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American Morning
Interview With Ed Koch; 'Promises, Promises'; 'House Call'
Aired September 21, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There's the opening bell on Wall Street. A lot of eyes on the Fed, meeting later today. A lot of analysts say they will raise that key interest rate about a quarter point. The question is: What will be in the language from Alan Greenspan and others down in Washington? We'll watch it.
10204, off about 80 points in trading yesterday for the Dow 30. The Nasdaq Marketsite off about 2 points yesterday, still a tick above 1900. 1908, in fact, at the Nasdaq.
Welcome back, everyone, 9:30 here in New York City. And good morning.
Part two of our series on election year issues in a moment here. We'll look at the issue of Iraq today, front and center at the U.N. in about an hour when the president talks. Today, Kelly Wallace will tell us what each candidate has in mind and how the two differ regarding Iraq, American troops' involvement there. So we'll get to that.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Also, former New York Mayor Ed Koch with us this morning, telling us about his new book and why he's backing President Bush this year in the election. We'll get to that in just a moment.
But Kelly Wallace is doing double duty for us this morning. She's going to give us the stories now in the news.
Good morning once again -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning again, Heidi. Good morning, Bill. Good morning, everyone.
Within an hour, President Bush will address the new U.N. General Assembly. He is expected to try to reassure world leaders that Iraq is moving toward democracy. Of course, CNN will have live coverage of that address at 10:30 a.m. Eastern this morning.
Nuclear fears out of the Middle East this morning. Iran's president says his country will continue its nuclear development, even to the point of ending inspections by the U.N. nuclear agency. Iran says it has started converting raw uranium into the gas needed for enrichment. It is the latest sign Iran is ignoring demands made by the U.N.'s Board of Governors.
This morning in Washington, a Senate committee looks at safeguards to prevent your cell phone number from being made public. The closely-guarded cell phone number might become a thing of the past -- that is sad to hear -- if the nation's first wireless phone directly comes into existence next spring as planned. A quick look at the headlines.
Now back to Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Kelly, thanks for that.
It's been 20 years since his memoir became a best-seller, and now Ed Koch is writing the making of a mayor. It starts many, many years ago. This story begins long before his celebrated 12-year tenure as New York City's mayor when he famously asked that question: "How am I doing?" "Eddie, Harold's Little Brother," is the title of his first children's book inspired by the brother who set him on a path to politics.
Ed Koch is my guest here in our AMERICAN MORNING studios.
Good morning. Nice to see you again in person.
ED KOCH, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: I want to get to your book in a moment here. Good stuff, by the way.
KOCH: Thank you.
HEMMER: Let's talk politics for a moment.
KOCH: Sure.
HEMMER: How do you see this whole issue of the National Guard records, the story on "60 Minutes" and Dan Rather? How does it fit right now into the debate about what John Kerry can and can't do regarding his own message?
KOCH: Well, firstly, I believe that there should not be any questioning of either Kerry or the president with respect to their military records. If you have any information that bears upon it where you think it should be further examined, you bring it to the United States Navy, the United States Army, but you -- nobody should question their honorable discharges or their medals.
And I was shocked, because I watched your inquiry of Lockhart this morning, when he said he called this guy, who had delivered the fraudulent records...
HEMMER: Bill Burkett.
KOCH: ... to CBS. Why would he -- he said he didn't know who he was. Does that make any sense? And that they didn't talk about what everybody else is talking about, the fraud. I think that that particular story has legs, and there will be more on that.
HEMMER: When you suggest legs, you suggest the story is not going to be over today. KOCH: Correct.
HEMMER: It's going to go on for several days or even weeks.
KOCH: Right.
HEMMER: But where does the story go, though?
KOCH: Well, the question is: Were Democrats in the campaign in any way involved in perpetrating the fraud, involved with the delivery of those documents? I don't know that they were.
HEMMER: Right.
KOCH: But the fact that he called him indicates to me that Lockhart is maybe worried. But it was a stupid call.
HEMMER: But Lockhart said there was no collaboration between CBS and the Kerry campaign.
KOCH: Yes, but does Lockhart call everybody who calls him? Does Lockhart call everybody...
HEMMER: I asked him that, too.
KOCH: It's ridiculous.
HEMMER: Let's talk about what happened at the convention. Longtime Democrat, you live down in Greenwich Village, for crying out loud.
KOCH: Yes, sure.
HEMMER: You ran this town for 12 years.
KOCH: Right.
HEMMER: And you're supporting George Bush. Why?
KOCH: I am for the simple reason that I believe his position in fighting international terrorism trumps all other issues. I don't agree with the president on a single domestic issue. But I believe the Democratic Party and Kerry don't have the stomach to take on international terrorism. I'm not attacking Kerry's patriotism. I'm attacking his philosophy.
And I believe that the most important issue -- and when you have a country like Spain, a country like the Philippines, submitting to the demands of terrorism -- in one case Spain withdrawing its troops from Iraq, and the other case of the Philippines withdrawing their civilian people from Iraq -- you can see what terrorism, if it's unchecked, if it's not defeated, will do.
And the president's doctrine, the Bush doctrine of we'll go after the terrorists and the countries that harbor them, I think is the right way to go. And the Democrats can't do it. HEMMER: At the very beginning of your statement you said Kerry doesn't have the stomach.
KOCH: Yes.
HEMMER: What do you mean the stomach?
KOCH: Well, the Democrats...
HEMMER: He doesn't have the guts? What does that mean?
KOCH: No, it has nothing to do with guts. It has to do with philosophy. I'm not attacking his guts, his patriotism or his courage. But the people who are in charge of the Democratic Party today are his base. And, in fact, he's going back to his base.
There was a time when he said oh, yes, the war is the right thing to do. We're safer because Saddam Hussein is in prison, and all of the things that he should be saying. But now he's saying what the Deaniacs, so-called, have demanded, let's get out. And I believe that he is a prisoner, in a sense, of his base.
He has decided that trying to rule the middle class -- which he tried to do -- hasn't worked, because they don't believe him, and they're right not to believe him. And therefore, he's going back to his base to try to strengthen that.
HEMMER: Let's get to the book. It's called "Eddie." What do we learn about you in this book?
KOCH: Well, it's a book that describes my brother and myself and our relationship. He was a great athlete. I was a terrible athlete. I had no coordination. But I wanted to play. And every year the team wanted my brother, Harold, on the team. They didn't want me. But Harold, my brother, said, if you want me, you've got to take Eddie. And that went on for some time.
And then one day my brother said, "Eddie, I can't do it anymore, you're no good." I said, 'Harold, I want to play.' He said, "You're no good and I can't do it." 'What should I do, Harold?' "Do something you do good." 'What do I do good, Harold?' "You talk good." And that's what put me on the road to politics.
HEMMER: Lesson learned. Thank you. Good to see you, Ed Koch.
KOCH: Thank you.
HEMMER: All right, we'll see you soon -- Heidi.
COLLINS: One of the biggest complaints of voters during a presidential campaign is that they don't hear enough about the issues. And so, today we continue our five-part series called "Promises, Promises," five days, five different issues.
Our focus today: Iraq. It is one of the top three issues on voters' minds, according to our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll. Here now, Kelly Wallace, working very hard on this series.
WALLACE: Thank you, Heidi.
As you know, what we're trying to do here is clear through the attacks that are getting more intense each and every day, and also clear through the spin and focus on the issues. Today, we wanted to focus on this question: What is each candidate promising to do to ultimately get the U.S. and American troops out of Iraq?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice over): Listen to President Bush and Senator John Kerry.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At every critical juncture in Iraq and in the war on terrorism, the president has made the wrong choice.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Incredibly, he now believes our national security would be stronger with Saddam Hussein in power, not in prison.
WALLACE: And what's clear is that with few good options in Iraq, the candidates largely criticize each other instead of getting specific. President Bush's plan for the future? Stay the course.
BUSH: And get on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will return home with the honor they deserve.
WALLACE: The president promises to bring U.S. troops home once the mission is completed, but he hasn't said when that will be. He promises to spend what is necessary to restore the peace, but he doesn't mention a price tag, which nonpartisan experts say could ultimately reach $200 billion or more. He says other countries are sharing the burden, but doesn't mention how the 138,000 U.S. troops make up 85 percent of the coalition force. And he touts Iraq as a model for the Middle East, but he doesn't know that ongoing violence could jeopardize Iraq's first free elections in January.
KERRY: The president now admits to miscalculations in Iraq. Miscalculations! This is one of the greatest understatements in recent American history.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry is criticizing the president's handling of the war more harshly now than in the past. But he voted for the war resolution two years ago, even said last month he would do so again knowing what he knows now.
KERRY: Yes, I would have voted for the authority.
WALLACE: The senator promises to convince NATO and other allies to send troops to Iraq, but fails to explain how he can persuade world leaders, who are reluctant to put boots on the ground. He promises to start bringing U.S. troops home six months after taking office. But is that even possible if other countries refuse to send forces in?
And he promises to persuade European countries to help rebuild Iraq by giving them a share of reconstruction contracts, but he can't guarantee he can convince world leaders to pitch in, especially as the violence continues. The death toll now for Americans, above the 1,000 mark.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And who do voters trust more on this issue? Well, Heidi, at least according to the recent polls, President Bush is holding a significant advantage over John Kerry.
COLLINS: Well, and it is interesting, because the original question for the Kerry campaign seemed to be the economy. He would go that direction and talking about that issue. Now it seems to be more Iraq. Is that risky?
WALLACE: Well, you know, the original strategy, they were going to focus on the economy. They thought they had an advantage over the president. But because of the events changing on the ground, Democrats feel that they have, you know, sort of an advantage here. The more Americans might focus on what's happening in Iraq, the better they might be in terms of narrowing that gap over foreign policy between the president and the senator.
COLLINS: OK. So, two stories down this week. We've got three more to go. What's tomorrow?
WALLACE: Three more to go. Tomorrow we focus on something very important: taxes and spending. The economy is tied for No. 1 as the top issue on voters' minds in our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll. So, we will look at what each candidate promises to do when it comes to your wallet and the nation's budget.
COLLINS: All right, a lot of people are very interested in that for sure. Kelly, thanks so much.
WALLACE: Sure.
COLLINS: Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: Heidi, it's about 19 minutes now before the hour. Jeanne has been an absolute killer of a storm in places like Haiti, still brewing out there in the Atlantic.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment, millions of diabetics know to have their blood sugar levels checked. But it turns out some non-diabetics may have one important reason to be tested as well. Sanjay has that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: New research providing this morning more evidence of the need for diabetics to closely watch their blood sugar level. There is a crucial link to heart disease.
Sanjay is at the CNN center now with more on all of these details.
Good morning -- Sanjay.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
It's long been believed that there's a relationship, a significant one, between diabetes and heart disease. But now some new evidence is showing that there is a more conclusive link.
Listen, first of all, there are two blood tests when you talk about diabetes. A daily blood test, you do this at home. You can actually monitor your blood sugar at home. There's also a blood test known as hemoglobin A1C, or glycosylated hemoglobin. Diabetics know this test. It is a more sort of chronic test. You check your blood sugar there, and you find what your blood sugars have been doing for two to three months with this hemoglobin A1C.
The link between this and heart disease, Heidi, is something that they've been talking about for some time. What they find here, for every point above normal, if you are a type I diabetic you are 15 percent more likely to develop heart disease for every point above normal. If you're a type II diabetic that risk is even higher, 18 percent increased risk.
Again, one of the first times you have actually shown a more conclusive relationship between diabetes and heart disease. Everyone has known for some time that if you're diabetic you're more likely to have small vessel disease. Your hands or feet may get numb. You may have trouble with your eyes or your kidneys. Again, with the heart disease, long believed; now proven -- Heidi.
COLLINS: So, Sanjay, we know that most diabetics test their blood sugar level on their own every day, I imagine. But you mentioned two different types of tests. How often do they have to do them?
GUPTA: Yes, this glycosylated hemoglobin, the name is not that important. But what you need to remember is that it sort of gives you a reflection of your blood sugar over two to three months. So typically, a few times a year is the number of times you're going to need to get your glycosylated hemoglobin checked, two to four times a year.
Daily monitoring, this is a bit more important obviously on a day-to-day basis. We're talking about getting it checked as often as needed on a daily basis. It can be up to four times a day.
The real goal, obviously, Heidi, is to try and keep your blood sugar numbers as normal as possible -- Heidi.
COLLINS: So medically speaking, then, how does blood sugar level have an effect on heart disease? GUPTA: You know, that's a great question. And I think a lot of researchers argue about this to some extent. It was clear that diabetics were at risk of having small vessels in their hands and their feet affected. When it came to larger vessels such as those in the heart, it's believed that the sugar in your blood actually makes the blood a little bit more stiff. And if that blood becomes stiff, it's harder to actually get through the blood vessels. And that might make you at a higher risk of a heart attack.
That's sort of simplistically put, but that's sort of the latest theory on this -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Real quickly, Sanjay, at higher risk for a clot possibly, as well?
GUPTA: Exactly. Higher risk for blockage of the blood vessel, which could possibly lead to the oxygen not getting to your heart muscle. That's called a heart attack -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yikes! All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much for that.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: In a moment here, want a bike lock that actually works, keep the criminals away? Andy is "Minding Your Business." Back in a moment with that after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We want to get a check on all of the action on Wall Street this morning. And what about these bike locks that aren't so theft-proof? Remember kryptonite?
Well, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
First, though, to the markets.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Not so safe, a dangerous place. The same with Wall Street. Let's check it out and go to the Big Board.
Stocks are trading up 9 points this morning. What's going on? A big Fed meeting at 2:15. We'll get the word on interest rates.
AIG receiving a notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission about an informal investigation. That's that big insurance giant, AIG. Interesting story. We'll be watching that one.
According to "Fortune" magazine -- I work there -- Michael Eisner says he won't serve on the company board after his contract expires in 2006. My colleague, Patty Sellers (ph), got that piece of information.
Kryptonite bike locks. You might remember last week a guy put a thing on a video, a little clip showing how you could pick the lock with a Bic pen -- with a Bic pen that I had right here.
COLLINS: You don't have a prop.
SERWER: You almost saw it. This simple Bic pen. Anyway, the company now is offering rebates on those locks, because you can pick them with this simple Bic pen right here, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: Using the cap or the ink?
SERWER: You know, you use both sides, Bill. It's a complicated process.
COLLINS: He has no idea.
SERWER: And I'll get to you later after the show.
HEMMER: What's up Jack.
COLLINS: Thanks, Andy.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: The "Question the Day" is: What questions should the president answer about his National Guard service?
Jason in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: "How can you possibly attempt to move the story forward about underlying issues from a fabricated document? It's not legitimate. Find a source, a legitimate one, and it just might be news. Until then, let's just stick to the objective facts."
In Denver, Colorado: "Of course, Bush's National Guard service doesn't matter. It's in the same category as the economy, health care and education, stuff we've been trained not to care about."
And Marilyn in Illinois writes: "Jack, has everyone forgotten the secretary who said the information was correct even if the documents were not? She typed the originals. She should know."
SERWER: Yes, that starts to get complicated.
HEMMER: And you heard what Ed Koch said, huh? He's a Democrat talking about this story having a lot of legs going for days or even weeks. We'll see if he's right.
In a moment here, we're going to get to the president's speech at the U.N. He speaks in about 35 minutes from now. Daryn Kagan kicks up our coverage next hour, at the top of the hour, in fact, on "CNN LIVE TODAY." The president arriving about 45 minutes ago with Kofi Annan. We are back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Before we get out of here, we want to talk about Aaron Brown's program later tonight on "NEWSNIGHT" coming up in about 12 hours. Here's Aaron now with a preview.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
Tonight on "NEWSNIGHT," poker has been popular in this country since the days of the Wild West. It now has a now cachet, popularity surging. Could poker become the new social glue? That story, plus all the day's news, the morning papers and, of course, everything else that make makes "NEWSNIGHT" "NEWSNIGHT." On CNN tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, good deal, Aaron. The joker is wild there later tonight. Ed Koch left this for you. He signed it for your son, Riley.
COLLINS: Cool! That was cool.
HEMMER: "Eddie, Harold's Little Brother."
COLLINS: He's going to love it.
HEMMER: You've got some reading later today.
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: This is the kind of reading I like to do.
HEMMER: We've got to go. And the president is going to make a very important speech in about 32 minutes from now. And we'll certainly have live coverage of that.
A pretty tough audience there at the U.N., and there are outstanding issues on Iraq, regarding elections in January and whether or not they happen. This huge amount of debt that this country has that has yet to be dismissed by European countries, Middle Eastern countries, Asian countries. And all about NATO involvement, too.
It's possible by the end of the week, some suggest, that NATO could hammer out some sort of agreement to train these Iraqi forces.
COLLINS: Yes, whether or not the international community will step up and help more at all.
HEMMER: So, we'll have that for you. The president will talk from the U.N. General Assembly. We'll have it for you. See you tomorrow.
SERWER: See you tomorrow.
HEMMER: Jack?
CAFFERTY: What?
HEMMER: I love it. Here's Daryn Kagan at the CNN center getting you through the next hour.
And, Daryn, we say good morning to you as well. COLLINS: Hi, Daryn.
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Aired September 21, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There's the opening bell on Wall Street. A lot of eyes on the Fed, meeting later today. A lot of analysts say they will raise that key interest rate about a quarter point. The question is: What will be in the language from Alan Greenspan and others down in Washington? We'll watch it.
10204, off about 80 points in trading yesterday for the Dow 30. The Nasdaq Marketsite off about 2 points yesterday, still a tick above 1900. 1908, in fact, at the Nasdaq.
Welcome back, everyone, 9:30 here in New York City. And good morning.
Part two of our series on election year issues in a moment here. We'll look at the issue of Iraq today, front and center at the U.N. in about an hour when the president talks. Today, Kelly Wallace will tell us what each candidate has in mind and how the two differ regarding Iraq, American troops' involvement there. So we'll get to that.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Also, former New York Mayor Ed Koch with us this morning, telling us about his new book and why he's backing President Bush this year in the election. We'll get to that in just a moment.
But Kelly Wallace is doing double duty for us this morning. She's going to give us the stories now in the news.
Good morning once again -- Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning again, Heidi. Good morning, Bill. Good morning, everyone.
Within an hour, President Bush will address the new U.N. General Assembly. He is expected to try to reassure world leaders that Iraq is moving toward democracy. Of course, CNN will have live coverage of that address at 10:30 a.m. Eastern this morning.
Nuclear fears out of the Middle East this morning. Iran's president says his country will continue its nuclear development, even to the point of ending inspections by the U.N. nuclear agency. Iran says it has started converting raw uranium into the gas needed for enrichment. It is the latest sign Iran is ignoring demands made by the U.N.'s Board of Governors.
This morning in Washington, a Senate committee looks at safeguards to prevent your cell phone number from being made public. The closely-guarded cell phone number might become a thing of the past -- that is sad to hear -- if the nation's first wireless phone directly comes into existence next spring as planned. A quick look at the headlines.
Now back to Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Kelly, thanks for that.
It's been 20 years since his memoir became a best-seller, and now Ed Koch is writing the making of a mayor. It starts many, many years ago. This story begins long before his celebrated 12-year tenure as New York City's mayor when he famously asked that question: "How am I doing?" "Eddie, Harold's Little Brother," is the title of his first children's book inspired by the brother who set him on a path to politics.
Ed Koch is my guest here in our AMERICAN MORNING studios.
Good morning. Nice to see you again in person.
ED KOCH, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: I want to get to your book in a moment here. Good stuff, by the way.
KOCH: Thank you.
HEMMER: Let's talk politics for a moment.
KOCH: Sure.
HEMMER: How do you see this whole issue of the National Guard records, the story on "60 Minutes" and Dan Rather? How does it fit right now into the debate about what John Kerry can and can't do regarding his own message?
KOCH: Well, firstly, I believe that there should not be any questioning of either Kerry or the president with respect to their military records. If you have any information that bears upon it where you think it should be further examined, you bring it to the United States Navy, the United States Army, but you -- nobody should question their honorable discharges or their medals.
And I was shocked, because I watched your inquiry of Lockhart this morning, when he said he called this guy, who had delivered the fraudulent records...
HEMMER: Bill Burkett.
KOCH: ... to CBS. Why would he -- he said he didn't know who he was. Does that make any sense? And that they didn't talk about what everybody else is talking about, the fraud. I think that that particular story has legs, and there will be more on that.
HEMMER: When you suggest legs, you suggest the story is not going to be over today. KOCH: Correct.
HEMMER: It's going to go on for several days or even weeks.
KOCH: Right.
HEMMER: But where does the story go, though?
KOCH: Well, the question is: Were Democrats in the campaign in any way involved in perpetrating the fraud, involved with the delivery of those documents? I don't know that they were.
HEMMER: Right.
KOCH: But the fact that he called him indicates to me that Lockhart is maybe worried. But it was a stupid call.
HEMMER: But Lockhart said there was no collaboration between CBS and the Kerry campaign.
KOCH: Yes, but does Lockhart call everybody who calls him? Does Lockhart call everybody...
HEMMER: I asked him that, too.
KOCH: It's ridiculous.
HEMMER: Let's talk about what happened at the convention. Longtime Democrat, you live down in Greenwich Village, for crying out loud.
KOCH: Yes, sure.
HEMMER: You ran this town for 12 years.
KOCH: Right.
HEMMER: And you're supporting George Bush. Why?
KOCH: I am for the simple reason that I believe his position in fighting international terrorism trumps all other issues. I don't agree with the president on a single domestic issue. But I believe the Democratic Party and Kerry don't have the stomach to take on international terrorism. I'm not attacking Kerry's patriotism. I'm attacking his philosophy.
And I believe that the most important issue -- and when you have a country like Spain, a country like the Philippines, submitting to the demands of terrorism -- in one case Spain withdrawing its troops from Iraq, and the other case of the Philippines withdrawing their civilian people from Iraq -- you can see what terrorism, if it's unchecked, if it's not defeated, will do.
And the president's doctrine, the Bush doctrine of we'll go after the terrorists and the countries that harbor them, I think is the right way to go. And the Democrats can't do it. HEMMER: At the very beginning of your statement you said Kerry doesn't have the stomach.
KOCH: Yes.
HEMMER: What do you mean the stomach?
KOCH: Well, the Democrats...
HEMMER: He doesn't have the guts? What does that mean?
KOCH: No, it has nothing to do with guts. It has to do with philosophy. I'm not attacking his guts, his patriotism or his courage. But the people who are in charge of the Democratic Party today are his base. And, in fact, he's going back to his base.
There was a time when he said oh, yes, the war is the right thing to do. We're safer because Saddam Hussein is in prison, and all of the things that he should be saying. But now he's saying what the Deaniacs, so-called, have demanded, let's get out. And I believe that he is a prisoner, in a sense, of his base.
He has decided that trying to rule the middle class -- which he tried to do -- hasn't worked, because they don't believe him, and they're right not to believe him. And therefore, he's going back to his base to try to strengthen that.
HEMMER: Let's get to the book. It's called "Eddie." What do we learn about you in this book?
KOCH: Well, it's a book that describes my brother and myself and our relationship. He was a great athlete. I was a terrible athlete. I had no coordination. But I wanted to play. And every year the team wanted my brother, Harold, on the team. They didn't want me. But Harold, my brother, said, if you want me, you've got to take Eddie. And that went on for some time.
And then one day my brother said, "Eddie, I can't do it anymore, you're no good." I said, 'Harold, I want to play.' He said, "You're no good and I can't do it." 'What should I do, Harold?' "Do something you do good." 'What do I do good, Harold?' "You talk good." And that's what put me on the road to politics.
HEMMER: Lesson learned. Thank you. Good to see you, Ed Koch.
KOCH: Thank you.
HEMMER: All right, we'll see you soon -- Heidi.
COLLINS: One of the biggest complaints of voters during a presidential campaign is that they don't hear enough about the issues. And so, today we continue our five-part series called "Promises, Promises," five days, five different issues.
Our focus today: Iraq. It is one of the top three issues on voters' minds, according to our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll. Here now, Kelly Wallace, working very hard on this series.
WALLACE: Thank you, Heidi.
As you know, what we're trying to do here is clear through the attacks that are getting more intense each and every day, and also clear through the spin and focus on the issues. Today, we wanted to focus on this question: What is each candidate promising to do to ultimately get the U.S. and American troops out of Iraq?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice over): Listen to President Bush and Senator John Kerry.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At every critical juncture in Iraq and in the war on terrorism, the president has made the wrong choice.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Incredibly, he now believes our national security would be stronger with Saddam Hussein in power, not in prison.
WALLACE: And what's clear is that with few good options in Iraq, the candidates largely criticize each other instead of getting specific. President Bush's plan for the future? Stay the course.
BUSH: And get on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will return home with the honor they deserve.
WALLACE: The president promises to bring U.S. troops home once the mission is completed, but he hasn't said when that will be. He promises to spend what is necessary to restore the peace, but he doesn't mention a price tag, which nonpartisan experts say could ultimately reach $200 billion or more. He says other countries are sharing the burden, but doesn't mention how the 138,000 U.S. troops make up 85 percent of the coalition force. And he touts Iraq as a model for the Middle East, but he doesn't know that ongoing violence could jeopardize Iraq's first free elections in January.
KERRY: The president now admits to miscalculations in Iraq. Miscalculations! This is one of the greatest understatements in recent American history.
WALLACE: Senator Kerry is criticizing the president's handling of the war more harshly now than in the past. But he voted for the war resolution two years ago, even said last month he would do so again knowing what he knows now.
KERRY: Yes, I would have voted for the authority.
WALLACE: The senator promises to convince NATO and other allies to send troops to Iraq, but fails to explain how he can persuade world leaders, who are reluctant to put boots on the ground. He promises to start bringing U.S. troops home six months after taking office. But is that even possible if other countries refuse to send forces in?
And he promises to persuade European countries to help rebuild Iraq by giving them a share of reconstruction contracts, but he can't guarantee he can convince world leaders to pitch in, especially as the violence continues. The death toll now for Americans, above the 1,000 mark.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: And who do voters trust more on this issue? Well, Heidi, at least according to the recent polls, President Bush is holding a significant advantage over John Kerry.
COLLINS: Well, and it is interesting, because the original question for the Kerry campaign seemed to be the economy. He would go that direction and talking about that issue. Now it seems to be more Iraq. Is that risky?
WALLACE: Well, you know, the original strategy, they were going to focus on the economy. They thought they had an advantage over the president. But because of the events changing on the ground, Democrats feel that they have, you know, sort of an advantage here. The more Americans might focus on what's happening in Iraq, the better they might be in terms of narrowing that gap over foreign policy between the president and the senator.
COLLINS: OK. So, two stories down this week. We've got three more to go. What's tomorrow?
WALLACE: Three more to go. Tomorrow we focus on something very important: taxes and spending. The economy is tied for No. 1 as the top issue on voters' minds in our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll. So, we will look at what each candidate promises to do when it comes to your wallet and the nation's budget.
COLLINS: All right, a lot of people are very interested in that for sure. Kelly, thanks so much.
WALLACE: Sure.
COLLINS: Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: Heidi, it's about 19 minutes now before the hour. Jeanne has been an absolute killer of a storm in places like Haiti, still brewing out there in the Atlantic.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: In a moment, millions of diabetics know to have their blood sugar levels checked. But it turns out some non-diabetics may have one important reason to be tested as well. Sanjay has that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: New research providing this morning more evidence of the need for diabetics to closely watch their blood sugar level. There is a crucial link to heart disease.
Sanjay is at the CNN center now with more on all of these details.
Good morning -- Sanjay.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.
It's long been believed that there's a relationship, a significant one, between diabetes and heart disease. But now some new evidence is showing that there is a more conclusive link.
Listen, first of all, there are two blood tests when you talk about diabetes. A daily blood test, you do this at home. You can actually monitor your blood sugar at home. There's also a blood test known as hemoglobin A1C, or glycosylated hemoglobin. Diabetics know this test. It is a more sort of chronic test. You check your blood sugar there, and you find what your blood sugars have been doing for two to three months with this hemoglobin A1C.
The link between this and heart disease, Heidi, is something that they've been talking about for some time. What they find here, for every point above normal, if you are a type I diabetic you are 15 percent more likely to develop heart disease for every point above normal. If you're a type II diabetic that risk is even higher, 18 percent increased risk.
Again, one of the first times you have actually shown a more conclusive relationship between diabetes and heart disease. Everyone has known for some time that if you're diabetic you're more likely to have small vessel disease. Your hands or feet may get numb. You may have trouble with your eyes or your kidneys. Again, with the heart disease, long believed; now proven -- Heidi.
COLLINS: So, Sanjay, we know that most diabetics test their blood sugar level on their own every day, I imagine. But you mentioned two different types of tests. How often do they have to do them?
GUPTA: Yes, this glycosylated hemoglobin, the name is not that important. But what you need to remember is that it sort of gives you a reflection of your blood sugar over two to three months. So typically, a few times a year is the number of times you're going to need to get your glycosylated hemoglobin checked, two to four times a year.
Daily monitoring, this is a bit more important obviously on a day-to-day basis. We're talking about getting it checked as often as needed on a daily basis. It can be up to four times a day.
The real goal, obviously, Heidi, is to try and keep your blood sugar numbers as normal as possible -- Heidi.
COLLINS: So medically speaking, then, how does blood sugar level have an effect on heart disease? GUPTA: You know, that's a great question. And I think a lot of researchers argue about this to some extent. It was clear that diabetics were at risk of having small vessels in their hands and their feet affected. When it came to larger vessels such as those in the heart, it's believed that the sugar in your blood actually makes the blood a little bit more stiff. And if that blood becomes stiff, it's harder to actually get through the blood vessels. And that might make you at a higher risk of a heart attack.
That's sort of simplistically put, but that's sort of the latest theory on this -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Real quickly, Sanjay, at higher risk for a clot possibly, as well?
GUPTA: Exactly. Higher risk for blockage of the blood vessel, which could possibly lead to the oxygen not getting to your heart muscle. That's called a heart attack -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yikes! All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much for that.
GUPTA: Thank you.
HEMMER: In a moment here, want a bike lock that actually works, keep the criminals away? Andy is "Minding Your Business." Back in a moment with that after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We want to get a check on all of the action on Wall Street this morning. And what about these bike locks that aren't so theft-proof? Remember kryptonite?
Well, Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business."
First, though, to the markets.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Not so safe, a dangerous place. The same with Wall Street. Let's check it out and go to the Big Board.
Stocks are trading up 9 points this morning. What's going on? A big Fed meeting at 2:15. We'll get the word on interest rates.
AIG receiving a notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission about an informal investigation. That's that big insurance giant, AIG. Interesting story. We'll be watching that one.
According to "Fortune" magazine -- I work there -- Michael Eisner says he won't serve on the company board after his contract expires in 2006. My colleague, Patty Sellers (ph), got that piece of information.
Kryptonite bike locks. You might remember last week a guy put a thing on a video, a little clip showing how you could pick the lock with a Bic pen -- with a Bic pen that I had right here.
COLLINS: You don't have a prop.
SERWER: You almost saw it. This simple Bic pen. Anyway, the company now is offering rebates on those locks, because you can pick them with this simple Bic pen right here, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: Using the cap or the ink?
SERWER: You know, you use both sides, Bill. It's a complicated process.
COLLINS: He has no idea.
SERWER: And I'll get to you later after the show.
HEMMER: What's up Jack.
COLLINS: Thanks, Andy.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: The "Question the Day" is: What questions should the president answer about his National Guard service?
Jason in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: "How can you possibly attempt to move the story forward about underlying issues from a fabricated document? It's not legitimate. Find a source, a legitimate one, and it just might be news. Until then, let's just stick to the objective facts."
In Denver, Colorado: "Of course, Bush's National Guard service doesn't matter. It's in the same category as the economy, health care and education, stuff we've been trained not to care about."
And Marilyn in Illinois writes: "Jack, has everyone forgotten the secretary who said the information was correct even if the documents were not? She typed the originals. She should know."
SERWER: Yes, that starts to get complicated.
HEMMER: And you heard what Ed Koch said, huh? He's a Democrat talking about this story having a lot of legs going for days or even weeks. We'll see if he's right.
In a moment here, we're going to get to the president's speech at the U.N. He speaks in about 35 minutes from now. Daryn Kagan kicks up our coverage next hour, at the top of the hour, in fact, on "CNN LIVE TODAY." The president arriving about 45 minutes ago with Kofi Annan. We are back in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Before we get out of here, we want to talk about Aaron Brown's program later tonight on "NEWSNIGHT" coming up in about 12 hours. Here's Aaron now with a preview.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Bill.
Tonight on "NEWSNIGHT," poker has been popular in this country since the days of the Wild West. It now has a now cachet, popularity surging. Could poker become the new social glue? That story, plus all the day's news, the morning papers and, of course, everything else that make makes "NEWSNIGHT" "NEWSNIGHT." On CNN tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, good deal, Aaron. The joker is wild there later tonight. Ed Koch left this for you. He signed it for your son, Riley.
COLLINS: Cool! That was cool.
HEMMER: "Eddie, Harold's Little Brother."
COLLINS: He's going to love it.
HEMMER: You've got some reading later today.
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: This is the kind of reading I like to do.
HEMMER: We've got to go. And the president is going to make a very important speech in about 32 minutes from now. And we'll certainly have live coverage of that.
A pretty tough audience there at the U.N., and there are outstanding issues on Iraq, regarding elections in January and whether or not they happen. This huge amount of debt that this country has that has yet to be dismissed by European countries, Middle Eastern countries, Asian countries. And all about NATO involvement, too.
It's possible by the end of the week, some suggest, that NATO could hammer out some sort of agreement to train these Iraqi forces.
COLLINS: Yes, whether or not the international community will step up and help more at all.
HEMMER: So, we'll have that for you. The president will talk from the U.N. General Assembly. We'll have it for you. See you tomorrow.
SERWER: See you tomorrow.
HEMMER: Jack?
CAFFERTY: What?
HEMMER: I love it. Here's Daryn Kagan at the CNN center getting you through the next hour.
And, Daryn, we say good morning to you as well. COLLINS: Hi, Daryn.
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