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CNN Live Today
Democrat John Kerry Trying to Grab Political Spotlight Before Republicans Take Center Stage; The Politics of the Pulpit
Aired August 25, 2004 - 11:29 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan in Atlanta. Let's check what's happening "Now in the News" for this Wednesday, August 25.
Investigators are trying to figure out what caused two airliners to crash in Russia, killing 89 people. Both planes went down within minutes of each other, some 450 miles apart, after taking off from the same Moscow airport.
An Army report on abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib Prison will be -- will be released in two hours. Live coverage on CNN at 1:30 Eastern. The investigation is expected to recommend possible additional legal steps against two dozen or more individuals.
New reports of hostages in Iraq. According to video aired on Turkish television, Islamic militants are threatening to kill two Turkish electrical workers in 72 hours if their firms continue to operate inside Iraq.
Here in the U.S., the investigator who set up the wiretaps on Scott Peterson's cell phone takes the stand when trial resumes next hour. Yesterday, the defense wrapped up their cross-examination of Peterson's mistress, Amber Frey.
You can call it a symbol of safety and security. Today, at the New York Stock Exchange, Tom Ridge rang the bell, opening up today's session. It's meant as an endorsement of security at the building, that was recently thought to be a target for terrorism, and the safety in New York City.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECY.: If you take a look at the largest and probably one of the best trained police forces in the world, perhaps, add the New York State Police, add the National Guard, add thousands of federal agents and representatives of law enforcement community, add the technology. We've had great cooperation from our partners in Connecticut, New Jersey, and all the other efforts, up and down, among the state, and at the local level. It's very secure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: We'll hear more from Secretary Ridge. In about 45 minutes, he'll be holding a news conference with New York Governor George Pataki and the city's Mayor Bloomberg. Democrat John Kerry is trying to grab the political spotlight before the Republicans take center stage in New York. "INSIDE POLITICS" Judy Woodruff is watching it all. She's on the road.
Judy, in New York City, hello.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Daryn.
I'm in New York City, right in front of the CNN Election Express bus.
KAGAN: I hope you guys got a good parking space, not easy to find that on the streets of New York City. We're going to pull out to wide shot.
WOODRUFF: I'm surprised they made room for us.
KAGAN: I know.
Hey, Senator Kerry, we saw him live in Philadelphia. How is he trying to move past the swift boat controversy, which seems to just keep hanging around?
WOODRUFF: Well, Daryn, you could say he both is and he isn't moving past it. On the one hand, he says he's talking about the economy, he's talking about choices American voters have to make. Today, he put out a statement, calling on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign over the abuses at the Abu Ghraib Prison.
But at the same time, John Kerry has sent former Senator Max Cleland and his former Vietnam swift boat colleague, Jim Rassmann, to Crawford, Texas, in what some people are saying is a bit of a political stunt. But what they're doing is serious, they're delivering a letter to President Bush at his ranch, saying -- a letter signed by nine Democratic members of Congress, who are war veterans, calling on the president, specifically to condemn these Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads.
They -- we've been hearing about this for weeks. But in effect, what this does, Daryn, is it prolong the controversy, and it comes on a day when Ben Ginsberg, who is a lawyer advising the Bush/Cheney campaign, who also was a chief adviser during the Florida recount in 2000, is stepping down from the campaign, because it's been disclosed he's also been advising the anti-Kerry Swift Boat Veterans.
So a lot still roiling the waters. That swift boat controversy still not behind him.
KAGAN: All right. Let's talk about vice president Dick Cheney, made some comments yesterday about gay marriage, and this has some conservatives upset.
WOODRUFF: Well, it does. And, Daryn, CNN has been reporting this, that in effect, what the vice president did was, for the first time, came out and spoke openly about the fact that he and his wife, Lynn, have two daughters, one of whom is gay, Mary Cheney. And he went on to say, in I think what is more significant from a policy standpoint, that he disagrees with the president. This has, I think, been known. But it's the first time the vice president has been so explicit about his own views, that he has a different view from the president. The president, as we know, is promoting a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The vice president says this is something he thinks should be left up to the state.
The reason it's so important and interesting right now, is that today, yesterday, all this week, Republicans are meeting in New York, hammering out their party platform. That platform has language in it calling for that constitutional ban on gay marriage. The Log Cabin Republicans, who are Republicans, a group of gay Republicans who promote gay rights, are saying they may even fight that on the floor of the convention. '
So it's a bit of a dilemma for the Republicans. It -- we'll be watching today and tomorrow to see how they put this behind them, or try to put this to rest.
KAGAN: And of course, we should point out, you didn't just randomly park the bus on the streets of New York City. You are there leading up to the Republican National Convection, that begins on Monday.
WOODRUFF: That's right. We are here. It start on Monday. We're here for all this week. In fact, tomorrow, Daryn, we're going to be parked at Chelsea Pier, not too far away from where we are today.
Let me just quickly put in a plug for "INSIDE POLITICS." Today, we're going to be having a debate between Patrick Guerriero, who is the head of the Log Cabin Republicans, on the one hand, and a representative of the Family Research Council to discuss what the vice president had to say yesterday about gay marriage. Just getting in a plug.
KAGAN: All right, you're always welcome to plug your show on my show. Judy, always a pleasure. You enjoy New York City.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Daryn.
KAGAN: It looks like Mother Nature did her part and brought you so beautiful weather so enjoy. Thank you so much.
We're going to take a break, and we're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: The bully pulpit, it's using a prominent public position to hammer home your political views. The more common use of the word is in religion. Now results of a new survey suggest that a marrying of those two ideas -- the polls shows that a majority of Americans feel that the Republican Party is more friendly towards religion than Democrats are.
Here to talk more about the politics of the pulpit in this year's presidential race, John Allen, from "The National Catholic Reporter." He is also CNN's Vatican analyst, and he is live with us from Rome.
John, good afternoon in Rome, and good morning from here in the States.
JOHN ALLEN, "NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER": Hey, Daryn, good to be with you.
I want to go through some of these poll numbers, and if you can just comment, and if you could just comment and give us some insight on what you think is going on here.
Let's start with the question, is it important for the president to have strong religious beliefs? Seventy-two percent of the people who were polled said, yes, it is. And not just religious beliefs, but strong religious beliefs.
ALLEN: Yes, I think this is one of the striking things about American politics that makes American presidential campaigns different, for example, than those campaigns we're familiar with over here in Europe. I mean, most Europeans would have a much stronger notion that a president's -- or a politician's religious is his or her own private business, and they would want to keep it out of public discussion.
I think in the States, despite all the kind about the decline of institutional religion and the kind of, you know, secularization and post-Christianization and all of that -- I mean, the truth is, there's a strong bedrock of explicit religious commitment in the States, and people want to see their candidates talking a language that resonates with them. And so, you know, we see presidential candidates never missing an opportunity to finish a speech with God Bless America."
KAGAN: Want to go through two other polls right here, two other questions that show very different types of opinions. This one is: Do you favor stem-cell research? Now, back in 2002, 43 percent of Americans said yes. Now it is up to 52 percent.
Flip to the next question: Do you favor gay marriage? This, interesting in the news because of comments from Vice President Dick Cheney. The question: Do you favor gay marriage? Sixty percent of those asked saying no, they oppose it, and 29 percent saying they favor it. That might put people on different sides of religion and different sides of political parties.
ALLEN: Yes, I mean, it's an interesting set of results. Because normally, we would think of the Republican party being the party that is stronger on the so-called life issues: abortion, gay marriage, stem-cell research, those kinds of things -- from the point of view of religious believer.
The Democrats typically are a little bit stronger from the point of view on religious believers on things like social justice, economic policy, care for the poor. But those two issues you just mentioned are, I suppose, classic wedge issues, because they put people who typically are interested in life issues on different sides of those questions. It's going to be very interesting to see how both parties attempt to respond to it.
KAGAN: And I want to ask you a Catholic question here: Senator John Kerry is Catholic; do you think that is going to play any kind of role in this upcoming election?
ALLEN: Well, you know, the most recent Gallup poll suggests that Catholic-Americans are fairly well divided between Kerry and Bush. I think Kerry has a slight advantage overall, although Bush is ahead among Catholics who are more regular massgoers, that is who go to search services at least once a week.
But you know, the reading seems to be that Catholic-Americans are pretty much like Americans generally, in the sense of being very divided. I mean, it's going to be a very close election.
From the Vatican's point of view, I would say the same thing interestingly. I think a lot people assume that because there's so much talk among Catholic-Americans about abortion issues and the life issues that the Vatican would be solidly pro-Bush. But I don't think that's the case.
I think also over here, there are -- people are of two minds. There are those who would strongly emphasize the culture of life issues, but there are also those who think that Bush's foreign policy -- especially the kind of unilateral approach that they would perceive he has to international diplomacy -- has been destructive, and therefore who would basically be pro-Kerry.
So, I think Catholics everywhere, on this side of the ocean and on your side of the ocean, are divided on this question.
KAGAN: John Allen, joining us from our Rome bureau. Thank you for your insight.
ALLEN: You bet, Daryn.
KAGAN: Focus now -- it's 43 minutes past the hour. Let's focus on news here in the States. An investigator for the D.A.'s office is due on the stand when the Scott Peterson double murder trial resumes. It's going to happen in the next hour.
Our Rusty Dornin's standing by from the courthouse in Redwood City. Rusty, good morning.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, we're anticipating a few empty seats in the courtroom, and the atmosphere certainly a lot quieter now that the most talked about witness to testify in this case has left the building. When Amber Frey left, she took a lot of the drama and intrigue with her.
The prosecution's star witness, her testimony was less about her direct testimony than it was about the hours of taped conversations. But some here wonder how powerful it really was.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): The highly anticipated sparks never flew. Defense Attorney Mark Geragos was persistent, but seemed to again tread lightly in his second day of questioning Amber Frey. Frey retained her composure, but became evasive, even hostile -- several times responding that she didn't recall times and conversations.
Geragos prodded her memory with more taped chats with Scott Peterson. Prosecutors have claimed that Peterson was obsessed with Frey, and his love for her drove him to kill his wife. But when Geragos asked if Peterson ever said he loved her, Frey replied, "not in those words." And then, Geragos played this recorded conversation.
AMBER FREY: She's missing because you love me? Right?
SCOTT PETERSON: Amber, she's missing because someone abducted her.
DORNIN: With other experts, Geragos highlighted how Peterson repeatedly denied involvement in his wife's disappearance. When Frey threatened to go to police, he told her, "Fine, go ahead."
Some legal analysts wonder what exactly Frey's testimony accomplished.
CHUCK SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: Her testimony does not make or break the case. It still is a thin, circumstantial evidence case. Her testimony overall adds to the circumstantial evidence, but not in an overwhelming way.
DORNIN: Scott Peterson's family also dismissed Frey's effect on the jury.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did she testify to, Janey?
JANEY PETERSON, SCOTT PETERSON'S SISTER-IN-LAW: An affair.
DORNIN: Geragos reserved the right to recall Frey during the defense case, which her attorney doubts will ever happen.
GLORIA ALLRED, LOS ANGELES ATTORNEY: If he wants another shot, she'll be ready for it.
DORNIN: But for now, Amber Frey's intense place in the spotlight has ended.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Investigator Steve Jacobson from the Modesto Police Department will be resuming his testimony. He was the one that set up the wiretaps on Scott Peterson's phone. We've yet to hear from the detective that helped Amber Frey actually set up her recordings at her home.
Also, the jury still has to go to the Berkeley Marina. We've got the dog tracking evidence, though. Sources close to the case estimate it's going to be at least three to four weeks before the prosecution wraps it up -- Daryn?
KAGAN: And so, what does that do to the original predicted time frame of how this trial is running, Rusty?
DORNIN: Well, some had estimated October 1st. I think we're looking at late October before this goes to the jury.
KAGAN: You know, Larry King is predicting the verdict's going to come out on election night.
DORNIN: Yes, likely.
KAGAN: Give us a few things to cover. All right, Rusty, thank you.
Heavy soda drinkers beware: There is a new study suggesting the sweetened drinks may contribute to more than just weight gain. That's coming up in today's "Daily Dose."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: It's time for the "Daily Dose" of health news.
Sugary sodas could have bitter consequences when it comes to your health. There is a new study out suggesting a link between high soda consumption and the risk of diabetes in women. Senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's no surprise to anyone that sugary soft drinks aren't particularly good for you. They can lead to weight gain, and now a new study says they may also lead to diabetes.
Listen, we spend $64 billion -- that's with a "B" -- a year on sugary soft drinks. The average American consumes 54 gallons of soft drinks a year. That was a number I though was remarkable.
But all that sugar is starting to take its toll. Big study -- this one done on women -- following them for eight years, 50,000 women and trying to figure out what the impact of soft drinks is on their overall health.
Here's what they found out, you gained about 2.5 pound a year and had an 83 percent increase risk of diabetes if you were drinking one or more sweetened drinks a day. Lowest risk were those who decreased their consumption, and no increased risk in those with stable consumption.
Interestingly, if you had a stable consumption, you really didn't seem to increase your risk. The greatest risk for women would suddenly increased their consumption from being a casual soft drink consumer to someone who actually drank it more than once a day.
Now why is it that it causes diabetes? The is question a lot of people ask. If you think about these sodas, they're a high dose of rapidly-absorbable carbohydrates, sugar. They're increase something in your body known as the glycemic index, which could put you at risk for diabetes.
Of course, luckily, there's good alternatives out there. Water is one of them. That's my favorite. But if you're going to have to drink something besides water, diet soda is going to be better for you than a sugary soda, all things considered, in terms of weight and diabetes. Also, 100 percent fruit juice, always a good option for you and kids.
And here's a little tip: If you are buying a drink, try avoiding buying drinks that list fructose as the first ingredient. Those are the ones that are usually chock full of all kinds of sugar.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical stories, "Special Report," and a health library. The address is CNN.com/health.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)
KAGAN: Checking in on the women at the Olympics. The sweet- faced wrestler who won gold in Sydney finds out sometimes it's easier to come in as the underdog. That story, and more Olympic highlights coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: While one man couldn't wrestle his way to a win, another man wrestled the waves and won. Let's get an update on the Olympic action in Athens. Might and muscle could equal a gold medal. Wrestler Rulon Gardner lost his bid for gold after being thrown to the mat by his competitor from Kazakhstan. Gardner will battle for the bronze later today.
Sharpshooter Lisa Leslie and others leading the way. The women's basketball team from the U.S. is now two games away from the gold. The U.S. team beat Greece 102-72 today, advancing to the semifinals. If they win, it'll be their third straight Olympic gold medal.
And his name means "wave" literally in Hebrew, and he certainly rode them well, all the way to the gold. An Israeli wind surfer named Gal Friedman gave Israel its first Olympic gold medal ever today. Congratulations to him.
(WEATHER REPORT)
KAGAN: That is going to do it for me, Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right here in this seat tomorrow morning. Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C. 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 August 25, 2004 - 11:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Daryn Kagan in Atlanta. Let's check what's happening "Now in the News" for this Wednesday, August 25.
Investigators are trying to figure out what caused two airliners to crash in Russia, killing 89 people. Both planes went down within minutes of each other, some 450 miles apart, after taking off from the same Moscow airport.
An Army report on abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib Prison will be -- will be released in two hours. Live coverage on CNN at 1:30 Eastern. The investigation is expected to recommend possible additional legal steps against two dozen or more individuals.
New reports of hostages in Iraq. According to video aired on Turkish television, Islamic militants are threatening to kill two Turkish electrical workers in 72 hours if their firms continue to operate inside Iraq.
Here in the U.S., the investigator who set up the wiretaps on Scott Peterson's cell phone takes the stand when trial resumes next hour. Yesterday, the defense wrapped up their cross-examination of Peterson's mistress, Amber Frey.
You can call it a symbol of safety and security. Today, at the New York Stock Exchange, Tom Ridge rang the bell, opening up today's session. It's meant as an endorsement of security at the building, that was recently thought to be a target for terrorism, and the safety in New York City.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECY.: If you take a look at the largest and probably one of the best trained police forces in the world, perhaps, add the New York State Police, add the National Guard, add thousands of federal agents and representatives of law enforcement community, add the technology. We've had great cooperation from our partners in Connecticut, New Jersey, and all the other efforts, up and down, among the state, and at the local level. It's very secure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: We'll hear more from Secretary Ridge. In about 45 minutes, he'll be holding a news conference with New York Governor George Pataki and the city's Mayor Bloomberg. Democrat John Kerry is trying to grab the political spotlight before the Republicans take center stage in New York. "INSIDE POLITICS" Judy Woodruff is watching it all. She's on the road.
Judy, in New York City, hello.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Daryn.
I'm in New York City, right in front of the CNN Election Express bus.
KAGAN: I hope you guys got a good parking space, not easy to find that on the streets of New York City. We're going to pull out to wide shot.
WOODRUFF: I'm surprised they made room for us.
KAGAN: I know.
Hey, Senator Kerry, we saw him live in Philadelphia. How is he trying to move past the swift boat controversy, which seems to just keep hanging around?
WOODRUFF: Well, Daryn, you could say he both is and he isn't moving past it. On the one hand, he says he's talking about the economy, he's talking about choices American voters have to make. Today, he put out a statement, calling on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign over the abuses at the Abu Ghraib Prison.
But at the same time, John Kerry has sent former Senator Max Cleland and his former Vietnam swift boat colleague, Jim Rassmann, to Crawford, Texas, in what some people are saying is a bit of a political stunt. But what they're doing is serious, they're delivering a letter to President Bush at his ranch, saying -- a letter signed by nine Democratic members of Congress, who are war veterans, calling on the president, specifically to condemn these Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads.
They -- we've been hearing about this for weeks. But in effect, what this does, Daryn, is it prolong the controversy, and it comes on a day when Ben Ginsberg, who is a lawyer advising the Bush/Cheney campaign, who also was a chief adviser during the Florida recount in 2000, is stepping down from the campaign, because it's been disclosed he's also been advising the anti-Kerry Swift Boat Veterans.
So a lot still roiling the waters. That swift boat controversy still not behind him.
KAGAN: All right. Let's talk about vice president Dick Cheney, made some comments yesterday about gay marriage, and this has some conservatives upset.
WOODRUFF: Well, it does. And, Daryn, CNN has been reporting this, that in effect, what the vice president did was, for the first time, came out and spoke openly about the fact that he and his wife, Lynn, have two daughters, one of whom is gay, Mary Cheney. And he went on to say, in I think what is more significant from a policy standpoint, that he disagrees with the president. This has, I think, been known. But it's the first time the vice president has been so explicit about his own views, that he has a different view from the president. The president, as we know, is promoting a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The vice president says this is something he thinks should be left up to the state.
The reason it's so important and interesting right now, is that today, yesterday, all this week, Republicans are meeting in New York, hammering out their party platform. That platform has language in it calling for that constitutional ban on gay marriage. The Log Cabin Republicans, who are Republicans, a group of gay Republicans who promote gay rights, are saying they may even fight that on the floor of the convention. '
So it's a bit of a dilemma for the Republicans. It -- we'll be watching today and tomorrow to see how they put this behind them, or try to put this to rest.
KAGAN: And of course, we should point out, you didn't just randomly park the bus on the streets of New York City. You are there leading up to the Republican National Convection, that begins on Monday.
WOODRUFF: That's right. We are here. It start on Monday. We're here for all this week. In fact, tomorrow, Daryn, we're going to be parked at Chelsea Pier, not too far away from where we are today.
Let me just quickly put in a plug for "INSIDE POLITICS." Today, we're going to be having a debate between Patrick Guerriero, who is the head of the Log Cabin Republicans, on the one hand, and a representative of the Family Research Council to discuss what the vice president had to say yesterday about gay marriage. Just getting in a plug.
KAGAN: All right, you're always welcome to plug your show on my show. Judy, always a pleasure. You enjoy New York City.
WOODRUFF: Thanks, Daryn.
KAGAN: It looks like Mother Nature did her part and brought you so beautiful weather so enjoy. Thank you so much.
We're going to take a break, and we're back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: The bully pulpit, it's using a prominent public position to hammer home your political views. The more common use of the word is in religion. Now results of a new survey suggest that a marrying of those two ideas -- the polls shows that a majority of Americans feel that the Republican Party is more friendly towards religion than Democrats are.
Here to talk more about the politics of the pulpit in this year's presidential race, John Allen, from "The National Catholic Reporter." He is also CNN's Vatican analyst, and he is live with us from Rome.
John, good afternoon in Rome, and good morning from here in the States.
JOHN ALLEN, "NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER": Hey, Daryn, good to be with you.
I want to go through some of these poll numbers, and if you can just comment, and if you could just comment and give us some insight on what you think is going on here.
Let's start with the question, is it important for the president to have strong religious beliefs? Seventy-two percent of the people who were polled said, yes, it is. And not just religious beliefs, but strong religious beliefs.
ALLEN: Yes, I think this is one of the striking things about American politics that makes American presidential campaigns different, for example, than those campaigns we're familiar with over here in Europe. I mean, most Europeans would have a much stronger notion that a president's -- or a politician's religious is his or her own private business, and they would want to keep it out of public discussion.
I think in the States, despite all the kind about the decline of institutional religion and the kind of, you know, secularization and post-Christianization and all of that -- I mean, the truth is, there's a strong bedrock of explicit religious commitment in the States, and people want to see their candidates talking a language that resonates with them. And so, you know, we see presidential candidates never missing an opportunity to finish a speech with God Bless America."
KAGAN: Want to go through two other polls right here, two other questions that show very different types of opinions. This one is: Do you favor stem-cell research? Now, back in 2002, 43 percent of Americans said yes. Now it is up to 52 percent.
Flip to the next question: Do you favor gay marriage? This, interesting in the news because of comments from Vice President Dick Cheney. The question: Do you favor gay marriage? Sixty percent of those asked saying no, they oppose it, and 29 percent saying they favor it. That might put people on different sides of religion and different sides of political parties.
ALLEN: Yes, I mean, it's an interesting set of results. Because normally, we would think of the Republican party being the party that is stronger on the so-called life issues: abortion, gay marriage, stem-cell research, those kinds of things -- from the point of view of religious believer.
The Democrats typically are a little bit stronger from the point of view on religious believers on things like social justice, economic policy, care for the poor. But those two issues you just mentioned are, I suppose, classic wedge issues, because they put people who typically are interested in life issues on different sides of those questions. It's going to be very interesting to see how both parties attempt to respond to it.
KAGAN: And I want to ask you a Catholic question here: Senator John Kerry is Catholic; do you think that is going to play any kind of role in this upcoming election?
ALLEN: Well, you know, the most recent Gallup poll suggests that Catholic-Americans are fairly well divided between Kerry and Bush. I think Kerry has a slight advantage overall, although Bush is ahead among Catholics who are more regular massgoers, that is who go to search services at least once a week.
But you know, the reading seems to be that Catholic-Americans are pretty much like Americans generally, in the sense of being very divided. I mean, it's going to be a very close election.
From the Vatican's point of view, I would say the same thing interestingly. I think a lot people assume that because there's so much talk among Catholic-Americans about abortion issues and the life issues that the Vatican would be solidly pro-Bush. But I don't think that's the case.
I think also over here, there are -- people are of two minds. There are those who would strongly emphasize the culture of life issues, but there are also those who think that Bush's foreign policy -- especially the kind of unilateral approach that they would perceive he has to international diplomacy -- has been destructive, and therefore who would basically be pro-Kerry.
So, I think Catholics everywhere, on this side of the ocean and on your side of the ocean, are divided on this question.
KAGAN: John Allen, joining us from our Rome bureau. Thank you for your insight.
ALLEN: You bet, Daryn.
KAGAN: Focus now -- it's 43 minutes past the hour. Let's focus on news here in the States. An investigator for the D.A.'s office is due on the stand when the Scott Peterson double murder trial resumes. It's going to happen in the next hour.
Our Rusty Dornin's standing by from the courthouse in Redwood City. Rusty, good morning.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, we're anticipating a few empty seats in the courtroom, and the atmosphere certainly a lot quieter now that the most talked about witness to testify in this case has left the building. When Amber Frey left, she took a lot of the drama and intrigue with her.
The prosecution's star witness, her testimony was less about her direct testimony than it was about the hours of taped conversations. But some here wonder how powerful it really was.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): The highly anticipated sparks never flew. Defense Attorney Mark Geragos was persistent, but seemed to again tread lightly in his second day of questioning Amber Frey. Frey retained her composure, but became evasive, even hostile -- several times responding that she didn't recall times and conversations.
Geragos prodded her memory with more taped chats with Scott Peterson. Prosecutors have claimed that Peterson was obsessed with Frey, and his love for her drove him to kill his wife. But when Geragos asked if Peterson ever said he loved her, Frey replied, "not in those words." And then, Geragos played this recorded conversation.
AMBER FREY: She's missing because you love me? Right?
SCOTT PETERSON: Amber, she's missing because someone abducted her.
DORNIN: With other experts, Geragos highlighted how Peterson repeatedly denied involvement in his wife's disappearance. When Frey threatened to go to police, he told her, "Fine, go ahead."
Some legal analysts wonder what exactly Frey's testimony accomplished.
CHUCK SMITH, LEGAL ANALYST: Her testimony does not make or break the case. It still is a thin, circumstantial evidence case. Her testimony overall adds to the circumstantial evidence, but not in an overwhelming way.
DORNIN: Scott Peterson's family also dismissed Frey's effect on the jury.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did she testify to, Janey?
JANEY PETERSON, SCOTT PETERSON'S SISTER-IN-LAW: An affair.
DORNIN: Geragos reserved the right to recall Frey during the defense case, which her attorney doubts will ever happen.
GLORIA ALLRED, LOS ANGELES ATTORNEY: If he wants another shot, she'll be ready for it.
DORNIN: But for now, Amber Frey's intense place in the spotlight has ended.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Investigator Steve Jacobson from the Modesto Police Department will be resuming his testimony. He was the one that set up the wiretaps on Scott Peterson's phone. We've yet to hear from the detective that helped Amber Frey actually set up her recordings at her home.
Also, the jury still has to go to the Berkeley Marina. We've got the dog tracking evidence, though. Sources close to the case estimate it's going to be at least three to four weeks before the prosecution wraps it up -- Daryn?
KAGAN: And so, what does that do to the original predicted time frame of how this trial is running, Rusty?
DORNIN: Well, some had estimated October 1st. I think we're looking at late October before this goes to the jury.
KAGAN: You know, Larry King is predicting the verdict's going to come out on election night.
DORNIN: Yes, likely.
KAGAN: Give us a few things to cover. All right, Rusty, thank you.
Heavy soda drinkers beware: There is a new study suggesting the sweetened drinks may contribute to more than just weight gain. That's coming up in today's "Daily Dose."
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KAGAN: It's time for the "Daily Dose" of health news.
Sugary sodas could have bitter consequences when it comes to your health. There is a new study out suggesting a link between high soda consumption and the risk of diabetes in women. Senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details on that.
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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's no surprise to anyone that sugary soft drinks aren't particularly good for you. They can lead to weight gain, and now a new study says they may also lead to diabetes.
Listen, we spend $64 billion -- that's with a "B" -- a year on sugary soft drinks. The average American consumes 54 gallons of soft drinks a year. That was a number I though was remarkable.
But all that sugar is starting to take its toll. Big study -- this one done on women -- following them for eight years, 50,000 women and trying to figure out what the impact of soft drinks is on their overall health.
Here's what they found out, you gained about 2.5 pound a year and had an 83 percent increase risk of diabetes if you were drinking one or more sweetened drinks a day. Lowest risk were those who decreased their consumption, and no increased risk in those with stable consumption.
Interestingly, if you had a stable consumption, you really didn't seem to increase your risk. The greatest risk for women would suddenly increased their consumption from being a casual soft drink consumer to someone who actually drank it more than once a day.
Now why is it that it causes diabetes? The is question a lot of people ask. If you think about these sodas, they're a high dose of rapidly-absorbable carbohydrates, sugar. They're increase something in your body known as the glycemic index, which could put you at risk for diabetes.
Of course, luckily, there's good alternatives out there. Water is one of them. That's my favorite. But if you're going to have to drink something besides water, diet soda is going to be better for you than a sugary soda, all things considered, in terms of weight and diabetes. Also, 100 percent fruit juice, always a good option for you and kids.
And here's a little tip: If you are buying a drink, try avoiding buying drinks that list fructose as the first ingredient. Those are the ones that are usually chock full of all kinds of sugar.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
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KAGAN: Daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical stories, "Special Report," and a health library. The address is CNN.com/health.
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KAGAN: Checking in on the women at the Olympics. The sweet- faced wrestler who won gold in Sydney finds out sometimes it's easier to come in as the underdog. That story, and more Olympic highlights coming up next.
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KAGAN: While one man couldn't wrestle his way to a win, another man wrestled the waves and won. Let's get an update on the Olympic action in Athens. Might and muscle could equal a gold medal. Wrestler Rulon Gardner lost his bid for gold after being thrown to the mat by his competitor from Kazakhstan. Gardner will battle for the bronze later today.
Sharpshooter Lisa Leslie and others leading the way. The women's basketball team from the U.S. is now two games away from the gold. The U.S. team beat Greece 102-72 today, advancing to the semifinals. If they win, it'll be their third straight Olympic gold medal.
And his name means "wave" literally in Hebrew, and he certainly rode them well, all the way to the gold. An Israeli wind surfer named Gal Friedman gave Israel its first Olympic gold medal ever today. Congratulations to him.
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KAGAN: That is going to do it for me, Daryn Kagan. I'll see you right here in this seat tomorrow morning. Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
