no that's...

SARAH BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: I'm Toure actually (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: That's the black man in the middle would be Toure from "Rolling Stone." Sarah Bernard from "New York". Nice to see you guys, as always.

In fact, let's start with what Bill Cosby said, because it started a whole new round of controversy, I think is fair. So, here's what he said last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL COSBY, ENTERTAINER: The more you invest in that child, the more you're not going to let some CD tell your child how to curse and how to say the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is an accepted word used so hip with (EXPLETIVE DELETED) but you can't even spell it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: What he's saying it's an accepted word as we bleep it out. Bleep, bleep!

TOURE, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: Right. I mean, Bill Cosby's been becoming this figure lately, and he's totally right to do it. He's brilliant. We look up to him and all of those sorts of things. But there's a deep generational divide that he's not taking into account. I mean, the word "(EXPLETIVE DELETED)" is accepted among this generation, and it is a term of endearment that we use it in that way. So, I mean, like, it's OK, you know.

O'BRIEN: So, what you're saying is he's wrong?

BERNARD, : So, why is it OK to (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

TOURE: I mean, it's a -- well, language always changes, right? We know this. The word "gay" didn't used to mean, you know, homosexual. It used to mean happy. So language is like a river. It grows. And it's something that we have embraced, you know, and it's like, you know, this is real estate, you know, within the language that people could use to throw at us and attack us. No more. We take it back.

O'BRIEN: OK, but...

JESSICA SHAW, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": There were a lot of other points he was making, though, about...

O'BRIEN: Yes.

SHAW: ... you know, parents being more involved with their children. And I think the thing that was -- really got a lot of attention was that when he said that the black community should not be blaming the white man anymore. And I think he took a lot heat for it when he said it a few months ago, and good for him for saying it again, I think.

BERNARD: I'm not really sure why he's getting so much attention today since he pretty much said the same thing earlier in May at another Brown vs. Board of Education anniversary.

O'BRIEN: Do you think this is, like, a new Bill Cosby? This is going to be his new thing.

BERNARD: Yes.

TOURE: He's always been kind of proud-acting judgment.

O'BRIEN: Not as much as now.

TOURE: Not as much as recently.

O'BRIEN: I mean, it almost -- when I heard this the second time, I thought, 'Wow, I wonder if this is the start of a foundation, a plan of getting together community leaders, of like some big next step.' Because a lot of people -- a lot of the criticism he got was sort of like, oh, easy, to criticize a single mom, black, under-employed. You know, like, what are you going to do for her, is the real question? So, I wonder...

TOURE: It's so easy, though, to say don't blame the white man for your troubles. OK. But the white man is still part of our troubles. I mean, there's an amount that we have to take responsibility ourselves, absolutely. But we can't just act like there's not...

O'BRIEN: This is such a serious "90-Second Pop." Wow!

(CROSSTALK)

BERNARD: How does (UNINTELLIGIBLE) fit into of all this?

SHAW: Right, exactly.

O'BRIEN: And J.Lo.

SHAW: His sunglasses really distracted from the whole thing. So, we should really just talk about his sunglass.

O'BRIEN: What about J.Lo? I want to know. Let's turn and talk a little bit about Nicole. Let's get lighter immediately.

SHAW: OK.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Because I think that's an interesting topic, and it's going to go somewhere, and we're going to continue to follow it. Nicole Kidman, it's so sad. It's heartbreaking.

SHAW: It's a big story, I think. I'm surprised that you didn't lead with it at 7:00 in the morning. She is having a difficult time finding love. She said men don't want to date her. She has two children. She is a single mom, and she's having a really rough time of it.

BERNARD: I think she needs to watch some more "Sex and the City" episodes, don't you think? They do fine, the 37-year-old moms.

TOURE: Well, I heard that Kevin Fetterling (ph) has an older brother, who would be perfect for her.

O'BRIEN: Do you think -- what is it? Is this just some random PR thing?

SHAW: You know, I think actors have certain lines that they use. One is, I have a hard time dating. Another one is, I was really ugly when I was a teenager. I would do a nude scene if it were appropriate.

BERNARD: Exactly.

SHAW: These are lines that are, you know, regurgitated over and over. I really wanted (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: My skin care regime is just a lot of water.

SHAW: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: I drink a lot of water. SHAW: Exactly.

TOURE: I don't diet.

BERNARD: I think she likes to repeat it over and over is because she's been accused of having a weight issue herself, being too thin. She said it's her hair. Her hair makes her look too thin.

O'BRIEN: Oh, like, I have the same problem.

BERNARD: I know!

O'BRIEN: People think I'm getting bigger, but it's just my hair!

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: All right, just enough time to talk a little bit about TLC. I love TLC.

BERNARD: I know.

O'BRIEN: And then, of course, it was Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez who died.

BERNARD: And she was such the face of the group. So losing her was really a big deal to happen.

O'BRIEN: They want to replace her.

BERNARD: They do. And what's interesting is they're deciding that maybe they're talking to Fox about doing a reality show to audition the new person to be...

O'BRIEN: Does that sound iffy to you?

(CROSSTALK)

TOURE: Here's the big thing. TLC starts as a constructed group. They had an audition. And it's kind of the same thing, but "Left Eye" is so particular and such great energy, you cannot just have a reality show and find a replacement for her.

O'BRIEN: Actually...

SHAW: What they're trying to do and INXS, which is like what was INXS without Michael Hutchins? It was nothing. So why try to replace him?

TOURE: Right.

BERNARD: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it's so brilliant.

O'BRIEN: It seems unseemly to me. It's like the dearly departed.

(CROSSTALK) SHAW: Right, one died in an accident, one killed himself.

TOURE: Yes.

SHAW: Like, I don't know. Like, pleas just have respect. Let the group die.

TOURE: They were, like...

BERNARD: I don't know why you guys are against this! I think it's such a good idea.

TOURE: No way.

BERNARD: I think it's such a good idea.

TOURE: They were like, oh, our sister, we'll never replace her. Oh, get out of here.

(CROSSTALK)

SHAW: I want this new house. I want to buy the new car.

TOURE: Right.

SHAW: Let's replace her! Bring on the sub.

O'BRIEN: I think it's a little bad taste, but that's just me.

TOURE: Right.

O'BRIEN: That's just me. We're out of time, you guys. As always, thanks so much. I appreciate it.

Coming up in our next hour, a little sightseeing in the solar system. Some stunning images of Saturn that we're going to show you, just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

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