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American Morning

Battles in Najaf; Interview With Senator Chuck Hagel

Aired August 11, 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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Also, we'll talk about Florida Congressman Porter Goss. He's the president's pick to head up the CIA. But there is some controversy over whether the Republican can be non-partisan on the new job. We'll talk to one of his supporters, Senate Intelligence Committee member Chuck Hagel.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also, on a much lighter note this morning, the supermodel, Naomi Campbell. Apparently her temper, well- known in some circles I am told, once again is putting her name in the news. This time, she's facing allegations from her housekeeper. And our popper panel has that a bit later this hour.

COLLINS: We will get to that in just a little while.

Meanwhile, though, American forces are battling Shiite fighters in Najaf this morning. They are fighting from the ground and air. The Army says U.S. soldiers are pushing south, fighting with insurgents loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr. He keeps encouraging those fighters.

CNN's Matthew Chance is with the U.S. Marines in Najaf. He's joining us now there on the telephone.

Matthew -- what can you tell us? What are you seeing?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, there is still intensive fighting going on, but only at certain times. It's not like it's continuous.

Nevertheless, U.S. Marines, U.S. 1st Calvary Division troops are clashing with these militants loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Much of the fighting is going on around or inside a tight cordon that has been thrown around the ancient and sacred mosque of Imam Ali in the center of Najaf, where the are apparently gunmen of the Mehdi army loyal to Muqtada al Sadr, shooting and firing rocket- propelled grenades and mortars out from that mosque area compound towards U.S. forces that are enforcing that perimeter.

Now, there has been a great deal of concern amongst the U.S. military about how they are going to flush those militants out of the mosque, because it is one of the holiest shrines in Shia Islam. People in the U.S. military here in Najaf we've spoken to are saying they are very sensitive to the local sensibilities here. They don't want to cause a big backlash if U.S. troops move into that mosque. That's what they feel would happen or could happen.

So, they're looking at a number of options to get those militants out of there. They've been trying political negotiations from the Interim Iraqi Government, urging Muqtada al Sadr to call his men off.

They're now looking at other options involving perhaps going into the mosque, but not with U.S. forces but with an Iraqi military platoon going into that mosque.

Again, a number of options on the table. They haven't decided what they're going to do yet to bring this crisis to an end.

COLLINS: Let me ask you quickly, Matthew, what about the civilians in Najaf? What's their reaction been to this latest fighting, and Muqtada al Sadr saying that he's just going to continue to fight and, as we said, encourage those who are fighting with him?

CHANCE: Well, as often in these situations, it's the innocent civilians that often bear the brunt of this kind of confrontation. Certainly we know from hospital officials in Najaf that civilians have been killed and have been injured, caught the cross-fire in this sometimes ferocious battling between the U.S. troops and those Mehdi army fighters.

Yesterday, a new tactic was adopted by the U.S. forces on the ground there. They drove around in patrols through the streets of Najaf with loudspeakers, urging in Arabic people who are not associated with the fighting to leave the battle zone, to clear the way for the area, leading people to believe that may be a big new operation under way to try and clear the area of Mehdi army fighters.

So, certainly there are some efforts being made to keep the civilian population out of it, certainly by the U.S. troops. But nevertheless, they are getting caught up in it.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Matthew coming to us directly from Najaf, the latest hotbed of fighting in Iraq.

HEMMER: Well, that continues from overseas.

Back in this country now and the story that broke about this time yesterday. President Bush wants Republican Congressman Porter Goss out of the state of Florida to be his next head of the CIA. Goss is a former CIA officer and was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. And his nomination is getting mixed reviews from Democrats, who say he could be too partisan.

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel out of Nebraska supports the nomination. He is my guest now live in Washington.

Senator, welcome back. Good morning to you.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Will Porter Goss be confirmed?

HAGEL: Oh, I think he will be. He is a very experienced, thoughtful, respected leader. He understands the intelligence community. Much of his has been spent in the intelligence community. And I think he will be our next CIA director. HEMMER: How do you deal with the detractors? And on the screen, Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat from West Virginia, questioned, said he was disappointed in fact by the nomination, saying they need someone who is objective and independent. How will this square now with some of your Senate colleagues who believe this was a political issue that should not have been dealt with this way?

HAGEL: Well, certainly Senator Rockefeller is going to be a very important leader and player here in the confirmation process of Congressman Goss. As you know, Senator Rockefeller is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

I think it's important that all of these issues that Senator Rockefeller and others are bringing up be addressed during the hearing. They will be. And they are fair questions to ask.

But I think in the end, there will be little doubt that this man is superbly qualified. He will do the right thing for this country, as he always has done. And he'll be confirmed.

HEMMER: If that's the case, then why are so many are throwing water on it already?.

HAGEL: Well, I don't know how many are throwing water on it. The two Democratic senators from Florida have been very enthusiastic about the nomination of Porter Goss; one including Bob Graham, who has been quite critical about our intelligence community. As a matter of fact, Senator Graham from Florida was once the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He carries an awful lot of weight on this issue, and he's been very enthusiastic about this nomination.

HEMMER: Also, Senator, former CIA head, retired Admiral Stansfield Turner, he said this about the nomination: "This is all to help George Bush win votes in the state of Florida. This is the worst appointment that's ever been made to the office of director of Central Intelligence, because that's an office that needs to be kept above partisan politics."

Is in a point there? Or how do you counter that, your reaction?

HAGEL: Well, certainly Admiral Stansfield Turner has his opinions, should have his opinion, and I respect that opinion. But the fact is you can take any nominee for any office and start picking him apart and questioning motives and background and purpose. But in the end it will always be about where the man or the woman has been from, what they have done, how they are viewed by their colleagues, are they men and women above reproach, have they always put this country first?

And I think it's always in the end, too, anchored by integrity, character and experience. And certainly Porter Goss comes out very strong in all of those categories.

HEMMER: Senator, one final question here. At the outset, you said you believe he will be confirmed. Will that happen before November 2, Election Day? HAGEL: Well, I can't predict anything. I'm just 1 of 100 senators. I sit on the Intelligence Committee, where we will have and preside over those nomination hearings. But I think that you will find a very expeditious handling of this nomination. I would look for that to be in early September.

I don't think the Democrats want to play politics with this. I don't think the Republicans want this to lag, nor should it, for the interests of our country. And I look for him to be nominated officially, formally, with the paperwork up here, and be confirmed in the Senate before we go home for our fall election break.

HEMMER: Thank you, Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska in Washington.

HAGEL: Thank you.

HEMMER: Next hour, we'll talk about the nomination of Porter Goss with Michigan Senator Carl Levin, a leading Democrat on the Intelligence Committee on the Senate side -- Heidi.

COLLINS: On the campaign trail, Senator John Kerry accused President Bush of broken promises. Speaking in Las Vegas yesterday, the Democratic challenger said the White House put politics above science by supporting a nuclear waste dump in Nevada.

Kerry also defended his stance on the Iraq war, saying he hadn't changed his position in assailing the president's handling of the situation. The senator heads for Los Angeles tonight as he continues his western road trip.

Meanwhile in Florida, the war of words about Iraq continued as President Bush appeared with a Vietnam War hero, Senator John McCain. The president mocked Senator Kerry's defense of his views on the war and rejected the Democrats' timetable for withdrawing troops.

Today, the president spends his second day on the campaign trial with Senator McCain. The two are stumping in New Mexico and Arizona.

And the president and first lady sit down with Larry King this week for an exclusive interview. It will come your way tomorrow night, 9:00 Eastern, again on "LARRY KING LIVE."

Right now, though, it's just about 7:40 past -- 7:40 that is. It's time now for a look at some of today's other news and Carol Costello.

Good morning -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Heidi. Thank you.

COLLINS: Mystery solved in Maryland. Health officials may have an answer to why dozens of students fell ill at a college conference last weekend. Test results now show that a noro (ph) virus may be responsible for an outbreak that sickened more than 100 people. Doctors say noro virus is highly contagious and cannot be treated with antibiotics. The virus causes flu-like symptoms and is not life- threatening.

Libya is agreeing to pay $35 million to compensate victims of a bombing at a Berlin disco nearly 20 years ago. The 1986 nightclub blast killed two U.S. soldiers and a Turkish woman. Libyan officials say they are satisfied with the terms of the deal, but are demanding compensation from the United States for retaliatory airstrikes against the North African country.

Louisiana serial killing suspect Derrick Todd Lee has been convicted in the first of several murder trials against him. Lee now faces a mandatory life sentence for the killing of a woman in 2002. A jury convicted him yesterday of second-degree murder in the death of Geralyn DeSoto. Police claim DNA evidence links Lee to the murders of six other women between April of 1998 and March of 2003.

And the lights of New York's Empire State Building were dimmed last night in honor of the actress Fay Wray. The actress died at her Manhattan home on Sunday at the age of 96. The 1933 classic, "King Kong," brought Wray fame. The skyscraper's lights were dimmed for 15 minutes.

Back to you -- Bill.

HEMMER: And we were all looking out. Thank you, Carol, for that.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, the battle of the movie rental giants. Blockbuster takes aim at a competitor, and you could come out the winner. We'll tell you how.

HEMMER: Also, Naomi Campbell is a knockout, but maybe not in that kind of way. The maid and the model in a bit of slap fest later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.

A popular DVD by mail service is getting a bit of competition.

Christine Romans is working for Andy this week "Minding Your Business."

Good morning to you.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

HEMMER: This is a big business.

ROMANS: Yes, a big business. Last time you rented a movie or you rented a film, where did you get it? Was it on demand video?

HEMMER: I live in New York. I can go to the theater and see anything I want.

ROMANS: OK, that's not the right answer. The last time you watched a movie at home?

COLLINS: On demand.

ROMANS: On demand.

COLLINS: "Monster."

TOURE, "ROLLING STONE": On demand.

ROMANS: Absolutely.

TOURE: Absolutely.

ROMANS: Blockbuster used to be...

HEMMER: Sorry, Christine. On demand.

ROMANS: There you go. No, Blockbuster used to be the king of this business of watching a movie in your home. Right? Well, Netflix came along. If you go on the Internet, you could, you know, for, like, 21 bucks a month you could put a few names in. The company would send you a DVD. You could watch it at home, return it whenever you wanted. You didn't have any late fees. And Blockbuster has been losing business because of this.

Now, Blockbuster finally is getting in this business, though some say it's a little late, isn't it?

The DVD delivery service is a very big business. Wal-Mart is in it. For $18.76 a month you can get a handful of movies and send them back. Blockbuster is now going to do it 19.99. Netflix is 21.99.

The bottom line for consumers is the more people that in this game, whether or not Blockbuster is late, the more people that are in it, the better it is for you. You'll get coupons in the mail. You'll get free movies. So...

HEMMER: They've got some catching up to do.

ROMANS: They have a little bit of catching up to do. But the good thing for you is that, you know, it will be easier to watch movies in your house.

HEMMER: Yes. OK, listen, the markets were flying yesterday. We don't have time for it. But we'll talk about Cisco. The news came out pretty positive, but the stock went down.

ROMANS: Yes, John Chambers said cautious optimism from his customers. Cautious is a word that they don't like to hear in tech. Oh, that's the stock so far, but we'll see. It looks like it's going to be lower today.

HEMMER: Good deal. Christine, thanks. ROMANS: OK, sure.

COLLINS: Thanks, Christine.

Jack is on vacation, as you know. But Toure is here with the "Question of the Day."

TOURE: I am.

COLLINS: Did you make people mad?

TOURE: I hope so. A lot of people are agreeing with me. The opening ceremony for the Olympic is Friday. Some people are concerned about terrorism. I'm concerned about boredom.

Two people were killed when bombs went off in Turkey yesterday. What about you? If money was not a factor, would you go to Athens for the Olympics or, like me, would you stay your butt at home? I'm staying at home, because the Olympics are meaningless.

HEMMER: I'm going!

TOURE: Others, like John from Madison, Wisconsin: "Money has done so much to destroy sports, they hold no interest for me. It's not competition for the best athletic performance; it's competition for the best endorsement contract. I have no desire to support deodorants, clothes or drug contracts."

Eric from Canada: "I definitely attend the Olympics. I want to show support for Western athletes as they give it their all."

See? That's a Canadian. It matters in Canada.

Weldon from New Brunswick, Canada says: "Downtown Baghdad would be much safer than Athens. At least there would be no surprises."

Andrew says: "I totally agree with Toure. If it weren't for McDonald's commercials I would have never known about the Olympics."

Exactly.

COLLINS: You picked these? You picked these.

TOURE: No, no, no, Casey (ph) picked them.

COLLINS: OK.

HEMMER: Keep going.

TOURE: And Reg (ph) from Thunder Bay, Ontario: "Anyone who enjoys watching the shot putt should get a life! And who wants to watch NBA all-stars beat up on a little amateur team from Bulgaria."

Reg, I've got to correct you, though. The NBA all-stars are struggling to stay in there.

COLLINS: They are.

HEMMER: And that is why this is such a great story. I mean, the basketball team is just one story. Phelps in the pool, we'll see how he does. It's the story lines that develop over 15 days.

TOURE: Phelps (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HEMMER: And to see young men and women from all over the world get their chance to be the absolute best that they can be one time.

COLLINS: And that, my friend, is what it's about.

TOURE: Apple pie now and...

HEMMER: Hey, I've got a headline for the "Times" I'm going to share with you later on this same topic.

TOURE: Please.

COLLINS: Still to come this morning, Supermodel Naomi Campbell is in a tussle with her housekeeper. But is the maid just looking to clean up? "90-Second Pop" is next, here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Every Wednesday about this time we bring you "90-Second Pop."

So here now, our pop players, Andy Borowitz, the man responsible for BorowitzReport.com, Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine, and B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly."

Thanks, guys, for being here today.

Andy, let's start with you. Naomi Campbell, she's known for kind of having this temper. There have been incidents before.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Right.

COLLINS: But now her maid is saying that the supermodel slapped her, sent her to the hospital. What's happening here?

BOROWITZ: Well, you know, Heidi, I'm chief of CNN's Naomi Campbell bureau. So, I've been on this for some time.

COLLINS: It's a new bureau.

BOROWITZ: But, yes, apparently this happens all of the time to supermodels. She asked her housekeeper to help her pack for Brazil. And I guess she balked at that request. And then there were some fisticuffs, apparently. I heard this story, and I just said, "I smell reality show," because it sort of combines "America's Top Model" and "The Contender." It's sort of like a combination of bashing and boxing. So I think there's going to be a happy ending. I do.

SARAH BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: I think it's also kind of like which came first? Is she acting like she thinks a supermodel is supposed to act? Or is she really like this and that's how it happened?

B.J. SIGESMUND, "US WEEKLY": Well, this...

BOROWITZ: Right.

BERNARD: I mean, she's acting it out, right?

SIGESMUND: She is obviously really like this. So remember, Naomi Campbell hit her assistant with a cell phone back in 1998.

COLLINS: Right.

SIGESMUND: And she admitted it. She pleaded guilty to that in 2,000 and had to go to anger management school. Clearly, she didn't graduate with honors, because she's back to her old tricks apparently.

COLLINS: No.

BOROWITZ: My sources tell me that Naomi regrets this incident. In her words she says, I'm not as known to wash my underwear. So she is feeling bad.

SIGESMUND: The best part of this is that the housekeeper is of Jamaican -- from Jamaica. And Naomi is of Jamaican descent.

COLLINS: Yes.

SIGESMUND: And just last week, Naomi was honored at city hall in New York for Jamaican -- or her work for Jamaican independence.

COLLINS: All right. Well, maybe they're rethinking that one today. Hmm.

All right, Sarah, let me ask you about Latoya Jackson. She's got a new song. It's a hit. It's called "Just Wanna Dance."

BERNARD: Right.

COLLINS: But the funny thing here, she didn't put her name on it?

BERNARD: I know. She's trying to...

COLLINS: Toy.

BERNARD: She's trying to change her image, exactly, distance herself from the Jacksons. She's just calling herself Toy, and she was claiming that deejays didn't know who this mysterious person was until she personally called a bunch of them and said, you know, it's me, it's me.

And what's really interesting is that, I think it's hit No. 14 on one of the billboard charts, but I didn't realize it. There's actually multiple billboard charts. BOROWITZ: Oh yes.

SIGESMUND: Yes.

BERNARD: It's not like there is just one thing. So this is obviously the chart for less -- or maybe untalented Jackson family members...

SIGESMUND: Oh! I want to say...

BERNARD: ... who just, you know, have to have their own chart...

SIGESMUND: To me...

BERNARD: ... because otherwise they'd never get, you know, close to the top then.

SIGESMUND: I just don't believe this at all. She herself admitted some of the deejays didn't know it was me. Well, that means some of them did know it was her. And if you were going to put on a song by this artist, I think that you are going to say, well, this is Latoya Jackson as Toy. It's clearly a marketing and a PR ploy, to me.

BOROWITZ: I just hope other Jacksons don't start shortening their names, like Tito for example. I just really don't.

COLLINS: That would be very bad.

BOROWITZ: They'd have problems in that area.

SIGESMUND: But she does have a point, which is that her last name, Jackson, does come with baggage.

BOROWITZ: A little.

SIGESMUND: And that she doesn't get taken seriously anymore.

BERNARD: But she needs a -- I mean, it would like Ashlee Simpson just being Ashlee, just being Ashlee with, you know, nothing else.

COLLINS: Oh, that's probably pretty debatable. Another debate out there, though. This has to do with the Three Stooges. They're coming out with sort of a new version, but they're releasing it in Technicolor and then also black and white.

SIGESMUND: Right.

COLLINS: People who want the black and white, the purists are probably not very happy about this, right?

SIGESMUND: Right. Well, here you go. You can see. This is a DVD that's coming out this week...

COLLINS: They look so blue.

SIGESMUND: ... of the Three Stooges. They are looking very blue. The debate is do you want to see them colorized or not? And they're putting out one DVD of black and white Three Stooges and one of colorized. I myself have never had a big problem with the colorization thing. I think that it sometimes looks a little tacky and strange, but as long...

COLLINS: But the purists are saying that this has put a desecration of a classic.

BOROWITZ: Well, much like "Citizen Kane." I mean, I think that, you know, the Three Stooges, there is that classic element to them. Personally, I think that they lost their attempt at classic when they introduced Shemp. I really do.

BERNARD: Oh!

BOROWITZ: I think that's when the franchise...

BERNARD: I wanted to know if they colorized it, do you think they could make it funny, because I just can't -- I don't understand.

BOROWITZ: Humorized?

COLLINS: Oh, you don't think that's funny.

BERNARD: No! I mean, obviously it's not for me. But I think that the people who really are fans probably want to see it in the original.

BOROWITZ: Well, you know, those moments...

BERNARD: So I kind of understand why...

BOROWITZ: You know those moments when they would hit each other over the head with hammers and stuff?

BERNARD: Do you think that's funny?

BOROWITZ: Well, I heard that that was very influential for Naomi Campbell actually.

COLLINS: I was just going to say.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: She said that was very informative. Very informative.

COLLINS: All right, guys, as always, Andy, Sarah and B.J., thanks so much, you guys.

Bill -- back to you.

HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.

A break here. In a moment on AMERICAN MORNING, the very latest on Porter Goss, some reaction. A Republican out of Florida, he is. We'll talk to a Democratic senator who may help determine his fate. Back in a moment, top of the hour, as we roll on, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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Aired August 11, 2004 - 07:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Also, we'll talk about Florida Congressman Porter Goss. He's the president's pick to head up the CIA. But there is some controversy over whether the Republican can be non-partisan on the new job. We'll talk to one of his supporters, Senate Intelligence Committee member Chuck Hagel.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also, on a much lighter note this morning, the supermodel, Naomi Campbell. Apparently her temper, well- known in some circles I am told, once again is putting her name in the news. This time, she's facing allegations from her housekeeper. And our popper panel has that a bit later this hour.

COLLINS: We will get to that in just a little while.

Meanwhile, though, American forces are battling Shiite fighters in Najaf this morning. They are fighting from the ground and air. The Army says U.S. soldiers are pushing south, fighting with insurgents loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr. He keeps encouraging those fighters.

CNN's Matthew Chance is with the U.S. Marines in Najaf. He's joining us now there on the telephone.

Matthew -- what can you tell us? What are you seeing?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, there is still intensive fighting going on, but only at certain times. It's not like it's continuous.

Nevertheless, U.S. Marines, U.S. 1st Calvary Division troops are clashing with these militants loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Much of the fighting is going on around or inside a tight cordon that has been thrown around the ancient and sacred mosque of Imam Ali in the center of Najaf, where the are apparently gunmen of the Mehdi army loyal to Muqtada al Sadr, shooting and firing rocket- propelled grenades and mortars out from that mosque area compound towards U.S. forces that are enforcing that perimeter.

Now, there has been a great deal of concern amongst the U.S. military about how they are going to flush those militants out of the mosque, because it is one of the holiest shrines in Shia Islam. People in the U.S. military here in Najaf we've spoken to are saying they are very sensitive to the local sensibilities here. They don't want to cause a big backlash if U.S. troops move into that mosque. That's what they feel would happen or could happen.

So, they're looking at a number of options to get those militants out of there. They've been trying political negotiations from the Interim Iraqi Government, urging Muqtada al Sadr to call his men off.

They're now looking at other options involving perhaps going into the mosque, but not with U.S. forces but with an Iraqi military platoon going into that mosque.

Again, a number of options on the table. They haven't decided what they're going to do yet to bring this crisis to an end.

COLLINS: Let me ask you quickly, Matthew, what about the civilians in Najaf? What's their reaction been to this latest fighting, and Muqtada al Sadr saying that he's just going to continue to fight and, as we said, encourage those who are fighting with him?

CHANCE: Well, as often in these situations, it's the innocent civilians that often bear the brunt of this kind of confrontation. Certainly we know from hospital officials in Najaf that civilians have been killed and have been injured, caught the cross-fire in this sometimes ferocious battling between the U.S. troops and those Mehdi army fighters.

Yesterday, a new tactic was adopted by the U.S. forces on the ground there. They drove around in patrols through the streets of Najaf with loudspeakers, urging in Arabic people who are not associated with the fighting to leave the battle zone, to clear the way for the area, leading people to believe that may be a big new operation under way to try and clear the area of Mehdi army fighters.

So, certainly there are some efforts being made to keep the civilian population out of it, certainly by the U.S. troops. But nevertheless, they are getting caught up in it.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Matthew coming to us directly from Najaf, the latest hotbed of fighting in Iraq.

HEMMER: Well, that continues from overseas.

Back in this country now and the story that broke about this time yesterday. President Bush wants Republican Congressman Porter Goss out of the state of Florida to be his next head of the CIA. Goss is a former CIA officer and was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. And his nomination is getting mixed reviews from Democrats, who say he could be too partisan.

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel out of Nebraska supports the nomination. He is my guest now live in Washington.

Senator, welcome back. Good morning to you.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Will Porter Goss be confirmed?

HAGEL: Oh, I think he will be. He is a very experienced, thoughtful, respected leader. He understands the intelligence community. Much of his has been spent in the intelligence community. And I think he will be our next CIA director. HEMMER: How do you deal with the detractors? And on the screen, Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat from West Virginia, questioned, said he was disappointed in fact by the nomination, saying they need someone who is objective and independent. How will this square now with some of your Senate colleagues who believe this was a political issue that should not have been dealt with this way?

HAGEL: Well, certainly Senator Rockefeller is going to be a very important leader and player here in the confirmation process of Congressman Goss. As you know, Senator Rockefeller is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

I think it's important that all of these issues that Senator Rockefeller and others are bringing up be addressed during the hearing. They will be. And they are fair questions to ask.

But I think in the end, there will be little doubt that this man is superbly qualified. He will do the right thing for this country, as he always has done. And he'll be confirmed.

HEMMER: If that's the case, then why are so many are throwing water on it already?.

HAGEL: Well, I don't know how many are throwing water on it. The two Democratic senators from Florida have been very enthusiastic about the nomination of Porter Goss; one including Bob Graham, who has been quite critical about our intelligence community. As a matter of fact, Senator Graham from Florida was once the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He carries an awful lot of weight on this issue, and he's been very enthusiastic about this nomination.

HEMMER: Also, Senator, former CIA head, retired Admiral Stansfield Turner, he said this about the nomination: "This is all to help George Bush win votes in the state of Florida. This is the worst appointment that's ever been made to the office of director of Central Intelligence, because that's an office that needs to be kept above partisan politics."

Is in a point there? Or how do you counter that, your reaction?

HAGEL: Well, certainly Admiral Stansfield Turner has his opinions, should have his opinion, and I respect that opinion. But the fact is you can take any nominee for any office and start picking him apart and questioning motives and background and purpose. But in the end it will always be about where the man or the woman has been from, what they have done, how they are viewed by their colleagues, are they men and women above reproach, have they always put this country first?

And I think it's always in the end, too, anchored by integrity, character and experience. And certainly Porter Goss comes out very strong in all of those categories.

HEMMER: Senator, one final question here. At the outset, you said you believe he will be confirmed. Will that happen before November 2, Election Day? HAGEL: Well, I can't predict anything. I'm just 1 of 100 senators. I sit on the Intelligence Committee, where we will have and preside over those nomination hearings. But I think that you will find a very expeditious handling of this nomination. I would look for that to be in early September.

I don't think the Democrats want to play politics with this. I don't think the Republicans want this to lag, nor should it, for the interests of our country. And I look for him to be nominated officially, formally, with the paperwork up here, and be confirmed in the Senate before we go home for our fall election break.

HEMMER: Thank you, Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska in Washington.

HAGEL: Thank you.

HEMMER: Next hour, we'll talk about the nomination of Porter Goss with Michigan Senator Carl Levin, a leading Democrat on the Intelligence Committee on the Senate side -- Heidi.

COLLINS: On the campaign trail, Senator John Kerry accused President Bush of broken promises. Speaking in Las Vegas yesterday, the Democratic challenger said the White House put politics above science by supporting a nuclear waste dump in Nevada.

Kerry also defended his stance on the Iraq war, saying he hadn't changed his position in assailing the president's handling of the situation. The senator heads for Los Angeles tonight as he continues his western road trip.

Meanwhile in Florida, the war of words about Iraq continued as President Bush appeared with a Vietnam War hero, Senator John McCain. The president mocked Senator Kerry's defense of his views on the war and rejected the Democrats' timetable for withdrawing troops.

Today, the president spends his second day on the campaign trial with Senator McCain. The two are stumping in New Mexico and Arizona.

And the president and first lady sit down with Larry King this week for an exclusive interview. It will come your way tomorrow night, 9:00 Eastern, again on "LARRY KING LIVE."

Right now, though, it's just about 7:40 past -- 7:40 that is. It's time now for a look at some of today's other news and Carol Costello.

Good morning -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Heidi. Thank you.

COLLINS: Mystery solved in Maryland. Health officials may have an answer to why dozens of students fell ill at a college conference last weekend. Test results now show that a noro (ph) virus may be responsible for an outbreak that sickened more than 100 people. Doctors say noro virus is highly contagious and cannot be treated with antibiotics. The virus causes flu-like symptoms and is not life- threatening.

Libya is agreeing to pay $35 million to compensate victims of a bombing at a Berlin disco nearly 20 years ago. The 1986 nightclub blast killed two U.S. soldiers and a Turkish woman. Libyan officials say they are satisfied with the terms of the deal, but are demanding compensation from the United States for retaliatory airstrikes against the North African country.

Louisiana serial killing suspect Derrick Todd Lee has been convicted in the first of several murder trials against him. Lee now faces a mandatory life sentence for the killing of a woman in 2002. A jury convicted him yesterday of second-degree murder in the death of Geralyn DeSoto. Police claim DNA evidence links Lee to the murders of six other women between April of 1998 and March of 2003.

And the lights of New York's Empire State Building were dimmed last night in honor of the actress Fay Wray. The actress died at her Manhattan home on Sunday at the age of 96. The 1933 classic, "King Kong," brought Wray fame. The skyscraper's lights were dimmed for 15 minutes.

Back to you -- Bill.

HEMMER: And we were all looking out. Thank you, Carol, for that.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, the battle of the movie rental giants. Blockbuster takes aim at a competitor, and you could come out the winner. We'll tell you how.

HEMMER: Also, Naomi Campbell is a knockout, but maybe not in that kind of way. The maid and the model in a bit of slap fest later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone.

A popular DVD by mail service is getting a bit of competition.

Christine Romans is working for Andy this week "Minding Your Business."

Good morning to you.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

HEMMER: This is a big business.

ROMANS: Yes, a big business. Last time you rented a movie or you rented a film, where did you get it? Was it on demand video?

HEMMER: I live in New York. I can go to the theater and see anything I want.

ROMANS: OK, that's not the right answer. The last time you watched a movie at home?

COLLINS: On demand.

ROMANS: On demand.

COLLINS: "Monster."

TOURE, "ROLLING STONE": On demand.

ROMANS: Absolutely.

TOURE: Absolutely.

ROMANS: Blockbuster used to be...

HEMMER: Sorry, Christine. On demand.

ROMANS: There you go. No, Blockbuster used to be the king of this business of watching a movie in your home. Right? Well, Netflix came along. If you go on the Internet, you could, you know, for, like, 21 bucks a month you could put a few names in. The company would send you a DVD. You could watch it at home, return it whenever you wanted. You didn't have any late fees. And Blockbuster has been losing business because of this.

Now, Blockbuster finally is getting in this business, though some say it's a little late, isn't it?

The DVD delivery service is a very big business. Wal-Mart is in it. For $18.76 a month you can get a handful of movies and send them back. Blockbuster is now going to do it 19.99. Netflix is 21.99.

The bottom line for consumers is the more people that in this game, whether or not Blockbuster is late, the more people that are in it, the better it is for you. You'll get coupons in the mail. You'll get free movies. So...

HEMMER: They've got some catching up to do.

ROMANS: They have a little bit of catching up to do. But the good thing for you is that, you know, it will be easier to watch movies in your house.

HEMMER: Yes. OK, listen, the markets were flying yesterday. We don't have time for it. But we'll talk about Cisco. The news came out pretty positive, but the stock went down.

ROMANS: Yes, John Chambers said cautious optimism from his customers. Cautious is a word that they don't like to hear in tech. Oh, that's the stock so far, but we'll see. It looks like it's going to be lower today.

HEMMER: Good deal. Christine, thanks. ROMANS: OK, sure.

COLLINS: Thanks, Christine.

Jack is on vacation, as you know. But Toure is here with the "Question of the Day."

TOURE: I am.

COLLINS: Did you make people mad?

TOURE: I hope so. A lot of people are agreeing with me. The opening ceremony for the Olympic is Friday. Some people are concerned about terrorism. I'm concerned about boredom.

Two people were killed when bombs went off in Turkey yesterday. What about you? If money was not a factor, would you go to Athens for the Olympics or, like me, would you stay your butt at home? I'm staying at home, because the Olympics are meaningless.

HEMMER: I'm going!

TOURE: Others, like John from Madison, Wisconsin: "Money has done so much to destroy sports, they hold no interest for me. It's not competition for the best athletic performance; it's competition for the best endorsement contract. I have no desire to support deodorants, clothes or drug contracts."

Eric from Canada: "I definitely attend the Olympics. I want to show support for Western athletes as they give it their all."

See? That's a Canadian. It matters in Canada.

Weldon from New Brunswick, Canada says: "Downtown Baghdad would be much safer than Athens. At least there would be no surprises."

Andrew says: "I totally agree with Toure. If it weren't for McDonald's commercials I would have never known about the Olympics."

Exactly.

COLLINS: You picked these? You picked these.

TOURE: No, no, no, Casey (ph) picked them.

COLLINS: OK.

HEMMER: Keep going.

TOURE: And Reg (ph) from Thunder Bay, Ontario: "Anyone who enjoys watching the shot putt should get a life! And who wants to watch NBA all-stars beat up on a little amateur team from Bulgaria."

Reg, I've got to correct you, though. The NBA all-stars are struggling to stay in there.

COLLINS: They are.

HEMMER: And that is why this is such a great story. I mean, the basketball team is just one story. Phelps in the pool, we'll see how he does. It's the story lines that develop over 15 days.

TOURE: Phelps (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HEMMER: And to see young men and women from all over the world get their chance to be the absolute best that they can be one time.

COLLINS: And that, my friend, is what it's about.

TOURE: Apple pie now and...

HEMMER: Hey, I've got a headline for the "Times" I'm going to share with you later on this same topic.

TOURE: Please.

COLLINS: Still to come this morning, Supermodel Naomi Campbell is in a tussle with her housekeeper. But is the maid just looking to clean up? "90-Second Pop" is next, here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Every Wednesday about this time we bring you "90-Second Pop."

So here now, our pop players, Andy Borowitz, the man responsible for BorowitzReport.com, Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine, and B.J. Sigesmund, staff editor for "US Weekly."

Thanks, guys, for being here today.

Andy, let's start with you. Naomi Campbell, she's known for kind of having this temper. There have been incidents before.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: Right.

COLLINS: But now her maid is saying that the supermodel slapped her, sent her to the hospital. What's happening here?

BOROWITZ: Well, you know, Heidi, I'm chief of CNN's Naomi Campbell bureau. So, I've been on this for some time.

COLLINS: It's a new bureau.

BOROWITZ: But, yes, apparently this happens all of the time to supermodels. She asked her housekeeper to help her pack for Brazil. And I guess she balked at that request. And then there were some fisticuffs, apparently. I heard this story, and I just said, "I smell reality show," because it sort of combines "America's Top Model" and "The Contender." It's sort of like a combination of bashing and boxing. So I think there's going to be a happy ending. I do.

SARAH BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: I think it's also kind of like which came first? Is she acting like she thinks a supermodel is supposed to act? Or is she really like this and that's how it happened?

B.J. SIGESMUND, "US WEEKLY": Well, this...

BOROWITZ: Right.

BERNARD: I mean, she's acting it out, right?

SIGESMUND: She is obviously really like this. So remember, Naomi Campbell hit her assistant with a cell phone back in 1998.

COLLINS: Right.

SIGESMUND: And she admitted it. She pleaded guilty to that in 2,000 and had to go to anger management school. Clearly, she didn't graduate with honors, because she's back to her old tricks apparently.

COLLINS: No.

BOROWITZ: My sources tell me that Naomi regrets this incident. In her words she says, I'm not as known to wash my underwear. So she is feeling bad.

SIGESMUND: The best part of this is that the housekeeper is of Jamaican -- from Jamaica. And Naomi is of Jamaican descent.

COLLINS: Yes.

SIGESMUND: And just last week, Naomi was honored at city hall in New York for Jamaican -- or her work for Jamaican independence.

COLLINS: All right. Well, maybe they're rethinking that one today. Hmm.

All right, Sarah, let me ask you about Latoya Jackson. She's got a new song. It's a hit. It's called "Just Wanna Dance."

BERNARD: Right.

COLLINS: But the funny thing here, she didn't put her name on it?

BERNARD: I know. She's trying to...

COLLINS: Toy.

BERNARD: She's trying to change her image, exactly, distance herself from the Jacksons. She's just calling herself Toy, and she was claiming that deejays didn't know who this mysterious person was until she personally called a bunch of them and said, you know, it's me, it's me.

And what's really interesting is that, I think it's hit No. 14 on one of the billboard charts, but I didn't realize it. There's actually multiple billboard charts. BOROWITZ: Oh yes.

SIGESMUND: Yes.

BERNARD: It's not like there is just one thing. So this is obviously the chart for less -- or maybe untalented Jackson family members...

SIGESMUND: Oh! I want to say...

BERNARD: ... who just, you know, have to have their own chart...

SIGESMUND: To me...

BERNARD: ... because otherwise they'd never get, you know, close to the top then.

SIGESMUND: I just don't believe this at all. She herself admitted some of the deejays didn't know it was me. Well, that means some of them did know it was her. And if you were going to put on a song by this artist, I think that you are going to say, well, this is Latoya Jackson as Toy. It's clearly a marketing and a PR ploy, to me.

BOROWITZ: I just hope other Jacksons don't start shortening their names, like Tito for example. I just really don't.

COLLINS: That would be very bad.

BOROWITZ: They'd have problems in that area.

SIGESMUND: But she does have a point, which is that her last name, Jackson, does come with baggage.

BOROWITZ: A little.

SIGESMUND: And that she doesn't get taken seriously anymore.

BERNARD: But she needs a -- I mean, it would like Ashlee Simpson just being Ashlee, just being Ashlee with, you know, nothing else.

COLLINS: Oh, that's probably pretty debatable. Another debate out there, though. This has to do with the Three Stooges. They're coming out with sort of a new version, but they're releasing it in Technicolor and then also black and white.

SIGESMUND: Right.

COLLINS: People who want the black and white, the purists are probably not very happy about this, right?

SIGESMUND: Right. Well, here you go. You can see. This is a DVD that's coming out this week...

COLLINS: They look so blue.

SIGESMUND: ... of the Three Stooges. They are looking very blue. The debate is do you want to see them colorized or not? And they're putting out one DVD of black and white Three Stooges and one of colorized. I myself have never had a big problem with the colorization thing. I think that it sometimes looks a little tacky and strange, but as long...

COLLINS: But the purists are saying that this has put a desecration of a classic.

BOROWITZ: Well, much like "Citizen Kane." I mean, I think that, you know, the Three Stooges, there is that classic element to them. Personally, I think that they lost their attempt at classic when they introduced Shemp. I really do.

BERNARD: Oh!

BOROWITZ: I think that's when the franchise...

BERNARD: I wanted to know if they colorized it, do you think they could make it funny, because I just can't -- I don't understand.

BOROWITZ: Humorized?

COLLINS: Oh, you don't think that's funny.

BERNARD: No! I mean, obviously it's not for me. But I think that the people who really are fans probably want to see it in the original.

BOROWITZ: Well, you know, those moments...

BERNARD: So I kind of understand why...

BOROWITZ: You know those moments when they would hit each other over the head with hammers and stuff?

BERNARD: Do you think that's funny?

BOROWITZ: Well, I heard that that was very influential for Naomi Campbell actually.

COLLINS: I was just going to say.

(CROSSTALK)

BOROWITZ: She said that was very informative. Very informative.

COLLINS: All right, guys, as always, Andy, Sarah and B.J., thanks so much, you guys.

Bill -- back to you.

HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.

A break here. In a moment on AMERICAN MORNING, the very latest on Porter Goss, some reaction. A Republican out of Florida, he is. We'll talk to a Democratic senator who may help determine his fate. Back in a moment, top of the hour, as we roll on, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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