Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Interview With Rudy Giuliani; Hacking Case Updates; Interview With Rob Reiner; "Political Pop"
Aired July 29, 2004 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Ohio front and center just below the stage there, a key battleground state as this election moves forward now.
Welcome back, everybody. Our special coverage here in Boston and the Democratic national convention continues at this hour. It's 7:30 here in Boston.
I'm Bill Hemmer here, my colleague, Heidi Collins, back in New York.
Yet again, good morning there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Bill.
Also this half-hour, are police finding any clues that all in that Salt Lake City landfill as they search for evidence in the case of Lori Hacking?
We have an update on that investigation coming in just a few minutes. But for now, back to Bill in Boston.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi. Back here at the FleetCenter, one of the highlights of John Edwards' speech last night was his emphasis on how John Kerry will work tirelessly, he says, to keep Americans safe from more attacks in this country, in the wake of 9/11.
Last night, a portion now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And when John is president, we will listen to the wisdom of the September 11th commission. We will lead strong alliances. We will safeguard and secure our weapons of mass destruction. We will strengthen our homeland security, protect our ports, protect our chemical plants, and support our firefighters, police officers, EMTs. We will always use our military might to keep the American people safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: After that, Senator Edwards' family joined him on stage after that speech at the FleetCenter in Boston. They will continue later tonight.
Also, while Democrats have owned the spotlight this week, Republicans now gearing up for their own campaign and keeping a very close eye on this convention.
New York's former mayor, Rudy Gilan -- Rudy Giuliani, my apologies, here with us now high above the FleetCenter. Good to see you again, good morning to you.
You are the first Bush surrogate to come inside and actually talk to us face-to-face. It's all been from headquarters in Boston to the headquarters down in Arlington, Virginia. Does your presence say something?
RUDOLPH GIULIANI (R), FMR. NEW YORK MAYOR: No, I was mayor of a city that's 5-1 Democratic, so maybe I just feel more comfortable being in a situation like this. And I realize -- no, there's no significance to it at all.
Interesting to see what it looks like, to compare it to what things are going to look like at Madison Square Garden, which I know so well, in New York next month.
HEMMER: I want to talk about that in a second. How do you think the Democrats are doing so far this week?
GIULIANI: I think they're doing a complete makeover. I think this is an extreme makeover of two candidates, John Edwards and John Kerry, who are two of the most liberal members of the United States Senate.
John Kerry has the most liberal voting record, more liberal than Teddy Kennedy, more liberal than Hillary Clinton. And I think what they're trying to do is to avoid all that it present a far different picture.
I mean last night, John Edwards said that John Kerry would works tirelessly to deal with intelligence and to deal with the recommendations of the September 11th commission. Well, you've got to look at what people do, not what they say.
John Kerry was on the intelligence committee for a large part of his career in the United States Senate. He missed 38 out of 48 meetings. He was absent for the. John Edwards has been on for a short while, he's missed four of eight meetings of the intelligence committee, even since September 11th.
So this interest in saying that they're going to prosecute the war on terror as effectively as president Bush certainly is belied by the way in which they've acted in the past.
John Kerry after the last attack, the first attack on the World Trade Center, supported $7.5 billion in cuts for intelligence spending. His interest and his priorities are elsewhere, not here.
President Bush has been consistent in dealing with the war on terrorism. He's been there when it's been popular, and he's been there when it's been unpopular. When it's been unpopular, John Edwards and John Kerry have been somewhere else. HEMMER: Let's move forward here. The 9/11 commission, that report is out now. Do you agree with the findings that you found in that report?
GIULIANI: I agree with a large part of the report. You know, there are so many findings, I know that I haven't read every single one of them yet. I've read about a third of the report.
I think it's very well done, very well written, a big contribution to the effort to try to figure out not only what happened but how we can do it better in the future. And although I think people can tweak their recommendations, I think by and large they're good recommendations.
HEMMER: Senator Kerry has already embraced them. He says he would enact them right now if he were the president.
GIULIANI: I think that might be an example of what I'm talking about.
Senator Kerry looks at the public opinion polls. The public opinion polls say they're very popular, so I'm in favor of them. I think if maybe they require...
HEMMER: So you're suggesting he only pays attention to the polls when he casts his opinion on these findings?
GIULIANI: No, I wouldn't suggest that. But you know, what I do see is a senator who, when he was asked whether he voted $87 billion appropriation to support the war in Iraq and to support our troops, said, first I voted for it before I voted against it.
I think that tells you a lot about the way in which somebody operates.
I think President Bush, on the other hand, announced his purpose of destroying, to the best that we can, global terrorism, saying it would take four or five years to do it and sticking with it when it's been popular, and sticking with it when it's been unpopular, which is really the sign of a really true leader.
HEMMER: There have been suggestions throughout the week here in Boston that there are few storylines, and the Democrats are keeping that message and that package very tightly packed, in the sense of the way it's going...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Like Republicans apparently have done for many times. We'll stop you there for just a second.
Fast forward to a month when the Republicans come to your town, in Manhattan. How much different will the atmosphere be New York's than it is in Boston?
GIULIANI: I think it will be very different because you have a record to run on, a record that we're not going to run away from but a record that we're going to run on.
I think what you have here is a convention that's running away from these two very, very liberal records, this record of being very inconsistent about the war on terrorism.
Instead, what you're going to see in New York is a political party that has its differences, like all political parties do...
HEMMER: Let me be a little more direct then.
GIULIANI: But we're very, very proud of the record that President George Bush has created, not just with regard to the war on terrorism, but reducing taxes, reviving our economy, bringing our economy back when we've had some real difficulties.
HEMMER: But the point is, they're going back to the scene from September 11th, from nearly three years ago. They're going back to your town, the greatest arena in the world, to Madison Square Garden, with potentially 100,000 protesters on the streets of New York City. That's what I mean by atmosphere and the difference that we will see in New York.
GIULIANI: Oh, I think you have to give great credit to the New York police department and the ability of New York to handle big events.
When the Republicans leave in August, New York City is going to have to turn around and deal with the opening of the United Nations where you get 100-150 world leaders. It's a security concern of equal proportion, if not greater, that the New York city police department handles every year.
So all of these conventions have their issues, but I think it's going to be -- it's going to be a great event for New York.
Put aside Republican or Democrat, it's going to be a great event for New York City, something the city has been trying to get for the last dozen years. And Mayor Bloomberg was very successful in bringing the convention to New York. That's a plus, Republican or Democrat.
HEMMER: Thanks for your time. Thanks for coming inside for us and talking to us face-to-face.
GIULIANI: Thank you. It's interesting.
HEMMER: Thank you. Back to Heidi now, again, in New York.
COLLINS: All right, Bill, thanks so much for that.
Turning now to this search for a missing woman in Utah. Lori Hacking disappeared 10 days ago. Police and cadaver dogs are coming landfills for any sign of the pregnant woman.
Her husband, Mark, is the only person of interest police are naming in the case. Doug Right is the talk show host with KSL Radio. He is joining us live this morning from Salt Lake City to talk about the very latest developments.
Doug, thanks again for being with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
You actually say that police are acting strangely about this case. What you mean by that?
DOUG RIGHT, HOST, KSL RADIO: Well, I think they're very concerned. After the Elizabeth Smart investigation that went on here, there was a focus on a person by the name of Richard Reesey when perhaps the focus should have been elsewhere.
I think they're also very conscious of the Laci Peterson case and they just want to make sure that everything that they do is correct, and proper, and that they've dot all the i's and cross all the t's.
COLLINS: Let's get to some of those details now. Yesterday, you told us about a convenience store clerk that may have actually been the last person to see Lori alive. Have police questioned this individual yet, that you know of?
RIGHT: Yes, as a matter of fact they called our station KSL and they ask for the information, and we helped facilitate that.
Yes, they have questioned him. I don't know what more information they got from him. The significance, of course, that is about the last sighting that we're aware of where anybody outside of, other than Mark, saw Lori before she went missing the next morning. And that was some time after 8:30, again a convenience store here in Salt Lake.
The other thing that's a little significant, the employee of the store claims to have noticed -- Mark was a regular customer, and he was just normal, fine, other than he was concerned that Lori knew that he was buying cigarettes at that store regularly -- but Lori seemed upset, he reported.
So how much significance is in that, we just don't know.
COLLINS: All right, we'll have to wait on that. But there are also reports that are saying that Mark Hacking is still hospitalized in a psych ward.
RIGHT: Yes.
COLLINS: If he being guarded, do you know? I mean police are saying he is the only person of interest, but is he under any watch?
RIGHT: Well he's in this medical facility which is right behind us, the University of Utah Medical Center, a place where he worked, I might add. I have asked the police that specifically. I have asked, are you securing Mark Hacking?
And they have said, no.
But I understand that there is a police officer who is there. And what role that police officer is playing and how much he is directly observing Mark and situation, monitoring who goes in and out, we don't know.
COLLINS: A police officer that is not normally on that location?
RIGHT: Yes. Yes.
COLLINS: All right. Very good.
Last question for you, quickly, I want to ask you, Doug, what are police saying now about these forensic tests, of the knife and a clump of hair that we've been hearing so much about?
RIGHT: Yes, you know, yesterday we started to actually report and heard from the police that some of the forensic reports were beginning to trickle in. We ran with that story yesterday afternoon.
Late yesterday afternoon-early evening, we were informed by the police that they had misspoken. And so, I don't know if forensic reports are beginning to come in or not.
And certainly anything that is specific to either the alleged bloody knife with the hair strands, or the clump of hair, or the nasty substance that was found in a garbage can, or Dumpsters or mattresses, or what they might be finding at landfills, we just don't know. The cops are very, very close-mouthed about that.
COLLINS: All right. Doug Right, we certainly do appreciate your information this morning, once again, from KSL Radio. Thanks so much.
39 minutes past the hour now. Time for a look at some of today's other news and Daryn Kagan. Good morning, Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Heidi, good morning.
Once again, we begin in Iraq. Pakistani officials are condemning the apparent killings of two of its citizens in Iraq. The Arabic language network Al-Jazeera says it received a video showing the bodies of the two men.
Meanwhile, in Baquba funerals are beginning for the 70 victims of yesterday's massive suicide car bombing. Yesterday was the bloodiest day in Iraq since the transfer of power. Some 117 people died in violence across the country, including three American soldiers.
Secretary of State Colin Powell says the U.S. will be examining a Saudi plan to send Muslim troops to help fight Iraqi insurgents. Powell met today in Saudi Arabia with Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. He said the U.S. welcomed the Saudi plan, but he calls it preliminary. Also, Allawi accepted an invitation to come visit the White House.
A woman detained near the Mexican border is being investigated for possible ties to terrorism. The woman was stopped at a Texas airport last week while trying to get on a New York bound flight. Officials say the woman's name was on an FBI watch list. She faces a series of charges including illegal entry into the U.S. The case is expected to be taken to a grand jury within two weeks. Finally, some amazing video -- it's just been released -- of a fierce lightning storm last week. Took place in New Mexico. Watch this. Two state troopers struck by lightning. They were there helping a family that had broken down on the side of the road.
The lightning that hit them is actually captured on this videotape which was recorded by the troopers dashboard camera. Both troopers, by the way, are expected to be OK. A big reminder of just how dangerous lightning can be.
Rob Marciano can tell us more about that. He is in for Chad Myers this week. Hi, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: One of the safest places you can be is inside your car.
KAGAN: The rubber on the road, or something like that?
MARCIANO: The rubber on the roads and metal on your roof, so convertibles don't work quite so well.
KAGAN: Good note to self, yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: All right. We've been pretty lucky this week, Rob. So, thanks for that in the Northeast.
Hollywood meets Washington here in Boston. Do celebrities, though, really make a difference at how people vote? We'll ask one. Actor, director Rob Reiner our guest here in moment, in Boston.
Also in a moment, the final 9/11 report is a bestseller raking in millions. Who gets the money? That's one of our topics today in "Political Pop" still to come this hour.
Back in a moment live in Boston after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: If you watch these conventions in prime time here on CNN, you know they are quite a production. Hollywood also showing its support for John Kerry.
Rob Reiner, the actor, director, political activist in Boston all week. He's with me now here talking about the star power in Boston and what he wants to hear later tonight from Senator Kerry. Good morning, nice to see you.
ROB REINER, ACTOR, DIRECTOR: Good morning. Nice to see you.
HEMMER: Take that issue about star power -- do celebrities really draw people into the process and do they listen to them? REINER: Well, I don't know if they listen to celebrities or should they listen to celebrities, but they clearly do draw people's attention to a candidate or an issue.
HEMMER: Do you think it makes a difference?
REINER: Well, it does. If you can throw a spotlight on a candidate or help get a candidate's message out, that will help that candidate.
HEMMER: Let me be a little bit more direct. If Ben Affleck comes into the FleetCenter and starts talking about politics, does that draw voters in knowing that we're at the end of July here? Does that fade and does the attention really go back to the top of the ticket, John Kerry, George Bush?
REINER: Yes, it does go back to the top of the ticket. All you can do is help throw a spotlight and help draw attention to a candidate, then it's obviously up to that candidate.
HEMMER: Do you think the candidates want that attention? Do they embrace it?
REINER: It depends. I mean if you have celebrities who will understand the issues and they're steeped in some of the policies, than yes it can help. But I mean, oftentimes it can also be a negative, too.
HEMMER: You have said that this is the most important election of your lifetime?
REINER: Yes, it certainly is. And I'm not just the only one saying this. I mean, Ted Kennedy the other day said the same thing and he's been around a little bit longer than I have.
I was around during the Vietnam War and then earlier when we went through the nuclear holocaust, we -- I mean the threat of nuclear holocaust, the idea that we might come under attack, you know, and nuclear weapons.
That was a -- there was a specter of that. There was a theoretical thing that there was a domino theory, and somehow the Russians were going to take over. And so, we all worried about that. We had the duck and cover drills and got under desks which, by the way, is the only actual thing that can actually stop a nuclear bomb.
HEMMER: But your suggestion is that this is, even trumps that, from three decades ago.
REINER: Well, this does tromp it because it's not the specter of something that might happen, this is actually happening. There are people that have killed us and are trying to kill us, so we are in the midst of something that is very, very serious.
HEMMER: John Kerry in prime time tonight. You said, at one point, Bill Clinton is the best speechmaker in politics today. REINER: Yes, I don't think anybody argues that one.
HEMMER: If that's the case, where does John Kerry fall in line there, in your analysis?
REINER: I think John Kerry is the right man for this right time. This is a very serious time and we need a serious person who is going to navigate, in a sense, the waters of this very difficult war on terrorism. He is a man who has shown himself with courage under fire and real leadership in a crisis. And I think that's what we need right now.
HEMMER: In a word or two then, Rob, how critical is this speech tonight?
REINER: I think it's very critical because right now the American public has certain ideas about him. They don't have a real fix on exactly who he is.
He has to drive his message home tonight and make the American public feel comfortable with him. I know him and I feel very comfortable with him. He is a terrific guy. He is brilliant. And he's a very strong leader, but he has to drive that home tonight.
HEMMER: Rob Reiner, nice to see you here in Boston.
REINER: Nice to see you, Bill.
HEMMER: To our viewers, a bit later this morning here, make sure you watch our interview later today. Music mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs is our guest here in the 9:00 a.m. Eastern hour. Some similar topics, but also we'll dive into the youth vote and how candidates are trying or not trying, perhaps, to appeal to young Americans today.
Also in a moment, a family feud that spans political parties. Both are fighting in the name of their father. "Political Pop" tackles that when our coverage continues after this.
Live from the FleetCenter in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back to Boston. That was the scene here in Boston Harbor yesterday with John Kerry arriving here there by way of boat.
Time for "Political Pop" now, convention style.
On the left, in Boston, Democratic strategist Kirsten Powers is here. Good morning, Kirsten.
KIRSTEN POWERS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good morning.
HEMMER: Holding the middle, from "borowitzreport.com," you know him, you love him every day, Andy Borowitz.
Jonah Goldberg, "National Review Online," good morning to you, as well.
JONAH GOLDBERG, EDITOR, "NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE": Good to see you.
HEMMER: Andy, start us off here this morning. The first issue here with the Reagan brothers, Ron and Michael, a bit of a spat, publicly, too -- they're not holding back on this -- about stem cell research. What you make of this?
ANDY BOROWITZ, "BOROWITZREPORT.COM": Well, it's very un- Republican to have this sort of public dispute like this. I think they could probably, you know, sort of take a leaf from the Bush twins' playbook because they are always very united. I think the only disagreement they ever had was over where to go for ladies night. But I think that's unusual.
HEMMER: Ron Reagan voted for Ralph Nader, right?
GOLDBERG: Yes, I mean, maybe that's the problem. It's not a Republican split because Ron Reagan isn't a Republican. He's been feeding off and disappointing -- he was feeding off his father's name and disappointing his father when his father was around. The media is using him to tweak Republicans. It's all very unseemly. And Michael Reagan's...
HEMMER: Do you Democrats got the mileage out of this they were looking for?
POWERS: Well I don't -- I mean, I think they like to say that he's just being used, when we're talking about stem cell research really being his primary thing, is a little bit of a stretch.
GOLDBERG: (INAUDIBLE) are his primary reason.
POWERS: I mean, this is a serious issue. I mean this is a serious issue and this is clearly something that's near and dear to his heart because of his father being ill. So, I mean they have a split and people disagree on this for ideological reasons but...
GOLDBERG: My only problem with that is that when his -- that Ron Reagan talked about how his father left him wasn't around even before he got Alzheimer's, didn't get along well with his father. He's using his father's name to politicize in issue.
HEMMER: Wow.
GOLDBERG: I think it's repugnant.
BOROWITZ: Well, I'm holding the middle.
HEMMER: You are? Well, keep doing that.
Let's get on to 9/11 commission report, Jonah. Barnes and Noble says it's flying off the shelves. What is so attractive about this? The president said what, it reads like a mystery novel?
BOROWITZ: He said -- the president said it's his favorite book since "My Pet Goat" actually. That was his exact quote.
HEMMER: Jonah, go ahead.
GOLDBERG: Look, I think a lot of people are interested. I think it shows that the American public actually cares a lot about this. Some Republicans, some conservatives sort of downplay the importance of the 9/11 commission. And I think this proves that they were wrong.
But at the same time, this talk about where the profits should go and that sort of thing, I think it's getting a kind of bad, that we keep talking about enriching these victims. Terrible thing what happened to them, but the Oklahoma City bombing people didn't get compensation. I think it's the wrong path to go on and we should stop it.
HEMMER: Where do you put profits, then? What is your suggestion?
GOLDBERG: There are all sorts of wonderful causes out there. My understanding is that a private company contracted to do this. Private companies are allowed to make profits, bad PR for them though.
HEMMER: Let's talk about the kids here. We had the Kerry daughters here earlier this hour here on AMERICAN MORNING. The Bush daughters now taking to the campaign trail as well. How do you see this shaping up, when the kids come out to help out dad?
POWERS: Well I loved it in the "Vogue" article, the Bush girls were in, but the one piece of news that kind of got lost is that their favorite drink at Starbucks is soy lattes, which actually officially makes them Democrats, so.
I think that they are just, they're humanizing their dads and, you know, it's a nice thing. And I think people are enjoying getting to know them. And I think it was a really smart thing for Bush to bring them out.
BOROWITZ: I would check out this month's issue of "Mother Jones" magazine because they have a fashion spread from the little-known Nader twins, which you really want to see that.
HEMMER: There's a story.
BOROWITZ: They haven't gotten a lot of juice, but they are awesome.
HEMMER: You're making news.
BOROWITZ: I am?
HEMMER: Good to see you. Enjoy the rest of your convention, day four later tonight. Nice to see all three of you.
GOLDBERG: You too.
HEMMER: In a moment here, John Kerry's supporters say his military experience make him a stronger leader than we have now, their words. We'll talk to some of the men who fought alongside Senator Kerry in Vietnam 35 years ago and we'll share their memories.
Also, we'll talk to them about what they thought about Kerry going from soldier to anti-Vietnam activist.
Back in a moment live in Boston after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN GLENN (D), FMR. SEN. FROM OHIO: Ohio takes great pride tonight in being the state to put this voting over the top in making John Kerry's candidacy official as we cast 159 votes for the next president of the United States, John Kerry.
HEMMER: They came to Boston to nominate John Kerry. They have done it last night. The key battleground state of Ohio taking those honors here in Boston.
John Edwards ignites the crowd calling on Democrats to embrace the politics of hope.
A former Democratic challenger, Al Sharpton, stealing the spotlight of sorts by borrowing some time at the podium. We'll get to that this hour.
And now the convention turns its full attention to the man of the hour tonight, John Kerry. His story about to be told, day four starts now on this AMERICAN MORNING.
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 29, 2004 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Ohio front and center just below the stage there, a key battleground state as this election moves forward now.
Welcome back, everybody. Our special coverage here in Boston and the Democratic national convention continues at this hour. It's 7:30 here in Boston.
I'm Bill Hemmer here, my colleague, Heidi Collins, back in New York.
Yet again, good morning there.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Bill.
Also this half-hour, are police finding any clues that all in that Salt Lake City landfill as they search for evidence in the case of Lori Hacking?
We have an update on that investigation coming in just a few minutes. But for now, back to Bill in Boston.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi. Back here at the FleetCenter, one of the highlights of John Edwards' speech last night was his emphasis on how John Kerry will work tirelessly, he says, to keep Americans safe from more attacks in this country, in the wake of 9/11.
Last night, a portion now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And when John is president, we will listen to the wisdom of the September 11th commission. We will lead strong alliances. We will safeguard and secure our weapons of mass destruction. We will strengthen our homeland security, protect our ports, protect our chemical plants, and support our firefighters, police officers, EMTs. We will always use our military might to keep the American people safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: After that, Senator Edwards' family joined him on stage after that speech at the FleetCenter in Boston. They will continue later tonight.
Also, while Democrats have owned the spotlight this week, Republicans now gearing up for their own campaign and keeping a very close eye on this convention.
New York's former mayor, Rudy Gilan -- Rudy Giuliani, my apologies, here with us now high above the FleetCenter. Good to see you again, good morning to you.
You are the first Bush surrogate to come inside and actually talk to us face-to-face. It's all been from headquarters in Boston to the headquarters down in Arlington, Virginia. Does your presence say something?
RUDOLPH GIULIANI (R), FMR. NEW YORK MAYOR: No, I was mayor of a city that's 5-1 Democratic, so maybe I just feel more comfortable being in a situation like this. And I realize -- no, there's no significance to it at all.
Interesting to see what it looks like, to compare it to what things are going to look like at Madison Square Garden, which I know so well, in New York next month.
HEMMER: I want to talk about that in a second. How do you think the Democrats are doing so far this week?
GIULIANI: I think they're doing a complete makeover. I think this is an extreme makeover of two candidates, John Edwards and John Kerry, who are two of the most liberal members of the United States Senate.
John Kerry has the most liberal voting record, more liberal than Teddy Kennedy, more liberal than Hillary Clinton. And I think what they're trying to do is to avoid all that it present a far different picture.
I mean last night, John Edwards said that John Kerry would works tirelessly to deal with intelligence and to deal with the recommendations of the September 11th commission. Well, you've got to look at what people do, not what they say.
John Kerry was on the intelligence committee for a large part of his career in the United States Senate. He missed 38 out of 48 meetings. He was absent for the. John Edwards has been on for a short while, he's missed four of eight meetings of the intelligence committee, even since September 11th.
So this interest in saying that they're going to prosecute the war on terror as effectively as president Bush certainly is belied by the way in which they've acted in the past.
John Kerry after the last attack, the first attack on the World Trade Center, supported $7.5 billion in cuts for intelligence spending. His interest and his priorities are elsewhere, not here.
President Bush has been consistent in dealing with the war on terrorism. He's been there when it's been popular, and he's been there when it's been unpopular. When it's been unpopular, John Edwards and John Kerry have been somewhere else. HEMMER: Let's move forward here. The 9/11 commission, that report is out now. Do you agree with the findings that you found in that report?
GIULIANI: I agree with a large part of the report. You know, there are so many findings, I know that I haven't read every single one of them yet. I've read about a third of the report.
I think it's very well done, very well written, a big contribution to the effort to try to figure out not only what happened but how we can do it better in the future. And although I think people can tweak their recommendations, I think by and large they're good recommendations.
HEMMER: Senator Kerry has already embraced them. He says he would enact them right now if he were the president.
GIULIANI: I think that might be an example of what I'm talking about.
Senator Kerry looks at the public opinion polls. The public opinion polls say they're very popular, so I'm in favor of them. I think if maybe they require...
HEMMER: So you're suggesting he only pays attention to the polls when he casts his opinion on these findings?
GIULIANI: No, I wouldn't suggest that. But you know, what I do see is a senator who, when he was asked whether he voted $87 billion appropriation to support the war in Iraq and to support our troops, said, first I voted for it before I voted against it.
I think that tells you a lot about the way in which somebody operates.
I think President Bush, on the other hand, announced his purpose of destroying, to the best that we can, global terrorism, saying it would take four or five years to do it and sticking with it when it's been popular, and sticking with it when it's been unpopular, which is really the sign of a really true leader.
HEMMER: There have been suggestions throughout the week here in Boston that there are few storylines, and the Democrats are keeping that message and that package very tightly packed, in the sense of the way it's going...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Like Republicans apparently have done for many times. We'll stop you there for just a second.
Fast forward to a month when the Republicans come to your town, in Manhattan. How much different will the atmosphere be New York's than it is in Boston?
GIULIANI: I think it will be very different because you have a record to run on, a record that we're not going to run away from but a record that we're going to run on.
I think what you have here is a convention that's running away from these two very, very liberal records, this record of being very inconsistent about the war on terrorism.
Instead, what you're going to see in New York is a political party that has its differences, like all political parties do...
HEMMER: Let me be a little more direct then.
GIULIANI: But we're very, very proud of the record that President George Bush has created, not just with regard to the war on terrorism, but reducing taxes, reviving our economy, bringing our economy back when we've had some real difficulties.
HEMMER: But the point is, they're going back to the scene from September 11th, from nearly three years ago. They're going back to your town, the greatest arena in the world, to Madison Square Garden, with potentially 100,000 protesters on the streets of New York City. That's what I mean by atmosphere and the difference that we will see in New York.
GIULIANI: Oh, I think you have to give great credit to the New York police department and the ability of New York to handle big events.
When the Republicans leave in August, New York City is going to have to turn around and deal with the opening of the United Nations where you get 100-150 world leaders. It's a security concern of equal proportion, if not greater, that the New York city police department handles every year.
So all of these conventions have their issues, but I think it's going to be -- it's going to be a great event for New York.
Put aside Republican or Democrat, it's going to be a great event for New York City, something the city has been trying to get for the last dozen years. And Mayor Bloomberg was very successful in bringing the convention to New York. That's a plus, Republican or Democrat.
HEMMER: Thanks for your time. Thanks for coming inside for us and talking to us face-to-face.
GIULIANI: Thank you. It's interesting.
HEMMER: Thank you. Back to Heidi now, again, in New York.
COLLINS: All right, Bill, thanks so much for that.
Turning now to this search for a missing woman in Utah. Lori Hacking disappeared 10 days ago. Police and cadaver dogs are coming landfills for any sign of the pregnant woman.
Her husband, Mark, is the only person of interest police are naming in the case. Doug Right is the talk show host with KSL Radio. He is joining us live this morning from Salt Lake City to talk about the very latest developments.
Doug, thanks again for being with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
You actually say that police are acting strangely about this case. What you mean by that?
DOUG RIGHT, HOST, KSL RADIO: Well, I think they're very concerned. After the Elizabeth Smart investigation that went on here, there was a focus on a person by the name of Richard Reesey when perhaps the focus should have been elsewhere.
I think they're also very conscious of the Laci Peterson case and they just want to make sure that everything that they do is correct, and proper, and that they've dot all the i's and cross all the t's.
COLLINS: Let's get to some of those details now. Yesterday, you told us about a convenience store clerk that may have actually been the last person to see Lori alive. Have police questioned this individual yet, that you know of?
RIGHT: Yes, as a matter of fact they called our station KSL and they ask for the information, and we helped facilitate that.
Yes, they have questioned him. I don't know what more information they got from him. The significance, of course, that is about the last sighting that we're aware of where anybody outside of, other than Mark, saw Lori before she went missing the next morning. And that was some time after 8:30, again a convenience store here in Salt Lake.
The other thing that's a little significant, the employee of the store claims to have noticed -- Mark was a regular customer, and he was just normal, fine, other than he was concerned that Lori knew that he was buying cigarettes at that store regularly -- but Lori seemed upset, he reported.
So how much significance is in that, we just don't know.
COLLINS: All right, we'll have to wait on that. But there are also reports that are saying that Mark Hacking is still hospitalized in a psych ward.
RIGHT: Yes.
COLLINS: If he being guarded, do you know? I mean police are saying he is the only person of interest, but is he under any watch?
RIGHT: Well he's in this medical facility which is right behind us, the University of Utah Medical Center, a place where he worked, I might add. I have asked the police that specifically. I have asked, are you securing Mark Hacking?
And they have said, no.
But I understand that there is a police officer who is there. And what role that police officer is playing and how much he is directly observing Mark and situation, monitoring who goes in and out, we don't know.
COLLINS: A police officer that is not normally on that location?
RIGHT: Yes. Yes.
COLLINS: All right. Very good.
Last question for you, quickly, I want to ask you, Doug, what are police saying now about these forensic tests, of the knife and a clump of hair that we've been hearing so much about?
RIGHT: Yes, you know, yesterday we started to actually report and heard from the police that some of the forensic reports were beginning to trickle in. We ran with that story yesterday afternoon.
Late yesterday afternoon-early evening, we were informed by the police that they had misspoken. And so, I don't know if forensic reports are beginning to come in or not.
And certainly anything that is specific to either the alleged bloody knife with the hair strands, or the clump of hair, or the nasty substance that was found in a garbage can, or Dumpsters or mattresses, or what they might be finding at landfills, we just don't know. The cops are very, very close-mouthed about that.
COLLINS: All right. Doug Right, we certainly do appreciate your information this morning, once again, from KSL Radio. Thanks so much.
39 minutes past the hour now. Time for a look at some of today's other news and Daryn Kagan. Good morning, Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Heidi, good morning.
Once again, we begin in Iraq. Pakistani officials are condemning the apparent killings of two of its citizens in Iraq. The Arabic language network Al-Jazeera says it received a video showing the bodies of the two men.
Meanwhile, in Baquba funerals are beginning for the 70 victims of yesterday's massive suicide car bombing. Yesterday was the bloodiest day in Iraq since the transfer of power. Some 117 people died in violence across the country, including three American soldiers.
Secretary of State Colin Powell says the U.S. will be examining a Saudi plan to send Muslim troops to help fight Iraqi insurgents. Powell met today in Saudi Arabia with Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. He said the U.S. welcomed the Saudi plan, but he calls it preliminary. Also, Allawi accepted an invitation to come visit the White House.
A woman detained near the Mexican border is being investigated for possible ties to terrorism. The woman was stopped at a Texas airport last week while trying to get on a New York bound flight. Officials say the woman's name was on an FBI watch list. She faces a series of charges including illegal entry into the U.S. The case is expected to be taken to a grand jury within two weeks. Finally, some amazing video -- it's just been released -- of a fierce lightning storm last week. Took place in New Mexico. Watch this. Two state troopers struck by lightning. They were there helping a family that had broken down on the side of the road.
The lightning that hit them is actually captured on this videotape which was recorded by the troopers dashboard camera. Both troopers, by the way, are expected to be OK. A big reminder of just how dangerous lightning can be.
Rob Marciano can tell us more about that. He is in for Chad Myers this week. Hi, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: One of the safest places you can be is inside your car.
KAGAN: The rubber on the road, or something like that?
MARCIANO: The rubber on the roads and metal on your roof, so convertibles don't work quite so well.
KAGAN: Good note to self, yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MARCIANO: Bill, back to you.
HEMMER: All right. We've been pretty lucky this week, Rob. So, thanks for that in the Northeast.
Hollywood meets Washington here in Boston. Do celebrities, though, really make a difference at how people vote? We'll ask one. Actor, director Rob Reiner our guest here in moment, in Boston.
Also in a moment, the final 9/11 report is a bestseller raking in millions. Who gets the money? That's one of our topics today in "Political Pop" still to come this hour.
Back in a moment live in Boston after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: If you watch these conventions in prime time here on CNN, you know they are quite a production. Hollywood also showing its support for John Kerry.
Rob Reiner, the actor, director, political activist in Boston all week. He's with me now here talking about the star power in Boston and what he wants to hear later tonight from Senator Kerry. Good morning, nice to see you.
ROB REINER, ACTOR, DIRECTOR: Good morning. Nice to see you.
HEMMER: Take that issue about star power -- do celebrities really draw people into the process and do they listen to them? REINER: Well, I don't know if they listen to celebrities or should they listen to celebrities, but they clearly do draw people's attention to a candidate or an issue.
HEMMER: Do you think it makes a difference?
REINER: Well, it does. If you can throw a spotlight on a candidate or help get a candidate's message out, that will help that candidate.
HEMMER: Let me be a little bit more direct. If Ben Affleck comes into the FleetCenter and starts talking about politics, does that draw voters in knowing that we're at the end of July here? Does that fade and does the attention really go back to the top of the ticket, John Kerry, George Bush?
REINER: Yes, it does go back to the top of the ticket. All you can do is help throw a spotlight and help draw attention to a candidate, then it's obviously up to that candidate.
HEMMER: Do you think the candidates want that attention? Do they embrace it?
REINER: It depends. I mean if you have celebrities who will understand the issues and they're steeped in some of the policies, than yes it can help. But I mean, oftentimes it can also be a negative, too.
HEMMER: You have said that this is the most important election of your lifetime?
REINER: Yes, it certainly is. And I'm not just the only one saying this. I mean, Ted Kennedy the other day said the same thing and he's been around a little bit longer than I have.
I was around during the Vietnam War and then earlier when we went through the nuclear holocaust, we -- I mean the threat of nuclear holocaust, the idea that we might come under attack, you know, and nuclear weapons.
That was a -- there was a specter of that. There was a theoretical thing that there was a domino theory, and somehow the Russians were going to take over. And so, we all worried about that. We had the duck and cover drills and got under desks which, by the way, is the only actual thing that can actually stop a nuclear bomb.
HEMMER: But your suggestion is that this is, even trumps that, from three decades ago.
REINER: Well, this does tromp it because it's not the specter of something that might happen, this is actually happening. There are people that have killed us and are trying to kill us, so we are in the midst of something that is very, very serious.
HEMMER: John Kerry in prime time tonight. You said, at one point, Bill Clinton is the best speechmaker in politics today. REINER: Yes, I don't think anybody argues that one.
HEMMER: If that's the case, where does John Kerry fall in line there, in your analysis?
REINER: I think John Kerry is the right man for this right time. This is a very serious time and we need a serious person who is going to navigate, in a sense, the waters of this very difficult war on terrorism. He is a man who has shown himself with courage under fire and real leadership in a crisis. And I think that's what we need right now.
HEMMER: In a word or two then, Rob, how critical is this speech tonight?
REINER: I think it's very critical because right now the American public has certain ideas about him. They don't have a real fix on exactly who he is.
He has to drive his message home tonight and make the American public feel comfortable with him. I know him and I feel very comfortable with him. He is a terrific guy. He is brilliant. And he's a very strong leader, but he has to drive that home tonight.
HEMMER: Rob Reiner, nice to see you here in Boston.
REINER: Nice to see you, Bill.
HEMMER: To our viewers, a bit later this morning here, make sure you watch our interview later today. Music mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs is our guest here in the 9:00 a.m. Eastern hour. Some similar topics, but also we'll dive into the youth vote and how candidates are trying or not trying, perhaps, to appeal to young Americans today.
Also in a moment, a family feud that spans political parties. Both are fighting in the name of their father. "Political Pop" tackles that when our coverage continues after this.
Live from the FleetCenter in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back to Boston. That was the scene here in Boston Harbor yesterday with John Kerry arriving here there by way of boat.
Time for "Political Pop" now, convention style.
On the left, in Boston, Democratic strategist Kirsten Powers is here. Good morning, Kirsten.
KIRSTEN POWERS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good morning.
HEMMER: Holding the middle, from "borowitzreport.com," you know him, you love him every day, Andy Borowitz.
Jonah Goldberg, "National Review Online," good morning to you, as well.
JONAH GOLDBERG, EDITOR, "NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE": Good to see you.
HEMMER: Andy, start us off here this morning. The first issue here with the Reagan brothers, Ron and Michael, a bit of a spat, publicly, too -- they're not holding back on this -- about stem cell research. What you make of this?
ANDY BOROWITZ, "BOROWITZREPORT.COM": Well, it's very un- Republican to have this sort of public dispute like this. I think they could probably, you know, sort of take a leaf from the Bush twins' playbook because they are always very united. I think the only disagreement they ever had was over where to go for ladies night. But I think that's unusual.
HEMMER: Ron Reagan voted for Ralph Nader, right?
GOLDBERG: Yes, I mean, maybe that's the problem. It's not a Republican split because Ron Reagan isn't a Republican. He's been feeding off and disappointing -- he was feeding off his father's name and disappointing his father when his father was around. The media is using him to tweak Republicans. It's all very unseemly. And Michael Reagan's...
HEMMER: Do you Democrats got the mileage out of this they were looking for?
POWERS: Well I don't -- I mean, I think they like to say that he's just being used, when we're talking about stem cell research really being his primary thing, is a little bit of a stretch.
GOLDBERG: (INAUDIBLE) are his primary reason.
POWERS: I mean, this is a serious issue. I mean this is a serious issue and this is clearly something that's near and dear to his heart because of his father being ill. So, I mean they have a split and people disagree on this for ideological reasons but...
GOLDBERG: My only problem with that is that when his -- that Ron Reagan talked about how his father left him wasn't around even before he got Alzheimer's, didn't get along well with his father. He's using his father's name to politicize in issue.
HEMMER: Wow.
GOLDBERG: I think it's repugnant.
BOROWITZ: Well, I'm holding the middle.
HEMMER: You are? Well, keep doing that.
Let's get on to 9/11 commission report, Jonah. Barnes and Noble says it's flying off the shelves. What is so attractive about this? The president said what, it reads like a mystery novel?
BOROWITZ: He said -- the president said it's his favorite book since "My Pet Goat" actually. That was his exact quote.
HEMMER: Jonah, go ahead.
GOLDBERG: Look, I think a lot of people are interested. I think it shows that the American public actually cares a lot about this. Some Republicans, some conservatives sort of downplay the importance of the 9/11 commission. And I think this proves that they were wrong.
But at the same time, this talk about where the profits should go and that sort of thing, I think it's getting a kind of bad, that we keep talking about enriching these victims. Terrible thing what happened to them, but the Oklahoma City bombing people didn't get compensation. I think it's the wrong path to go on and we should stop it.
HEMMER: Where do you put profits, then? What is your suggestion?
GOLDBERG: There are all sorts of wonderful causes out there. My understanding is that a private company contracted to do this. Private companies are allowed to make profits, bad PR for them though.
HEMMER: Let's talk about the kids here. We had the Kerry daughters here earlier this hour here on AMERICAN MORNING. The Bush daughters now taking to the campaign trail as well. How do you see this shaping up, when the kids come out to help out dad?
POWERS: Well I loved it in the "Vogue" article, the Bush girls were in, but the one piece of news that kind of got lost is that their favorite drink at Starbucks is soy lattes, which actually officially makes them Democrats, so.
I think that they are just, they're humanizing their dads and, you know, it's a nice thing. And I think people are enjoying getting to know them. And I think it was a really smart thing for Bush to bring them out.
BOROWITZ: I would check out this month's issue of "Mother Jones" magazine because they have a fashion spread from the little-known Nader twins, which you really want to see that.
HEMMER: There's a story.
BOROWITZ: They haven't gotten a lot of juice, but they are awesome.
HEMMER: You're making news.
BOROWITZ: I am?
HEMMER: Good to see you. Enjoy the rest of your convention, day four later tonight. Nice to see all three of you.
GOLDBERG: You too.
HEMMER: In a moment here, John Kerry's supporters say his military experience make him a stronger leader than we have now, their words. We'll talk to some of the men who fought alongside Senator Kerry in Vietnam 35 years ago and we'll share their memories.
Also, we'll talk to them about what they thought about Kerry going from soldier to anti-Vietnam activist.
Back in a moment live in Boston after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN GLENN (D), FMR. SEN. FROM OHIO: Ohio takes great pride tonight in being the state to put this voting over the top in making John Kerry's candidacy official as we cast 159 votes for the next president of the United States, John Kerry.
HEMMER: They came to Boston to nominate John Kerry. They have done it last night. The key battleground state of Ohio taking those honors here in Boston.
John Edwards ignites the crowd calling on Democrats to embrace the politics of hope.
A former Democratic challenger, Al Sharpton, stealing the spotlight of sorts by borrowing some time at the podium. We'll get to that this hour.
And now the convention turns its full attention to the man of the hour tonight, John Kerry. His story about to be told, day four starts now on this AMERICAN MORNING.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
