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CNN Live At Daybreak

Could Terrorism Threaten to Change Election Day?; Continuing Controversy About Congressional Report Saying Intelligence Used to Justify War in Iraq Was Wrong

Aired July 12, 2004 - 05:00   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.


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: An American institution, the voting booth -- could terrorism threaten to change Election Day?
It's Monday, July 12, and this is DAYBREAK.

Well, good morning.

From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello.

Now in the news, President Bush heads south this morning. He's speaking at a government nuclear facility in Tennessee, where a nuclear material from Libya is being stored. He's expected to credit the Iraq war with convincing Libya to give up its potential nuclear threat.

A little less than six hours from now, a memorial to the Massachusetts victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is being dedicated in Boston public garden. One hundred seventy-seven families in Massachusetts lost loved ones in the attacks.

In the U.S. Senate today, the debate resumes on a constitutional amendment effectively banning same-sex marriages. President Bush spoke in favor of the amendment during his Saturday radio address. A Senate vote could come as early as Wednesday.

Lea Fastow has just about 10 more hours of freedom. The wife of former Enron finance chief Andrew Fastow is due to surrender in Houston at 3:00 Eastern to begin serving a one year prison sentence. She pleaded guilty to helping her husband hide money.

Well, this morning we want to get you up to speed on the weather outside.

Chad Myers joins us with a look at that -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Betty.

My partner, Carol Costello, on her honeymoon.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

MYERS: Thank you for filling in and waking up so early with us this morning.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

We want to see some pictures from this wedding.

MYERS: I have some.

NGUYEN: OK.

MYERS: I'll show them to you later in the show.

NGUYEN: You're going to keep us waiting.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Well, President Bush heads to a nuclear facility in Tennessee this morning. He is expected to credit the war in Iraq for convincing Libya to give up nuclear weapons. This visit comes during a week when the 9/11 Commission could issue its report, which could put another bad light on the nation's intelligence services.

Our Dana Bash has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Had they known then what they know now, even some Republicans say Congress probably would not have given the president the green light for war.

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), CHMN. INTEL. CMTE.: The weapons of mass destruction and posing an imminent threat to our national security, that would not have been part of the debate. And I'm not sure the votes would have been there to take that kind of military action.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Each passing day could be the one on which the Iraqi regime gives anthrax or VX nerve gas or some day a nuclear weapon to a terrorist ally.

BASH: In pushing Congress to authorize war, Mr. Bush zeroed in on Iraqi WMD and potential dangers in a post 9/11 world.

Democrats questioned whether the intelligence analysis was so wrong because it was rushed to fit a White House time table for war. And they accuse the president of exaggerating the information he had.

ROCKEFELLER: They weren't paying attention to the intelligence they were getting and going beyond it to try to convince the American people that war was the way to go.

BUSH: The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power.

BASH: The White House flatly denies misusing intelligence. Aides saying Mr. Bush will continue to defend the war that has come to define his presidency, one a majority of Americans now think was not worth fighting.

The key question now, how to fix a broken intelligence system, an issue sure to get even more intense when the September 11 Commission wraps up its report, which a spokesman tells CNN could now happen as early as this week.

Republicans and Democrats want the president to accelerate intelligence reform. Some saying he should fill the vacancy at the top of the CIA sooner rather than later.

ROBERTS: It'll have to be an extraordinary nominee. If that's the case, we will go full time into the hearings to get him or her confirmed.

BASH: White House aides say an announcement could come as soon as this week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And this week criticism about prewar intelligence shifts to President Bush's number one war ally -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair. A report on how he handled prewar intelligence is due out. It's called the Butler Report and it's expected to be critical of Mr. Blair's assertions that Iraq posed a current and serious threat to Britain. Adding to that, the BBC quotes two former intelligence officers who dispute the weapons capability claims made by the prime minister in the run-up to the war.

And we'll hear more about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq from David Kay, the former United Nations weapons inspector. He'll be a guest in the 8:00 a.m. hour of CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

That report from our Dana Bash mentioned the 9/11 report that could be out this week. A spokesman for the commission says the panel already has begun the process of having it declassified for release. He adds the 10 commission members are trying to reach unanimous support for the report. And you can read it yourself. It'll be for sale in bookstores for just $10 and it'll also be posted on the Internet.

Postpone the November election because of terrorism? You might think it sounds preposterous, but it's been discussed in Washington.

CNN's Tom Foreman tells us all about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If a terrorist attack came in the final days of the campaign or on Election Day itself, could the voting be postponed? That question is being raised by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and taken up by Homeland Security and the Justice Department, too.

GRACIA HILLMAN, U.S. ELECTION ASSIST. COMM.: I think that we've been lucky so far that nothing has ever occurred to disrupt the presidential election, but that doesn't mean that something couldn't happen. And we believe prudent planning is the thing that should be done.

FOREMAN: These government officials are mindful of the Spanish train attack, which killed nearly 200 people. Three days later, Spain's prime minister, who supported the war in Iraq, was voted out. Now officials say intelligence suggests something like that could happen here.

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Al Qaeda is moving forward with its plans to carry out a large scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process.

FOREMAN: The political fallout from such an attack is wildly uncertain. After 9/11, support for President Bush rose.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can hear you.

FOREMAN: It is also unclear whether the election can be moved. Homeland Security says, "It would take an act of Congress to amend the Constitution, possibly amendments to 50 state constitutions."

And maybe changes to "voting rules in thousands of counties and towns."

(on camera): In other words, federal officials see the possibility of delaying the election as very remote. And some lawmakers are calling it a pure doomsday scenario.

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), NEW YORK: It'd be a terrible mistake, a terrible mistake.

FOREMAN: Others believe developing a plan may be wise if it sends a message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No matter what happens, no matter what terrorists do to our country, democracy's going to go on.

FOREMAN: Yet in the end, even those who support a plan for delaying the election say it's something they want to have and never have to use.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: There's new evidence in the investigation by Texas prosecutors of corporate fund-raising by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. In an e-mail obtained by the "Washington Post," DeLay and other colleagues directed money from corporations and lobbyists to the state GOP. It was part of a successful plan to redraw the state's congressional districts to favor the Republicans. DeLay hasn't been named as a target in the investigation, which is in its 20th month. Still, though, several weeks ago, he hired two criminal defense attorneys to represent him.

And here are some stories making news across America this Monday.

The final fumigation is under way for the building that was the first target of an anthrax attack back in 2001. At the time, the American Media Building housed the "National Enquirer." This cleanup is being carried out by a company run by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. No arrests have been made in the series of anthrax attacks that killed five people.

Smoke from this wildfire in southern Florida caused the closure of a major highway near Miami. The fire has burned more than 7,000 acres on the edge of the Everglades. Firefighters are hoping wind conditions will help them get the fire under control a little bit later today. No homes are being threatened by that fire.

Bobby Brown just beat the deadline. The singer is facing battery charges after allegedly hitting his wife, Whitney Houston, last May. The singer turned himself in to police less than four hours before the midnight deadline. Brown was released after posting $2,000 bond.

The Scott Peterson trial gets back under way today after a brief layoff. Prosecutors are hoping to keep up the momentum after ending last week with some powerful testimony.

CNN's Ted Rowlands brings us up to date.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prosecutors used photographs of a pregnant woman from their office, as they tried to prove that Scott Peterson's pick-up truck and boat could have been used to transport and dump his wife's body. One photograph showed the woman, who was approximately the same size as the pregnant Laci Peterson was, lying down in Peterson's truck and boat. Another showed the woman lying inside Peterson's oversized tool box, which he had in the bed of his truck.

Defense attorney Mark Geragos argued to the judge that because the woman posing was alive, and therefore not in a state of rigor mortis, and because she got in and out of the boat and truck herself for the pictures, the photos should not have been allowed in court.

The judge disagreed. Legal analysts say the photographs were a very effective way to show the jury how Peterson may have been able to dispose of his pregnant wife's body.

DEAN JOHNSON, LEGAL ANALYST: It's convincing and it answers a lot of questions. And more importantly, it's graphic and it's powerful and it sticks in the jury's mind.

ROWLANDS: Also last week, the man who sold Scott Peterson the 14 foot boat testified that it was large enough for two people to move around.

(on camera); Still to come, the much anticipated testimony of Peterson's mistress Amber Frey. She is not expected to take the stand for at least a week. According to her attorney Gloria Allred, Frey has not been given a date from prosecutors as to when she should expect to take the stand.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Redwood City, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: Up next here on DAYBREAK, contributions to political candidates are part of the public record. For example, how much did your favorite celebrity donate and to whom? Well, it's all there online.

John Kerry will be at the NAACP convention, but it's not the first time a certain resident of the White House has dissed the convention.

When it comes to the AIDS epidemic, abstinence only programs get U.S. dollars. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports from the 15th International AIDS Conference.

This is DAYBREAK for Monday, July 12.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Your news, money, weather and sports.

The time right now is 5:14 Eastern and here's what's all new this morning.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is reaching out to his opposition in an effort to build a powerful coalition in the government. Labor Party leader Shimon Peres says his party will meet tomorrow do discuss any possible deals.

The deadline may be moving for a Filipino man held hostage in Iraq. Militants had threatened to kill the hostage if the Philippines didn't remove troops from Iraq. Filipino officials say the deadline was extended from Sunday to Tuesday, but add the country still will not comply with those demands.

In money, gas prices again edged down slightly. The average price for a gallon of unleaded regular stands at $1.93. That's nearly $0.41 more than what it was on this date last year. Yes, tell me about it.

Well, in culture, the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship has shoved off on what's being billed as the first family friendly cruise for gay and lesbian travelers. The cruise is the brainchild of Rosie O'Donnell and her life partner.

In sports, another lackluster day for Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France. Armstrong finished 33rd in Sunday's stage and stands sixth overall heading into today's off day. At this point last year, Armstrong was riding in first.

Well, if you're headed out for a morning ride or just a little walk, here's Chad Myers with a look at the morning forecast -- hi there, Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Betty.

(WEATHER REPORT) NGUYEN: Well, Kofi Annan says the worldwide war on AIDS is falling short because there are too many heads in the sand. The U.N. secretary general opened the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Anan says women are bearing the brunt of the AIDS epidemic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: Women now account for nearly half of all adult infections. In sub-Saharan Africa, that figure is around 58 percent. Among people younger than 24, girls and young women make up nearly two thirds of those living with HIV AIDS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Annan says better education is needed to protect women and girls from AIDS.

Access to all is the theme of this week's International AIDS Conference. They're stressing the need for each person infected with HIV to have access to treatment.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details from the conference.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the 15th International AIDS Conference kicks off, there are protests and there are warnings.

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: AIDS is far more than a health crisis. It is a threat to development itself.

GUPTA: The reality of that threat has devastated Sub Saharan African. 25 million are infected. 20 million have already died.

Wandera Samson's wife was one of them, leaving this Ugandan father to care for his three young daughters alone, while caring for his own HIV.

WANDERA SAMSON, WIFE DIED OF AIDS: I was supposed to die because I have no money to buy those drugs.

GUPTA: He is only alive today because he's part of a U.S. government sponsored trial to get the powerful AIDS cocktail available in the U.S. to the most remote parts of Africa.

PETER SOLBERG, DR., CDC CLINIC, UGANDA: The main purpose of the study is to look at different ways of monitoring people when they're taking these drugs, try to find out whether we can perhaps get away with using less laboratory tests.

GUPTA: For now, Wandera gets the drugs for free at least until the trial is done. But he's concerned how he will afford them in the future.

Most clinics, such as this one in the Ugandan capital Kampala, make their patients pay for the medicine.

PETER MUGYENYI, JCRC DIRECTOR: It is our belief that free is not sustainable. You cannot have a program that is based on free things.

GUPTA: And the price tag on the drugs that keep patients like Jennifer Arem alive is high, about $30 every month. She only makes $33.

JENNIFER AREM, JCRC PATIENT: Whatever little money you get, you have to save it in order not to break the medicine sequence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Coming up in the next hour of DAYBREAK, we'll take you live to Bangkok for a live report from Sanjay Gupta with more on today's developments at the AIDS Conference.

Just ahead on DAYBREAK, his father was a staunch Republican. So why is the son of former President Ronald Reagan speaking at the upcoming Democratic National Convention? We'll explain just ahead.

And would you want your political contributions made public? You may have no choice. The story when DAYBREAK continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: The war on terror will be the topic when President Bush speaks briefly today at a campaign stop in Tennessee. The president is expected to talk for about 15 minutes at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Then it's off to a tour of the research facility.

"USA Today" reports the John Kerry campaign and groups opposing President Bush have run nearly twice as many television ads in 17 battleground states as the Bush campaign. And this month, the Kerry campaign is expected to spend $10 million more than the Bush campaign on television ads.

Ron Reagan is among the scheduled speakers at this month's Democratic National Convention. President Reagan's youngest son will speak about the importance of stem cell research. Both Ron and Nancy Reagan have called on President Bush to change his stance on stem cell research. The Democratic convention gets under way July 26.

And you can keep up with all the latest election news just by logging on. Check out the special America Votes page at cnn.com for answers to all your political questions. And stay tuned to CNN for all the latest from the campaign trail.

Well, did you ever wonder who among your friends gives money to political campaigns? Well, now there is a Web site that names names -- from the $2,000 that George Bush Sr. gave to his son's campaign to a $100 donation to Dennis Kucinich from Bill Clinton. No, not that Bill Clinton.

CNN's Alina Cho takes a look at what you might call political voyeurism. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Easy as typing in your name. In this case, Patty Kennedy finds her address and her record of her $1, 250 donation to Joseph Lieberman on the Web site fundraise.org. Political contribution, part of the public record.

(on camera): You like Kerry?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do. I like Kerry. I don't think he's perfected.

CHO: Kennedy traditionally votes Democratic. Also gave money to Wesley Clark.

PATTY KENNEDY, CONSULTANT: I don't mind letting people know where I stand politically, and who I've contributed to. I'm happy to talk about it.

CHO: What about celebrities? Jerry Seinfeld may not publicize it, but he gave $2,000 each to Kerry and Clark.

JERRY SEINFELD, COMEDIAN: Why do people always say that, I hate everybody. Why would I like him?

CHO: There's the $2,000 to Dennis Kucinich, courtesy of Matt Damon. Then there's Donald Trump.

He's covering all his bases. John Kerry, George Bush. There you go.

JONAH FERETTI, FUNDRACE.ORG FOUNDER: Check out your neighbors and check out your coworkers and boss and see who they're giving to. It's something that's the kind of thing people will do.

CHO (on camera): Fund Race was created to get people politically involved. It has blossomed into a voyeuristic thrill, getting more than 200,000 hits a day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can keep track of everybody. It's good for the media.

CHO (voice-over): At this Internet cafe...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think that's anybody else's business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just don't think there's expectation of privacy when you do that kind of thing.

CHO: Privacy experts say blame it on the Internet.

STEWART BAKER, PRIVACY EXPERT: Most of us are used to the idea that we're in control of who we tell about our political views. But those days are over.

CHO (on camera): Well, your money's out there. KENNEDY: My money's there. I put my money where my mouth was.

CHO: Right.

KENNEDY: Let's hope it counts.

CHO (voice-over): Whether the information is public or not.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And here's what's ahead in the next half hour.

How the ongoing threat of terror may affect the date of the presidential election.

Plus, the CIA is without a permanent leader. Why the White House is being pressured not to wait too long to choose a new director.

And why a deadly shark attack has Australians divided.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN SCHUERHOLZ, GENERAL MANAGER, ATLANTA BRAVES: See, I think you have to have a passion for what it is that you do. If you don't have that passion, I don't think you can make the sacrifices, make the commitments, dedicate yourself to the job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Schuerholz has devoted himself to building solid teams during his 38-year baseball career. He has hit a grand slam as the only general manager to win World Series championships in both the American and National Leagues. Schuerholz has also led the Atlanta Braves to a record 12 straight division titles.

SCHUERHOLZ: My greatest asset as a general manager is that I appreciate the people who work with me in this venture. I try always to select good people, to motivate them, to educate them and to give them their space and encourage them to do good work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired July 12, 2004 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: An American institution, the voting booth -- could terrorism threaten to change Election Day?
It's Monday, July 12, and this is DAYBREAK.

Well, good morning.

From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen in for Carol Costello.

Now in the news, President Bush heads south this morning. He's speaking at a government nuclear facility in Tennessee, where a nuclear material from Libya is being stored. He's expected to credit the Iraq war with convincing Libya to give up its potential nuclear threat.

A little less than six hours from now, a memorial to the Massachusetts victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is being dedicated in Boston public garden. One hundred seventy-seven families in Massachusetts lost loved ones in the attacks.

In the U.S. Senate today, the debate resumes on a constitutional amendment effectively banning same-sex marriages. President Bush spoke in favor of the amendment during his Saturday radio address. A Senate vote could come as early as Wednesday.

Lea Fastow has just about 10 more hours of freedom. The wife of former Enron finance chief Andrew Fastow is due to surrender in Houston at 3:00 Eastern to begin serving a one year prison sentence. She pleaded guilty to helping her husband hide money.

Well, this morning we want to get you up to speed on the weather outside.

Chad Myers joins us with a look at that -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Betty.

My partner, Carol Costello, on her honeymoon.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

MYERS: Thank you for filling in and waking up so early with us this morning.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

We want to see some pictures from this wedding.

MYERS: I have some.

NGUYEN: OK.

MYERS: I'll show them to you later in the show.

NGUYEN: You're going to keep us waiting.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Well, President Bush heads to a nuclear facility in Tennessee this morning. He is expected to credit the war in Iraq for convincing Libya to give up nuclear weapons. This visit comes during a week when the 9/11 Commission could issue its report, which could put another bad light on the nation's intelligence services.

Our Dana Bash has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Had they known then what they know now, even some Republicans say Congress probably would not have given the president the green light for war.

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), CHMN. INTEL. CMTE.: The weapons of mass destruction and posing an imminent threat to our national security, that would not have been part of the debate. And I'm not sure the votes would have been there to take that kind of military action.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Each passing day could be the one on which the Iraqi regime gives anthrax or VX nerve gas or some day a nuclear weapon to a terrorist ally.

BASH: In pushing Congress to authorize war, Mr. Bush zeroed in on Iraqi WMD and potential dangers in a post 9/11 world.

Democrats questioned whether the intelligence analysis was so wrong because it was rushed to fit a White House time table for war. And they accuse the president of exaggerating the information he had.

ROCKEFELLER: They weren't paying attention to the intelligence they were getting and going beyond it to try to convince the American people that war was the way to go.

BUSH: The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power.

BASH: The White House flatly denies misusing intelligence. Aides saying Mr. Bush will continue to defend the war that has come to define his presidency, one a majority of Americans now think was not worth fighting.

The key question now, how to fix a broken intelligence system, an issue sure to get even more intense when the September 11 Commission wraps up its report, which a spokesman tells CNN could now happen as early as this week.

Republicans and Democrats want the president to accelerate intelligence reform. Some saying he should fill the vacancy at the top of the CIA sooner rather than later.

ROBERTS: It'll have to be an extraordinary nominee. If that's the case, we will go full time into the hearings to get him or her confirmed.

BASH: White House aides say an announcement could come as soon as this week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And this week criticism about prewar intelligence shifts to President Bush's number one war ally -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair. A report on how he handled prewar intelligence is due out. It's called the Butler Report and it's expected to be critical of Mr. Blair's assertions that Iraq posed a current and serious threat to Britain. Adding to that, the BBC quotes two former intelligence officers who dispute the weapons capability claims made by the prime minister in the run-up to the war.

And we'll hear more about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq from David Kay, the former United Nations weapons inspector. He'll be a guest in the 8:00 a.m. hour of CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

That report from our Dana Bash mentioned the 9/11 report that could be out this week. A spokesman for the commission says the panel already has begun the process of having it declassified for release. He adds the 10 commission members are trying to reach unanimous support for the report. And you can read it yourself. It'll be for sale in bookstores for just $10 and it'll also be posted on the Internet.

Postpone the November election because of terrorism? You might think it sounds preposterous, but it's been discussed in Washington.

CNN's Tom Foreman tells us all about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If a terrorist attack came in the final days of the campaign or on Election Day itself, could the voting be postponed? That question is being raised by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and taken up by Homeland Security and the Justice Department, too.

GRACIA HILLMAN, U.S. ELECTION ASSIST. COMM.: I think that we've been lucky so far that nothing has ever occurred to disrupt the presidential election, but that doesn't mean that something couldn't happen. And we believe prudent planning is the thing that should be done.

FOREMAN: These government officials are mindful of the Spanish train attack, which killed nearly 200 people. Three days later, Spain's prime minister, who supported the war in Iraq, was voted out. Now officials say intelligence suggests something like that could happen here.

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Al Qaeda is moving forward with its plans to carry out a large scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process.

FOREMAN: The political fallout from such an attack is wildly uncertain. After 9/11, support for President Bush rose.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can hear you.

FOREMAN: It is also unclear whether the election can be moved. Homeland Security says, "It would take an act of Congress to amend the Constitution, possibly amendments to 50 state constitutions."

And maybe changes to "voting rules in thousands of counties and towns."

(on camera): In other words, federal officials see the possibility of delaying the election as very remote. And some lawmakers are calling it a pure doomsday scenario.

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D), NEW YORK: It'd be a terrible mistake, a terrible mistake.

FOREMAN: Others believe developing a plan may be wise if it sends a message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No matter what happens, no matter what terrorists do to our country, democracy's going to go on.

FOREMAN: Yet in the end, even those who support a plan for delaying the election say it's something they want to have and never have to use.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: There's new evidence in the investigation by Texas prosecutors of corporate fund-raising by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. In an e-mail obtained by the "Washington Post," DeLay and other colleagues directed money from corporations and lobbyists to the state GOP. It was part of a successful plan to redraw the state's congressional districts to favor the Republicans. DeLay hasn't been named as a target in the investigation, which is in its 20th month. Still, though, several weeks ago, he hired two criminal defense attorneys to represent him.

And here are some stories making news across America this Monday.

The final fumigation is under way for the building that was the first target of an anthrax attack back in 2001. At the time, the American Media Building housed the "National Enquirer." This cleanup is being carried out by a company run by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. No arrests have been made in the series of anthrax attacks that killed five people.

Smoke from this wildfire in southern Florida caused the closure of a major highway near Miami. The fire has burned more than 7,000 acres on the edge of the Everglades. Firefighters are hoping wind conditions will help them get the fire under control a little bit later today. No homes are being threatened by that fire.

Bobby Brown just beat the deadline. The singer is facing battery charges after allegedly hitting his wife, Whitney Houston, last May. The singer turned himself in to police less than four hours before the midnight deadline. Brown was released after posting $2,000 bond.

The Scott Peterson trial gets back under way today after a brief layoff. Prosecutors are hoping to keep up the momentum after ending last week with some powerful testimony.

CNN's Ted Rowlands brings us up to date.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prosecutors used photographs of a pregnant woman from their office, as they tried to prove that Scott Peterson's pick-up truck and boat could have been used to transport and dump his wife's body. One photograph showed the woman, who was approximately the same size as the pregnant Laci Peterson was, lying down in Peterson's truck and boat. Another showed the woman lying inside Peterson's oversized tool box, which he had in the bed of his truck.

Defense attorney Mark Geragos argued to the judge that because the woman posing was alive, and therefore not in a state of rigor mortis, and because she got in and out of the boat and truck herself for the pictures, the photos should not have been allowed in court.

The judge disagreed. Legal analysts say the photographs were a very effective way to show the jury how Peterson may have been able to dispose of his pregnant wife's body.

DEAN JOHNSON, LEGAL ANALYST: It's convincing and it answers a lot of questions. And more importantly, it's graphic and it's powerful and it sticks in the jury's mind.

ROWLANDS: Also last week, the man who sold Scott Peterson the 14 foot boat testified that it was large enough for two people to move around.

(on camera); Still to come, the much anticipated testimony of Peterson's mistress Amber Frey. She is not expected to take the stand for at least a week. According to her attorney Gloria Allred, Frey has not been given a date from prosecutors as to when she should expect to take the stand.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Redwood City, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NGUYEN: Up next here on DAYBREAK, contributions to political candidates are part of the public record. For example, how much did your favorite celebrity donate and to whom? Well, it's all there online.

John Kerry will be at the NAACP convention, but it's not the first time a certain resident of the White House has dissed the convention.

When it comes to the AIDS epidemic, abstinence only programs get U.S. dollars. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports from the 15th International AIDS Conference.

This is DAYBREAK for Monday, July 12.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Your news, money, weather and sports.

The time right now is 5:14 Eastern and here's what's all new this morning.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is reaching out to his opposition in an effort to build a powerful coalition in the government. Labor Party leader Shimon Peres says his party will meet tomorrow do discuss any possible deals.

The deadline may be moving for a Filipino man held hostage in Iraq. Militants had threatened to kill the hostage if the Philippines didn't remove troops from Iraq. Filipino officials say the deadline was extended from Sunday to Tuesday, but add the country still will not comply with those demands.

In money, gas prices again edged down slightly. The average price for a gallon of unleaded regular stands at $1.93. That's nearly $0.41 more than what it was on this date last year. Yes, tell me about it.

Well, in culture, the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship has shoved off on what's being billed as the first family friendly cruise for gay and lesbian travelers. The cruise is the brainchild of Rosie O'Donnell and her life partner.

In sports, another lackluster day for Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France. Armstrong finished 33rd in Sunday's stage and stands sixth overall heading into today's off day. At this point last year, Armstrong was riding in first.

Well, if you're headed out for a morning ride or just a little walk, here's Chad Myers with a look at the morning forecast -- hi there, Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Betty.

(WEATHER REPORT) NGUYEN: Well, Kofi Annan says the worldwide war on AIDS is falling short because there are too many heads in the sand. The U.N. secretary general opened the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Anan says women are bearing the brunt of the AIDS epidemic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: Women now account for nearly half of all adult infections. In sub-Saharan Africa, that figure is around 58 percent. Among people younger than 24, girls and young women make up nearly two thirds of those living with HIV AIDS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Annan says better education is needed to protect women and girls from AIDS.

Access to all is the theme of this week's International AIDS Conference. They're stressing the need for each person infected with HIV to have access to treatment.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details from the conference.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the 15th International AIDS Conference kicks off, there are protests and there are warnings.

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: AIDS is far more than a health crisis. It is a threat to development itself.

GUPTA: The reality of that threat has devastated Sub Saharan African. 25 million are infected. 20 million have already died.

Wandera Samson's wife was one of them, leaving this Ugandan father to care for his three young daughters alone, while caring for his own HIV.

WANDERA SAMSON, WIFE DIED OF AIDS: I was supposed to die because I have no money to buy those drugs.

GUPTA: He is only alive today because he's part of a U.S. government sponsored trial to get the powerful AIDS cocktail available in the U.S. to the most remote parts of Africa.

PETER SOLBERG, DR., CDC CLINIC, UGANDA: The main purpose of the study is to look at different ways of monitoring people when they're taking these drugs, try to find out whether we can perhaps get away with using less laboratory tests.

GUPTA: For now, Wandera gets the drugs for free at least until the trial is done. But he's concerned how he will afford them in the future.

Most clinics, such as this one in the Ugandan capital Kampala, make their patients pay for the medicine.

PETER MUGYENYI, JCRC DIRECTOR: It is our belief that free is not sustainable. You cannot have a program that is based on free things.

GUPTA: And the price tag on the drugs that keep patients like Jennifer Arem alive is high, about $30 every month. She only makes $33.

JENNIFER AREM, JCRC PATIENT: Whatever little money you get, you have to save it in order not to break the medicine sequence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Coming up in the next hour of DAYBREAK, we'll take you live to Bangkok for a live report from Sanjay Gupta with more on today's developments at the AIDS Conference.

Just ahead on DAYBREAK, his father was a staunch Republican. So why is the son of former President Ronald Reagan speaking at the upcoming Democratic National Convention? We'll explain just ahead.

And would you want your political contributions made public? You may have no choice. The story when DAYBREAK continues.

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NGUYEN: The war on terror will be the topic when President Bush speaks briefly today at a campaign stop in Tennessee. The president is expected to talk for about 15 minutes at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Then it's off to a tour of the research facility.

"USA Today" reports the John Kerry campaign and groups opposing President Bush have run nearly twice as many television ads in 17 battleground states as the Bush campaign. And this month, the Kerry campaign is expected to spend $10 million more than the Bush campaign on television ads.

Ron Reagan is among the scheduled speakers at this month's Democratic National Convention. President Reagan's youngest son will speak about the importance of stem cell research. Both Ron and Nancy Reagan have called on President Bush to change his stance on stem cell research. The Democratic convention gets under way July 26.

And you can keep up with all the latest election news just by logging on. Check out the special America Votes page at cnn.com for answers to all your political questions. And stay tuned to CNN for all the latest from the campaign trail.

Well, did you ever wonder who among your friends gives money to political campaigns? Well, now there is a Web site that names names -- from the $2,000 that George Bush Sr. gave to his son's campaign to a $100 donation to Dennis Kucinich from Bill Clinton. No, not that Bill Clinton.

CNN's Alina Cho takes a look at what you might call political voyeurism. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Easy as typing in your name. In this case, Patty Kennedy finds her address and her record of her $1, 250 donation to Joseph Lieberman on the Web site fundraise.org. Political contribution, part of the public record.

(on camera): You like Kerry?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do. I like Kerry. I don't think he's perfected.

CHO: Kennedy traditionally votes Democratic. Also gave money to Wesley Clark.

PATTY KENNEDY, CONSULTANT: I don't mind letting people know where I stand politically, and who I've contributed to. I'm happy to talk about it.

CHO: What about celebrities? Jerry Seinfeld may not publicize it, but he gave $2,000 each to Kerry and Clark.

JERRY SEINFELD, COMEDIAN: Why do people always say that, I hate everybody. Why would I like him?

CHO: There's the $2,000 to Dennis Kucinich, courtesy of Matt Damon. Then there's Donald Trump.

He's covering all his bases. John Kerry, George Bush. There you go.

JONAH FERETTI, FUNDRACE.ORG FOUNDER: Check out your neighbors and check out your coworkers and boss and see who they're giving to. It's something that's the kind of thing people will do.

CHO (on camera): Fund Race was created to get people politically involved. It has blossomed into a voyeuristic thrill, getting more than 200,000 hits a day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can keep track of everybody. It's good for the media.

CHO (voice-over): At this Internet cafe...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think that's anybody else's business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just don't think there's expectation of privacy when you do that kind of thing.

CHO: Privacy experts say blame it on the Internet.

STEWART BAKER, PRIVACY EXPERT: Most of us are used to the idea that we're in control of who we tell about our political views. But those days are over.

CHO (on camera): Well, your money's out there. KENNEDY: My money's there. I put my money where my mouth was.

CHO: Right.

KENNEDY: Let's hope it counts.

CHO (voice-over): Whether the information is public or not.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And here's what's ahead in the next half hour.

How the ongoing threat of terror may affect the date of the presidential election.

Plus, the CIA is without a permanent leader. Why the White House is being pressured not to wait too long to choose a new director.

And why a deadly shark attack has Australians divided.

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JOHN SCHUERHOLZ, GENERAL MANAGER, ATLANTA BRAVES: See, I think you have to have a passion for what it is that you do. If you don't have that passion, I don't think you can make the sacrifices, make the commitments, dedicate yourself to the job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Schuerholz has devoted himself to building solid teams during his 38-year baseball career. He has hit a grand slam as the only general manager to win World Series championships in both the American and National Leagues. Schuerholz has also led the Atlanta Braves to a record 12 straight division titles.

SCHUERHOLZ: My greatest asset as a general manager is that I appreciate the people who work with me in this venture. I try always to select good people, to motivate them, to educate them and to give them their space and encourage them to do good work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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