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CNN Live At Daybreak

What to Expect at the RNC; Security Measures for RNC; MTV VMA recap

Aired August 30, 2004 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The dawn of day one. In just a few hours, delegates will gather inside of this building. You are looking at a live picture of Madison Square Garden. Of course, the Republicans are going to be there to show support for their president.
It is Monday, August 30.

This is DAYBREAK.

Good morning to you.

From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Now in the news, Republicans are hoping to turn the political tables in New York City. Today, their national convention officially kicks off, a day after huge protests against President Bush. Delegates are now hoping to bolster Bush's image as a strong leader in dangerous times.

France says it will not give into the demands of a militant Islamic group holding two French journalists hostage in Iraq. The group wants France to revoke a law banning Muslim head scarves in schools.

Army Private Lynndie England returns to a military court four hours from now. A hearing will determine if she should be court- martialed on prisoner abuse charges for her actions at Abu Ghraib Prison.

Residents of South Carolina say enough already. Some areas had as much as 10 inches of rain when Tropical Storm Gaston came ashore Sunday -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

That was really just east of a little town called Sumter. And many of those areas now reporting 12 inches of rain, as we update those numbers from overnight.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: This week is the moment of truth for President Bush. Polls show he's locked in a dead heat with Senator John Kerry. The Republican National Convention opens today in New York and the president will get an opportunity like no other, to define himself, explain himself and break loose from that tie. Live to New York now and CNN's Bob Franken -- good morning, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

The -- first, we have to explain good morning.

The president will actually define himself on Thursday. Between now and then, he'll have a whole party full of people who are trying to define him in the way that the party wants to. You're going to see a lot of the so-called moderates of the party presenting. Again, this year's version of compassionate conservative.

First, the delegates, before they go into the Garden, are going to have to get past some really, really draconian security. It's even heavier than it was in Boston. There, of course, is the concern of some sort of terrorist incident. This city is buttoned down, to put it mildly.

I figured out there's about one security official, policeman or otherwise, for every two-and-a-half people who are here for the convention, if you count the journalists and all, the rest of the hangers on, including the delegates.

Speaking tonight, the likes of Rudy Giuliani and Mayor Bloomberg and John McCain. All of them, as I said, considered moderates by many who keep track of such things.

Wednesday night, Vice President Cheney makes his speech.

Thursday night, the president. He's going to be speaking on a stage that will be constructed overnight. It is a theater in the round presentation, so, as they said, the president is able to have a more intimate relationship with his audience.

Of course, the real audience is the television audience and the question is: Will this provide a bounce for the president? As you pointed out a moment ago, Carol, this is a very, very close race. But the race is just beginning. It really gets started officially after this convention is over -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Some questions about security now.

Over the weekend, not too many problems, even with tens of thousands of protesters.

As you go into Madison Square Garden, what can you bring in and what can't you bring in, Bob?

FRANKEN: You can basically wear your clothes. You can't bring in umbrellas, you can't bring in sharp objects. You can't bring in just about anything that could in any way be construed as a dangerous item.

Now, the other thing is, is getting into the Garden, getting near the Garden, one of the tactics of any good security force is to continuously change the ground rules to make sure that no person who has something bad in mind is able to really make plans.

So, you walk down one street only to find out that the street you had been told just the day before you should walk down, you can't walk down. Then you go through Magnetometers, et cetera, et cetera. If you want to attend this, you have to be very, very patient.

COSTELLO: All right, Bob Franken, thank you very much.

Bob Franken live from Madison Square Garden this morning.

As we said, the convention kick-off comes a day after huge anti- Bush protests in New York City. Some people carried flag-draped coffins to protest the war in Iraq. They joined other protesters in a march that eventually stretched for two miles. Police made about 200 arrests, but things stayed peaceful, for the most part.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: As far as the march was concerned, it went extremely well. The organizers, as I say, ought to be commended. They have to be, you know, the word that I got from them is that they thought it went well and they thought the -- they had an excellent relationship with the police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: If you are on the streets of Manhattan this week, remember that Big Brother is watching. You hear Bob Franken. Hundreds of cameras sending thousands of images to scores of law enforcement agencies that are monitoring security for the Republican National Convention.

More details now from CNN's Jeanne Meserve.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some officers on the streets of New York this week will have extra eyes built into their helmets.

ERIC JOHNSON, FEDERAL PROTECTIVE SERVICE: We have the camera in the front. There's a transmitter in the back and it's all battery. It runs off battery.

MESERVE: And all transmitted wirelessly back to the Federal Protective Service command center.

RON LIBBY, FEDERAL PROTECTIVE SERVICE: So, if someone says this demonstration is getting out of hand and I hear those reports, I can switch to a helmet cam and see if projectiles are being thrown or if people are chanting. I can see if officers are being shoved and pushed around or if there's just jostling by the crowd.

MESERVE: Helmet cams are among hundreds of cameras providing real time information to the 24-7 multi-agency command center at police headquarters. CHIEF HARRY WIDEN, NEW YORK POLICE: In here, we have over 66 different agencies represented.

MESERVE: The big dog in this federal, state, local security effort is the New York City Police Department. Though the Secret Service is in charge, it has just over 3,000 agents nationwide, compared to the NYPD's 37,000 officers. The department is almost as big as the entire U.S. Coast Guard.

Officials described the security on land, air, water, even underground, as unprecedented. But in Washington, the Department of Homeland Security is trying to monitor the bigger national picture.

BOB STEPHAN, HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT: We don't know when and where exactly these guys might strike, if they do, in fact, plan to strike against us.

MESERVE (on camera): But with the president and so many other governmental officials coming here, the convention is a prime target. It's estimated the city alone is spending $60 to $70 million on extra security.

Jean Meserve, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And CNN's Judy Woodruff spoke Sunday with Senator John McCain, one of the speakers who will open the GOP convention. One of the issues she discussed with the senator is how the negatives in this campaign, including the Swift Boat attack ads, compare with other campaigns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDY WOODRUFF, HOST: Do you think this country is going to remain divided after this election, no matter who wins?

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The way this campaign is going, yes. But if I were President Bush, as soon as I'm reelected, I would make my top priority trying to bring this nation back together.

This is the worst, most partisan environment that I've seen in 22 years in public office and I deeply regret it. I deeply regret it. We are friends. We're not enemies. We have a common enemy. Maybe we ought to start working together to address that challenge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You can watch Judy's entire interview with Senator McCain on a special 90 minute "INSIDE POLITICS." That begins at 3:00 Eastern, 12:00 Pacific, right here on CNN.

And certainly CNN will be there to bring you full coverage of the convention. Our prime time coverage begins tonight at 7:00 Eastern with Anderson Cooper. He's followed at 8:00 by Wolf Blitzer. And at 9:00, "LARRY KING LIVE" from Madison Square Garden. And if you can't watch our coverage on television, tune into CNN Radio. Kyra Phillips and I will anchor coverage tonight from 8:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., all live.

Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry is taking some time off the campaign trail. He's at his home in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Cameras got a glimpse of him wind surfing yesterday. You can see him there.

A new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows the race between Kerry and Bush is close in three important blue states, which Al Gore carried in 2000. Among likely voters in Wisconsin, President Bush has a 48 to 45 percent advantage over Kerry among likely voters. Ralph Nader favored by four percent.

In Iowa, just the opposite -- Kerry has a 51 percent to 45 percent jump on Bush, while Nader gets two percent.

And in Pennsylvania, Bush and Kerry are tied at 47 percent apiece and Nader, again, is favored by two percent.

We'll have more on Pennsylvania as a swing state later this hour when we talk with two members of Congress.

For more political updates, from the convention protests to the opening gavel, log onto our Web site, cnn.com.

In news across America this morning, it is time for a little one- on-one in the Kobe Bryant case. Attorneys will begin questioning potential jurors today. Three hundred prospective jurors filled out lengthy questionnaires last week. Another 100 people may be put into the Bryant jury pool after the case they were supposed to hear was settled before going to trial on Friday.

Charlottesville, Virginia, police are on alert again after a seventh attack was linked to a serial rapist in the area. There have been six other attacks dating back to 1997. Two of the victims were University of Virginia students. Students return to the university for fall classes this week.

And the Florida State Supreme Court is set to hear arguments tomorrow in the case of a brain damaged woman. The justices must decide whether a new state law violates the privacy of Terry Schiavo. Terry's Law took effect shortly after her husband won the right to allow his wife to die. But Governor Jeb Bush used the law to keep Schiavo alive.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, good news for gas guzzlers: A break could be right around the corner. We'll tell you about it at 6:15 Eastern.

Then, the hottest awards show on cable television, minus the usual spectacle this year. We will provide you with some material for the water cooler at 20 past the hour.

And back to the real news with live updates from day one of the Republican National Convention.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: U.S. stocks will open higher this morning.

The blue chip Dow ended up 21 1/2 points on Friday. The Nasdaq closed up 9. And the S&P 500 was up a little more than 2 1/2 points.

Time for a little business buzz right now. It's been a long and expensive summer for frequent drivers. So, will gas prices take a dive before the holiday weekend? Oh, Carrie Lee, come on.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what the Lundberg Survey is expecting anyway, Carol.

COSTELLO: Really?

LEE: Yes. So, we have a couple of days to go. We'll see if this actually happens before Friday. But you know, the average price for a regular gallon of gas did rise a 1/2 a percent over the past two weeks. But you know how this works.

When crude oil prices take a hit, gasoline usually follows, and that's what's happening here, because crude has come down in recent weeks. Oil prices coming down will probably result in lower gas prices.

In fact, Lundberg is predicting gas prices will start to drop in its next survey and continue to fall past Labor Day. At the pump, average prices for self-serve regular has tumbled $0.20 a gallon since hitting a peak of $2.07 on May 21. The average price, though, did rise $0.005 during the past two weeks, to $1.88.

So, we'll see what happens by Labor Day and in the weeks that follow -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Care to make a wager?

LEE: Maybe off camera.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Carrie Lee, live from the Nasdaq market site.

LEE: All right.

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:15 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

The Republican National Convention gets under way today in New York City. On the agenda are speeches by Senator John McCain, actor Ron Silver and tonight's keynote address by former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani.

The world's best athletes are heading home after a spectacular close to the 2004 Olympics. The United States is the winningest nation. U.S. athletes are bringing back a total of 103 medals, 35 of them gold.

In money news, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is again calling on Congress to cut future Social Security and Medicare spending. "USA Today" reporting that the Fed chief is warning that as the population ages, retirement programs will run huge deficits.

In culture, it was a heroic weekend for Jet Li. His latest thriller, "Hero," debuted in the top spot at the box office over the weekend. The film took in just under $18 million.

And in sports, Barry Bonds got two steps closer to 700 home runs, with two dingers in the Giants' win over the Atlanta Braves. He also had a fantastic catch in that game. The win lifts the Giants into a three way tie in the wild card race with the Cubs and the Padres -- hello, Chad.

MYERS: Smoking hot out there, Carol.

COSTELLO: You're not kidding.

MYERS: It was.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I'm just reading our e-mails.

MYERS: They are coming in so fast that I can't read them all -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And they're fascinating. Thanks for sending them.

MYERS: I'm just trying to print them off up here, too.

COSTELLO: Awesome. Daybreak@cnn.com.

Just when you thought the big news was happening in the Big Apple this week, Miami pulls out all the stops for a celeb event like no other. Don't know what the VMAs are? Oh, you're getting old. We'll fill you in so you can keep up with your kids.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We learned something from watching the MTV Awards, other than Usher is a great performer: Politics and music sometimes do not mix. There were boos when the Bush and Kerry kids appeared. It wasn't pretty.

Live to New York now and "In Touch" magazine's Tom O'Neil.

Good morning, Tom.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Hey, before we get to the boos, it was a pretty tame show.

O'NEIL: It really was. You know, the reason we love the MTV Awards is that they have these mad moments where Michelle Branch appears drunk at the podium or you have creepy kisses between Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley. None of that happened last night.

COSTELLO: Really? Even though it was in Miami Beach, the city of skin?

O'NEIL: I know, the city of sin and skin. You would think that there would have been more wild moments than ever, but it was very tame.

COSTELLO: I see OutKast performing here, Andre 3000. He was even buttoned up.

O'NEIL: Very much so. It was surprising. But at least he wreaked revenge for not winning record of the year earlier this year at the Grammys. Oh, yes, last night he pulled off four victories in all, including the coveted video of the year.

COSTELLO: For "Hey Ya" I'll bet.

O'NEIL: Yes.

COSTELLO: The song that we've heard, oh, a couple of million times.

Jay-Z was a big winner, as well.

O'NEIL: Yes, he was. But it seemed a little odd, I must say. He took four awards, just like OutKast did. But he also got this career salute last night for retiring. And you're thinking, this kid is only 34 years old and if you believe he's retiring, you've probably bought a ticket to a Barbra Streisand farewell concert tour.

COSTELLO: And he also appeared very publicly with Beyonce, so that was kind of interesting.

O'NEIL: That was very interesting, because normally they're very private and we don't see them on each other's arms. But last night they were very proudly together.

COSTELLO: OK, let's talk about the boos now, because that had to be the oddest moment of the awards show.

O'NEIL: It really was, especially the fact that the Democrats got booed here, because the Kerry kids came up first. The Bush twins appeared on satellite a few minutes later. And the fact that this liberal, notoriously liberal, hedonist crowd at the MTV Awards booed the Kerrys was odd.

But I think what happened really was they were, the intrusion of politics was being booed here. The reason the show was moved to Miami from New York was to get it out of the political arena. And I think the crowd just said get this out of here.

COSTELLO: Yes, we just want to have fun tonight.

O'NEIL: Yes, really.

COSTELLO: We want to forget about all of that stuff. So, maybe you can understand that. I don't know. But I do feel sorry for all of the kids, because that must have been hard to take.

O'NEIL: Oh, yes.

COSTELLO: Best performance of the night. Who?

O'NEIL: Oh, by far it was Alicia Keys teamed up with Stevie Wonder. And you saw two generations of great talent being one duet. It was fabulous.

COSTELLO: How about the worst performance?

O'NEIL: Oh, that was -- that's an easy one. Hoobastank really stank last night. There was a moment when the lead singer just couldn't hit that last note, which goes, you know, and the reason is you! And so, he just let the audience get to the you part.

COSTELLO: Oh, I know. How horrifying would that be?

O'NEIL: It was really horrifying if you sat up through it last night.

COSTELLO: Well, I understand there was no Britney Spears kiss with anyone, because she didn't show.

O'NEIL: That was the saddest thing of all, Carol. Britney is now officially the Susan Lucci of the VMA Awards. She came in last night zero for 12 and she left zero for 16. But she came in as a contender, I should say. But as you mentioned, she wasn't there in person. She knew she would lose.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's kind of sad. But anyway. But thanks for joining us with that update, Tom O'Neil.

O'NEIL: OK, thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Keep in touch.

Thank you.

Headlines coming your way in two minutes. And then it's back to New York, where the red carpet is rolling out for the biggest names in the Republican Party.

This is DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Rolling out the red carpet in the Big Apple for the powerhouses of the GOP, names like Schwarzenegger, Giuliani and McCain all in the lineup.

This is Monday, August 30.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Now in the news, the party chair calls the Republican National Convention to order just about three-and-a-half hours from now. And then Mayor Michael Bloomberg will welcome the delegates to New York. The first night's speakers include Senator John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani.

After a three week recess, a hearing resumes this morning for Private Lynndie England, who is accused of abusing prisoners in Iraq. The defense wants to call some high ranking members of the Bush administration as witnesses.

France has rejected a demand by kidnappers in Iraq that it revoke a law banning Muslim head scarves in French schools. The kidnappers say they're holding two French journalists who have been missing since August 19.

A wet Monday in the Charleston area, where Tropical Storm Gaston came ashore, dumping rain, flooding streets and knocking out power. Gaston is now a tropical depression, sloshing its way through North Carolina -- good morning, Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

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 30, 2004 - 06:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The dawn of day one. In just a few hours, delegates will gather inside of this building. You are looking at a live picture of Madison Square Garden. Of course, the Republicans are going to be there to show support for their president.
It is Monday, August 30.

This is DAYBREAK.

Good morning to you.

From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Now in the news, Republicans are hoping to turn the political tables in New York City. Today, their national convention officially kicks off, a day after huge protests against President Bush. Delegates are now hoping to bolster Bush's image as a strong leader in dangerous times.

France says it will not give into the demands of a militant Islamic group holding two French journalists hostage in Iraq. The group wants France to revoke a law banning Muslim head scarves in schools.

Army Private Lynndie England returns to a military court four hours from now. A hearing will determine if she should be court- martialed on prisoner abuse charges for her actions at Abu Ghraib Prison.

Residents of South Carolina say enough already. Some areas had as much as 10 inches of rain when Tropical Storm Gaston came ashore Sunday -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

That was really just east of a little town called Sumter. And many of those areas now reporting 12 inches of rain, as we update those numbers from overnight.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: This week is the moment of truth for President Bush. Polls show he's locked in a dead heat with Senator John Kerry. The Republican National Convention opens today in New York and the president will get an opportunity like no other, to define himself, explain himself and break loose from that tie. Live to New York now and CNN's Bob Franken -- good morning, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

The -- first, we have to explain good morning.

The president will actually define himself on Thursday. Between now and then, he'll have a whole party full of people who are trying to define him in the way that the party wants to. You're going to see a lot of the so-called moderates of the party presenting. Again, this year's version of compassionate conservative.

First, the delegates, before they go into the Garden, are going to have to get past some really, really draconian security. It's even heavier than it was in Boston. There, of course, is the concern of some sort of terrorist incident. This city is buttoned down, to put it mildly.

I figured out there's about one security official, policeman or otherwise, for every two-and-a-half people who are here for the convention, if you count the journalists and all, the rest of the hangers on, including the delegates.

Speaking tonight, the likes of Rudy Giuliani and Mayor Bloomberg and John McCain. All of them, as I said, considered moderates by many who keep track of such things.

Wednesday night, Vice President Cheney makes his speech.

Thursday night, the president. He's going to be speaking on a stage that will be constructed overnight. It is a theater in the round presentation, so, as they said, the president is able to have a more intimate relationship with his audience.

Of course, the real audience is the television audience and the question is: Will this provide a bounce for the president? As you pointed out a moment ago, Carol, this is a very, very close race. But the race is just beginning. It really gets started officially after this convention is over -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Some questions about security now.

Over the weekend, not too many problems, even with tens of thousands of protesters.

As you go into Madison Square Garden, what can you bring in and what can't you bring in, Bob?

FRANKEN: You can basically wear your clothes. You can't bring in umbrellas, you can't bring in sharp objects. You can't bring in just about anything that could in any way be construed as a dangerous item.

Now, the other thing is, is getting into the Garden, getting near the Garden, one of the tactics of any good security force is to continuously change the ground rules to make sure that no person who has something bad in mind is able to really make plans.

So, you walk down one street only to find out that the street you had been told just the day before you should walk down, you can't walk down. Then you go through Magnetometers, et cetera, et cetera. If you want to attend this, you have to be very, very patient.

COSTELLO: All right, Bob Franken, thank you very much.

Bob Franken live from Madison Square Garden this morning.

As we said, the convention kick-off comes a day after huge anti- Bush protests in New York City. Some people carried flag-draped coffins to protest the war in Iraq. They joined other protesters in a march that eventually stretched for two miles. Police made about 200 arrests, but things stayed peaceful, for the most part.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: As far as the march was concerned, it went extremely well. The organizers, as I say, ought to be commended. They have to be, you know, the word that I got from them is that they thought it went well and they thought the -- they had an excellent relationship with the police.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: If you are on the streets of Manhattan this week, remember that Big Brother is watching. You hear Bob Franken. Hundreds of cameras sending thousands of images to scores of law enforcement agencies that are monitoring security for the Republican National Convention.

More details now from CNN's Jeanne Meserve.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some officers on the streets of New York this week will have extra eyes built into their helmets.

ERIC JOHNSON, FEDERAL PROTECTIVE SERVICE: We have the camera in the front. There's a transmitter in the back and it's all battery. It runs off battery.

MESERVE: And all transmitted wirelessly back to the Federal Protective Service command center.

RON LIBBY, FEDERAL PROTECTIVE SERVICE: So, if someone says this demonstration is getting out of hand and I hear those reports, I can switch to a helmet cam and see if projectiles are being thrown or if people are chanting. I can see if officers are being shoved and pushed around or if there's just jostling by the crowd.

MESERVE: Helmet cams are among hundreds of cameras providing real time information to the 24-7 multi-agency command center at police headquarters. CHIEF HARRY WIDEN, NEW YORK POLICE: In here, we have over 66 different agencies represented.

MESERVE: The big dog in this federal, state, local security effort is the New York City Police Department. Though the Secret Service is in charge, it has just over 3,000 agents nationwide, compared to the NYPD's 37,000 officers. The department is almost as big as the entire U.S. Coast Guard.

Officials described the security on land, air, water, even underground, as unprecedented. But in Washington, the Department of Homeland Security is trying to monitor the bigger national picture.

BOB STEPHAN, HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT: We don't know when and where exactly these guys might strike, if they do, in fact, plan to strike against us.

MESERVE (on camera): But with the president and so many other governmental officials coming here, the convention is a prime target. It's estimated the city alone is spending $60 to $70 million on extra security.

Jean Meserve, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And CNN's Judy Woodruff spoke Sunday with Senator John McCain, one of the speakers who will open the GOP convention. One of the issues she discussed with the senator is how the negatives in this campaign, including the Swift Boat attack ads, compare with other campaigns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDY WOODRUFF, HOST: Do you think this country is going to remain divided after this election, no matter who wins?

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The way this campaign is going, yes. But if I were President Bush, as soon as I'm reelected, I would make my top priority trying to bring this nation back together.

This is the worst, most partisan environment that I've seen in 22 years in public office and I deeply regret it. I deeply regret it. We are friends. We're not enemies. We have a common enemy. Maybe we ought to start working together to address that challenge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You can watch Judy's entire interview with Senator McCain on a special 90 minute "INSIDE POLITICS." That begins at 3:00 Eastern, 12:00 Pacific, right here on CNN.

And certainly CNN will be there to bring you full coverage of the convention. Our prime time coverage begins tonight at 7:00 Eastern with Anderson Cooper. He's followed at 8:00 by Wolf Blitzer. And at 9:00, "LARRY KING LIVE" from Madison Square Garden. And if you can't watch our coverage on television, tune into CNN Radio. Kyra Phillips and I will anchor coverage tonight from 8:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m., all live.

Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry is taking some time off the campaign trail. He's at his home in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Cameras got a glimpse of him wind surfing yesterday. You can see him there.

A new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll shows the race between Kerry and Bush is close in three important blue states, which Al Gore carried in 2000. Among likely voters in Wisconsin, President Bush has a 48 to 45 percent advantage over Kerry among likely voters. Ralph Nader favored by four percent.

In Iowa, just the opposite -- Kerry has a 51 percent to 45 percent jump on Bush, while Nader gets two percent.

And in Pennsylvania, Bush and Kerry are tied at 47 percent apiece and Nader, again, is favored by two percent.

We'll have more on Pennsylvania as a swing state later this hour when we talk with two members of Congress.

For more political updates, from the convention protests to the opening gavel, log onto our Web site, cnn.com.

In news across America this morning, it is time for a little one- on-one in the Kobe Bryant case. Attorneys will begin questioning potential jurors today. Three hundred prospective jurors filled out lengthy questionnaires last week. Another 100 people may be put into the Bryant jury pool after the case they were supposed to hear was settled before going to trial on Friday.

Charlottesville, Virginia, police are on alert again after a seventh attack was linked to a serial rapist in the area. There have been six other attacks dating back to 1997. Two of the victims were University of Virginia students. Students return to the university for fall classes this week.

And the Florida State Supreme Court is set to hear arguments tomorrow in the case of a brain damaged woman. The justices must decide whether a new state law violates the privacy of Terry Schiavo. Terry's Law took effect shortly after her husband won the right to allow his wife to die. But Governor Jeb Bush used the law to keep Schiavo alive.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, good news for gas guzzlers: A break could be right around the corner. We'll tell you about it at 6:15 Eastern.

Then, the hottest awards show on cable television, minus the usual spectacle this year. We will provide you with some material for the water cooler at 20 past the hour.

And back to the real news with live updates from day one of the Republican National Convention.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: U.S. stocks will open higher this morning.

The blue chip Dow ended up 21 1/2 points on Friday. The Nasdaq closed up 9. And the S&P 500 was up a little more than 2 1/2 points.

Time for a little business buzz right now. It's been a long and expensive summer for frequent drivers. So, will gas prices take a dive before the holiday weekend? Oh, Carrie Lee, come on.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what the Lundberg Survey is expecting anyway, Carol.

COSTELLO: Really?

LEE: Yes. So, we have a couple of days to go. We'll see if this actually happens before Friday. But you know, the average price for a regular gallon of gas did rise a 1/2 a percent over the past two weeks. But you know how this works.

When crude oil prices take a hit, gasoline usually follows, and that's what's happening here, because crude has come down in recent weeks. Oil prices coming down will probably result in lower gas prices.

In fact, Lundberg is predicting gas prices will start to drop in its next survey and continue to fall past Labor Day. At the pump, average prices for self-serve regular has tumbled $0.20 a gallon since hitting a peak of $2.07 on May 21. The average price, though, did rise $0.005 during the past two weeks, to $1.88.

So, we'll see what happens by Labor Day and in the weeks that follow -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Care to make a wager?

LEE: Maybe off camera.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Carrie Lee, live from the Nasdaq market site.

LEE: All right.

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:15 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

The Republican National Convention gets under way today in New York City. On the agenda are speeches by Senator John McCain, actor Ron Silver and tonight's keynote address by former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani.

The world's best athletes are heading home after a spectacular close to the 2004 Olympics. The United States is the winningest nation. U.S. athletes are bringing back a total of 103 medals, 35 of them gold.

In money news, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is again calling on Congress to cut future Social Security and Medicare spending. "USA Today" reporting that the Fed chief is warning that as the population ages, retirement programs will run huge deficits.

In culture, it was a heroic weekend for Jet Li. His latest thriller, "Hero," debuted in the top spot at the box office over the weekend. The film took in just under $18 million.

And in sports, Barry Bonds got two steps closer to 700 home runs, with two dingers in the Giants' win over the Atlanta Braves. He also had a fantastic catch in that game. The win lifts the Giants into a three way tie in the wild card race with the Cubs and the Padres -- hello, Chad.

MYERS: Smoking hot out there, Carol.

COSTELLO: You're not kidding.

MYERS: It was.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: I'm just reading our e-mails.

MYERS: They are coming in so fast that I can't read them all -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And they're fascinating. Thanks for sending them.

MYERS: I'm just trying to print them off up here, too.

COSTELLO: Awesome. Daybreak@cnn.com.

Just when you thought the big news was happening in the Big Apple this week, Miami pulls out all the stops for a celeb event like no other. Don't know what the VMAs are? Oh, you're getting old. We'll fill you in so you can keep up with your kids.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We learned something from watching the MTV Awards, other than Usher is a great performer: Politics and music sometimes do not mix. There were boos when the Bush and Kerry kids appeared. It wasn't pretty.

Live to New York now and "In Touch" magazine's Tom O'Neil.

Good morning, Tom.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Hey, before we get to the boos, it was a pretty tame show.

O'NEIL: It really was. You know, the reason we love the MTV Awards is that they have these mad moments where Michelle Branch appears drunk at the podium or you have creepy kisses between Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley. None of that happened last night.

COSTELLO: Really? Even though it was in Miami Beach, the city of skin?

O'NEIL: I know, the city of sin and skin. You would think that there would have been more wild moments than ever, but it was very tame.

COSTELLO: I see OutKast performing here, Andre 3000. He was even buttoned up.

O'NEIL: Very much so. It was surprising. But at least he wreaked revenge for not winning record of the year earlier this year at the Grammys. Oh, yes, last night he pulled off four victories in all, including the coveted video of the year.

COSTELLO: For "Hey Ya" I'll bet.

O'NEIL: Yes.

COSTELLO: The song that we've heard, oh, a couple of million times.

Jay-Z was a big winner, as well.

O'NEIL: Yes, he was. But it seemed a little odd, I must say. He took four awards, just like OutKast did. But he also got this career salute last night for retiring. And you're thinking, this kid is only 34 years old and if you believe he's retiring, you've probably bought a ticket to a Barbra Streisand farewell concert tour.

COSTELLO: And he also appeared very publicly with Beyonce, so that was kind of interesting.

O'NEIL: That was very interesting, because normally they're very private and we don't see them on each other's arms. But last night they were very proudly together.

COSTELLO: OK, let's talk about the boos now, because that had to be the oddest moment of the awards show.

O'NEIL: It really was, especially the fact that the Democrats got booed here, because the Kerry kids came up first. The Bush twins appeared on satellite a few minutes later. And the fact that this liberal, notoriously liberal, hedonist crowd at the MTV Awards booed the Kerrys was odd.

But I think what happened really was they were, the intrusion of politics was being booed here. The reason the show was moved to Miami from New York was to get it out of the political arena. And I think the crowd just said get this out of here.

COSTELLO: Yes, we just want to have fun tonight.

O'NEIL: Yes, really.

COSTELLO: We want to forget about all of that stuff. So, maybe you can understand that. I don't know. But I do feel sorry for all of the kids, because that must have been hard to take.

O'NEIL: Oh, yes.

COSTELLO: Best performance of the night. Who?

O'NEIL: Oh, by far it was Alicia Keys teamed up with Stevie Wonder. And you saw two generations of great talent being one duet. It was fabulous.

COSTELLO: How about the worst performance?

O'NEIL: Oh, that was -- that's an easy one. Hoobastank really stank last night. There was a moment when the lead singer just couldn't hit that last note, which goes, you know, and the reason is you! And so, he just let the audience get to the you part.

COSTELLO: Oh, I know. How horrifying would that be?

O'NEIL: It was really horrifying if you sat up through it last night.

COSTELLO: Well, I understand there was no Britney Spears kiss with anyone, because she didn't show.

O'NEIL: That was the saddest thing of all, Carol. Britney is now officially the Susan Lucci of the VMA Awards. She came in last night zero for 12 and she left zero for 16. But she came in as a contender, I should say. But as you mentioned, she wasn't there in person. She knew she would lose.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's kind of sad. But anyway. But thanks for joining us with that update, Tom O'Neil.

O'NEIL: OK, thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Keep in touch.

Thank you.

Headlines coming your way in two minutes. And then it's back to New York, where the red carpet is rolling out for the biggest names in the Republican Party.

This is DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Rolling out the red carpet in the Big Apple for the powerhouses of the GOP, names like Schwarzenegger, Giuliani and McCain all in the lineup.

This is Monday, August 30.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Now in the news, the party chair calls the Republican National Convention to order just about three-and-a-half hours from now. And then Mayor Michael Bloomberg will welcome the delegates to New York. The first night's speakers include Senator John McCain and former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani.

After a three week recess, a hearing resumes this morning for Private Lynndie England, who is accused of abusing prisoners in Iraq. The defense wants to call some high ranking members of the Bush administration as witnesses.

France has rejected a demand by kidnappers in Iraq that it revoke a law banning Muslim head scarves in French schools. The kidnappers say they're holding two French journalists who have been missing since August 19.

A wet Monday in the Charleston area, where Tropical Storm Gaston came ashore, dumping rain, flooding streets and knocking out power. Gaston is now a tropical depression, sloshing its way through North Carolina -- good morning, Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

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