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American Morning
Previewing Issues That Will be Discussed in Tonight's First Presidential Debate; Vioxx Being Taken Off Market
Aired September 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: Good morning.
John Kerry and George Bush in a Thursday night showdown. Can either candidate change the course of the election in this first presidential debate?
Bombs exploding across Baghdad. Dozens reported dead. There are U.S. casualties to talk about, as well, this morning.
And on terrorists' trail -- claims now that Al Qaeda has been broken in Pakistan. Is that true?
Looking for answers on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING live from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, here's Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Good morning, everyone.
The sun now up in the sky here on a Thursday morning.
We are live here.
And good morning.
Good to have you along with us today.
The first debate later tonight, the first time the two presidential candidates cross paths later this evening, 9:00 Eastern time in prime time. National security is topic A tonight, which means questions on Iraq and perhaps many, too. Reports of bombings across that country already today. Well, let's talk about that. Also, we'll talk about how that might play later tonight.
Also in a moment, Democratic Senator Bob Graham from this state and Florida's secretary of state, Republican Glenda Hood. And also this hour, we'll talk about what some undecided voters are listening for later tonight, what questions they want answered between John Kerry and George Bush.
Also, the headline today in the "Miami Herald," no surprise here, "Showdown Is Here." The debate leads top of the fold this morning here in the "Miami Herald." But just yesterday, the headline was about the weather and the hurricane aftermath. "Living Without Power" still a substantial story here in south Florida. Four major storms in only six weeks time. There is a major question here about how much Floridians are already paying attention to these debates and these elections. In about 20 minutes, we'll show you a little story we did down here with the students in the University of Miami. It is all the talk, Heidi, across campus here and all the talk across southern Florida. The debates are front and center later tonight, despite the news, again, that we've all been watching for the past several weeks.
Heidi -- good morning to you back in New York.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, no kidding. It's got to be very tough for them trying to still dig out from underneath all of those hurricanes, hard to divert their attention, that's for sure.
All right, Bill, thanks so much.
We'll get back to you in just a second.
Meanwhile, though, Sanjay Gupta is going to be with us this morning. He's talking about a new study about what makes us hungry. Amazingly, something as simple as color can turn people off to eating. And it's not just the color of the food, either. So Sanjay is going to explain all of that on our eating tactics, which are very important on this show this morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the other thing that will make you hungry is not eating for a long time.
COLLINS: That's the other thing.
CAFFERTY: Yes. That'll...
COLLINS: That's true.
CAFFERTY: I mean that works like that.
Coming up in the "Cafferty File," there's a new scent coming to market for men guaranteed to only be worn by the biggest losers on the planet.
And the reality show that will feature a washed up '70s star wondering around the country.
That's coming up in "The File."
Plus, not eating can make you very hungry.
COLLINS: I love the "Cafferty File."
All right, we'll check back in a moment.
Thanks so much, Jack.
In the meantime, we are going to check on the stories now in the news.
Rick Sanchez standing by to do just that -- hey, Rick.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ugly situation in Iraq getting even uglier. The death toll is rising in that string of car bombings we've been telling you about in Baghdad. An Iraqi health official now says at least 37 people were killed in separate explosions. Casualties continue to flood hospitals. More than 120 people are wounded.
Earlier, a car bombing in the Abu Ghraib district killed at least three people, including an American soldier, wounded dozens of others. Expect those numbers to rise.
In Nigeria, rebels are set to resume peace talks with government officials this morning, ending an immediate threat to oil supplies, which would have affected our pocketbooks, no doubt. Oil prices decreased slightly after the rebels declared a truce yesterday. The rebel group had threatened to declare war in the oil rich region if the demands for autonomy and oil profits were not met.
China is asking Canada to return 44 apparent North Korean asylum seekers. The group scaled a fence into the Canadian embassy in Beijing yesterday. Chinese officials say they will be treated in accordance with international law, but they didn't specify exactly what would be done with them, where they would be sent, if anywhere.
Meanwhile, the U.S. handed over nine North Korean women who entered an American school in Shanghai, this on Monday.
Back to Miami now, the Sunshine State, and Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Yes.
Hey, Rick, thanks for that.
Thirty-three days and counting now before the big race here. George Bush and John Kerry head to head later tonight in debate number one of three. Both men arriving in Florida yesterday. John Kerry touched down last night, had a rally in Fort Lauderdale after he left. Earlier in the State of Wisconsin, he was getting ready for the debate back in Wisconsin.
President Bush arriving at MacDill Air Force Base, taking time off from debate preparations to survey damage left by hurricane Jeanne. He was north of Tampa.
This day today, he'll hit the eastern side of Florida.
Homeland security and foreign policy the focus in tonight's debate.
And for more on this, our national security correspondent David Ensor checks in with this preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The war that has so far cost well over 1,000 American lives guarantees drama in the first presidential debate.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Invading Iraq has created a crisis of historic proportions. And if we do not change course, there is the prospect of a war with no end in sight.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Incredibly this week, my opponent said he would prefer the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein to the situation in Iraq today.
ENSOR: Mr. Bush will present Kerry as waffling on Iraq because he voted to give authority for war and then became a critic of the way it's been conducted.
Senator Kerry will argue Bush took his eye off the target, America's real enemy, Osama bin Laden.
JAMES LINDSEY, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: I think you see in President Bush someone who's deeply skeptical of international institutions, who believes in what he calls coalitions of the willing, that if we lead, others will follow.
Senator Kerry is a man who thinks that that's simply not enough, that we need to work with others because the problems are beyond our capacity to be able to solve on our own.
ENSOR: The first debate will be about foreign policy issues, but experts say for the voters, the specific policies are not the point.
LINDSEY: What they're really going to want to come to grips with as they look at the debate and look at the two candidates is at the end of the day, who do I trust with the future of my country? And so the foreign policy issues become a way of thinking about leadership.
ENSOR (on camera): So while the two candidates debate the issues, from Iraq to trade deficits to North Korean nuclear weapons, the voters will likely focus less on the details, more on that all important factor, someone to trust.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: David, thanks for that.
A new survey, a CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll showing 18 percent of those asked in that survey, 18 percent of registered voters say the debates later tonight, starting tonight, will make a difference in deciding their vote come November 2.
Back to Heidi now in New York with more there -- Heidi.
COLLINS: OK, Bill, thank you.
Florida Senator Bob Graham has seen candidate Kerry from both sides, first as a Democratic primary opponent, and now as a campaign supporter. Senator Graham is with us this morning from the capital to talk about Kerry's mission in tonight's debate.
Senator, good morning to you.
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D-FL), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: Good morning, Heidi.
COLLINS: Let's talk a little bit about tonight now.
As you well know, the main focus is going to be foreign policy, likely Iraq. But a little bit of criticism that Senator Kerry's ideas are not that different from what President Bush is doing right now.
How will he differentiate himself?
GRAHAM: Heidi, before I answer your question, since Bill is in Miami, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the people across America who have been so generous and supportive of Floridians who have been through four devastating hurricanes. The fact that this debate is being held in Florida is a symbol that the state is ready to recover and come back and be the Florida that we've all known.
COLLINS: Absolutely. We'll get...
GRAHAM: Thank you, America.
COLLINS: We'll get back to that very topic in just a moment, senator.
GRAHAM: I think that this debate is going to be, as it should be, on the wars and how well President Bush has conducted the war on terror and the war in Iraq. I have recently published a book called "Intelligence Matters," in which I list a number of areas in which I think the president's actions have been so bad, so egregious and antithetical to U.S. interests that he should be removed from office.
I hope those actions of the president will be the focus of this debate tonight.
COLLINS: Well, but what will Senator Kerry do in order to appear very different, with a different sort of plan, a better one, if you will, than what President Bush has now?
GRAHAM: Well, I think that he needs to say had I been president, I would not have followed the course of George W. Bush, but rather George Herbert Walker Bush, and I would not have gone to war until I had a firm coalition, until I had a plan to win the war and then to win the peace and I had a plan to get out of Iraq after that process was over.
This president had none of those.
COLLINS: Let's talk about the hurricanes. You already brought that up a little bit. We did see just moments ago the front page newspaper yesterday with the hurricane all over it. People are really trying hard to recover from this. It's still going to be quite some time.
How do you get their attention with politics now when their lives are really just such a mess?
GRAHAM: Well, I don't think it's realistic to expect people who've got a hole in their roof and their rug has just been soaked to be thinking very much about politics. And that will probably last well into October.
But before November 2, we will be in a position to begin to focus not only on our personal lives, but on our national lives. And Florida will be a full and extremely important factor in the 2004 election.
COLLINS: Quickly before we let you go, Senator Graham, let's look at the latest poll. You mentioned the national numbers. President Bush leads John Kerry in your state by nine points among likely voters, five points among registered voters.
Is the decision made in Florida?
GRAHAM: No. First, and I don't want to quibble over the polls, but it's very difficult to conduct a poll when people are as focused on their own homes as they are in Florida, and where many people don't have a functioning even lights, much less a telephone.
But I think it's likely that President Bush has now taken a lead in Florida. But the election is going to be decided in the next 33 days between now and November the 2nd.
COLLINS: And, of course, tonight will be a pivotal moment, that is for sure, for both candidates.
GRAHAM: Thank you.
COLLINS: Senator Bob Graham, appreciate your time here this morning.
Nice to see you.
GRAHAM: Thank you very much, Heidi.
COLLINS: Bill, back now to you in Miami once again.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi.
After overseeing the Bush-Gore recount back in 2000, then secretary of state in Florida, Katherine Harris, pretty much became persona non grata among Democrats. And that's putting it a bit mildly. She now serves in Congress on the House side out of her district in Sarasota, on the west side of Florida.
But yet again Florida may play a deciding role in this presidential race.
Glenda Hood is now the current secretary of state, determined, she says, to see that history does not repeat itself.
She's my guest now from the state capital up in Tallahassee.
And good morning.
Welcome here to AMERICAN MORNING.
GLENDA HOOD, FLORIDA SECRETARY OF STATE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Earlier in the week, Jimmy Carter...
HOOD: How are you?
HEMMER: I'm doing just fine.
Thank you for your time.
Jimmy Carter, the former president, wrote a scathing report or editorial, rather, in the "Washington Post," saying that Katherine Harris pretty much had a very strong bias in the state that prevented so many things from being conducted here, saying, "The same strong bias has become evident in her successor, Glenda Hood, who was a highly partisan elector for George W. Bush in 2000."
What do you say to those charges when you defend yourself against the former president?
HOOD: I think it was very disappointing that President Carter would not know what the laws are today, how they've changed, how the reforms that the legislature has put in place has made dramatic reforms, how everything is different and how our great supervisors of elections, 67 of them across the state, independent, charged with the responsibility of running elections in our counties, have delivered successful elections since those changes took place.
In fact, I've reached out to President Carter and asked him to meet with me, to meet with our elections officials across the state and to become educated, because to our knowledge, he nor anyone from the Carter Center has ever reached out to us.
HEMMER: You talk about the specifics for what changed. Robert Wexler, a Democrat here in Florida, no friend of Republicans, calls you, "She," Glenda Hood, "is the political puppet of Jeb Bush, a true partisan using her office to the best possible advantage of the Republican Party."
Put all this together and take it just a step further for me.
How do you assure people across your state and across the country, for that matter, if it comes to what we experienced four years ago, why will it not be a repeat performance in Florida?
HOOD: First of all, I deal on a very non-partisan basis. I served at the local level as an elected official on a non-partisan basis for almost 22 years. And I deal with people of all party stripes. I think that's very important. And from day one I said that I was not going to be involved in any political campaigns. I didn't think that was appropriate. I have stayed to that commitment and to that promise.
You know, we are ready for the election. We have supervisors of elections who have worked hard to put these reforms in place. We have the best technology available today being used. We know that's going to change in the future and we're open to that. We reach out into the community. We have an unprecedented voter education campaign, working with my office, making sure that voters get all the information they need.
Our supervisors are out there in communities on a regular basis and we've had great challenges. You were talking to Senator Graham about the four hurricanes that have negatively impacted so many of the things in our state and the people that are hurting and who have lost so much. But, you know, people don't want to lose their right to vote. We saw that in the primary. In two week's time in west Florida, those counties that were most negatively impacted came back and they reconfigured polling places. They reached out to their communities and they delivered yet another successful election, just as since all the reforms have been put in place in Florida, supervisors have delivered hundreds of successful elections.
We expect nothing different for the general election, just as we saw in the primary.
HEMMER: Good luck to you, OK?
Glenda Hood, secretary of state here in Florida.
HOOD: Thank you.
HEMMER: From Tallahassee.
And thank you for your time, as well, OK?
Thirty-three days and counting.
Our live coverage later tonight on CNN kicks off at 7:00 Eastern. The debate starts at 9:00 Eastern.
One other note about Florida here, Heidi.
It picked up two more electoral votes since four years ago, now 27 as opposed to 25 back in 2000. Florida's population has grown by a million people in only four years. Eight hundred and sixty thousand people have been added to the voter rolls since the vote in November of 2000.
So if you put all that together, that is another variable that many people say make this state very unpredictable now in 2004. We'll all see in 33 days.
Back to you now in New York -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, that much more important there, too. All right, Bill Hemmer, thanks so much for that.
We want to get a moment to check on the weather.
Chad Myers standing by at the big bad map for more on that -- hey, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Not so bad today. That's the good news.
COLLINS: Great.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Still to come, did you know that colors may affect your appetite? We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" about a surprising new study.
Also ahead, undecided voters probably the most important audience tonight for President Bush and Senator Kerry. Three such voters will tell us what they want to hear.
And we're on terror's trail. Two death sentences this week in the U.S. Cole case. But some experts say U.S. officials may have failed to learn the lessons of that bombing.
It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We want to check in with Jack once again and the Question of the Day about the debate tonight.
CAFFERTY: Yes, thanks, Heidi.
No do-overs tonight. Screw up and you're in the history books until eternity. At the end of time, you'll be known as the dolt who blew it when the chips were down. It's not exactly winner take all, but it's close. A lot at stake tonight. Which candidate has more to lose is the Question of the Day.
Matt in Columbia, South Carolina: "Obviously, John Kerry has more to lose than Bush. Bush has done nearly nothing right since entering office three and a half years ago, yet he's leading Kerry in the polls. Kerry has to deliver a knockout punch."
Lee in Kent, Ohio: "The American people. Neither candidate is worth my vote. It's a pity that in the first presidential election I'm able to vote in, the candidates have made the race about a sandbox in the Middle East and not the people that they are being elected to serve."
Tom -- and, usually, Lee, you have to vote in a few elections before you become that cynical. But you're -- you've got it done already.
Tom in Bena, Minnesota: "It's not the candidates who stand to lose the most, it's us, the American people. This isn't a debate. This 'thing' they call a debate is more about who can articulate my spin the best and who can bully the media best. What if they gave a debate and nobody watched?"
And Dave in Asheville, North Carolina: "This will be a girlie men show. I'd rather see them unshaven, sweaty and combative. Stifled, neither of them will be believable."
Am@cnn.com if you have some thoughts.
And the washed up '70s star that I talked about touring -- wandering aimlessly around the country about 20 -- it's not me, so knock it off.
COLLINS: Are you getting some unfriendly e-mail?
CAFFERTY: Yes, I'm getting these people saying have a nice trip, happy trails, that sort of thing.
COLLINS: Oh. All right, well, we will get to that in just a few minutes from now in the "Cafferty File."
Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COLLINS: In the meantime, though, we send it back over to Bill in Miami -- hey, Bill.
HEMMER: Hey, Heidi, good morning again to you, and to Jack, as well.
You know, most University of Miami students here on campus are thrilled that these two men and this debate is coming here to campus later tonight. It is all the talk across campus here. Many hoping that they will learn more about where the candidates stand on the issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): On this politically active campus, students are registering to vote at a rapid rate. Despite the distractions of recent hurricanes an undefeated football team, students are excited about tonight's debate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And if you walk down the halls and the dorms, it's like Kerry signs or Bush signs everywhere.
HEMMER: Most students we talked to are hopeful the debate will convince them of their choice. But some are doubtful they will learn much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd like to see a real debate and I have a feeling that's not what it's going to be like. I think it's all very much scripted. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking for a candidate who's going to be straightforward, they're going to tell me -- they're going to answer the question.
HEMMER: Lazaro Oliva and Alexander Chitty (ph) participate in the ROTC program. They'll join the Army when they graduate. For them, the fight against terrorism is a priority.
LAZARO OLIVA, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI STUDENT: What I really want to hear is that we're still going to continue to fight and we're not going to give up.
HEMMER: Four years ago, only 42 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 24 voted. Almost all of the students we spoke to plan on voting this time.
On fraternity row, they're holding mock debates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're having our pre-debate, OK? We have -- our house is pretty much split, Republican-Democrat. So we have debates all the time.
HEMMER: The campus bookstore has entire sections devoted to politics and the campaign. Graduate student Nick Serfass is still undecided.
NICK SERFASS, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI GRADUATE STUDENT: I feel hearing it from their own mouths and how they're going to react to the questions themselves is going to say a lot more than what somebody else's opinion of what they say is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would hope that the debates are really going to be focused on issues and that the public is actually going to actually be able to get really solid answers.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: And, again, students across this campus really fired up to see these two men go at it. Later tonight, we'll see if any of their questions are answered during tonight's face-off.
Across the state of Florida, rather interesting to see, you know, with those 27 electoral votes and so critical to either man winning this election on November 2. The unemployment numbers across the state are below the national average. Florida has actually added 300,000 jobs since going back four years ago in the year 2000. Will that play a role? Perhaps. The economy always checks in the top one, two or three priority for voters, every time we see a race for the White House, as we do again this year.
Back to Heidi again in New York now -- Heidi, talk to you again in a moment.
COLLINS: OK, great.
Thanks a lot, Bill. And still to come, now, is al Qaeda broken in Pakistan? A look at that astonishing claim ahead here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Some breaking news to tell you about now coming into us this morning here at CNN.
Merck & Company, they are the drug company that has been marketing Vioxx, a popular drug for arthritis and acute pain. I'm sure you've seen the commercials on television many, many times.
They are voluntarily withdrawing that drug worldwide now from the marketplace. They are basing this decision on a new study that's been going on for about three years. The results just came out, though, showing an increased relative risk for heart attack and stroke. This all begins about 18 months after the treatment of people taking the drug. And that is the research that they had that they're basing that decision on.
They do say that although there could be other ways that you could treat yourself, they feel like this is the most responsible way for them to handle the drug that they have been marketing.
Once again, Vioxx voluntarily being taken off the market all across the world. That is the drug that so many people are using now, Andy, for arthritis.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: It is. And it's really a stunning turn of events. I mean Merck obviously a huge company. This is a $2.5 billion a year drug, Heidi. And it's extremely unusual for a pharmaceutical company to withdraw a drug like this, especially one that's been on the market for so many years. But I guess the data was overwhelming and the company feels that this has to be done.
COLLINS: Yes. Good for them, too, if this is the most responsible way to go.
I think we are going to be talking with Sanjay Gupta a little bit later on today about the physical effects of it and how this could happen.
SERWER: Yes.
COLLINS: All right, Andy...
SERWER: Right. The stock is trading down in pre-market, as you might imagine on this news.
COLLINS: Yes, I would imagine.
We'll watch that further today, too.
SERWER: Right.
COLLINS: All right, Andy, thank you so much for that. SERWER: You're welcome.
COLLINS: And now back to Bill once again in Miami -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, a question this morning -- how are the candidates spending their remaining hours before the debate later tonight? A live update on each candidate, on each campaign. We'll tell you how they are getting ready.
And don't forget, prime time coverage later tonight. It starts at 7:00 Eastern here on CNN. Anderson starts then. Paul and Wolf come by at 8:00. The debate begins at 9:00 Eastern, all night long here on CNN.
We roll on from Miami right after this on this edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired September 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: Good morning.
John Kerry and George Bush in a Thursday night showdown. Can either candidate change the course of the election in this first presidential debate?
Bombs exploding across Baghdad. Dozens reported dead. There are U.S. casualties to talk about, as well, this morning.
And on terrorists' trail -- claims now that Al Qaeda has been broken in Pakistan. Is that true?
Looking for answers on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: This is AMERICAN MORNING live from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, here's Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Good morning, everyone.
The sun now up in the sky here on a Thursday morning.
We are live here.
And good morning.
Good to have you along with us today.
The first debate later tonight, the first time the two presidential candidates cross paths later this evening, 9:00 Eastern time in prime time. National security is topic A tonight, which means questions on Iraq and perhaps many, too. Reports of bombings across that country already today. Well, let's talk about that. Also, we'll talk about how that might play later tonight.
Also in a moment, Democratic Senator Bob Graham from this state and Florida's secretary of state, Republican Glenda Hood. And also this hour, we'll talk about what some undecided voters are listening for later tonight, what questions they want answered between John Kerry and George Bush.
Also, the headline today in the "Miami Herald," no surprise here, "Showdown Is Here." The debate leads top of the fold this morning here in the "Miami Herald." But just yesterday, the headline was about the weather and the hurricane aftermath. "Living Without Power" still a substantial story here in south Florida. Four major storms in only six weeks time. There is a major question here about how much Floridians are already paying attention to these debates and these elections. In about 20 minutes, we'll show you a little story we did down here with the students in the University of Miami. It is all the talk, Heidi, across campus here and all the talk across southern Florida. The debates are front and center later tonight, despite the news, again, that we've all been watching for the past several weeks.
Heidi -- good morning to you back in New York.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, no kidding. It's got to be very tough for them trying to still dig out from underneath all of those hurricanes, hard to divert their attention, that's for sure.
All right, Bill, thanks so much.
We'll get back to you in just a second.
Meanwhile, though, Sanjay Gupta is going to be with us this morning. He's talking about a new study about what makes us hungry. Amazingly, something as simple as color can turn people off to eating. And it's not just the color of the food, either. So Sanjay is going to explain all of that on our eating tactics, which are very important on this show this morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the other thing that will make you hungry is not eating for a long time.
COLLINS: That's the other thing.
CAFFERTY: Yes. That'll...
COLLINS: That's true.
CAFFERTY: I mean that works like that.
Coming up in the "Cafferty File," there's a new scent coming to market for men guaranteed to only be worn by the biggest losers on the planet.
And the reality show that will feature a washed up '70s star wondering around the country.
That's coming up in "The File."
Plus, not eating can make you very hungry.
COLLINS: I love the "Cafferty File."
All right, we'll check back in a moment.
Thanks so much, Jack.
In the meantime, we are going to check on the stories now in the news.
Rick Sanchez standing by to do just that -- hey, Rick.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ugly situation in Iraq getting even uglier. The death toll is rising in that string of car bombings we've been telling you about in Baghdad. An Iraqi health official now says at least 37 people were killed in separate explosions. Casualties continue to flood hospitals. More than 120 people are wounded.
Earlier, a car bombing in the Abu Ghraib district killed at least three people, including an American soldier, wounded dozens of others. Expect those numbers to rise.
In Nigeria, rebels are set to resume peace talks with government officials this morning, ending an immediate threat to oil supplies, which would have affected our pocketbooks, no doubt. Oil prices decreased slightly after the rebels declared a truce yesterday. The rebel group had threatened to declare war in the oil rich region if the demands for autonomy and oil profits were not met.
China is asking Canada to return 44 apparent North Korean asylum seekers. The group scaled a fence into the Canadian embassy in Beijing yesterday. Chinese officials say they will be treated in accordance with international law, but they didn't specify exactly what would be done with them, where they would be sent, if anywhere.
Meanwhile, the U.S. handed over nine North Korean women who entered an American school in Shanghai, this on Monday.
Back to Miami now, the Sunshine State, and Bill Hemmer.
HEMMER: Yes.
Hey, Rick, thanks for that.
Thirty-three days and counting now before the big race here. George Bush and John Kerry head to head later tonight in debate number one of three. Both men arriving in Florida yesterday. John Kerry touched down last night, had a rally in Fort Lauderdale after he left. Earlier in the State of Wisconsin, he was getting ready for the debate back in Wisconsin.
President Bush arriving at MacDill Air Force Base, taking time off from debate preparations to survey damage left by hurricane Jeanne. He was north of Tampa.
This day today, he'll hit the eastern side of Florida.
Homeland security and foreign policy the focus in tonight's debate.
And for more on this, our national security correspondent David Ensor checks in with this preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The war that has so far cost well over 1,000 American lives guarantees drama in the first presidential debate.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Invading Iraq has created a crisis of historic proportions. And if we do not change course, there is the prospect of a war with no end in sight.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Incredibly this week, my opponent said he would prefer the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein to the situation in Iraq today.
ENSOR: Mr. Bush will present Kerry as waffling on Iraq because he voted to give authority for war and then became a critic of the way it's been conducted.
Senator Kerry will argue Bush took his eye off the target, America's real enemy, Osama bin Laden.
JAMES LINDSEY, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: I think you see in President Bush someone who's deeply skeptical of international institutions, who believes in what he calls coalitions of the willing, that if we lead, others will follow.
Senator Kerry is a man who thinks that that's simply not enough, that we need to work with others because the problems are beyond our capacity to be able to solve on our own.
ENSOR: The first debate will be about foreign policy issues, but experts say for the voters, the specific policies are not the point.
LINDSEY: What they're really going to want to come to grips with as they look at the debate and look at the two candidates is at the end of the day, who do I trust with the future of my country? And so the foreign policy issues become a way of thinking about leadership.
ENSOR (on camera): So while the two candidates debate the issues, from Iraq to trade deficits to North Korean nuclear weapons, the voters will likely focus less on the details, more on that all important factor, someone to trust.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: David, thanks for that.
A new survey, a CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll showing 18 percent of those asked in that survey, 18 percent of registered voters say the debates later tonight, starting tonight, will make a difference in deciding their vote come November 2.
Back to Heidi now in New York with more there -- Heidi.
COLLINS: OK, Bill, thank you.
Florida Senator Bob Graham has seen candidate Kerry from both sides, first as a Democratic primary opponent, and now as a campaign supporter. Senator Graham is with us this morning from the capital to talk about Kerry's mission in tonight's debate.
Senator, good morning to you.
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D-FL), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: Good morning, Heidi.
COLLINS: Let's talk a little bit about tonight now.
As you well know, the main focus is going to be foreign policy, likely Iraq. But a little bit of criticism that Senator Kerry's ideas are not that different from what President Bush is doing right now.
How will he differentiate himself?
GRAHAM: Heidi, before I answer your question, since Bill is in Miami, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the people across America who have been so generous and supportive of Floridians who have been through four devastating hurricanes. The fact that this debate is being held in Florida is a symbol that the state is ready to recover and come back and be the Florida that we've all known.
COLLINS: Absolutely. We'll get...
GRAHAM: Thank you, America.
COLLINS: We'll get back to that very topic in just a moment, senator.
GRAHAM: I think that this debate is going to be, as it should be, on the wars and how well President Bush has conducted the war on terror and the war in Iraq. I have recently published a book called "Intelligence Matters," in which I list a number of areas in which I think the president's actions have been so bad, so egregious and antithetical to U.S. interests that he should be removed from office.
I hope those actions of the president will be the focus of this debate tonight.
COLLINS: Well, but what will Senator Kerry do in order to appear very different, with a different sort of plan, a better one, if you will, than what President Bush has now?
GRAHAM: Well, I think that he needs to say had I been president, I would not have followed the course of George W. Bush, but rather George Herbert Walker Bush, and I would not have gone to war until I had a firm coalition, until I had a plan to win the war and then to win the peace and I had a plan to get out of Iraq after that process was over.
This president had none of those.
COLLINS: Let's talk about the hurricanes. You already brought that up a little bit. We did see just moments ago the front page newspaper yesterday with the hurricane all over it. People are really trying hard to recover from this. It's still going to be quite some time.
How do you get their attention with politics now when their lives are really just such a mess?
GRAHAM: Well, I don't think it's realistic to expect people who've got a hole in their roof and their rug has just been soaked to be thinking very much about politics. And that will probably last well into October.
But before November 2, we will be in a position to begin to focus not only on our personal lives, but on our national lives. And Florida will be a full and extremely important factor in the 2004 election.
COLLINS: Quickly before we let you go, Senator Graham, let's look at the latest poll. You mentioned the national numbers. President Bush leads John Kerry in your state by nine points among likely voters, five points among registered voters.
Is the decision made in Florida?
GRAHAM: No. First, and I don't want to quibble over the polls, but it's very difficult to conduct a poll when people are as focused on their own homes as they are in Florida, and where many people don't have a functioning even lights, much less a telephone.
But I think it's likely that President Bush has now taken a lead in Florida. But the election is going to be decided in the next 33 days between now and November the 2nd.
COLLINS: And, of course, tonight will be a pivotal moment, that is for sure, for both candidates.
GRAHAM: Thank you.
COLLINS: Senator Bob Graham, appreciate your time here this morning.
Nice to see you.
GRAHAM: Thank you very much, Heidi.
COLLINS: Bill, back now to you in Miami once again.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi.
After overseeing the Bush-Gore recount back in 2000, then secretary of state in Florida, Katherine Harris, pretty much became persona non grata among Democrats. And that's putting it a bit mildly. She now serves in Congress on the House side out of her district in Sarasota, on the west side of Florida.
But yet again Florida may play a deciding role in this presidential race.
Glenda Hood is now the current secretary of state, determined, she says, to see that history does not repeat itself.
She's my guest now from the state capital up in Tallahassee.
And good morning.
Welcome here to AMERICAN MORNING.
GLENDA HOOD, FLORIDA SECRETARY OF STATE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: Earlier in the week, Jimmy Carter...
HOOD: How are you?
HEMMER: I'm doing just fine.
Thank you for your time.
Jimmy Carter, the former president, wrote a scathing report or editorial, rather, in the "Washington Post," saying that Katherine Harris pretty much had a very strong bias in the state that prevented so many things from being conducted here, saying, "The same strong bias has become evident in her successor, Glenda Hood, who was a highly partisan elector for George W. Bush in 2000."
What do you say to those charges when you defend yourself against the former president?
HOOD: I think it was very disappointing that President Carter would not know what the laws are today, how they've changed, how the reforms that the legislature has put in place has made dramatic reforms, how everything is different and how our great supervisors of elections, 67 of them across the state, independent, charged with the responsibility of running elections in our counties, have delivered successful elections since those changes took place.
In fact, I've reached out to President Carter and asked him to meet with me, to meet with our elections officials across the state and to become educated, because to our knowledge, he nor anyone from the Carter Center has ever reached out to us.
HEMMER: You talk about the specifics for what changed. Robert Wexler, a Democrat here in Florida, no friend of Republicans, calls you, "She," Glenda Hood, "is the political puppet of Jeb Bush, a true partisan using her office to the best possible advantage of the Republican Party."
Put all this together and take it just a step further for me.
How do you assure people across your state and across the country, for that matter, if it comes to what we experienced four years ago, why will it not be a repeat performance in Florida?
HOOD: First of all, I deal on a very non-partisan basis. I served at the local level as an elected official on a non-partisan basis for almost 22 years. And I deal with people of all party stripes. I think that's very important. And from day one I said that I was not going to be involved in any political campaigns. I didn't think that was appropriate. I have stayed to that commitment and to that promise.
You know, we are ready for the election. We have supervisors of elections who have worked hard to put these reforms in place. We have the best technology available today being used. We know that's going to change in the future and we're open to that. We reach out into the community. We have an unprecedented voter education campaign, working with my office, making sure that voters get all the information they need.
Our supervisors are out there in communities on a regular basis and we've had great challenges. You were talking to Senator Graham about the four hurricanes that have negatively impacted so many of the things in our state and the people that are hurting and who have lost so much. But, you know, people don't want to lose their right to vote. We saw that in the primary. In two week's time in west Florida, those counties that were most negatively impacted came back and they reconfigured polling places. They reached out to their communities and they delivered yet another successful election, just as since all the reforms have been put in place in Florida, supervisors have delivered hundreds of successful elections.
We expect nothing different for the general election, just as we saw in the primary.
HEMMER: Good luck to you, OK?
Glenda Hood, secretary of state here in Florida.
HOOD: Thank you.
HEMMER: From Tallahassee.
And thank you for your time, as well, OK?
Thirty-three days and counting.
Our live coverage later tonight on CNN kicks off at 7:00 Eastern. The debate starts at 9:00 Eastern.
One other note about Florida here, Heidi.
It picked up two more electoral votes since four years ago, now 27 as opposed to 25 back in 2000. Florida's population has grown by a million people in only four years. Eight hundred and sixty thousand people have been added to the voter rolls since the vote in November of 2000.
So if you put all that together, that is another variable that many people say make this state very unpredictable now in 2004. We'll all see in 33 days.
Back to you now in New York -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes, that much more important there, too. All right, Bill Hemmer, thanks so much for that.
We want to get a moment to check on the weather.
Chad Myers standing by at the big bad map for more on that -- hey, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Not so bad today. That's the good news.
COLLINS: Great.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Still to come, did you know that colors may affect your appetite? We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" about a surprising new study.
Also ahead, undecided voters probably the most important audience tonight for President Bush and Senator Kerry. Three such voters will tell us what they want to hear.
And we're on terror's trail. Two death sentences this week in the U.S. Cole case. But some experts say U.S. officials may have failed to learn the lessons of that bombing.
It's all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We want to check in with Jack once again and the Question of the Day about the debate tonight.
CAFFERTY: Yes, thanks, Heidi.
No do-overs tonight. Screw up and you're in the history books until eternity. At the end of time, you'll be known as the dolt who blew it when the chips were down. It's not exactly winner take all, but it's close. A lot at stake tonight. Which candidate has more to lose is the Question of the Day.
Matt in Columbia, South Carolina: "Obviously, John Kerry has more to lose than Bush. Bush has done nearly nothing right since entering office three and a half years ago, yet he's leading Kerry in the polls. Kerry has to deliver a knockout punch."
Lee in Kent, Ohio: "The American people. Neither candidate is worth my vote. It's a pity that in the first presidential election I'm able to vote in, the candidates have made the race about a sandbox in the Middle East and not the people that they are being elected to serve."
Tom -- and, usually, Lee, you have to vote in a few elections before you become that cynical. But you're -- you've got it done already.
Tom in Bena, Minnesota: "It's not the candidates who stand to lose the most, it's us, the American people. This isn't a debate. This 'thing' they call a debate is more about who can articulate my spin the best and who can bully the media best. What if they gave a debate and nobody watched?"
And Dave in Asheville, North Carolina: "This will be a girlie men show. I'd rather see them unshaven, sweaty and combative. Stifled, neither of them will be believable."
Am@cnn.com if you have some thoughts.
And the washed up '70s star that I talked about touring -- wandering aimlessly around the country about 20 -- it's not me, so knock it off.
COLLINS: Are you getting some unfriendly e-mail?
CAFFERTY: Yes, I'm getting these people saying have a nice trip, happy trails, that sort of thing.
COLLINS: Oh. All right, well, we will get to that in just a few minutes from now in the "Cafferty File."
Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COLLINS: In the meantime, though, we send it back over to Bill in Miami -- hey, Bill.
HEMMER: Hey, Heidi, good morning again to you, and to Jack, as well.
You know, most University of Miami students here on campus are thrilled that these two men and this debate is coming here to campus later tonight. It is all the talk across campus here. Many hoping that they will learn more about where the candidates stand on the issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): On this politically active campus, students are registering to vote at a rapid rate. Despite the distractions of recent hurricanes an undefeated football team, students are excited about tonight's debate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And if you walk down the halls and the dorms, it's like Kerry signs or Bush signs everywhere.
HEMMER: Most students we talked to are hopeful the debate will convince them of their choice. But some are doubtful they will learn much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd like to see a real debate and I have a feeling that's not what it's going to be like. I think it's all very much scripted. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking for a candidate who's going to be straightforward, they're going to tell me -- they're going to answer the question.
HEMMER: Lazaro Oliva and Alexander Chitty (ph) participate in the ROTC program. They'll join the Army when they graduate. For them, the fight against terrorism is a priority.
LAZARO OLIVA, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI STUDENT: What I really want to hear is that we're still going to continue to fight and we're not going to give up.
HEMMER: Four years ago, only 42 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 24 voted. Almost all of the students we spoke to plan on voting this time.
On fraternity row, they're holding mock debates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're having our pre-debate, OK? We have -- our house is pretty much split, Republican-Democrat. So we have debates all the time.
HEMMER: The campus bookstore has entire sections devoted to politics and the campaign. Graduate student Nick Serfass is still undecided.
NICK SERFASS, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI GRADUATE STUDENT: I feel hearing it from their own mouths and how they're going to react to the questions themselves is going to say a lot more than what somebody else's opinion of what they say is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would hope that the debates are really going to be focused on issues and that the public is actually going to actually be able to get really solid answers.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HEMMER: And, again, students across this campus really fired up to see these two men go at it. Later tonight, we'll see if any of their questions are answered during tonight's face-off.
Across the state of Florida, rather interesting to see, you know, with those 27 electoral votes and so critical to either man winning this election on November 2. The unemployment numbers across the state are below the national average. Florida has actually added 300,000 jobs since going back four years ago in the year 2000. Will that play a role? Perhaps. The economy always checks in the top one, two or three priority for voters, every time we see a race for the White House, as we do again this year.
Back to Heidi again in New York now -- Heidi, talk to you again in a moment.
COLLINS: OK, great.
Thanks a lot, Bill. And still to come, now, is al Qaeda broken in Pakistan? A look at that astonishing claim ahead here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Some breaking news to tell you about now coming into us this morning here at CNN.
Merck & Company, they are the drug company that has been marketing Vioxx, a popular drug for arthritis and acute pain. I'm sure you've seen the commercials on television many, many times.
They are voluntarily withdrawing that drug worldwide now from the marketplace. They are basing this decision on a new study that's been going on for about three years. The results just came out, though, showing an increased relative risk for heart attack and stroke. This all begins about 18 months after the treatment of people taking the drug. And that is the research that they had that they're basing that decision on.
They do say that although there could be other ways that you could treat yourself, they feel like this is the most responsible way for them to handle the drug that they have been marketing.
Once again, Vioxx voluntarily being taken off the market all across the world. That is the drug that so many people are using now, Andy, for arthritis.
ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: It is. And it's really a stunning turn of events. I mean Merck obviously a huge company. This is a $2.5 billion a year drug, Heidi. And it's extremely unusual for a pharmaceutical company to withdraw a drug like this, especially one that's been on the market for so many years. But I guess the data was overwhelming and the company feels that this has to be done.
COLLINS: Yes. Good for them, too, if this is the most responsible way to go.
I think we are going to be talking with Sanjay Gupta a little bit later on today about the physical effects of it and how this could happen.
SERWER: Yes.
COLLINS: All right, Andy...
SERWER: Right. The stock is trading down in pre-market, as you might imagine on this news.
COLLINS: Yes, I would imagine.
We'll watch that further today, too.
SERWER: Right.
COLLINS: All right, Andy, thank you so much for that. SERWER: You're welcome.
COLLINS: And now back to Bill once again in Miami -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Heidi, a question this morning -- how are the candidates spending their remaining hours before the debate later tonight? A live update on each candidate, on each campaign. We'll tell you how they are getting ready.
And don't forget, prime time coverage later tonight. It starts at 7:00 Eastern here on CNN. Anderson starts then. Paul and Wolf come by at 8:00. The debate begins at 9:00 Eastern, all night long here on CNN.
We roll on from Miami right after this on this edition of AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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