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American Morning
Interview with Ed Gillespie; Interview with Elizabeth Dole; Republicans and NYC
Aired August 30, 2004 - 08:00 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The Olympics are over. But the controversy still hangs around the neck of U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm. We'll talk to him and that gold medal on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING. From the Republican National Convention in New York, here's Bill Hemmer.
And good morning and welcome. Madison Square Garden, that is where we are located today. It's the home of the Knicks and the Rangers and now the home for the Republican Party. The national convention getting started in about two hours from now when the opening gavel will sound. The theme today will be the president's leadership in the war on terror. Speakers tonight include former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, Senator John McCain and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
This hour, we'll be talking with Republican National Committee chairman, Ed Gillespie, standing off to our right here, as well as North Carolina Senator Elizabeth dole.
For his part, President Bush campaigns in New Hampshire and in Michigan, both considered swing states. We have a lot more to talk about over the next coming hour here, and our AMERICAN MORNING team is spread out all over New York City.
Heidi Collins is out on the plaza, outside of our Time-Life studios.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Bill, once again.
A lot of convention news, that's for sure. But a little later on, we're going to talk to Olympic gold medalist Paul Hamm. He won gold in all-around men's gymnastics, and is now in the middle of a controversy with the South Koreans and the International Gymnastics Federation. He speaks to us this morning about the controversy and what he plans to do, how this controversy has changed his Olympic experience altogether. So that's coming up.
But right now, we want to head over to Jack Cafferty at the CNN Diner across the street from Madison Square Garden. I guess this is the place where the food is hot and the people are hungry, right?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That would be true. And actually, the food is pretty good. I had the blueberry pancakes about an hour ago. It was all right.
Coming up in "The Cafferty File," we have a lot of things. A chimpanzee has developed two -- count them, two -- nasty habits, all because her husband can't get it done for her anymore, and they can't find any young chimp that will take up with her, and Heinz ain't the only ketchup in town anymore, at least not this week in New York City.
Plus, more on our neighborhood, where there's a Starbucks on one corner, a McDonald's in the middle of the block, and right next door to that, a XXX porno theater. We're only a block from Madison Square Garden and two blocks west of Herald Square, here at 34th and 8th. So we'll give you a tour of the neighborhood a little later.
COLLINS: Lovely location. All right, Jack. Thanks so much.
Want to check on the stories now in the news this morning.
In about an hour from now, a military hearing resumes over whether Army Private Lynndie England should be court-martialed. The investigation stems from England's in apparent abusive behavior toward Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison outside of Baghdad. A hearing is set to begin around 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
Thousands of people in South Carolina are without power this morning. Tropical Storm Gaston struck the state yesterday. Nearly 10 inches of rain flooded neighborhoods and strong winds knocked over trees and power lines. Wet and wild weather expected for parts of North Carolina again today.
This morning, John Allen Muhammad's attorneys will argue he should not stand trial again for his role in the October 2002 D.C.- area sniper shootings. Muhammad faces a capital murder trial in Virginia for the death of FBI analyst Linda Franklin. He's already received a death sentence for another killing during the shooting spree.
Lawyers in the Kobe Bryant case start individual questioning of about 100 potential jurors today. A judge closed the questioning of potential jurors to the public. Attorneys spent much of the weekend scrutinizing answers to questions by the first 300 potential jurors. A lot of questions to go through, that's for sure.
Bill, now, back at Madison Square Garden.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.
Two hours and counting now. Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie calling the convention to order. He's my guest now here in New York City.
Good morning to you.
ED GILLESPIE, CHMN., REPUBLICAN NATL. CMTE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Nice to see you in person. How much will we hear about the agenda of the next four years over the next four days? GILLESPIE: Well, we're going to talk about the president's record of the past four years, because what you've done in the past is indicative of what you'll do in the future. And then, the president will lay out a positive agenda for the next four years: new ideas for a new term; the new challenges that face us as a nation, whether it's the war on terror or the new economy in which our American workers live.
And so, we'll do a little bit of both.
HEMMER: A month ago in Boston, Republicans were quick to criticize the Democrats, saying there is no agenda and no specifics put forward because they would be poked at over the next month. Well, you don't seem to be saying that you are going to get very specific on that...
GILLESPIE: Well, I haven't seen the president's speech, so I'm not one to say what the president is going to say. I'll leave that to him. But the president will be forward-looking.
In Boston, Democrats were backward-looking. They spent a lot of time talking about the past, not much time talking about the future. We'll be talking about the future in detail with specifics, as the president has been doing since the Democratic convention, when he talked about flextime, talked about reorganizing our troop structure in light of the new war on terror. There will be more of that kind of thing.
HEMMER: On the screen now, if we could here, the latest numbers from CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll - looking at three states specifically: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Iowa. A tie in Pennsylvania at the top; Wisconsin, three for George Bush now; Iowa, favored to six for John Kerry. How do you feel about those numbers on the eve of your convention?
GILLESPIE: Well, understand that all three of those states were states that Vice President Gore carried in 2000. And so, we're up in two of them and competitive in the third, which is indicative of the way the battlefield is today. A lot of those blue states in the middle are pretty purple right now, and the president is gaining steam there.
HEMMER: Over -- the platform came out over the weekend. A lot of talking on the talk shows about what is said in the platform, and then what will be spoken on the podium over the next four days. On the screen -- we talk about: supporting a Constitutional Amendment preventing same-sex marriage; opposing abortion; opposing national gun registration; and promoting the return of voluntary school prayer.
Some would say with Rudy Giuliani and John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger, that they do not necessarily agree with that. Where is this "but?"
GILLESPIE: Well, also Senator Zell Miller, I know Senator Elizabeth Dole will soon be on your program. She's a featured speaker here. And many other center-right candidates, center-right Republicans, as well.
We have a broad party with a great breadth. The fact is, we are the majority party in the country today. We have the governorships of California, New York, Florida, and Texas. We have a majority of the House, a majority of the Senate, and the White House, a majority of governorships.
Any party that's that big is going to have some differences within its ranks. And we accept that, but we also understand that the things that bring us together are bigger than the things that separate us.
And as Ronald Reagan said, someone who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is my friend. And that's our approach to this convention.
HEMMER: We saw tens of thousands on the streets of New York City over the weekend and a heavy turnout yesterday -- on Sunday afternoon. There were other poll indications that show a right track, wrong track approach for how people feel the direction of the country is headed. And there is -- in a lot of these polls, showing a majority: 50 percent or slightly more than that say it's on the wrong track.
How much concern is that to you when you look historically at how these elections play out based on that number?
GILLESPIE: Well, first of all, the gap has been closing. The right direction has been going up; wrong track has been coming down. And secondly, there is -- in this election, if you look at the president's support, a lot of people who see the country on the wrong track support President Bush because they think he has the right approach and the right answers and the right solutions. And he's someone who gets results to put us back on the right track.
HEMMER: You are two hours away, 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Thanks for your time.
GILLESPIE: Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.
HEMMER: You bet.
Cross town again, here is Heidi again -- Heidi.
COLLINS: OK, Bill, thanks so much.
You know, amid the New York rush hour -- you may actually see just a little bit of it behind me going pretty thick. You see some traffic cops and so forth. It's all happening on a Monday morning as the convention kicks off today in New York, heavy security, and huge protests as well.
Yesterday, tens of thousands marched in Manhattan in a protest that stretched over two miles. Police said they arrested several hundred demonstrators, but called the protests peaceful and orderly. The heavy law enforcement presence on the streets of New York is only part of the unprecedented security this week.
Here now, homeland security correspondent 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.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: In our next hour, we'll talk about convention security with former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik, also one of tonight's speakers. That comes your way 9:00 a.m. Eastern. They are out in full force -- Bill.
HEMMER: That they are. Back inside now, Heidi, North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole will address the delegates tomorrow night -- on Tuesday. You might recall eight years ago, 1996, when her husband Bob Dole was the Republican nominee.
The senator from North Carolina, my guest now here. And good morning to you.
SEN. ELIZABETH DOLE (R), NORTH CAROLINA: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Let's talk about these comments that came out over the weekend. Laura Bush was interviewed by "TIME" magazine. They asked her about the ads directed toward John Kerry in a negative sense, and she said, "Not really, because there are a number of terrible ads." I believe she said, "millions of terrible ads against my husband."
The Kerry campaign says this is more evidence of a top to bottom strategy that begins in the White House. How do you respond to this back and forth at this point?
DOLE: No, I think that if -- clearly the 527s, as they are called, the president has asked that they be all pulled down, all of these 527s. He has indicated that he respects John Kerry's record. Certainly, I respect John Kerry's record. But the problem here is there's been about $60 million of negative ads focused on the president. I mean, they have been pummeling him, these 527s.
So, it's important to bring them all down. That's what the president's asking for.
HEMMER: It was a week ago on...
DOLE: It's a systemic issue.
HEMMER: It was a week ago here on CNN when your husband, Bob Dole, was speaking with Wolf Blitzer. And he talked about John Kerry's, quote, "superficial wounds." And then he went on to say, "He never bled that I know of."
Have you talked to your husband about those comments, and is he standing by them?
DOLE: You know, Bob Dole, his comments are his comments. But clearly, I think as a veteran, he has earned the right to make his views known. He has been very much concerned about this pummeling of the president with $60 million of these ads. And he feels that -- you know, he's talked to John Kerry.
John Kerry came back from Vietnam, and he began to criticize. He went before the Congress. He talked about atrocities at the time when our troops were still over there. And a lot of this, it seems, was based on hearsay. And so, Bob made his views known, and I think, as a veteran, he had the right to make those views known.
HEMMER: He's your husband, and you stand by what he said? DOLE: Listen, Bob Dole's views are Bob Dole's views. My view is these are all 527s which ought to all be brought down. It ought to be stopped. And I think, clearly, it's a systemic problem. But we're looking at $60 million of ads against the president...
HEMMER: But all this was supposed to...
DOLE: ... about one million...
HEMMER: And this was all supposed to be eliminated through campaign finance reform and the laws that were passed several years ago. Have those laws failed, then?
DOLE: Right, right. Well, I think there's certainly more to be done, don't you? There's more to be done.
HEMMER: Not in the world of politics (INAUDIBLE) other side.
Quickly in 1996, when you addressed...
DOLE: Right.
HEMMER: ... the delegates in San Diego, what is that experience like for those who come to the podium in primetime this year?
DOLE: Well, you know, in that particular year, I left the podium. To me, the podium had become a barrier between me and the people. And so, I...
HEMMER: So, you called it your Oprah style...
DOLE: I'll tell you, the night before, I realized I'm taking a bit of a risk. I'm going to be going down about 12 steps in high heels and speaking at the same time. I could end up rolling down those steps in front of the whole world.
But fortunately, the aisles were clear. I was able to get the help of the Secret Service walking the aisles, and it was a great experience. But it is exhilarating for anyone.
HEMMER: But now with 2004, are you going to stay behind the podium?
DOLE: I think this time I'll probably stay behind the podium. But it's a great experience for all the speakers, and it's a joy to be here to support a great president.
HEMMER: Thank you, Senator.
DOLE: Thank you.
HEMMER: Nice to see you here in New York.
DOLE: Thanks so much.
HEMMER: I want to let our viewers know, stay with CNN, a ringside seat for all the action. Our coverage begins tonight, 7:00 Eastern, a special edition of "ANDERSON COOPER 360." At 8:00, watch "AMERICA VOTES 2004," a special with Wolf Blitzer.
At 9:00, "LARRY KING" comes for the first of a double shot for Larry. 9:00 in the Garden is his first show. At 10:00, Senator John McCain will address the convention, and we will have complete live coverage certainly of that, and everything that happens in the evening. "AARON BROWN" follows at 11:00, and "LARRY KING" is back at midnight for a live complete wrap of what's happening here at Madison Square Garden.
Talk to you again in a couple of minutes. Here's Heidi again -- Heidi.
COLLINS: OK, Bill, thanks.
France will not change its law banning head scarves in schools to satisfy kidnappers in Iraq. France is pleading for the release of two of its journalists held by a group who demand the law be dropped. Head scarves are traditionally warn by Muslim women. Beginning with this school year, French public school students will not be able to wear anything that signifies their religion.
Meanwhile, two Turkish hostages were released in Iraq yesterday after their employers agreed to kidnappers' demands and began pulling out of Iraq.
Tropical Storm Gaston now a tropical depression. It blew ashore in South Carolina yesterday, packing near hurricane force winds. Some reached 60 miles an hour. The storm knocked out power to thousands of people. Still a headache there, that's for sure.
HEMMER: In a moment here, 9/11 very much on the minds of delegates here in New York City. But is the White House exploiting the tragedy by holding the convention in the Big Apple? We'll talk to the gang from "CROSSFIRE" about that.
Also, a history lesson on the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It may be new to Republicans, but it is not new to politics.
And back to the Olympics. Paul Hamm still at the center of a large controversy. From Athens to New York City, has the gold lost its shine? We'll ask him live, this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. A cat may have nine lives. Well, Madison Square Garden has had four throughout its history. The current Garden opened up in 1968, known as the world's most famous arena. One guy that knows it better than anyone, his Knicks seats are like right around gate number 64 here.
Jeff Greenfield, good morning to you.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: I paid for those seats...
HEMMER: Yes, you did. You paid a lot of money for it, too.
GREENFIELD: Oh, man, that team stinks.
HEMMER: That they do for now.
Take us through some history right now. Not just for this arena, but also with the Republicans and their own history means in New York City.
GREENFIELD: Yes, people think of this as a Democratic city. But the truth is, there's a lot of Republican history.
A few blocks from here, over on East 28th Street, the first great New York Republican Teddy Roosevelt was born. As a young boy, he witnessed the funeral cortege of Abe Lincoln. It stopped in New York; hundreds of thousands of people turned out on its way to Illinois.
Now, this arena itself has obviously never seen a Republican convention because New York City has never seen one. But this is the place where the last two Democratic presidents, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, were nominated. And obviously, it's witnessed everything from the first Ali/Frazier fight in 1971 -- I was there; most exciting night in my life in many ways -- Sinatra, Elvis, Dylan, The Band, Madonna, and -- while I'm not sure this is exactly relevant to a Republican convention, Bill -- The Grateful Dead played here 52 times.
HEMMER: Nice. And Elton John superseded that, I understand. What, 2001?
GREENFIELD: There you go. There you go.
HEMMER: Did it 53 times.
GREENFIELD: Yes, that's right. Did it 53 times.
HEMMER: Great history all over this city, for that matter.
But when we talk about the politics and the Republican message here, the theme is what?
GREENFIELD: Well, if you look at where they think they are, they are not where they thought they'd be at year's start. They thought they'd have a really big lead. But they clearly are in better shape than they were a month ago.
The bad news for the Republicans -- you just talked about it, Bill, with Chairman Gillespie -- more people think the country is on the wrong track. More people want change rather than continuity. On a straight upward-down vote, more people want a new president.
But the good news to Republicans and bad news for Democrats is Senator Kerry has not been able to tap into that, either because of the Swift Boat incident or -- and this is something that a lot of Democrats said -- by overemphasizing Vietnam at the convention, he didn't offer a focused theme.
So, what you're going to be hearing here -- there's a sign right behind us, "Safer world. More hopeful America." Yes, this president, they're going to say, has a second-term agenda. It's going to put more power in people's hands, and that's why you want to put him back in the Oval Office.
HEMMER: So, that's the direct theme. Are you implying there is another theme that lies underneath that?
GREENFIELD: Yes, I'm not implying it; I'm saying it. It's flexibility. It's an attempt to reclaim the idea back in 2000 that George W. Bush is a reasonable guy. That he's not the prisoner of ideology.
One of the criticisms among the president that I've heard a lot of from conservatives -- from people who are going to be voting for Bush -- is these guys, the White House, they're too inflexible. If you're not on the bus, you're off the bus.
And I think you've seen this in everything from the president's acknowledgment that, yes, maybe we had mistakes in Iraq. Vice President Cheney saying, yes, the president and I have a difference on gay marriage. We've all talked about the lineup -- the prime-time lineup of independents, mavericks, and moderates to say this is not a high-bound (ph) ideological president. Big unacknowledged theme.
HEMMER: In your first answer, you've acknowledged that this is a Democratic city. In 2000, of New York's five boroughs, 18 percent of those who voted for the presidential race that year went with Bush/Cheney.
GREENFIELD: Right. On the other hand, the city and the state have been governed by Republicans for a decade or more. So, you know -- and can I show you one quick thing?
HEMMER: You may.
GREENFIELD: Put polls aside for a minute. There's something called the Iowa Electronic Markets. This is, in effect, a betting market where people just put down a buck to decide who they think is going to win, not who they want to.
And if we have that graph, in the last 10 days, this market has exploded. It was very tight between Kerry and Bush. And you can see that blue line is Bush. Bush has opened up a big lead in the last 10 days or so.
These -- so these are bets on what they think is going to happen. This market has been a better predictor of who is going to win the popular vote in the past than polls. Keep your eye on this market as the campaign goes on.
HEMMER: And we thought the Nasdaq had it all figured out, huh?
GREENFIELD: This is a good one. HEMMER: Thank you, Jeff. Good to see you.
In a moment here -- probably the most popular man of the 2004 election not running is Senator John McCain. What's he thinking about this year and his speech tonight? And what about 2008? At look at that when we continue in a moment here, live on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A lovely exterior shot of the CNN Diner where our good friend Jack Cafferty is standing by to tell us more about what the folks over there are thinking this morning -- first day of the convention.
Hey, Jack.
CAFFERTY: How are you doing, Heidi?
COLLINS: Super.
CAFFERTY: The election is going to be close. Our CNN producers -- we're at 34th and Eighth Avenue -- have been busy scouting out the porn theater across the street, and they have hand-outs for -- you know, for the delegates and for the tourists that are in town. And we've managed to get a hold of a couple. And that will be part of "The Cafferty File," coming up in a few minutes.
In the meantime, on to more serious matters here, which is: How can the Republicans get the undecided voters off the fence? What can they say over the course of this convention to determine for undecideds that they want to vote for George Bush?
Ken in Bunker Hill writes: "I'm a veteran and a Christian conservative, but my house and mind" -- meaning his family -- "will be voting Kerry/Edwards this time around." Sorry, Ralph," -- as in Ralph Nader -- "you got our vote last time, but not this time. It's too important."
Michael in Middletown, Connecticut: "Focus their efforts on the national economy as much as on the war against terrorism. Most Americans are worried about their jobs and the increasing cost of living. A reemphasis on the Republican commitment to keep Americans employed and our economy on the upswing will go a long way with the voters."
Pamela in Pinckney, Michigan: "They can't. Bush is too far to the right. And no matter how many Arnold Schwarzeneggers they put on display, they won't change that fact."
And Paul writes from Hellertown, Pennsylvania: "The Republicans cannot do a thing to win over the votes of the undecided. If at this point a person is still undecided, he's probably registered as terminally stupid. And if he votes at all, will be confused when, upon entering the polling booth, he finds out that Richard Nixon is not on this year's ballot." Am@cnn.com. We'll be back with "The Cafferty File" in a little while, and some more "Voice of the Voter" stuff from Times Square, where we went and talked to some visitors and some New Yorkers about all the security and the fact this is going to be a different four days for the big town.
Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: No question about that, Jack. Thanks so much.
Still to come this morning -- we'll go back out to Madison Square Garden, where Bill is standing by. He'll talk to the "CROSSFIRE" gang -- actually, I'll talk to the "CROSSFIRE" gang. They're looking at whether the president runs the risk of being overshadowed at his own convention by another Republican.
Plus, should he keep it, or give it up? Gymnast Paul Hamm remains at the center of an Olympic medal controversy. We'll talk to him live, as well.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired August 30, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The Olympics are over. But the controversy still hangs around the neck of U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm. We'll talk to him and that gold medal on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING. From the Republican National Convention in New York, here's Bill Hemmer.
And good morning and welcome. Madison Square Garden, that is where we are located today. It's the home of the Knicks and the Rangers and now the home for the Republican Party. The national convention getting started in about two hours from now when the opening gavel will sound. The theme today will be the president's leadership in the war on terror. Speakers tonight include former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, Senator John McCain and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
This hour, we'll be talking with Republican National Committee chairman, Ed Gillespie, standing off to our right here, as well as North Carolina Senator Elizabeth dole.
For his part, President Bush campaigns in New Hampshire and in Michigan, both considered swing states. We have a lot more to talk about over the next coming hour here, and our AMERICAN MORNING team is spread out all over New York City.
Heidi Collins is out on the plaza, outside of our Time-Life studios.
Good morning, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Bill, once again.
A lot of convention news, that's for sure. But a little later on, we're going to talk to Olympic gold medalist Paul Hamm. He won gold in all-around men's gymnastics, and is now in the middle of a controversy with the South Koreans and the International Gymnastics Federation. He speaks to us this morning about the controversy and what he plans to do, how this controversy has changed his Olympic experience altogether. So that's coming up.
But right now, we want to head over to Jack Cafferty at the CNN Diner across the street from Madison Square Garden. I guess this is the place where the food is hot and the people are hungry, right?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That would be true. And actually, the food is pretty good. I had the blueberry pancakes about an hour ago. It was all right.
Coming up in "The Cafferty File," we have a lot of things. A chimpanzee has developed two -- count them, two -- nasty habits, all because her husband can't get it done for her anymore, and they can't find any young chimp that will take up with her, and Heinz ain't the only ketchup in town anymore, at least not this week in New York City.
Plus, more on our neighborhood, where there's a Starbucks on one corner, a McDonald's in the middle of the block, and right next door to that, a XXX porno theater. We're only a block from Madison Square Garden and two blocks west of Herald Square, here at 34th and 8th. So we'll give you a tour of the neighborhood a little later.
COLLINS: Lovely location. All right, Jack. Thanks so much.
Want to check on the stories now in the news this morning.
In about an hour from now, a military hearing resumes over whether Army Private Lynndie England should be court-martialed. The investigation stems from England's in apparent abusive behavior toward Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison outside of Baghdad. A hearing is set to begin around 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
Thousands of people in South Carolina are without power this morning. Tropical Storm Gaston struck the state yesterday. Nearly 10 inches of rain flooded neighborhoods and strong winds knocked over trees and power lines. Wet and wild weather expected for parts of North Carolina again today.
This morning, John Allen Muhammad's attorneys will argue he should not stand trial again for his role in the October 2002 D.C.- area sniper shootings. Muhammad faces a capital murder trial in Virginia for the death of FBI analyst Linda Franklin. He's already received a death sentence for another killing during the shooting spree.
Lawyers in the Kobe Bryant case start individual questioning of about 100 potential jurors today. A judge closed the questioning of potential jurors to the public. Attorneys spent much of the weekend scrutinizing answers to questions by the first 300 potential jurors. A lot of questions to go through, that's for sure.
Bill, now, back at Madison Square Garden.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, thanks.
Two hours and counting now. Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie calling the convention to order. He's my guest now here in New York City.
Good morning to you.
ED GILLESPIE, CHMN., REPUBLICAN NATL. CMTE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Nice to see you in person. How much will we hear about the agenda of the next four years over the next four days? GILLESPIE: Well, we're going to talk about the president's record of the past four years, because what you've done in the past is indicative of what you'll do in the future. And then, the president will lay out a positive agenda for the next four years: new ideas for a new term; the new challenges that face us as a nation, whether it's the war on terror or the new economy in which our American workers live.
And so, we'll do a little bit of both.
HEMMER: A month ago in Boston, Republicans were quick to criticize the Democrats, saying there is no agenda and no specifics put forward because they would be poked at over the next month. Well, you don't seem to be saying that you are going to get very specific on that...
GILLESPIE: Well, I haven't seen the president's speech, so I'm not one to say what the president is going to say. I'll leave that to him. But the president will be forward-looking.
In Boston, Democrats were backward-looking. They spent a lot of time talking about the past, not much time talking about the future. We'll be talking about the future in detail with specifics, as the president has been doing since the Democratic convention, when he talked about flextime, talked about reorganizing our troop structure in light of the new war on terror. There will be more of that kind of thing.
HEMMER: On the screen now, if we could here, the latest numbers from CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll - looking at three states specifically: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Iowa. A tie in Pennsylvania at the top; Wisconsin, three for George Bush now; Iowa, favored to six for John Kerry. How do you feel about those numbers on the eve of your convention?
GILLESPIE: Well, understand that all three of those states were states that Vice President Gore carried in 2000. And so, we're up in two of them and competitive in the third, which is indicative of the way the battlefield is today. A lot of those blue states in the middle are pretty purple right now, and the president is gaining steam there.
HEMMER: Over -- the platform came out over the weekend. A lot of talking on the talk shows about what is said in the platform, and then what will be spoken on the podium over the next four days. On the screen -- we talk about: supporting a Constitutional Amendment preventing same-sex marriage; opposing abortion; opposing national gun registration; and promoting the return of voluntary school prayer.
Some would say with Rudy Giuliani and John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger, that they do not necessarily agree with that. Where is this "but?"
GILLESPIE: Well, also Senator Zell Miller, I know Senator Elizabeth Dole will soon be on your program. She's a featured speaker here. And many other center-right candidates, center-right Republicans, as well.
We have a broad party with a great breadth. The fact is, we are the majority party in the country today. We have the governorships of California, New York, Florida, and Texas. We have a majority of the House, a majority of the Senate, and the White House, a majority of governorships.
Any party that's that big is going to have some differences within its ranks. And we accept that, but we also understand that the things that bring us together are bigger than the things that separate us.
And as Ronald Reagan said, someone who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is my friend. And that's our approach to this convention.
HEMMER: We saw tens of thousands on the streets of New York City over the weekend and a heavy turnout yesterday -- on Sunday afternoon. There were other poll indications that show a right track, wrong track approach for how people feel the direction of the country is headed. And there is -- in a lot of these polls, showing a majority: 50 percent or slightly more than that say it's on the wrong track.
How much concern is that to you when you look historically at how these elections play out based on that number?
GILLESPIE: Well, first of all, the gap has been closing. The right direction has been going up; wrong track has been coming down. And secondly, there is -- in this election, if you look at the president's support, a lot of people who see the country on the wrong track support President Bush because they think he has the right approach and the right answers and the right solutions. And he's someone who gets results to put us back on the right track.
HEMMER: You are two hours away, 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Thanks for your time.
GILLESPIE: Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.
HEMMER: You bet.
Cross town again, here is Heidi again -- Heidi.
COLLINS: OK, Bill, thanks so much.
You know, amid the New York rush hour -- you may actually see just a little bit of it behind me going pretty thick. You see some traffic cops and so forth. It's all happening on a Monday morning as the convention kicks off today in New York, heavy security, and huge protests as well.
Yesterday, tens of thousands marched in Manhattan in a protest that stretched over two miles. Police said they arrested several hundred demonstrators, but called the protests peaceful and orderly. The heavy law enforcement presence on the streets of New York is only part of the unprecedented security this week.
Here now, homeland security correspondent 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.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: In our next hour, we'll talk about convention security with former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik, also one of tonight's speakers. That comes your way 9:00 a.m. Eastern. They are out in full force -- Bill.
HEMMER: That they are. Back inside now, Heidi, North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole will address the delegates tomorrow night -- on Tuesday. You might recall eight years ago, 1996, when her husband Bob Dole was the Republican nominee.
The senator from North Carolina, my guest now here. And good morning to you.
SEN. ELIZABETH DOLE (R), NORTH CAROLINA: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Let's talk about these comments that came out over the weekend. Laura Bush was interviewed by "TIME" magazine. They asked her about the ads directed toward John Kerry in a negative sense, and she said, "Not really, because there are a number of terrible ads." I believe she said, "millions of terrible ads against my husband."
The Kerry campaign says this is more evidence of a top to bottom strategy that begins in the White House. How do you respond to this back and forth at this point?
DOLE: No, I think that if -- clearly the 527s, as they are called, the president has asked that they be all pulled down, all of these 527s. He has indicated that he respects John Kerry's record. Certainly, I respect John Kerry's record. But the problem here is there's been about $60 million of negative ads focused on the president. I mean, they have been pummeling him, these 527s.
So, it's important to bring them all down. That's what the president's asking for.
HEMMER: It was a week ago on...
DOLE: It's a systemic issue.
HEMMER: It was a week ago here on CNN when your husband, Bob Dole, was speaking with Wolf Blitzer. And he talked about John Kerry's, quote, "superficial wounds." And then he went on to say, "He never bled that I know of."
Have you talked to your husband about those comments, and is he standing by them?
DOLE: You know, Bob Dole, his comments are his comments. But clearly, I think as a veteran, he has earned the right to make his views known. He has been very much concerned about this pummeling of the president with $60 million of these ads. And he feels that -- you know, he's talked to John Kerry.
John Kerry came back from Vietnam, and he began to criticize. He went before the Congress. He talked about atrocities at the time when our troops were still over there. And a lot of this, it seems, was based on hearsay. And so, Bob made his views known, and I think, as a veteran, he had the right to make those views known.
HEMMER: He's your husband, and you stand by what he said? DOLE: Listen, Bob Dole's views are Bob Dole's views. My view is these are all 527s which ought to all be brought down. It ought to be stopped. And I think, clearly, it's a systemic problem. But we're looking at $60 million of ads against the president...
HEMMER: But all this was supposed to...
DOLE: ... about one million...
HEMMER: And this was all supposed to be eliminated through campaign finance reform and the laws that were passed several years ago. Have those laws failed, then?
DOLE: Right, right. Well, I think there's certainly more to be done, don't you? There's more to be done.
HEMMER: Not in the world of politics (INAUDIBLE) other side.
Quickly in 1996, when you addressed...
DOLE: Right.
HEMMER: ... the delegates in San Diego, what is that experience like for those who come to the podium in primetime this year?
DOLE: Well, you know, in that particular year, I left the podium. To me, the podium had become a barrier between me and the people. And so, I...
HEMMER: So, you called it your Oprah style...
DOLE: I'll tell you, the night before, I realized I'm taking a bit of a risk. I'm going to be going down about 12 steps in high heels and speaking at the same time. I could end up rolling down those steps in front of the whole world.
But fortunately, the aisles were clear. I was able to get the help of the Secret Service walking the aisles, and it was a great experience. But it is exhilarating for anyone.
HEMMER: But now with 2004, are you going to stay behind the podium?
DOLE: I think this time I'll probably stay behind the podium. But it's a great experience for all the speakers, and it's a joy to be here to support a great president.
HEMMER: Thank you, Senator.
DOLE: Thank you.
HEMMER: Nice to see you here in New York.
DOLE: Thanks so much.
HEMMER: I want to let our viewers know, stay with CNN, a ringside seat for all the action. Our coverage begins tonight, 7:00 Eastern, a special edition of "ANDERSON COOPER 360." At 8:00, watch "AMERICA VOTES 2004," a special with Wolf Blitzer.
At 9:00, "LARRY KING" comes for the first of a double shot for Larry. 9:00 in the Garden is his first show. At 10:00, Senator John McCain will address the convention, and we will have complete live coverage certainly of that, and everything that happens in the evening. "AARON BROWN" follows at 11:00, and "LARRY KING" is back at midnight for a live complete wrap of what's happening here at Madison Square Garden.
Talk to you again in a couple of minutes. Here's Heidi again -- Heidi.
COLLINS: OK, Bill, thanks.
France will not change its law banning head scarves in schools to satisfy kidnappers in Iraq. France is pleading for the release of two of its journalists held by a group who demand the law be dropped. Head scarves are traditionally warn by Muslim women. Beginning with this school year, French public school students will not be able to wear anything that signifies their religion.
Meanwhile, two Turkish hostages were released in Iraq yesterday after their employers agreed to kidnappers' demands and began pulling out of Iraq.
Tropical Storm Gaston now a tropical depression. It blew ashore in South Carolina yesterday, packing near hurricane force winds. Some reached 60 miles an hour. The storm knocked out power to thousands of people. Still a headache there, that's for sure.
HEMMER: In a moment here, 9/11 very much on the minds of delegates here in New York City. But is the White House exploiting the tragedy by holding the convention in the Big Apple? We'll talk to the gang from "CROSSFIRE" about that.
Also, a history lesson on the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It may be new to Republicans, but it is not new to politics.
And back to the Olympics. Paul Hamm still at the center of a large controversy. From Athens to New York City, has the gold lost its shine? We'll ask him live, this hour on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. A cat may have nine lives. Well, Madison Square Garden has had four throughout its history. The current Garden opened up in 1968, known as the world's most famous arena. One guy that knows it better than anyone, his Knicks seats are like right around gate number 64 here.
Jeff Greenfield, good morning to you.
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: I paid for those seats...
HEMMER: Yes, you did. You paid a lot of money for it, too.
GREENFIELD: Oh, man, that team stinks.
HEMMER: That they do for now.
Take us through some history right now. Not just for this arena, but also with the Republicans and their own history means in New York City.
GREENFIELD: Yes, people think of this as a Democratic city. But the truth is, there's a lot of Republican history.
A few blocks from here, over on East 28th Street, the first great New York Republican Teddy Roosevelt was born. As a young boy, he witnessed the funeral cortege of Abe Lincoln. It stopped in New York; hundreds of thousands of people turned out on its way to Illinois.
Now, this arena itself has obviously never seen a Republican convention because New York City has never seen one. But this is the place where the last two Democratic presidents, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, were nominated. And obviously, it's witnessed everything from the first Ali/Frazier fight in 1971 -- I was there; most exciting night in my life in many ways -- Sinatra, Elvis, Dylan, The Band, Madonna, and -- while I'm not sure this is exactly relevant to a Republican convention, Bill -- The Grateful Dead played here 52 times.
HEMMER: Nice. And Elton John superseded that, I understand. What, 2001?
GREENFIELD: There you go. There you go.
HEMMER: Did it 53 times.
GREENFIELD: Yes, that's right. Did it 53 times.
HEMMER: Great history all over this city, for that matter.
But when we talk about the politics and the Republican message here, the theme is what?
GREENFIELD: Well, if you look at where they think they are, they are not where they thought they'd be at year's start. They thought they'd have a really big lead. But they clearly are in better shape than they were a month ago.
The bad news for the Republicans -- you just talked about it, Bill, with Chairman Gillespie -- more people think the country is on the wrong track. More people want change rather than continuity. On a straight upward-down vote, more people want a new president.
But the good news to Republicans and bad news for Democrats is Senator Kerry has not been able to tap into that, either because of the Swift Boat incident or -- and this is something that a lot of Democrats said -- by overemphasizing Vietnam at the convention, he didn't offer a focused theme.
So, what you're going to be hearing here -- there's a sign right behind us, "Safer world. More hopeful America." Yes, this president, they're going to say, has a second-term agenda. It's going to put more power in people's hands, and that's why you want to put him back in the Oval Office.
HEMMER: So, that's the direct theme. Are you implying there is another theme that lies underneath that?
GREENFIELD: Yes, I'm not implying it; I'm saying it. It's flexibility. It's an attempt to reclaim the idea back in 2000 that George W. Bush is a reasonable guy. That he's not the prisoner of ideology.
One of the criticisms among the president that I've heard a lot of from conservatives -- from people who are going to be voting for Bush -- is these guys, the White House, they're too inflexible. If you're not on the bus, you're off the bus.
And I think you've seen this in everything from the president's acknowledgment that, yes, maybe we had mistakes in Iraq. Vice President Cheney saying, yes, the president and I have a difference on gay marriage. We've all talked about the lineup -- the prime-time lineup of independents, mavericks, and moderates to say this is not a high-bound (ph) ideological president. Big unacknowledged theme.
HEMMER: In your first answer, you've acknowledged that this is a Democratic city. In 2000, of New York's five boroughs, 18 percent of those who voted for the presidential race that year went with Bush/Cheney.
GREENFIELD: Right. On the other hand, the city and the state have been governed by Republicans for a decade or more. So, you know -- and can I show you one quick thing?
HEMMER: You may.
GREENFIELD: Put polls aside for a minute. There's something called the Iowa Electronic Markets. This is, in effect, a betting market where people just put down a buck to decide who they think is going to win, not who they want to.
And if we have that graph, in the last 10 days, this market has exploded. It was very tight between Kerry and Bush. And you can see that blue line is Bush. Bush has opened up a big lead in the last 10 days or so.
These -- so these are bets on what they think is going to happen. This market has been a better predictor of who is going to win the popular vote in the past than polls. Keep your eye on this market as the campaign goes on.
HEMMER: And we thought the Nasdaq had it all figured out, huh?
GREENFIELD: This is a good one. HEMMER: Thank you, Jeff. Good to see you.
In a moment here -- probably the most popular man of the 2004 election not running is Senator John McCain. What's he thinking about this year and his speech tonight? And what about 2008? At look at that when we continue in a moment here, live on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A lovely exterior shot of the CNN Diner where our good friend Jack Cafferty is standing by to tell us more about what the folks over there are thinking this morning -- first day of the convention.
Hey, Jack.
CAFFERTY: How are you doing, Heidi?
COLLINS: Super.
CAFFERTY: The election is going to be close. Our CNN producers -- we're at 34th and Eighth Avenue -- have been busy scouting out the porn theater across the street, and they have hand-outs for -- you know, for the delegates and for the tourists that are in town. And we've managed to get a hold of a couple. And that will be part of "The Cafferty File," coming up in a few minutes.
In the meantime, on to more serious matters here, which is: How can the Republicans get the undecided voters off the fence? What can they say over the course of this convention to determine for undecideds that they want to vote for George Bush?
Ken in Bunker Hill writes: "I'm a veteran and a Christian conservative, but my house and mind" -- meaning his family -- "will be voting Kerry/Edwards this time around." Sorry, Ralph," -- as in Ralph Nader -- "you got our vote last time, but not this time. It's too important."
Michael in Middletown, Connecticut: "Focus their efforts on the national economy as much as on the war against terrorism. Most Americans are worried about their jobs and the increasing cost of living. A reemphasis on the Republican commitment to keep Americans employed and our economy on the upswing will go a long way with the voters."
Pamela in Pinckney, Michigan: "They can't. Bush is too far to the right. And no matter how many Arnold Schwarzeneggers they put on display, they won't change that fact."
And Paul writes from Hellertown, Pennsylvania: "The Republicans cannot do a thing to win over the votes of the undecided. If at this point a person is still undecided, he's probably registered as terminally stupid. And if he votes at all, will be confused when, upon entering the polling booth, he finds out that Richard Nixon is not on this year's ballot." Am@cnn.com. We'll be back with "The Cafferty File" in a little while, and some more "Voice of the Voter" stuff from Times Square, where we went and talked to some visitors and some New Yorkers about all the security and the fact this is going to be a different four days for the big town.
Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: No question about that, Jack. Thanks so much.
Still to come this morning -- we'll go back out to Madison Square Garden, where Bill is standing by. He'll talk to the "CROSSFIRE" gang -- actually, I'll talk to the "CROSSFIRE" gang. They're looking at whether the president runs the risk of being overshadowed at his own convention by another Republican.
Plus, should he keep it, or give it up? Gymnast Paul Hamm remains at the center of an Olympic medal controversy. We'll talk to him live, as well.
Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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