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American Morning
Mysterious Jet Crashes; Swift Boat Controversy Continues with New Revelations; Scott Peterson Trial
Aired August 25, 2004 - 8:59 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: Good morning, everyone. Nine o'clock here in New York. Bill Hemmer, along with Heidi Collins, working for Soledad.
Good morning to you.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
HEMMER: Only a few days now before the Republican convention here in New York. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge in town to talk about preparations and talk about the serious precautions, too, being taken to protect the convention, keep things safe. Kicking off on Monday morning.
COLLINS: A lot of work to do there.
Also, Sanjay Gupta is continuing his "New You" checkup with Kimberly Everett, one of the five people we followed at the beginning of the year. And like many people, she battles to keep that weight off. We're going to find out if she was able to keep the good fight going.
HEMMER: All right. Stay tuned for that.
Jack Cafferty again.
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Have the Swift Boat ads changed your opinion of John Kerry is the e-mail Question of the -- du jour -- the day. Am@cnn.com if you have any thoughts.
COLLINS: Lots and lots of people responding to that one.
All right. We're going to turn it over to Carol Costello now at the CNN Center with a look at what is happening "Now in the News" -- Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Heidi.
A House panel is now gathering on Capitol Hill for another review of the 9/11 report. The House Select Intelligence Committee will hear from 9/11 Commission Co-Chairs Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton. Two other hearings are scheduled throughout the afternoon. An embassy official says the Polish embassy in Baghdad was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. The strike caused minor damage. No injuries reported.
In the meantime, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani returned to Iraq earlier this morning after undergoing medical treatment in London. The influential Shia leader is calling on Iraqis to march to Najaf to help rescue that war-torn city.
And within the half-hour, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will be on hand to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The secretary is in New York today reviewing security plans for the upcoming Republican National Convention. The cost to secure the city during the convention could run close to $75 million.
And actor Danny Glover, the star of "Lethal Weapon," may be heading to the slammer. Glover is planning to join dozens of other protesters arrested outside Sudan's embassy in Washington, D.C. Sudanese officials are being blamed for failing to stop a humanitarian crisis in Darfur that killed thousands and drove more than a million people from their homes.
Back to New York and Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Carol. Thanks.
We're going to go straight away to Russia. Officials there say they have recovered the back boxes from the two jetliners that mysteriously crashed just minutes apart from one another. The crash sites are about 450 miles apart.
Now, the first plane went down near Tula, about 100 miles south of Moscow. The second plane crashed near the Rostov region. Both planes took off from Moscow's domestic airport yesterday. Moscow has three airports in total.
Wreckage from the plane has been found. Eighty-nine passengers and crewmembers on board both aircraft. There are no reports of any survivors.
We're told both planes disappeared from radar within three minutes of one another. Witnesses telling the Russian news agency Interfax that they saw the first plane explode before it crashed. Interfax also quoted a Russian security source, saying the second plane transmitted some sort of signal normally used to indicate a hijacking or severe problem on board. Terrorism at this point has not been ruled out.
For the very latest on what's happening to the Russian capital of Moscow, Ryan Chilcote.
Good afternoon there, Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, the Russian Federal Security Service, that's the Russian successor of the KGB, has been given the job of leading this investigation. The Russian president asked the Federal Security Service to lead this investigation only a couple hours after these two very coincidental crashes took place.
So far, the Federal Security Service has been saying that they're not going rule out any possible causes for these crashes. They're going look at everything from terrorism, as you mentioned, to things like mechanical failure or the possibility that these planes could have gotten some bad fuel.
Usually, what we're talking about in that case is some fuel that was contaminated with water. So they're going to look at these various scenarios. They say, at this particular point in time -- and this is coming from a deputy spokesman, a deputy spokesman at the Federal Security Service -- they do not have any clear-cut evidence that terrorism was involved.
Now, what we know is that -- in terms of the terrorist possibility -- that a representative of a more moderate ring of the separatists inside of Chechnya, they, of course are the first people that would be blamed if terrorism is -- is -- is something that is seen to be as part of this. A representative for -- for the separatists moderate wing in the U.K. right now is saying that they had nothing to do with this. They absolutely, he said, had nothing to do with it.
The search and rescue effort is pretty much over. There's no one to rescue, as you said. Russian officials said what they're collecting right now primarily are these things like hard evidence, like these black boxes.
And let me tell you, those black boxes are going to be very important. Five of them are on their way back to Moscow right now. Analysts are going to be anxious to listen to those black boxes to see if anyway provide clues in exactly what happened to those planes -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ryan, quickly here, in the past, when Chechen rebels are involved, do they claim responsibility normally or not?
CHILCOTE: Not always. And people are definitely paying attention to the fact that these -- these crashes took place just a few days before a regional election is scheduled to happen in Chechnya.
It's supposed to happen this Sunday. Chechens are going to go to polls to replace their former leader who was killed in a terrorist act. Actually, that the separatists did claim responsibility for back in May.
And it's very customary here in Russia to have large-scale terrorist acts on Russian soil take place just before political events inside Chechnya. It's a way the separatists who aren't part of the political process communicate their message to the Russian government that they're not going to just sit by and watch this insurgency, this guerrilla war continue. HEMMER: Well, it is late afternoon already there in Moscow, and the answers are still elusive. We'll follow it. Ryan, thanks. Ryan Chilcote there in the Russian capital -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Now to the controversy over ads attacking John Kerry's war service. An attorney for the Bush campaign acknowledges he was an adviser to the Swift Boat Veterans behind the anti-Kerry ads. And a Kerry camp adviser fells CNN that Vietnam Veteran and former Senator Max Cleland will attempt to deliver a letter to President Bush today regarding the ads.
Jill Dougherty is live at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, with the very latest.
Jill, good morning to you.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Well, on that first point, the connection between a lawyer for the Bush campaign and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, that is Benjamin Ginsberg. He is the chief outside counsel for the Bush campaign, and he does say that he gave advice to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. That's the group that put together those attack ads against Senator John Kerry.
Now, he says he did help with advice on campaign finance rules, but it was completely separate. No connection, he says, with his work with the Bush campaign.
Now, the Kerry campaign has been charging that there is a connection. In fact, they allege that there -- that this group essentially is a front for President Bush and for the White House.
Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, categorically denies that. He issued a statement saying, "There has been no coordination at any time between Bush-Cheney '04 and any 527." And 527s, again, are those soft money groups.
And we also had another comment yesterday by Scott McClellan of the White House, who said actually there's a revolving door, as he put it, between the Kerry campaign and those 527s. Back to you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Jill, I want to get back to this question now about Senator Max Cleland and this letter that he's going to deliver to the president. Do we have any idea at this point what that might say?
DOUGHERTY: Well, yes, we do, actually. We have a copy of the letter. And they are going to be showing up.
This is former Senator Max Cleland. You remember him, of course, from the Democratic convention, very prominently featured at the convention.
He is a supporter of John Kerry. And he is coming here today, to Crawford, Texas, hoping to go over toward the ranch where President Bush is and hand deliver. We don't know whether he'll get in, but he wants to hand deliver this letter.
And it comes from -- it's signed by nine senators. And they are urging President Bush to criticize to those attack ads.
Here's what the letter says, at least partially. "Mr. President, as commander in chief of the armed forces, we believe you owe a special duty to America's combat veterans when they are under false and scurrilous attacks. We hope you will recognize this duty and speak out against this group and their efforts to smear the reputation of a man who has served this country nobly."
Now, President Bush has been asked, remember, about this directly. He has said that he condemns all those 527 ads. And he also even mentioned that ad a couple of days ago, that Swift Boat ad. But he, again -- the White House would argue that he has no connection to those ads.
COLLINS: Jill Dougherty, thanks so much, live from Crawford, Texas, this morning -- Bill.
HEMMER: We're at eight minutes past the hour. Amber Frey, Scott Peterson's ex-mistress, finished being cross-examined in his double murder trial. Her attorney, the attorney for Amber Frey, Gloria Allred, did not think much of attorney Mark Geragos' cross- examination. She called it "garbage" at one point, then she ripped up some legal papers, threw them into a big garbage bag there to illustrate her point yesterday.
Analysis now. Dean Johnson, former prosecutor in San Mateo County, watching the case from inside the court room.
Welcome back, Dean. Good morning to you.
DEAN JOHNSON, FMR. SAN MATEO COUNTY PROSECUTOR: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Amber Frey was labeled as the star prosecution witness. Did she shine or not in the end?
JOHNSON: She definitely shined. She was an excellent witness, very credible. What she really did for the prosecution is to bring them back into this game.
She won the jury's hearts. This jury now very much does not like Scott Peterson. They do not like what -- what he did to Amber Frey. And she gave the jury what the prosecution has so far not been able to give them, a theory of the case that all of this evidence against Scott Peterson, as the prosecution will say, cannot just be coincidence. And she left them with many, many unanswered questions to which Scott Peterson has not and I think cannot respond.
HEMMER: Dean, how do you perceive that, that the jury does not like Scott Peterson at this point?
JOHNSON: Well, it's very clear if you look at their body language. They are looking at Scott Peterson like something that they want to get rid of. And it's very clear that they believe that Scott Peterson wormed his way into Amber Frey's heart, into Amber Frey's daughter's heart.
He manipulated her. He set up a relationship with this very vulnerable woman based on a house of cards that was built on lies that was bound to crash sooner or later. The jury does not like that.
HEMMER: How do you believe Mark Geragos did in his cross- examination?
JOHNSON: Mark Geragos did a terrific job. You know, I'll tell you a little secret. We trial lawyers have very big egos, and one of our biggest struggles sometimes is to overcome those egos and to focus on what we need to do, and then sit down and shut up.
Mark Geragos had a short cross-examination. He made some points for his client. He sat down and he shut up. He did a great job.
HEMMER: Dean, going forward now -- and let's push our argument forward, if we could here -- if Amber Frey was the star witness in this case, where's the best evidence after she is finished now for the prosecution?
JOHNSON: Well, what the prosecution needs to do -- Amber Frey, I think, won this jury's heart. But of course, there are two parts to persuasion, winning the heart and winning the mind. They need to now go to something that physically points Scott Peterson to the murder scene. And I think their most...
HEMMER: And do they -- do they have that?
JOHNSON: I think they do. I think their most powerful evidence is going to be a fellow called a hydrologist. He's a tides expert.
What he will say is that, as an expert on the tides in the San Francisco Bay, he believes that if you start with where the two bodies of Laci and Conner are found, you trace the flow of the tides backwards, you will find that those bodies could have only dumped in only one -- into the bay in only one place, and that's Brooks Landing, which is exactly where Scott Peterson said he was fishing.
HEMMER: Now, that is dumping the bodies. But what about killing Laci Peterson? Where's that evidence?
JOHNSON: Well, there's a great deal of evidence, Laci Peterson's clothing, her jewelry, for example. The clothing that was found on her body and the clothing that was left behind in the house suggests that she was probably killed or at least attacked in her house in the evening, perhaps as she was undressing.
The only person who's going to be in the house at that time is Scott Peterson. And then, of course, they have their timeline evidence which suggests that, contrary to what Scott has told other people, he was close to the house, near the house at about the time the dog, McKenzie, was found on the street, which suggests that the timeline is such that Laci could not have been abducted by some third party. HEMMER: All right, Dean. Thanks for being with us again. By the way, in a word or two, are we weeks still or months in this trial to go?
JOHNSON: We're expecting this trial to go into late October, maybe early November.
HEMMER: That's months. Dean Johnson, thanks, in Redwood City -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Want to get a check on the weather now. Chad Myers is standing by at the CNN Center once again with the latest on the forecast.
Chad, good morning again.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: All right, Chad. Thanks so much.
HEMMER: In a moment here, time again to get a check in with one of our "New You" participants. Six months ago, Kimberly Everett was fighting the battle of the bulge. How's she doing now? Sanjay checks back in, pays her a visit in a moment.
COLLINS: Also, more on the controversy dogging John Kerry's campaign. How did an ad that started in just three states get so big? Senior analyst Jeff Greenfield has the back story.
HEMMER: And the blurry line between politics and Hollywood -- Poli-Wood. How did comedians become such an important news source today? Part three of our weeklong series continues. See you in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry joked about his Vietnam record when he joined Jon Stewart on Comedy Central's "Daily Show." Senator Kerry also laughed about the strange places folks strike up a conversation on the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You would be amazed at the number of people who want to introduce themselves to you in the men's room.
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Really?
(LAUGHTER)
KERRY: Swear to God. It's the most bizarre part of this entire campaign.
STEWART: I'm going make a suggestion, too. Secret Service, right at the door. Not getting in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Time now for our day three of our weeklong series. We're calling it "Poli-Wood," a look at politics and Hollywood and the growing gray area in between the two. Today, comedians and their effect on the way Americans view current events.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS (voice-over): Turn on late night comedy TV and you might think you're watching "Meet the Press."
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The top 10 changes I'll make in the White House...
DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: Oh, here you go. This is right up your alley.
BUSH: Yes.
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I'm going to run for governor...
COLLINS: Politics has always been comic fodder.
LETTERMAN: John Kerry and Teresa...
CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN": Kerry and Edwards are...
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": President Bush told the crowd...
COLLINS: What's different today is that for a growing number of Americans, comedians are becoming an important source of information on current events.
DENNIS MILLER, HOST, CNBC'S "DENNIS MILLER": McGreevey is now a leading candidate to head up the FBI.
I would say the first people to blur the line was the news side of things. I don't think entertainers did it first. I think news became more feature-oriented and feel good and up close and personal.
COLLINS: A study by the Pew Center shows one in five young Americans rely on comedy programs for part of their campaign news.
MILLER: But not willing to grant that that's a bad thing for them to do. I don't know. I got an opinion like anybody else. If they want to listen to it, fine. If they don't, fine. But I don't think they're stupid because they listen to me.
COLLINS: In fact, experts say satire may be a safety valve in the world of politics. ROBERT THOMPSON, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: If the press is the fourth estate, the thing that keeps the other powers in balance, I think comedy is more and more serving as the fifth estate. It, to some extent, can keep the press in balance.
COLLINS: But what if the comedian tilts one way?
MILLER: I'm voting for Bush. I want him to be my president.
COLLINS: Liberal radio show host Janeane Garofalo won't vote for Bush. She's very vocal about it. But does an audience who comes to be entertained have to hear how performers are going to vote?
(on camera): I paid my ticket, however much I have to pay for that. I go there, and right before the break, because they're going to take a break, the entertainer decides to do a spiel or a speech on their particular political beliefs. Do you think that's OK?
JANEANE GAROFALO, COMEDIAN: Well, why can't they? I think it would be negligent not to comment. I think that it would be ridiculous to take the tact of "I don't want to rock the boat, I don't want to say anything." You know, I think that there -- there is a place for some entertainers if they choose to do so.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Next, our five-part "Poli-Wood" series continues with a look at musicians and politics. More than ever, music stars are playing the role of the pied piper, leading young people to the polls. So, is it working, and what will the effect on the November elections be?
That's coming up tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING. Hopefully I'll be able to talk by then.
Still to come, though, the Iraqi soccer team has been the real dream team of these Olympics. We've got an update on their latest match.
Stay with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Here now an update from Athens. If you don't want to know, turn down your TV.
An American first in Athens happened at the beach. Misty May, Kerri Walsh won gold in beach volleyball. Straight sets, in fact. The U.S. also took the bronze.
That sport debuted eight short years ago, 1996 in the games in Atlanta. The first time the Americans have won any medals in this event, though.
In the decathlon, American Bryan Clay won the silver with a toss of the javelin. Coming up right here, he edged out Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan finished third, the Czech Republic won gold.
Reigning world champ, American Tom Pappas, withdrew after a foot injury. That is a (INAUDIBLE). Wow!
In soccer, Iraq's impressive Olympic odyssey now slowed a bit. Paraguay beat the Iraqis, 3-1 the final. The Iraqis can still medal, though, if they continue to win their next game. And we'll see how they go then.
The U.S. stretching its lead in the medal count. Seventy-three for team USA.
COLLINS: Nice.
HEMMER: Followed by China at 51, Russia 48. Some have suggested they could top the century mark, taking 100 in Athens.
COLLINS: That's quite a lead they have over China now, too.
HEMMER: We shall see. I'm telling you.
CAFFERTY: Can we replay that victory celebration of the beach volleyball team?
HEMMER: You like that?
CAFFERTY: It was pretty good, yes.
COLLINS: Jack!
CAFFERTY: So here we are counting, down to the election. And the whole country is preoccupied with this nasty debate about John Kerry's war record during Vietnam.
Both campaigns are now afraid that they may have let the genie out of the jar and that this thing could come back to haunt both of them. Democrats concerned the attacks on character -- Kerry's character and credibility could have an effect. Republicans are worried about a backlash against President Bush.
Ultimately, it appears, based on the content of the ads and the play it's getting in the media, that John Kerry has the most to lose here. That's the question. Has the Swift Boat controversy changed your mind about John Kerry? We're closing in on 1,000 letters this morning, which is a lot for this show we do here.
Bob in Annapolis writes: "The Swift Boat ads have not changed my mind about John Kerry."
COLLINS: A little microphone problem. Here we go.
CAFFERTY: That should put to rest any preconceived ideas that this thing's on videotape. Now, is it working better now?
COLLINS: We're good.
CAFFERTY: All right. Now, Bob writes from Annapolis: "The Swift Boat ads" -- thank you, Dean, by the way. Great job.
"The Swift Boat ads have not changed my mind about John Kerry regardless of my feelings about his actions during and right after Vietnam. I am much more concerned with the advent of new taxes to support another array of entitlement programs that will burden by children for generations to come. I'm hopeful that both parties will field better candidates in 2008."
Jim in Houghton Lake, Michigan: "The Swift Boat controversy has cemented my belief that John Kerry should be the next president. It is more apparent each day that the Bush administration is behind the smear tactics on Kerry because they have no positive record of their own to run on for re-election."
Rich in Delavan, Illinois: "I think these ads do alter our attitudes or feelings during the candidates and probably should be eliminated. What do you do about the movie Michael Moore put out? Tell me that it has not altered the way people are going to vote. Do we allow that movie and then cut out the counterattacks by the opposition?"
And Steven in Tennessee: "How about there be a group called the National Guardsman Who Think They Sort of Remember George W. Bush Serving in the Alabama National Guard but They're Not Sure? The ad will be simple: 30 seconds of silence and a blank screen."
Ooh, tough.
COLLINS: How many is that now, like upwards of 500, you said?
CAFFERTY: No. Close to 1,000.
COLLINS: Man.
HEMMER: Which is a high number for this timid little morning program.
CAFFERTY: Yes, especially when we do part of it with no microphone.
HEMMER: Correct.
COLLINS: Exactly.
CAFFERTY: I mean, that's putting the audience at a terrific disadvantage. But Dean came to the rescue.
HEMMER: Dean, bravo. Bro, thanks for paying attention.
COLLINS: A sporty little show we've got here.
Thank you, Jack and Dean.
Still to come now, get your morning started with some "90-Second Pop." Yes, she's God. Ellen DeGeneres takes on a powerful new role. Plus, "The West Wing" hopes a man with some military experience can re-ignite the show's ratings.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge here in New York, lower Manhattan, helping out with the ringing of the opening bell today at the New York Stock Exchange. Here to check out preparations for the Republican National Convention that begins on Monday here in New York. 10,098 is where we start on the Dow 30, up about 25 points in trading yesterday.
Let's move uptown, Times Square, Nasdaq at 1836, off almost two pints in trading from yesterday. So, stocks open for business now on a Wednesday. Good morning. Welcome back here.
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Aired August 25, 2004 - 8:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Nine o'clock here in New York. Bill Hemmer, along with Heidi Collins, working for Soledad.
Good morning to you.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
HEMMER: Only a few days now before the Republican convention here in New York. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge in town to talk about preparations and talk about the serious precautions, too, being taken to protect the convention, keep things safe. Kicking off on Monday morning.
COLLINS: A lot of work to do there.
Also, Sanjay Gupta is continuing his "New You" checkup with Kimberly Everett, one of the five people we followed at the beginning of the year. And like many people, she battles to keep that weight off. We're going to find out if she was able to keep the good fight going.
HEMMER: All right. Stay tuned for that.
Jack Cafferty again.
Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Have the Swift Boat ads changed your opinion of John Kerry is the e-mail Question of the -- du jour -- the day. Am@cnn.com if you have any thoughts.
COLLINS: Lots and lots of people responding to that one.
All right. We're going to turn it over to Carol Costello now at the CNN Center with a look at what is happening "Now in the News" -- Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Heidi.
A House panel is now gathering on Capitol Hill for another review of the 9/11 report. The House Select Intelligence Committee will hear from 9/11 Commission Co-Chairs Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton. Two other hearings are scheduled throughout the afternoon. An embassy official says the Polish embassy in Baghdad was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. The strike caused minor damage. No injuries reported.
In the meantime, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani returned to Iraq earlier this morning after undergoing medical treatment in London. The influential Shia leader is calling on Iraqis to march to Najaf to help rescue that war-torn city.
And within the half-hour, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge will be on hand to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The secretary is in New York today reviewing security plans for the upcoming Republican National Convention. The cost to secure the city during the convention could run close to $75 million.
And actor Danny Glover, the star of "Lethal Weapon," may be heading to the slammer. Glover is planning to join dozens of other protesters arrested outside Sudan's embassy in Washington, D.C. Sudanese officials are being blamed for failing to stop a humanitarian crisis in Darfur that killed thousands and drove more than a million people from their homes.
Back to New York and Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Carol. Thanks.
We're going to go straight away to Russia. Officials there say they have recovered the back boxes from the two jetliners that mysteriously crashed just minutes apart from one another. The crash sites are about 450 miles apart.
Now, the first plane went down near Tula, about 100 miles south of Moscow. The second plane crashed near the Rostov region. Both planes took off from Moscow's domestic airport yesterday. Moscow has three airports in total.
Wreckage from the plane has been found. Eighty-nine passengers and crewmembers on board both aircraft. There are no reports of any survivors.
We're told both planes disappeared from radar within three minutes of one another. Witnesses telling the Russian news agency Interfax that they saw the first plane explode before it crashed. Interfax also quoted a Russian security source, saying the second plane transmitted some sort of signal normally used to indicate a hijacking or severe problem on board. Terrorism at this point has not been ruled out.
For the very latest on what's happening to the Russian capital of Moscow, Ryan Chilcote.
Good afternoon there, Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, the Russian Federal Security Service, that's the Russian successor of the KGB, has been given the job of leading this investigation. The Russian president asked the Federal Security Service to lead this investigation only a couple hours after these two very coincidental crashes took place.
So far, the Federal Security Service has been saying that they're not going rule out any possible causes for these crashes. They're going look at everything from terrorism, as you mentioned, to things like mechanical failure or the possibility that these planes could have gotten some bad fuel.
Usually, what we're talking about in that case is some fuel that was contaminated with water. So they're going to look at these various scenarios. They say, at this particular point in time -- and this is coming from a deputy spokesman, a deputy spokesman at the Federal Security Service -- they do not have any clear-cut evidence that terrorism was involved.
Now, what we know is that -- in terms of the terrorist possibility -- that a representative of a more moderate ring of the separatists inside of Chechnya, they, of course are the first people that would be blamed if terrorism is -- is -- is something that is seen to be as part of this. A representative for -- for the separatists moderate wing in the U.K. right now is saying that they had nothing to do with this. They absolutely, he said, had nothing to do with it.
The search and rescue effort is pretty much over. There's no one to rescue, as you said. Russian officials said what they're collecting right now primarily are these things like hard evidence, like these black boxes.
And let me tell you, those black boxes are going to be very important. Five of them are on their way back to Moscow right now. Analysts are going to be anxious to listen to those black boxes to see if anyway provide clues in exactly what happened to those planes -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ryan, quickly here, in the past, when Chechen rebels are involved, do they claim responsibility normally or not?
CHILCOTE: Not always. And people are definitely paying attention to the fact that these -- these crashes took place just a few days before a regional election is scheduled to happen in Chechnya.
It's supposed to happen this Sunday. Chechens are going to go to polls to replace their former leader who was killed in a terrorist act. Actually, that the separatists did claim responsibility for back in May.
And it's very customary here in Russia to have large-scale terrorist acts on Russian soil take place just before political events inside Chechnya. It's a way the separatists who aren't part of the political process communicate their message to the Russian government that they're not going to just sit by and watch this insurgency, this guerrilla war continue. HEMMER: Well, it is late afternoon already there in Moscow, and the answers are still elusive. We'll follow it. Ryan, thanks. Ryan Chilcote there in the Russian capital -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Now to the controversy over ads attacking John Kerry's war service. An attorney for the Bush campaign acknowledges he was an adviser to the Swift Boat Veterans behind the anti-Kerry ads. And a Kerry camp adviser fells CNN that Vietnam Veteran and former Senator Max Cleland will attempt to deliver a letter to President Bush today regarding the ads.
Jill Dougherty is live at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, with the very latest.
Jill, good morning to you.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
Well, on that first point, the connection between a lawyer for the Bush campaign and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, that is Benjamin Ginsberg. He is the chief outside counsel for the Bush campaign, and he does say that he gave advice to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. That's the group that put together those attack ads against Senator John Kerry.
Now, he says he did help with advice on campaign finance rules, but it was completely separate. No connection, he says, with his work with the Bush campaign.
Now, the Kerry campaign has been charging that there is a connection. In fact, they allege that there -- that this group essentially is a front for President Bush and for the White House.
Scott Stanzel, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, categorically denies that. He issued a statement saying, "There has been no coordination at any time between Bush-Cheney '04 and any 527." And 527s, again, are those soft money groups.
And we also had another comment yesterday by Scott McClellan of the White House, who said actually there's a revolving door, as he put it, between the Kerry campaign and those 527s. Back to you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Jill, I want to get back to this question now about Senator Max Cleland and this letter that he's going to deliver to the president. Do we have any idea at this point what that might say?
DOUGHERTY: Well, yes, we do, actually. We have a copy of the letter. And they are going to be showing up.
This is former Senator Max Cleland. You remember him, of course, from the Democratic convention, very prominently featured at the convention.
He is a supporter of John Kerry. And he is coming here today, to Crawford, Texas, hoping to go over toward the ranch where President Bush is and hand deliver. We don't know whether he'll get in, but he wants to hand deliver this letter.
And it comes from -- it's signed by nine senators. And they are urging President Bush to criticize to those attack ads.
Here's what the letter says, at least partially. "Mr. President, as commander in chief of the armed forces, we believe you owe a special duty to America's combat veterans when they are under false and scurrilous attacks. We hope you will recognize this duty and speak out against this group and their efforts to smear the reputation of a man who has served this country nobly."
Now, President Bush has been asked, remember, about this directly. He has said that he condemns all those 527 ads. And he also even mentioned that ad a couple of days ago, that Swift Boat ad. But he, again -- the White House would argue that he has no connection to those ads.
COLLINS: Jill Dougherty, thanks so much, live from Crawford, Texas, this morning -- Bill.
HEMMER: We're at eight minutes past the hour. Amber Frey, Scott Peterson's ex-mistress, finished being cross-examined in his double murder trial. Her attorney, the attorney for Amber Frey, Gloria Allred, did not think much of attorney Mark Geragos' cross- examination. She called it "garbage" at one point, then she ripped up some legal papers, threw them into a big garbage bag there to illustrate her point yesterday.
Analysis now. Dean Johnson, former prosecutor in San Mateo County, watching the case from inside the court room.
Welcome back, Dean. Good morning to you.
DEAN JOHNSON, FMR. SAN MATEO COUNTY PROSECUTOR: Thank you, Bill.
HEMMER: Amber Frey was labeled as the star prosecution witness. Did she shine or not in the end?
JOHNSON: She definitely shined. She was an excellent witness, very credible. What she really did for the prosecution is to bring them back into this game.
She won the jury's hearts. This jury now very much does not like Scott Peterson. They do not like what -- what he did to Amber Frey. And she gave the jury what the prosecution has so far not been able to give them, a theory of the case that all of this evidence against Scott Peterson, as the prosecution will say, cannot just be coincidence. And she left them with many, many unanswered questions to which Scott Peterson has not and I think cannot respond.
HEMMER: Dean, how do you perceive that, that the jury does not like Scott Peterson at this point?
JOHNSON: Well, it's very clear if you look at their body language. They are looking at Scott Peterson like something that they want to get rid of. And it's very clear that they believe that Scott Peterson wormed his way into Amber Frey's heart, into Amber Frey's daughter's heart.
He manipulated her. He set up a relationship with this very vulnerable woman based on a house of cards that was built on lies that was bound to crash sooner or later. The jury does not like that.
HEMMER: How do you believe Mark Geragos did in his cross- examination?
JOHNSON: Mark Geragos did a terrific job. You know, I'll tell you a little secret. We trial lawyers have very big egos, and one of our biggest struggles sometimes is to overcome those egos and to focus on what we need to do, and then sit down and shut up.
Mark Geragos had a short cross-examination. He made some points for his client. He sat down and he shut up. He did a great job.
HEMMER: Dean, going forward now -- and let's push our argument forward, if we could here -- if Amber Frey was the star witness in this case, where's the best evidence after she is finished now for the prosecution?
JOHNSON: Well, what the prosecution needs to do -- Amber Frey, I think, won this jury's heart. But of course, there are two parts to persuasion, winning the heart and winning the mind. They need to now go to something that physically points Scott Peterson to the murder scene. And I think their most...
HEMMER: And do they -- do they have that?
JOHNSON: I think they do. I think their most powerful evidence is going to be a fellow called a hydrologist. He's a tides expert.
What he will say is that, as an expert on the tides in the San Francisco Bay, he believes that if you start with where the two bodies of Laci and Conner are found, you trace the flow of the tides backwards, you will find that those bodies could have only dumped in only one -- into the bay in only one place, and that's Brooks Landing, which is exactly where Scott Peterson said he was fishing.
HEMMER: Now, that is dumping the bodies. But what about killing Laci Peterson? Where's that evidence?
JOHNSON: Well, there's a great deal of evidence, Laci Peterson's clothing, her jewelry, for example. The clothing that was found on her body and the clothing that was left behind in the house suggests that she was probably killed or at least attacked in her house in the evening, perhaps as she was undressing.
The only person who's going to be in the house at that time is Scott Peterson. And then, of course, they have their timeline evidence which suggests that, contrary to what Scott has told other people, he was close to the house, near the house at about the time the dog, McKenzie, was found on the street, which suggests that the timeline is such that Laci could not have been abducted by some third party. HEMMER: All right, Dean. Thanks for being with us again. By the way, in a word or two, are we weeks still or months in this trial to go?
JOHNSON: We're expecting this trial to go into late October, maybe early November.
HEMMER: That's months. Dean Johnson, thanks, in Redwood City -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Want to get a check on the weather now. Chad Myers is standing by at the CNN Center once again with the latest on the forecast.
Chad, good morning again.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: All right, Chad. Thanks so much.
HEMMER: In a moment here, time again to get a check in with one of our "New You" participants. Six months ago, Kimberly Everett was fighting the battle of the bulge. How's she doing now? Sanjay checks back in, pays her a visit in a moment.
COLLINS: Also, more on the controversy dogging John Kerry's campaign. How did an ad that started in just three states get so big? Senior analyst Jeff Greenfield has the back story.
HEMMER: And the blurry line between politics and Hollywood -- Poli-Wood. How did comedians become such an important news source today? Part three of our weeklong series continues. See you in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry joked about his Vietnam record when he joined Jon Stewart on Comedy Central's "Daily Show." Senator Kerry also laughed about the strange places folks strike up a conversation on the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You would be amazed at the number of people who want to introduce themselves to you in the men's room.
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Really?
(LAUGHTER)
KERRY: Swear to God. It's the most bizarre part of this entire campaign.
STEWART: I'm going make a suggestion, too. Secret Service, right at the door. Not getting in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Time now for our day three of our weeklong series. We're calling it "Poli-Wood," a look at politics and Hollywood and the growing gray area in between the two. Today, comedians and their effect on the way Americans view current events.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS (voice-over): Turn on late night comedy TV and you might think you're watching "Meet the Press."
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The top 10 changes I'll make in the White House...
DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: Oh, here you go. This is right up your alley.
BUSH: Yes.
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I'm going to run for governor...
COLLINS: Politics has always been comic fodder.
LETTERMAN: John Kerry and Teresa...
CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN": Kerry and Edwards are...
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": President Bush told the crowd...
COLLINS: What's different today is that for a growing number of Americans, comedians are becoming an important source of information on current events.
DENNIS MILLER, HOST, CNBC'S "DENNIS MILLER": McGreevey is now a leading candidate to head up the FBI.
I would say the first people to blur the line was the news side of things. I don't think entertainers did it first. I think news became more feature-oriented and feel good and up close and personal.
COLLINS: A study by the Pew Center shows one in five young Americans rely on comedy programs for part of their campaign news.
MILLER: But not willing to grant that that's a bad thing for them to do. I don't know. I got an opinion like anybody else. If they want to listen to it, fine. If they don't, fine. But I don't think they're stupid because they listen to me.
COLLINS: In fact, experts say satire may be a safety valve in the world of politics. ROBERT THOMPSON, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: If the press is the fourth estate, the thing that keeps the other powers in balance, I think comedy is more and more serving as the fifth estate. It, to some extent, can keep the press in balance.
COLLINS: But what if the comedian tilts one way?
MILLER: I'm voting for Bush. I want him to be my president.
COLLINS: Liberal radio show host Janeane Garofalo won't vote for Bush. She's very vocal about it. But does an audience who comes to be entertained have to hear how performers are going to vote?
(on camera): I paid my ticket, however much I have to pay for that. I go there, and right before the break, because they're going to take a break, the entertainer decides to do a spiel or a speech on their particular political beliefs. Do you think that's OK?
JANEANE GAROFALO, COMEDIAN: Well, why can't they? I think it would be negligent not to comment. I think that it would be ridiculous to take the tact of "I don't want to rock the boat, I don't want to say anything." You know, I think that there -- there is a place for some entertainers if they choose to do so.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Next, our five-part "Poli-Wood" series continues with a look at musicians and politics. More than ever, music stars are playing the role of the pied piper, leading young people to the polls. So, is it working, and what will the effect on the November elections be?
That's coming up tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING. Hopefully I'll be able to talk by then.
Still to come, though, the Iraqi soccer team has been the real dream team of these Olympics. We've got an update on their latest match.
Stay with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Here now an update from Athens. If you don't want to know, turn down your TV.
An American first in Athens happened at the beach. Misty May, Kerri Walsh won gold in beach volleyball. Straight sets, in fact. The U.S. also took the bronze.
That sport debuted eight short years ago, 1996 in the games in Atlanta. The first time the Americans have won any medals in this event, though.
In the decathlon, American Bryan Clay won the silver with a toss of the javelin. Coming up right here, he edged out Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan finished third, the Czech Republic won gold.
Reigning world champ, American Tom Pappas, withdrew after a foot injury. That is a (INAUDIBLE). Wow!
In soccer, Iraq's impressive Olympic odyssey now slowed a bit. Paraguay beat the Iraqis, 3-1 the final. The Iraqis can still medal, though, if they continue to win their next game. And we'll see how they go then.
The U.S. stretching its lead in the medal count. Seventy-three for team USA.
COLLINS: Nice.
HEMMER: Followed by China at 51, Russia 48. Some have suggested they could top the century mark, taking 100 in Athens.
COLLINS: That's quite a lead they have over China now, too.
HEMMER: We shall see. I'm telling you.
CAFFERTY: Can we replay that victory celebration of the beach volleyball team?
HEMMER: You like that?
CAFFERTY: It was pretty good, yes.
COLLINS: Jack!
CAFFERTY: So here we are counting, down to the election. And the whole country is preoccupied with this nasty debate about John Kerry's war record during Vietnam.
Both campaigns are now afraid that they may have let the genie out of the jar and that this thing could come back to haunt both of them. Democrats concerned the attacks on character -- Kerry's character and credibility could have an effect. Republicans are worried about a backlash against President Bush.
Ultimately, it appears, based on the content of the ads and the play it's getting in the media, that John Kerry has the most to lose here. That's the question. Has the Swift Boat controversy changed your mind about John Kerry? We're closing in on 1,000 letters this morning, which is a lot for this show we do here.
Bob in Annapolis writes: "The Swift Boat ads have not changed my mind about John Kerry."
COLLINS: A little microphone problem. Here we go.
CAFFERTY: That should put to rest any preconceived ideas that this thing's on videotape. Now, is it working better now?
COLLINS: We're good.
CAFFERTY: All right. Now, Bob writes from Annapolis: "The Swift Boat ads" -- thank you, Dean, by the way. Great job.
"The Swift Boat ads have not changed my mind about John Kerry regardless of my feelings about his actions during and right after Vietnam. I am much more concerned with the advent of new taxes to support another array of entitlement programs that will burden by children for generations to come. I'm hopeful that both parties will field better candidates in 2008."
Jim in Houghton Lake, Michigan: "The Swift Boat controversy has cemented my belief that John Kerry should be the next president. It is more apparent each day that the Bush administration is behind the smear tactics on Kerry because they have no positive record of their own to run on for re-election."
Rich in Delavan, Illinois: "I think these ads do alter our attitudes or feelings during the candidates and probably should be eliminated. What do you do about the movie Michael Moore put out? Tell me that it has not altered the way people are going to vote. Do we allow that movie and then cut out the counterattacks by the opposition?"
And Steven in Tennessee: "How about there be a group called the National Guardsman Who Think They Sort of Remember George W. Bush Serving in the Alabama National Guard but They're Not Sure? The ad will be simple: 30 seconds of silence and a blank screen."
Ooh, tough.
COLLINS: How many is that now, like upwards of 500, you said?
CAFFERTY: No. Close to 1,000.
COLLINS: Man.
HEMMER: Which is a high number for this timid little morning program.
CAFFERTY: Yes, especially when we do part of it with no microphone.
HEMMER: Correct.
COLLINS: Exactly.
CAFFERTY: I mean, that's putting the audience at a terrific disadvantage. But Dean came to the rescue.
HEMMER: Dean, bravo. Bro, thanks for paying attention.
COLLINS: A sporty little show we've got here.
Thank you, Jack and Dean.
Still to come now, get your morning started with some "90-Second Pop." Yes, she's God. Ellen DeGeneres takes on a powerful new role. Plus, "The West Wing" hopes a man with some military experience can re-ignite the show's ratings.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge here in New York, lower Manhattan, helping out with the ringing of the opening bell today at the New York Stock Exchange. Here to check out preparations for the Republican National Convention that begins on Monday here in New York. 10,098 is where we start on the Dow 30, up about 25 points in trading yesterday.
Let's move uptown, Times Square, Nasdaq at 1836, off almost two pints in trading from yesterday. So, stocks open for business now on a Wednesday. Good morning. Welcome back here.
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