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CNN Live At Daybreak

What Do President Bush, John Kerry Have in Store for Each Other Tomorrow Night?; Sentencing in Yemen of Men Convicted of Bombing USS Cole

Aired September 29, 2004 - 05:00   ET

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

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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Now in the news, just a few hours ago, a judge in Yemen sentenced two men to death in the bombing of the USS Cole. One of them is the alleged mastermind. Four other men will serve prison time in the 2000 attack, which killed 17 U.S. soldiers. We'll have a live report for you in just a few minutes.

Take a look at this, dramatic pictures of a daring bid for asylum this morning by more than 40 North Korean refugees. They scaled the fence around the Canadian embassy in Beijing. All but one made it into the compound.

More raids by U.S. and Iraqi forces in Baghdad this morning. The target, suspected terrorists on a street that's been the scene of deadly clashes. Also, U.S. warplanes struck an insurgent vehicle in Baghdad's Sadr City slum.

Things have been shaking in central California, as this footage from a store camera will show you. It was a magnitude six earthquake and was followed by more than 160 aftershocks. No one was hurt.

To the forecast center. Chad is back -- welcome back.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Usually I say it's nice to be gone. But when I have to go to a hurricane like that one, it's nice to be back on solid ground, let me tell you. I finally dried out yesterday. I thought I was going to have to take a trip like to Death Valley and sit there a couple of days to dry out. I haven't seen my hands prune up like that ever.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We begin this morning with politics. Thirty-four days and counting until the presidential election. Here's what the major contenders have planned leading up to tomorrow night's presidential debate in Florida.

From the ranch to the road, President Bush has wrapped up debate practice at his Crawford, Texas ranch. He plans to head out to Lake Wales, Florida later today. He'll take a look at the damage done by hurricane Jeanne. Senator John Kerry is also heading to Florida today, but he has no public events on his agenda. He's been at a golf resort in Wisconsin gearing up for tomorrow's debate.

And, what do President Bush and John Kerry have in store for each other tomorrow night during that debate?

CNN senior analyst Jeff Greenfield looks into the past for some clue.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush and Senator Kerry both have had plenty of debates in recent years. But sometimes the most intriguing clues to their strategies can be found earlier in their careers. Look back and you find that the contestants are both highly effective debaters, but with very different approaches.

Here's John Kerry back in 1984 in a Senate primary debate with a more conservative Democratic foe. Watch how he fuses his Vietnam record and his more liberal war and peace stance, as he poses a question to his opponent.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm concerned. You voted for the M.X. missile and then you said that that was a mistake. You voted for the anti-satellite flight testing and that's a mistake. I fought in a mistake called Vietnam. How are we to have confidence that you're not going to vote in a war and peace issue for another mistake at some time in the future?

GREENFIELD: Or consider this famous exchange during his tough 1996 re-election fight against Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld. Weld challenged him to explain to the widow of a murdered police officer whether his death penalty opposition mean that Kerry valued a murderer's life more than her husband's. Note the cryptic reference Kerry made to his combat experience.

KERRY: Yes, I've been opposed to death. I know something about killing. I don't like killing. And I don't think a state honors life by turning around and sanctioning killing.

GREENFIELD: If Kerry is a counter puncher, quick on his feet, then Bush's strength is something else -- a relentless capacity to stay on-message. In 1994, Texas Governor Ann Richards repeatedly challenged Bush's business credentials. Here's how he turned that around.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that this is a diversion away from not talking about the issues that face Texas. I want to discus welfare, education. I want to discuss the juvenile justice system. And I think an attempt to smear my business record is simply a diversion away from trying to determine what's best for Texas.

GREENFIELD: And watch as Bush uses the same kind of defense against Richard's very tough indictment.

ANN RICHARD, FORMER GOVERNOR OF TEXAS: I think the question is that you have got to have had some experience in the public sector before you get the chief executive's job.

BUSH: This business about trying to diminish my personality based upon my business career is, frankly, astounding to me. Here we are in the middle of a political campaign. The incumbent governor of the State of Texas is spending all her money on TV, trying to make me something I'm not.

GREENFIELD (on camera): So are there clues here to what might happen Thursday night? Could be. Don't be surprised if John Kerry tries to turn a question that challenges his constituency into an answer that challenges President Bush on failing to face reality. And don't be surprised if President Bush tries to raise, as often as he possibly can, the idea that America is a lot safer with Saddam Hussein out of power.

Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: A veteran of presidential debates is offering a brief how to manual. In a "New York Times" editorial called "How To Debate George Bush" Al Gore tells John Kerry get ready for the toughest debates of your career. But he also says, "Senator Kerry has an opportunity to show voters that today American troops and American taxpayers are shouldering a huge burden with no end in sight because Mr. Bush took us to war on false premises and with no plan to win the peace. Mr. Kerry has an opportunity to demonstrate the connection between job losses and Mr. Bush's colossal tax break for the wealthy. And he can remind voters that Mr. Bush has broken his pledge to expand access to health care."

Gore also joined another former presidential candidate. He and Bob Dole took part in a panel discussion at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. They both had some debate advice for Bush and Kerry. Dole says both candidates should be themselves.

As for Gore, remember when he kept sighing in that debate with Bush four years ago? Well, Gore certainly remembers.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: Both candidates will have stand- ins who are trained to give the lines of their opponent and they'll have mock debates. They're both going through them right now, I'm sure. Or, I mean, today, I'm sure, and have been for some time. It's a very elaborate preparation process as it has developed and it's quite interesting. It just makes me sort of want to sigh.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: Dole says candidates want to make a big impression in their first debate, since the audience tends to drop off for the second.

Talk, talk and more talk, and it's not all about politics. The "Dr. Phil Show" airs a pre-taped interview with President Bush and his wife Laura today. The topic? Parenting. John Kerry and his wife appear on "Dr. Phil" next week.

This is Mr. Bush's first major appearance on a talk show this election year. In 2000, he visited the "Oprah Winfrey Show." Kerry has been a more familiar face on the talk show circuit. He sat down with Regis and Kelly and also with Jay Leno and David Letterman.

So, we are wondering this morning, what next? Jerry Springer? Do we really care what Reg asks the candidates who lead this country? I mean what a copout. Are journalists really that scary? I mean what's "Dr. Phil" going to tell both candidates, get real? What do you think?

That's our e-mail Question of the Day. Candidates and talk shows, are they a good or a bad mix? Drop us a line at daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

In other news across America now, a fired nurse from a Philadelphia nursing home is under arrest in Georgia. Last week we told you that six patients at that nursing home had their feeding tubes cut. Fortunately, no patient was harmed. The former nurse will be transported back to Pennsylvania to face charges of assault and reckless endangerment.

Police in Detroit are searching for the suspect in the shooting death of a 3-year-old child. The child was killed after a man fired several shots into an in-home day care center. Two adults are in critical condition after being shot, as well. A 4-month-old child also in critical condition after being dropped during the attack. Police say the shooting was not random, but they do not have a motive.

A quick programming note to tell you about. Aaron Brown continues his trek across America tonight. "NEWSNIGHT" comes to you live from San Francisco. Among the items of interest will be a look at the Bay Area's legacy of earthquakes. So be sure to tune in at 10:00 p.m. Eastern tonight.

Four years ago, a boat filled with explosives pulled up to the USS Cole in Yemen's Aden Harbor and exploded. Seventeen American sailors were killed. Less than three hours ago, a man suspected of masterminding that attack and one other were sentenced to death.

Our Caroline Faraj is in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai with more on this -- Caroline, bring us up to date.

CAROLINE FARAJ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, indeed, what you just mentioned right now, that the Yemeni court today sentenced two men to death for their role in the bombing of the USS Cole that took place in 2000. And also, they also sentenced four others involved in the plot to prison terms ranging between five to 10 years -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Caroline Faraj reporting live from Dubai this morning.

Settle in. Here's what ahead for you on DAYBREAK.

Oil prices surge to another record. At 18 minutes after the hour, we'll tell you how political instability in Nigeria is playing into the price hikes.

At 34 past, we head live to Rome for details on the release of two female hostages held for three weeks in Iraq.

And at 44 minutes past, the lead detective in the Laci Peterson murder case faces some tough questioning. We've got an update for you.

And still ahead, check this out -- check out this head of hair. Don't laugh. It got him on the cover of a Hallmark card. You've got to see this one at 54 minutes past.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Two men have been sentenced to death in the bombing of the USS Cole. A judge in Yemen gave four others prison time. Seventeen American sailors were killed in that suicide attack, which has been blamed on al Qaeda.

U.S. troops and Iraqi forces are going after suspected terrorists across Baghdad. In Sadr City, a precision air strike destroyed a rocket launcher mounted on the back of a vehicle. A separate operation went off after the insurgents and their weapons.

In money news, yes, you, you are worth more money today. At least that's what the Commerce Department says. Personal wealth rose by 1 1/2 percent across the country during the second quarter of this year. It is the fastest pace in more than three years.

In culture, the Cartwrights are looking for a new home. That's because the Ponderosa Ranch is now closed. The ranch where the TV show "Bonanza" was filmed closed down Sunday after being sold to developers. It's not known what the buyers are going to do with the ranch.

In sports, guess what? The Montreal Expos are moving to the nation's capital, finally. The Associated Press reports that major league baseball could announce the move as early as today. Washington, D.C. last had a team in 1971, but then it moved to Texas. So, the long wait is over for the people of Washington, D.C. -- Chad.

MYERS: That story coming up on the people clicks, Web clicks, coming up. That's one of the top clicked stories in the entire country today, Carol.

COSTELLO: Happy news for them.

MYERS: You bet you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: It's a phrase you probably don't like to hear -- oil prices are up to record highs. We've been looking at overnight crude oil futures trading. It's been hovering around the $50 a barrel mark. The jump is blamed on growing global demand, tight supplies and threats to oil production in Iraq and Nigeria.

Hurricane Ivan didn't help either when it disrupted things in the Gulf of Mexico.

Now, the price hikes may be just a short-term phenomenon. That's what Treasury Secretary John Snow is saying. But in Nigeria, it's much more than that. Oil is at the center of possible violent struggle in that country. Nigeria is an important part of the world's oil supply. They are the seventh leading exporter and are the fifth biggest source of oil in the United States. Shell Oil gets about 2.5 million barrels a day from Nigeria. But most Nigerians never see any of the profits. Seventy percent of Nigeria's population lives in poverty.

For more on the oil issues, let's turn to London and CNN's Jim Boulden -- good morning, Jim.

JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

Good morning, Carol.

Yes, as you say, U.S. oil remains above $50 a barrel this morning. That means oil prices are about 75 percent higher than this time last year. We keep hearing, of course, that this record price is nowhere near where oil prices hit in 1980, when adjusted for inflation, of course. That was $80 a barrel. But the $50 milestone has economists debating whether this will push us into recession.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BOULDEN (voice-over): What pushed a barrel of crude to another record is the same old worry about supply. This time Nigeria. Recent uprisings in Africa's biggest oil producer has led to just a 1 percent loss in production. But Nigeria is pumping the oil the world needs most.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last year, we had something similar happening in the same state, the river state in the Niger Delta. And that spread to neighboring states and eventually we had a cutback in production of 800,000 barrels a day. Now, that's big.

BOULDEN: Other fears remain. Will sabotage stop Iraqi output again? Is production from Russia and Saudi Arabia safe enough? Funny thing is, there has not been any significant disruption to supply this year. But that hasn't stopped the 50 percent rise in prices for crude deliveries.

The Saudis stepped in again Tuesday, saying once more the kingdom will increase the amount of oil it can produce, though it's not actually going to pump any more at this time. OPEC countries are already pumping at a 25-year high. That's to match a 24-year high in demand. American, Chinese and Indian consumers keep on using more and more oil. And winter heating oil consumption is right around the corner.

But if that amount of consumption can't continue as oil prices hit the half century mark, worries about too much production.

PETER KEMP, "PETROLEUM INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY": Demand is still very robust and there are fears now if we have these high oil prices for much longer, then it could cut into demand and we could see a price crash.

BOULDEN: High oil leading to slowing economies, lowering demand, prices crashing back to, say, $30 a barrel. Well, that's one view. Or we may be marking $60 a barrel before long.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BOULDEN: Now, Carol, the Nigerian rebel leader will be talking with the country's leaders today. And if a deal on sharing resources is reached, we may see the price of oil falling back later this week. Now the important thing is that Nigerian oil is very, very, very key to this because it's light, sweet crude. It's the same thing that the U.S. pumps. It's what everybody wants. It's the best kind of oil. It's on the West African coast. It's easily reached. And so if there are more problems there, the price could be hitting that $60 a barrel that we talked about -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Jim Boulden live in London this morning.

Thank you.

What's hot on the Web straight ahead.

Also, repeat performance. The sky is the limit as a space ship bound for the Cosmos tries to crush the competition.

And our e-mail Question of the Day. Candidates and talk shows like "Oprah" and "Dr. Phil" -- are they a good or bad mix? E-mail us at daybreak@cnn.com. Daybreak@cnn.com.

And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Wednesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: It is time to check out our Web clicks this morning because we're always interested in what you're interested in on cnn.com.

So the most clicked on story has to do with the presidential debates.

MYERS: They may not go off as planned, in fact.

COSTELLO: Could be quite interesting.

MYERS: It might show up on Comedy Central, actually, at some point in time, because now the networks are saying wait a minute, we didn't sign this agreement.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

Well, the thing is is that the people who put on the debate, which is really the Republicans and the Democrats, they want the camera angles to be a certain way and they don't want any reaction shots...

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: ... while the other guy is talking. And the networks are going wait a minute, you can't tell us what to shoot. And the moderators haven't signed on, either.

MYERS: Correct. All those guys haven't even signed up about the questions they can ask or not ask.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: The number two clicked on story on our Web site, "Stewart Stones Slackers." Not quite. We're talking about Comedy Central and Jon Stewart. He had Bill O'Reilly on, who called Jon Stewart's audience a bunch of stones slackers.

MYERS: And as it turns out, more people have a four year college degree that watch "The Daily Show" than watch "The O'Reilly Factor."

COSTELLO: Yes, they're more educated than those who watch Bill O'Reilly. So there you go.

MYERS: I love this little thing that says comedy ahs no -- the Comedy Channel has no -- Central -- has no statistics on how many people actually watch "The Daily Show" stoned, though.

COSTELLO: Or vice versa.

MYERS: Or vice versa.

COSTELLO: Yes. The third most clicked on story, "Expos Will Move To Washington, D.C. Next Year." They've been fighting for a baseball team for such a long time.

MYERS: But did you know the Texas Rangers owned the name Washington Senators?

COSTELLO: Really?

MYERS: And they have not written off that name yet. They haven't given it back yet.

COSTELLO: Oh, I hope they do.

MYERS: So they may be the Washington Monuments or something like that.

COSTELLO: The Washington Monuments! That would be a poor name.

MYERS: Here's the sad statistic about Montreal. And I love the city. Don't get me wrong. On Monday night, there was a game, the second to last game, 3,923 people showed up. Last night, 5,416 people showed up. That is so sad.

COSTELLO: Oh, that kind of breaks your heart.

MYERS: I know. Maybe they'll get a good crowd tonight for their very last game there.

COSTELLO: I don't think so.

MYERS: Or their potentially last game.

COSTELLO: Potential -- yes.

MYERS: It isn't done yet.

COSTELLO: It's not done yet. They're going to play temporarily at RFK Stadium when the Expos move there and also change their name, supposedly. But they're also going to build a $440 million ball park along the Anacostia River.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Which is such a smart thing to do.

MYERS: Yes. You know, Anacostia has had such a bad rep for such a very long time. This is actually just down from the Capitol about 12 blocks. Maybe that could make some really great urban renewal in that zone.

COSTELLO: Definitely. And there are some beautiful areas there.

MYERS: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: And a lot of waterfront. MYERS: Oh, yes.

COSTELLO: If you didn't get to stay up late and watch the late night talk shows, and we know you didn't, don't worry about it. We've got your last laugh. David Letterman talked about someone who just doesn't seem to get enough attention these days. And that would be poor Paris Hilton.

MYERS: Enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: How about that Paris Hilton? You know that Paris Hilton? She's a wonderful young woman. She's been on this show and she's just terrific. Now, Paris Hilton is trying to get the catchphrase -- she has a catchphrase, she always says, "that's hot." Yes. Paris Hilton is always saying, "That's hot." Whatever you say to her she responds by saying it. So now she's trying to get that trademarked. So that'll be trademarked, "that's hot." That's Paris Hilton saying that.

And I believe he's also trying to get the phrase trademarked, "is that camera on?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I get it. But I won't explain.

MYERS: OK. Yes.

COSTELLO: In the next half hour of DAYBREAK, we have so much more for you, so stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired September 29, 2004 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Now in the news, just a few hours ago, a judge in Yemen sentenced two men to death in the bombing of the USS Cole. One of them is the alleged mastermind. Four other men will serve prison time in the 2000 attack, which killed 17 U.S. soldiers. We'll have a live report for you in just a few minutes.

Take a look at this, dramatic pictures of a daring bid for asylum this morning by more than 40 North Korean refugees. They scaled the fence around the Canadian embassy in Beijing. All but one made it into the compound.

More raids by U.S. and Iraqi forces in Baghdad this morning. The target, suspected terrorists on a street that's been the scene of deadly clashes. Also, U.S. warplanes struck an insurgent vehicle in Baghdad's Sadr City slum.

Things have been shaking in central California, as this footage from a store camera will show you. It was a magnitude six earthquake and was followed by more than 160 aftershocks. No one was hurt.

To the forecast center. Chad is back -- welcome back.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Usually I say it's nice to be gone. But when I have to go to a hurricane like that one, it's nice to be back on solid ground, let me tell you. I finally dried out yesterday. I thought I was going to have to take a trip like to Death Valley and sit there a couple of days to dry out. I haven't seen my hands prune up like that ever.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We begin this morning with politics. Thirty-four days and counting until the presidential election. Here's what the major contenders have planned leading up to tomorrow night's presidential debate in Florida.

From the ranch to the road, President Bush has wrapped up debate practice at his Crawford, Texas ranch. He plans to head out to Lake Wales, Florida later today. He'll take a look at the damage done by hurricane Jeanne. Senator John Kerry is also heading to Florida today, but he has no public events on his agenda. He's been at a golf resort in Wisconsin gearing up for tomorrow's debate.

And, what do President Bush and John Kerry have in store for each other tomorrow night during that debate?

CNN senior analyst Jeff Greenfield looks into the past for some clue.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush and Senator Kerry both have had plenty of debates in recent years. But sometimes the most intriguing clues to their strategies can be found earlier in their careers. Look back and you find that the contestants are both highly effective debaters, but with very different approaches.

Here's John Kerry back in 1984 in a Senate primary debate with a more conservative Democratic foe. Watch how he fuses his Vietnam record and his more liberal war and peace stance, as he poses a question to his opponent.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm concerned. You voted for the M.X. missile and then you said that that was a mistake. You voted for the anti-satellite flight testing and that's a mistake. I fought in a mistake called Vietnam. How are we to have confidence that you're not going to vote in a war and peace issue for another mistake at some time in the future?

GREENFIELD: Or consider this famous exchange during his tough 1996 re-election fight against Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld. Weld challenged him to explain to the widow of a murdered police officer whether his death penalty opposition mean that Kerry valued a murderer's life more than her husband's. Note the cryptic reference Kerry made to his combat experience.

KERRY: Yes, I've been opposed to death. I know something about killing. I don't like killing. And I don't think a state honors life by turning around and sanctioning killing.

GREENFIELD: If Kerry is a counter puncher, quick on his feet, then Bush's strength is something else -- a relentless capacity to stay on-message. In 1994, Texas Governor Ann Richards repeatedly challenged Bush's business credentials. Here's how he turned that around.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that this is a diversion away from not talking about the issues that face Texas. I want to discus welfare, education. I want to discuss the juvenile justice system. And I think an attempt to smear my business record is simply a diversion away from trying to determine what's best for Texas.

GREENFIELD: And watch as Bush uses the same kind of defense against Richard's very tough indictment.

ANN RICHARD, FORMER GOVERNOR OF TEXAS: I think the question is that you have got to have had some experience in the public sector before you get the chief executive's job.

BUSH: This business about trying to diminish my personality based upon my business career is, frankly, astounding to me. Here we are in the middle of a political campaign. The incumbent governor of the State of Texas is spending all her money on TV, trying to make me something I'm not.

GREENFIELD (on camera): So are there clues here to what might happen Thursday night? Could be. Don't be surprised if John Kerry tries to turn a question that challenges his constituency into an answer that challenges President Bush on failing to face reality. And don't be surprised if President Bush tries to raise, as often as he possibly can, the idea that America is a lot safer with Saddam Hussein out of power.

Jeff Greenfield, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: A veteran of presidential debates is offering a brief how to manual. In a "New York Times" editorial called "How To Debate George Bush" Al Gore tells John Kerry get ready for the toughest debates of your career. But he also says, "Senator Kerry has an opportunity to show voters that today American troops and American taxpayers are shouldering a huge burden with no end in sight because Mr. Bush took us to war on false premises and with no plan to win the peace. Mr. Kerry has an opportunity to demonstrate the connection between job losses and Mr. Bush's colossal tax break for the wealthy. And he can remind voters that Mr. Bush has broken his pledge to expand access to health care."

Gore also joined another former presidential candidate. He and Bob Dole took part in a panel discussion at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. They both had some debate advice for Bush and Kerry. Dole says both candidates should be themselves.

As for Gore, remember when he kept sighing in that debate with Bush four years ago? Well, Gore certainly remembers.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: Both candidates will have stand- ins who are trained to give the lines of their opponent and they'll have mock debates. They're both going through them right now, I'm sure. Or, I mean, today, I'm sure, and have been for some time. It's a very elaborate preparation process as it has developed and it's quite interesting. It just makes me sort of want to sigh.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: Dole says candidates want to make a big impression in their first debate, since the audience tends to drop off for the second.

Talk, talk and more talk, and it's not all about politics. The "Dr. Phil Show" airs a pre-taped interview with President Bush and his wife Laura today. The topic? Parenting. John Kerry and his wife appear on "Dr. Phil" next week.

This is Mr. Bush's first major appearance on a talk show this election year. In 2000, he visited the "Oprah Winfrey Show." Kerry has been a more familiar face on the talk show circuit. He sat down with Regis and Kelly and also with Jay Leno and David Letterman.

So, we are wondering this morning, what next? Jerry Springer? Do we really care what Reg asks the candidates who lead this country? I mean what a copout. Are journalists really that scary? I mean what's "Dr. Phil" going to tell both candidates, get real? What do you think?

That's our e-mail Question of the Day. Candidates and talk shows, are they a good or a bad mix? Drop us a line at daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

In other news across America now, a fired nurse from a Philadelphia nursing home is under arrest in Georgia. Last week we told you that six patients at that nursing home had their feeding tubes cut. Fortunately, no patient was harmed. The former nurse will be transported back to Pennsylvania to face charges of assault and reckless endangerment.

Police in Detroit are searching for the suspect in the shooting death of a 3-year-old child. The child was killed after a man fired several shots into an in-home day care center. Two adults are in critical condition after being shot, as well. A 4-month-old child also in critical condition after being dropped during the attack. Police say the shooting was not random, but they do not have a motive.

A quick programming note to tell you about. Aaron Brown continues his trek across America tonight. "NEWSNIGHT" comes to you live from San Francisco. Among the items of interest will be a look at the Bay Area's legacy of earthquakes. So be sure to tune in at 10:00 p.m. Eastern tonight.

Four years ago, a boat filled with explosives pulled up to the USS Cole in Yemen's Aden Harbor and exploded. Seventeen American sailors were killed. Less than three hours ago, a man suspected of masterminding that attack and one other were sentenced to death.

Our Caroline Faraj is in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai with more on this -- Caroline, bring us up to date.

CAROLINE FARAJ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, indeed, what you just mentioned right now, that the Yemeni court today sentenced two men to death for their role in the bombing of the USS Cole that took place in 2000. And also, they also sentenced four others involved in the plot to prison terms ranging between five to 10 years -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Caroline Faraj reporting live from Dubai this morning.

Settle in. Here's what ahead for you on DAYBREAK.

Oil prices surge to another record. At 18 minutes after the hour, we'll tell you how political instability in Nigeria is playing into the price hikes.

At 34 past, we head live to Rome for details on the release of two female hostages held for three weeks in Iraq.

And at 44 minutes past, the lead detective in the Laci Peterson murder case faces some tough questioning. We've got an update for you.

And still ahead, check this out -- check out this head of hair. Don't laugh. It got him on the cover of a Hallmark card. You've got to see this one at 54 minutes past.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Two men have been sentenced to death in the bombing of the USS Cole. A judge in Yemen gave four others prison time. Seventeen American sailors were killed in that suicide attack, which has been blamed on al Qaeda.

U.S. troops and Iraqi forces are going after suspected terrorists across Baghdad. In Sadr City, a precision air strike destroyed a rocket launcher mounted on the back of a vehicle. A separate operation went off after the insurgents and their weapons.

In money news, yes, you, you are worth more money today. At least that's what the Commerce Department says. Personal wealth rose by 1 1/2 percent across the country during the second quarter of this year. It is the fastest pace in more than three years.

In culture, the Cartwrights are looking for a new home. That's because the Ponderosa Ranch is now closed. The ranch where the TV show "Bonanza" was filmed closed down Sunday after being sold to developers. It's not known what the buyers are going to do with the ranch.

In sports, guess what? The Montreal Expos are moving to the nation's capital, finally. The Associated Press reports that major league baseball could announce the move as early as today. Washington, D.C. last had a team in 1971, but then it moved to Texas. So, the long wait is over for the people of Washington, D.C. -- Chad.

MYERS: That story coming up on the people clicks, Web clicks, coming up. That's one of the top clicked stories in the entire country today, Carol.

COSTELLO: Happy news for them.

MYERS: You bet you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: It's a phrase you probably don't like to hear -- oil prices are up to record highs. We've been looking at overnight crude oil futures trading. It's been hovering around the $50 a barrel mark. The jump is blamed on growing global demand, tight supplies and threats to oil production in Iraq and Nigeria.

Hurricane Ivan didn't help either when it disrupted things in the Gulf of Mexico.

Now, the price hikes may be just a short-term phenomenon. That's what Treasury Secretary John Snow is saying. But in Nigeria, it's much more than that. Oil is at the center of possible violent struggle in that country. Nigeria is an important part of the world's oil supply. They are the seventh leading exporter and are the fifth biggest source of oil in the United States. Shell Oil gets about 2.5 million barrels a day from Nigeria. But most Nigerians never see any of the profits. Seventy percent of Nigeria's population lives in poverty.

For more on the oil issues, let's turn to London and CNN's Jim Boulden -- good morning, Jim.

JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

Good morning, Carol.

Yes, as you say, U.S. oil remains above $50 a barrel this morning. That means oil prices are about 75 percent higher than this time last year. We keep hearing, of course, that this record price is nowhere near where oil prices hit in 1980, when adjusted for inflation, of course. That was $80 a barrel. But the $50 milestone has economists debating whether this will push us into recession.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BOULDEN (voice-over): What pushed a barrel of crude to another record is the same old worry about supply. This time Nigeria. Recent uprisings in Africa's biggest oil producer has led to just a 1 percent loss in production. But Nigeria is pumping the oil the world needs most.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last year, we had something similar happening in the same state, the river state in the Niger Delta. And that spread to neighboring states and eventually we had a cutback in production of 800,000 barrels a day. Now, that's big.

BOULDEN: Other fears remain. Will sabotage stop Iraqi output again? Is production from Russia and Saudi Arabia safe enough? Funny thing is, there has not been any significant disruption to supply this year. But that hasn't stopped the 50 percent rise in prices for crude deliveries.

The Saudis stepped in again Tuesday, saying once more the kingdom will increase the amount of oil it can produce, though it's not actually going to pump any more at this time. OPEC countries are already pumping at a 25-year high. That's to match a 24-year high in demand. American, Chinese and Indian consumers keep on using more and more oil. And winter heating oil consumption is right around the corner.

But if that amount of consumption can't continue as oil prices hit the half century mark, worries about too much production.

PETER KEMP, "PETROLEUM INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY": Demand is still very robust and there are fears now if we have these high oil prices for much longer, then it could cut into demand and we could see a price crash.

BOULDEN: High oil leading to slowing economies, lowering demand, prices crashing back to, say, $30 a barrel. Well, that's one view. Or we may be marking $60 a barrel before long.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BOULDEN: Now, Carol, the Nigerian rebel leader will be talking with the country's leaders today. And if a deal on sharing resources is reached, we may see the price of oil falling back later this week. Now the important thing is that Nigerian oil is very, very, very key to this because it's light, sweet crude. It's the same thing that the U.S. pumps. It's what everybody wants. It's the best kind of oil. It's on the West African coast. It's easily reached. And so if there are more problems there, the price could be hitting that $60 a barrel that we talked about -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Jim Boulden live in London this morning.

Thank you.

What's hot on the Web straight ahead.

Also, repeat performance. The sky is the limit as a space ship bound for the Cosmos tries to crush the competition.

And our e-mail Question of the Day. Candidates and talk shows like "Oprah" and "Dr. Phil" -- are they a good or bad mix? E-mail us at daybreak@cnn.com. Daybreak@cnn.com.

And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Wednesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: It is time to check out our Web clicks this morning because we're always interested in what you're interested in on cnn.com.

So the most clicked on story has to do with the presidential debates.

MYERS: They may not go off as planned, in fact.

COSTELLO: Could be quite interesting.

MYERS: It might show up on Comedy Central, actually, at some point in time, because now the networks are saying wait a minute, we didn't sign this agreement.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

Well, the thing is is that the people who put on the debate, which is really the Republicans and the Democrats, they want the camera angles to be a certain way and they don't want any reaction shots...

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: ... while the other guy is talking. And the networks are going wait a minute, you can't tell us what to shoot. And the moderators haven't signed on, either.

MYERS: Correct. All those guys haven't even signed up about the questions they can ask or not ask.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: The number two clicked on story on our Web site, "Stewart Stones Slackers." Not quite. We're talking about Comedy Central and Jon Stewart. He had Bill O'Reilly on, who called Jon Stewart's audience a bunch of stones slackers.

MYERS: And as it turns out, more people have a four year college degree that watch "The Daily Show" than watch "The O'Reilly Factor."

COSTELLO: Yes, they're more educated than those who watch Bill O'Reilly. So there you go.

MYERS: I love this little thing that says comedy ahs no -- the Comedy Channel has no -- Central -- has no statistics on how many people actually watch "The Daily Show" stoned, though.

COSTELLO: Or vice versa.

MYERS: Or vice versa.

COSTELLO: Yes. The third most clicked on story, "Expos Will Move To Washington, D.C. Next Year." They've been fighting for a baseball team for such a long time.

MYERS: But did you know the Texas Rangers owned the name Washington Senators?

COSTELLO: Really?

MYERS: And they have not written off that name yet. They haven't given it back yet.

COSTELLO: Oh, I hope they do.

MYERS: So they may be the Washington Monuments or something like that.

COSTELLO: The Washington Monuments! That would be a poor name.

MYERS: Here's the sad statistic about Montreal. And I love the city. Don't get me wrong. On Monday night, there was a game, the second to last game, 3,923 people showed up. Last night, 5,416 people showed up. That is so sad.

COSTELLO: Oh, that kind of breaks your heart.

MYERS: I know. Maybe they'll get a good crowd tonight for their very last game there.

COSTELLO: I don't think so.

MYERS: Or their potentially last game.

COSTELLO: Potential -- yes.

MYERS: It isn't done yet.

COSTELLO: It's not done yet. They're going to play temporarily at RFK Stadium when the Expos move there and also change their name, supposedly. But they're also going to build a $440 million ball park along the Anacostia River.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Which is such a smart thing to do.

MYERS: Yes. You know, Anacostia has had such a bad rep for such a very long time. This is actually just down from the Capitol about 12 blocks. Maybe that could make some really great urban renewal in that zone.

COSTELLO: Definitely. And there are some beautiful areas there.

MYERS: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: And a lot of waterfront. MYERS: Oh, yes.

COSTELLO: If you didn't get to stay up late and watch the late night talk shows, and we know you didn't, don't worry about it. We've got your last laugh. David Letterman talked about someone who just doesn't seem to get enough attention these days. And that would be poor Paris Hilton.

MYERS: Enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, COURTESY CBS/WORLDWIDE PANTS)

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: How about that Paris Hilton? You know that Paris Hilton? She's a wonderful young woman. She's been on this show and she's just terrific. Now, Paris Hilton is trying to get the catchphrase -- she has a catchphrase, she always says, "that's hot." Yes. Paris Hilton is always saying, "That's hot." Whatever you say to her she responds by saying it. So now she's trying to get that trademarked. So that'll be trademarked, "that's hot." That's Paris Hilton saying that.

And I believe he's also trying to get the phrase trademarked, "is that camera on?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I get it. But I won't explain.

MYERS: OK. Yes.

COSTELLO: In the next half hour of DAYBREAK, we have so much more for you, so stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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