Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
Security At The Democratic National Convention; Weekend Sports News
Aired July 26, 2004 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news: Seven truckers kidnapped in Iraq get a reprieve. A militant group holding three Kenyans, three Indians, and an Egyptian is extending their deadline. The kidnappers want their Kuwaiti employer to pull out of Iraq.
Salt Lake City police say an arrest warrant could be issued in the next few days in the case of Lori Hacking. She is the missing pregnant woman. Police are awaiting results of forensic tests.
There is another military trial set in the sexual assault scandal at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. A court martial of a male airman accused of rape gets under way today.
And as the Democrats begin meeting in Boston, John Kerry will be in the battleground state of Florida. Three-and-a-half hours from now, he'll hold a town hall meeting at the Kennedy Space Center.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol. We'll get you cranking with the forecast.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Carol, back over to you.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Rob.
The road to the White House leads through Boston for the Democrats. The national convention starts there this morning. As delegates prepare to nominate John Kerry for president, two former presidents get ready to rally the party tonight. You're looking at live pictures of Boston right now. You can see the FleetCenter there in the foreground.
CNN's Kareen Wynter is live in Boston with what's in store. Good morning.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol
The national stage is set as the Democrats prepare for the convention and all the festivities this week. But in the backdrop of all of that, security and lots of it. Just from our standpoint, the media, more than 15,000 expected here this week. We can't go anywhere without our credentials.
Now, more than $50 million have been poured into making sure that all the security is in place. You have numerous law-enforcement agencies, local, state and the federal level all watching the air, land and water space in and around the FleetCenter in downtown Boston.
Security, again, at the forefront. There are K-9 units. A lot of the manholes in and around the Boston area have been sealed. Passengers -- subject to random checks who are taking the metro system. A lot of the streets, however, in and around the FleetCenter have been closed off, traffic rerouted -- law enforcement keeping an eye on everything possible.
Switching gears now to tell you a little bit about Senator John Kerry, who arrived in Florida this morning after spending part of the weekend in Iowa. Really crisscrossing across the state as he works his way back to Boston where he is expected to arrive on Wednesday, campaigning up to the very last minute this all-important week.
He threw out the first pitch at Fenway Park yesterday, making somewhat of a surprise visit -- there you go. There you see him -- surprise visit at Fenway Park in Boston as the Red Sox squared off against the Yankees.
So, again, Senator Kerry expected to arrive here in Boston probably Wednesday. He may make another surprise appearance, Carol. So we'll have to watch out and wait for that. Back to you.
COSTELLO: Well, that certainly was a smart surprise appearance, because I'm sure many millions of people were watching that game because it was broadcast on ESPN, because I was watching it. And that wasn't a great toss, was it? Poor John Kerry.
WYNTER: It drew -- it drew quite a crowd.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes, the game.
Let's take a look at Boston for a second. We have an overhead shot -- no live picture. We were going to show you the traffic on interstate 93. It's already backed up. So, Kareen, you're lucky you're inside the convention right now.
WYNTER: We left bright and early this morning. Traffic, of course, a concern for many locals here in the city, just getting in and out of downtown Boston, whether traveling to work, trying to get here to the convention center. There -- a lot of areas have been rerouted, a lot of streets closed off because security has been that tight.
I can tell you from the business standpoint, Carol, many business owners either encouraged their workers to take the week off or they made accommodations downtown to put them up in certain lodging areas just to prevent the gridlock. But there really is no way around it. We escaped by leaving early, but it's going to be quite a concern all week.
COSTELLO: I'm sure it will. Kareen Wynter, live in Boston this morning.
Stay with CNN for all of your convention coverage. Our prime- time lineup begins with Anderson Cooper "360" at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, followed by an "AMERICA VOTES SPECIAL" with Wolf Blitzer, and then "LARRY KING LIVE" at 9:00, plus he will have a fresh, live show for you at midnight.
The Republicans will try to steal the limelight during the Democratic National Convention. The GOP will try to affect the flow of media coverage. Republicans have leased office space near the FleetCenter, the site of the Democratic convention. They plan to hold daily news conferences and bring out some big names, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
There is a sharp political divide between Democrats and Republicans on the issues, as you know. And now, some political strategists say no political figure is more divisive than George Bush.
Is he though? And if so, how come?
CNN's John King takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is John Kerry's convention, but it is this candidate for president who most unifies and motivates the Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, he is the most polarizing political figure that I've seen or worked against in an election. He not only greatly energizes his own base, his loyalist supporters, but he seems to have an equal and maybe even greater impact on the other side.
KING: Mr. Bush is the dividing line now, but not always.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has inherited the post-Clinton situation. And we need to remember that Bill Clinton was the most polarizing president in history until the recent Bush numbers.
KING: Those numbers show overwhelming loyalty among Republicans and a Democratic party that is, at least so far, more anti- Bush than it is pro-Kerry.
Among Republicans, deep support: 89 percent approve of how Mr. Bush is handling his job; 81 percent his economic performance; and 79 percent back his handling of Iraq.
But among Democrats, overwhelming opposition: 83 percent disapprove of how the president is handling his job; 86 percent give him failing grades on the economy; and 89 percent disapprove of how Mr. Bush has handled Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a chunk of this country that gives him low marks on everything, a chunk of this country that gives him high marks on everything and not a lot of voters in between.
KING: The contested election of four years ago is another factor in the sharp political divide. And there are also social and cultural factors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are a lot of people who go to church, you know, every week, but there is an equal number who don't go to church at all. And that's very good, you know, criteria for figuring out political support.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Roll back the unaffordable, unwise tax cut for Americans.
KING: The impact of polarization is abundantly clear on the campaign trail.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And we're going to talk about some of that tax relief right quick.
KING: Making sure your most loyal supporters are energized takes precedent, because both campaigns expect such a close election, and there are fewer swing voters up for grabs.
BILL MCINTURFF, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Voters in 1984 about 22 or 24 percent of the country was available for the different candidates to get. That number today is probably closer to eight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: John King reporting.
We'll see if Democrats will keep the Bush bashing to a minimum at the convention.
Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will talk about this gathering of Democrats with our Bill Hemmer on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING. " Bill is in Boston this week.
And for a Republican take on the Democratic National Convention, CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" talks to Nicolle Devenish who is the communications director for the Bush-Cheney campaign.
"AMERICAN MORNING," of course, begins at the top of the hour.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, it's not cheap to host thousands of Democrats and Republicans. How much money are Boston and New York sinking on the conventions? We'll take a look at our "Business Buzz."
And whether you prefer two wheels or four, we've got a lot to talk about on the DAYBREAK scorecard, including Lance Armstrong's amazing race and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s quick comeback.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Time for a little "Business Buzz" now. The Democrats are having a big party the next few days and soon it will be the Republicans turn, too. So, let's check out the size of the tabs.
Carrie Lee is in Atlanta just for today. But you have a whole breakdown of the cost.
CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: It's fascinating, Carol. Of course Boston, where the Democratic National Convention kicks off today, as well as New York are both very expensive cities. But take a look at some details here and you'll see that the Republicans are spending quite a bit more money, according to the "Boston Globe," as well as the site cities for both conventions.
The Republican total tab slated to be $63.5 million versus $39 million for the Democrats.
Take a look at the facilities alone. I mean, there's quite a difference.
Madison Square Garden, of course, for the Republicans in New York costing $5 million versus $3.5 million for the FleetCenter.
Of course hotels in Boston this week very hard, probably, to find a room at this point. On average, rates up about 50 percent from their usual rates.
And here's something else I thought was interesting, Carol. If you take a look at parties, receptions and special events, $8 million for the Republicans, $2.1 million for the Democrats. So, if the party is better based on how much money you are spending, well looks like the Republicans might be having a better time.
COSTELLO: They're having a fabulous time.
Quick look at the futures.
LEE: Things looking pretty bright for today's session, which would be good news for the bulls because we have seen a lot of selling over the past six weeks. Markets have been losing ground.
You can see. Last week alone, or Friday's close, the Dow down 1.8 percent. The Nasdaq also down nearly two percent.
A lot of stocks reporting profits continuing this week: American Express today, later in the week we'll hear from Verizon Communications and our parent company Time Warner.
COSTELLO: Good for them.
LEE: Yes. Well, maybe.
COSTELLO: Hopefully. I hope so.
LEE: We'll see.
COSTELLO: Carrie Lee, thank you.
LEE: OK. COSTELLO: You news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern. Here's what's on to you this morning.
Militants launch mortar attacks in central Baghdad. Iraqi police say two mortars hit an Iraqi ministry building. No one was inside.
Also today, a senior Iraqi interior ministry official was killed by gunmen when he left his home.
From the palace to the zoo lions belonging to Saddam Hussein's son Uday are now at the Baghdad zoo. Three adult lions and six cubs were taken from one of Saddam's former palaces. They were pets of Uday's.
In money news, have you noticed your paying a little, tiny bit less at the pump these days? Gas prices dropped nearly a penny during the past two weeks, and it's expected to continue dropping in the weeks ahead.
In culture, fewer students are taking the new high school equivalency test, but they're passing at a slightly higher rate than previously. The exam requires more analysis and has fewer multiple- choice questions.
In sports, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gave way to a relief driver during the Nextel Cup race in New Hampshire. Jr. was still hurting from burns suffered during a race crash last week. His sub finished in 31st place, well behind race winner Kurt Busch.
And Dale Earnhardt, Jr. looked like he was in a world of hurt, Rob.
MARCIANO: I assume that would be very painful, but he got the points and he got back in the saddle.
COSTELLO: He did.
MARCIANO: Here are the current temperatures across the country, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Carol?
COSTELLO: Sounds good. Those are the latest headlines.
Thank you, Rob.
Let's head live to New York City to check in with Bill and Heidi Collins, who is in for Soledad, see what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Good morning.
BILL HEMMER, CNN "AMERICAN MORNING" ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol. We are live from Boston this morning in addition to New York City. And boy, do we have a lineup for you, Carol, on your first day back, by the way.
COSTELLO: Great, just for me.
HEMMER: Joe Lieberman, Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Michael Moore -- need we say more? We can go on and on because today is the first day. We're going to kick off our coverage throughout the week here on "AMERICAN MORNING" live in Boston.
Heidi is back in New York with a whole lot of other stuff as well. Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Bill. And we do have quite a bit to get to from this side of the news, as well.
We're going to go to Utah, first of all, the missing woman there, Lori Hacking. There could be an arrest warrant issued very soon in this case. Wondering how the family is holding up through all of this. So, we are going to speak with a family spokesman.
Also, to the Kobe Bryant case, a big ruling on the accuser's sexual history. What will it mean to the case? We're going to talk with senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin about that.
But also, a lot more from the FleetCenter. Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: You got it. OK. Heidi, we'll see you at the top of the hour. Carol, and welcome back, by the way.
COLLINS: Yes, Carol.
HEMMER: How was it?
COSTELLO: It was so fantastic. I can -- just to sleep normally was great. It was fabulous.
HEMMER: We're not talking about sleep, Carol. You're married.
COLLINS: Show the ring again. Come on. Show the ring again.
COSTELLO: All right. Just one more time and that's it. There it is. And I have a little band...
HEMMER: Nice.
COSTELLO: ... just to keep it simple.
COLLINS: Beautiful.
COSTELLO: Thank you very much.
COLLINS: Congratulations again.
HEMMER: Congratulations to both of you. COSTELLO: Thank you. Glad to be back.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, you might say six is Lance Armstrong's lucky number. A six-minute lead gives way to his sixth Tour de France title. How did he do it and how did he celebrate? It's on the DAYBREAK "Scorecard" with Chris Cotter coming up.
And big is beautiful, just ask the women in this contest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Once again, the Tour de France went to Lance. I always want to say Lance to make it rhyme.
The Texan is now alone at the top of the tour's honor roll with a record six titles in the last six years. But will he compete for number seven?
For more on Lance as well as the rest of the sports headlines, we welcome CNN sports contributor Chris Cotter.
CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Hello, Carol. Welcome back.
COSTELLO: Thank you.
COTTER: You're looking very tanned and healthy.
COSTELLO: I know. It's not good to get such a deep tan, but it was fun.
MARCIANO: She's just glowing from the experience.
COTTER: Exactly.
MARCIANO: Two weeks in Hawaii.
COSTELLO: I'm still in my little fantasy bubble. I'm sure it will pop soon.
COTTER: Well, I'm sure Lance is still in his fantasy bubble here as well. Six tours, I think he'll go for seven. I think he'll realize because he is going to race next year.
He has often talked about -- and maybe mixing up the calendar a little bit -- his schedule. But I think he realizes how important the Tour is. It's the number one race in the world. I think he's going to go for seven. And it's really an amazing accomplishment, I mean, that he was able to get six.
COSTELLO: You know what's really sickening on these sports networks?
COTTER: Sickening, yes.
COSTELLO: Sickening. COTTER: What's sickening?
COSTELLO: On these sports networks they're like dissing Lance because they say -- you know, they're calling him one of the greatest athletes in the world.
COTTER: Right.
COSTELLO: And everybody is saying, oh, he's just a bike rider.
COTTER: That's so ridiculous. You know, he might not do things like jump and catch a football and things like that, but he is still a great endurance athlete. You can't deny that.
I mean, just to put what he has done in perspective, an American hadn't even competed in the Tour de France until 1981. And this is a race that's been going on for over 100 years.
An American has won nine times now in the last 20 years, Lance winning the last six. So, it's really been an American invasion over there. And it's their sport.
You know, the Europeans, they revere the Tour de France. And to have an American come over and win, especially in these times.
MARCIANO: That is nice.
COSTELLO: Some spectators were actually spitting on Lance Armstrong as he went by.
COTTER: Yes, it really is ridiculous.
MARCIANO: So much is made about the team. He's obviously a human engine. If he were on another team, do you think he could have this stretch?
COTTER: Well I think he has the best team that has ever raced in the Tour de France. And that's saying something, too. I mean, it's an American team.
Not all of the riders are American. There are only a couple of Americans on it. But it is sponsored by an American company. And I think that says a lot, too. That team is unbelievably strong.
It's difficult to win without a strong team in the Tour de France. A lot of people don't realize that, either. It's not an individual sport. You need the help of a team.
And you can see the team in the front here all doing the work for Lance, so that's big, too.
COSTELLO: And you're forgetting Lance's other secret weapon, Chris.
COTTER: Oh, please tell us.
COSTELLO: Your favorite, Sheryl Crow.
COTTER: Here we go. I mean, do you think the publicists were at work full-time over there in France. More photo ops, make sure you get in the picture. I mean this is...
COSTELLO: I like what you said...
COTTER: ... it's just as big for Sheryl as it is for Lance.
COSTELLO: I like what you said before. You became so sick of seeing Sheryl Crow, almost as sick as you became of seeing John Kerry at the Boston-New York game.
MARCIANO: Did they play baseball last night? I couldn't tell.
COTTER: It was -- you were right, Rob, during the break you said it was like a Laker game.
I mean, it really was showing Ben Affleck and John Kerry. And then, Kerry in the box making sure that Tim Russert was behind him. And oh, we've got to have John Glenn over here and the soldier that just came back from Iraq.
All the photo ops, let's position everybody within the box so we can make sure that Senator Kerry is with everybody.
COSTELLO: Well, the funniest thing is that Ben Affleck had to give up his seat for John Kerry.
COTTER: Yes, he had to sit by the Yankee dugout as opposed to the Red Sox dugout.
MARCIANO: That's...
COTTER: I mean, a Hollywood actor is big, but getting possibly the next president of the United States, that's bigger and a better chance for photo ops.
COSTELLO: Well, it wasn't a very friendly city to John Kerry, too, which would be Boston.
COTTER: Which -- but most of the time the politicians, whenever they are at games, they just get booed resoundly. So, John Kerry made it out all right. He made it out unscathed.
MARCIANO: A weak throw, though. He deserved a couple of boos.
COSTELLO: Yes. That was a girlie throw. Sorry.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., we must speak of him because that's no girlie man.
COTTER: Yes, look at that throw. There it was right there.
MARCIANO: Right there.
COTTER: A bounce up there. Come on John.
Yes, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., though, nothing girlie about this.
COSTELLO: This is bad.
COTTER: A week after getting burned, you know, in that race last week in Sonoma, he starts the race this week. And here you see him being replaced by Martin Truex, but in order for him to get the points, the Winston Cup points, he had to at least start the race. You don't have to finish it, but you have to start it.
He starts. And he actually goes twice as long as he initially wanted to go. He was in a lot of pain. And that's what he said after getting out. He said, you know what, walking around before the race was fine, but man. It just hurts.
And you can imagine being in a fireproof suit which is really hot and you're totally covered up with second-degree burns on a lot of your body. That's not fun.
COSTELLO: Definitely. And I apologize for the girlie remark because, I just thought -- Arnold Schwarzenegger got in big trouble for that.
MARCIANO: Yes, but you can say it, but we can't.
COSTELLO: Because I'm female?
MARCIANO: That's right.
COSTELLO: I don't know. I have a better arm than John Kerry, though.
MARCIANO: We've got to give the mug winner...
COSTELLO: OK, mug winner. Go ahead, Rob.
MARCIANO: You told me to read this, but I don't know how to produce -- pronounce this reporter's name.
COSTELLO: Schiavone.
MARCIANO: Schiavone, oh, it's Italian. I should know that.
COSTELLO: Gees, you're a paisan.
MARCIANO: Embarrassing.
All right. Spending the week out in Boston for the DNC, approximately how much money was spent on the infrastructure and security? The answer is $95 million.
And in the recent study on movies and mood, what film boosted viewers' hormone levels more than 10 percent?
COSTELLO: Wow. MARCIANO: I don't know which hormones, but the answer is "The Bridges of Madison County."
And the winner is Michael Kirkpatrick from Mojave, California.
COSTELLO: Congratulations, Michael.
MARCIANO: Congratulations. All right.
And today's question, here it is, to win a coffee mug.
In a recent Gallup poll of crucial states, in which state did President Bush and Senator Kerry tie as the voters' likely choice for president?
And what vehicle performed best in front and side airbag impact tests?
We'll have the answer and a giveaway tomorrow morning.
COSTELLO: daybreak@cnn.com -- daybreak@cnn.com
The "Lighting Round" is coming up, but first the latest headlines for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is time for our "Lighting Round" so let's get right to it, shall we?
Botticelli --- oh, the roar of American muscle resounded through the streets of Hamburg, Germany as, part of that city's second annual Harley-Davidson celebration. As many as 90,000 people gathered to admire the stout sites and sounds of all of those hogs.
MARCIANO: The big one in Sturgis is coming up in a couple of weeks in South Dakota.
COSTELLO: Oh, you know all about this don't you?
MARCIANO: See.
COSTELLO: Botticelli would be proud, the annual Miss Chubby Contest in Italy drew a load of contestants. The winner was a 20- year-old restaurant owner, who tipped the scales at 416 pounds.
How's this for some portable music? This foldable guitar is the property of a Swedish airline pilot who wanted to be able to carry a tune across numerous time zones.
MARCIANO: Do you think he plays for the passengers? That would be nice.
COSTELLO: That would be nice, wouldn't it? Although I'd really like my pilot to be flying the plane.
MARCIANO: Yes, it's true.
COTTER: That's a great point.
COSTELLO: We have 45 seconds to kill, guys. What do you want to talk about?
COTTER: I want to talk about that "Bridges in (sic) Madison County."
COSTELLO: About the hormones?
MARCIANO: Yes, what hormone levels do you think they're talking about?
COTTER: I'm guessing it's more estrogen...
MARCIANO: Yes, I've got to believe.
COTTER: ... than testosterone.
MARCIANO: Have you seem that movie?
COTTER: "The Bridges of Madison County," come on.
MARCIANO: But it's got -- what's his name, tough guy in there.
COSTELLO: Oh, Clint Eastwood.
MARCIANO: Clint Eastwood. So...
COSTELLO: And Meryl Streep.
MARCIANO: ... that kind of balances things out.
COSTELLO: Meryl Streep.
COTTER: What do you think men look at Clint Eastwood and say, you know, he is very sensitive? My testosterone levels are going...
COSTELLO: From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello, along with Rob Marciano and Chris Cotter.
"AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.
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 26, 2004 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you from the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta. I'm Carol Costello.
Now in the news: Seven truckers kidnapped in Iraq get a reprieve. A militant group holding three Kenyans, three Indians, and an Egyptian is extending their deadline. The kidnappers want their Kuwaiti employer to pull out of Iraq.
Salt Lake City police say an arrest warrant could be issued in the next few days in the case of Lori Hacking. She is the missing pregnant woman. Police are awaiting results of forensic tests.
There is another military trial set in the sexual assault scandal at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. A court martial of a male airman accused of rape gets under way today.
And as the Democrats begin meeting in Boston, John Kerry will be in the battleground state of Florida. Three-and-a-half hours from now, he'll hold a town hall meeting at the Kennedy Space Center.
Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.
Good morning, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol. We'll get you cranking with the forecast.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Carol, back over to you.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Rob.
The road to the White House leads through Boston for the Democrats. The national convention starts there this morning. As delegates prepare to nominate John Kerry for president, two former presidents get ready to rally the party tonight. You're looking at live pictures of Boston right now. You can see the FleetCenter there in the foreground.
CNN's Kareen Wynter is live in Boston with what's in store. Good morning.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol
The national stage is set as the Democrats prepare for the convention and all the festivities this week. But in the backdrop of all of that, security and lots of it. Just from our standpoint, the media, more than 15,000 expected here this week. We can't go anywhere without our credentials.
Now, more than $50 million have been poured into making sure that all the security is in place. You have numerous law-enforcement agencies, local, state and the federal level all watching the air, land and water space in and around the FleetCenter in downtown Boston.
Security, again, at the forefront. There are K-9 units. A lot of the manholes in and around the Boston area have been sealed. Passengers -- subject to random checks who are taking the metro system. A lot of the streets, however, in and around the FleetCenter have been closed off, traffic rerouted -- law enforcement keeping an eye on everything possible.
Switching gears now to tell you a little bit about Senator John Kerry, who arrived in Florida this morning after spending part of the weekend in Iowa. Really crisscrossing across the state as he works his way back to Boston where he is expected to arrive on Wednesday, campaigning up to the very last minute this all-important week.
He threw out the first pitch at Fenway Park yesterday, making somewhat of a surprise visit -- there you go. There you see him -- surprise visit at Fenway Park in Boston as the Red Sox squared off against the Yankees.
So, again, Senator Kerry expected to arrive here in Boston probably Wednesday. He may make another surprise appearance, Carol. So we'll have to watch out and wait for that. Back to you.
COSTELLO: Well, that certainly was a smart surprise appearance, because I'm sure many millions of people were watching that game because it was broadcast on ESPN, because I was watching it. And that wasn't a great toss, was it? Poor John Kerry.
WYNTER: It drew -- it drew quite a crowd.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes, the game.
Let's take a look at Boston for a second. We have an overhead shot -- no live picture. We were going to show you the traffic on interstate 93. It's already backed up. So, Kareen, you're lucky you're inside the convention right now.
WYNTER: We left bright and early this morning. Traffic, of course, a concern for many locals here in the city, just getting in and out of downtown Boston, whether traveling to work, trying to get here to the convention center. There -- a lot of areas have been rerouted, a lot of streets closed off because security has been that tight.
I can tell you from the business standpoint, Carol, many business owners either encouraged their workers to take the week off or they made accommodations downtown to put them up in certain lodging areas just to prevent the gridlock. But there really is no way around it. We escaped by leaving early, but it's going to be quite a concern all week.
COSTELLO: I'm sure it will. Kareen Wynter, live in Boston this morning.
Stay with CNN for all of your convention coverage. Our prime- time lineup begins with Anderson Cooper "360" at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, followed by an "AMERICA VOTES SPECIAL" with Wolf Blitzer, and then "LARRY KING LIVE" at 9:00, plus he will have a fresh, live show for you at midnight.
The Republicans will try to steal the limelight during the Democratic National Convention. The GOP will try to affect the flow of media coverage. Republicans have leased office space near the FleetCenter, the site of the Democratic convention. They plan to hold daily news conferences and bring out some big names, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
There is a sharp political divide between Democrats and Republicans on the issues, as you know. And now, some political strategists say no political figure is more divisive than George Bush.
Is he though? And if so, how come?
CNN's John King takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is John Kerry's convention, but it is this candidate for president who most unifies and motivates the Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, he is the most polarizing political figure that I've seen or worked against in an election. He not only greatly energizes his own base, his loyalist supporters, but he seems to have an equal and maybe even greater impact on the other side.
KING: Mr. Bush is the dividing line now, but not always.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has inherited the post-Clinton situation. And we need to remember that Bill Clinton was the most polarizing president in history until the recent Bush numbers.
KING: Those numbers show overwhelming loyalty among Republicans and a Democratic party that is, at least so far, more anti- Bush than it is pro-Kerry.
Among Republicans, deep support: 89 percent approve of how Mr. Bush is handling his job; 81 percent his economic performance; and 79 percent back his handling of Iraq.
But among Democrats, overwhelming opposition: 83 percent disapprove of how the president is handling his job; 86 percent give him failing grades on the economy; and 89 percent disapprove of how Mr. Bush has handled Iraq.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a chunk of this country that gives him low marks on everything, a chunk of this country that gives him high marks on everything and not a lot of voters in between.
KING: The contested election of four years ago is another factor in the sharp political divide. And there are also social and cultural factors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are a lot of people who go to church, you know, every week, but there is an equal number who don't go to church at all. And that's very good, you know, criteria for figuring out political support.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Roll back the unaffordable, unwise tax cut for Americans.
KING: The impact of polarization is abundantly clear on the campaign trail.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And we're going to talk about some of that tax relief right quick.
KING: Making sure your most loyal supporters are energized takes precedent, because both campaigns expect such a close election, and there are fewer swing voters up for grabs.
BILL MCINTURFF, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Voters in 1984 about 22 or 24 percent of the country was available for the different candidates to get. That number today is probably closer to eight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: John King reporting.
We'll see if Democrats will keep the Bush bashing to a minimum at the convention.
Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will talk about this gathering of Democrats with our Bill Hemmer on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING. " Bill is in Boston this week.
And for a Republican take on the Democratic National Convention, CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" talks to Nicolle Devenish who is the communications director for the Bush-Cheney campaign.
"AMERICAN MORNING," of course, begins at the top of the hour.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, it's not cheap to host thousands of Democrats and Republicans. How much money are Boston and New York sinking on the conventions? We'll take a look at our "Business Buzz."
And whether you prefer two wheels or four, we've got a lot to talk about on the DAYBREAK scorecard, including Lance Armstrong's amazing race and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s quick comeback.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Time for a little "Business Buzz" now. The Democrats are having a big party the next few days and soon it will be the Republicans turn, too. So, let's check out the size of the tabs.
Carrie Lee is in Atlanta just for today. But you have a whole breakdown of the cost.
CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: It's fascinating, Carol. Of course Boston, where the Democratic National Convention kicks off today, as well as New York are both very expensive cities. But take a look at some details here and you'll see that the Republicans are spending quite a bit more money, according to the "Boston Globe," as well as the site cities for both conventions.
The Republican total tab slated to be $63.5 million versus $39 million for the Democrats.
Take a look at the facilities alone. I mean, there's quite a difference.
Madison Square Garden, of course, for the Republicans in New York costing $5 million versus $3.5 million for the FleetCenter.
Of course hotels in Boston this week very hard, probably, to find a room at this point. On average, rates up about 50 percent from their usual rates.
And here's something else I thought was interesting, Carol. If you take a look at parties, receptions and special events, $8 million for the Republicans, $2.1 million for the Democrats. So, if the party is better based on how much money you are spending, well looks like the Republicans might be having a better time.
COSTELLO: They're having a fabulous time.
Quick look at the futures.
LEE: Things looking pretty bright for today's session, which would be good news for the bulls because we have seen a lot of selling over the past six weeks. Markets have been losing ground.
You can see. Last week alone, or Friday's close, the Dow down 1.8 percent. The Nasdaq also down nearly two percent.
A lot of stocks reporting profits continuing this week: American Express today, later in the week we'll hear from Verizon Communications and our parent company Time Warner.
COSTELLO: Good for them.
LEE: Yes. Well, maybe.
COSTELLO: Hopefully. I hope so.
LEE: We'll see.
COSTELLO: Carrie Lee, thank you.
LEE: OK. COSTELLO: You news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern. Here's what's on to you this morning.
Militants launch mortar attacks in central Baghdad. Iraqi police say two mortars hit an Iraqi ministry building. No one was inside.
Also today, a senior Iraqi interior ministry official was killed by gunmen when he left his home.
From the palace to the zoo lions belonging to Saddam Hussein's son Uday are now at the Baghdad zoo. Three adult lions and six cubs were taken from one of Saddam's former palaces. They were pets of Uday's.
In money news, have you noticed your paying a little, tiny bit less at the pump these days? Gas prices dropped nearly a penny during the past two weeks, and it's expected to continue dropping in the weeks ahead.
In culture, fewer students are taking the new high school equivalency test, but they're passing at a slightly higher rate than previously. The exam requires more analysis and has fewer multiple- choice questions.
In sports, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gave way to a relief driver during the Nextel Cup race in New Hampshire. Jr. was still hurting from burns suffered during a race crash last week. His sub finished in 31st place, well behind race winner Kurt Busch.
And Dale Earnhardt, Jr. looked like he was in a world of hurt, Rob.
MARCIANO: I assume that would be very painful, but he got the points and he got back in the saddle.
COSTELLO: He did.
MARCIANO: Here are the current temperatures across the country, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Carol?
COSTELLO: Sounds good. Those are the latest headlines.
Thank you, Rob.
Let's head live to New York City to check in with Bill and Heidi Collins, who is in for Soledad, see what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."
Good morning.
BILL HEMMER, CNN "AMERICAN MORNING" ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol. We are live from Boston this morning in addition to New York City. And boy, do we have a lineup for you, Carol, on your first day back, by the way.
COSTELLO: Great, just for me.
HEMMER: Joe Lieberman, Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Michael Moore -- need we say more? We can go on and on because today is the first day. We're going to kick off our coverage throughout the week here on "AMERICAN MORNING" live in Boston.
Heidi is back in New York with a whole lot of other stuff as well. Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Bill. And we do have quite a bit to get to from this side of the news, as well.
We're going to go to Utah, first of all, the missing woman there, Lori Hacking. There could be an arrest warrant issued very soon in this case. Wondering how the family is holding up through all of this. So, we are going to speak with a family spokesman.
Also, to the Kobe Bryant case, a big ruling on the accuser's sexual history. What will it mean to the case? We're going to talk with senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin about that.
But also, a lot more from the FleetCenter. Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: You got it. OK. Heidi, we'll see you at the top of the hour. Carol, and welcome back, by the way.
COLLINS: Yes, Carol.
HEMMER: How was it?
COSTELLO: It was so fantastic. I can -- just to sleep normally was great. It was fabulous.
HEMMER: We're not talking about sleep, Carol. You're married.
COLLINS: Show the ring again. Come on. Show the ring again.
COSTELLO: All right. Just one more time and that's it. There it is. And I have a little band...
HEMMER: Nice.
COSTELLO: ... just to keep it simple.
COLLINS: Beautiful.
COSTELLO: Thank you very much.
COLLINS: Congratulations again.
HEMMER: Congratulations to both of you. COSTELLO: Thank you. Glad to be back.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, you might say six is Lance Armstrong's lucky number. A six-minute lead gives way to his sixth Tour de France title. How did he do it and how did he celebrate? It's on the DAYBREAK "Scorecard" with Chris Cotter coming up.
And big is beautiful, just ask the women in this contest.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Once again, the Tour de France went to Lance. I always want to say Lance to make it rhyme.
The Texan is now alone at the top of the tour's honor roll with a record six titles in the last six years. But will he compete for number seven?
For more on Lance as well as the rest of the sports headlines, we welcome CNN sports contributor Chris Cotter.
CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Hello, Carol. Welcome back.
COSTELLO: Thank you.
COTTER: You're looking very tanned and healthy.
COSTELLO: I know. It's not good to get such a deep tan, but it was fun.
MARCIANO: She's just glowing from the experience.
COTTER: Exactly.
MARCIANO: Two weeks in Hawaii.
COSTELLO: I'm still in my little fantasy bubble. I'm sure it will pop soon.
COTTER: Well, I'm sure Lance is still in his fantasy bubble here as well. Six tours, I think he'll go for seven. I think he'll realize because he is going to race next year.
He has often talked about -- and maybe mixing up the calendar a little bit -- his schedule. But I think he realizes how important the Tour is. It's the number one race in the world. I think he's going to go for seven. And it's really an amazing accomplishment, I mean, that he was able to get six.
COSTELLO: You know what's really sickening on these sports networks?
COTTER: Sickening, yes.
COSTELLO: Sickening. COTTER: What's sickening?
COSTELLO: On these sports networks they're like dissing Lance because they say -- you know, they're calling him one of the greatest athletes in the world.
COTTER: Right.
COSTELLO: And everybody is saying, oh, he's just a bike rider.
COTTER: That's so ridiculous. You know, he might not do things like jump and catch a football and things like that, but he is still a great endurance athlete. You can't deny that.
I mean, just to put what he has done in perspective, an American hadn't even competed in the Tour de France until 1981. And this is a race that's been going on for over 100 years.
An American has won nine times now in the last 20 years, Lance winning the last six. So, it's really been an American invasion over there. And it's their sport.
You know, the Europeans, they revere the Tour de France. And to have an American come over and win, especially in these times.
MARCIANO: That is nice.
COSTELLO: Some spectators were actually spitting on Lance Armstrong as he went by.
COTTER: Yes, it really is ridiculous.
MARCIANO: So much is made about the team. He's obviously a human engine. If he were on another team, do you think he could have this stretch?
COTTER: Well I think he has the best team that has ever raced in the Tour de France. And that's saying something, too. I mean, it's an American team.
Not all of the riders are American. There are only a couple of Americans on it. But it is sponsored by an American company. And I think that says a lot, too. That team is unbelievably strong.
It's difficult to win without a strong team in the Tour de France. A lot of people don't realize that, either. It's not an individual sport. You need the help of a team.
And you can see the team in the front here all doing the work for Lance, so that's big, too.
COSTELLO: And you're forgetting Lance's other secret weapon, Chris.
COTTER: Oh, please tell us.
COSTELLO: Your favorite, Sheryl Crow.
COTTER: Here we go. I mean, do you think the publicists were at work full-time over there in France. More photo ops, make sure you get in the picture. I mean this is...
COSTELLO: I like what you said...
COTTER: ... it's just as big for Sheryl as it is for Lance.
COSTELLO: I like what you said before. You became so sick of seeing Sheryl Crow, almost as sick as you became of seeing John Kerry at the Boston-New York game.
MARCIANO: Did they play baseball last night? I couldn't tell.
COTTER: It was -- you were right, Rob, during the break you said it was like a Laker game.
I mean, it really was showing Ben Affleck and John Kerry. And then, Kerry in the box making sure that Tim Russert was behind him. And oh, we've got to have John Glenn over here and the soldier that just came back from Iraq.
All the photo ops, let's position everybody within the box so we can make sure that Senator Kerry is with everybody.
COSTELLO: Well, the funniest thing is that Ben Affleck had to give up his seat for John Kerry.
COTTER: Yes, he had to sit by the Yankee dugout as opposed to the Red Sox dugout.
MARCIANO: That's...
COTTER: I mean, a Hollywood actor is big, but getting possibly the next president of the United States, that's bigger and a better chance for photo ops.
COSTELLO: Well, it wasn't a very friendly city to John Kerry, too, which would be Boston.
COTTER: Which -- but most of the time the politicians, whenever they are at games, they just get booed resoundly. So, John Kerry made it out all right. He made it out unscathed.
MARCIANO: A weak throw, though. He deserved a couple of boos.
COSTELLO: Yes. That was a girlie throw. Sorry.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., we must speak of him because that's no girlie man.
COTTER: Yes, look at that throw. There it was right there.
MARCIANO: Right there.
COTTER: A bounce up there. Come on John.
Yes, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., though, nothing girlie about this.
COSTELLO: This is bad.
COTTER: A week after getting burned, you know, in that race last week in Sonoma, he starts the race this week. And here you see him being replaced by Martin Truex, but in order for him to get the points, the Winston Cup points, he had to at least start the race. You don't have to finish it, but you have to start it.
He starts. And he actually goes twice as long as he initially wanted to go. He was in a lot of pain. And that's what he said after getting out. He said, you know what, walking around before the race was fine, but man. It just hurts.
And you can imagine being in a fireproof suit which is really hot and you're totally covered up with second-degree burns on a lot of your body. That's not fun.
COSTELLO: Definitely. And I apologize for the girlie remark because, I just thought -- Arnold Schwarzenegger got in big trouble for that.
MARCIANO: Yes, but you can say it, but we can't.
COSTELLO: Because I'm female?
MARCIANO: That's right.
COSTELLO: I don't know. I have a better arm than John Kerry, though.
MARCIANO: We've got to give the mug winner...
COSTELLO: OK, mug winner. Go ahead, Rob.
MARCIANO: You told me to read this, but I don't know how to produce -- pronounce this reporter's name.
COSTELLO: Schiavone.
MARCIANO: Schiavone, oh, it's Italian. I should know that.
COSTELLO: Gees, you're a paisan.
MARCIANO: Embarrassing.
All right. Spending the week out in Boston for the DNC, approximately how much money was spent on the infrastructure and security? The answer is $95 million.
And in the recent study on movies and mood, what film boosted viewers' hormone levels more than 10 percent?
COSTELLO: Wow. MARCIANO: I don't know which hormones, but the answer is "The Bridges of Madison County."
And the winner is Michael Kirkpatrick from Mojave, California.
COSTELLO: Congratulations, Michael.
MARCIANO: Congratulations. All right.
And today's question, here it is, to win a coffee mug.
In a recent Gallup poll of crucial states, in which state did President Bush and Senator Kerry tie as the voters' likely choice for president?
And what vehicle performed best in front and side airbag impact tests?
We'll have the answer and a giveaway tomorrow morning.
COSTELLO: daybreak@cnn.com -- daybreak@cnn.com
The "Lighting Round" is coming up, but first the latest headlines for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is time for our "Lighting Round" so let's get right to it, shall we?
Botticelli --- oh, the roar of American muscle resounded through the streets of Hamburg, Germany as, part of that city's second annual Harley-Davidson celebration. As many as 90,000 people gathered to admire the stout sites and sounds of all of those hogs.
MARCIANO: The big one in Sturgis is coming up in a couple of weeks in South Dakota.
COSTELLO: Oh, you know all about this don't you?
MARCIANO: See.
COSTELLO: Botticelli would be proud, the annual Miss Chubby Contest in Italy drew a load of contestants. The winner was a 20- year-old restaurant owner, who tipped the scales at 416 pounds.
How's this for some portable music? This foldable guitar is the property of a Swedish airline pilot who wanted to be able to carry a tune across numerous time zones.
MARCIANO: Do you think he plays for the passengers? That would be nice.
COSTELLO: That would be nice, wouldn't it? Although I'd really like my pilot to be flying the plane.
MARCIANO: Yes, it's true.
COTTER: That's a great point.
COSTELLO: We have 45 seconds to kill, guys. What do you want to talk about?
COTTER: I want to talk about that "Bridges in (sic) Madison County."
COSTELLO: About the hormones?
MARCIANO: Yes, what hormone levels do you think they're talking about?
COTTER: I'm guessing it's more estrogen...
MARCIANO: Yes, I've got to believe.
COTTER: ... than testosterone.
MARCIANO: Have you seem that movie?
COTTER: "The Bridges of Madison County," come on.
MARCIANO: But it's got -- what's his name, tough guy in there.
COSTELLO: Oh, Clint Eastwood.
MARCIANO: Clint Eastwood. So...
COSTELLO: And Meryl Streep.
MARCIANO: ... that kind of balances things out.
COSTELLO: Meryl Streep.
COTTER: What do you think men look at Clint Eastwood and say, you know, he is very sensitive? My testosterone levels are going...
COSTELLO: From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello, along with Rob Marciano and Chris Cotter.
"AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
