Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

British Prewar Intelligence; Fighting AIDS Epidemic; Daybreak Scorecard

Aired July 12, 2004 - 06:30   ET

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


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


BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, last week, the Senate Intelligence Committee released its report on prewar intelligence from Iraq. This week, Britain's version will be released. It's called the Butler Report.
Meanwhile, a former British intelligence officer told the BBC that he was caught by surprise when Prime Minister Tony Blair accused Iraq of having weapons of mass destruction.

Here to give us a little more on this intelligence breakdown, we're joined now by senior international editor, David Clinch.

Good morning to you.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Betty.

We talked earlier about the idea that there are some parallels between what's happening in the U.K. and Britain and what's happening here in the U.S. But the parallels are interesting.

Today, British intelligence officials, former British intelligence officials being interviewed on the BBC today, condemning the use of the intelligence that they gathered by the Blair administration, basically saying that there was disconnect, a gap, between what they collected, between what they offered, and what they heard Tony Blair say.

And also interestingly, the BBC is saying that they have been told now by an unnamed senior intelligence source that a very key part of the intelligence that was used by Tony Blair to justify the war in Iraq to describe Saddam Hussein as a current and immediate threat had, at some point, been completely dismissed by the British intelligence community.

Now, we don't know what that key element was, and we don't know when that happened. But as Tony Blair gets ready to hear this report on Wednesday -- he'll actually get his hands on it Tuesday and have 24 hours to look at it before it's made public. But when that comes out on Wednesday, the question may very well be: If at any point since the war or during the war he became aware that a key element that he had used to justify the war was effectively taken off the table, why has he not spoken of that -- spoken about that in public?

So, very interesting... NGUYEN: Now, the Senate intelligence report says there was no political pressure here in the U.S. Are you hearing any of that in the U.K.?

CLINCH: Well, British intelligence officials -- again, former, recently retired. There have been a lot of retirements in the British intelligence community recently. Another one was on British radio this morning saying that in his view, it was a clear use of policy driving intelligence and not the other way around, which, of course, from his point of view is the way it should be -- intelligence given to politicians and they use it. In his view, the process in Britain was a clear case of the policy driving and forming the intelligence that they wanted.

Now, all of this has sort of been out there for quite some time. It's very much one of those cases where we need to see exactly what the Butler Report says.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

CLINCH: And we will wait on Wednesday. But there is no doubt at all that the pressure on Tony Blair is quite serious at this point.

NGUYEN: All right, senior international editor David Clinch, thank you very much.

CLINCH: OK.

NGUYEN: Well, reporters in Bangkok, Thailand, were told today that a vaccine is the only thing that can end the worldwide AIDS epidemic. And a vaccine is years away.

Now, that word from the president of the AIDS Vaccine Initiative as delegates to the 15th International AIDS Conference got down to business.

CNN's medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is covering the conference in Bangkok, and he joins us now.

Good morning.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.

Yes, at least until 2007 before we get any word of a vaccine.

Now, a couple of things. The big news today, President Museveni of Uganda actually coming out to a very divisive lecture he gave, talking about abstinence-only programs being the best sort of programs for AIDS prevention. No doubt that actually spurned a lot of controversy, talking about abstinence-only programs versus condom programs. That was sort of the big news, the divisive news coming out of the AIDS conference today.

Last night, Kofi Annan spoke as well, the secretary-general, about the need for leadership, not only from world leaders but from everybody. This is what he had to say: (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: ... who hold positions of power. Leadership comes from partners who make sure they always use condoms. Leadership comes from fathers, husbands and sons and uncles who support and affirm the rights of women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: So you hear that from Kofi Annan.

Big topics coming out this week, all week long in Bangkok we're going to be talking about the feminization of HIV/AIDS. More women than ever around the world now have the virus. The youth of AIDS. Betty, there's an entire generation of people growing up that have never seen a world without AIDS. And finally, AIDS orphans, orphans around the world losing one or two parents. What is life going to be for them like in the next 10 to 20 years? That's what the AIDS conference holds -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Dr. Sanjay, back to the distribution of the medicine that is available, there are drugs on the market available that really help. But the problem is getting it to the people who need it the most. How is that being addressed?

GUPTA: That is probably the biggest concern right now. About six million people around the world have AIDS, and very few of them actually are getting the medicines that they need. We certainly hear about the people who do, and the medicines do work in those cases. But a large percentage of people are not getting the medications.

A couple of strategies. One is to take some of the existing medications and to try and develop generic local manufacturers to try and get those medications out to the communities there at-large. The other strategy is really to try and get some of the drug companies to provide the drugs at cheaper costs. Those are both strategies that are being employed, not as well as a lot of people would like. That's why we hear the protests behind us all today. But those are the two strategies currently being employed -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much.

Well, still to come here on DAYBREAK, some conventional wisdom. How important are these huge meetings of political minds?

And, could Shaq be headed for sunny Florida? That's ahead on the DAYBREAK "Scorecard."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is being investigated for possible corporate fund-raising violations. "The Washington Post" reports documents from Enron show DeLay pressed the company for an additional $100,000 donation. The money was to be spent on redistricting efforts in Texas. That redistricting helped Republicans take control of the Texas House for the first time in 130 years. The problem is Texas law bars corporate financing in state legislature campaigns. And a Texas criminal prosecutor is looking into it.

The political season is about to peak with the Democratic and Republican conventions right around corner. We want to look at the importance of these political gatherings.

And joining us from Washington is presidential historian Allan Lichtman, professor at American University.

Good morning.

ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Good morning, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, most of the convention duties are done way before the convention. For example, Kerry has been out there long before. And also he announced that he's running with Edwards some 20 days before the convention. Why is all of this happening so soon?

LICHTMAN: Everything has changed about conventions. Conventions used to actually nominate the president and vice president. Now, of course, the president is nominated in primary elections, which usually resolve themselves long before the convention, and then picks the vice president before the convention.

It used to be that conventions were really important for writing the party platform. Nobody reads the party platform at all. No one even cares about it. So, conventions...

NGUYEN: Or even the party rules.

LICHTMAN: And they set party rules. But, you know, there really hasn't been major rules disputes in the parties for some time. And besides, once again, why should the public concern themselves with that?

So, conventions are down to one function, and that is kick- starting the campaign. And in particular, they're extremely important for a candidate like John Kerry, who although he's been out on the campaign trail for months is not all that well-known to the American people. This is Kerry's chance to introduce himself to the American people and to develop the themes that are going to guide his campaign through November.

NGUYEN: Having all of these aspects of the convention develop way early on, and then having the convention really serve the purpose of kick-starting the campaign, as you say, does that really translate into more numbers at the polls?

LICHTMAN: It translates into what's the so-called famous convention balance. Yes, traditionally right after the parties' convention, they do get a bounce in the polls. And one of the reasons is, of course, that the conventions are now so thoroughly scripted. You know, that really started in some ways with Richard Nixon, who scripted his convention in 1972 down to the minute, even timing the exact conventions.

So, conventions today are one big political ad.

NGUYEN: It's a political ad, a political party, but how important is it?

LICHTMAN: They used to be of fundamental importance. They are no longer all that important at all, and that's why you see diminished coverage and diminished interests.

Nonetheless, I do think the American people really do need to tune in to the speeches of the presidential and vice presidential candidates, because it's the conventions and then the debates that really highlight the candidates and give the American people their best opportunity to see what these folks are all about.

NGUYEN: So, with it being less important these days, once those candidates do get on stage at these conventions, what are the key points they need to make?

LICHTMAN: Well, it depends. Obviously for a challenger like Kerry, who is not that well-known, you've got to show you're presidential. You've got to show you're up to the job. And I think for Kerry, because he is this kind of distant figure, he's got to speak directly from the heart to the American people. He's got to tear up his scripts. He's got to forget what the handlers tell him. He's been around for 20 years. John Kerry, tell us what you really think and what you really believe.

NGUYEN: And what about Bush?

LICHTMAN: Obviously for the sitting president, he's got different things to do.

NGUYEN: All right, Allan Lichtman, presidential historian, thank you very much.

LICHTMAN: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Your news, money, weather and sports. The time right now is 6:44. And here is what is all new this morning.

Iran rules out direct nuclear talks with the U.S. The Bush administration accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran says its ambitions are limited to generating electricity from nuclear reactors.

At least one Broadway show will go on. "The New York Times" reports that producers of the "Boys from Oz" have agreed to a temporary contract with Actors Equity. The agreement will allow the hit musical to remain open even if the actors union declares a strike.

In money, most of the nation's airlines had a higher percentage of filled seats in June than any other month ever. Among the reasons? More discount airfares and smaller planes. Still though, the industry is expected to lose about $3 billion this year. In culture, the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship is 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.

And in sports, swimming sensation Brendan Hansen set another world record at the U.S. Olympics trials. He won the 200 meter breaststroke in two minutes, 9.04 seconds. That's nearly four-tenths of a second ahead of the world record. Now it comes just three days after he smashed the 100 meter breaststroke record.

(WEATHER BREAK)

NGUYEN: We want to check in now with Heidi Collins and Anderson Cooper in New York for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Betty. How is it going today?

NGUYEN: Great.

COLLINS: Good, good. Anderson and I are here. Everybody else is off. So, we are here, and we're going to be talking about all kinds of news, particularly the presidential campaign. Team Kerry- Edwards are splitting up for some campaigning trips today. We'll talk about that.

Also, a major get for the Democratic Convention.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: President Reagan's son.

COLLINS: Yes. And a disagreement, if you will, between the vice president and his wife. So, that could also make for some interesting fodder.

With all that, we'll be talking with our political analyst, Carlos Watson.

COOPER: Yes, we're also going to be looking at a Senate intelligence report, which really blasted the CIA. This morning, we're going to talk to a former weapons inspector about the findings, about what he thinks and who is responsible.

Also, we're going to talk to Senator Trent Lott. All that ahead.

COLLINS: Also, the truth about lying. Now, this is a good one, and we're going to do a week-long series on lying. Today, why we lie, and you'll find out that all of us are actually pretty darn good at it. We start at a young age.

COOPER: Do you lie?

COLLINS: I don't know. I don't think I do.

NGUYEN: Lying. Who lies? I don't lie.

COOPER: All right, we'll see. We'll find out in this week's series.

COLLINS: He's trying to get me. All right, Betty, back over to you. We will be coming up here at 7:00.

NGUYEN: I never lie, Heidi. Never.

COLLINS: I knew it. I knew it.

NGUYEN: Yes, see? You can tell. All right, thank you.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the cloud over American track and field athletes, two big names fall short of their Olympic goals. Has the doping scandal done permanent damage to this sport?

Then, a lost little kitten. Wait until you hear where he was found.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, together they are the world's fastest couple, Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones. But with the steroid scandal swirling around them, the pair fell flat at the Olympic trials.

Here to talk about that and the rest of the big sports news is CNN's sports contributor Chris Cotter.

Good morning to you.

CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning to you.

NGUYEN: I can't believe the fastest man in the world didn't make it.

COTTER: And he was the fastest man in the world.

NGUYEN: Yes, was.

COTTER: And she was the fastest woman in the world. You know, I mean, it's -- I think this is taking its toll on them a little bit, but I also think, you know, Marion Jones is -- you know, she's not as young as she once was. She's had a baby in the last, you know, year, year and a half. So, I mean, I just think that things had developed over their careers to where now they're just not as competitive as they once were.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I can't run a 20-minute mile anymore.

NGUYEN: A little bit different there, Chad.

COTTER: Right.

MYERS: Oh, OK. NGUYEN: But she still has a chance at the games.

COTTER: Yes, she does. She has a chance. Tim Montgomery, they both still have chances. Tim Montgomery could make it as part of a relay team. But I don't think he's going to go, because he's just not among the fastest men. She still has a shot at getting there in the 200 meters and in the long jump as well, or as a member of the relay team.

So, I wouldn't be surprised if Marion Jones still made it in one form or fashion. Tim Montgomery, on the other hand, I don't think they're going to go take him, because I think there's a greater chance that they'll ban him from the Olympics, and then they'll have to deal with the embarrassment and also...

NGUYEN: Right.

MYERS: Oh, is that right?

COTTER: ... having to replace him.

MYERS: It makes sense.

COTTER: So, I don't think he's going to go.

NGUYEN: Well, let's shift over to cycling and talk about, of course, tour de Lance. Is it his tour? Is he going to do this? I mean, he took a bit of a spill. He's not in first where he was this time last year.

COTTER: Right. I think he's in great shape. It couldn't have been a more perfect first week for him. The first 10 days of the tour, you can see here the rain. It's just been miserable over there in northern France. And what happens in the first week or so of the tour is you have all these teams going forward. Everybody wants to win a stage. And so many teams have the possibility of wearing the yellow jersey and having the leader on their team.

So, everybody at the finish is going for it. And when it's raining, everyone is nervous and sending all of their teammates to the front, you get a lot of crashes. And the best thing for Lance and Levi Leipheimer and Tyler Hamilton and the other Americans who may win this thing in the end is to stay out of trouble. Don't crash. Don't get hurt. Don't get sick.

NGUYEN: Easy to say, Chris.

COTTER: And all of them so far, at least -- you know, in the first week they've all been able to do it. So, you know, thumbs up to them. They are right where they want to be.

NGUYEN: Let's talk a little baseball, the All-Star Game and a home run derby. That's always a crowd pleaser.

COTTER: And it could have been really big this year with, you know, all of the 500 home run hitters in the National League. But Ken Griffey, Jr. once again hurts his hamstring, and he is going to have to sit out. What a shame for him. I think that's the biggest story going in is the fact that Ken Griffey, Jr. now has had to be replaced. And he was having such a good year, but he's had so many injury problems. And for him now to go back and get hurt again, it's too bad.

NGUYEN: Talking about replacements, L.A. is going to have to replace Shaq maybe, huh?

COTTER: Oh, they just continue to replace all of their players and coaches. Phil Jackson is gone.

NGUYEN: Right.

COTTER: It looks like this a done deal now. Shaq is going to go to Miami and play for the Heat. And the Heat, they're going to send three players and possibly a draft pick to L.A. for Shaq. That's a problem for Miami, I think, because they had a lot of good chemistry this past year. Lamar Odom is a really solid player. He goes to L.A., along with a good young player in Caron Butler.

So, L.A. has to now deal with losing Shaq, possibly losing Kobe, who may go to the Clippers, losing their coach, Phil Jackson. You know, they bring in a good new coach in Rudy T. There's a lot of upheaval.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

MYERS: That's right, yes, as always.

COTTER: How about Kobe saying, too, that he'd like to play for the Clippers? But he told the Clippers, hey, if you can get maybe 10 games at the pond, which is in Anaheim which is closer to his home...

NGUYEN: Right.

COTTER: ... then he might even consider more strongly playing for the Clippers. Can you believe that?

MYERS: No.

COTTER: I mean, if you play 10 home games at the pond, then maybe we'll consider it.

NGUYEN: Can you imagine in negotiations just saying no, I just want that?

COTTER: Right.

NGUYEN: Make it happen.

COTTER: I want the top parking space (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You know, it's like...

NGUYEN: Exactly. Use that kind of power, Chris. COTTER: Well, this is the way athletes are nowadays. The professional athletes have all of the control, and Kobe is the No. 1 player in the NBA.

NGUYEN: Right. Bring in the money.

COTTER: So, he has all of the control.

NGUYEN: Well, speaking of money, you don't have to pay for this thing. Huh, we've got a winner?

MYERS: We can give one away for free.

NGUYEN: For free.

MYERS: Did you ever get yours?

COTTER: I still have not gotten mine.

NGUYEN: I don't even have one.

MYERS: Because they're the hardest thing to get. It's the hardest ticket in business. It's the hardest mug in TV.

Here you go. Coffee mug questions from yesterday. Which British celebrity was injured -- talked to an injured Iraqi girl? That was obviously Heather Mills McCartney. And, in what city is the reunion taking place between the former American soldier and his Japanese wife? That was Jakarta, Indonesia.

And the winner, Nancy Cunningham from Dallas, Texas.

NGUYEN: Nancy, all right.

MYERS: Hey, you're old hometown there.

NGUYEN: My old stomping ground.

MYERS: From Dallas, Texas. Good morning.

NGUYEN: Congratulations, Nancy.

MYERS: And now for today's questions, we'll move on. What is the average credit card balance in the U.S.? Every U.S. household has what average credit card balance? And it's a big number.

Our DAYBREAK "Photo of the Day" showed participants in an iron man triathlon in what country? We showed you all those pictures of those arms and legs flying. Where was that? We mentioned that about 20 minutes ago.

NGUYEN: And we will be right back after a quick break, but first we want to check the headlines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Well, we want to show you a little kitty who isn't afraid of water. A group of boaters found him paddling three miles off the Florida coast in the Gulf of Mexico. He has been adopted now. Big surprise. Just look at him. And appropriately named Nemo because of where he was found.

And also, good luck to Ken Jennings, the "Jeopardy" champ...

MYERS: Is he still going?

NGUYEN: Yes, he is. He will make an unprecedented 29th appearance on the game show today. He's already won, get this, $920,000. And today, Jennings, who is a software engineer from Utah, could become the first million-dollar winner on "Jeopardy."

MYERS: Well, you know, they used to stop them after five days, and then go to the tournament of champions and all of that. This guy has been going now for over a month and a half.

NGUYEN: He's the Energizer Bunny. You should be on there.

MYERS: I just have useless knowledge. He's got real knowledge. Man, this is going to be great. Good for the ratings, too.

NGUYEN: It is going to be great.

And that is going to do it for us here in Atlanta. We want to turn it over to "AMERICAN MORNING" which starts right now. Thanks for joining us.

MYERS: See you tomorrow.

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


Aired July 12, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, last week, the Senate Intelligence Committee released its report on prewar intelligence from Iraq. This week, Britain's version will be released. It's called the Butler Report.
Meanwhile, a former British intelligence officer told the BBC that he was caught by surprise when Prime Minister Tony Blair accused Iraq of having weapons of mass destruction.

Here to give us a little more on this intelligence breakdown, we're joined now by senior international editor, David Clinch.

Good morning to you.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Good morning, Betty.

We talked earlier about the idea that there are some parallels between what's happening in the U.K. and Britain and what's happening here in the U.S. But the parallels are interesting.

Today, British intelligence officials, former British intelligence officials being interviewed on the BBC today, condemning the use of the intelligence that they gathered by the Blair administration, basically saying that there was disconnect, a gap, between what they collected, between what they offered, and what they heard Tony Blair say.

And also interestingly, the BBC is saying that they have been told now by an unnamed senior intelligence source that a very key part of the intelligence that was used by Tony Blair to justify the war in Iraq to describe Saddam Hussein as a current and immediate threat had, at some point, been completely dismissed by the British intelligence community.

Now, we don't know what that key element was, and we don't know when that happened. But as Tony Blair gets ready to hear this report on Wednesday -- he'll actually get his hands on it Tuesday and have 24 hours to look at it before it's made public. But when that comes out on Wednesday, the question may very well be: If at any point since the war or during the war he became aware that a key element that he had used to justify the war was effectively taken off the table, why has he not spoken of that -- spoken about that in public?

So, very interesting... NGUYEN: Now, the Senate intelligence report says there was no political pressure here in the U.S. Are you hearing any of that in the U.K.?

CLINCH: Well, British intelligence officials -- again, former, recently retired. There have been a lot of retirements in the British intelligence community recently. Another one was on British radio this morning saying that in his view, it was a clear use of policy driving intelligence and not the other way around, which, of course, from his point of view is the way it should be -- intelligence given to politicians and they use it. In his view, the process in Britain was a clear case of the policy driving and forming the intelligence that they wanted.

Now, all of this has sort of been out there for quite some time. It's very much one of those cases where we need to see exactly what the Butler Report says.

NGUYEN: Absolutely.

CLINCH: And we will wait on Wednesday. But there is no doubt at all that the pressure on Tony Blair is quite serious at this point.

NGUYEN: All right, senior international editor David Clinch, thank you very much.

CLINCH: OK.

NGUYEN: Well, reporters in Bangkok, Thailand, were told today that a vaccine is the only thing that can end the worldwide AIDS epidemic. And a vaccine is years away.

Now, that word from the president of the AIDS Vaccine Initiative as delegates to the 15th International AIDS Conference got down to business.

CNN's medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is covering the conference in Bangkok, and he joins us now.

Good morning.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.

Yes, at least until 2007 before we get any word of a vaccine.

Now, a couple of things. The big news today, President Museveni of Uganda actually coming out to a very divisive lecture he gave, talking about abstinence-only programs being the best sort of programs for AIDS prevention. No doubt that actually spurned a lot of controversy, talking about abstinence-only programs versus condom programs. That was sort of the big news, the divisive news coming out of the AIDS conference today.

Last night, Kofi Annan spoke as well, the secretary-general, about the need for leadership, not only from world leaders but from everybody. This is what he had to say: (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: ... who hold positions of power. Leadership comes from partners who make sure they always use condoms. Leadership comes from fathers, husbands and sons and uncles who support and affirm the rights of women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: So you hear that from Kofi Annan.

Big topics coming out this week, all week long in Bangkok we're going to be talking about the feminization of HIV/AIDS. More women than ever around the world now have the virus. The youth of AIDS. Betty, there's an entire generation of people growing up that have never seen a world without AIDS. And finally, AIDS orphans, orphans around the world losing one or two parents. What is life going to be for them like in the next 10 to 20 years? That's what the AIDS conference holds -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Dr. Sanjay, back to the distribution of the medicine that is available, there are drugs on the market available that really help. But the problem is getting it to the people who need it the most. How is that being addressed?

GUPTA: That is probably the biggest concern right now. About six million people around the world have AIDS, and very few of them actually are getting the medicines that they need. We certainly hear about the people who do, and the medicines do work in those cases. But a large percentage of people are not getting the medications.

A couple of strategies. One is to take some of the existing medications and to try and develop generic local manufacturers to try and get those medications out to the communities there at-large. The other strategy is really to try and get some of the drug companies to provide the drugs at cheaper costs. Those are both strategies that are being employed, not as well as a lot of people would like. That's why we hear the protests behind us all today. But those are the two strategies currently being employed -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much.

Well, still to come here on DAYBREAK, some conventional wisdom. How important are these huge meetings of political minds?

And, could Shaq be headed for sunny Florida? That's ahead on the DAYBREAK "Scorecard."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is being investigated for possible corporate fund-raising violations. "The Washington Post" reports documents from Enron show DeLay pressed the company for an additional $100,000 donation. The money was to be spent on redistricting efforts in Texas. That redistricting helped Republicans take control of the Texas House for the first time in 130 years. The problem is Texas law bars corporate financing in state legislature campaigns. And a Texas criminal prosecutor is looking into it.

The political season is about to peak with the Democratic and Republican conventions right around corner. We want to look at the importance of these political gatherings.

And joining us from Washington is presidential historian Allan Lichtman, professor at American University.

Good morning.

ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Good morning, Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, most of the convention duties are done way before the convention. For example, Kerry has been out there long before. And also he announced that he's running with Edwards some 20 days before the convention. Why is all of this happening so soon?

LICHTMAN: Everything has changed about conventions. Conventions used to actually nominate the president and vice president. Now, of course, the president is nominated in primary elections, which usually resolve themselves long before the convention, and then picks the vice president before the convention.

It used to be that conventions were really important for writing the party platform. Nobody reads the party platform at all. No one even cares about it. So, conventions...

NGUYEN: Or even the party rules.

LICHTMAN: And they set party rules. But, you know, there really hasn't been major rules disputes in the parties for some time. And besides, once again, why should the public concern themselves with that?

So, conventions are down to one function, and that is kick- starting the campaign. And in particular, they're extremely important for a candidate like John Kerry, who although he's been out on the campaign trail for months is not all that well-known to the American people. This is Kerry's chance to introduce himself to the American people and to develop the themes that are going to guide his campaign through November.

NGUYEN: Having all of these aspects of the convention develop way early on, and then having the convention really serve the purpose of kick-starting the campaign, as you say, does that really translate into more numbers at the polls?

LICHTMAN: It translates into what's the so-called famous convention balance. Yes, traditionally right after the parties' convention, they do get a bounce in the polls. And one of the reasons is, of course, that the conventions are now so thoroughly scripted. You know, that really started in some ways with Richard Nixon, who scripted his convention in 1972 down to the minute, even timing the exact conventions.

So, conventions today are one big political ad.

NGUYEN: It's a political ad, a political party, but how important is it?

LICHTMAN: They used to be of fundamental importance. They are no longer all that important at all, and that's why you see diminished coverage and diminished interests.

Nonetheless, I do think the American people really do need to tune in to the speeches of the presidential and vice presidential candidates, because it's the conventions and then the debates that really highlight the candidates and give the American people their best opportunity to see what these folks are all about.

NGUYEN: So, with it being less important these days, once those candidates do get on stage at these conventions, what are the key points they need to make?

LICHTMAN: Well, it depends. Obviously for a challenger like Kerry, who is not that well-known, you've got to show you're presidential. You've got to show you're up to the job. And I think for Kerry, because he is this kind of distant figure, he's got to speak directly from the heart to the American people. He's got to tear up his scripts. He's got to forget what the handlers tell him. He's been around for 20 years. John Kerry, tell us what you really think and what you really believe.

NGUYEN: And what about Bush?

LICHTMAN: Obviously for the sitting president, he's got different things to do.

NGUYEN: All right, Allan Lichtman, presidential historian, thank you very much.

LICHTMAN: Thank you.

NGUYEN: Your news, money, weather and sports. The time right now is 6:44. And here is what is all new this morning.

Iran rules out direct nuclear talks with the U.S. The Bush administration accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran says its ambitions are limited to generating electricity from nuclear reactors.

At least one Broadway show will go on. "The New York Times" reports that producers of the "Boys from Oz" have agreed to a temporary contract with Actors Equity. The agreement will allow the hit musical to remain open even if the actors union declares a strike.

In money, most of the nation's airlines had a higher percentage of filled seats in June than any other month ever. Among the reasons? More discount airfares and smaller planes. Still though, the industry is expected to lose about $3 billion this year. In culture, the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship is 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.

And in sports, swimming sensation Brendan Hansen set another world record at the U.S. Olympics trials. He won the 200 meter breaststroke in two minutes, 9.04 seconds. That's nearly four-tenths of a second ahead of the world record. Now it comes just three days after he smashed the 100 meter breaststroke record.

(WEATHER BREAK)

NGUYEN: We want to check in now with Heidi Collins and Anderson Cooper in New York for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Betty. How is it going today?

NGUYEN: Great.

COLLINS: Good, good. Anderson and I are here. Everybody else is off. So, we are here, and we're going to be talking about all kinds of news, particularly the presidential campaign. Team Kerry- Edwards are splitting up for some campaigning trips today. We'll talk about that.

Also, a major get for the Democratic Convention.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: President Reagan's son.

COLLINS: Yes. And a disagreement, if you will, between the vice president and his wife. So, that could also make for some interesting fodder.

With all that, we'll be talking with our political analyst, Carlos Watson.

COOPER: Yes, we're also going to be looking at a Senate intelligence report, which really blasted the CIA. This morning, we're going to talk to a former weapons inspector about the findings, about what he thinks and who is responsible.

Also, we're going to talk to Senator Trent Lott. All that ahead.

COLLINS: Also, the truth about lying. Now, this is a good one, and we're going to do a week-long series on lying. Today, why we lie, and you'll find out that all of us are actually pretty darn good at it. We start at a young age.

COOPER: Do you lie?

COLLINS: I don't know. I don't think I do.

NGUYEN: Lying. Who lies? I don't lie.

COOPER: All right, we'll see. We'll find out in this week's series.

COLLINS: He's trying to get me. All right, Betty, back over to you. We will be coming up here at 7:00.

NGUYEN: I never lie, Heidi. Never.

COLLINS: I knew it. I knew it.

NGUYEN: Yes, see? You can tell. All right, thank you.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the cloud over American track and field athletes, two big names fall short of their Olympic goals. Has the doping scandal done permanent damage to this sport?

Then, a lost little kitten. Wait until you hear where he was found.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, together they are the world's fastest couple, Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones. But with the steroid scandal swirling around them, the pair fell flat at the Olympic trials.

Here to talk about that and the rest of the big sports news is CNN's sports contributor Chris Cotter.

Good morning to you.

CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning to you.

NGUYEN: I can't believe the fastest man in the world didn't make it.

COTTER: And he was the fastest man in the world.

NGUYEN: Yes, was.

COTTER: And she was the fastest woman in the world. You know, I mean, it's -- I think this is taking its toll on them a little bit, but I also think, you know, Marion Jones is -- you know, she's not as young as she once was. She's had a baby in the last, you know, year, year and a half. So, I mean, I just think that things had developed over their careers to where now they're just not as competitive as they once were.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I can't run a 20-minute mile anymore.

NGUYEN: A little bit different there, Chad.

COTTER: Right.

MYERS: Oh, OK. NGUYEN: But she still has a chance at the games.

COTTER: Yes, she does. She has a chance. Tim Montgomery, they both still have chances. Tim Montgomery could make it as part of a relay team. But I don't think he's going to go, because he's just not among the fastest men. She still has a shot at getting there in the 200 meters and in the long jump as well, or as a member of the relay team.

So, I wouldn't be surprised if Marion Jones still made it in one form or fashion. Tim Montgomery, on the other hand, I don't think they're going to go take him, because I think there's a greater chance that they'll ban him from the Olympics, and then they'll have to deal with the embarrassment and also...

NGUYEN: Right.

MYERS: Oh, is that right?

COTTER: ... having to replace him.

MYERS: It makes sense.

COTTER: So, I don't think he's going to go.

NGUYEN: Well, let's shift over to cycling and talk about, of course, tour de Lance. Is it his tour? Is he going to do this? I mean, he took a bit of a spill. He's not in first where he was this time last year.

COTTER: Right. I think he's in great shape. It couldn't have been a more perfect first week for him. The first 10 days of the tour, you can see here the rain. It's just been miserable over there in northern France. And what happens in the first week or so of the tour is you have all these teams going forward. Everybody wants to win a stage. And so many teams have the possibility of wearing the yellow jersey and having the leader on their team.

So, everybody at the finish is going for it. And when it's raining, everyone is nervous and sending all of their teammates to the front, you get a lot of crashes. And the best thing for Lance and Levi Leipheimer and Tyler Hamilton and the other Americans who may win this thing in the end is to stay out of trouble. Don't crash. Don't get hurt. Don't get sick.

NGUYEN: Easy to say, Chris.

COTTER: And all of them so far, at least -- you know, in the first week they've all been able to do it. So, you know, thumbs up to them. They are right where they want to be.

NGUYEN: Let's talk a little baseball, the All-Star Game and a home run derby. That's always a crowd pleaser.

COTTER: And it could have been really big this year with, you know, all of the 500 home run hitters in the National League. But Ken Griffey, Jr. once again hurts his hamstring, and he is going to have to sit out. What a shame for him. I think that's the biggest story going in is the fact that Ken Griffey, Jr. now has had to be replaced. And he was having such a good year, but he's had so many injury problems. And for him now to go back and get hurt again, it's too bad.

NGUYEN: Talking about replacements, L.A. is going to have to replace Shaq maybe, huh?

COTTER: Oh, they just continue to replace all of their players and coaches. Phil Jackson is gone.

NGUYEN: Right.

COTTER: It looks like this a done deal now. Shaq is going to go to Miami and play for the Heat. And the Heat, they're going to send three players and possibly a draft pick to L.A. for Shaq. That's a problem for Miami, I think, because they had a lot of good chemistry this past year. Lamar Odom is a really solid player. He goes to L.A., along with a good young player in Caron Butler.

So, L.A. has to now deal with losing Shaq, possibly losing Kobe, who may go to the Clippers, losing their coach, Phil Jackson. You know, they bring in a good new coach in Rudy T. There's a lot of upheaval.

NGUYEN: Oh, yes.

MYERS: That's right, yes, as always.

COTTER: How about Kobe saying, too, that he'd like to play for the Clippers? But he told the Clippers, hey, if you can get maybe 10 games at the pond, which is in Anaheim which is closer to his home...

NGUYEN: Right.

COTTER: ... then he might even consider more strongly playing for the Clippers. Can you believe that?

MYERS: No.

COTTER: I mean, if you play 10 home games at the pond, then maybe we'll consider it.

NGUYEN: Can you imagine in negotiations just saying no, I just want that?

COTTER: Right.

NGUYEN: Make it happen.

COTTER: I want the top parking space (UNINTELLIGIBLE). You know, it's like...

NGUYEN: Exactly. Use that kind of power, Chris. COTTER: Well, this is the way athletes are nowadays. The professional athletes have all of the control, and Kobe is the No. 1 player in the NBA.

NGUYEN: Right. Bring in the money.

COTTER: So, he has all of the control.

NGUYEN: Well, speaking of money, you don't have to pay for this thing. Huh, we've got a winner?

MYERS: We can give one away for free.

NGUYEN: For free.

MYERS: Did you ever get yours?

COTTER: I still have not gotten mine.

NGUYEN: I don't even have one.

MYERS: Because they're the hardest thing to get. It's the hardest ticket in business. It's the hardest mug in TV.

Here you go. Coffee mug questions from yesterday. Which British celebrity was injured -- talked to an injured Iraqi girl? That was obviously Heather Mills McCartney. And, in what city is the reunion taking place between the former American soldier and his Japanese wife? That was Jakarta, Indonesia.

And the winner, Nancy Cunningham from Dallas, Texas.

NGUYEN: Nancy, all right.

MYERS: Hey, you're old hometown there.

NGUYEN: My old stomping ground.

MYERS: From Dallas, Texas. Good morning.

NGUYEN: Congratulations, Nancy.

MYERS: And now for today's questions, we'll move on. What is the average credit card balance in the U.S.? Every U.S. household has what average credit card balance? And it's a big number.

Our DAYBREAK "Photo of the Day" showed participants in an iron man triathlon in what country? We showed you all those pictures of those arms and legs flying. Where was that? We mentioned that about 20 minutes ago.

NGUYEN: And we will be right back after a quick break, but first we want to check the headlines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Well, we want to show you a little kitty who isn't afraid of water. A group of boaters found him paddling three miles off the Florida coast in the Gulf of Mexico. He has been adopted now. Big surprise. Just look at him. And appropriately named Nemo because of where he was found.

And also, good luck to Ken Jennings, the "Jeopardy" champ...

MYERS: Is he still going?

NGUYEN: Yes, he is. He will make an unprecedented 29th appearance on the game show today. He's already won, get this, $920,000. And today, Jennings, who is a software engineer from Utah, could become the first million-dollar winner on "Jeopardy."

MYERS: Well, you know, they used to stop them after five days, and then go to the tournament of champions and all of that. This guy has been going now for over a month and a half.

NGUYEN: He's the Energizer Bunny. You should be on there.

MYERS: I just have useless knowledge. He's got real knowledge. Man, this is going to be great. Good for the ratings, too.

NGUYEN: It is going to be great.

And that is going to do it for us here in Atlanta. We want to turn it over to "AMERICAN MORNING" which starts right now. Thanks for joining us.

MYERS: See you tomorrow.

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